Dec. 25th - Top 25: Part 2

Top 25 Rankings: 1-14


#1 (1): Syracuse (12-0), 2239.2
A comfortable 32-point win over Oakland sends the Orange into conference play at #1 and an undefeated 12-0, they'll start with a trip to Seton Hall early this week.

Last week: W v. #136 St. Bonaventure 85-72, W v. #160 Oakland 92-60
This week: T @ #31 Seton Hall



#2 (2): Texas (11-0), 2233.9
A good week for Texas saw them take a couple of good wins over UNC and Michigan St., and they are well positioned to make a hot start into Big 12 play, with a favourable schedule for the first few games.

Last week: W v. #52 North Carolina 103-90, W v. #39 Michigan St. 79-68
This week: T v. #323 Gardner Webb



#3 (5): Kentucky (13-0), 2229.3
Three wins in a week give the Wildcats a good boost, though none of the victories were particularly impressive. They've got an easy game with Hartford this week, then Louisville before starting into SEC play.

Last week: W v. #162 Austin Peay 90-69, W v. #141 Drexel 88-44, W v. #173 Long Beach St. 86-73
This week: T v. #294 Hartford



#4 (6): Kansas (11-0), 2216.1
The Jayhawks confirmed their position in the national elite with a couple of good power conference wins at home, but have two interesting road trips coming up that could throw a wrench in their perfect record, as Temple and Tennessee should both prove serious challenges.

Last week: W v. #155 Michigan 75-64, W v. #74 California 84-69
This week: T v. #90 Belmont



#5 (4): Purdue (11-0), 2213.1
The Boilermakers won two very easy non-conference games this week, and while they should start their conference season with a win at Iowa, WVU, Minnesota and Wisconsin will make three formidable opponents in later games.

Last week: W v. #219 Ball St. 69-49 (N), W v. #333 SIU Edwardsville 90-63
This week: T @ #198 Iowa



#6 (10): Clemson (11-2), 2211.8
The Tigers may not have gotten any national attention for their wins this week, but they were pretty solid, especially the beating that they gave to Western Carolina. One easy game this week will serve as a prelude to the ACC opener against Duke.

Last week: W v. #165 College of Charleston 94-55, W v. #45 Western Carolina 79-57
This week: T v. #179 South Carolina St.



#7 (22): Brigham Young (12-1), 2206.6
The Cougars won the Las Vegas Classic over the holidays, taking out both Nevada and Nebraska to claim the title. They've got a few more interesting games before MWC play begins, including a chance to put one over a Pac-10 school at Arizona.

Last week: W v. #313 Eastern Washington 91-34, W v. #102 Nevada (N) 110-104, W v. #78 Nebraska (N) 88-66
This week: M @ #143 Arizona



#8 (11): Duke (9-1), 2203.1
The Blue Devils played only one game this week, but it was a heck of a game, as they obliterated Gonzaga by 35 points. They should cruise through their next couple of games, but look set for an ACC barn-burner next weekend against Clemson.

Last week: W v. #99 Gonzaga 76-41
This week: T v. #173 Long Beach St., R v. #326 Pennsylvania



#9 (8): West Virginia (9-0), 2202.1
The Mountaineers needed a last-minute bucket to beat out Cleveland St. on the road, but bounced back by taking out Mississippi pretty handily. They'll get a tough start to Big East play, traveling to face Seton Hall and facing Marquette in their first two conference games.

Last week: W @ #304 Cleveland St. 80-78, W v. #20 Mississippi 76-66
This week: S @ #31 Seton Hall, T v. #59 Marquette



#10 (17): UAB (11-1), 2200.1
A big win over Butler this week will give UAB's national profile a nice boost; they'll have a couple more chances for notable wins when they play power conference teams Virginia and Arkansas, before disappearing into C-USA play.

Last week: W @ #133 South Alabama 72-54, W v. #70 Butler 67-57
This week: W @ #115 Virginia



#11 (12): Miami FL (12-1, 0-1), 2193.4
The Hurricanes continued effectively through a weak part of their schedule since they took their first loss of the year; they'll get another couple of weeks of respite before conference play.

Last week: W v. #194 Florida Atlantic 87-69, M v. #264 North Carolina A&T 80-59
This week: W v. #231 Bethune Cookman



#12 (13): Kansas St. (9-1), 2165.3
The Wildcats took a good win against Alabama, extending their win streak to 8. They've got two more easy home games before they start Big 12 play with a difficult trip to Missouri.

Last week: W @ #106 Alabama 87-74, W v. #308 Arkansas Pine Bluff 90-76
This week: T v. #304 Cleveland St.



#13 (18): Villanova (11-1), 2182.9
Villanova took a pair of pretty easy wins this week, and won't play again until 2010, when they travel to Marquette to start Big East play.

Last week: W v. #283 Fordham 96-58 (N), W v. #286 Delaware 97-63
This week: None



#14 (24): Mississippi St. (10-2), 2181.5
The Bulldogs have run off 7 straight wins, but have an interesting stretch of three road games coming up to start the new year, which will culminate in their SEC opener against in-state rivals Mississippi.

Last week: W @ #103 Houston 70-64, W v. #258 Centenary 88-51
This week: M v. #344 Mississippi Valley St., R @ #238 San Diego

Dec. 25th - Top 25: Part 1

Top 25: 15-25


#15 (20): Temple (9-2), 2178.6
The Owls' only two losses have come to Big East teams, but they got some revenge in the last two games, dealing both Villanova and Seton Hall their first losses of the year. They've got a couple of easy games this week, but Kansas next week will be their biggest challenge thus far, and a chance to make a huge splash.

Last week: W @ #31 Seton Hall 71-65
This week: M v. #168 Bowling Green, W @ #276 Northern Illinois



#16 (NR): Florida St. (11-2, 1-0), 2175.8
The Seminoles got a great start to ACC play with a big road overtime win against Georgia Tech, and while they'll get some easy games over the next couple of weeks, the big names are still looming in ACC play.

Last week: W @ #36 Georgia Tech 66-59 (OT), W v. #332 Tennessee Martin 95-68
This week: R v. #293 Alabama A&M



#17 (NR): Nevada Las Vegas (12-1), 2174.5
A couple of wins this week, both at the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii, have the Runnin' Rebels rated as the MWC's #1 team, though they could be hard pressed to hold off the suddenly surging USC Trojans in the final.

Last week: W v. #244 Southern Methodist 67-53 (N), W @ #196 Hawaii 77-53
This week: F v. #83 Southern California (N)



#18 (3): New Mexico (12-1), 2172.1
The Lobos took their first loss of the season on the road, getting beaten by nine by Oral Roberts, but won't get much of a chance to recoup, as they've got Texas Tech, Dayton, SDSU and UNLV in a challenging next four games.

Last week: W v. #172 Creighton 66-61, L @ #167 Oral Roberts 66-75
This week: T v. #23 Texas Tech



#19 (7): Georgetown (9-1), 2171.2
The Hoyas took their first loss of the season against an Old Dominion team that had a great week, but bounced back by getting a good win over Harvard. They'll now head into conference play, with St. John's on New Year's Eve their opener.

Last week: L v. #46 Old Dominion 57-61, W v. #77 Harvard 86-70
This week: R v. #51 St. John's



#20 (9): Mississippi (10-2), 2168.0
Mississippi lost at West Virginia to fall out of the top 10, but should get their next two games before a real barn-burner sees them open SEC play with their in-state rivals from Starkville.

Last week: W v. #258 Centenary 108-64, L @ #9 West Virginia 66-76
This week: T v. #243 Jacksonville St.



#21 (NR): Oklahoma St. (10-1), 2167.1
A loss at Tulsa in early December is the only blemish on the Cowboys' record, and the only real chance for a second loss before Big 12 play would seem to be next week in Rhode Island.

Last week: W v. #129 La Salle 77-62
This week: T v. #151 Pacific



#22 (25): Rhode Island (9-1), 2163.1
URI took a good win over Fairfield, and have reeled off five straight wins over some pretty solid opposition. They've got a couple games on the road coming up in the next couple of weeks, in addition to a game with Oklahoma St. and a tough A-10 start against Temple.

Last week: W v. #75 Fairfield 89-84
This week: T @ #141 Drexel



#23 (14): Texas Tech (10-1), 2163.1
The first really tough road trip of the Red Raiders' season proved to be their undoing, as they fell by two in Wichita, taking their first loss. They won't get much of a respite this week, as they'll travel to New Mexico, and they'd do well to avoid falling to two losses.

Last week: L @ #24 Wichita St. 83-85, W v. #166 Stanford 100-87
This week: T @ #18 New Mexico



#24 (NR): Wichita St. (11-1), 2163.1
After an early-season loss to Pitt, the Shockers have run off a month of winning basketball, with no win bigger than last week, when they went to Lubbock and handed Texas Tech the first loss of their season. They'll now head into MVC play, where they'll have to hold off the likes of Missouri St. and Northern Iowa if they're interested in taking the title.

Last week: W v. #23 Texas Tech 85-83, W v. #279 North Dakota St. 69-57
This week: T @ #60 Illinois St.



#25 (NR): Northwestern (10-1), 2161.2
The Wildcats got a good win over Stanford, and will start Big Ten play this week on a 9-game winning streak. They won't get an easy start, though, with a trip to Illinois and hosting Michigan St. their first two games.

Last week: W v. #166 Stanford 70-62, W v. #210 Central Connecticut 74-54
This week: W @ #96 Illinois

Dec. 23rd - Mid Major Rankings

1. Charlotte – Atlantic-10 (9-1), (#19, #2 MM, LW #4 MM)
Charlotte gets a big challenge this week, traveling to face an Old Dominion team coming off a big upset of Georgetown. After that, things get even more difficult, with Georgia Tech and Tennessee on the schedule before A-10 play.

Last week: W v. #323 Gardner Webb 57-47
This week: W @ #85 Old Dominion, T v. #276 Mercer


2. St. Mary's – West Coast (10-1), (#21, #3 MM, LW #7 MM)
St. Mary's have a chance to add some notable results in their profile over the holidays in Honolulu, as they'll face USC in the Diamond Head Classic. This tournament will be their last chance to get any big results outside of WCC play, so they'll need to make hay while they can.

Last week: W v. #148 Pacific 80-65, W v. #227 Northeastern (N) 78-67
This week: W v. #108 Southern California (N), T v. #286 Binghamton


3. Rhode Island – Atlantic-10 (9-1), (#22, #4 MM, LW #5 MM)
Rhode Island did, as expected, get a close challenge from Fairfield, but saw them off with a solid performance. They'll resume after a holiday break with a few big games, including Oklahoma St. and an A-10 opener against Temple.

Last week: W v. #75 Fairfield 89-84
This week: T @ #140 Drexel


4. Wichita St. – Missouri Valley (11-1), (#24, #5 MM, LW #6 MM)
The Shockers had one of the better results of the week, as they brought in the Red Raiders and ended their perfect start to the season with a two-point win. That was their last big game before MVC play starts, and with road trips to Illinois St. and Missouri St. in the first two weeks of conference play, they'll get some solid early tests.

Last week: W v. #23 Texas Tech 85-83, W v. #279 North Dakota St. 69-57
This week: T @ #61 Illinois St.


5. Missouri St. – Missouri Valley (10-1), (#26, #6 MM, LW #1 MM)
The Bears took a drop after losing their first game of the season, dropping a tough match in overtime when they travelled to face Arkansas. They won't get a lot of reprieve from that difficult result, as they start right into conference play.

Last week: W @ #120 St. Louis 73-63, L @ #149 Arkansas 62-66 (OT)
This week: T @ #176 Evansville


6. Louisiana Tech – Western Athletic (11-2), (#30, #7 MM, LW #8 MM)
The Bulldogs took two pretty easy wins this week, and now have a tough game at Houston which leads into the start of WAC play. Louisiana Tech should be one the heavy favourites for the WAC title, but Utah St. are always tough opposition.

Last week: W v. #259 McNeese St. 79-58, W v. #337 Texas Pan American 81-60
This week: T @ #129 Houston


7. Cornell – Ivy (9-2), (#33, #8 MM, LW #12 MM)
The Big Red had a big week, winning a holiday tournament at Madison Square Garden by beating Davidson in overtime, and then by taking out St. John's, in the team's biggest win of the season. A trip to La Salle this week won't be easy, but past that, only a likely loss at Kansas looks like a serious challenge before Ivy League play starts.

Last week: W v. #237 Davidson 91-88 (OT), W @ #55 St. John's 71-66
This week: T v. #127 La Salle


8. Northern Iowa – Missouri Valley (8-1), (#41, #9 MM, LW #10 MM)
The Panthers took an easy win over North Dakota, and have one more game, against Wyoming, before they start into their Valley schedule by traveling to Creighton.

Last week: W @ #347 North Dakota 64-41
This week: W v. #177 Wyoming, T @ #175 Creighton


9. Western Carolina – Southern (10-2, 2-0), (#45, #10 MM, LW #3 MM)
A heavy loss at Clemson wasn't a real surprise, but it was the Catamounts' last real chance to make an impression before they start into the SoCon.

Last week: L @ #6 Clemson 57-79
This week: None


10. Northern Colorado – Big Sky (10-3, 1-1), (#47, #11 MM, LW #13 MM)
Northern Colorado return to the top 10 despite taking a loss this week, though it was a very close, one-point one at Oklahoma, as they took two pretty comfortable wins in the week as well. It'll be interesting to see if they can get their winning ways back together in the Big Sky.

Last week: W v. #275 Louisiana Monroe 95-84, L @ #101 Oklahoma 79-80, W v. #172 San Jose St. 93-69
This week: M v. #100 Denver

11. Dayton – Atlantic-10 (9-2), (#54, #12 MM, LW #25 MM)
12. Harvard – Ivy (7-2), (#56, #13 MM, LW #11 MM)
13. Coastal Carolina – Big South (10-2, 2-0), (#57, #14 MM, LW #18 MM)
14. Illinois St. – Missouri Valley (9-2), (#61, #15 MM, LW #20 MM)
15. Richmond – Atlantic-10 (9-3), (#62, #16 MM, LW #19 MM)
16. Niagara – Metro Atlantic (8-4, 1-0), (#63, #17 MM, LW #24 MM)
17. Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial (7-2, 0-1), (#64, #18 MM, LW #22 MM)
18. William & Mary – Colonial (8-2, 1-0), (#67, #19 MM, LW NR)
19. Army – Patriot (9-2), (#69, #20 MM, LW #23 MM)
20. Texas San Antonio – Southland (8-2), (#73, #22 MM, LW NR)
21. Fairfield – Metro Atlantic (8-3, 1-0), (#75, #23 MM, LW #14 MM)
22. Loyola Chicago – Horizon (9-2, 1-1), (#79, #24 MM, LW NR)
23. George Washington – Atlantic-10 (8-2), (#80, #25 MM, LW NR)

Not included because in polls:
Temple – Atlantic-10 (9-2), (#15, #1 MM (LW #2 MM), #21 AP, #25 ESPN)
Butler – Horizon (8-4, 1-0), (#71, #21 MM (LW #17 MM), #20 AP, #16 ESPN)

Dropped out: Murray St. (#81, 9-3, 2-0), Belmont (#92, 7-4, 2-0), Gonzaga (#98, 8-3), Vermont (#107, 7-5)

Dec. 18th - Top 25: Part 2

Top 25 Rankings: 1-14


#1 (1): Syracuse (10-0), 2215.2
No change at the top, where Syracuse continue to cruise. The Orange can't afford to look past either of their opponents this week, but you'd assume they'll get a pair of wins and start Big East play at 12-0.

Last week: W v. #277 St. Francis NY 75-51
This week: S v. #107 St. Bonaventure, T v. #118 Oakland



#2 (2): Texas (7-0), 2183.5
No change in Texas' ranking after two easy wins, though they are under pressure from a chasing New Mexico. This week should be a lot more interesting for the Longhorns, though, as they face two high-prestige programs looking to get back into the top 25.

Last week: W v. #299 Texas St. 87-54, W v. #328 Texas Pan American 104-42
This week: S v. #57 North Carolina, T v. #31 Michigan St.



#3 (5): New Mexico (9-0), 2170.8
I actually saw the word 'upset' used to describe New Mexico's win over the Aggies, but it's hardly a surprise, given the Lobos' performance so far this year. This week is an interesting one, as either Creighton or Oral Roberts could pose serious problems, if the Lobos don't play their best.

Last week: W @ #58 Texas A&M 84-81, W v. #229 Northern Arizona 96-57
This week: S v. #189 Creighton, W @ #212 Oral Roberts



#4 (4): Purdue (9-0), 2194.2
Purdue won their only game of the week, at Alabama, and now gets two very easy games before starting their Big 10 schedule with conference stragglers Iowa.

Last week: W @ #91 Alabama 73-65
This week: S v. #228 Ball St., T v. #323 SIU Edwardsville



#5 (6): Kentucky (10-0), 2193.0
Kentucky will be one of the few teams that will have a busy week leading into the holidays, as they'll play three times. None of their opponents are cream-puffs, but they should be able to win all three pretty comfortably, and finish '09 at 14-0.

Last week: W @ #203 Indiana 90-73
This week: S v. #154 Austin Peay, M v. #146 Drexel, W v. #181 Long Beach St.



#6 (8): Kansas (8-0), 2192.3
Kansas' win over La Salle may not have caught headlines last week, but it was extremely impressive in its margin, if not the result itself. This week, the polls' #1 get a pair of interesting power conference games; a struggling team that made the NCAA's last year in Michigan and one of the Pac-10's lone bright spots in Cal.

Last week: W v. #115 La Salle 90-65
This week: S v. #167 Michigan, T v. #51 California



#7 (10): Georgetown (8-0), 2180.6
This is one of those fascinating weeks for the Hoyas that, ultimately, will likely turn out to be totally unremarkable. With the holiday break and Big East play looming, it would be easy for Georgetown to take their eye off the ball a little, but they have a pair of potential trap games in ODU and Harvard, and must stay vigilant to start conference play at 10-0.

Last week: W v. #86 Washington 74-66 (N)
This week: S v. #104 Old Dominion, W v. #50 Harvard



#8 (9): West Virginia (7-0), 2175.4
WVU have dominated a fairly weak schedule, but that's about to end, as Big East play looms starting on Boxing Day. They've got a test before that, though, as they'll host a Mississippi team that could easily scuttle their perfect record.

Last week: W v. #240 Coppin St. 69-43
This week: S @ #298 Cleveland St., W v. #9 Mississippi



#9 (13): Mississippi (9-1), 2174.7
Mississippi are the highest ranked team with a loss, but nearly were much lower, as they needed overtime to survive against UTEP earlier in the week. This result doesn't give them a lot of hope going into a very difficult Wednesday test against West Virginia.

Last week: W v. #253 McNeese St. 83-67, W v. #98 Texas El Paso 91-81 (OT)
This week: S v. #244 Centenary, W @ #8 West Virginia



#10 (NR): Clemson (9-2), 2169.
The Tigers have made their way into the top 10 despite a couple of losses, and are the highest ranked two-loss team in the country. They've got a game with Duke in the New Year that should be worth watching, but they face a pair of potential trap games at home this week, as SoCon leaders College of Charleston and the SoCon's best team, Western Carolina, both come to town.

Last week: W v. #153 Furman 82-53, W @ #247 East Carolina 80-63
This week: S v. #127 College of Charleston, T v. #21 Western Carolina



#11 (11): Duke (8-1), 2167.6
For the third consecutive week, Duke sit at #11 in the rankings, after a very easy win over Gardner Webb. They've got one more pre-Christmas game, against Gonzaga, which should be a very interesting match-up.

Last week: W v. #318 Gardner Webb 113-68
This week: S v. #60 Gonzaga (N)



#12 (NR): Miami FL (10-1, 0-1), 2165.5
Miami rebounded from an ACC loss to Boston College with two comfortable wins, and they should be able to run through the next four games pretty easily, before getting into the heart of the ACC schedule.

Last week: W v. #176 South Carolina St. 91-54, W @ #315 Stetson 69-49
This week: S v. #140 Florida Atlantic, M v. #249 North Carolina A&T



#13 (19): Kansas St. (9-1), 2165.3
A very impressive win over UNLV has kept the Wildcats rolling, as they've now run off three consecutive wins against very solid opposition. They have one more real challenge before the start of Big 12 play, this week against Alabama.

Last week: W @ #49 Nevada Las Vegas 95-80
This week: S @ #91 Alabama, M v. #305 Arkansas Pine Bluff



#14 (7): Texas Tech (9-0), 2164.9
The Red Raiders drop after not playing this week, but get back in action with a pretty tough trip to Wichita St. Should they survive that, their perfect record will be again put in jeopardy when they face Stanford and travel to New Mexico before the new year.

Last week: None
This week: S @ #28 Wichita St., T v. #131 Stanford

Dec. 18th - Top 25: Part 1

Top 25: 15-25





#15 (12): Seton Hall (8-0), 2161.0
While it's easy for Seton Hall supporters to look past this week to pair of upcoming top-10 opponents in West Virginia and Syracuse, but the Pirates' perfect record could easily come to an end tomorrow, when Temple comes into South Orange.

Last week: W v. #268 Virginia Military Inst 134-107
This week: S v. #20 Temple, T v. #264 Navy



#16 (18): Missouri St. (9-0), 2157.4
The first part of the Bears' four-game pre-New Year road trip went well at Arkansas St., but things will get more difficult this week, with St. Louis and Arkansas a couple of fairly solid opponents.

Last week: W @ #251 Arkansas St. 75-64
This week: S @ #106 St. Louis, T @ #199 Arkansas



#17 (22): UAB (9-1), 2156.8
The Blazers' win over Cincinnati wasn't quite the upset that I saw it reported as, but it's a great result that confirms that UAB's 8 game winning streak is no fluke. They've got a tough road game at South Alabama this week, as well as a really difficult home game against Butler.

Last week: W v. #94 Cincinnati
This week: S @ #124 South Alabama, T v. #63 Butler



#18 (3): Villanova (9-1), 2154.5
The Wildcats lost their only game of the week, and bragging rights in Philly, but should go into Big East play at 11-1 after a couple of pretty easy games this week.

Last week: L @ #20 Temple 65-75
This week: S v. #254 Fordham (N), W v. #312 Delaware



#19 (NR): Georgia Tech (7-1), 2153.5
The Yellow Jackets have, thus far, played only one game against a power conference team, and while they have a couple of decent mid-major wins, they're still yet to make a real splash. They'll have a chance to make one as the ACC season starts on the weekend, as they host Florida St. in a game that will see the winner get a good ratings boost.

Last week: W @ #276 Chattanooga 95-64, W v. #305 Arkansas Pine Bluff 65-53
This week: U v. #29 Florida St., T v. #232 Kennesaw St.



#20 (23): Temple (8-2), 2152.3
When Temple's offense is going, they've been undefeated; their only losses have come when they've scored less than 50 points. They have had a very good December, going 4-0 with a couple of power conference wins, including ending Villanova's perfect run. They'll get another tough challenge before Christmas, against Seton Hall.

Last week: W v. #18 Villanova 75-65
This week: S @ #15 Seton Hall



#21 (NR): Western Carolina (10-1, 2-0), 2151.9
The Catamounts had flown under the radar with some great wins before this week, when they won a really notable game at Louisville. However, they'll have a tough time keeping their momentum going, as a difficult trip to Clemson is up this week.

Last week: W @ #103 Louisville 91-83
This week: T @ #10 Clemson



#22 (NR): Brigham Young (9-1), 2151.6
The Cougars have just one loss on the year, at in-state rivals Utah St., and have had a great last couple of weeks, beating Arizona St. and Fresno St. recently. A game against Nevada and a trip to Arizona before the New Year will be further chances to boost the team's profile before MWC play.

Last week: W @ #165 Fresno St. 72-67, W v. #326 Wagner
This week: S v. #270 Eastern Washington, T v. #144 Nevada (N)



#23 (17): Charlotte (8-1), 2151.3
Charlotte drops after playing just one easy game this week, and while it's easy to look ahead to January games against Georgia Tech and Tennessee, Old Dominion is also a potentially tough opponent this week.

Last week: W v. #318 Gardner Webb 95-66
This week: U @ #200 Winthrop, W @ #104 Old Dominion



#24 (NR): Mississippi St. (8-2), 2151.1
Mississippi St. are on a five game winning streak, and have faced some pretty solid opposition over that time, including beating Wright St. last game. They have a couple of pre-Christmas games, including a tough trip to Houston coming up this weekend that will be their biggest challenge before conference play.

Last week: W @ #237 UCLA 72-54, W v. #121 Wright St. 80-69
This week: S @ #126 Houston, T v. #244 Centenary



#25 (NR): Rhode Island (8-1), 2150.4
The Rams took a very good win at Boston College in their last game, but face a potential trap game this weekend against Fairfield, as they prepare for the holiday break.

Last week: W @ #123 Boston College 80-69
This week: U v. #55 Fairfield

Dec. 16th - Mid Major Rankings

1. Missouri St. – Missouri Valley (9-0), (#13, #1 MM, LW #7 MM)
Two easy wins this week put the Bears into the top spot. Things will be a little more difficult this week, as St. Louis is the best opponent left before MVC play and Arkansas, while not good this season, are still a power conference team playing at home.

Last week: W v. #330 Tennessee Martin 79-51, W @ #252 Arkansas St. 75-64
This week: S @ #127 St. Louis, T @ #227 Arkansas


2. Temple – Atlantic-10 (8-2), (#16, #2 MM, LW #4 MM)
Temple made a huge splash by becoming the first team to defeat Villanova, winning a big Philadelphia rivalry game by 10 points. However, things don't get easier for the Owls, who play another undefeated Big East team on the road this week. With a holiday break looming after that game, Temple has a chance to go into the last week of '09 as one of the country's top teams.

Last week: W v. #15 Villanova 75-65
This week: S @ #12 Seton Hall


3. Western Carolina – Southern (10-1, 2-0), (#17, #3 MM, LW #9 MM)
The Catamounts made a splash this week by winning at Louisville, though given how they've started, it's not the huge surprise that some might say it is. However, the second half of their power conference road trip, as they head to Clemson, won't be anywhere near as easy.

Last week: W v. #185 Campbell 66-59, W @ #130 Louisville 91-83
This week: T @ #23 Clemson


4. Charlotte – Atlantic-10 (8-1), (#18, #4 MM, LW #2 MM)
The 49ers took an easy win this week, and while their next two games are on the road, they're quite different; Winthrop should be an easy win, but ODU look like quite difficult opposition.

Last week: W v. #295 Gardner Webb 95-66
This week: U @ #233 Winthrop, W @ #100 Old Dominion


5. Rhode Island – Atlantic-10 (8-1), (#19, #5 MM, LW #10 MM)
The Rams were another team that had a big win on the week, as they looked very good in beating BC by double-digits on the road, especially after they just survived Northeastern earlier in the week. A home game against Fairfield would seem at first to be a fairly easy one, but the Stags have played well thus far, and the game should be an interesting encounter.

Last week: W v. #228 Northeastern 79-76, W @ #117 Boston College 80-69
This week: U v. #52 Fairfield


6. Wichita St. – Missouri Valley (9-1), (#25, #6 MM, LW #14 MM)
The Shockers have strung together seven straight wins, with the highlights coming against Iowa and TCU, but they'll face a very difficult challenge this weekend in Texas Tech. One benefit is that the game is a home one for Wichita St., but they'll need to play very well to get a result.

Last week: W @ #206 Missouri Kansas City 73-52, W v. #181 Texas Christian 80-68
This week: S v. #11 Texas Tech, M v. #261 North Dakota St.


7. St. Mary's – West Coast (8-1), (#30, #7 MM, LW #13 MM)
The Gaels took a loss early in the season, but have been very strong since, including a very strong three game road trip that they finished off by beating Oregon this week. Pacific is a pretty solid opponent this week, but frankly, the Gaels look to be better than everyone else on their schedule except for Gonzaga and Portland.

Last week: W @ #175 Oregon 81-76, W v. #172 Portland St. 101-80
This week: F v. #106 Pacific, T v. #228 Northeastern (N)


8. Louisiana Tech – Western Athletic (9-2), (#34, #8 MM, LW #3 MM)
Louisiana Tech took a very tough loss on the road at Arizona, and seemed destined for more trouble against Centenary, though they managed to pull the game out in double overtime. However, they salvaged their place in these rankings on the back of a very good home win against Murray St. A couple of easy games this week lead into a holiday break, after which the Bulldogs will have to be very good to survive a tough WAC start.

Last week: L @ #163 Arizona 67-83, W @ #249 Centenary 102-96 (2OT), W v. #53 Murray St. 87-81
This week: S v. #282 McNeese St., T v. #332 Texas Pan American


9. Belmont – Atlantic Sun (7-2, 2-0), (#35, #9 MM, LW #6 MM)
The Bears drop due to inactivity, having not played this week, but we'll get a real measure of them this week, as a game at St. Louis will show if they are as good as their record suggests. They'll be sacrificial lambs to Kansas later this month, but look to be miles ahead of the rest of the ASun.

Last week: None
This week: W @ #127 St. Louis, S v. #218 Eastern Illinois

10. Northern Iowa – Missouri Valley (7-1), (#44, #10 MM, LW #15 MM)
The Panthers have had a very solid season, and, as seemingly always, are a MVC club worth keeping an eye on. They have wins over both the big in-state schools, and also victories over Boston College and a real beatdown of Siena this week. They have two pretty easy games between now and the start of MVC play, and should move to 9-1 by then.

Last week: W v. #91 Siena 82-65
This week: S @ #347 North Dakota


11. Harvard – Ivy (7-2), (#46, #11 MM, LW #20 MM)
12. Cornell – Ivy (7-2), (#48, #12 MM, LW #11 MM)
13. Northern Colorado – Big Sky (8-2, 1-1), (#49, #13 MM, LW #1 MM)
14. Fairfield – Horizon (8-2, 1-0), (#52, #14 MM, LW NR)
15. Murray St. – Ohio Valley (8-2, 2-0), (#53, #15 MM, LW #12 MM)
16. Coastal Carolina – Big South (9-2, 2-0), (#68, #18 MM, LW #21 MM)
17. Richmond – Atlantic-10 (7-2), (#63, #19 MM, LW #8 MM)
18. Illinois St. – Missouri Valley (7-1), (#64, #20 MM, LW #5 MM)
19. Vermont – America East (7-4), (#68, #21 MM, LW NR)
20. Virginia Commonwealth – Colonial (6-2, 0-1), (#70, #22 MM, LW NR)
21. Army – Patriot (7-2), (#71, #23 MM, LW NR)
22. Niagara – Metro Atlantic (7-4, 1-0), (#72, #24 MM, LW #19 MM)
23. Dayton – Atlantic-10 (7-2), (#73, #25 MM, LW NR)

Not included because in polls:
Gonzaga – West Coast (8-2), (#57, #16 MM (LW #18 MM), #15 AP/ESPN)
Butler – Horizon (7-3, 1-0), (#61, #17 MM (LW #25 MM), #21 AP, #17 ESPN)

Dropped out: William & Mary (#78, 6-2, 1-0), George Washington (#89, 7-2), Siena (#91, 6-4, 1-0), Idaho (#96, 6-3), Wisconsin Green Bay (#99, 8-3, 2-0)

Dec. 11th - Top 25: Part 2

Top 25 Rankings: 1-14


#1 (1): Syracuse (7-0), 2207.6
The Orange became the first team to top the 2200 point mark with an impressive win over Florida last night. They should now cruise into Big East play with three easy games, but still haven't faced a true road game yet, an area that will really test them in the #1 rated conference.

Last week: W v. #200 Maine 101-55, W @ #21 Florida 85-73
This week: U v. #275 St. Francis NY



#2 (2): Texas (7-0), 2183.5
A couple of very easy weeks for Texas will end next week, when UNC and Michigan St. will face the Longhorns; a big step up from the likes of the in-state competition they'll face this week.

Last week: W v. #175 Long Beach St. 107-74
This week: S v. #302 Texas St., T v. #331 Texas Pan American



#3 (5): Villanova (9-0), 2175.8
A very good Sunday game in Philly sees Villanova face Temple in what will likely be the last serious hurdle to the Wildcats' hopes of entering Big East play with an unblemished record.

Last week: W @ #106 Maryland 95-86, W v. #235 Saint Joseph's 97-89 (N)
This week: U @ #23 Temple



#4 (12): Purdue (8-0), 2172.0
A pair of very easy wins helps move Purdue up into the top 5. The game with Alabama this week, could be the Boilermakers first stumble, but it's hard not to look past that game to the New Years' Day battle with West Virginia.

Last week: W v. #109 Buffalo 101-65, W v. #277 Valparaiso 86-62
This week: S @ #77 Alabama



#5 (4): New Mexico (9-0), 2170.8
The Lobos were pushed more than in any game thus far on a trip to San Diego, which may serve as a bit of a worry as they prepare for their second of three power conference games against Texas A&M this weekend.

Last week: W v. #283 New Mexico St. 75-58, W @ #263 San Diego 82-78
This week: S @ #32 Texas A&M, W v. #251 Northern Arizona



#6 (7): Kentucky (9-0), 2169.0
Kentucky made a huge splash in the national media this week, getting two wins over marquee opposition and a great performance from John Wall. However, they didn't have a huge impact on the rankings, given that both were close victories over mid-top 100 teams. Still, this is a very good looking Wildcat team that go easily go to 16-0, with a trip to Florida in early January looking like their next huge hurdle.

Last week: W v. #63 North Carolina 68-66, W v. #69 Connecticut 64-61
This week: S @ #167 Indiana



#7 (8): Texas Tech (9-0), 2164.9
Texas Tech have quietly had a great start to the year, and added to their winning streak by traveling to, and winning at, TCU. Their next three games won't get a lot of national attention, but all are difficult ones, though the Red Raiders will enjoy a week off in the meantime.

Last week: W @ #159 Texas Christian 80-70
This week: None



#8 (16): Kansas (8-0), 2163.3
Kansas continued to cruise this week, and while La Salle and Michigan could be potential upsets if the Jayhawks aren't careful, a game with Cal just before Christmas should be their next good test.

Last week: W @ #268 UCLA 73-61, W v. #170 Radford 99-64
This week: S v. #80 La Salle



#9 (10): West Virginia (6-0), 2163.2
The Mountaineers continue with their light schedules, and only a game with Mississippi later in the month stands between them and a perfect non-conference season.

Last week: W v. #132 Duquesne 68-39
This week: S v. #225 Coppin St.



#10 (15): Georgetown (7-0), 2162.6
Georgetown survived the first of a tough three game stretch by taking out Butler, but get perhaps their toughest challenge to date in a neutral-site game against Washington. This will likely be the best chance for a team to unseat the Hoyas before they start Big East play.

Last week: W v. #337 American 73-46, W v. #74 Butler 72-65 (N)
This week: S v. #66 Washington (N)



#11 (11): Duke (7-1), 2156.8
Duke remains the top-ranked team with a loss after beating St. John's over the weekend, and while they'll win over Gardner Webb this week, Gonzaga next weekend could be a different story.

Last week: W v. #41 St. John's 80-71
This week: T v. #274 Gardner Webb



#12 (14): Seton Hall (7-0), 2149.2
Two straight easy weeks for the Pirates who should have little trouble with VMI, but have Temple, West Virginia and Syracuse to look forward to in their next five games.

Last week: W v. #218 Massachusetts 86-68
This week: S v. #260 Virginia Military Inst



#13 (13): Mississippi (7-1), 2147.2
The Rebels just managed to survive a close game with Southern Mississippi, edging out a two point result, and now face an up-and-down schedule, with two very easy games sandwiched around a pair of undefeated opponents in UTEP and WVU.

Last week: W v. #116 Southern Mississippi 81-79
This week: S v. #282 McNeese St., W v. #40 Texas El Paso



#14 (NR): Notre Dame (9-1), 2144.7
Notre Dame have done well against a fairly easy home schedule, and won't play a true road game until Big East play in January. They should take their next three games without too much trouble.,

Last week: W v. #122 Central Florida 90-72, W v. #113 IUPUI 93-70
This week: S v. #262 Loyola Marymount