Jay Bilas' top 68 on ESPN Insider
January 28, 2015
1. Kentucky Wildcats
The nation's best defense allows only 50.4 points per game, and holds its opponents to under 32 percent from the field and barely 27 percent from deep. Against South Carolina, Kentucky scored only 58 points, yet won by 15. Offensively, the Wildcats can improve, but continue to offensive rebound at a high rate (42.9 percent). -- Jay Bilas
2. Virginia Cavaliers
No ACC defense is holding conference opponents to less than one point per possession -- except that is for the Cavaliers, who are limiting teams to a borderline absurd 0.87 points per trip. Tony Bennett's men have now won 26 of their last 28 games against league opponents, and Malcolm Brogdon's shooting 48 percent on his 3s in ACC play. -- John Gasaway
3. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few has his deepest and best team. Kevin Pangos is having a great season, ranking among the nation's leaders in offensive efficiency. Pangos is shooting 53 percent from 2-point range, 47 percent from 3-point range, and 84 percent from the free throw line. The Zags can score, but their defense is just as impressive. Gonzaga is
holding opponents to 38 percent from the field and has an effective field goal percentage defense of 43 percent. The only question mark is Gonzaga's ability to generate free throw attempts, ranking 213th in free
throw rate. -- Jay Bilas
4. Arizona Wildcats
Put Jahlil Okafor's, because both freshmen have become the most important players on teams with national championship aspirations. Though listed at a mere 6-foot-6, Johnson's a force on the glass at both ends of the floor as Arizona's featured scorer. Plus, this Wildcat offense is better than
what we saw in Tucson last season. -- John Gasaway
5. Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils seemed on cruise control until seeing their own blood at NC State and getting drilled by Miami (Fla). After some shaky moments, confidence seems to have returned, especially on the defensive end (rated 51st in the country). Duke has had trouble guarding the ball, and having its defense broken down and put into rotation (and scramble). Okafor is still the best and most efficient big man in the country, averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 67 percent from the field. He leads the No. 5-rated offense in the nation. An interesting note about Duke's two losses: The most damage done to Duke was by transfers Angel Rodriguez. -- Jay Bilas
6. Wisconsin Badgers
Bronson Koenig -- which one do you assign to your weakest defender? Any of those Badgers will hit a 3, none of them will ever commit a turnover (naturally) and
consequently all of them have offensive ratings that are off the charts. The Wisconsin offense is an invulnerable machine. -- John Gasaway
7. Utah Utes
The Utes have a balanced team that has size across the board and a difference-maker in Delon Wright. Utah has the No. 6-rated defense in the country, in large part because scoring against Utah inside of the arc is so challenging. The Utes are holding opponents to under 40 percent shooting from 2-point range. Wright is among the top five players in the nation in terms of efficiency, shooting almost 60 percent from 2-point range and ranking
among the nation's leaders is assist rate and steal rate.-- Jay Bilas
8. Wichita State Shockers
How perfect would it be if this Wichita State team turned out to be just as strong as the group Gregg Marshall had last season? It could happen, even if the Shockers don't run the table in Missouri Valley play. Which by the way they might not: Ron Baker and company visit Northern Iowa on Saturday. -- John Gasaway
9. Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats are not overpowering in any area, but good in every area of play. Rated in the nation's top 20 in both offense and defense, Villanova shoots 54 percent from 2-point range and forces turnovers on 23 percent of its defensive possessions. Five Wildcats have hit 23 or more 3-point field goals, led by lefty senior Darrun Hilliard with 37. -- Jay Bilas
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This team is more than "just" Steve Vasturia all had to make key plays down the stretch for the Irish to survive. Now ND faces a showdown against Duke in South Bend. -- John Gasaway
11. Louisville Cardinals
This team has to drive Rick Pitino a bit crazy. The Cardinals play incredibly hard and create havoc on the defensive end, but in many games couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat. Louisville is one of the top five defensive teams in the nation, but outside of the top 50 offensively. Louisville ranks 296th in the country in 3-point percentage (30 percent) and 258th in free throw percentage (66 percent). While Terry Rozier has been the season MVP, averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals. He has been dynamic and productive. -- Jay Bilas
12. North Carolina Tar Heels
All things considered, Roy Williams may have the best interior scoring team in the country. (I see you, Kentucky, but unlike UNC you shoot a fair number of 3s -- and quite well, I might add.) Marcus Paige's timely perimeter shooting makes Carolina tough to guard. -- John Gasaway
13. Kansas Jayhawks
Bill Self and his staff have done a marvelous job winning with this team and, while there is a long way to go, KU seems on the way to its 11th straight Big 12 title. Self has had to push a lot of different buttons, and call a lot of different players into action to piece together wins. The Jayhawks have lost only three games, and have won
against a very solid schedule. While rated No. 1 in the RPI (which tells you all you need to know about the RPI), Kansas is rated 18th in offensive efficiency and 39th in defensive efficiency. The key has been the play and steadying influence of Cliff Alexander will be the difference going forward. -- Jay Bilas
14. Georgetown Hoyas
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera manufacture points by getting to the line, and as a team the Hoyas limit opponents' scoring in the paint. That has proved to be an effective mix, as John Thompson III's men look to return to the NCAA tournament with a very high seed. -- John Gasaway
15. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes are solid, not spectacular, but do have a spectacular offensive talent in D'Angelo Russell. The freshman lefty is averaging 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He hung 33 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists on Northwestern, then hung 22 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists on Indiana. If Ohio State can limit the second shots of its opponents, its defense, rated 66th in the country, would fare much better. -- Jay Bilas
16. Iowa State Cyclones
We need a catchy name for the likes of Notre Dame, Indiana, Arkansas and, yes, Iowa State. These are all exceptionally efficient teams on offense that are average or even a little suspect on D. Dustin Hogue will make shots, but ISU allowed Texas Tech and Texas to score a combined 1.17 points per possession. -- John Gasaway
17. VCU Rams
The Rams' last loss was against Virginia (in Richmond) in early December, and Shaka Smart has quietly improved his team's overall consistency. Still, VCU does not shoot many free throws and gives up too many of them. Ranked in the top five in both turnover percentage and steals rate, VCU is still bringing heat on the defensive end, but allowing too many easy, open looks and fouling too much. Treveon Graham have both hit more than 40 3-point field goals on the season. -- Jay Bilas
18. Oklahoma Sooners
In their last two losses (on the road at Kansas and Baylor) the Sooners allowed too many offensive rebounds and made just 29 percent on their 3s. But don't write off an OU team that has arguably the Big 12's best pure scorer in Buddy Hield. -- John Gasaway
19. Maryland Terrapins
The Terps escaped an upset bid by Northwestern behind some late-game plays by Melo Trimble has been outstanding. The freshman point guard lives at the free throw line, and has been unflappable in crunch time. -- Jay Bilas
20. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns figured to have an elite defense, but in losses to Kansas at home and Iowa State on the road Rick Barnes' bunch was gashed for 1.24 points per trip. Texas needs better rim protection from Connor Lammert. -- John Gasaway
21. Michigan State Spartans
The numbers dictate that Michigan State should be ranked several spots lower than No. 21, but the Spartans' best is higher than No. 21. The problem is, the Spartans' best does not make an appearance as often as one would expect. Michigan State can shoot it, but Sparty does not get to the foul line, ranking 303rd in free throw rate. Branden Dawson leads the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging more than 10 per game. -- Jay Bilas
22. Baylor Bears
Move over, Kentucky and North Carolina. In major-conference play no team's been better on the offensive glass than Baylor, and few players have been more dominant in that department than Rico Gathers. Missed shots aren't the end of the world for the Bears. More like their best play call. -- John Gasaway
23. West Virginia Mountaineers
Bob Huggins has done a great job finding a way to win with this West Virginia team. The Mountaineers are not a great shooting team, hitting only 30 percent of their 3-point attempts (299th in the nation) and only 47 percent of their 2-point attempts (195th in the nation). "Press Virginia" is putting the heat on for 94 feet, and Huggins is winning by forcing turnovers and getting steals at a higher rate than VCU. Take care of the ball, and you can score. Turn it over, and West Virginia can. If you can play the Mountaineers in a five-on-five game, West Virginia's numbers plummet. -- Jay Bilas
24. Northern Iowa Panthers
Give UNI coach Ben Jacobson the full Coach K treatment. No, the Panther coach doesn't have 1,000 wins, but Jacobson did wheel out a hitherto rarely seen zone D on the road against Illinois State last weekend. It worked, and now UNI travels to Southern Illinois in advance of Saturday's showdown at home against Wichita State. -- John Gasaway
25. Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks are one of The Bilastrator's value picks, and are valued higher here and in Bobby Portis has had a great season, averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shooting over 55 percent from the field. Portis hung 32 on Vandy, and has five straight double-doubles. -- Jay Bilas
26. Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers won't be confused with Kentucky or Virginia on defense anytime soon, but Dee Davis and the guys can at least make some noise in the Big East race. Thus far in conference play, Chris Mack's team has been phenomenal inside the arc but weak outside it. -- John Gasaway
27. Dayton Flyers
Archie Miller has done a tremendous job with Dayton. Since dumping two players from the roster, the Flyers have performed at an even higherlevel and surged. Dayton took a loss at Davidson, but the Wildcats hit 12 3s and run a very difficult offense to guard. Jordan Sibert, the Ohio State transfer, is leading the way, averaging 15.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. -- Jay Bilas
28. Georgia Bulldogs
This is the best shooting team Mark Fox has had in six seasons in Athens. Give a big slice of the credit there to 5-10 sophomore point guard J.J. Frazier, who's been hot from the perimeter in SEC play. -- John Gasaway
29. Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal have injury problems, most notably to Anthony Brown has hit 47 percent from 3-point range. Stanford is an excellent, free-flowing offensive team that takes care of the ball. If the Cardinal finish better in the paint, this is another NCAA tournament team. -- Jay Bilas
30. Davidson Wildcats
No Atlantic-10 team shoots anywhere near the number of 3s that Davidson does, and in conference play those tries have been falling 37 percent of the time for the Wildcats. Bob McKillop knows how to coach an offense, and even with Jack Gibbs sidelined this team has just kept on rolling. -- John Gasaway
31. LSU Tigers
The Tigers have an NBA-level frontline with Jordan Mickey. They are big, skilled and talented. Martin averages 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while Mickey averages 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds. Combined,
the two also grab more than six offensive rebounds per game. LSU's best wins are against West Virginia, Ole Miss and Georgia. -- Jay Bilas
32. Florida Gators
Florida's defense in SEC play has been just average, and after watching Will Yeguete and Patric Young these past few seasons, an average D looks really strange in Gainesville. Billy Donovan's team needs some stops. -- John Gasaway
33. Butler Bulldogs
The Big East has been having a great season, and Butler is a primary reason why. At 4-2 against Top 25 opponents, the Bulldogs are very tough defensively, especially guarding the 3-point line, and do a terrific
job of limiting opponents to one challenged shot (usually a tough 2-point shot). Oddly, Butler has been a relatively poor free throw shooting team. Andrew Chrabascz's 16 points. Butler lacks size, but not fight. -- Jay Bilas
34. Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Kansas State transfer Angel Rodriguez gets the headlines (and the ball in his hands), but don't overlook that
other Big 12 transfer in Coral Gables. Erstwhile Texas Longhorn Sheldon McClellan is hitting 59 percent of his 2s in conference play. -- John Gasaway
35. Indiana Hoosiers
No team is more fun to watch than Indiana, and it has to be fun to play in Tom Crean's system. If you don't get back in a hurry and fan out to shooters, the Hoosiers will nail opportunistic 3s on you. Ask Maryland. The Terps could smell the Hoosiers' breath on 12 of the 15 3-point field goals Indiana canned in the win. The Hoosiers'
vulnerability is on the defensive end. They don't force turnovers or give up many second shots, and have a tough time defending the paint against bigger teams. Still, this is a good, well-coached team that is difficult to play against. -- Jay Bilas
36. Providence Friars
Ed Cooley has a reputation for sticking with his starters and having a short bench. That reputation is well-earned: Kris Dunn are always on the floor. Give these young men your salute and some oxygen. -- John Gasaway
37. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are good, just inconsistent. When scoring, Ole Miss is tough to deal with. Ladarius White have combined for 93 made 3s. But, when suffering through any droughts, the opposition is at an oasis. Ole Miss defends inside the paint, but not on the 3-point line. However, the Rebels can shoot free throws with anyone, leading the nation at 80 percent as a team. The Rebels' best win was Cincinnati, and the loss at Kentucky. -- Jay Bilas
38. NC State Wolfpack
Kyle Washington's fast becoming a reliable scorer in the paint. But Mark Gottfried's group needs to do a better job on the glass at both ends of the floor. -- John Gasaway
39. Seton Hall Pirates
Since handing Villanova its first loss, the Hall has lost four of five going into Marquette. The Pirates are good, and have gotten great play from Isaiah Whitehead is still out, and his return would be a major boost. With wins over St. John's and Villanova, the Hall needs more, and is trending down. -- Jay Bilas
40. Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is just a few turnovers away from a great story. Even with a young team, and even with head coach Mick Cronin on medical leave, the Bearcats are making shots and playing D. The only thing holding Troy Caupain and his teammates back is the worst turnover percentage in conference play. -- John Gasaway
41. SMU Mustangs
The Ponies have had some personnel issues, but are still good and still very well-coached. When you watch SMU play, you see a good team, and all of the numbers confirm it. However, the league is doing SMU no favors. To date, all of the Mustangs' wins are over teams ranked outside of the top 50. -- Jay Bilas
42. San Diego State Aztecs
You know the drill: SDSU has a great defense, one powered in large part by outstanding work on the defensive glass by Skylar Spencer. The Aztec offense is less effective, but with a D this good that is very often not a problem. -- John Gasaway
43. St. John's Red Storm
The Johnnies have talent and athleticism, which was on display against Duke. But when the game was on the line, St. John's backed up. The Red Storm have lost five of seven going into Creighton, and have not done a good enough job on the glass. Without rebounding at a higher level, St. John's will remain a bubble team until Selection Sunday. -- Jay Bilas
44. Iowa Hawkeyes
Last week, Iowa allowed Wisconsin to record one of the best days any Division I offense has had this season: 82 points in just 54 possessions in the Badgers' 32-point win in Madison. This Saturday, the Hawkeyes get a shot at payback when Bo Ryan brings his team to Iowa City. -- John Gasaway
45. Syracuse Orange
The Orange gave up 93 points against North Carolina, unusual for a Jim Boeheim team and the most Syracuse has surrendered since the six-overtime game against UConn in the Garden. Syracuse can still guard people, but the Orange simply cannot score. Syracuse ranks 209th in effective field goal percentage, 258th in 3-point field goal percentage and 277th in free throw percentage. At some point, you have to make shots. And coming up Syracuse has Duke, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Duke and Virginia -- all in a row. Yikes. Syracuse was trending down since the loss of Chris McCullough, and the brutal schedule will determine whether it goes to the NCAAs or NIT.-- Jay Bilas
46. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
How kind of Danny Manning to leave behind the pieces for Frank Haith to build what might be the American's best defense. Tulsa has been suffocating opposing offenses, and the Golden Hurricane should be in the thick of the league race right to the end. -- John Gasaway
47. Colorado State Rams
Back-to-back losses to New Mexico and Wyoming are the only blemishes on an otherwise perfect record. The Rams can score and rebound, but do not defend like Larry Eustachy teams of the past. Still, this team rebounds and has two really good players in Daniel Bejarano. Avila is the Mountain West Player of the Week after netting 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting in a win over San Diego State, and that came after hanging 28 on Air Force and 23 on Wyoming. The Rams still have to go to Laramie and San Diego before the end of the season. -- Jay Bilas
48. Old Dominion Monarchs
Campbell transfer Trey Freeman has elevated his game in conference play, hitting 38 percent of his 3s and getting to the line more than ever. That makes the Monarchs a contender alongside Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky in Conference USA. -- John Gasaway
49. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Cowboys have gotten really good play out of Phil Forte, both of whom are averaging more than 17 points per game. Nash is leading the team in rebounding and Forte has hit 50 3-point field goals,
more than half his total made shots on the season. Oklahoma State's defense is solid, but there are very few second shots and very few second shooters behind Forte. With wins over Kansas State, Texas and Tulsa, if the Cowboys can finish .500 in the league, that would get OSU in the NCAA tournament. -- Jay Bilas
50. Washington Huskies
Has there been a bigger loss for any team this season than Washington losing Robert Upshaw? The Huskies were already thin, and now Lorenzo Romar will play out the season without possibly the best shot-blocker in the country. That is one tough pill to swallow. -- John Gasaway
51. BYU Cougars
Next to Indiana, BYU is as fun a team to watch as you can find. Dave Rose does not slow down his train for any stop, and Kyle Anderson. -- Jay Bilas
52. Alabama Crimson Tide
You can go a long, long time in Tuscaloosa without seeing a team this accurate inside the arc. Rodney Cooper all have been scoring in the paint, but the Tide could also use a 3 now and then. -- John Gasaway
53. Connecticut Huskies
Simply put, UConn can guard you, but cannot score consistently against good defenses. The Huskies are in need of scoring options beyond Rodney Purvis to step forward and be more productive. UConn has beaten Dayton, Florida and Cincinnati but needs more quality wins. Right now, UConn may be on the outside looking in at the NCAA picture. -- Jay Bilas
54. George Washington Colonials
All season long Mike Lonergan has gone with a rotation featuring Yuta Watanabe). The members of the "big four" all average at least 30 minutes a game. -- John Gasaway
55. Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats were reeling a month ago, with Nino Williams has averaged 20-plus points and seven-plus rebounds over his last three games. K-State has won five of six going into the West Virginia game at
Bramlage. -- Jay Bilas
56. Minnesota Golden Gophers
With Nate Mason
on hand, Richard Pitino has two consistently disruptive perimeter defenders. Even in the low-turnover Big Ten, Minnesota's forcing conference opponents to give the ball away on 21 percent of their possessions. -- John Gasaway
57. Green Bay Phoenix
The Bilastrator believed the Phoenix were a dangerous team in 2013-14, but this may be the reward season. Keifer Sykes is the real deal, and is an NBA-caliber talent. Three Green Bay players have 60 or more assists, and the Phoenix do a really good job on the defensive end. The only thing Green Bay does not do is shoot it consistently from the perimeter. The Phoenix rank 318th in the country in 3-point percentage (29 percent). -- Jay Bilas
58. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
If you think the SEC is weak relative to Kentucky, you obviously haven't seen the way SFA dominates the Southland. The Lumberjacks' winning streak against conference opponents currently stands at 27. Brad
Underwood is the Coach Cal of Nacogdoches. -- John Gasaway
59. Texas A&M Aggies
Rather than go into the tank after the overtime loss to Kentucky, Texas A&M has won four straight, including wins over LSU and Tennessee. Alex Caruso has proved to be one of the best passers in the SEC. The Aggies have five BPI top 100 wins, and all five losses are against the BPI top 100. -- Jay Bilas
60. Saint Mary's Gaels
Randy Bennett's team may end up beating out Brigham Young for the title of No. 2 team in the West Coast Conference. But the Gaels' 68-47 loss at Gonzaga last week suggests there's a big gap between Nos. 1 and 2
in this league. -- John Gasaway
61. Illinois Fighting Illini
The Illini have been crushed by injuries. First, losing Ryan Schmidt on
the active roster. Now, Illinois is limited in its traditional round of manager games against other Big Ten schools, as Schmidt cannot be expected to perform the rare "double," as Juan Dixon is trying to do at Maryland. -- Jay Bilas
62. South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks have lost five of their last six, and right now this team can't buy a basket. South Carolina ranks No. 14 in SEC play in shooting from the field (as measured by effective field goal percentage). -- John Gasaway
63. Rhode Island Rams
Rhody can defend and plays really hard, but the Rams need to be able to score and take care of the ball better in order to beat the tougher teams on their schedule. Right now, URI ranks 308th in ball security, turning it over on 22 percent of its possessions. In addition, the Rams rank 312th in 3-point percentage, shooting 29 percent from deep. The free throw line is saving the Rams. -- Jay Bilas
64. Murray State Racers
Winners of 15 straight, the Racers haven't lost a game since November. The inside-outside duo of Cameron Payne is getting the job done for Steve Prohm. Barring a major upset in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, this team will be dancing come March. -- John Gasaway
65. Vanderbilt Commodores
The Commodores have lost five in a row as they head into Georgia, and are trending down in a big way. Vanderbilt can score, but stopping opponents has been a major issue. Vandy's "first-shot defense" isn't
bad, but there are way too many second chances allowed on the offensive glass and from run-outs after turnovers. You cannot defend and run-out, and you cannot defend an offensive rebound stick-back. -- Jay Bilas
66. Oregon Ducks
Dana Altman's best option on offense right now may be for Elgin Cook to draw a foul. No Pac-12 player's been better than Cook at getting to the line in conference play, and against league foes he's improved his shooting there to 77 percent. -- John Gasaway
67. Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers have gotten off to a good conference start under Wayne Tinkle, and Gary Payton II has been a big reason. The Pac-12 Player of the Week put up 21 points and 10 rebounds at USC, and 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in Pauley Pavilion in Oregon State's sweep of Los Angeles schools. Oregon State does not score easily, but has been very difficult to score
against. -- Jay Bilas
68. Purdue Boilermakers
Few teams are better at forcing misses than the Boilers, and with a front-line rotation featuring dueling 7-footers Isaac Haas, it's easy to see why. However, Matt Painter's defense also sends opponents to the line with troubling regularity. If Purdue figures out away to lower its foul rate, look out. -- John Gasaway
This post was edited on 1/28 7:26 PM by Halldan1
January 28, 2015
1. Kentucky Wildcats
The nation's best defense allows only 50.4 points per game, and holds its opponents to under 32 percent from the field and barely 27 percent from deep. Against South Carolina, Kentucky scored only 58 points, yet won by 15. Offensively, the Wildcats can improve, but continue to offensive rebound at a high rate (42.9 percent). -- Jay Bilas
2. Virginia Cavaliers
No ACC defense is holding conference opponents to less than one point per possession -- except that is for the Cavaliers, who are limiting teams to a borderline absurd 0.87 points per trip. Tony Bennett's men have now won 26 of their last 28 games against league opponents, and Malcolm Brogdon's shooting 48 percent on his 3s in ACC play. -- John Gasaway
3. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few has his deepest and best team. Kevin Pangos is having a great season, ranking among the nation's leaders in offensive efficiency. Pangos is shooting 53 percent from 2-point range, 47 percent from 3-point range, and 84 percent from the free throw line. The Zags can score, but their defense is just as impressive. Gonzaga is
holding opponents to 38 percent from the field and has an effective field goal percentage defense of 43 percent. The only question mark is Gonzaga's ability to generate free throw attempts, ranking 213th in free
throw rate. -- Jay Bilas
4. Arizona Wildcats
Put Jahlil Okafor's, because both freshmen have become the most important players on teams with national championship aspirations. Though listed at a mere 6-foot-6, Johnson's a force on the glass at both ends of the floor as Arizona's featured scorer. Plus, this Wildcat offense is better than
what we saw in Tucson last season. -- John Gasaway
5. Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils seemed on cruise control until seeing their own blood at NC State and getting drilled by Miami (Fla). After some shaky moments, confidence seems to have returned, especially on the defensive end (rated 51st in the country). Duke has had trouble guarding the ball, and having its defense broken down and put into rotation (and scramble). Okafor is still the best and most efficient big man in the country, averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 67 percent from the field. He leads the No. 5-rated offense in the nation. An interesting note about Duke's two losses: The most damage done to Duke was by transfers Angel Rodriguez. -- Jay Bilas
6. Wisconsin Badgers
Bronson Koenig -- which one do you assign to your weakest defender? Any of those Badgers will hit a 3, none of them will ever commit a turnover (naturally) and
consequently all of them have offensive ratings that are off the charts. The Wisconsin offense is an invulnerable machine. -- John Gasaway
7. Utah Utes
The Utes have a balanced team that has size across the board and a difference-maker in Delon Wright. Utah has the No. 6-rated defense in the country, in large part because scoring against Utah inside of the arc is so challenging. The Utes are holding opponents to under 40 percent shooting from 2-point range. Wright is among the top five players in the nation in terms of efficiency, shooting almost 60 percent from 2-point range and ranking
among the nation's leaders is assist rate and steal rate.-- Jay Bilas
8. Wichita State Shockers
How perfect would it be if this Wichita State team turned out to be just as strong as the group Gregg Marshall had last season? It could happen, even if the Shockers don't run the table in Missouri Valley play. Which by the way they might not: Ron Baker and company visit Northern Iowa on Saturday. -- John Gasaway
9. Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats are not overpowering in any area, but good in every area of play. Rated in the nation's top 20 in both offense and defense, Villanova shoots 54 percent from 2-point range and forces turnovers on 23 percent of its defensive possessions. Five Wildcats have hit 23 or more 3-point field goals, led by lefty senior Darrun Hilliard with 37. -- Jay Bilas
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
This team is more than "just" Steve Vasturia all had to make key plays down the stretch for the Irish to survive. Now ND faces a showdown against Duke in South Bend. -- John Gasaway
11. Louisville Cardinals
This team has to drive Rick Pitino a bit crazy. The Cardinals play incredibly hard and create havoc on the defensive end, but in many games couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat. Louisville is one of the top five defensive teams in the nation, but outside of the top 50 offensively. Louisville ranks 296th in the country in 3-point percentage (30 percent) and 258th in free throw percentage (66 percent). While Terry Rozier has been the season MVP, averaging 18 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 steals. He has been dynamic and productive. -- Jay Bilas
12. North Carolina Tar Heels
All things considered, Roy Williams may have the best interior scoring team in the country. (I see you, Kentucky, but unlike UNC you shoot a fair number of 3s -- and quite well, I might add.) Marcus Paige's timely perimeter shooting makes Carolina tough to guard. -- John Gasaway
13. Kansas Jayhawks
Bill Self and his staff have done a marvelous job winning with this team and, while there is a long way to go, KU seems on the way to its 11th straight Big 12 title. Self has had to push a lot of different buttons, and call a lot of different players into action to piece together wins. The Jayhawks have lost only three games, and have won
against a very solid schedule. While rated No. 1 in the RPI (which tells you all you need to know about the RPI), Kansas is rated 18th in offensive efficiency and 39th in defensive efficiency. The key has been the play and steadying influence of Cliff Alexander will be the difference going forward. -- Jay Bilas
14. Georgetown Hoyas
D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera manufacture points by getting to the line, and as a team the Hoyas limit opponents' scoring in the paint. That has proved to be an effective mix, as John Thompson III's men look to return to the NCAA tournament with a very high seed. -- John Gasaway
15. Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes are solid, not spectacular, but do have a spectacular offensive talent in D'Angelo Russell. The freshman lefty is averaging 19.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.8 steals per game. He hung 33 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists on Northwestern, then hung 22 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists on Indiana. If Ohio State can limit the second shots of its opponents, its defense, rated 66th in the country, would fare much better. -- Jay Bilas
16. Iowa State Cyclones
We need a catchy name for the likes of Notre Dame, Indiana, Arkansas and, yes, Iowa State. These are all exceptionally efficient teams on offense that are average or even a little suspect on D. Dustin Hogue will make shots, but ISU allowed Texas Tech and Texas to score a combined 1.17 points per possession. -- John Gasaway
17. VCU Rams
The Rams' last loss was against Virginia (in Richmond) in early December, and Shaka Smart has quietly improved his team's overall consistency. Still, VCU does not shoot many free throws and gives up too many of them. Ranked in the top five in both turnover percentage and steals rate, VCU is still bringing heat on the defensive end, but allowing too many easy, open looks and fouling too much. Treveon Graham have both hit more than 40 3-point field goals on the season. -- Jay Bilas
18. Oklahoma Sooners
In their last two losses (on the road at Kansas and Baylor) the Sooners allowed too many offensive rebounds and made just 29 percent on their 3s. But don't write off an OU team that has arguably the Big 12's best pure scorer in Buddy Hield. -- John Gasaway
19. Maryland Terrapins
The Terps escaped an upset bid by Northwestern behind some late-game plays by Melo Trimble has been outstanding. The freshman point guard lives at the free throw line, and has been unflappable in crunch time. -- Jay Bilas
20. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns figured to have an elite defense, but in losses to Kansas at home and Iowa State on the road Rick Barnes' bunch was gashed for 1.24 points per trip. Texas needs better rim protection from Connor Lammert. -- John Gasaway
21. Michigan State Spartans
The numbers dictate that Michigan State should be ranked several spots lower than No. 21, but the Spartans' best is higher than No. 21. The problem is, the Spartans' best does not make an appearance as often as one would expect. Michigan State can shoot it, but Sparty does not get to the foul line, ranking 303rd in free throw rate. Branden Dawson leads the Big Ten in rebounding, averaging more than 10 per game. -- Jay Bilas
22. Baylor Bears
Move over, Kentucky and North Carolina. In major-conference play no team's been better on the offensive glass than Baylor, and few players have been more dominant in that department than Rico Gathers. Missed shots aren't the end of the world for the Bears. More like their best play call. -- John Gasaway
23. West Virginia Mountaineers
Bob Huggins has done a great job finding a way to win with this West Virginia team. The Mountaineers are not a great shooting team, hitting only 30 percent of their 3-point attempts (299th in the nation) and only 47 percent of their 2-point attempts (195th in the nation). "Press Virginia" is putting the heat on for 94 feet, and Huggins is winning by forcing turnovers and getting steals at a higher rate than VCU. Take care of the ball, and you can score. Turn it over, and West Virginia can. If you can play the Mountaineers in a five-on-five game, West Virginia's numbers plummet. -- Jay Bilas
24. Northern Iowa Panthers
Give UNI coach Ben Jacobson the full Coach K treatment. No, the Panther coach doesn't have 1,000 wins, but Jacobson did wheel out a hitherto rarely seen zone D on the road against Illinois State last weekend. It worked, and now UNI travels to Southern Illinois in advance of Saturday's showdown at home against Wichita State. -- John Gasaway
25. Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks are one of The Bilastrator's value picks, and are valued higher here and in Bobby Portis has had a great season, averaging 17.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and shooting over 55 percent from the field. Portis hung 32 on Vandy, and has five straight double-doubles. -- Jay Bilas
26. Xavier Musketeers
The Musketeers won't be confused with Kentucky or Virginia on defense anytime soon, but Dee Davis and the guys can at least make some noise in the Big East race. Thus far in conference play, Chris Mack's team has been phenomenal inside the arc but weak outside it. -- John Gasaway
27. Dayton Flyers
Archie Miller has done a tremendous job with Dayton. Since dumping two players from the roster, the Flyers have performed at an even higherlevel and surged. Dayton took a loss at Davidson, but the Wildcats hit 12 3s and run a very difficult offense to guard. Jordan Sibert, the Ohio State transfer, is leading the way, averaging 15.7 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. -- Jay Bilas
28. Georgia Bulldogs
This is the best shooting team Mark Fox has had in six seasons in Athens. Give a big slice of the credit there to 5-10 sophomore point guard J.J. Frazier, who's been hot from the perimeter in SEC play. -- John Gasaway
29. Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinal have injury problems, most notably to Anthony Brown has hit 47 percent from 3-point range. Stanford is an excellent, free-flowing offensive team that takes care of the ball. If the Cardinal finish better in the paint, this is another NCAA tournament team. -- Jay Bilas
30. Davidson Wildcats
No Atlantic-10 team shoots anywhere near the number of 3s that Davidson does, and in conference play those tries have been falling 37 percent of the time for the Wildcats. Bob McKillop knows how to coach an offense, and even with Jack Gibbs sidelined this team has just kept on rolling. -- John Gasaway
31. LSU Tigers
The Tigers have an NBA-level frontline with Jordan Mickey. They are big, skilled and talented. Martin averages 17.0 points and 9.0 rebounds while Mickey averages 16.1 points and 10.7 rebounds. Combined,
the two also grab more than six offensive rebounds per game. LSU's best wins are against West Virginia, Ole Miss and Georgia. -- Jay Bilas
32. Florida Gators
Florida's defense in SEC play has been just average, and after watching Will Yeguete and Patric Young these past few seasons, an average D looks really strange in Gainesville. Billy Donovan's team needs some stops. -- John Gasaway
33. Butler Bulldogs
The Big East has been having a great season, and Butler is a primary reason why. At 4-2 against Top 25 opponents, the Bulldogs are very tough defensively, especially guarding the 3-point line, and do a terrific
job of limiting opponents to one challenged shot (usually a tough 2-point shot). Oddly, Butler has been a relatively poor free throw shooting team. Andrew Chrabascz's 16 points. Butler lacks size, but not fight. -- Jay Bilas
34. Miami (FL) Hurricanes
Kansas State transfer Angel Rodriguez gets the headlines (and the ball in his hands), but don't overlook that
other Big 12 transfer in Coral Gables. Erstwhile Texas Longhorn Sheldon McClellan is hitting 59 percent of his 2s in conference play. -- John Gasaway
35. Indiana Hoosiers
No team is more fun to watch than Indiana, and it has to be fun to play in Tom Crean's system. If you don't get back in a hurry and fan out to shooters, the Hoosiers will nail opportunistic 3s on you. Ask Maryland. The Terps could smell the Hoosiers' breath on 12 of the 15 3-point field goals Indiana canned in the win. The Hoosiers'
vulnerability is on the defensive end. They don't force turnovers or give up many second shots, and have a tough time defending the paint against bigger teams. Still, this is a good, well-coached team that is difficult to play against. -- Jay Bilas
36. Providence Friars
Ed Cooley has a reputation for sticking with his starters and having a short bench. That reputation is well-earned: Kris Dunn are always on the floor. Give these young men your salute and some oxygen. -- John Gasaway
37. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are good, just inconsistent. When scoring, Ole Miss is tough to deal with. Ladarius White have combined for 93 made 3s. But, when suffering through any droughts, the opposition is at an oasis. Ole Miss defends inside the paint, but not on the 3-point line. However, the Rebels can shoot free throws with anyone, leading the nation at 80 percent as a team. The Rebels' best win was Cincinnati, and the loss at Kentucky. -- Jay Bilas
38. NC State Wolfpack
Kyle Washington's fast becoming a reliable scorer in the paint. But Mark Gottfried's group needs to do a better job on the glass at both ends of the floor. -- John Gasaway
39. Seton Hall Pirates
Since handing Villanova its first loss, the Hall has lost four of five going into Marquette. The Pirates are good, and have gotten great play from Isaiah Whitehead is still out, and his return would be a major boost. With wins over St. John's and Villanova, the Hall needs more, and is trending down. -- Jay Bilas
40. Cincinnati Bearcats
Cincinnati is just a few turnovers away from a great story. Even with a young team, and even with head coach Mick Cronin on medical leave, the Bearcats are making shots and playing D. The only thing holding Troy Caupain and his teammates back is the worst turnover percentage in conference play. -- John Gasaway
41. SMU Mustangs
The Ponies have had some personnel issues, but are still good and still very well-coached. When you watch SMU play, you see a good team, and all of the numbers confirm it. However, the league is doing SMU no favors. To date, all of the Mustangs' wins are over teams ranked outside of the top 50. -- Jay Bilas
42. San Diego State Aztecs
You know the drill: SDSU has a great defense, one powered in large part by outstanding work on the defensive glass by Skylar Spencer. The Aztec offense is less effective, but with a D this good that is very often not a problem. -- John Gasaway
43. St. John's Red Storm
The Johnnies have talent and athleticism, which was on display against Duke. But when the game was on the line, St. John's backed up. The Red Storm have lost five of seven going into Creighton, and have not done a good enough job on the glass. Without rebounding at a higher level, St. John's will remain a bubble team until Selection Sunday. -- Jay Bilas
44. Iowa Hawkeyes
Last week, Iowa allowed Wisconsin to record one of the best days any Division I offense has had this season: 82 points in just 54 possessions in the Badgers' 32-point win in Madison. This Saturday, the Hawkeyes get a shot at payback when Bo Ryan brings his team to Iowa City. -- John Gasaway
45. Syracuse Orange
The Orange gave up 93 points against North Carolina, unusual for a Jim Boeheim team and the most Syracuse has surrendered since the six-overtime game against UConn in the Garden. Syracuse can still guard people, but the Orange simply cannot score. Syracuse ranks 209th in effective field goal percentage, 258th in 3-point field goal percentage and 277th in free throw percentage. At some point, you have to make shots. And coming up Syracuse has Duke, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Notre Dame, Duke and Virginia -- all in a row. Yikes. Syracuse was trending down since the loss of Chris McCullough, and the brutal schedule will determine whether it goes to the NCAAs or NIT.-- Jay Bilas
46. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
How kind of Danny Manning to leave behind the pieces for Frank Haith to build what might be the American's best defense. Tulsa has been suffocating opposing offenses, and the Golden Hurricane should be in the thick of the league race right to the end. -- John Gasaway
47. Colorado State Rams
Back-to-back losses to New Mexico and Wyoming are the only blemishes on an otherwise perfect record. The Rams can score and rebound, but do not defend like Larry Eustachy teams of the past. Still, this team rebounds and has two really good players in Daniel Bejarano. Avila is the Mountain West Player of the Week after netting 29 points on 12-of-16 shooting in a win over San Diego State, and that came after hanging 28 on Air Force and 23 on Wyoming. The Rams still have to go to Laramie and San Diego before the end of the season. -- Jay Bilas
48. Old Dominion Monarchs
Campbell transfer Trey Freeman has elevated his game in conference play, hitting 38 percent of his 3s and getting to the line more than ever. That makes the Monarchs a contender alongside Louisiana Tech and Western Kentucky in Conference USA. -- John Gasaway
49. Oklahoma State Cowboys
The Cowboys have gotten really good play out of Phil Forte, both of whom are averaging more than 17 points per game. Nash is leading the team in rebounding and Forte has hit 50 3-point field goals,
more than half his total made shots on the season. Oklahoma State's defense is solid, but there are very few second shots and very few second shooters behind Forte. With wins over Kansas State, Texas and Tulsa, if the Cowboys can finish .500 in the league, that would get OSU in the NCAA tournament. -- Jay Bilas
50. Washington Huskies
Has there been a bigger loss for any team this season than Washington losing Robert Upshaw? The Huskies were already thin, and now Lorenzo Romar will play out the season without possibly the best shot-blocker in the country. That is one tough pill to swallow. -- John Gasaway
51. BYU Cougars
Next to Indiana, BYU is as fun a team to watch as you can find. Dave Rose does not slow down his train for any stop, and Kyle Anderson. -- Jay Bilas
52. Alabama Crimson Tide
You can go a long, long time in Tuscaloosa without seeing a team this accurate inside the arc. Rodney Cooper all have been scoring in the paint, but the Tide could also use a 3 now and then. -- John Gasaway
53. Connecticut Huskies
Simply put, UConn can guard you, but cannot score consistently against good defenses. The Huskies are in need of scoring options beyond Rodney Purvis to step forward and be more productive. UConn has beaten Dayton, Florida and Cincinnati but needs more quality wins. Right now, UConn may be on the outside looking in at the NCAA picture. -- Jay Bilas
54. George Washington Colonials
All season long Mike Lonergan has gone with a rotation featuring Yuta Watanabe). The members of the "big four" all average at least 30 minutes a game. -- John Gasaway
55. Kansas State Wildcats
The Wildcats were reeling a month ago, with Nino Williams has averaged 20-plus points and seven-plus rebounds over his last three games. K-State has won five of six going into the West Virginia game at
Bramlage. -- Jay Bilas
56. Minnesota Golden Gophers
With Nate Mason
on hand, Richard Pitino has two consistently disruptive perimeter defenders. Even in the low-turnover Big Ten, Minnesota's forcing conference opponents to give the ball away on 21 percent of their possessions. -- John Gasaway
57. Green Bay Phoenix
The Bilastrator believed the Phoenix were a dangerous team in 2013-14, but this may be the reward season. Keifer Sykes is the real deal, and is an NBA-caliber talent. Three Green Bay players have 60 or more assists, and the Phoenix do a really good job on the defensive end. The only thing Green Bay does not do is shoot it consistently from the perimeter. The Phoenix rank 318th in the country in 3-point percentage (29 percent). -- Jay Bilas
58. Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks
If you think the SEC is weak relative to Kentucky, you obviously haven't seen the way SFA dominates the Southland. The Lumberjacks' winning streak against conference opponents currently stands at 27. Brad
Underwood is the Coach Cal of Nacogdoches. -- John Gasaway
59. Texas A&M Aggies
Rather than go into the tank after the overtime loss to Kentucky, Texas A&M has won four straight, including wins over LSU and Tennessee. Alex Caruso has proved to be one of the best passers in the SEC. The Aggies have five BPI top 100 wins, and all five losses are against the BPI top 100. -- Jay Bilas
60. Saint Mary's Gaels
Randy Bennett's team may end up beating out Brigham Young for the title of No. 2 team in the West Coast Conference. But the Gaels' 68-47 loss at Gonzaga last week suggests there's a big gap between Nos. 1 and 2
in this league. -- John Gasaway
61. Illinois Fighting Illini
The Illini have been crushed by injuries. First, losing Ryan Schmidt on
the active roster. Now, Illinois is limited in its traditional round of manager games against other Big Ten schools, as Schmidt cannot be expected to perform the rare "double," as Juan Dixon is trying to do at Maryland. -- Jay Bilas
62. South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks have lost five of their last six, and right now this team can't buy a basket. South Carolina ranks No. 14 in SEC play in shooting from the field (as measured by effective field goal percentage). -- John Gasaway
63. Rhode Island Rams
Rhody can defend and plays really hard, but the Rams need to be able to score and take care of the ball better in order to beat the tougher teams on their schedule. Right now, URI ranks 308th in ball security, turning it over on 22 percent of its possessions. In addition, the Rams rank 312th in 3-point percentage, shooting 29 percent from deep. The free throw line is saving the Rams. -- Jay Bilas
64. Murray State Racers
Winners of 15 straight, the Racers haven't lost a game since November. The inside-outside duo of Cameron Payne is getting the job done for Steve Prohm. Barring a major upset in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament, this team will be dancing come March. -- John Gasaway
65. Vanderbilt Commodores
The Commodores have lost five in a row as they head into Georgia, and are trending down in a big way. Vanderbilt can score, but stopping opponents has been a major issue. Vandy's "first-shot defense" isn't
bad, but there are way too many second chances allowed on the offensive glass and from run-outs after turnovers. You cannot defend and run-out, and you cannot defend an offensive rebound stick-back. -- Jay Bilas
66. Oregon Ducks
Dana Altman's best option on offense right now may be for Elgin Cook to draw a foul. No Pac-12 player's been better than Cook at getting to the line in conference play, and against league foes he's improved his shooting there to 77 percent. -- John Gasaway
67. Oregon State Beavers
The Beavers have gotten off to a good conference start under Wayne Tinkle, and Gary Payton II has been a big reason. The Pac-12 Player of the Week put up 21 points and 10 rebounds at USC, and 18 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in Pauley Pavilion in Oregon State's sweep of Los Angeles schools. Oregon State does not score easily, but has been very difficult to score
against. -- Jay Bilas
68. Purdue Boilermakers
Few teams are better at forcing misses than the Boilers, and with a front-line rotation featuring dueling 7-footers Isaac Haas, it's easy to see why. However, Matt Painter's defense also sends opponents to the line with troubling regularity. If Purdue figures out away to lower its foul rate, look out. -- John Gasaway
This post was edited on 1/28 7:26 PM by Halldan1
