NCAAM Top 10 Rankings
UConn (18-2)
Since losing to Seton Hall on Dec. 20 UConn has gone out there and done nothing but dominate. The Huskies are winning by an average of 14.5 points on their eight-game win streak. This streak includes beating St. John’s, Creighton, and Villanova. With Donovan Clingan returning to full health UConn will be a tough team to beat no matter the venue.
Purdue (20-2)
Zach Edey is having another Naismith Player of the Year type season, and it shows, averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game. Purdue averages nearly 85 points per game with help from a tremendous backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. Will 2024 be the year Matt Painter finally gets over the hump and makes a deep run in March?
North Carolina (17-3)
UNC has won 10 consecutive going back to mid-December when they lost a nailbiter to Kentucky. Hubert Davis has the Tarheels playing at an extremely high level. R.J. Davis scores over 20 points per game and if Armondo Bacot is throwing in a double-double North Carolina is one of the top teams in the country.
Tennessee
Behind Naismith Player of the Year candidate Dalton Knecht Tennessee is second in the SEC with a 5-1 conference record, only behind Alabama who is 6-1. Ironically enough, Tennessee is the team that beat them. Tennessee beats the teams they’re supposed like Georgia, Florida, and Alabama, but lost very closely three different times early to highly ranked teams; Lost to Purdue by four, lost to Kansas by 9, lost to UNC by 8. Can Rick Barnes switch up his usual big-game luck this season?
Kentucky
Once again, Calipari has brought in an amazing and immediate-impact freshman class. Rob Dillingham, D.J. Wagner, and Reed Shepard are all over over double-digits in scoring. Senior guard Antonio Reaves has only scored less than 15 points four times this entire season. With the eligibility to Coation big man Zvonimir Ivisic (13 min, 13 pts, 5 reb, 3 blk, 2 stl in debut vs UGA) being accepted by the NCAA makes this team just that much scarier.
Houston (18-2)
Kelvin Sampson and the Houston Cougars started off the season 14-0, but back-to-back losses to Iowa State and TCU set them back and had people questioning if they belonged in the Big 12. Houston has played two ranked teams since then and has gone 2-0 winning by a combined 30 points in both matchups. Houston is the most interesting team in my mind. I fully believe they are a top 10 team in the country but when they have to play so many ranked teams in the conference, can they win enough to make it back to the top three.
Arizona
Arizona is another team that has fallen victim to this college basketball season. Two recent losses have hurt their chances to rise in the rankings, but do not forget what this team can do. Beating Duke, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Alabama in six weeks is not something a lot of teams can do. Caleb Love is having a career year; career high in points (19.1), field goal percentage (44.9%), and three-point percentage (34.9%).
Kansas
The Big 12 is a gauntlet, ask Kansas. The past nine days have not treated the Jayhawks well, at all. After a loss at West Virginia, Kansas sneaked out against Cincinnati at home by five. On Saturday, Kansas traveled to Iowa State and once again, lost on the road. Hunter Dickinson only had four games with less than 10 rebounds in non-conference play. In seven Big 12 games, he has already had four games of less than 10 rebounds. If they want to win it all this year, Dickinson is going to need to be an anchor down low on the glass.
Marquette
The Big East is one of the best conferences this season, maybe only behind the Big 12. Marquette currently sits at 3rd in the Big East behind UConn and Creighton. But with three players averaging 14 points, including second-leading scorer Tyler Kolek adding over seven assists per game, they are DANGEROUS. They have already beaten Kansas, Illinois, Creighton, Texas, and Villanova.
Illinois
Terrance Shannon Jr. is back now that his trial was delayed until May. Illinois was able to ‘stay afloat’ during his absence and players like Coleman Hawkins and Marcus Domask were able to step up. If Brad Underwood can seamlessly incorporate Shannon into this talented Illinois team, they can challenge anyone in the country.
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