March Madness is fast approaching. Bubble teams are trying to boost their tournament resume, while the top teams are jockeying for the top seeds.
Vanderbilt’s stunning win over Florida started the debate about who might be the top team in the country. The most likely number one pick should be clearer when the Wisconsin Badgers take on Ohio State this Sunday. Wisconsin is the number one ranked team in the AP poll, while the Buckeyes take that honor in the ESPN/USA Today Coach’s poll.
Here is my take on the top 16 teams in the country:
1. UCLA (23-3) suffered a setback when they traveled to West Virginia, but that game was without their starting point guard Darren Collision. UCLA can beat you with their defense, only giving up 59.8 points per game.
2. Wisconsin (26-2) will have a chance to lock up a number one seed in the tournament if they can win at Ohio State on Sunday. The Badgers won the first meeting 72-69.
3. Ohio State (24-3) The game Sunday with the Badgers will likely determine who wins the below-average Big 10. The Buckeyes have a habit of letting big leads slip away in the second half, but finally played a complete game against Minnesota.
4. Florida (24-3) had their 17-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at Vanderbilt. They will look to start a new winning streak at home against South Carolina.
5. North Carolina (23-4) may have the most talent in the country to go along with what may be the deepest bench in America. They have 10 players who have played in at least 26 of their 27 games, but only one of those 10 is not a freshman or sophomore. Time will tell how their youthfulness handles the pressure down the stretch.
6. Texas A&M (22-4) suffered a buzzer-beating loss against Texas Tech last week but responded with a win at Oklahoma. They rely on hard-nose defense to win, giving up only 56.8 points per game.
7. Pittsburgh (23-4) has a chance to really improve their seeding for the tournament if they finish the season strong. After their game Monday at Seton Hall, their three games are against ranked opponents and two of them are on the road. The Panthers are 0-2 this season against ranked opponents.
8. Georgetown (20-5) has won nine straight and 16 of the last 18 after starting the season 4-3. Their game Saturday against Pittsburgh will not only determine how far the Hoyas have come, it will likely determine the winner of the Big East.
9. Kansas (23-4) has enough talent to win a National Championship. They rely too much on their offense, averaging 78.9 points per game, and in March, defense wins. Their lone loss in the past seven games came against defense-oriented Texas A&M. It’s no coincidence.
10. Memphis (23-3) has piled up a lot of wins but they haven’t played a ranked opponent since December. They lost to Arizona. Their record is inflated because of their weak strength of schedule. The Tigers' overtime win in Spokane, Washington against Gonzaga was impressive.
11. Air Force (23-4) beats teams with their defense. They are second in the country, giving up only 54.7 points per game. They only score 70.4 points per game, but with their defense they could be a tough draw for a team in the tournament. Should be an intriguing match-up against BYU’s potent offense at the end of the season.
12. Southern Illinois (23-5) may only have one win against a ranked opponent, but their strength of schedule is ranked 25th according to CBS sports. They have an experienced team starting a sophomore, three juniors, and senior, and an impressive win at fellow mid-major Butler last Saturday.
13. Butler (24-4) may have the most impressive resume of any mid-major. With wins at Notre Dame, Indiana, Tennessee, and Gonzaga they should be well tested come tournament time. Their loss at home against Southern Illinois was their second in three games, so finishing the season strong is important to build momentum.
14. Washington State (22-4) started the season not even garnering any votes in any major polls. Their strength of schedule is weak-- 106th according to sportsline.com-- but they do play in the tough Pac-10 and have gone 11-3 in conference games. They trail UCLA by only one game for the conference lead.
15. Nevada (24-2) has an impressive record, but no quality wins. Their strength of schedule is 125th according to CBS sports. The Wolf Pack will go as far as player-of-the-year candidate Nick Fazekas can take them. The senior forward averages a double-double with 20.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
16. Maryland (20-7) barely beats out Vanderbilt for the last spot. While Vanderbilt probably secured their ticket for the Big Dance by beating Florida, Maryland can do the same in the coming weeks. With a home game against North Carolina and then traveling to Duke, they can secure their post-season tournament plans with a win in either of those games. 
Comments
ADman81 commented, on February 21, 2007 at 8:47 a.m.:
Good top 16. I can't agree with having the overrated UCLA Bruins in the number one spot but right now the Big Ten is getting no respect.
Also, Vandy is a lock for the tournament!!!!
Knoxville Buckeye commented, on February 26, 2007 at 9:30 a.m.:
I hope you can tell from watching Sunday's game that the Buckeyes are clear cut number 1. I am tired of the ugly win comments, winning is winning and they are the only team consistently taking care of business. There losses are all against top 10 teams on the road, UCLA lost to a team that is lucky if they even make the tourney.
(The above comments are based on you actually watching the Games and based on your rankings i am not so sure you do)