Published: December 29, 2008
For the third week in a row, the same four teams top Hoops Addict’s College Basketball Power Rankings. That’s not to say there haven’t been changes, as we welcome two new (old) teams this week, in the final rankings of 2008.
1. North Carolina (12-0, 0-0): We’re running out of fancy superlatives to describe this group, as North Carolina has beaten all 12 of its opponents by double digits. If you’re looking for a fun way to ring in the New Year, join Psycho-T and his fun bunch as they tip off against Nevada at 10 p.m. Wednesday night.
2. Connecticut (11-0, 0-0): Dinosaurs roamed the earth the last time UConn lost to an in-state opponent, as the Huskies defeated Fairfield 75-55 for their 64th straight victory against teams from Connecticut. It is the first of many “Big Monday’s,” for UConn tonight, as they host Georgetown at 7:00 p.m.
3. Pittsburgh (12-0, 0-0): Pittsburgh hasn’t played since their win last Sunday at Florida State, their first true road game of the season. I hope the Panthers like airplane food, as their next two games- against Rutgers and Georgetown- are both on the road as well.
4. Oklahoma (12-0, 0-0): Freshman Willie Warren was the latest Sooner to step up big, as the freshman scored 31 points in Oklahoma’s victory over Rice. If this team is serious about a Big XII championship, it needs a better effort than the 50 percent free-throw shooting (17-34), 17 turnover performance it had against the Owls.
5. Duke (10-1, 0-0): The Blue Devils spent the holidays at home, as they haven’t taken the court since their December 20 beat down of Xavier. A New Years Eve date with Loyola (MD) is up next.
6. Syracuse (11-1, 0-0): The rich get richer, as guard Eric Devendorf was reinstated just in time for Syracuse’s Big East opener Tuesday night. With Seton Hall and DePaul at home, and road trips to South Florida and Rutgers, no one in this conference has an easier start to league play.
7. Texas (10-2, 0-0): No one has challenged themselves more out of conference than the Longhorns, who again came up big victory, at home against Wisconsin. With the schedule finally easing up, Texas should win out until their mid-January match-up with rival Oklahoma.
8. Wake Forest (11-0, 0-0): Wake Forest is not only beating teams, but pounding them in the ground, as the Demon Deacons average margin of victory has been 23 points per game. While this young group will be tempted to look ahead to their January 11 showcase game against North Carolina, they’d better not look past their road trip to BYU (currently 10-1) on Saturday.
9. Georgetown (9-1, 0-0): What did Santa give the Hoyas this year for Christmas? How about three straight games against Connecticut, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, with two of them on the road. Even scarier for John Thompson III is that three of his top four scorers are either freshmen or sophomores.
10. Michigan State (9-2, 0-0): Yes, Michigan State struggled early, but they’ve completely turned things around with the return of center Goran Sutton from injury. A victory over undefeated Minnesota on Wednesday would be a big message to the rest of the Big 10 conference.
11. Louisville (8-2, 0-0): Tired of the Cardinals lackluster start to the season, coach Rick Pitino finally put his foot down, benching starters Earl Clark and Andre McGee before Louisville’s game against UAB. Both players responded well off the bench, and Louisville responded with their best win of the season.
12. Villanova (11-1, 0-0): The Wildcats won another game by double-digits this week, but two months into the season, what has Villanova really shown us? With trips to Seton Hall and Marquette in the next 10 days, we should learn if the first 12 games were an indication of how the season will play out, or just an aberration.
13. Baylor (10-1, 0-0): Curtis Jerrells became just the third player in school history to record a triple-double, as Baylor won its fourth game in a row last Monday against Hartford. The Bears better not overlook visiting Portland State this week, which is coming off a victory at Gonzaga.
14. Notre Dame (9-2, 0-0): Luke Harangody is quietly having another monster year, as the junior has had at least 20 points and 8 rebounds in each game since returning from a bout of pneumonia. Start your New Years celebration early with Notre Dame, which plays at DePaul Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m.
15. Minnesota (11-0, 0-0): The Gophers didn’t handle their first game as a ranked team well, holding on to beat Southeastern Louisiana by just nine points. With Michigan State coming to the Twin Cities Wednesday, this team might not be undefeated for long.
16. Michigan (9-2, 0-0): Michigan has had a lot of good big men in the last 30 years (Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Robert Traylor to name a few), but none put up a 20 point, 20 rebound effort like junior DeShawn Sims did last Monday. The Wolverines open Big 10 play with home games against Wisconsin and Illinois and should be favored in both.
17. UCLA (10-2, 0-0): Josh Shipp is healthy, and the Bruins are again the favorite to win the Pac-10. But looking at their schedule so far, who has UCLA really beaten?
18. Clemson (12-0, 1-0): The Tigers are undefeated, but can’t look past intra-state rival South Carolina, who they play Tuesday. Should they win, Clemson will likely enter the heart of ACC play without a loss.
19. Purdue (11-2, 0-0): Purdue is another team that struggled early, but has dominated of late, winning their last six games, all by double digits. Illinois visits West Lafayette Tuesday, for another early Big 10 showdown.
20. Ohio State (9-1, 0-0): Age was served in the Buckeyes 76-48 loss to West Virginia, as the experienced Mountaineers pushed around and intimidated a young Ohio State squad. With back-to-back trips to Minnesota and Michigan State coming up, we might not see Ohio State in these rankings again for quite some time.
New to the Power Rankings: UCLA, Purdue
Dropped Out: Gonzaga, Xavier
Photo Credit: ICON Sports Media
