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North Carolina Is New Number One

UCLA loses, falls from top of college basketball rankings

© Mark Barnes

Jan 8, 2007
Four of the top 8 teams in the NCAA top 20 went down last weekend, leading to a major upheaval in our Suite 16.

  1. North Carolina -- Player of the Year candidate Tyler Hansbrough had 25 points and 13 rebounds as the Tar Heels crushed ACC opponent Florida State, upping their record to 14-1 and easily taking over the top spot in our college basketball rankings.
  2. Wisconsin -- The Badgers won their 11th straight game, smashing Minnesota to open Big Ten play. Wisconsin is 15-1, heading into a big game with Ohio State January 9th.
  3. Florida -- The Gators looked dominant, pounding SEC rival Georgia and improving to 14-2.
  4. UCLA -- The Bruins missed a last-second 3-pointer that would have kept them undefeated. The nail-biting loss to conference rival Oregon drops UCLA to number 4 in our college basketball rankings.
  5. Oklahoma State -- The Cowboys opened Big 12 play with a solid win over Baylor, improving to 15-1. Oklahoma State has a Player of the Year candidate in Mario Boggan and a total of four double-figure scorers.
  6. Butler -- The Bulldogs pounded two Horizon League foes and are now 14-1. A.J. Graves and Mike Green compose one of the best backcourts and best-kept secrets in college basketball.
  7. Ohio State -- The Buckeyes won two Big Ten games over a solid Indiana team and Illinois, improving to 13-2 and gaining some respect in our college basketball rankings. Freshmen Greg Oden and Mike Conley comprise arguably the best inside, outside combination in the Big Ten.
  8. Kansas -- An impressive win over South Carolina and the Jayhawks improved to 13-2.
  9. Oregon -- After losing its first game of the season to USC, The Ducks got back on track with a huge win over previously unbeaten and number 1 UCLA. Oregon has five double-figure scorers, and its four-guard rotation is proving difficult for many teams, making the Ducks a new force in the college basketball rankings.
  10. Tennessee -- After destroying SEC West rival Mississippi State, the Volunteers improved to 13-2.
  11. Clemson -- The Tigers can no longer be ignored in our college basketball rankings, as Clemson defeated a good ACC opponent in Georgia Tech to become the last undefeated team in major college basketball.
  12. Air Force -- The Falcons beat a very good UNLV team to improve to 15-1. Air Force may be the most underrated team in the college basketball rankings.
  13. Arizona -- A stunning defeat to underrated Washington State drops the Wildcats a few notches in our college basketball rankings.
  14. Duke -- The Blue Devils opened ACC play with an upset loss to Virginia Tech, falling to 13-2 and dropping in our Suite 16.
  15. Georgetown -- The Hoyas seem to be jelling at the right time, as evidenced by their thrashing of Notre Dame.
  16. Notre Dame -- The loss of guard Kyle McAlarney to suspension contributed to a crushing defeat to Georgetown, dropping the Fighting Irish into the final spot of our college basketball rankings.


The copyright of the article North Carolina Is New Number One in College Basketball is owned by Mark Barnes. Permission to republish North Carolina Is New Number One in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.




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