Luke DeCock
Luke DeCock’s AP Top 25 basketball poll ballot: Week 15
Coach K breaks down win over UVA
Tennessee hasn’t done anything wrong, but after watching Duke win at Virginia on Saturday, there just isn’t any question right now which team is the best in the country. The Blue Devils are the only team to beat Virginia (twice, home and road) and they’re No. 1 in every metric. I can’t in good conscience vote Tennessee over Duke at this point. Tennessee fans will say the Volunteers beat Gonzaga, who beat Duke, and Duke’s loss to Syracuse is disqualifying, but when you look at each schedule as a whole, there’s no comparison. Duke has played a tougher schedule and is better on both sides of the ball.
Hey, that could change next week. But for now, anyone arguing Duke isn’t the No. 1 team in the country at this moment is doing some kind of voodoo economics. It’s crystal clear. (By the same token, Tennessee is clearly No. 1 in all non-Duke polling.)
The same group of mid-majors is still piled up at the bottom of my ballot, more worthy of recognition than any of the power-conference teams that keep bouncing in and out of the poll. (Please welcome back Maryland! For one week only, probably.) I’d like to add UNC Greensboro and UC Irvine to that group, but they’re not quite there yet. Other retreads who were under consideration: Kansas State, TCU, Texas and Ohio State.
THIS SEASON’S BALLOTS
Week 1 (Preseason) Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6 Week 7 Week 8 Week 9 Week 10 Week 11 Week 12 Week 13 Week 14
MY TOP 25
1. Duke (Last week: 2)
2. Tennessee (1)
3. Gonzaga (4)
4. Virginia (3)
5. North Carolina (5)
6. Kentucky (6)
7. Michigan (8)
8. Michigan State (7)
9. Nevada (9)
10. Houston (11)
11. Purdue (15)
12. Texas Tech (18)
13. Marquette (10)
14. Iowa (19)
15. Villanova (14)
16. Kansas (12)
17. Wisconsin (16)
18. LSU (NR)
19. Iowa State (17)
20. Florida State (NR)
21. Buffalo (23)
22. Louisville (20)
23. Maryland (NR)
24. Wofford (24)
25. Lipscomb (25)
OUT Virginia Tech (13), Auburn (21), Baylor (22).
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