Three devoted writers in our College basketball department have filled out their top 25 ballots for the week. After averaging them together, hear what they have to say about each ranked team.
A big thanks for reading from our experts – Connor Ferguson, Bailey Van Houten, and Drew Thompson.
LWOS NCAA Experts pick their Top 25 for Week 9 of the Season
1. Kentucky
CF – A clear cut number one team, they aren’t going down anytime soon.
BVH – Most dominant team by far this season.
DT – Leading NCAA in point differential at 27.5 per game.
2. Duke
CF – Duke has proving ground in the ACC now, trying to impress as much as Kentucky already has.
BVH – Defense is A LOT better than last season.
DT – Led by dominant freshman center Jahlil Okafor, Duke enters ACC play undefeated.
3. Virginia
CF – The Cavaliers have a road game against Notre Dame on Saturday that could shake but the top four in the ACC.
BVH – This team is a lot better than I thought they’d be. Held of Davidson last week.
DT – Virginia as the second ranked scoring defense, and hopes to challenge Duke for tops in the ACC
4. Louisville
CF – The ACC is showing how strong they are this season, grabbing three of the top four spots.
BVH – Cardinals have to get consistent and efficient scoring from its guards.
DT – Only loss was by 8 to Kentucky; Louisville has been a strong team this year anchored by Montrezl Harrell.
5. Gonzaga
CF – The Zags have shown a lot of prowess this season and likely will take the WCC with a one loss or better record.
BVH – Best Gonzaga team so far. Front court is loaded.
DT – A rare senior in college basketball Kevin Pangos runs the show for the Bulldogs and are one of the most well rounded teams. Historical note: Domas Sabonis (son of legend Arvydas Sabonis) has been a solid contributor off the bench.
6. Wisconsin
CF – Wisconsin hasn’t shown a lot of charisma yet, but B1G season is upon us so that should change soon.
BVH – Badgers are consistent and keep a level head in pressure situations.
DT – Wisconsin has five players shooting greater than .350 from deep; hot shooting and ball movement make this a tough team to defend.
7. Arizona
CF – They dropped big time for losing to a strong UNLV on the road, Cats aren’t quite as good as last season though.
BVH – I think Arizona is better than given credit for, but they do need to find an alpha-dog in close games.
DT – After losing to UNLV, Arizona looks to string a few wins together before the Jan17th matchup vs #9 Utah.
8. Maryland
CF – It’s hard to tell if this fast paced team will lose anytime soon.
BVH – Melo Trimble might be the most underrated player in the country.
DT – Maryland is a hot shooting team with a favorable schedule; circle Feb. 24th on the calendar when Maryland plays Wisconsin.
9. Utah
CF – This is giving Utah too much credit for beating a mediocre Wichita team.
BVH – Delon Wright could be the most valuable player to his team.
DT – 9 is high for Utah considering losses to KU and SDSU, with only one quality win at home vs. Wichita St.
10. Kansas
CF – The Jayhawks had a bad loss to Temple, if Iowa State dropped like they did, Kansas shouldn’t be here.
BVH – Jayhawks showed me a lot against UNLV. Kelly Oubre is improving each game.
DT – KU is a young, but talented, team still putting the pieces together. We’ll have a much clearer picture of them in late January with three consecutive games against ranked opponents.
11. Villanova
CF – Again, a terrible loss for Nova, but slightly better than KU’s.
BVH – Villanova is a lot underrated here, but they be back in the Top 10.
DT – Villanova’s only loss is to a good Seton Hall team, but their best win is vs VCU. Jury is still out on Villanova.
12. Notre Dame
CF – This is a new Notre Dame team that seems to be on a mission this season.
BVH – Jerian Grant’s dunk can explain their season so far. Irish are playing with excitement.
DT – Notre Dame just had an impressive win vs North Carolina, and a large test looms in their next contest against Virginia
13. West Virginia
CF – Juwan Staten and the Mountaineers add just another team to an already deep Big 12.
BVH – Mountaineers have Bob Huggins identity, and that’s paying off.
DT – Despite a bad loss to LSU early in the year, West Virginia has come on strong as of late.
14. Texas
CF – Texas has a tough task vs. Oklahoma this week. A big game for the rankings.
BVH – I don’t know what happened against Oklahoma, but Rick Barnes will get them back on track.
DT – Should Texas lose to OU it would be their third loss would take a hit in the standings.
15. North Carolina
CF – UNC also with a big game, as they have Notre Dame on Monday.
BVH – If the Tar Heels control the glass, they can control the game.
DT – North Carolina is averaging 80ppg on the season, but only 65ppg in their four losses.
16. Oklahoma
CF – Boomer Sooner got a high ranking for just beating last week, but OU looks like a good threat this year.
BVH – Sooners have played well this season, and it showed against Texas.
DT – Buddy Hield has led OU on their hot start that they look to carry into a tough Big 12 Conference.
17. Iowa State
CF – Iowa State had a very rare off night, losing to South Carolina and shooting just 1-18 from three. Fred Hoiberg needs to get his squad back on track.
BVH – Cyclones are a weird team, but they always seem to get better. Don’t count them out.
DT – Iowa State’s best win is against Arkansas; that combined with the recent loss to South Carolina makes it hard to picture them in the top 20.
18. Wichita State
CF – Wichita survived two scares to mediocre MVC schools. They are overrated.
BVH – Shockers aren’t as dominating as last season, but VanVleet and Baker are keeping them steady.
DT – Wichita State does not have a flattering resume, but with players like Ron Baker and Fred Van Vleet I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.
19. VCU
CF – The Rams are fourth in the RPI. This team will be dangerous throughout the season as they’ve been tested the most.
BVH – VCU got a couple of losses in the beginning of the season, but are on a roll now.
DT – After a few losses early (to very good teams) VCU has rattled off six wins in a row, and has a shot to carry a large win streak into the tournament.
20. Saint Johns
CF – SJU faces Villanova on Tuesday, they’ll need that win to keep stock upward.
BVH – Johnnies are a good team, but will they bounce back up? Lavin’s team has under performed in years past.
DT – After two strait losses the Red Storm need a huge win against Villanova Jan 6th to turn it around.
21. Baylor
CF – Baylor is the question mark of the Big 12, are they as real as last season or have they lost too many guys.
BVH – Bears are another weird Big 12 team, but as long as they keep winning, they’ll continue to move up.
DT – Largely untested, Baylor has had a strong zone defense so far, but will see that defense tested as conference play begins.
22. Seton Hall
CF – caught in the moment ranking this team. YES.
BVH – What a week for this Seton Hall squad, and this was all with Isaiah Whitehead out.
DT – Seton Hall has back-to-back wins against St Johns and Villanova. This team won’t fly up the rankings but deserves to be top-25.
23. Ohio State
CF – they’re just barely hanging on with the Big 10, one loss and they’re out.
BVH – They played a somewhat weak non-conference schedule, and that’s showing up.
DT – Ohio St has played three solid teams – and lost to all of them. The Buckeyes need some signature wins.
24. Old Dominion
CF – ODU has been very impressive this season, aside from one bad game the Monarchs knocked off VCU, Georgia State, and beat Charlotte most recently on the road.
BVH – Couldn’t keep Old Dominion off the poll any longer. They could be very good this season.
DT – Old Dominion has a few solid victories, but a 19 point loss to Illinois St really hurts.
25. Iowa
CF – The Hawks had a great showing at Ohio State, adding to a resume with a win vs. UNC, and no losses to teams outside the top 25.
BVH – I still don’t know about Iowa, but they have won games. They usually slip off, though.
DT – Iowa has four losses and are on the verge of slipping out of the rankings.
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