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Initial Take: Wichita St. continues to be snubbed by voters and coaches alike. Is it warranted? Maybe. Although they are the only unbeaten remaining in the nation, a glimpse at the schedule reveals they have yet to face another ranked opponent. Still, to run the table is an impressive feat in and of itself. With only two games remaining, all signs point to an unblemished season for the Shockers who will look to live up to the name in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless, the top spot eludes this program as a leap frog situation continues to play out.
Another team to watch out for is Creighton. Playing in a conference with traditionally strong teams bodes well for them as 80% of the league is above .500 in win percentage including #9 Villanova. The potential is there, especially considering the star on the roster, to down a few of the juggernauts in the post-season. Doug McDermott gets my vote for Player of the Year. How Iowa St. let him escape from Ames is beyond me but that's beside the point.
Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Pts | Prev |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida Gators (24) | 25-2 | 791 | 2 |
| 2 | Wichita State Shockers (8) | 29-0 | 771 | 3 |
| 3 | Arizona Wildcats | 25-2 | 727 | 4 |
| 4 | Louisville Cardinals | 23-4 | 660 | 5 |
| 5 | Syracuse Orange | 25-2 | 625 | 1 |
| 6 | Kansas Jayhawks | 21-6 | 619 | 8 |
| 7 | Duke Blue Devils | 22-6 | 594 | 6 |
| 8 | Saint Louis Billikens | 25-2 | 563 | 10 |
| 9 | Villanova Wildcats | 24-3 | 538 | 11 |
| 10 | Creighton Bluejays | 23-4 | 514 | 12 |
| 11 | Virginia Cavaliers | 23-5 | 480 | 13 |
| 12 | Cincinnati Bearcats | 24-4 | 460 | 9 |
| 13 | San Diego State Aztecs | 23-3 | 452 | 7 |
| 14 | Wisconsin Badgers | 22-5 | 358 | 18 |
| 15 | Kentucky Wildcats | 21-6 | 343 | 16 |
| 16 | Michigan Wolverines | 19-7 | 315 | 20 |
| 17 | Iowa St. Cyclones | 21-5 | 291 | 19 |
| 18 | Michigan State Spartans | 22-6 | 275 | 14 |
| 19 | Iowa Hawkeyes | 19-7 | 229 | 15 |
| 20 | Ohio State Buckeyes | 22-6 | 166 | 23 |
| 21 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 20-7 | 153 | NR |
| 22 | Memphis Tigers | 21-6 | 124 | 24 |
| 23 | Texas Longhorns | 20-7 | 102 | 17 |
| 24 | Southern Methodist Univ. Mustangs | 22-6 | 57 | NR |
| 25 | Oklahoma Sooners | 20-7 | 52 | NR |
Big XII Takes: The Kansas Jayhawks are littered with talent often getting the benefit of the doubt due to name recognition. Yet, throughout conference play, KU has lived up to the billing fending off challenger after challenger. Could they win another national title? Not this year (this isn't Kentucky or Calipari was are talking about) due to lack of experience in comparison to previous championship years. Still, Kansas remains the cream of the crop as far as the Big XII is concerned.
After a short absence from the top 25 this year, the Oklahoma Sooners have slid back into on the Coaches' Poll. Note that this feat, in one of the toughest conferences, has been done without one-and-done type players or first round draft picks. Hats off to Lon Kruger and his coaching. With a big game tonight in Lawrence followed by a match-up against the Texas Longhorns later, Oklahoma has the potential to solidify themselves as a top ranked opponent for the remainder of the season.
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