There aren’t a whole lot of shake-ups in the top-half of the Top-25 this week, as we had an astoundingly unchaotic week of college basketball. This week, however, is shaping up to be a doozy – we have matchups involving the top 4 teams on Saturday afternoon, potentially giving us a preview of potential Elite 8 or Final Four matchups! It’s a great time to be a college basketball fan!
College Basketball Top 25 Rankings
1. Michigan
The buzzsaw that is the Michigan Wolverines has a huge week awaiting them, traveling to Purdue and then playing Duke on a neutral floor. This is the week where Michigan will either show its dominance or show its vulnerability. The play of Yaxel Lendeborg will be huge, as he can be a matchup nightmare for both of these teams.
2. Duke
The Blue Devils have been unbeaten in Cameron Indoor this season, but the NCAA Tournament isn’t played in Cameron Indoor (for good reason, it’s not very big or easy to get to). I really want to see statement games from Cameron Boozer against top competition before I pick this team to win a National Championship.
3. Houston
The Cougars have 3 losses by a combined margin of 10 points. They simply could not buy a 3-point basket in the second half against Iowa State, and one more make would have resulted in a win for the Cougars. I wonder if the same problem is going to persist with this team through the NCAA Tournament.
4. Arizona
Kansas and Texas Tech were able to give the Wildcats their first two losses of the season in a span of 5 days. They both kind of showed the blueprint for beating Arizona – shut down their interior-focused offense and force them to shoot and make 3-pointers. The good news for Tommy Lloyd is that very few teams in Division I are equipped to do so. The injury to Koa Peat will go a long way in how this season finishes.
5. Florida
Everyone was so quick to write Florida off after 4 early non-conference losses – but they didn’t write back. The Gators have been absolutely bludgeoning SEC competition to the tune of 5 straight wins, only one of which was closer than 19 points, and the guard play of Boogie Fland and Xaivian Lee gives me enough confidence to pick this team to go far in March.
