Final Four Preview

There was going to be more than this than just a quick Final Four preview, but Blogger was being retarded earlier and it's 4 right now and I want to get this up before 5. That was a run on sentence yes, but time is of the essence. It took me 3 tries to spell essence, which really slowed things down. As does rambling on and on about things that you, the reader, probably do not care about. Before we get into the Final Four preview, I'm going to share something. That something is a spoiler about Survivor, so if you haven't watched it, stop reading.

On last night's episode, Boston Rob was voted off. As he was getting up, Coach tried to give him a hug, but Rob was having none of it, and called him "A little man." Now that was hilarious, but the more hilarious part was the hug block that Rob pulled. Coach got up and went for the hug, but Rob ignored it and started walking out. It was glorious. Now I have never been hug blocked before, but I'm going to assume that it makes you feel like shit. To have it done on national tv, that's just glorious. I watched that part about 5 times. That brings us to the Bearcats blog tip of the day, if you piss someone off and lose their respect, don't try to hug them desperately after. It's unbecoming.

Final Four Preview
6:07 PM
Butler Bulldogs v. Michigan State Spartans

5 Butler Bulldogs 30-6

How they got here: Horizon League Tournament Champions 

Round 1- 77-59 over UTEP

Round 2- 54-52 over Murray State

Round 3-  63-59 over Syracuse

Round 4- 63-56 over Kansas State

Best Players: Gordon Hayward 15.5-8.2 Shelvin Mack 14.2-3.8-3.1 assists-1.4 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 46/6

5 Michigan State Spartans 28-8

How they got here: At large (Big 10 3 way tie Co-Champions)

Round 1- 70-67 over New Mexico State

Round 2- 85-83 over Maryland

Round 3- 59-52 over Northern Iowa

Round 4- 70-69 over Tennessee

Best Players:  Raymar Morgan 11.5-6.2 Durrell Summers 11.2-4.6 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 25/33

Prediction: Ken Pom has Butler by 2, winning 58% of the time. I agree. I'm fully on the Butler Bulldogs bandwagon. There is still room if you want to join. I'm pretty sure that it will now be cursed, and they will lose by 29 to Michigan State. 

Butler 64 Michigan State 59

8:47 PM

West Virginia Mountaineers v. Duke Blue Devils

2 West Virginia Mountaineers 31-6

How they got here: Big East Tournament Champions

Round 1- 77-50 over Morgan State

Round 2- 68-59 over Missouri 

Round 3- 69-56 over Washington

Round 4- 73-66 over Kentucky

Best Players: Da'Sean Butler 17.4-6.3-3.2 assists Kevin Jones 13.7-7.2

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 12/10

1 Duke Blue Devils 31-5

How they got here: Won ACC Tournament

Round 1- 73-44 over Arkansas Pine Bluff

Round 2- 68-53 over California

Round 3- 70-57 over Purdue

Round 4- 78-71 over Baylor

Best Players: Jon Scheyer 18.2-4.8 assists Kyle Singler 17.6-6.9

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 1/3

Prediction: Ken Pom has Duke by 5, with a 70% chance of winning. I don't think that it's going to be that clear cut. I like this West Virginia team, and think they can hang. They need to score though. Duke is excellent defensively, and they are efficient offensively. I think this is going to be a knockdown, drag out affair. 

Prediction: Duke 72 West Virginia 65

South and Midwest Regional Finals Preview

First things first, congratulations to Butler and West Virginia. Bob Huggins reached his second Final Four, his first since 1992, and WVU's first since 1959. Butler reached their first Final Four ever, and they get to play in Indianapolis. I don't know how you couldn't be rooting for Butler. I was incredibly happy for them. I was also incredibly happy that Kentucky lost. Maybe if you weren't dicks Kentucky fans, people would like you. Let's recap and predict.

West
5 Butler Bulldogs 63 2 Kansas State Wildcats 56 - Butler pulled off nearly the same game they did against Syrcause. They got off to a good start, had a solid halftime lead, and fell behind late. Kansas State rallied for the lead, but the Bulldogs would not quit. A Gordon Hayward lay up with a minute left sealed the deal. Kansas St was locked down by the tough nosed defense, held to 38% shooting, just 5 threes, and 7-14 at the free throw line. Gordon Hayward put up 22-9 for the winners, while Denis Clemente had 18 for the Wildcats.

East
2 West Virginia Mountaineers 73 1 Kentucky Wildcats 66 - West Virginia made 8 threes for their only field goals of the first half. When they made twos, they put Kentucky away. The Mountaineer defense held Kentucky to only 34% shooting, 4-32 from 3. Kentucky was also 16-29 at the free throw line. West Virginia hit 23-34 at the stripe, and that helped them advance. Da'Sean Butler led the way with 18-6, while in his last game at UK, John Wall had 19-6-5 assists-4 steals-5 turnovers. Once again, congrats to WVU. Represent the Big East well.

Predictions

2:20 PM
6 Tennessee Volunteers v. 5 Michigan State Spartans - Tennessee has played tough, slow down games in 2 of their 3 wins. Michigan State has played the same. Both had second round offensive explosions, MSU over Maryland, and Tennessee over Ohio. I fully expect another slow down game here. It's going to be a toss up. Michigan State didn't seem to miss Kailin Lucas too much against Northern Iowa, but I think this is the game that does it. I like how Tennessee is playing, even though they could have very well lost to San Diego State.

Prediction: Ken Pom likes Sparty by 1, winning 52% of the time. It's a toss up. I like the Orange to crash the Final Four.
Tennessee 65 Michigan State 61

5:05 PM
3 Baylor Bears v. 1 Duke Blue Devils - Baylor is coming off a great performance, and has the home crowd. That's good, but I think that they lose. Duke has locked everyone down so far in the tournament, and I think they'll take advantage of Baylor's good, but not great defense. I hope LaceDarius Dunn has a big game. Yes, I wanted to type LaceDarius. I hope Baylor fights the good fight and wins, but I think Duke will be the only 1 seed to advance.

Prediction: Ken Pom likes Duke by 6, winning 72% of the time. Sounds about right.
Duke 73 Baylor 69

East and West Regional Final Previews

The NCAA Tournament is quickly winding down to the it's end sadly. We are left with just 8 squads. Before we look at the match ups for today, let's rewind and look at who were the big winners last night.

Midwest
6 Tennessee 76 2 Ohio State 73 - The Buckeyes couldn't keep the Volunteers off the offensive glass, as the Vols grabbed 18. The Buckeyes also couldn't stop Tennessee inside. They did have a chance to win, as Player of the Year in the Big 10, and probably America, Evan Turner got a pair of looks from 3. He missed the first and had the second blocked by JP Prince to send the Buckeyes packing. It's Tennessee's first ever Elite 8. Wayne Chism had 22-11, and Brian Williams 9-12, including the tip in for the lead. Evan Turner had 31-7-5 assists in his last game as a Buckeye.

5 Michigan State 59 9 Northern Iowa 52 - Northern Iowa didn't score a field goal in the last 10 minutes against the Spartans. Those types of things tend to cost you games. Michigan State continues to be a team that always advances to the late stages of the NCAA tournament. Even though many thought they would reach this point in November, none thought it would come this way. For UNI, Adam Koch  had 13, while for the Spartans, Durrell Summers put up 19-7.

South
3 Baylor 72 10 St Mary's 49 - This was an all out rout in Houston. Baylor shot 45%, pounded the glass, and played tough defense. LaceDarius Dunn went for 23 to power the Bears, while Ben Allen had 16-7 for the losers.

1 Duke 70 5 Purdue 57 - This game went exactly as I predicted, which never happens. Purdue tried their best, but had no offensive answers for the Dukies. This game was ugly for a long time, but the Blue Devils will take ugly as long as they advance. Duke outrebounded Purdue by 22, pulled in 15 offensive boards and held Purdue to just 4. Kyle Singler had 24-8 for Duke, while JaJuan Johnson had 23 for Purdue.

Previews and Predictions

4:30 PM
5 Butler Bulldogs v. 2 Kansas State Wildcats - Butler has been grinding down defensively in their last 2 wins, while Kansas State has shown off their offensive firepower in blowing by BYU and Xavier. It's going to be interesting to see who on Butler can contain Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente. The Bulldogs are going to need Shelvin Mack and Gordon Hayward to continue their strong play. At least strong play in the last game by Hayward. Ken Pom thinks that Kansas State wins by 3 62% of the time. I really like Butler, but I don't know if they have enough. Kansas State is coming off a tough game yes, but I think they have more.

Prediction: Kansas State 68 Butler 60

7 PM
2 West Virginia Mountaineers v. 1 Kentucky Wildcats - The best of the Elite 8 games in being played tonight. The Wildcats and Mountaineers are two very good defensive clubs, who have a tendency to miss shots. Both rebound the hell out of the offensive glass. It's going to be interesting to see if Hugs puts Devin Ebanks on John Wall like everyone is predicting. I think that he will, but that WVU will play a lot of zone. That leaves the game in the hands of the Kentucky guards. Eric Bledsoe could murder WVU if they leave him open, as could Dobson or Darius Miller. Kevin Jones and Ebanks could have their hands full with Patterson and Cousins. I think Butler will be guarded by Miller, and it's going to be a challenge for Darius. I'm looking forward to this game very much. It should be great. Ken Pom has UK by 2, winning 58%. Even the computers think it's a toss up. Of course, I'm pulling for Bob Huggins. Final Four track suits everyone!

Prediction: West Virginia 72 Kentucky 68

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Friday Preview

What a night Thursday was for basketball. The amazing Kansas State-Xavier game was a sight to behold. That's another reason why we love college basketball. Especially the NCAA Tournament. It was a big day alright, as the West region also saw top seed Syracuse fall to Butler. Before we go to the Duke-Purdue, Baylor-St Mary's, Ohio State-Tennessee and Michigan State-Northern Iowa predictions, let's take a look back at Thursday's action.

West
5 Butler 63 1 Syracuse 59 - The little Butler Bulldogs knocked off top seeded Syracuse in another let down for our Big East brethren. Butler had a 10 point lead at the half, but saw the Orange take the lead by as much as 4 in the second. Ronald Nored hit a 3, and Matt Howard got a tip for the lead, and Willie Veasley scored 5 of his own with a Gordon Hayward free throw and an 11-0 run to ice it. Hayward led the Bulldogs with 17, while Wes Johnson had 17-9 for the Orange.

2 Kansas State 101 6 Xavier 96 (2 OT) - I'm not the only one who thought this was an instant classic, and in fact, there are really no words I can add to this great game. Down the stretch it was Jordan Crawford, Jacob Pullen, Terrell Holloway, Curtis Kelly, Terrell Holloway, Jamar Samuels, JORDAN CRAWFORD, Curtis Kelly, JACOB PULLEN, and JACOB PULLEN again. Dante Jackson had a look to tie at 99, but came up short. Crawford had 32, Holloway 26-6 assists, and Jason Love 11-15 for X, while Pullen had 28, Denis Clemente 25-5 assists and Curtis Kelly 21-8. Watch the highlights, hell watch the game on March Madness on Demand.

East
1 Kentucky 62 12 Cornell 45 - This game seemed like it sucked for a long time. Kentucky pulled away in the first half, then never scored in the second. Cornell cut the lead to 6 at one point, but Kentucky pulled away, just like I predicted. Louis Dale had 17 for the Big Red, while DeMarcus Cousins had 16-8-4 steals for Kentucky.

2 West Virginia 69 11 Washington 56 - This was a game for a half, but once West Virginia found a rhythm, the Huskies couldn't hang. The Mountaineers pulled down 19 offensive rebounds. Justin Holliday, J'Rue's brother, had 14-8-5 steals in the losing effort, while Kevin Jones had 18-8 for the winners.

Previews and Predictions

Midwest
7:07 PM
6 Tennessee v. 2 Ohio State

2 Ohio State Buckeyes 29-7
How they got here: Big 10 Tournament Champions
Round 1- 68-51 over UC Santa Barbara

Round 2- 75-66 over Georgia Tech

Best Players: Evan Turner 20-9.2-6 assists William Buford 14.4-5.7-3.1 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 7/23

6 Tennessee Volunteers 27-8

How they got here: At large (SEC 3rd place)

Round 1- 62-59 over San Diego State

Round 2- 83-68 over Ohio

Best Players: Scotty Hobson 12.5-3.3  Wayne Chism 12.3-7.3-1.3 blocks 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 90/8

Prediction: Ken Pom has Ohio State by 5 with a 71% chance of winning. I like Ohio State by a little more than 5. Ohio State 71-63

9:37 PM (Estimate) 30 minutes after game 1

9 Northern Iowa v. 5 Michigan State

5 Michigan State Spartans 26-8

How they got here: At large (Big 10 3 way tie Co-Champions)

Round 1- 70-67 over New Mexico State

Round 2- 85-83 over Maryland

Best Players:  Raymar Morgan 11.6-6.2 Durrell Summers 10.7-4.5 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 35/30

9 Northern Iowa Panthers 30-4

How they got here: Missouri Valley Tournament Champions

Round 1- 69-66 over UNLV

Round 2- 69-67 over Kansas

Best Players: Jordan Egsleder 12-7.3 Adam Koch 11.6-4.9

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 53/14

Prediction: Ken Pom has Northern Iowa by 1, with a 51% chance of winning. This is a pure toss up, as MSU has Kailin Lucas out for the tournament with a Achilles injury. Even with Lucas, this would probably be a toss up. I think that the Panther run continues. Northern Iowa 69-68.

South

7:27 PM

10 St Mary's v. 3 Baylor

3 Baylor Bears 27-7

How they got here: At large (Big 12 2nd place 3 way tie)

Round 1- 68-59 over Sam Houston State

Round 2- 76-68 over Old Dominion

Best Players: LaceDarius Dunn 19.4-4.9 Tweety Carter 15.1-6 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 5/39

10 St Mary's Gaels 28-5

How they got here: WCC Tournament Champions 

Round 1- 80-71 over Richmond

Round 2- 75-68 over Villanova

Best Players: Omar Samhan 20.9-11-3 blocks Mickey McConnell 13.7-5.2 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 16/81

Prediction: Ken Pom has Baylor by 4, with a 68% chance of winning. I think that we get an upset here. I don't buy into Baylor. They let SHS stay close, and they let Old Dominion come back on them. I'm going St Mary's 77-75.

9:57 PM (estimate) 30 minutes after game 1

4 Purdue v. 1 Duke

1 Duke Blue Devils 31-5

How they got here: Won ACC Tournament

Round 1- 73-44 over Arkansas Pine Bluff

Round 2- 68-53 over California

Best Players: Jon Scheyer 18.1-4.9 assists Kyle Singler 17.7-7

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 2/3

4 Purdue Boilermakers 29-5

How they got here: At large (Big 10 3 way Champions)

Round 1- 72-64 over Siena

Round 2- 63-61 (OT) over Texas A&M

Best Players: E'Twan Moore 16.4-3.8 JaJuan Johnson 15.7-6.9

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 67/4

Prediction: Ken Pom has Duke by 7, with a 79% chance of winning. I think that's about right. I don't know how Purdue scores on Duke. I think the Blue Devils lock them down, like they did California. Duke 66-52.

Breaking Down the Brackets: Midwest

Even though the Cincinnati Bearcats are in the NIT, does not mean that you won't get an awesome NCAA Tournament preview. We  kicked things off with games in the South, and East. Now, it's on to the Midwest region, aka, the region of death. Before you jump in, sign up for the Bearcats Blog Tournament Challenge. It's on ESPN.com. Search for Bearcats Blog, or click here. Stats by Ken Pomeroy.


Midwest

1 Kansas Jayhawks 32-2

How they got here: Big 12 Tournament Champions

Best Players: Sherron Collins 15.6-4.4 assists Xavier Henry 13.6-4.2-1.5 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 2/5

16 Lehigh Mountain Hawks 22-10

How they got here: Patriot League Tournament Champions

Best Players: C.J McCollum 18.9-4.9-2.4 assists Maquis Hall 11-3.6-5.7 assists

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 133/242

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Kansas by 27. Yep.

8 UNLV Runnin' Rebels 25-8

How they got here: At large (MWC 3rd place)

Best Players: Tre'Von Willis 17.3-3.9-3.4 assists Chace Stanback 10.7-5.8-1.6 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 58/29

9 Northern Iowa Panthers 28-4

How they got here: Missouri Valley Tournament Champions

Best Players: Jordan Egsleder 12-7.3 Adam Koch 11.8-4.9

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 81/13

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Northern Iowa by 1. I love UNLV, so I have to differ from the man here.

4 Maryland Terrapins 23-8

How they got here: At large (ACC Co-Champions)

Best Players: Greivis Vasquez 19.5-4.6-6.3 assists-1.7 steals Landon Milbourne 12.5-4.9-1.3 blocks

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank:

13 Houston Cougars 19-15

How they got here: Conference USA Tournament Champions

Best Players: Aubrey Coleman 25.6-7.4-2.6 assists-2.7 steals Kelvin Lewis 15.8-4-1.8 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 40/165

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Maryland by 14. It's hard seeing Houston stay close. They have a small chance because Coleman is the nation's leading scorer, and he can light up a gym. The Terps are too talented though.

5 Michigan St. Spartans 24-8

How they got here: At large (Big 10 3 way tie Co-Champions)

Best Players: Kalin Lucas 14.9-3.9 assists Raymar Morgan 11.5-6.2

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank:

12 New Mexico St Aggies 22-11

How they got here: WAC Tournament Champions

Best Players: Jahmar Young 20.5-3.5-3.2 assists Jonathan Gibson 17.5-2.9-2.8 assists-1.4 steals

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 46/222

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Michigan St by 12. Hard to disagree. The Aggies are awful on defense. 

2 Ohio State Buckeyes 27-7

How they got here: Big 10 Tournament Champions

Best Players: Evan Turner 20.3-9.2-5.9 assists William Buford 14.5-5.6-3.2 assists 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 7/22

15 UC Santa Barbara Gauchos  20-9

How they got here: Big West Tournament Champions

Best Players: Orlando Johnson 17.9-5.4-2.3 assists James Nunnally 15-5.7

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 209/99

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Ohio State by 18. Yes, the Villain might throw up a triple double.

7 Oklahoma State Cowboys 22-10

How they got here: At large (Big 12 6th place tie)

Best Players: James Anderson 22.6-5.8-2.4 assists-1.3 steals Obi Muonelo 13.4-5.1-2.3 assists

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 37/63

10 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 22-12

How they got here: At large (ACC 7th place)

Best Players: Gani Lawal 13.1-8.7-1.4 blocks Derrick Favors 12.5-8.5-2.1 blocks 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 57/17

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Georgia Tech by 3. I'm going with the Cowboys. I don't see it in Georgia Tech.

3 Georgetown Hoyas 23-10

How they got here: At large (Big East 8th place)

Best Players: Austin Freeman 16.7-3.6-2.4 assists Greg Monroe 16.1-9.5-3.7 assists 1.2 steals 1.5 blocks

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 10/33

14 Ohio Bobcats 21-14

How they got here: MAC Tournament Champions

Best Players: Armon Bassett 16.9-3.2-3.5 assists D.J Cooper 13.1-5.4-5.9 assists-2.5 steals 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 105/109

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Georgetown by 12. Ohio had a hell of a run in the MAC Tourney, as did Georgetown in the BET. I think they Hoyas are way too much for the Bobcats though.

6 Tennessee Volunteers 25-8

How they got here: At large (SEC 3rd place)

Best Players: Wayne Chism 12.5-7.1-1.4 blocks Scotty Hobson 12.5-3.5

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 99/8

11 San Diego St. Aztecs 25-8

How they got here: MWC Tournament Champions

Best Players: Kawhi Leonard 12.8-9.9-1.4 steals Billy White 11.2-4.4 

Ken Pom Off/Def Rank: 43/42 

Predicted Winner (KenPom/Me): Tennessee by 1. In this toss up, I'm going to roll with the Aztecs. Mainly because their name is cooler. 

Bearcats Blog Top 26

This is a Cincinnati Bearcats blog, maybe THE Cincinnati Bearcats blog (not really), but occasionally I think that we should take a look around the nation and see what's up with the what's up. That's street lingo for see what's happening around the nation. Everyone knows that the best way to do that is to make a list of the Top 26 teams of the country. Why 26? Because I hit 6 instead of 5. Sometimes life throws you curveballs like that. You have to roll with them, or they will roll you. Write that down kiddies, because that is advice for life. I bet you didn't see that coming in a Top 26 list post. This isn't going to be a list of the AP top 25, it's going to be better. How? Take a look. It's in a book. Reading rainbow. 

1. Kentucky Wildcats 19-0. Up next: @South Carolina. I have Kentucky here because they are undefeated. I don't really think they are the best team, but as the Nature Boy says, to be the man, you have to beat the man. No one has beaten Kentucky. They have one of the best players, if not the best, in John Wall. Cousins and Bledsoe are also really good, and there's that Patterson fellow. The only problem is that Kentucky fans are the worst. I hope they go undefeated and lose to a 16 seed.
2. Syracuse Orange 20-1. Up next: @DePaul. Pittsburgh is one of those teams that matches up well with Syracuse, and I think it's clear that Pitt was playing their best ball of the season against the Orange. They aren't the most talented team, but they play great together. Wes Johnson is a stud, and barring injury or turning into Eric Devandorf, he's going to be the Big East Player of the Year.
3. Kansas Jayhawks 19-1. Up next: @Kansas State. Kansas has the most talent out of any team but maybe Kentucky. They have pros at every position with Sherron Collins, Xavier Henry (we should pronounce Xavier za-vee-eh because fuck Xavier), Cole Aldrich and Marcus Morris. They are Kansas, so a tournament flameout is a possibility. I think they are at least Elite 8 material. 
4. Texas Longhorns 17-2. Up next: Texas Tech. Yeah they lost twice last week, but they lost on the road to good teams. They don't have a point guard, can't shoot free throws and Rick Barnes looks stupid. Whatever. They are going to be a 1 seed. If they aren't, your money back. 
5. Duke Blue Devils 16-3. Up next: Florida State. When I clicked on the Duke team page on ESPN, Dick Vitale started yelling at me. Duke isn't great, but they are good, deal with it. They will probably, no they will definitely choke in the tournament to all of our delight, but Jon Scheyer is for reals. 
6. Villanova Wildcats 18-1. Up next: Notre Dame. I'm not sold on Villanova. I would have dropped them lower in fact, but have you taken a look at the teams ranked under them? Scottie Reynolds is really good, and probably the second best player in the Big East. Jay Wright is a good coach and I wouldn't mind hanging out at hotel bar drinking gin and tonics with him while talking about our short games on the golf course. But, they stink of overration from last year's tournament and quite frankly, they are going down early this year. 
7. Michigan State Spartains 17-3. Up next: @Michigan. Michigan State barely beat Minnesota and Iowa came back on them. So of course they are ranked over Texas in the stupid polls because Texas beat them and has a better record. Oh wait, the reason is because voters are ass hats. Michigan State is undefeated in the Big 11, but they haven't played Purdue. 
8. Purdue Boilermakers 16-3. Up next: Wisconsin. Purdue already lost to Wisconsin, but they are ranked over Wisconsin because they haven't lost to Wisconsin Green Bay. Purdue is going to mess up every bracket that I fill out this year because I will either be infatuated with them and have them go deep, or I will have hate in my heart and have them lose early. Is this a post on how teams are now, or how they are going to be? I'm not sure, it kinda changed didn't it? 
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs 16-3. Up next: Santa Clara. They haven't beaten anyone worth a damn since they lost to Duke, but they are winning and looking good. They are probably going to roll through the conference with 0 or 1 loss, and they are going to be dangerous as usual. 
10. Brigham Young Cougars 20-1. Up next: @New Mexico. Jimmer Fredette is a stud, and he highlights this overlooked team. BYU somehow lost to Utah State, but don't let that fool you. They are running over the solid Mountain West. They are also a team that I'm penciling into the Sweet 16 right now. 
11. Kansas State Wildcats 16-3. Up next: @Baylor. Jacob Pullen is Amish. Any player that inspires Frank Martin to wear a fake beard is cool in my book. Denis Clemente is also very good, but he spells Denis weird and all of his friends secretly don't like it. They are a flame out early team. Probably not a 3 who loses to a 14, but a 4 that loses to a 13 if it comes to that. 
12. West Virginia Mountaineers 15-3. Up next: @DePaul. Does anyone think that West Virginia is going anywhere this year without a point guard? I sure don't. Da'Sean Butler is great, but he can't do it all on his own, he's no superman. 
13. Temple Owls 17-3. Up next: @Charlotte. Boring ol' Temple is ranked this high not just because they beat Xavier, but because they are good. I think that they have the makings of a dangerous team in March. They will either play a 1 seed like Texas and terrorize them and win, or they will play a 1 seed like Kansas and get blown out again. There is no in between for the Owls. 
14. Wisconsin Badgers 16-4. Up next: @Purdue. Boring ol' Wisconsin follows boring ol' Temple in the boring teams section of the Top 26. Wisky is always solid, and always a boring team to watch. Even in close games, you think 'why couldn't Wisconsin be interesting a full 40 minutes?' Sorry Badger fans, you know this. 
15. Pittsburgh Panthers 15-4. Up next: St John's. Pitt seems to be falling off a little, but I think they have a better squad than the rest of the teams. In 3 weeks when Pitt is 18-9, remind me of how stupid this ranking was.
16. Tennessee Volunteers 15-3. Up next: Vanderbilt. Tennessee has some good talent, talent that is stupid enough to get arrested, but good talent. They are really tough to be in Knoxville, but they don't play every game there. I think the Georgia loss exposed them a lot.
17. Baylor Bears 15-3. Up next: Kansas State. This is going to look really stupid when Baylor loses to K State and Texas back to back. Having said that, I've really bought into the Bears. They nearly beat Kansas, and they destroyed UMass Saturday. Ekpe Udoh is a monster on defense, and he can pop a triple. I've kept my eye on them since they beat Xavier, and I like the looks of this team.
18. Ohio State 14-6. Up next: @IowaZack10Bucks. The Buckeyes are a completely different team with the 'Villain' Evan Turner. Turner is actually my choice for player of the year, and he carries the Bucks. The only problem is that all of Ohio State's players like watching him too instead of playing. And oh my god Wally Szczerbiak is on some random CBS College Sports show. I'll never forget the Utah game World.
19. Georgetown Hoyas 15-4. Up next: Duke. This is the time of year Georgetown gets exposed. They were pummeled by Syracuse. They will lose to the Dukies. Georgetown gets a reprieve with USF, followed by another loss against Villanova. They are UC with better talent. Their offense goes in the tank with the best of them.
20. Mississippi Rebels 15-4. Up next: @Auburn. The Rebs get Auburn and Arkansas before their showdown with Kentucky. That's essentially a bye. I haven't seen them play, and I put them here because of their record and because I like Andy Kennedy. I don't think AK should have gotten the UC job, so save your emails.
21. New Mexico Lobos 18-3. Up next: BYU. New Mexico is a very good team that is underrated because the Mountain West decided to be stupid and not continue their contract on ESPN. The Lobos have Darington Hobson, who not only has a kick ass name, but he can play. Hook up your satellite dish, or find a stream or something and watch their game against BYU Wednesday.
22. Northern Iowa Panthers 17-2. Up next: The Drake. Northern Iowa lost to DePaul before losing a non head scratcher against the dreaded Shockers of Wichita State. UNI will be a 10 or 11 seed I'll pick to win in the Dance and they will totally screw me over. 
23. Florida State Seminoles 15-4. Up next: @Duke. Florida State just beat Georgia Tech to sweep the season series, yet the pollsters ranked Georgia Tech, who also has a worse record. Florida State would have a better chance to beat Duke in Tallahassee, but they can give them a game in Cameron Indoor. I used to love watching Florida State when they had Bob Sura and Charlie Ward. 
24. Connecticut Huskies 13-6. Up next: @Providence. I nearly didn't rank UConn until I looked to see who they had coming up. I think they'll sweep Providence, Marquette and Louisville. Louisville just matches up poorly with UConn every year it seems, and I think the Huskies are turning the corner. They probably won't have another game like against Texas, but the fact they can have games like that intrigues me.
25. Vanderbilt Commodores 15-3. Up next: @Tennessee. I would have ranked Vandy higher, but I think they are going to lose their next 3 against Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi State. Their court is funky, but I have to admit that I like it. 
26. Butler Bulldogs 16-4. Up next: @Wis-Green Bay. Butler bit off a little more than they could chew early on. They are rounding into form now though. I certainly wouldn't want the gritty Bulldogs in the big dance.