GHooLion's Ballot for Week 18 of 2017-18
Submitted on Monday, March 5, 2018 at 9:56AM EST
FYI: This is a provisional ballot. It does not count towards this poll's results.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Virginia
|
Virginia only needed the most bizarre win of the CBB season and a 5-point win in a slugfest over ND to finish 28-2 (17-1). Just bonkers. |
| 2 |
Xavier
|
Earned the Big East regular season title with the 10-point win over Providence, then won it outright in a letdown game against DePaul. |
| 3 |
Villanova
|
Seems like the theme atop the Big East was "1 comfortable win, 1 terrifying win". Hence Georgetown and Seton Hall apply. |
| 4 |
Michigan State
|
For a few weeks now, Michigan State has been playing solid, but not spectacular, basketball. Michigan bit them in the Big Ten Tournament. |
| 5 |
Gonzaga
|
Not much you can do in the WCC but beat inferior opponents and beat them with aplomb. Gonzaga's done that very well this season. |
| 6 |
Cincinnati
|
Smashed Tulane, then went into Wichita and claimed its place as the undisputed best in the AAC. Underrated bunch, those Bearcats. |
| 7 |
Duke
|
Blacksburg's a hard place to win, but that doesn't excuse crapping your pants in the last 5 minutes, either. Solid rebound win over UNC. |
| 8 |
Michigan
|
All hail your Big Ten Tournament champions! Beilein has this team playing masterfully. Will wreck some high seed's year in the Sweet 16. |
| 9 |
Kansas
|
I don't know what to make of Kansas. Can look great for weeks, then can look like a disaster for random games. OSU qualifies. |
| 10 |
Wichita State
|
Given how teams fared in the 8-20 range this week, I'm not dinging a team for a 1-point loss to a superb Cincinnati team. |
| 11 |
Purdue
|
They just Purdidn't get the job done against Michigan in the Big Ten Final, but this is still a dangerous, capable team come 10 days hence. |
| 12 |
Arizona
|
In the land of the 1-1 (or worse) teams, the 2-0 team is king, particularly one that's playing far more galvanized lately. |
| 13 |
Auburn
|
"How to Lose by 9 to Arkansas Yet Stay #13 in This Poll", by Auburn. More carnage in the middle of the poll than anything Auburn did. |
| 14 |
Tennessee
|
Beat two teams that were fighting for their NCAA lives. When MSU-South and Georgia don't get bids, send the thank-you cards here. |
| 15 |
Texas Tech
|
Lost a 4th straight game, at West Virginia, before coming back with a sorely needed win at TCU. Can it last in the Big XII Tournament? |
| 16 |
Saint Mary's
|
Similar to Gonzaga, their only recourse is to beat their conference opponents and badly. Pepperdine was much too close for comfort. |
| 17 |
Ohio State
|
Is it just a PSU thing, or is it a blue/white thing? Would they roll over and play dead against Duke? I must know these things. |
| 18 |
Houston
|
Every team between 18-25 is virtually a toss-up to me. Houston is the one on a massive tear, so why not bump them to 18? |
| 19 |
North Carolina
|
Followed up a gruesome last-second loss against Miami with a gruesome collapse at Duke. Sorry, no possible 10-loss team deserves a #2 seed. |
| 20 |
Clemson
|
Everybody in this range lost last week, but Rhody's week was so disastrous that Clemson moves up. A 3-point loss to Syracuse isn't damning. |
| 21 |
West Virginia
|
Strong win against Texas Tech, then allowed 87 points in a disheartening effort against Texas. A complete enigma by this point. |
| 22 |
Nevada
|
I am going to treat the 5-point loss to SDSU as a "letdown game" after the tail-kicking Nevada administered to UNLV. Hence, they remain. |
| 23 |
Loyola Chicago
|
Thankful to see this team win Arch Madness, because this is a solid squad that will undoubtedly win its 12-5 game. |
| 24 |
URI
|
This is without exception the worst week a ranked team has had since Arizona in Week 3. That loss to St. Joe's was horrifying. |
| 25 |
St. Bonaventure
|
Winners of 12-in-a-row now, and looking much more like a team capable of succeeding into March. |