Is it possible that Kansas State, with supposedly awful coach Bruce Weber, is really a top 10 team? Based on their body of work so far it is tough to argue with as they look to close out the season on a tremendous run – they have won 10 of their last 11 heading into Saturday.
The Explorers are tied for second in the Atlantic 10 conference. Sitting a game ahead of them is St. Louis so this game has even more implications than could have been imagined when the schedule came out.
The Gators have already clinched the SEC but they haven’t been as sharp down the stretch as expected. They are not quite the same team on the road as they are at home which may be part of the reason they are not being talked about as a title contender the way they were a month ago.
This isn’t a vintage North Carolina team but they have probably done enough to be considered one of the top 68 teams in the country.
Georgetown just won’t stop losing. They caught some attention when they challenged Indiana in non-conference and since Big East play started they have been on a major role.
Even with the addition of Missouri the SEC is still kind of light this season. Alabama and Mississippi are fighting to prove that the league is worthy of multiple bids and this game could be critical to both of these team’s chances.
The Buckeyes are in a 4 way tie for second place in the Big Ten. All 4 of those teams are ranked and I think that Ohio State is probably the worst of the bunch. They have won their last three games but have not beaten any ranked opponents on the road this season.
The Bearcats have not been playing well of late, squandering some of the early season goodwill they were generating. They won their last game against Connecticut and a win against Louisville would definitely prove they are worthy of an invitation to the Big Dance.
Being a top ranked team is dangerous territory this season. More than half of the top 5 teams in the nation have already lost this week so a win by the Canes will push them back up into some rarified are.
Despite being in the top 10 no one is talking much about Louisville these days. They are second in the Big East and depending on how things break they could wind up winning the conference and earning a top seed. They have won their last 4 games but have not played a top team in a while.
A battle between the two newbies of the Atlantic -10 (amidst rumours of Butler jumping ship to the soon to be newly formed Big East). Butler has the higher ranking but find themselves a game behind the Rams in the conference standings.
The Aztecs postseason position should be secure but this win would only help. It would give them an outside shot at the Mountain West regular season crown and a sweep over the Lobos for the season – they are the only ranked team they have beaten this year.
This isn’t a conference game but the Memphis Tigers are one of a handful of teams that are still undefeated in conference play.
Syracuse lost at home to Georgetown on Saturday, dropping them from the top of the Big East standings.
The Lobos are leading the Mountain West Conference with a 9-2 record – both of those losses were on the road against top competition (UNLV and San Diego State).
Despite a string of three straight unexpected losses the Jayhawks are still in the top 10 in the country.
