Who's #1?

We are almost two-thirds of the way through the college basketball season, and we have had some memorable moments thus far. From the triple-overtime thriller between then #1 Kansas and #2 Oklahoma at Allen Fieldhouse to the emergence of LSU forward Ben Simmons. One question we have yet to answer is, who deserves to be the top team in college basketball?

Many teams have held the top spot, just to lose it within that week. Now #1 Oklahoma

(16-2) held the spot for only six hours before being defeated on the road by then #23 Iowa State (15-4). Star guard Buddy Hield and the Sooners have reconquered the number one spot, but for how long?

Preseason #1 North Carolina (18-2) struggled out of the gate losing the fifth game of the season to unranked Northern Iowa (10-11) and then later in the season to also unranked Texas (12-7). North Carolina in #2 in the latest AP poll. The duel threat of Marcus Paige and Brice Johnson helped to lead

the Tar Heels back into the top five.

The current #3 team in the country comes as a huge surprise: the Iowa Hawkeyes (16-3). Iowa has played some great team basketball, leading the Big Ten in assists per game. The Hawkeyes had two dramatic wins against now #12 Michigan State (17-4), including a 17 point win against the Spartans in East Lansing. Iowa’s three losses come at the hands of then #23 Dayton (16-3), then #17 Notre Dame (14-5), and an overtime loss at then #4 Iowa State (15-4).

This college basketball season is the first time that the top-ranked team in the country has at least two losses by February 1st since 1949. The struggle to maintain the number-one spot has been a huge story in the sports world.

Who do Licking Valley students think deserves to be #1? Out of all the teams ranked in this weeks AP Poll, the students believe the North Carolina Tar Heels should be #1, with the Oklahoma Sooners at #2 and the Maryland Terrapins at #3. Surprisingly, LVHS students also voted that the Xavier Musketeers should be #4.

Current Ranking, Team Name, Record, Preseason Ranking (if no ranking, not ranked).

Biggest Surprises

#3 Iowa (16-3)

#5 Texas A&M (17-2)

#7 Xavier (17-2)

#9 West Virginia (16-3)

#10 Providence (17-3)

#13 SMU (18-1)

Biggest Disappointments

#20 Kentucky (15-4)(#2)

#24 Duke (15-5)(#5)

California (14-6)(#14)

Utah (15-5)(#16)

Wisconsin (12-9)(#17)

LSU (13-7)(#21)

2015’s Final Four Teams

#12 Michigan State (17-4)(#13)

#20 Kentucky (15-4)(#2)

#24 Duke (15-5)(#5)

Wisconsin (12-9)(#17)

From what I’ve seen, Oklahoma deserves to be #1. The Sooners lost in triple-overtime to #4 Kansas in the Phog in arguably the best game of the 21st century. The combination of Buddy Hield and Jordan Woodard have proved to be one of the best backcourts in the country. Just last Saturday they squared off with #13 Baylor on the road and defeated them 82-72. Oklahoma is in the top 50 in points per game (85.8), rebounds per game (41.5), and assists per game (16.2). Their only downside would be their defense which allows 71.4 which is 173rd in the country.

With conference play in full swing, some of these teams will fall or rise in the rankings. The polls will look very different on March 13 when the NCAA selects the teams for the NCAA Basketball Tournament.

AP Top 25

#1 Oklahoma (16-2)

#2 North Carolina (18-2)

#3 Iowa (16-3)

#4 Kansas (16-3)

#5 Texas A&M (17-2)

#6 Villanova (17-3)

#7 Xavier (17-2)

#8 Maryland (17-3)

#9 West Virginia (16-3)

#10 Providence (17-3)

#11 Virginia (15-4)

#12 Michigan State (17-4)

#13 SMU (18-1)

#14 Iowa State (15-4)

#15 Miami (FL) (15-3)

#16 Louisville (16-3)

#17 Baylor (15-4)

#18 Arizona (16-4)

#19 Indiana (17-3)

#20 Kentucky (15-4)

#21 Purdue (17-4)

#22 Wichita St (14-5)

#23 Oregon (16-4)

#24 Duke (15-5)

#25 Notre Dame (14-5)

USA Today Coaches Poll

#1 North Carolina (18-2)

#2 Oklahoma (16-2)

#3 Kansas (16-3)

#4 Iowa (16-3)

#5 Texas A&M (17-2)

#6 Villanova (17-3)

#7 Maryland (17-3)

#8 Xavier (17-2)

#9 West Virginia (16-3)

#10 Providence (17-3)

#11 Michigan State (17-4)

#12 Virginia (15-4)

#13 Miami (FL)(15-3)

#14 Louisville (16-3)

#15 Arizona (16-4)

#16 Iowa State (15-4)

#17 Indiana (17-3)

#18 Baylor (15-4)

#19 Kentucky (15-4)

#20 Duke (15-5)

#21 Purdue (17-4)

#22 South Carolina (17-2)

#23 Pittsburgh (16-3)

#24 Oregon (16-4)

#25 Wichita St (14-5)