MetaKoopa99's Ballot for Week 8 of 2020-21
Submitted on Sunday, January 10, 2021 at 11:50PM EST
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Gonzaga
|
(0) Gonzaga's biggest competition in the WCC is BYU. The Bulldogs beat them by 17 on Thursday. The undefeated season is a real possibility. |
| 2 |
Baylor
|
(0) Similar dominance for Baylor, which, at 11-0, has yet to beat an opponent by fewer than 11. And that's four Big 12 games deep too. |
| 3 |
Texas
|
(0) What a story for Andrew Jones, going from having leukemia to hitting the winning 3-pointer to beat WVU in Morgantown. Legendary stuff. |
| 4 |
Villanova
|
(0) Nova hasn't played a game in 19 days due to COVID. Let's hope that Friday's game at UConn (between two ranked teams?) stays in place. |
| 5 |
Iowa
|
(0) Good week for the Hawkeyes with a win at Maryland and a revenge win over Minnesota. Garza is still averaging nearly 30 points per game. |
| 6 |
Kansas
|
(0) Seems like that Texas loss was just a fluke. Kansas rebounds by destroying TCU in Forth Worth then netting a home win over Oklahoma. |
| 7 |
Creighton
|
(0) You know it's a good week in the top 10 when Creighton defeats Seton Hall, a tournament contender, by THIRTY-SIX and can't move up. |
| 8 |
Michigan
|
(+2) If you weren't a believer in Michigan, you should be now. Freshman Hunter Dickinson also deserves your attention (18 PPG, 8.1 RPG). |
| 9 |
Tennessee
|
(+2) That Alabama loss in the past. First, a good home win over Arkansas, then another excellent defensive showing in a win over Texas A&M. |
| 10 |
Wisconsin
|
(-2) Wisconsin's drop is no fault of their own, it's just that Michigan and Tennessee's weeks were more impressive. Badgers are now 10-2. |
| 11 |
Houston
|
(-2) Ditto for Houston with solid wins over Wichita St. and and Tulane. The sad truth is that it's harder to stay up in a weaker conference. |
| 12 |
Clemson
|
(0) The entire top 12 went without a loss last week. Clemson rounds them out with a good win over NC State. My top 12 seems set in stone. |
| 13 |
St. Louis
|
(+5) Now it's tricky, as teams #13-17 all took a loss. Saint Louis, who hasn't played a game since before Christmas, gets the generous jump. |
| 14 |
Louisville
|
(+7) Odd to put a team with a 37-point loss in the top 15, but here we are. That's the Cards' only loss, and they add a great win over VT. |
| 15 |
Texas Tech
|
(+4) Texas Tech's unwarranted harsh drop last week is corrected with a 2-0 week over Big 12 competition (and teams ahead of them losing). |
| 16 |
UConn
|
(NEW) UConn is a two-point overtime loss to Creighton away from being 7-0 and possibly in the top 10. Bouknight is another player to watch. |
| 17 |
Oregon
|
(-4) Oregon remains winless in Boulder, but that's not an awful loss since Colorado is also good. Ducks also rebounded with a win at Utah. |
| 18 |
UCLA
|
(NEW) Mick Cronin has UCLA back to relevance. His Bruins are 9-2 overall and 5-0 in the Pac-12, with the last two wins coming on the road. |
| 19 |
Alabama
|
(NEW) While full résumé is an important factor in these rankings, so is recency, and Alabama is HOT. Four straight wins over SEC opponents. |
| 20 |
Ohio State
|
(NEW) Buckeyes get back in with an 11-point win at Rutgers, completing the season sweep of the Scarlet Knights. They also have the UCLA win. |
| 21 |
Missouri
|
(-5) Loss to Mississippi State and 1-2 in the last three sends the Tigers down, but they still have wins over Oregon, Illinois and Arkansas. |
| 22 |
Virginia Tech
|
(-2) Won't punish VT too much for a loss to Louisville (even if it's the 18th straight to the Cardinals). Also had a win over Notre Dame. |
| 23 |
Drake
|
(NEW) It's a weird week, let's get weird with it. I'll give 13-0 Drake some love, since we all know the AP Poll won't give it to them. |
| 24 |
Illinois
|
(-7) Illinois has played good basketball all season, but the Maryland loss shows continuing inconsistency. The best four-loss team, though. |
| 25 |
Colorado
|
(NEW) About 1000 teams I could put at #25. We'll go with Colorado. Next 7: USC, West Virginia, Xavier, Minnesota, Virginia, Rutgers, LSU |