January 17, 2011
The List
Ohio State Takes Top Spot

by John Perrotto

Another week, yet another new team atop the list.

Ohio State takes over the top spot this week, succeeding Duke, who succeeded Kansas last week. The Buckeyes inched into No. 1 by defeating Michigan 68-64 and Penn State 69-66 to keep their record perfect at 18-0.

The next two spots are also held by unbeatens as Kansas (17-0) is No. 2, followed by Syracuse (18-0). Pittsburgh (17-1) and Duke (15-1) round out the top five and the No. 4 Panthers host Syracuse on Monday night.

Texas A&M makes the biggest jump, rising from No. 25 to No. 15 after wins over Oklahoma State and Missouri. Illinois takes the biggest tumble, dropping off The List from No. 16 following losses to Penn State and Wisconsin. Also falling off The List are Cincinnati and Florida while Michigan State, Nevada-Las Vegas and Minnesota come aboard.

Unlike The Associated Press' media poll and USA Today/ESPN's coaches (re: sports information directors) poll, we take into account subjective data to present our weekly Top 25, a cross section of Ken Pomeroy's Pomeroy Ratings at kenpom.com, the Jeff Sagarin ratings for USA Today at usatoday.com, Team Rankings at teamrankings.com, Kyle Whelliston's State of Basketball rankings at basketballstate.com and the Ratings Percentage Index, more commonly known as the RPI, which can be found at various sources. We also project the 68 teams most deserving of being in the NCAA Tournament.

1.Ohio State (18-0)
Previous Ranking: 3
Last week: Defeated Michigan 68-64 and Penn State 69-66
This week: Iowa on Wednesday, at Illinois on Saturday
Information: Jon Diebler is second in the nation with a 143.1 offensive rating.

2.Kansas (17-0)
Previous Ranking: 2
Last week: Defeated Iowa State 84-79 and Nebraska 63-60
This week: at Baylor on Monday, No. 14 Texas on Saturday
Information: Markieff Morris is 15th in the nation with a 27.2 defensive rebounding percentage.

3.Syracuse (18-0)
Previous Ranking: 4
Last week: Defeated St. John's 76-59 and No. 23 Cincinnati 67-52
This week: at No. 4 Pittsburgh on Monday, No. 10 Villanova on Saturday
Information: Scoop Jardine is 25th in the nation with a 36.5 assist rate.

4.Pittsburgh (17-1)
Previous Ranking: 7
Last week: Defeated No. Georgetown 72-57 and Seton Hall 74-53
This week: No. 3 Syracuse on Monday, at DePaul on Saturday
Information: Ashton Gibbs is 28th in the nation with a 128.9 offensive rating.

5.Duke (16-1)
Previous Ranking: 1
Last week: Lost to Florida State 66-61, defeated Virginia 76-60
This week: at North Carolina State on Wednesday, at Wake Forest on Saturday
Information: Andre Dawkins leads the nation with a 75.7 effective field-goal percentage.

6.San Diego State (19-0)
Previous Ranking: 8
Last week: Defeated Nevada-Las Vegas 55-49 and New Mexico 87-77
This week: Air Force on Wednesday
Information: James Rahon is ninth in the nation with a 7.7 turnover rate.

7.Brigham Young (17-1)
Previous Ranking: 6
Last week: Defeated Utah 104-79
This week: Texas Christian on Tuesday, at Colorado State on Saturday.
Information: Jackson Emery is 13th in the nation with a 5.0 steal rate.

8.Kentucky (14-3)
Previous Ranking: 9
Last week: Defeated Auburn 78-54 and Louisiana State 82-44
This week: at Alabama on Tuesday, at Kentucky on Saturday
Information: Josh Harrellson is seventh in the nation with a 140.0 offensive rating.

9.Purdue (15-3)
Previous Ranking: 5
Last week: Lost to Minnesota 70-67 and No. 21 West Virginia 68-64
This week: Penn State on Wednesday, No. 21 Michigan State on Saturday.
Information: Ryne Smith is fifth in the nation with a 141.0 offensive rating.

10.Villanova (16-1)
Previous Ranking: 14
Last week: Defeated No. 20 Louisville 88-74 and Maryland 74-66
This week: at No. 11 Connecticut on Monday, at No. 3 Syracuse onSaturday
Information: Maalik Wayns is 13th in the nation with a 39.3 assist rate.

11.Connecticut (14-2)
Previous Ranking: 12
Last week: Defeated Rutgers 67-53 and DePaul 82-62
This week: No. 10 Villanova on Monday, Tennessee on Saturday
Information: Alex Oriahki is 45th in the nation with a 14.7 offensive rebounding percentage.

12.West Virginia (12-4)
Previous Ranking: 21
Last week: Defeated Providence 93-63 and No. 5 Purdue 68-64
This week: Marshall on Wednesday, South Florida on Sunday
Information: John Flowers is 39th in the nation with a 9.7 block percentage.

13.Saint Mary's (16-2)
Previous Ranking: 15
Last week: Defeated San Francisco 71-57 and Santa Clara 84-59
This week: San Diego on Wednesday, at No. 20 Vanderbilt on Saturday
Information: Stephen Holt is fifth in the nation with a 5.5 steal percentage.

14.Texas (14-3)
Previous Ranking: 18
Last week: Defeated Texas Tech 83-52 and Oklahoma 66-46
This week: No. 15 Texas A&M on Wednesday, at No. 2 Kansas on Saturday
Information: Tristan Thompson is 51st in the nation with a 14.5 offensive rebounding percentage.

15.Texas A&M (16-1)
Previous Ranking: 25
Last week: Defeated Oklahoma State 71-48 and Missouri 91-89 (OT)
This week: at No. 14 Texas on Wednesday, Kansas State on Saturday
Information: Nathan Walkup is 86th in the nation with a 13.6 offensive rebounding percentage.

16.Washington (13-4)
Previous Ranking: 13
Last week: Lost to Stanford 58-56, defeated California 92-71
This week: Arizona on Thursday, Arizona State on Saturday
Information: Ariz N'Diaye is 15th in the nation with a 17.0 offensive rebounding percentage.

17.Georgetown (13-5)
Previous Ranking: 10
Last week: Lost to No. 7 Pittsburgh 72-57, defeated Rutgers 74-65
This week: at Seton Hall on Tuesday
Information: Julian Vaughn in 12th in the nation with a 17.2 offensive rebounding percentage.

18.Wisconsin (13-4)
Previous Ranking: 17
Last week: Lost to Michigan State 64-61 (OT), defeated No. 16 Illinois 76-66
This week: Indiana on Thursday, at Northwestern on Sunday
Information: Tim Jarmusz is first in the nation with a 4.4 turnover rate.

19.Notre Dame (14-4)
Previous Ranking: 11
Last week: Lost to Marquette 79-57 and St. John's 72-54
This week: Cincinnati on Wednesday, Marquette on Saturday
Information: Carleton Scott is 65th in the nation with 63.8 true shooting percentage.

20.Vanderbilt (12-4)
Previous Ranking: 19
Last week: Defeated Georgia 73-66, lost to Tennessee 67-64
This week: Mississippi on Wednesday, No. 13 Saint Mary's on Saturday
Information: Festus Ezeli is 23rd in the nation with a 15.7 offensive rebounding percentage.

21.Michigan State (12-5)
Previous Ranking: NR
Last week: Defeated No. 17 Wisconsin 64-61 (OT) and Northwestern 71-67 (OT)
This week: at Illinois on Tuesday, at No. 9 Purdue on Saturday
Information: Draymond Green is 59th in the nation with a 24.0 defensive rebounding percentage.

22.Nevada-Las Vegas (14-4)
Previous Ranking: NR
Last week: Lost to No. 8 San Diego State 55-49, defeated Air Force 64-52
This week: Colorado State on Wednesday, New Mexico on Saturday
Information: Justin Hawkins is 14th in the nation with a 5.0 steal percentage.

23.Louisville (14-3)
Previous Ranking: 20
Last week: Lost to No. 14 Villanova 88-74, defeated Marquette 71-70
This week: St. John's on Wednesday, at Providence on Saturday
Information: Terrence Jennings is 23rd in the nation with an 11.2 block percentage.

24.North Carolina (12-5)
Previous Ranking: 22
Last week: Defeated Virginia Tech 64-61, lost to Georgia Tech 78-58
This week: Clemson on Tuesday
Information: John Henson is 20th in the nation with an 11.5 block percentage.

25.Minnesota (14-4)
Previous Ranking: NR
Last week: Defeated No. 5 Purdue 70-67 and Iowa 69-59
This week: at Michigan on Saturday
Information: Trevor Mbakwe is 16th in the nation with a 26.9 rebounding percentage.

Dropped out: No. 16 Illinois, No. 23 Cincinnati, No. 24 Illinois

Others to watch: Arizona (15-3), Belmont (16-3), Gonzaga (13-5), Missouri State (15-3), Utah State (16-2) < /p>

The Field of 68

ACC (6): Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia Tech

America East (1): Vermont

Atlantic Sun (1): Belmont

Atlantic 10 (2): Duquesne, Temple

Big 12 (8): Baylor, Iowa State, Kansas , Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Texas, Texas A&M

Big East (11): Cincinnati, Connecticut, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, St. John's, Syracuse, Villanova, West Virginia

Big Sky (1): Montana