The Times’ rankings

*--* Rk. Team (Rec.) Comment (last week’s rank) 1

NORTH CAROLINA

Ellington’s 36 points and overtime -- --- game winner against Clemson (15-0) make Tar Heels even more daunting. (1) 2 MEMPHIS (13-0) Pepperdine’s Walberg predicts national -- -- title for Tigers after 37-point loss. (2) 3 KANSAS (15-0) Jayhawks look much more imposing -- --- lately than they did against USC. (3) 4 WASHINGTON It will be very impressive if Cougars -- STATE (13-0) are still undefeated after L.A. trip. (4) 5 UCLA (14-1) Bruins already have two -- -- Pac-10 road wins in their pockets. (5) 6 MICHIGAN Spartans have won 11 games -- STATE (14-1) in a row since losing to UCLA. (6) 7 DUKE (11-1) Californian DeMarcus Nelson is -- -- the Blue Devils’ leading scorer. (7) 8 GEORGETOWN Hoyas are No. 1 in the nation in field- -- (12-1) goal percentage, and No. 2 in FG defense. (8) 9 TEXAS A&M (14-1) 7-foot freshman DeAndre Jordan -- -- has made 67 of 87 shots. (9) 10 TENNESSEE (12-1) Volunteers’ showdown with -- -- undefeated Mississippi is today. (10) 11 INDIANA The Hoosiers’ only loss was against Xavier -- (13-1) in November, but it was by 15 points. (12) 12 TEXAS Longhorns gave St. Mary’s a clear --(13-2) message of where the Gaels stand. (13) 13 BUTLER Team has won 10 games away from -- (14-1) home, more than any other Div. I team. (15) 14 CLEMSON The Tigers moved up on the strength -- (12-2) of that overtime loss to No. Carolina. (21) 15 MARQUETTE Team was thwarted by a zone devised -- (12-2) by West Virginia’s Bob Huggins. (11) 16 VANDERBILT Gardner-Webb and San Diego have won -- (15-0) at Rupp, so why not Vandy Saturday? (19) 17 MISSISSIPPI A victory over Tennessee would -- (13-0) put Ole Miss in our top 15. (20) 18 DAYTON (12-1) Brian Roberts averages 19 points -- -- and shoots 49% from the field. (18) 19 VILLANOVA Victory over Pittsburgh was a -- (11-2) good comeback after loss to DePaul. (16) 20 STANFORD This looks like a team that could -- (12-2) be pretty good come March. (23) 21 PITTSBURGH Injuries have dealt the Panthers’ -- (12-2) season a serious blow. (14) 22 ARIZONA PG Jerryd Bayless is practicing lightly -- (10-4) after missing three games (knee). (17) 23 WISCONSIN Senior big man Brian Butch has a -- (12-2) perfect nickname: the Polar Bear. (24) 24

XAVIER

Musketeers have been on a roll since -- (12-3) losses to Arizona St. and Tenn. (Unranked) 25 RHODE ISL. It’s up or out next week, depending -- (14-1) on result against Dayton. (Unranked) *--*