The Double Bonus

In college basketball, the polls don’t really matter. But they’re great for arguments. So for argumentative purposes here’s what I think the newest AP Top 25 should look like when its released Monday afternoon.

Kansas PG Sherron Collins. (AP)

1. Kansas (20-1, 6-0  Big 12)
Pvs: 2
Last Week: Defeated Missouri, @ No. 11 Kansas State
This Week: @ Colorado, Nebraska
Sherron Collins doesn’t get much talk for POY consideration, but if you watched the Jayhawks point guard take over in OT against K-State Saturday night then you know there might not be a tougher player in the nation. 

2. Syracuse (21-1, 8-1 Big East)
Pvs: 4
Last Week: Defeated No. 7 Georgetown, @ DePaul
This Week: Providence, @ Cincinnati  
Some would argue that Villanova should be ranked ahead of the Orange in the polls. Not if you look at the Wildcats’ defensive numbers. They pale in comparison to Syracuse’s. And again, no other Big East team has as much talent as the Orange.

3. Kentucky (20-1, 5-1 SEC)
Pvs: 1
Last Week: Lost @ South Carolina, Defeated No. 21 Vanderbilt
This Week: Mississippi, @ LSU
Kentucky finally dropped its first game of the season thanks to the heroics of Devan Downey’s 30-point performance. But the Cats put that loss behind them in rather destructive fashion, blowing right by Vandy. When DeMarcus Cousins plays hard, it’s going to be practically impossible to beat Kentucky.

4. Villanova (19-1, 8-0 Big East)
Pvs: 3
Last Week: Defeated Notre Dame
This Week: Seton Hall, @ No. 7 Georgetown
The Wildcats had an easy week, but that upcoming showdown with Georgetown is going to be very telling. I’ll be curious to see how ‘Nova can handle the size of the Hoyas down low. Duke had problems and ‘Nova is not a very big team down low.

5. Georgetown (16-4, 6-3 Big East)
Pvs: 7
Last Week: Lost to No. 4 Syracuse, Defeated No. 8 Duke
This Week: USF, No. 4 Villanova
They looked bad against Syracuse and great against Duke. Somewhere in between is the real Georgetown.

6. Michigan State (19-3, 9-0 Big Ten)
Pvs: 5
Last Week: Defeated Michigan, Northwestern
This Week: @ No. 16 Wisconsin, @ Illinois
The Spartans have all but locked up the conference. Sure four teams have three losses, but do you see the Spartans dropping four or five of their remaining nine games? Didn’t think so.

7. West Virginia (17-3, 6-2 Big East)
Pvs: 9
Last Week: Defeated @ DePaul, Louisville
This Week: Pittsburgh, @ St. John’s
Seems like West Virginia likes to do things the hard way after they climbed from another double digit deficit at home to knock off Louisville. As long as Da’Sean Butler keeps hitting shots they’re going to be a Final Four threat.

8. Kansas State (17-4, 4-3 Big 12)
Pvs: 11
Last Week: Defeated Baylor, Lost to No. 2 Kansas
This Week: @ Nebraska, @ Iowa State
They move up, despite the loss to Kansas, because they’ve showed that they belong amongst the nation’s best. I do, however, think the Wildcats are a little immature. They get a little too emotional on the court and that could very well cost them come March.

9. Purdue (18-3, 6-3 Big Ten)
Pvs: 10
Last Week: Defeated No. 16  Wisconsin, Penn State
This Week: @ Indiana
Purdue has an easy week ahead with a quick trip to meet the Hoosiers. The Wisconsin win was a lot closer than it should have been and Purdue is lucky it didn’t get nipped at the end.

10. Duke (17-4, 5-2 ACC)
Pvs: 8
Last Week: Defeated Florida State, Lost to No. 7 Georgetown
This Week: No. 22 Georgia Tech, @ Boston College
Predictibly, the Blue Devils were knocked around by a bigger Georgetown team. Duke maybe Top 10 material now, but there’s no way this team sneaks into the Final Four. Are they even really Sweet 16 material at this point? That Thursday night Georgia Tech game will be another example of how woefully unathletic Duke is.

11. Texas (18-3, 4-2 Big 12)
Pvs: 6
Last Week: Defeated Texas Tech, Lost to No. 24 Baylor
This Week: @ Oklahoma State, @ Oklahoma
Texas is a mess right now, having lost three of their last four games. Rick Barnes needs to settle on a rotation that doesn’t involve almost the entire team and the Longhorns need to fatten up on some conference patsies – which is precisely what they’ll get this week. But, being that they’re road games, they’re not exactly gimmes the way Texas has been playing.

12. Ohio State (16-6, 6-3 Big Ten)
Pvs: 20
Last Week: Defeated @ Iowa, Minnesota
This Week: Penn State, Iowa
Ohio State makes a huge jump up. Not because of the blowout wins this past week, but because of what they could very well be rounding into: The second best team in the Big Ten, ahead of Purdue if the Boilermakers aren’t careful. And the Buckeyes schedule gets a little easier over the next week and a half. They’re going to rack up some very easy wins.

13. Tennessee (16-4, 4-2 SEC)
Pvs: 14
Last Week: Lost to No. 21 Vanderbilt, Defeated Florida
This Week: @ LSU, South Carolina
The Vols were bound to hit a rough patch and they did, culminating with that loss to Vandy at home. But they rebounded with a tough win against a scrappy Florida team Sunday. As long as Wayne Chism is healthy then the Vols will be a contender. We’re still two weeks away from the first matchup with Kentucky.

14. Gonzaga (17-4, 6-1 WCC)
Pvs: 13
Last Week: Defeated @ Santa Clara, Lost to San Francisco
This Week: Portland, @ Memphis
The Dogs were just begging for a loss the way they played Santa Clara earlier in the week. They finally got picked off for the first time in 28 games in conference play by the Dons. That game against Memphis will be a much bigger game for the Tigers who desperately need a marquee victory for their NCAA Tournament considerations.

15. Wisconsin (16-5, 6-3 Big Ten)
Pvs: 16
Last Week: Lost to No. 10 Purdue
This Week: No. 5 Michigan State, @ Michigan
Badgers nearly pulled out a win in Mackey Arena when all looked lost with about two minutes remaining. As usual, they’re not flashy, and very methodical. And as usual, Bo Ryan has a very solid, if not spectacular club.

Baylor's LaceDarius Dunn. (AP)

16. Baylor (16-4, 3-3 Big 12)
Pvs: 24
Last Week: Lost to No. 11 Kansas State, Defeated @ No. 6 Texas
This Week: Iowa State, Texas A&M
It’s a big jump for the Bears who only picked up one win last week, but they came very close to springing two upsets in one week, just barely losing to the Wildcats and then having the toughness to prevail against the Longhorns in Austin. Baylor’s got some talent. They’re a lot better than people think.

17. New Mexico (20-3, 6-2 MWC)
Pvs: 23
Last Week: Defeated No. 12 BYU, TCU
This Week: San Diego State
The Lobos got a big win over the Cougars, handing them their first loss in conference play and now sit just a half a game behind in the league standings. Dairese Gray made a name for himself with his scoring spurt to close out BYU.

18. Mississippi (16-5, 4-3 SEC)
Pvs: 18
Last Week: Defeated @ Auburn, Lost to Arkansas
This Week: @ No. 1 Kentucky, Alabama
I’m still not sold on the Rebels. Disappointing loss to Arkansas to close out the week. We’ll really see what they’re made of this week with only one day’s rest they take on Kentucky in Rupp Arena Tuesday.

19. Temple (18-4, 5-1 A-10)
Pvs: 15
Last Week: Lost @ Charlotte, Defeated LaSalle
This Week: Duquesne, @ Richmond
No shame in losing to Charlotte which is now right on the tail of the Owls for first place in the A-10. But this was Temple’s first real road test of the conference season which they lost by 10. So they have to be penalized.

20. BYU (21-2, 6-1 MWC)
Pvs: 12
Last Week: Lost @ No. 23 New Mexico, Defeated Utah 
This Week: TCU, @ UNLV
That was a tough loss by BYU on the road against the Lobos. But the Cougars were in it until the end in their first real test of the season. Be on the lookout for the UNLV game. That will be another tough game.

21. Florida State (16-5, 4-3 ACC)
Pvs: NR
Last Week: Lost @ No. 8 Duke, Defeated Boston College
This Week: Maryland, Miami
Seminoles have a great chance to really grab some attention after they failed to do so in Cameron. With Maryland coming to town Thursday, FSU can make a statement that they’re a legit player in the conference. By beating Georgia Tech they pretty much already have.

22. Georgia Tech (16-5, 4-3 ACC)
Pvs: 22
Last Week: Defeated Wake Forest, Kentucky State
This Week: @ No. 8 Duke, N.C. State
I think Georgia Tech is a better team than Florida State, but you can’t rank the Yellow Jackets ahead of the Seminoles after FSU just beat Tech last week.

23. Vanderbilt (SEC)
Pvs: 21
Last Week: Defeated @ No.  14 Tennessee, Lost @ No. 1 Kentucky
This Week: Mississippi State, @ Georgia
They get penalized not for losing to Kentucky, but how they lost. They didn’t show up the way I thought they would. They talked a lot of trash before the tip and couldn’t back up the talk. That being said, the win at Tennessee is impressive. I like Jermaine Beal’s game a lot.

24. Butler (18-4, 11-0 Horizon)
Pvs: NR
Last Week: Defeated @ Green Bay, @ Wisc.-Mil.
This Week: Detroit, Wright State
I’m not the biggest fan of Butler. I think they’re a bit of an underachiever and they’re non-conference schedule isn’t that impressive. But no one else really stands out enough for me to put them ahead of the Bulldogs right now.

25. Cornell (18-3, 4-0 Ivy)
Pvs: NR
Last Week: Defeated Datrmouth, Harvard
This Week: Yale, Brown
Yes, the Big Red deserve to be here. After defeating Harvard in an Ivy League showdown this weekend, they’re in the driver’s seat to win the conference. Plus, no one else has played Kansas as close at home as Cornell did.

Just Missed The Cut (And In No Particular Order): Texas A&M, Siene, UTEP, Old Dominion

It’s another full two days of conference showdowns with a few non-conference games to keep an eye on. Here’s our breakdown of Saturday’s and Sunday’s can’t miss contests.

Saturday

Georgetown's Greg Monroe. (AP)

No. 8 Duke at No. 7 Georgetown
KenPom: Duke -4
TV: CBS, 1 pm
Duke finally won a true road game last weekend, knocking off Clemson. Then they pounded Florida State. Georgetown, meanwhile, comes off a spanking at the hands of Syracuse Monday. But don’t count out the Hoyas. Georgetown should be a lively underdog in this one. Their size underneath, mainly Greg Monroe, should give the Blue Devils problems.

No. 21 Vanderbilt at No. 1 Kentucky
KenPom: Kentucky -6
TV: ESPN, 4 pm
You know who leads the SEC East? It’s the Commodores, and not the Wildcats. Kentucky’s first loss earlier this week, and Vandy’s win over Tennessee, vaulted the under the radar ‘Dores into first place in the division. But they haven’t been tested like they will against John Wall and company. Look for Kentucky to bounce back after South Carolina sprang the upset Tuesday. They’re too talented and with the pressure of that No. 1 ranking gone they should revert to their old ways. Plus, they’re 131-43 all-time against Vandy.

No. 24 Baylor at No. 6 Texas
KenPom: Texas -8
TV: ESPN Full Court, 4 pm
Texas will be happy to face a ranked team at home after last week’s two-game losing streak on the road. This should be a good matchup between teams with big frontlines. If Baylor can effectively rebound then they’ll have a good chance of springing the upset. Damion James maybe the all-time leader in double-doubles in the Big 12, but he hasn’t played his best in the Longhorns biggest games. Another loss by Texas and they would drop two behind Kansas.

Old Dominion at Northeastern
KenPom: Old Dominion -1
TV: CSN, 4 pm
ODU sits atop the Colonial Athletic Association at 9-1 while Northeastern, which just had its 11-game winning streak snapped Wednesday, is just one game behind the Monarchs in the standings. These two are the top defensive teams in the conference. First one to 60 wins.

No. 2 Kansas at No. 11 Kansas State
KenPom: Kansas -5
TV: ESPN, 7 pm
Kansas is rolling again, dismissing teams left and right. But this game comes on the road and we know that Kansas State has no problem getting pumped up for a matchup with one of the nation’s top teams. Head coach Frank Martin is imploring fans to cram Bramlage Coliseum for the College GameDay crew, who will be in Manhattan broadcasting. K-State is coming off a hard fought win over Baylor, but they’re going to have their hands full with the array of Kansas athletes. They better crash the boards if they want to upset another ranked team.

Harvard's Jeremy Lin. (AP)

Harvard at Cornell
KenPom: Cornell -6
TV: Regional, 7 pm
Both teams sit atop the Ivy League standings with 2-0 records. But this game is magnified, of course, because the Ivy League is the only conference that doesn’t host a postseason tournament. So the regular season’s importance is off the charts, just like this matchup. Winner will sit in the driver’s seat to earn the conference’s automatic bid. While there’s potential that the Ivy League could also garner an at-large NCAA Tournament, neither the Big Red or Crimson wants to chance it.

Northwestern at No. 5 Michigan State
KenPom: Michigan State -11
TV: Big Ten Network, 7 pm
Northwestern desperately needs another noteworthy win if the Wildcats are really going to make a run at their first NCAA Tournament bid. But considering they’re going up against the Spartans, off to their best ever start in the Big Ten, in the Breslin Center, I’d say the chances aren’t very good.

UTEP at No. 25 UAB
KenPom: UAB -3
TV: Local Broadcast, 8 pm
At 6-0, the Blazers lead Conference USA. But UTEP – and Tulsa and Memphis – sit right behind them in the standings. So this one is kind of important. Many feel the Miners have the better talent in this one, but UAB has played a tougher schedule so far.

Sunday

Florida at No. 14 Tennessee
KenPom: Tennessee -8
TV: CBS, 1 pm
Tennessee needs a win badly. They’ve dropped two straight to Vandy and Georgia and are in danger of falling out of the SEC East race if they don’t shape up. Wayne Chism’s injury hasn’t helped matters, but the Vols should be happy to welcome the Gators. Florida’s not exactly an SEC power these days and they take as many bad shots as any other team in the country.

Maryland at Clemson
KenPom: Clemson -1
TV: FSN, 5:30 pm
Speaking of another team badly in need of a win. Clemson is dying to end its three game losing streak. It doesn’t help that point guard Demontez Sitt’s bum foot has kept him on the sidelines. Maryland surprisingly leads the ACC and Clemson’s suddenly sinking NCAA Tournament hopes would get a huge lift with a win.

Virginia at North Carolina
KenPom: North Carolina -6
TV: FSN, 7:45 pm
Virginia was leading the ACC before it started dropping games. How do they bounce back from an OT loss to rival Virginia Tech at home? Won’t be easy against the Tar Heels on the road.

A quick look at what went on last night and what to look out for Friday.

Last Night’s Action

No. 10 Purdue 60, No. 16 Wisconsin 57
Keaton Nankivil did his best to steal this one for Wisconsin, but Purdue persevered in the end, pulling out a narrow victory when it looked like they were on their way to an easy win. Nankivil went for a career high 25, including a ridiculous 7-of-8 from deep, but it was spoiled when Trevon Hughes missed to go-ahead basket with six seconds to go. The Boilermakers’ veterans stepped up after blowing an eight point lead in the final minutes. E’Twaun Moore’s bucket with 25 seconds to go turned out to be the winning basket. Both teams are now tied in the loss column in the Big Ten standings.

No. 22 Georgia Tech 79, Wake Forest 58 
The really good Yellow Jackets team showed up in full force Thursday, thoroughly out-playing Wake on their way to an easy victory. Knocking down shots, rebounding, distributing and defending; Georgia Tech did it all. “I’m not sure we can play much better,” Tech coach Paul Hewitt said after the game. Neither can Wake. Georgia Tech avoided dropping below .500 in ACC play.

Links

Pittsburgh avoided its third straight loss, dropping pesky St. John’s [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Virginia Tech, with a dramatic overtime win against Virginia, will definitely be dancing this March. [Roanoke Times]

Gonzaga rallied from a second half double-digit deficit on the road against Santa Clara. [Spokesman Review]

And Siena now owns the nation’s longest winning streak at 12. [AP]

And plenty of rankings…

Luke Winn’s always thorough rankings has Syracuse as his top team. [SI.com]

ESPN’s has Kansas atop theirs. [ESPN.com]

Josh Herwitt’s rankings features Kansas at 1, Villanova at 2. [Foxsports.com]

The Dagger takes a look at the POY race between Evan Turner and John Wall. [Yahoo.com]

Luke Harangody is on the verge of breaking a number of Notre Dame and Big East records over the next few months. [AP]

Think Seattle‘s four-man lineup the other night hasn’t happened before? Indiana State‘s had it worse – a lot worse. [Basketball Prospectus]

Gary Parish checks in with a “polls do matter” column now that it’s almost February. [CBSsports.com]

 And there was a big Twitter riff between NY Times’ Pete Thamel and SI’s Pablo S. Torre over a recent SI piece Torre wrote regarding Harvard. [SB Nation]

Tonight’s Must See Games

It’s Friday in college basketball, which means it’s your one night off for the week. The Weekend Primer, previewing Saturday’s and Sunday’s biggest games, will be coming your way later on today. Be on the lookout for the huge Ivy League matchup.

A quick look at what went on last night and what to look out for Thursday.

Last Night’s Action

No. 21 Vanderbilt 85, No. 14 Tennessee 76
The Vols dropped their second straight, Vanderbilt won its 10th in a row as the Commodores picked up a big win after many had questioned their Top 25 credentials. Jermaine Beal had 25 for Vandy which won in Knoxville for the first time in its last five games. Vanderbilt is now off to its best start since 1966 and they firmly sit atop the SEC East standings with a trip to Lexington to meet Kentucky looming this weekend. It wasn’t a pretty game – the refs were quick with the whistle – but Vandy took advantage hitting 21-of-29 free throws.

No. 8 Duke 70, Florida State 56
Florida State did not rebound well and missed a number of easy baskets – and those little mistakes added up to a 14-point loss in Cameron. The Seminoles got it close in the second half, and played pretty good defense, holding Duke to 43 percent shooting. But Duke’s pressure defense forced 22 FSU turnovers as they cruised to another easy home victory. The Blue Devils, at 5-2 , sit atop the win column in ACC play.

No. 23 New Mexico 76, No. 12 BYU 72
The MWC got some attention last night when its two ranked teams squared off and the Lobos put an end to the Cougars’ 15-game winning streak, the longest in the nation. Dairese Gray was the star, pouring in a career-high 25 and out-playing BYU’s top threat, Jimmer Fredette. Fredette may have finished with 27, but Gray scored nine points over the final 1:30 to close out the game and pull into a tie for second place in the conference, one game behind BYU in the loss column.

Providence 81, No. 19 Connecticut 66 
Will the real Huskies please stand up? Four days after taking down then-No. 1 Texas, UConn layed an egg in the second half, squandering multiple leads as they dropped another game on the road. UConn is now 0-4 in true road games and shockingly sits behind Providence in the Big East standings. The Huskies are just 3-4 in conference play, good enough for 11th place in the league. I’m sorry, but a Top 20 team can not be sitting in the bottom half of their league. Making only two field goals the final nine minutes of the game, the Huskies ruined all the good vibes from last weekend’s win.

Charlotte 74, No. 15 Temple 64
Charlotte handed the Owls their first conference loss of the season, thus creating a muddled mess atop the Atlantic 10 standings. Three teams (Temple, Charlotte and Xavier) are all 5-1 in league play. The 49ers did it with defense. The 2-3 zone gave the Owls fits – not surprising considering they’re not a very good shooting team.

 Links

 Northeastern‘s 11-game winning streak came to an end thanks to Drexel. [Boston Herald]

Some are starting to make the case that Villanova should be the new No. 1. [Daily News]

 Stewart Mandel – back writing about college hoops – wonders what happened to the dynasties? [SI.com]

Eight-point play? It pretty much happened for Hofstra‘s Chris Jenkins Wednesday. [GoHofstra.com]

The Kentucky faithful got a little ahead of itself with these t-shirts. Bad timing. [Deadspin.com]

Tonight’s Must See Games

No. 16 Wisconsin at No. 10 Purdue
Line: Purdue -8.5
KenPom: Purdue -2
TV: ESPN, 7 pm
Two Big Ten powers will clash in West Lafayette and the Boilermakers would surely like to return the favor after the Badgers handed them a loss in Madison a few weeks back, starting Purdue’s unexpected three-game slide. Wisconsin has never had it easy in Mackey Arena where they’re a paltry 2-35. Expect your typical low scoring game in this one. Purdue has been playing better defensively over the past week and Wisconsin has labored to put up points.

Wake Forest at No. 22 Georgia Tech
Line: Georgia Tech -5
KenPom: Georgia Tech -4
TV: 7 pm
The Yellow Jackets turn the ball over a lot. And considering some of the speed that Wake Forest posseses – most especially Ishmael Smith – Tech will get hammered tonight if they don’t take care of the ball. This young and very talented Jackets team has been much better at home than on the road. But as good as Tech has been in their friendly confines, Wake has been pretty good on the road, going 2-2 this season against Top 25 teams away from home.

Others: St. John’s at No. 17 Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech at Virgina,

South Carolina's Devan Downey. (AP)

He might be small in stature, but he’s got big game.

We’re talking about Devan Downey, of course, the diminutive South Carolina guard who almost single-handedly took down top-ranked Kentucky Tuesday night when few believed the Gamecocks could.

“I told you so. I told you so,” Downey reportedly shouted after the final buzzer sounded in Columbia.

If you didn’t know who the most valuable player in the SEC was before Tuesday, his 30-point performance against the nation’s No. 1 team should have done the trick.

Yes, you read that right. Devan Downey is the SEC’s MVP. Not Kentucky’s John Wall.

The talk around the SEC this year has been centered on Kentucky and freshman John Wall - and for good reason. The dynamic guard has led the Wildcats back to the No. 1 ranking for the first time in seven years and has been displaying the kind of skills that will make him the first overall pick in June’s NBA Draft.

But for all the exploits of Wall, for all the dazzling drives to the basket, all the pull-up 3s and wins he’s helped stake Kentucky to, the SEC Player of the Year isn’t his to win this year. It’s Downey’s because the guy has been simply sensational.

Perhaps no other small guard in the country is producing like Downey has lately. For the season, he’s averaging 22.4 points per game, but that doesn’t even begin to tell you how big he’s played over the past several weeks. From his 36-point performance against Florida Saturday that basically won the game for South Carolina before Florida‘s buzzer beating 3-pointer to his 35 points against Vanderbilt in a loss two weeks ago, Downey has been tearing up the SEC to the tune of 31.3 ppg.

What other 5-foot-9 point guard is doing that in one of the six power conferences? None.

But what he lacks in size and strength he certainly makes up for in heart and moxie. Just look at last night’s game. Every possession down the stretch, the ball was in Downey’s hands. There were times in the game where you thought he was about ready to collapse from exhaustion he was running around so much. And that might have been the reason he missed 20 shots, although most them came early. But he delivered when it counted most. When South Carolina relinquished the lead late in the second half, Downey brought them back. When they needed a big bucket down the stretch to preserve their precious lead, it was Downey, either driving to the bucket, dribbling his way through traffic or hitting a tough jumper.  

Downey scored nearly half of South Carolina’s (68) points as the Gamecocks knocked off a No. 1 team for the first time in school history, sending the fans onto the court when it was all said and done. The smallest man on the court delivered one of the biggest wins for the program against the biggest team in college basketball. And everyone wanted a piece of Downey afterwards. And for good reason.

They wanted to pat the SEC Player of the Year on the bacj.

Wall gets all the attention and he very well could end up being the national player of the year, but he’s only averaging 17.1 ppg. He hasn’t scored more than 26 in a game this year and has a ton of help around him like Patrick Patterson, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe. Kentucky, theoretically, doesn’t need Wall to have big game after big game to keep them winning. South Carolina needs every bit of Downey just to stick around in games, let alone win them out-right. He’s doing more with less, taking on added responsibilities this year without the likes of Zam Fredrick or Dominique Archie to help.

So let John Wall win the national player of the year award. That’s fine because Kentucky has much bigger aspirations than winning the SEC. South Carolina doesn’t. Whatever they manage to squeeze out of the season will be because of Devan Downey. And for that reason, for the shear fact that no one has meant or will mean as much to his team this year – and assuming he keeps putting up his numbers - Downey is your SEC Player of the Year. Cocksurely.

A quick look at what went on last night and what to watch Wednesday.

Last Night’s Action

South Carolina 68, No. 1 Kentucky 62
No. 1 not for long. Devan Downey – a lot more on him later today – became a household name Tuesday with his captivating performance against the top-ranked Wildcats, helping spring the huge upset. The Gamecocks handed Kentucky its first loss of the season thanks to a lot of hustle and Downey’s 30 points. South Carolina out-rebounded the Wildcats and seemed to grab every other loose ball on the court. The bounces went their way and Kentucky’s youngsters just didn’t have the answers for the first time all season. The inexperience showed as John Calipari’s worst nightmare unfolded before his eyes.

No. 11 Kansas State 76, No. 24 Baylor 74
Jacob Pullen lifted his game when the Wildcats needed it most and gave them a big win on the road. Six 3-pointers – 25 points in all – allowed K-State to atone for their bad loss against Oklahoma State last weekend. Baylor’s LaceDarius Dunn had a bad game, scoring just nine points and committing an untimely foul on Pullen in the game’s final moments. K-State handled the Baylor zone defense rather well after Oklahoma State’s gave them fits. Wildcats coach Frank Martin was very happy to get out of Waco alive.

No. 5 Michigan State 57, Michigan 56
Kalin Lucas is about as clutch as it gets. The Spartans guard led his team to victory for the second straight game, this time hitting a tough mid-range jumper with 3.5 seconds to go. Michigan State now sits at a commanding 8-0 in the Big Ten, off to their best conference start in program history. The final jumper by Lucas gave the Spartans a one-point lead, but Michigan had a great look at the winner when DeShawn Sims’ layup off the inbounds pass lipped out as time expired. The Wolverines slim NCAA Tournament hopes took a big hit.

Links

No. 25 UAB sits in first place in C-USA after taking out Tulsa, despite only four second half FGs. [Birmingham News]

Rhode Island handed Dayton its first home loss in 30 games in an important matchup in the A-10. URI really boosted its NCAA Tournament resume. [Providence Journal]

Pat Forde tells you the 10 teams that can win it all. [ESPN.com]

No Jim Calhoun for UConn‘s matchup with Providence tonight. [Connecticut Post]

Poor Seattle. They had to play 4-on-5 at the end of their blowout loss to Washington. [Seattle Times]

The Dagger seperates the imposters from players outside the Top 25. [Yahoo.com]

Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology didn’t see any changes on the top tier. [ESPN.com]

Tonight’s Must See Games

No. 21 Vanderbilt at No. 11 Tennessee
Line: Tennessee -6.5
KenPom: Tennessee -6
TV: ESPN, 7 pm
The Vols suffered a bad loss at Georgia over the weekend. Things won’t get any easier when they’ll get a better opponent Tuesday as they host the only undefeated in SEC play. Wayne Chism’s health will be a big concern for the Vols after their best player did not practice Monday. He suffered a knee injury against Georgia as the Bulldogs zone stifled the Vols. The Commodores will do look to do the same with their zone in Knoxville.

Florida State at No. 8 Duke
Line: Duke -14
KenPom: Duke -12 
TV: ESPN, 9pm
The Blue Devils can really distinguish themselves in the ACC with a win over the Seminoles Wednesday. It’s a bit of a jumbled mess in the conference and with a win Duke will be leading the league in the win column. The Blue Devils picked up an impressive win at Clemson over the weekend – their first road win of the season – and played some very tough defense. In comes Florida State, which also is a pretty good defensive team, allowing teams to shoot just 35.5 percent from the field (lowest in the nation). If the Seminoles can spring a second straight upset – they beat Georgia Tech Sunday – then maybe they can finally break into the Top 25.

No. 12 BYU at No. 23 New Mexico
Line: New Mexico -1
KenPom: BYU -4
TV: 10 pm
The fight for the MWC takes center stage out West. BYU owns a perfect MWC record while Nex Mexico sits behind the Cougars with two losses. BYU’s Jimmer Fredette is the player to watch. He’s been fighting mononucleosis but it hasn’t stopped him from pouring in plenty of points over the last several weeks. BYU now owns the nation’s longest winning streak at 15.

Others Games: No. 15 Temple at Charlotte, Notre Dame at No. 3 Villanova, No. 19 UConn at Providence, Texas Tech at No. 6 Texas

A quick look at what went on last night and what to look out for Tuesday.

Last Night’s Action

No. 4 Syracuse 73, No. 7 Georgetown 56
Syracuse had its way with Georgetown last night and turned a 14-0 deficit to start the game into a second half spanking, cruising to a rousing victory over the Hoyas. I’m going on record, right now: Syracuse will be in the Final Four. They have too much talent, too much firepower, to not get there. They have weapons at every position. They have scorers, slashers, bangers, blockers and shooters. Remember that preseason prediction by the media that Syracuse was no better than sixth in the Big East? Must have been a typo. They are far and away the best team in the Big East.

No. 2 Kansas 84, Missouri 65
Great rivalry, not much of a game. You could pretty much stop paying attention mid-way through the first half. It was never close. The Jayhawks led by 20 the break and put it on cruise control in the second half. Kansas took advantage of their big size down low. Cole Aldrich came close to finishing with a triple double and the Jayhawks absolutely dominated the boards.

Links

The new charging rule – governed like the NBA only without the arc physically on the court – has gone over well. [AP]

Gary Parish takes to task the wayward ballots of some AP Top 25 voters. [CBSSports.com]

And there’s the controversy surrounding John Feinstein’s AP ballot. [The Dagger]

After a one-game suspension, Michigan will have Manny Harris back against No. 7 Michigan State tonight. [AnnArbor.com]

Tonight’s Must See Games

Rhode Island at Dayton
Line: Dayton -5
KenPom: Dayton -5
TV: 7 pm
Dayton was the preseason pick to win the A-10 but it looks like Temple is ready to run away with the conference title. So Dayton and everybody else, including Rhode Island, are fighting for second fiddle and NCAA Tournament posturing. Both coaches feel the other team is Top 25 material.

No. 11 Kansas State at No. 24 Baylor
Line: Baylor -2.5
KenPom: Baylor -3
TV: ESPN Full Court, 8 pm
Baylor has won 11-straight game home games, a school record, but that’s going to be tested Tuesday when the Wildcats came calling to Waco. And since the Bears are ranked, that should assure Kansas State will be focused and ready – they’re 3-0 against Top 25 teams this season. Baylor had an easy time with their weekend matchup against UMass, but were surprisingly out-rebounded. Keep an eye on the battle of the boards. We know Kansas State likes to get out and run, but they can only do that if they’re rebounding effectively.

Tulsa at No. 25 UAB
Line: UAB -4
KenPom: UAB -4
TV: 8 pm
First place in Conference USA will be up for grabs when these two meet in Bartow Arena, where the Golden Hurricane have never won. Only two undefeated teams remain in C-USA play and they’re squaring off for the only time this season. But Tulsa has taken the last three matchups in the series and will have a decided size advantage in this one.

No. 1 Kentucky at South Carolina
Line: Kentucky -7
KenPom: Kentucky -6
TV: ESPN, 9 pm
Kentucky’s the new No. 1, for the first time in seven years, and its the only undefeated team in the nation. And for their first game as the nation’s top team in seven years they hit the road. On top of that, they haven’t beaten South Carolina in their last three tries and you can be sure the fans in Columbia will be jacked tonight. Devan Dowey, the leading scorer in the SEC, will match wits with John Wall and company. South Carolina is 0-7 all-time against the nation’s top-ranked teams.

Shocking news…Kentucky is your new No. 1 after the news polls were released Monday afternoon.

The Wildcats are the unanimous No. 1, garnering 65 first place votes in the AP Poll, and deservedly so.

Kentucky is the only remaining undefeated team, with a 19-0 record, and look every bit like the nation’s top squad after their dismantling of Arkansas at home this past Saturday, a sort of coronation at Rupp Arena of a return to the good old times.

Other than Kentucky’s ascension to the top, the most notable movement in the Top 10 was former No. 1 Texas‘ drop to No. 6 after losing two straight on the road.

Some other quick observations on the poll…

* Georgetown broke into the Top 10, landing at No. 7 , making tonight’s matcup with Syracuse an even bigger tilt.

* Kansas State wasn’t really punished for its home loss to Oklahoma State Saturday. Voters put more stock in the victory over No. 1 Texas than the letdown vs. the Cowboys and that makes sense. The Wildcats dropped one spot, to No. 11. I don’t have a problem with that and I think few people would, either.

* Slotting in right behind Kansas State is BYU and I can bet you few voters have actually had the chance to see play this year. The Cougars do have eight wins over the RPI Top 100 so they have legit credentials. They’ll get some attention this week when they face No.  23  New Mexico with their 15-game winning streak on the line.

* UConn moved back into the rankings, a little high for my liking at No. 19. They’ve been too inconsistent – and with only one noteworthy win – to garner Top 20 status right now.

* Two losses later, Pittsburgh dropped down to No. 17, eight spots from last week.

* Vanderbilt, the aforementioned Lobos and UAB were welcomed into the Top 25 and deservedly so.

Here’s what I think the Top 25 should look like.