NFL
By: Kristen Ashly
Kansas proved their point when pushed to three overtimes by Oklahoma in perhaps the most exciting game of the 2015-16 college basketball season, thus far.
Kansas takes my top spot after their inspiring performance. No. 2 Oklahoma follows behind with Maryland, Michigan State and North Carolina rounding out the top five.
Half of the teams in the top 10 dropped at least one game, after last week proved to be wartime for many. Providence dropped from No. 8 to No. 12 after a 65-64 loss to Marquette at home. Ben Bentil and Kris Dunn combined for 48 points, but the Friars still struggled without a breakout performance from any other player.
Despite Ben Simmons being limited by fouls, Kentucky suffered its third loss on the season, when they fell to LSU, 85-67. The Tigers fell in despite of themselves with a road loss against Florida, but beating Kentucky will go a long way toward helping their effort in the long haul.
After a crazy week, it’s clear the race to the finals is still wide open. None of the teams at the top of my rankings appear to be unbeatable, and conference play will further the notion that in the world of college ball, nothing is permanent.
Here is a look at how my top 25 rankings played out:
1- Kansas
2- Oklahoma
3- Maryland
4- Michigan State
5- North Carolina
6- Villanova
7- Xavier
8- Miami
9- Duke
10- SMU
11- West Virginia
12- Providence
13- Virginia
14- Kentucky
15- Texas A&M
16- Iowa
17- Iowa State
18- Arizona
19- South Carolina
20- Pittsburgh
21- Louisville
22- Baylor
23- Connecticut
24- Butler
25- Purdue
Kristen Ashly is an editor and contributor for Nuts & Bolts Sports. You can talk college ball with her on Twitter @KristenAshly.
Image courtesy of John Rieger/USA TODAY Sports Images
