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Wild leap

Arizona moves into the top five this week

Posted: Thursday February 24, 2005 12:34PM
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NCAA Basketball Power Rankings
Rank LW Team
1 1
Illinois Fighting Illini (28-0)
What, did you think the talk about Deron Williams entering the NBA Draft would be even a remote distraction for the Illini? They pummeled Northwestern on Wednesday night at Assembly Hall to earn at least a share of the Big Ten title (as if it weren't locked up already). As for Williams, turning pro after this season is a smart business decision -- I doubt Illinois will be able to duplicate this kind of success in 2005-06, and his stock will never be any higher than it is right now. Williams has said he'll declare if he's assured of a first-round selection (which makes his departure a near certainty), while fellow guard Dee Brown is leaning heavily toward returning. "College basketball is where it's at," he told the Chicago Tribune. "That's where the heart and the soul of the game is." Expect that gem to be repeated by many a collegiate flag-waiver -- but should the Illini win the national title, Brown said he'll reconsider the draft.
Next two: vs. Purdue 3/3, at Ohio State 3/6.
2 3
North Carolina Tar Heels (23-3)
It is an unfortunate occurrence that the college game's best Rashads -- UNC's McCants and UConn's Anderson, respectively -- have fallen ill recently. McCants missed Tuesday's win at N.C. State -- his first absence in his Tar Heel career -- due to an intestinal disorder, and a date has not been set for his return. "We're all praying for him," teammate David Noel told the Raleigh News & Observer. Anderson, meanwhile, was released from Hartford (Conn.) Hospital on Monday after a frightening, 14-day battle with an infection that began with an abscess in his upper leg. "I'm lucky to be alive," Anderson told the Hartford Courant. May both players recover in time to thrive in March.
Next two: at Maryland 2/27, vs. Florida State 3/3.
3 5
Duke Blue Devils (20-4)
I doubt the Blue Devils will play another game this season in which their opponent shoots 0-fer from beyond the arc -- or attempts fewer 3s as a team than Lee Melchionni does all by himself. Georgia Tech met both of those marks Wednesday night, going 0-for-5 from long distance while Melchionni was 3-of-7, including a dagger with 1:26 left to put Duke up five at 57-52. The Blue Devils' win in Atlanta could be the start of an outside run at a No. 1-seed, a goal that would probably require a sweep of UNC and a run to the ACC tourney title game.
Next two: at St. John's 2/27, vs. Miami 3/3.
4 2
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (23-4)
The team getting the biggest boost from Kansas' late-season malaise? It's probably the Deacs, who by way of the Jayhawks' three-game losing streak are the top candidates for the fourth No. 1-seed after Illinois, Boston College and UNC. Wednesday night's rout of 1-27 Longwood -- one of three teams that actually has an RPI (330) worse than 0-28 Savannah State -- did nothing to help Wake's cause, though. Longwood was probably the bigger beneficiary in the affair, reportedly receiving a $25,000 guarantee for the trip (really) and an all-expenses paid vacation to the Chris-Paul Hotel near the Corinthian Gulf in Greece (they wish).
Next two: vs. Virginia 2/27, vs. Georgia Tech 3/2.
5 8
Arizona Wildcats (23-4)
Not that Lute Olson needs a second job ... but I'm sure any number of big-money PR firms would be willing to hire the veteran coach if his services were available. Olson pushed the "Salim Stoudamire Isn't Getting Enough Credit as the Best Shooter in America" message hard in the past week, backing it up with numbers comparing Stoudamire to J.J. Redick as well as complaints of "East-Coast bias" toward the Dukie. And what happened next? Olson's message became a hot topic, and the numbers -- admittedly compelling numbers -- spread like wildfire. Olson got time on ESPN (the primary target of his "East-Coast bias" complaint) to play his now-newsworthy "lack-of-respect" card. Dick Vitale, the guy who most often called Redick the "Best Shooter in America," mentioned Stoudamire in the first 10 minutes of Duke's primetime ESPN2 game at Georgia Tech on Wednesday. And now I'm talking about it on this much smaller stage. Olson wins.
Next two: at Washington State 2/24, at Washington 2/26.
6 9
Kentucky Wildcats (21-3)
What was with the weird signage in the crowd gathered for the ESPN GameDay broadcast in Lexington on Saturday? When the network cut to the set for a lead-in to the UK-Mississippi State game, one man was holding up a poster-board that simply read, "Big Feces," while another man's sign, in a display of creative spelling, said "Divorce Lawer." Had the two fans been standing next to each other -- they weren't -- I would have inferred that someone was in deep something and needed a Kentuckified attorney specializing in marital affairs ... but even then, how does that relate to basketball?
Next two: at Alabama 2/26, vs. Tennessee 3/2.
7 7
Boston College Eagles (22-2)
Perhaps as payback for the court-storming that occurred at Conte Forum on Saturday (when BC recorded a big win over Syracuse but did not lock up a Big East title), the Eagles had to watch Villanova fans mob the floor on Wednesday. I don't consider BC's second loss of the season an upset, seeing that the Wildcats are no slouches (they would be No. 17 in these rankings), having also victimized Kansas and Pittsburgh at the Pavilion in '05. But it is alarming that 'Nova was able to take down the Eagles without its veteran point guard, Mike Nardi, and by using only a six-man rotation (Curtis Sumpter, Kyle Lowry and Randy Foye each played at least 37 minutes).
Next two: vs. Seton Hall 2/26, vs. Pittsburgh 2/28.
8 6
Oklahoma State Cowboys (20-4)
Slumping Kansas looks vulnerable heading into Sunday's unofficial Big 12-title game in Lawrence, but the Cowboys still have a trio of reasons to worry: 1) "Glue-guy" forward Christian Moody, who was absent during KU's three-game losing streak, returns; 2) the Jayhawk seniors have instituted a four-day media ban so they can hunker down for Oklahoma State's visit; and 3) the 'Pokes' interior-D has, already this season, yielded 18 points to Gonzaga's J.P. Batista, 24 to Missouri's Linas Kleiza and 45 to Oklahoma's duo of Kevin Bookout and Taj Gray. Wayne Simien is salivating, or at least he better be.
Next two: at Kansas 2/27, vs. Texas A&M 3/2.
CONTINUE TO PART II

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