Flavor of the week

Upstart Notre Dame is this week's version of North Carolina

By Mark Button, CNNSI.com

You would think we'd learn our lesson.

We haven't.

A week after thrusting North Carolina into the top five following the young Tar Heels' blistering start, UNC goes out and loses twice. That's going to happen with freshmen-loaded team.

So here we are a week later, and Notre Dame is this week's North Carolina. After knocking off three consecutive ranked opponents, Chris Thomas and the Irish find themselves touted as the "nation's hottest team."

Is North Carolina's quick free fall going to stop us from rewarding Notre Dame with a top-five ranking?

Absolutely not. But don't blame us if the Irish start losing ...

Men's College Basketball Power Rankings
Rank	LW		Team
1	1		Arizona Wildcats (4-0) Arizona won its two games last week, although San Diego State hung in there with the Wildcats for longer than we expected. This week: vs. Texas, Sunday.
2	2		Alabama Crimson Tide (6-0) The Crimson Tide passed all tests so far –- including games against Oklahoma and Ohio State. This week: vs. Providence, Saturday.
3	6		Pittsburgh Panthers (5-0) The Panthers will be tested before the end of the calendar year with road games against Rhode Island and Georgia. This week: vs. Southeast Louisiana, Saturday.
4	8		Duke Blue Devils (5-0) One might think Ohio State and Michigan could put up more of a fight. Not this year. Not against Duke. This week: at North Carolina A&T, Tuesday.
5	--		Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1) Three wins against ranked teams gets the Irish in the top five. Notre Dame should have been ranked before last week. This week: vs. DePaul, Saturday.
6	10		Indiana Hoosiers (6-0) Indiana continues to impress. Behind Tom Coverdale’s 30 points, the Hoosiers beat Maryland in a rematch of last year’s NCAA championship. This week: vs. Vanderbilt, Monday; vs. Purdue, Saturday.
7	12		Oregon Ducks (5-0) Looks like the Ducks are going to be fine despite losing Fred Jones. Luke Ridnour and Luke Jackson powered Oregon past slumping Kansas on Saturday. This week: at Pepperdine, Saturday.
8	4		Texas Longhorns (5-1) T.J. Ford failed to deliver down the stretch against Notre Dame, but don’t count on that happening often. This week: at Arizona, Sunday.
9	9		Oklahoma Sooners (4-1) The Sooners breezed through Hartford. Why is Oklahoma playing Hartford? Good question. This week: vs. Coppin State, Saturday.
10	5		Florida Gators (6-2) Florida lost in a hostile environment at West Virginia, then nearly lost at Florida State, a team that looks dramatically better than it has in recent years. This week: at Maryland, Saturday.
11	11		Stanford Cardinal (5-1) Did not play last week. This week: vs. St. Mary’s College, Saturday.
12	--		Kentucky Wildcats (4-1) Kentucky jumps in at No. 12 after whipping North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Saturday. This week: at Tulane, Tuesday; vs. Michigan State, Saturday.
13	7		Maryland Terrapins (4-2) Consecutive losses to Indiana and Notre Dame send Maryland down eight spots. This week: vs. Florida, Saturday.
14	14		Connecticut Huskies (5-0) As expected, UConn blew through Sacred Heart and Wagner. Connecticut may not be tested until Jan. 7, when the Huskies travel to Oklahoma to play the Sooners. This week: UMass, Tuesday.
15	3		North Carolina Tar Heels (5-2) We should have known better. Young teams such as UNC are prone to peaks and valleys. This week: Do not play until Dec. 19 vs. Vermont.
16	19		Xavier (OH) Musketeers (4-1) The Musketeers won the Crosstown Shootout, though no one probably saw it with all the high-profile college football being played simultaneously. This week: Miami (Ohio), Monday; Mississippi State, Saturday at Madison Square Garden.
17	15		Marquette Golden Eagles (5-1) Dwyane Wade and Marquette drop a couple spots after the Notre Dame loss. Wade is still one of the nation’s top five one-on-one players. This week: vs. Wisconsin, Saturday.
18	13		Kansas Jayhawks (3-3) Kansas is dangerously close to falling from the top 20. Only the facts that Oregon is solid and the Jayhawks lost to the Ducks on the road keeps Roy Williams’ squad ranked. This week: at Tulsa, Wednesday; vs. Emporia State, Saturday.
19	17		Tulsa Golden Hurricane (4-0) Tulsa has been waiting for this week for a year. The Golden Hurricane nearly upset then-No. 2 Kansas last season in Kansas City, Mo., but the Jayhawks held on 93-85. It could be different this time. This week: vs. Kansas, Wednesday; at Southwest Missouri State, Saturday.
20	--		Michigan St. Spartans (4-2) The Spartans re-appear after a week’s absence and a victory against Virginia. This week: at Kentucky, Saturday.

Mark Button covers college basketball for CNNSI.com

 

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