Three Thoughts on Feb. 27 College Basketball AP Poll
Five Big 12 teams are among the nation’s best as the Associated Press Men’s Basketball Top 25 was released after the season’s 16th week of games.
Here are our three thoughts on the poll from a Big 12 perspective.
Iowa State Falls Out
I can’t remember the last time the Cyclones were not ranked this season. It was probably before the Phil Knight Tournament out in Oregon in November. That weekend the Cyclones beat the then-No. 1 team in the country, North Carolina.
But after a three-game losing streak in Big 12 play, the Cyclones fell out of the pole this week. Iowa State is still receiving votes, as the Cyclones had 20. Iowa State will have to work hard this week to get back in the good graces of voters. Plus, there are several other teams receiving votes in front of the Cyclones.
The poll is secondary right now. Iowa State needs to get right before the Big 12 Tournament. It’s not clear if this team can bounce back the way last year’s team did with a run to the Sweet 16.
The Top 11
The Big 12 was one spot away from having four teams in the Top 10 this week.
Kansas held steady at No. 3 after winning both of its games last week. Baylor moved up a bit to No. 7 after beating Texas on Saturday. But voters thought well enough of the Longhorns to keep them in the Top 10 at No. 9.
That left Kansas State on the outside just looking in at No. 11.
I’m not 100 percent sure if the Big 12 has had four teams in the Top 10 this season. It may have happened early in Big 12 play or earlier in the season.
But no conference has more teams in the Top 11 than the Big 12, another indication of just how good the teams are in this league.
TCU Hangs Tough
I thought TCU was going to fall out of the poll this week, especially after the Horned Frogs lost to Kansas.
But then TCU went on the road and beat Texas Tech in Lubbock for the first time in nearly a decade. They looked good doing it, even though the Horned Frogs had to outlast the Red Raiders.
In the end, voters appeared to give weight to the entire week and moved the Horned Frogs up two spots.
Assuming TCU splits for the week, there’s a good chance the Horned Frogs will be ranked going into the Big 12 Tournament.
This Week’s AP Top 25 Poll
No. 1 Houston, No. 2 Alabama, No. 3 Kansas, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 Purdue, No. 6 Marquette, No. 7 Baylor, No. 8 Arizona, No. 9 Texas, No. 10 Gonzaga, No. 11 Kansas State, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 13 Virginia, No. 14 UConn, No. 15 Indiana, No. 16 Miami (FL), No. 17 Saint Mary’s, No. 18 San Diego State, No. 19 Xavier, No. 20 Providence, No. 21 Maryland, No. 22 TCU, No. 23 Kentucky, No. 24 Texas A&M, No. 25 Pittsburgh. Big 12 teams receiving votes: Iowa State, 20; West Virginia, 1.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
