GHooLion's Ballot for Week 15 of 2017-18
Submitted on Monday, February 12, 2018 at 9:32AM EST
FYI: This is a provisional ballot. It does not count towards this poll's results.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Virginia
|
Despite the loss, UVA remains #1 in KenPom, #1 in RPI, #2 in Sagarin, and is the Committee's overall #1 seed. This is the best team. |
| 2 |
Villanova
|
The loss to St. John's is an ugly one, but this is the same team that thumped Xavier. Still #2 in KenPom, #3 in RPI, and #1 in Sagarin. |
| 3 |
Michigan State
|
Beating Purdue: GREAT! Giving up 93 to Iowa: MEH! Haven't beaten a team with fewer than 10 losses by 10+ since December 3rd. Not #1... |
| 4 |
Xavier
|
Getting a little too much credit for beating two inferior teams by 5 combined points. Still, 2-0 is 2-0, and 23-3 is 23-3. |
| 5 |
Cincinnati
|
Cincinnati straight dump-trucked SMU and UCF. Similar to #2 v. #4 above, hard to rank Cincinnati above a team to which it lost. |
| 6 |
Purdue
|
I'm not punishing a team severely when that team went 0-2 against OSU and MSU by a combined 4 points. Purdue built up that equity. |
| 7 |
Texas Tech
|
I wish I could bump TTU up more than just 1 spot for two double-digit wins against the Big XII. Real threat to Kansas's dominance... |
| 8 |
Ohio State
|
The leader of the Big XIV is not MSU or Purdue, it's this team. The win at Purdue is a Top 3 win by any team this season. |
| 9 |
Gonzaga
|
In the land of the 1-1 teams, the 2-0 team is king, particularly when it avenges the St. Mary's loss in dominating fashion. |
| 10 |
Auburn
|
One of the aforementioned 1-1 teams, but I'd be a hypocrite if I held a 1-point loss to a surging team against Auburn too much... |
| 11 |
URI
|
This team will run the table in the A10; will be criminally underseeded in the NCAAs; and will make some 1-seed's life Hell in the Sweet 16. |
| 12 |
Clemson
|
I've seen all I need to see: if this team can lose Grantham and still run this smoothly, Clemson is for real. |
| 13 |
Duke
|
Followed the come-from-ahead non-victory against UNC with a game against GT that Duke negligently made closer than it should have been. |
| 14 |
Kansas
|
Followed up the gritty win against TCU with a gruesome loss at Baylor. Top 10 teams don't get pasted at Baylor. |
| 15 |
Saint Mary's
|
Coming up short against Gonzaga, by double digits, stings. Still 23-3, and still a dangerous team come March. |
| 16 |
Arizona
|
Something's just off with this team. Teams with this much individual talent shouldn't drop home games to UCLA. |
| 17 |
Tennessee
|
Coming off that nice win at Rupp Arena, Tennessee proceeds to get "woodshedded" at Alabama. Refocusing time for the Volunteers... |
| 18 |
Wichita State
|
Looked much more like the team I expected to see this year with this week's pastings of Memphis and UConn. |
| 19 |
North Carolina
|
It wasn't always pretty, but 2-0 against Duke and at NCST moves the needle for me. |
| 20 |
West Virginia
|
Oh, WVU: you do something like winning on the road at Oklahoma; then you turn around and completely blow a home game to OSU-South. |
| 21 |
Arizona State
|
YAY! A 2-0 week for the first time in ages, and a better mark against the same teams against which Arizona went 1-1. |
| 22 |
Michigan
|
Generally, getting exposed by Northwestern is a surefire way to fall like a stone. However, everything below 21st is a free-for-all today. |
| 23 |
New Mexico State
|
This team defends; this team rebounds; this team wins (22-3); and this team is a threat to ruin someone's March. |
| 24 |
Oklahoma
|
The Trae Young Express has officially pulled an Amtrak. Losers of 3 straight now, OU must regroup. |
| 25 |
Nevada
|
I debated dropping Nevada, but UNLV isn't a bad team, and no other team is really distinguishing itself enough to merit inclusion. |