Week after week the AP Top-25 poll continues to surprise us with how the 62 writers and broadcasters evaluate the upper echelon of college basketball teams. Time is ticking down towards March 16th, the start of March Madness, and each game feels more and more like postseason play.
That’s because it’s equally important. For some schools like New Mexico, Drake, etc., making it into March Madness is their motivation to win regular season games. For more esteemed programs like Duke, Missouri, etc., capturing a higher seed keeps player’s eyes on the prize.
But either way, the AP Top-25 poll is a good way to see your potential seeding or chance of making it into the NCAA postseason. And with only four more weeks of the poll left, each week’s rankings provide more and more affirmation to the respective universities.
And Week 17 is no different…
Week 17’s Biggest Winner: The Louisville Cardinals
As of Week 17 the No. 19 Louisville Cardinals sit in their highest rank of the season and are on an incredibly hot stretch. They have won 15 of their last 16 games and have only lost twice to a conference opponent(Duke early in the season and Georgia Tech a couple weeks ago).
This week the Cardinals didn’t do much to merit a six spot jump in the AP Top-25 poll but their sustained success is what has them so high in the rankings.
But the bird’s haven’t been playing well until somewhat recently, their first half of the season was a struggle street. At one point Louisville lost three straight- to Oklahoma, then Ole Miss, then conference rival Duke. After that the Cardinals were counted out and it took a serious win streak to put them back into March Madness contention.
Louie’s only game this week was versus a struggling Florida State team but despite that, the matchup came down to the wire.
Louisville’s best player, Chucky Hepburn(awesome name), was the difference for the Cardinals as he put up 29 points and five steals to help defeat the Seminoles 89-81.
Week 17’s Biggest Loser: The Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue fans are lucky to get a spot in Week 17’s AP Top-25 poll, their Boilermakers have lost four straight which moves them down to SIXTH place in the Big Ten standings.
Being ranked 20th in the nation yet sitting sixth in conference play is an anomaly but the AP committee has some justification for ranking Purdue so high after four losses in a row.
The first three of their four consecutive losses came versus teams all ranked in the top 15 of this week’s AP poll (Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State). All three games were hard fought losses by the Boilermakers and were close until the end which is why the AP committee still holds them in a somewhat high regard.
But their latest loss was inexcusable. In a game where the 16-11 Indiana Hoosiers celebrated the 40 year anniversary since the iconic Bob Knight chair throw, they trounced Purdue 73-58.
The boilermakers recorded 16 turnovers and only six assists en route to a 15 point lost.
SEC Head-to-Head Matchups Matter Less In AP Rankings
Everyone knows the dominance of the SEC this year. Currently a third of the AP Top-25 poll is made up of SEC teams and they are projected to send an enormous amount of their conference into March Madness play this season.
The AP poll committee has recognized the immense amount of competition within the SEC as well and, now more than ever, is lessening the blow to teams that have struggled during conference play.
Let’s take Week 17’s rankings as an example.
Alabama drops only two spots despite losing to No. 15 Missouri.
Missouri only moves up one spot because of their loss to unranked Arkansas.
Texas A&M only moves down five spots despite being blown out by No. 21 Mississippi State then losing again to No. 6 Tennessee.
Kentucky remains at No. 17 even though the lost handily to No. 4 Alabama.
Mississippi State only moves down three despite losing to unranked Oklahoma because of their win versus Texas A&M.
All year it has been a revolving door of talent in the SEC.
Auburn, Florida and Alabama have all remained in the top five of the AP Top-25 poll most of the year but below them is a entire tier of March Madness worthy teams that have inconsistently performed against each other.
It’s made judging their capabilities impossible and the AP Top-25 poll has responded by keeping most of the universities’ in the higher rankings of college basketball teams, therefore admitting that the SEC is just that good.
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Follow Alexander Martin on Instagram @waddup.im.alex or reach out directly at [email protected]. Check out more Hardwood Heroics content at www.hardwoodheroics.com/author/alexmartin/.
