Another week of college basketball is in the books, as the young season as offered many exciting games for the fans to watch. Here is my college basketball Top 25 after Week 3 of the season:
1. Kentucky Wildcats
Record: 4-0
Week Record: 4-0
Kentucky may not go undefeated into the NCAA Tournament again this year, but they were impressive against Duke. They have a deep back court once again to go with their big men. Coach John Calipari just keeps getting Kentucky talent, then working with it.
Tyler Ulis was mighty impressive against Duke, and it is obvious he is the guy for the Wildcats. Freshman guard Jamal Murray is just as talented as well, though, and he can be such a problem for opponents in transition.
2. Duke Blue Devils
Record: 4-1
Week Record: 4-1
Everyone has dropped Duke in their poll since the loss to Kentucky, but I saw their bounce back performances against solid teams like VCU (79-71 win) and Georgetown (86-84 win) to win the 2K Classic as massive steps forward.
There are concerns, obviously. Grayson Allen has been amazing in every win, and it feels like the Blue Devils can rely on him too much. Freshmen like Brandon Ingram and Luke Kennard have not had solid outings yet, but this team still has veteran leadership and talent. A loss to Kentucky is not the biggest problem in the world.
3. North Carolina Tar Heels
Record: 3-1
Week Record: 3-1
Another team that every team is going to freak out about and drop deep in the polls is North Carolina. Let’s not panic, folks. The Tar Heels lost to a team in Northern Iowa that is well coached and caught fire from the three-point line. It is just an early road loss.
Also, it is important to remember North Carolina is without Marcus Paige, the engine that runs this offense.
4. Oklahoma Sooners
Record: 2-0
Week Record: 2-0
Oklahoma is not getting much love in the polls right now, but let’s not mistake this: that game at Memphis was one heckuva quality win. Guard Buddy Hield has been great early in the year, and I would expect his success to continue throughout the season.
Finding their power forward for the rest of the season is Oklahoma’s number one priority right now, though. Khadeem Lattin has not been very good.
5. Michigan State Spartans
Record: 3-0
Week Record: 3-0
Michigan State had a huge week, as they blew out lesser opponents like Florida Atlantic and Arkansas-Pine Bluff and scrapped their way to a win against Kansas. Denzel Valentine recorded a triple-double against Kansas and was the best player on the floor by far.
The Spartans should be able to sustain their success as injured contributors like Gavin Schilling and Marvin Clark Jr. get back into the flow of things.
6. Villanova Wildcats
Record: 4-0
Week Record: 4-0
Villanova looks really, really solid again this year, as the Wildcats have had zero problems with their opponents so far this season. They have beat every team by at least 19 points and have done it efficiently.
Villanova has had everyone contributing so far, but Josh Hart looks especially good. He should be able to keep carrying that success on this year.
7. Maryland Terrapins
Record: 3-0
Week Record: 3-0
Maryland is still getting votes in other polls, but I am still a bit suspect of the Terrapins at this point. They escaped to win a home game against Georgetown, who is very good in their own right, and then escaped again at home against Rider. Not a great recipe for success.
While we kind of knew what Melo Trimble and Jake Layman would bring to the table, there were questions about Rasheed Sulaimon and Diamond Stone. Both players have been solid so far, a good sight for Terrapin fans.
8. Kansas Jayhawks
Record: 1-1
Week Record: 1-1
Kansas had a bad finish in the Michigan State game, but it is easy to give credit to the performance Valentine put on. That will end up being a good loss for Kansas.
Frank Mason and Wayne Selden need to show up to every game with something to prove for this team. Perry Ellis played pretty well, but the back court is important. As is getting Cheick Diallo back (ahem, NCAA).
9. Iowa State Cyclones
Record: 2-0
Week Record: 2-0
A close game against Colorado has everyone nervous about Iowa State, but the first game funk will be just that… a funk. Expect guys like Monte Morris and Georges Niang to work out any problems within the offense.
The bench is a huge concern for Iowa State, but those guys are going to have to develop. It’s nearly impossible to avoid injury or foul trouble during college basketball games, so they are going to need guys to step up when called upon.
10. Indiana Hoosiers
Record: 3-0
Week Record: 3-0
Indiana is going to play incredibly fast once again this year, as Tom Crean is essentially coaching for his job (again). They tore apart a hurting Creighton team, but the Hoosiers still looked impressive in movement.
Yogi Ferrell and James Blackmon Jr. could blossom into the best back court in the country. Both players know how to handle the ball and get to the rim. Troy Williams and Thomas Bryant are both really good role players to Ferrell and Blackmon, and Indiana should ride those four to a lot of wins this year.
11. Gonzaga Bulldogs (2-0)
12. Arizona Wildcats (4-0)
13. Purdue Boilermakers (5-0)
14. Miami Hurricanes (5-0)
15. Virginia Cavaliers (4-1)
16. California Golden Bears (3-0)
17. Vanderbilt Commodores (3-0)
18. Oregon Ducks (4-0)
19. Connecticut Huskies (3-0)
20. Utah Utes (4-1)
21. Wichita State Shockers (2-1)
22. LSU Tigers (3-0)
23. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (3-0)
24. Butler Bulldogs (3-1)
25. Baylor Bears (2-1)
T26. SMU, Cincinnati
Note: Due to this being the first week of the series, there were no ‘last week’ rankings
