KalonKral's Ballot for Week 17 of 2018-19
Submitted on Monday, February 25, 2019 at 7:11AM EST
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Gonzaga
|
+2 They’ve been smashing teams out West – unlike Nevada. They've beaten Duke and have had a smooth February. |
| 2 |
Duke
|
-1 It felt wrong to keep them at No. 1, but I do discount the two losses with injuries. They’re probably still the best team. |
| 3 |
Virginia
|
-1 They can’t be ranked ahead of Duke with only a 1-loss difference, since we know Duke is better than them. |
| 4 |
Kentucky
|
+1 Incredibly impressed with them every week. Absolutely throttled Auburn on Saturday. |
| 5 |
North Carolina
|
+2 They’re starting to play like the team we all thought they could be preseason. Exciting to see them reach their potential. |
| 6 |
Tennessee
|
-2 I chalked the Kentucky L to a bad matchup, but they got outworked by LSU. Not sure if this team is Joe Flacco elite. |
| 7 |
Michigan State
|
+5 An unexpected leap from the Spartans! No Josh Langford? No Nick Ward? ’Tis but a scratch. |
| 8 |
Michigan
|
-2 A tough loss at home, one they needed to gain an edge in the conference standings. |
| 9 |
Houston
|
0 Any time on this Earth that I don’t spend talking about Dejon Jarreau is wasted time. |
| 10 |
LSU
|
0 The win over Tennessee is enough to keep them here, despite losing to Florida. Smart’s emergence is worth keeping an eye on. |
| 11 |
Marquette
|
0 Now with a sizable lead in the Big East, Marquette is looking to solidify a high tourney seed. |
| 12 |
Texas Tech
|
+9 Now THAT’S what I wanted to see! They actually beat a good team. A total thrashing of Kansas. |
| 13 |
Purdue
|
+1 A low-scoring affair against IU, but Purdue can win without a dominating performance from Carsen Edwards. |
| 14 |
Kansas State
|
+5 A big Monday matchup with Kansas. They’ve got a chance to win the Big 12. |
| 15 |
Nevada
|
-7 They’re playing terrible and it’s hard to imagine how a team with all this talent blows easily winnable games. |
| 16 |
Kansas
|
-3 This team is a fraction of what they were at the start of the year. They have no players left. Maybe should be lower. |
| 17 |
Virginia Tech
|
-2 They’ve struggled against bad ACC teams and are sorely missing Justin Robinson. |
| 18 |
Maryland
|
+6 They went on the road and beat a ranked opponent. Hallelujah! Miracles do occur. |
| 19 |
Wisconsin
|
+1 |
| 20 |
Buffalo
|
+2 They’ve been playing a lot better over the past couple games. That’s good news for Western New York. |
| 21 |
Iowa
|
-4 They’ve needed so many miracle finishes over the past two weeks, and maybe that’s not a good sign. |
| 22 |
Florida State
|
+1 Not a lot of shame in losing to a superhot UNC team. Still love this team. |
| 23 |
Washington
|
NR They had a really bad week, but bounced back last week with two good performances. |
| 24 |
Iowa State
|
-7 Could make the argument that they shouldn’t be ranked after losing 2 close games in the Big 12. Not a ton of good replacement candidates. |
| 25 |
Villanova
|
-9 They’ve loss three in a row on the road. I still think they’re better than Cincy, Wofford or VCU on a neutral floor. |