College Basketball Top 25

The last time a college basketball Top 25 was posted, it was of the pre-season variety. Now some teams are as much as 20 games into their season already. This Top 25 will be based more on the results and not the names on the front and back of jerseys.

(Full Disclosure: I think college basketball polls are the most meaningless things in sports. There is a 64-team tournament that decides who the number one team in college hoops will be. Therefore, I don't care who USA Today thinks is the number one team in the country.)

1. Kentucky Wildcats
2. Kansas Jayhawks
3. Texas Longhorns
4. Syracuse Orange
5. Villanova Wildcats
6. Kansas State Wildcats
7. Pittsburgh Panthers
8. Tennessee Volunteers
9. Duke Blue Devils
10. Michigan State Spartans
11. Baylor Bears
12. West Virginia Mountaineers
13. Georgetown Hoyas
14. Purdue Boilermakers
15. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
16. BYU Cougars
17. Northern Iowa Panthers
18. Gonzaga Bulldogs
19. Temple Owls
20. Clemson Tigers
21. Vanderbilt Commodores22. Marshall Thundering Herd
23. UAB Blazers
24. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
25. Rhode Island Rams

K-State Proves to Be the Real Deal Against #1 Texas

It's that time of year in college basketball when the cream is supposed to rise. However, sometimes as college basketball fans we are surprised by what we find at the top. This year's best example is the Kansas State Wildcats. Frank Martin's team has looked like a misprint in the top15 for the last month, but after last night's eye opening win against top ranked Texas, the question about K-State has changed from "How long can they last?" to "How far can they go?"

The Cats are led by guards Jacob Pullen and Denny Clemente, a duo that has teamed with Uconn transfer Curtis Kelly to form a core that is capable of beating any team in the country.

Yet, until last night, the average college basketball fan would struggle to name a single player from K-State's roster. That's because the Wildcats have been the surprise of the college basketball season. All of their early wins against solid mid-majors (Dayton, Xavier, #17 UNLV) and middling power conference teams (Washington State, Alabama, and Texas A&M) culminated last night to give them the biggest win this season short of Tennessee beating top ranked Kansas with half a team and three walk-ons.

So how good is K-State?

They are definitely a Top 10 team right now, and may be one for years to come. Despite losing Clemente after this season, the team will return three double digit scorers for next year (Pullen, Kelly, and forward Jamar Samuels) and already have two of the country's most talented freshmen in forward Wally Judge and Rodney McGruder. Highly touted prospect Shane Southwell (Rice HS/Bronx, NY) has already signed on for next year as well.

Looking ahead, the Wildcats have tough road games against Baylor and Oklahoma, a second meeting with a Missouri team that beat them last week, and two monumental meetings with in-state rival Kansas. Winning three of those five games along with managing the rest of their Big 12 schedule could see the Wildcats looking at one of the Top 16 overall seeds come Selection Sunday.

The Cats take the floor next this Saturday at home against Oklahoma State.  

     

Are You Into New York High School Sports?

Amateur Status isn't the only place to find me (Christopher Godfrey) on the web. Search "Christopher Godfrey" at newyorkpost.com to read my stories about New York City high school sports. 

Even if you're not from New York City or the surrounding area, keeping up with the area's high school athletics is worth the time it takes to click. The tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut is a hotbed for young talent in all sports. One of the players being covered by The Post today could easily end up at a school near you tomorrow.

The Return...

It has been two long months since I've updated the blog. Personal issues, family emergencies, final exams, and a hectic work schedule all contributed to the layoff. But now im back, and so is Amateur Status College Sports, just in time for the 15 to 20 game sprint towards the NCAA Tournament in March. During the next three months you will be reading plenty about college basketball, high school recruiting and the NFL Draft. This will all lead up to extensive coverage of both March Madness and the NFL Draft in April. I hope your on board for one of the year's most exciting periods for college sports.

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