Jesus' Weekly NCAAB Update

Last week's team of choice was Purdue, and following a win over Illinois and vaulting to #3 in the rankings I am still drinking the Boilermaker kool-aid. However, this weeks flavor of the week is definitely the UConn Huskies. The Huskies have finally begun playing the way they were expected to heading into this season. They've really responded to Coach Calhoun's tongue lashing a couple weeks ago with big wins over Villanova and now, West Virginia. Two top 10 teams! UConn has played their way back onto the bubble, and are looking good heading into the final few games of Big East play.
Joe Lunardi's bracketology has them as one of the first four teams out, (before yesterday's win) but Jesus believes otherwise. They have three tough games remaining, though that could work in their favor. "Look at the last 10 games," the tourney committee always says. Well, UConn's last 10 are against RPI top 70 with the exception of Rutgers and DePaul and Notre Dame, including Villanova, WVU and Syracuse- all top 10 teams! They'll probably need to win some games in the Big East tourney but I like the way they're playing. Breakneck pace and relentless on the glass at both ends.

In other top 25 news Ohio State beat Michigan State in a very entertaining game, and Evan Turner has supplanted himself as one of the very best players in the country. Those kind of go-to players can always carry a team to a few wins in the Big Dance. (Be on the lookout for Jesus' Bracketbuster tips for the office pool in the coming weeks.)

New Mexico...repeat...New Mexico, has entered the top 10. They only have three losses, and could be one of those Cinderella teams come March. Right now, they're one of the hottest teams in all the land.

Villanova has lost three of their last five games and opened the door for either Purdue or Kansas State or Duke (gulp) to grab the fourth #1 seed.

Butler continues to climb the ranks despite much smiting from Jesus.

And URI really fucked their chances at top 25, but is still on the bubble after an insufferable loss to St Louis led by walrus-man Rick Majerus.

Northern Iowa still sits at #24 and in Lunardi's most recent bracketology are faced up with...wait for it...the Rhode Island Runnin' Rams in a 6-11 match-up. Good! Maybe Rhode Island can resuscitate their dying season and stick it to this lame-ass team. It will all hinge on beating Charlotte on 3/3 and UMass on 3/6.

Here's a look at the top 25, with the last result and next game.
(record, points accumulated and previous ranking)

1. Kansas (61)
Last game: vs Oklahoma, W 81-68 (2/22)
Next game: Oklahoma St. (2/27) 26-1 1621 1

2. Kentucky (4)
Last game: at Vanderbilt, W 58-56 (2/20)
Next game: South Carolina (2/25) 26-1 1559 2

3. Purdue
Last game: vs Illinois, W 75-65 (2/20)
Next game: Minnesota (2/24) 23-3 1470 4

4. Syracuse
Last game: at Georgetown, W 75-71 (2/18)
Next game: Providence (2/23) 25-2 1455 5

5. Duke
Last game: vs Virginia Tech, W 67-55 (2/21)
Next game: Tulsa (2/25) 23-4 1323 6

6. Kansas St.
Last game: at Oklahoma, W 83-68 (2/20)
Next game: Texas Tech (2/23) 22-4 1302 7

7. Villanova
Last game: at Pittsburgh, L 65-70 (2/21)
Next game: South Florida (2/24) 22-4 1189 3

8. West Virginia
Last game: at Connecticut, L 62-73 (2/22)
Next game: Cincinnati (2/27) 21-6 1183 8

9. Ohio St.
Last game: at Michigan St., W 74-67 (2/21)
Next game: Penn St. (2/24) 21-7 1097 9

10. New Mexico
Last game: vs Air Force, W 59-56 (2/20)
Next game: Colorado St. (2/23) 25-3 997 12

11. Georgetown
Last game: vs Syracuse, L 71-75 (2/18)
Next game: Louisville (2/23) 18-7 846 10

12. Pittsburgh
Last game: vs Villanova, W 70-65 (2/21)
Next game: Notre Dame (2/24) 21-6 806 19

13. BYU
Last game: at Wyoming, W 85-63 (2/20)
Next game: San Diego St. (2/24) 25-3 795 16

14. Michigan St.
Last game: vs Ohio St., L 67-74 (2/21)
Next game: Purdue (2/28) 21-7 794 11

15. Butler
Last game: vs Siena, W 70-53 (2/20)
Next game: Valparaiso (2/26) 25-4 673 18

16. Vanderbilt
Last game: vs Kentucky, L 56-58 (2/20)
Next game: Georgia (2/25) 20-6 599 17

17. Wisconsin
Last game: vs Northwestern, W 70-63 (2/21)
Next game: Indiana (2/25) 20-7 528 14

18. Gonzaga
Last game: at Pepperdine, W 72-54 (2/20)
Next game: Santa Clara (2/25) 22-5 506 13

19. Tennessee
Last game: at South Carolina, W 63-55 (2/20)
Next game: Florida (2/23) 20-6 480 20

20. Temple
Last game: at St. Joseph's, W 75-67 (2/20)
Next game: Dayton (2/24) 22-5 452 21

21. Texas
Last game: at Texas Tech, W 71-67 (2/20)
Next game: Oklahoma St. (2/24) 21-6 445 15

22. Texas A&M
Last game: at Iowa St., W 60-56 (2/20)
Next game: Baylor (2/24) 19-7 225 24

23. Richmond
Last game: vs Geo. Washington, W 74-70 (2/20)
Next game: Xavier (2/28) 22-6 202 25

24. Baylor
Last game: at Oklahoma St., L 75-82 (2/20)
Next game: Texas A&M (2/24) 20-6 147 22

25. Northern Iowa
Last game: vs Old Dominion, W 71-62 (2/19)
Next game: Evansville (2/23) 24-3 128 NR