Everyone's early favorite to win it all starts at No. 1
Posted: Monday November 25, 2002 4:58 PM
Updated: Monday November 25, 2002 6:50 PM
By Mark Button, CNNSI.com
Is it too early to start ranking college basketball teams?
Maybe, but if we didn’t, you'd be stuck arguing about the BCS or the Heisman Trophy for the next month and a half.
No one wants that.
Instead, enjoy our first effort of sorting through the top 20 college basketball teams in the nation. Some teams haven’t played enough to garner accurate judgment, but by this time next week, that won’t be a problem.
On to the rankings …
Men's College Basketball Power Rankings
Rank
LW
Team
1
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Arizona Wildcats (1-0) Seven Wildcats scored in double figures as they crushed Western Kentucky 107-68 on Saturday, and, yes, we know that Chris Marcus (who is dangerously close to earning a nickname in the neighborhood of “the 7-foot gimp”) and two other WKU starters went down with injuries during the game. Would it have mattered if all three had played? Sure, it would have. Arizona, which played without last year’s Pac-10 freshman of the year Salim Stoudamire, would have won by 20 points instead of 39. This week: vs. Northern Arizona, Wednesday
2
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Kansas Jayhawks (2-0) Two games, two blowouts, as expected. Wednesday’s Preseason NIT semifinal is a huge game, mostly because of the emotions attached. It’s the first time Kansas and UNC will play since Kansas coach Roy Williams turned down the Tar Heels’ job in 2000, and it’s the first meeting between Williams and Doherty, Williams’ assistant coach from 1993-99. This week: vs. UNC, Wednesday in Preseason NIT semis; championship or consolation game, Friday
3
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Alabama Crimson Tide (2-0) 'Bama knocked off then-No. 3 Oklahoma 68-62 in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and throttled Alabama State 82-56 on Friday. It’s early, but the Tide's Maurice Williams looks as good as any point guard in the nation. This week: vs. Middle Tenn. State, Monday; vs. Ohio State, Friday in Springfield, Mass.
4
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Texas Longhorns (2-0) Texas defended the Big 12’s honor after Oklahoma lost in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic by erasing a 10-point second-half deficit to beat Georgia 77-71 (thanks in large part to T.J. Ford’s career-high 22 points). The 'Horns also beat up on Stephen F. Austin on Saturday. This week: vs. UT-Arlington, Wednesday; vs. Seton Hall, Friday in Houston
5
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Florida Gators (3-0) And a youth shall lead them. Actually, two utes, errr, two youths have led the Gators. Matt Walsh and Anthony Roberson have Florida ready to challenge for the Preseason NIT title. We’re still eager to see this Christian Drejer phenom once he gets healthy. This week: vs. Stanford, Wednesday in Preseason NIT semis; championship or consolation game, Friday
6
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Pittsburgh Panthers (1-0) We debated ranking the Panthers this high off one game, an 82-67 victory against Duquesne, but Brandin Knight did look nice with 13 points, seven boards and six assists. There’s plenty of time to make a full assessment of Pitt -- once the Panthers start playing some decent competition. This week: vs. St. Francis (Pa.), Wednesday; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Friday
7
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Maryland Terrapins (1-0) Think this is too high for the Terps? Step off. They’re the defending national champions, they destroyed Miami (Ohio) 64-49 on Sunday and, like Pitt and many others, Maryland has plenty of time to prove us right. This week: vs. The Citadel, Wednesday; vs. Duquesne, Saturday
8
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Duke Blue Devils (1-0) The Blue Devils blew Army out of the gym 101-53 on Saturday. Twin-tower freshmen Shavlik Randolph and Sheldon Williams scored 23 and eight points, respectively. Face it: Full of freshmen or not, Duke is always going to be a factor in the race to the national title. This week: vs. Davidson, Monday; vs. UCLA, Saturday in Indianapolis
9
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Oklahoma Sooners (2-1) After a disappointing loss to a tough Alabama team in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, the Sooners rebounded with a decisive victory against Princeton (82-63 on Saturday). This week: Prairie View, Saturday
10
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Michigan St. Spartans (1-0) It’s simply too early to get a solid grasp on every team, but we trust that Tom Izzo and Michigan State are top-10 material. The Spartans defeated UNC-Asheville 66-52 in their only official game this year. This week: Montana, Thursday in Great Alaskan Shootout, which continues through Saturday
11
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Oregon Ducks (1-0) Like Michigan State, Pitt and Maryland, Oregon hasn’t played enough for a full impression to be made. The Ducks, led by the moppy-haired Lukes -- Ridnour and Jackson -- seem to fit fine right here at No. 11 after whipping Grambling State 97-52 on Sunday. This week: CS-Northridge, Monday; Pacific, Saturday
12
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Stanford Cardinal (3-0) Hey, they beat Xavier. Sure, Florida will wipe the Madison Square Garden floor with the Cardinal and then you won’t have to read about Stanford again for a while. But for now, we have to show respect. This week: vs. Florida, Wednesday in Preseason NIT semi; championship or consolation game, Friday
13
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Xavier (OH) Musketeers (2-1) If they played again today on a neutral site, Xavier beats Stanford. By 10. Trust us on this one. The five-hour flight from Cincinnati to the West Coast took its toll on David West, Romain Sato and Co. in the first half of the Stanford game. Xavier is top-10 material, and Thad Matta’s team will prove that soon enough. This week: Don't play again until Dec. 3 vs. Purdue
14
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Connecticut Huskies (1-0) This is another thrown dart in the dark. UConn knocked off Quinnipiac 91-72. It’ll be a while before we find out about the Huskies, as it looks as if their first real challenge won't come until Jan. 7 at Oklahoma. This week: vs. George Washington, Monday; at Vanderbilt, Sunday
15
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Marquette Golden Eagles (3-0) Does anyone even remember the Golden Eagles’ victory against Villanova on Nov. 15? Well, Dwyane Wade and Co. have won twice since then, defeating Coppin State and UT-San Antonio. Marquette has some quality games upcoming to remind you how good it is. This week: vs. Eastern Illinois; bonus tease: at Notre Dame, Dec. 2
16
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Tulsa Golden Hurricane (2-0) Tulsa took care of New Mexico State (71-61) and UT-Pan American (80-50) last week, and it won’t be long before you fall in love with this team. This week: vs. Arkansas, Saturday; bonus tease, part two: vs. Kansas, Dec. 11
17
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Kentucky Wildcats (1-0) With plenty of talent in the Maui Invitational -- Indiana, Gonzaga, Virginia -- we’ll find out about Kentucky soon enough. This week: vs. Arizona State, Monday in the Maui Invitational, which continues through Wednesday
18
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Indiana Hoosiers (0-0) Too early; see Kentucky. This week: vs. Umass, Monday in the Maui Invitational, which continues through Wednesday
19
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UCLA Bruins (0-0) They haven’t played an official game yet, either, but the Bruins did manage to lose a pair of exhibitions to EA Sports and some team named Branch West. This week: vs. San Diego, Tuesday; vs. Duke, Saturday in Indianapolis
20
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Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (0-1) We're throwing WKU a bone here. We know they are better than they showed against Arizona. Once healthy, this team should be able to compete with most of this list. This week: vs. Va. Commonwealth, Tuesday; vs. Auburn, Sunday
