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Power Rankings (cont.)

Posted: Friday February 9, 2007 12:24PM; Updated: Friday February 9, 2007 1:01PM
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NCAA Basketball Power Rankings
Rank LW Team
6 5
Ohio State Buckeyes (21-3)
Greg Oden is growing his playoff/old-man beard back, which means it's open season on the Buckeyes big man. Last Saturday in East Lansing, a Michigan State student held up a giant Oden AARP card during warmups. Oden, who we all know by now is at least 67, played dumb about the membership. "It's that the old people's card to get all the benefits?" he said. "You know what, I would take it. They'd be paying $13 for a movie, and I'm playing $2. I don't mind." Oden has also reportedly petitioned the Memphis Grizzlies -- the NBA's worst team, at 12-38 -- to offer senior-citzen discounts next season, so all his boys from the home can see him play.
Next three: 2/10 vs. Purdue, 2/14 at Penn State, 2/18 at Minnesota.
7 8
Marquette Golden Eagles (21-4)
I put Dominic James in the Blog's Style Archive for his A.I. Scorer's Sleeve ... but I didn't know that he wears two sleeves, and that the base layer actually came from Allen Iverson. Golden Eagles beat writer Todd Rosiak (of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel) dropped that nugget in his blog this week. James was given the sleeve by fellow Lilliputian Nate Robinson. "He saw that I had an old, raggedy sleeve on and Nate was like, 'I've got a sleeve but it was AI's and it's pretty big.'" James said. "I was like, 'Man, just let me try it on and let me see how it feels.'" It fit -- and now James has a little A.I. with him during every game.
Next three: 2/10 at Georgetown, 2/14 at DePaul, 2/17 vs. Louisville.
8 9
Pittsburgh Panthers (21-3)
Smart scheduling by the Big East for putting the Panthers' visit to Marquette on the regular season's final Saturday, in the hopes that the league title will be on the line in a nationally televised game. But there are also decent odds that Pitt could finish first in the Big East, with Marquette second, even if the Eagles sweep the teams' regular-season series. The Panthers only have one league loss (to Marquette at home on Jan. 21) and a much easier schedule leading up to March 3. Aside from a trip to Georgetown, every other game -- home dates with Providence, Louisville and West Virginia, plus a trip to Seton Hall -- is an expected W. The Eagles, on the other hand, have two Big East losses and visits to Georgetown, DePaul and Notre Dame remaining. Next three: 2/10 vs. Providence, 2/12 vs. Louisville, 2/19 at Seton Hall.
9 10
Butler Bulldogs (23-2)
This Horizon League business is getting too easy for Butler. The Bulldogs shot 60.6 percent (20-of-33) from long distance in a 92-50 rout of Cleveland State on Thursday. And this was on road rims. Only one of the seven Butler players who attemped threes -- Ben Slaton, who was 0-for-1 -- made fewer than 50 percent. Reserve Pete Campbell had the game of his life, drilling eight treys in 22 minutes and causing a CSU fan to beg for mercy by yelling, "Please stop shooting!"
Next three: 2/10 at Wright State, 2/13 Florida Gulf Coast, 2/17 Southern Illinois.
10 7
Kansas Jayhawks (20-4)
I'm keeping the Jayhawks in the Rankings this week, but hijacking their spot as a penalty for losing at Allen Fieldhouse.

A stat I like to check each year for the projected No. 1 seeds is "TV Rate" -- the percentage of nationally televised games on their schedules. Using the No. 1s from Stew Mandel's first bracket, here's how it breaks down: 
Team             Gs.    TV    PctTV
North Carolina   31     22    70.2  
UCLA             30     17    56.7
Florida          31     10    32.3
Wisconsin        31      9    29.0
The Tar Heels, the leaders at 70.2 percent, are aided by the ACC's superior TV contract, getting games on ABC, CBS, ESPN and FSN. Defending national champ Florida is shockingly under-televised, at 32.3 percent, but it's mostly due to the SEC's lack of ESPN exposure. Wisconsin pulls up the rear, expectedly, but also trails Ohio State by a huge margin within the Big Ten. The Buckeyes checked in at 50 percent (15 of 30 games).

Duke, meanwhile, blows away everyone with 90.3 percent of its games (28 of 31) on national TV, including each of its final 25 regular-season contests. It was a decent arrangement during the Redick-Landlord years, but now ... it's a little overboard.
Next three: 2/10 at Missouri, 2/14 at Colorado, 2/17 vs. Nebraska.

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