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| NCAA Basketball Power Rankings |
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Washington State Cougars (12-0)
'07 Surprise: That the Cougars would be defending the paint so effectively. They rank fourth in the nation in field-goal percentage allowed (38.4), behind three teams with big-game centers: Nebraska (Aleks Maric), Texas A&M (DeAndre Jordan/Joseph Jones), and Connecticut (Hasheem Thabeet). Credit goes to Wazzu's combo of fiery Aussie Aron Baynes and underrated Texan Robbie Cowgill.
'08 Need: Increased endurance from Baynes, who plays just 21.7 minutes per contest, but is the team's most productive scorer and rebounder.
Early-Season Signature: The selfless, tuition-paying point guard.
Next three: 1/5 vs. Washington, 1/10 at USC, 1/12 at UCLA
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UCLA Bruins (12-1)
'07 Surprise: The minor tragedies befalling junior point guard Darren Collison, who was a preseason All-America candidate. He suffered an MCL sprain in the Bruins' opening exhibition, and then missed their first six regular-season games, including a win over Michigan State in Kansas City. Collison was far from full strength in his losing duel with Texas' D.J. Augustin on Dec. 2, and will play his first game sans-brace against Stanford this week -- while hopefully not feeling the after-effects of an ankle he tweaked in practice on Dec. 27. Collison is averaging 12.5 points per game, which matches his sophomore-year output, but the Bruins will need more from him down the stretch.
'08 Need: More accurate three-point shooting. Kevin Love (16.2 ppg) is killing in the post, but the Bruins are hitting just 34.2 percent of their treys, a clip that ranks 203rd in the country. Prolonged absences of Collison and Michael Roll, their best two gunners, have contributed to this problem.
Early-Season Signature: The gap-toothed UCLA jersey.
Next three: 1/3 at Stanford, 1/5 at Cal, 1/10 vs. Washington
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Duke Blue Devils (10-1)
'07 Surprise: That Suns-ish small-ball would work so well for the Blue Devils. No one taller than 6-8 is getting serious minutes, yet Duke has the third-most efficient offense in the country -- not to mention the fifth-most efficient D. The emergence of sophomore Gerald Henderson into a major player on both ends of the floor has been a big lift.
'08 Need: The Nash component. None of the college teams purporting to emulate Phoenix's style can truly replicate Nash's role, but Duke needs steadier point guard play to have a real shot of overtaking UNC. Greg Paulus is the Devils' best three-point shooter (50 percent), but his one-assist, five-turnover performance in 34 minutes against Pitt had a crippling effect on their offense.
Early-Season Signature: D'Antoni-ball in Durham.
Next three: 1/6 vs. Cornell, 1/9 at Temple, 1/13 at Virginia
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Marquette Golden Eagles (10-1)
'07 Surprise: The Golden Eagles' rep is that of a team with a killer backcourt trio and suspect size, but they've somehow managed to dominate the offensive glass in non-conference play. Marquette has grabbed 42.2 percent of its own misses thus far, the eighth-best percentage in the country; it even out-offensive-rebounded an over-sized Wisconsin team, 17-12, in a Dec. 8 win in Madison.
'08 Need: Better offense out of Wes Matthews Jr., who's been the weakest link of the Eagles' guard trio thus far. He's shooting just 18.8 percent from long distance and is the only player in the top seven of their rotation with an offensive rating under 110 (99.4).
Style Impact: Bringing on the Cons.
Next three: 1/3 vs. Providence, 1/6 at West Virginia, 1/8 vs. Seton Hall
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Dayton Flyers(11-1)
'07 Surprise: That Brian Roberts could convert from shooting guard to point, and still have a higher offensive rating (128.5) than more well-known guards such as Eric Gordon (123.7), D.J. Augustin (121.5), and Chris Douglas-Roberts (114.3). Roberts has saved his biggest showings -- 28 points vs. Louisville, 31 points vs. Pitt -- for the biggest stages. As Flyers coach Brian Gregory told the Dayton Daily News after the Pitt game, "I've been saying all along he is one of the most efficient guards in the country, and tonight again he proved it. We've now played two high-quality Big East teams, and both times he was the best guard on the floor."
'08 Need: For freshman phenom Chris Wright to heal and produce. Roberts badly needs a scoring sidekick, and Wright, who put up 22 against East Tennessee State and 26 against Toledo in November, can be that guy. Unfortunately, he's averaged just 8.3 points in December while battling an ankle injury, after going for 15.8 in November.
Early-Season Signature: The B-Roberts Bomb Show.
Next three: 1/9 vs. Rhode Island, 1/12 at St. Louis, 1/16 vs. UMass
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