Fitted to the Game NCAA Top 10 Rankings
Houston (18-1) AAC Houston takes the number one spot for my power rankings. We see them continuously steam-rolling through competition, with their only defeat coming from the Crimson Tide. I find it interesting when clubs continue to find new ways to stay motivated and humble when they are dominating the playing field. The Cougar backcourt has been, performed exceptionally well. Jamal Shead, Marcus Sasser, and Tramon Marks all have put up great numbers and over the last two games have combined for 56.1 points! Look for the Houston Cougars to be one of 4 teams remaining in the NCAA tournament.
Alabama (17-2) SEC What an outstanding run the Crimson Tide have been on this year, with only 2 losses on the season coming from UCONN early on and Gonzaga, undefeated in conference play. This is why I have them at number 2 in my power rankings. The SEC has come a long way from prior years and could arguably be seen as the best conference in basketball. I look forward to seeing Alabama survive as one of the 3 SEC teams to play in the final four depending on seeding, out of Tennessee and Auburn. Brandon Miller is the best player in college basketball right now and I think is a top 3 talent when the draft rolls around.
Purdue (19-1) Big-10 Purdue is a well-coached fundamentally sound team with a top 5 talent demanding national respect in Zach Edey. Their only loss by one point against a scrappy Rutgers team, and wins over good programs like UNC, Gonzaga, and Marquette, makes them one to be afraid of in March. I look for the Boilermakers to wrap up a 1 or 2 seed if their success continues and compete at the highest level for the national title.
Kansas St. (17-2) Big 12 Since I saw this unit put up 116 against Texas I said, “ ok, these boys are different, different. “ With Keyontae Johnson on board to have another phenomenal season, and Markquis Nowell playing like the best point guard in America they are going to be a tough battle for anyone in the Big 12. More quality wins are sure to come to this unit, they are tough as nails.
Charleston (21-1) CAA I’m going to go ahead and throw an oddball in my top 5, the College of Charleston. Though their completion level arguably isn’t equivalent to their counterparts, winning 21 games is no small task, while currently being on a 20-game winning streak. They have a solid unit full of hungry guys that are after one goal. Aziz Bandago is one of the best big men in the country, with his footwork and his range behind the line, it will be easy for him to transfer his skills to the next level. Raekwon Horton is still on my X-factor breakout list once the tourney rolls around.
Kansas (16-3) Big 12 On the back end of my top 10 will be the Jayhawks of Kansas. Though they suffered back-to-back conference losses, I still believe this group’s balanced attack is superior than the rest of the pack. Jalen Wilson is playing himself into top-ten consideration, in my opinion, and Grady Dick is the best shooter in the country. This dynamic duo makes them a top 5 team despite the losses.
Tennessee (16-3) SEC The Volunteers are so good when they are playing their way. I am a lifelong Longhorn fan whose appreciation began in the mid-2000s. With that being said I've watched head coach Rick Barnes put together some teams that could have gone all the way. This team is no exception. They have exceptional guard play, they have bigs, they can shoot, they can rebound, they have depth, they can win close games and they are well-coached. Tennessee is one of my sleeper final-four teams depending on seeding out of the SEC. The other two are Alabama and Auburn. No disrespect to any other team, that’s just what I see at the moment.
Virginia (15-3) ACC Virginia is back in my power rankings! After winning 5 straight ACC games. It’s evident the Cavs have made some adjustments Such a talented group, Kihei Clark & Reece Beckman are two of the best backcourts in the ACC. I still believe in Ryan Dunn being an X-factor for this team. I think right now he is staying in his lane as an underclassman on a veteran team which isn’t a bad thing. If you watch his film, he shines on the defensive end. I look forward to watching him progress.
Texas (16-3) Big 12 Texas man through all the adversity of this season continues to be on top at the end of the day. I think that it’s a huge credit to the coaching staff and recruitment team to bring in such all-around talent and get them to buy into the program and the mission that they are out to achieve. I have been on record via Twitter proclaiming that this is the best group Texas has put out since KD, AJ, DJ, Damion James and those boys, Gary, c’mon Longhorns you know who I’m talking about. Honestly, there is some untapped potential that will be on display maybe next year in Arterio Morris. Overall I expect at least a sweet sixteen bid out of this group.
Arizona (17-3) Pac-12 This team just keeps grinding, their grit in the post makes the game easy for their guards. Azuolas Tubelis scores 20.6 points per game, 9.1 rebounds, and Oumar Ballo’s 16.8 points, 8.9 rebounds. A big win against UCLA puts them as the favorite to win the PAC 12 at the moment. I have to see if the Wildcats can get their opponents to play their game in the tournament. I think that they could be beaten, no disrespect to them but they might be one of those upsets we are so likely to see in the national tournament.