THE TIMES’ RANKINGS

ROBYN NORWOOD’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS AND COMMENTS:

*--* Rk. Team (Rec.) Comment 1 STANFORD (11-0) We’re going with an unbeaten team at No. 1. 2 WAKE FOREST (10-0) Demon Deacons are a viable candidate for top spot, too. 3 DUKE (11-1) Blue Devils are deserving, but a boring pick. 4 GA. TECH (12-1) Tech ahead of Connecticut by virtue of earlier upset. 5 CONNECTICUT (12-1) One-point victory over Rutgers doesn’t inspire top billing. 6 ARIZONA (9-1) Scary thing is this team should be better at end of season. 7 OKLAHOMA (10-0) Sooners try to make statement Sunday against Connecticut. 8 ST. JOSEPH’S (12-0) The Hawks are No. 1 in the early RPI rankings. 9 LOUISVILLE (10-1) Francisco Garcia has 15 assists against Murray State. 10 GONZAGA (10-2) Catch Bulldogs’ Southland swing today and Saturday. 11 KENTUCKY (9-1) Good thing Tubby Smith beat Tar Heels after Louisville loss. 12 CINCINNATI (10-0) Bearcats might open eyes against better competition. 13 N. CAROLINA (9-2) Moody Rashad McCants is running afoul of Roy Williams. 14 KANSAS (9-2) It’s not easy to predict where Jayhawks will finish in Big 12. 15 FLORIDA (10-2) Gators knocked the Seminoles down a notch. 16 SYRACUSE (10-1) Orangemen get a chance to pile on Missouri next week. 17 PITTSBURGH (15-0) Seven consecutive opponents have failed to reach 60 points. 18 TEXAS (8-2) Freshman P.J. Tucker is Longhorns’ leading scorer. 19 ILLINOIS (10-2) Big Ten is 2-7 vs. ACC, 2-10 vs. Big 12 and 1-5 vs. SEC. 20 MARQUETTE (10-2) Marquette was almost a victim of a Sacred Heart attack. 21 VANDERBILT (12-0) Matt Freije was SEC preseason player of the year. 22 MISS. STATE (12-0) Lawrence Roberts averages a double-double. 23 WISCONSIN (10-2) Badgers held hapless Indiana to 15 at the half. 24 TEXAS TECH (12-2) Even the media noticed Knight went 3-0 vs. the Big Ten. 25 PROVIDENCE (8-2) Clock controversies are supposed to happen on road.

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