The Pinnacle of College Hoops

#2 Pittsburgh (10-0)
Good Wins- Beat Duquesne 73-68 on the road, Beat Washington 75-74 on the road and blew out Okie State 85-68.
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Interior Scoring, Half Court Defense, Ball Handling, Lead Guard Play, Experience, Depth, Rebounding.
Team Weaknesses- Full Court Offense, Perimeter Shooting, Lack Size.
I really had to search for true weakness of this team.  Their really only weakness right now is their inability to play at faster tempos but even that’s not that big of a weakness of theirs.  They do lack size in terms of height though.  The tallest player in their rotation is 6′7 and they’ve struggled a little shooting from the outside but players like Cook, Fields and Ramon are proven perimeter shooters so don’t expect that trend to continue.
This is one of the best offensive Pitt teams in quite some time.  They have a true go to scorer in Sam Young, a true post scorer in Dejuan Blair and plenty of perimeter firepower in Fields, Cook and Ramon.  Even though they’re a little undersized they’re still a physical team that rebounds the ball very well and defends.  They’re not as good defensively as they have been in the past but they’re still a cut above most teams in that department.  This is a very dangerous team and in my opinion are top 10 worthy.

#3 Marquette (8-1)
Good Wins- Blew out Oklahoma State 91-61 and beat Wisconsin 81-76 on the road
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Guard Play, Playmaking Ability, General Defense, Athleticism, Experience.
Team Weaknesses- Interior Scoring, Perimeter Shooting, Lack Size.
Beating Wisconsin @ Wisconsin is a very impressive victory for Marquette.  This is an experienced group of players that are well coached and know how to play together.  They defend at a high level on the perimeter and have a shot blocker in the middle in Barro.  They rebound fairly well for being undersized and are able to turn teams over and get out in transition and score.  They have some of the best guards in the country with McNeal, James, Mathews, Cubillan and Acker.
The problem with this team is the same problem they’ve had since Robert Jackson graduated.  They lack interior scoring and size up front.  They just do not get any offensive production on the interior and that forces their guards to do too much offensively.  As talented as their guards are they’re not good shooters and when you can’t shoot from the outside or score from inside you’re going to have problems scoring the basketball.  Marquette will likely lose some games they shouldn’t this year because of their inconsistent offense.

#4 West Virginia (8-1)
Good Games- Barely lost to Tennessee 72-74, Beat New Mexico State 75-61, Blew out Auburn 88-59 on the road and Blrew out Duquesne 92-68
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Experience, Coaching, Pressure Defense, Full Court Offense, Ball Handling, Perimeter Shooting.
Team Weaknesses- Interior Scoring, Rebounding, Interior Defense.
This might be the most impressive team in the Big East right now.  They’re playing as well as any team in the conference under new head coach Bob Huggins.  However, they haven’t exactly been playing against world beaters and it’s still hard to tell just how good this team might be.  Their most impressive game this year could be their loss to Tennessee which shows that West Virgninia can play with the big boys but might not be one of the big boys.
Joe Alexander, Alex Rouff, Da’Sean Butler and Darris Nichols give WVU four players that can all score, shoot and handle the basketball which makes them a difficult offensive team to cover.  What has been most surprising about this team though is that they’re playing physical team defense.  Huggins is a coach that demands toughness but he inheritated a group of kids that were more known for their softness than their toughness.  This team still lacks size inside as well as consistent low post offensive play.  This is certainly a team worth keeping an eye on. 

#5 Villanova (8-1)
Good Games- Beat George Mason 84-76, beat LSU 68-67 and beat Temple 101-93 on the road.
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Guard Play, Ball Handling, Full Court Offense, Depth, Athleticism.
Team Weaknesses- Half Court Defense, Interior Offense, Inexperienced.
Jay Wright is proving to truly be one of the best young coaches in college basketball.  He’s adapting to his players strengths and weaknesses.  That’s the sign of a good coach.  What Jay Wright has are goods guards and bunch of athleticism.  Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher form one of the best back courts in the Big East and they have good depth behind them with Redding, Stokes and Grant.  This Nova team is looking to get out and run thsi year.  They  have good enough guards to play at a faster tempo while still being able to take care of the basketball.  That’s quite the luxury to have.
The problem with this Nova team right now is that they’re not very good defensively in the half court setting and that is not a good weakness to have.  In fact that’s one of the worst weaknesses a team can have in college basketball.  Villanova is not going to be able to run teams out of the gym come March nor will they be able to consistently do that against good and discplined basketball teams.  However, they don’t have enough interior production or experience to make up for this weakness of theirs.

#6 Louisville (5-3)
Good Wins- Beat Old Dominion 64-53, Beat Miami(OH) 47-44
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Coaching, Athleticism, Half Court Defense, Interior Scoring, Rebounding.
Team Weaknesses- Depth, Perimeter Shooting, Ball Handling, Lead Guard Play, Full Court Offense.
Louisville has had a rough start but it’s way to early to dismiss this team as a failure like some people seem to be already doing.  They still have a good amount of talent and one of the finest coaches in the game.  They can still defend at a high level, they have good athletes, can score inside and will outrebound most of the teams they play against.  Anytime you rebound, defend and score inside you’re going to be alright.
However, this team has no shooting, little creative ball handling and very little depth.  They can’t get out and run on teams because they don’t have good enough ball handling or enough bodies on the roster to keep up with teams.  When you can’t play at a fast pace that you means you’re forced to play in the half court setting but Louisville doesn’t have the playmakers or shooters right now to score effectively in the half court setting.  It’s an offensive problem that Pitino needs to figure out in order for this team to even come close to living up to their lofty preseason expectations.

#7 Connecticut (7-2)
Good Wins- None
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Rebounding, Half Court Defense, Athleticism.
Team Weaknesses- Perimeter Shooting, Ball Handling, Half Court Offense.
UConn has only played two good teams all year and lost both to Memphis and Gonzaga.  They won their other 7 games but they were against nobodies.  How good is UConn?  It’s hard to say.  They’re better than they were last year because it appears as though they have improved guard play with Dyson emerging as a possible go to scorer as a sophomore and A.J. Price has become a stable lead guard.  As always this UConn will be able to defend at a very high level defensively and they will outrebound most of their opponents.  They have size and athleticism.
This is still not a good offensive team though.  They don’t have shooters or reliable interior scorers and they’re not going to continue to run and gun with teams so they’ll have to find a way to score consistently in the half court setting.  It’s likely that they’ll struggle scoring the basketball much like they did last year.  Until they beat someone of importance they will continue to be ranked in the middle of my Big East rankings.

#8 Syracuse (7-3)
Good Wins- Beat St. Joes 72-69, Beat Virginia 70-78 on the road.
Bad Games- Blown out by Ohio State 65-79
Team Strengths- Lead Guard Play, Playmaking Ability, Rebounding.
Team Weaknesses- Perimeter Shooting, Ball Handling, Half Court Defense, Depth, Inexperienced.
Syracuse has played better than their ranking, however, they dropped a few spots because of the loss of Eric Devendorf for the season.  The Cuse just do not have the guard depth to make up for this loss.  Andy Rautins is out of the year and Josh Wright left the team.  They have very few options.  Without Devendorf they lose a lot of playmaking ability, scoring and perimeter shooting.  It leaves the Cuse with one perimeter shooter in Donte Greene and only two playmakers in Paul Harris and Jonny Flynn. 
Syracuse is not a good half court defense team either, they lack depth, they turn the ball over way too much, they don’t have reliable interior scoring and now they’re a poor perimeter shooting team.  They still have some very talented players in Green, Flynn and Harris but unless they find a hidden gem they’re going to be a bubble team once again this year that will likely be playing in the NIT come March.

The rest of the conference rankings…..

#2 Duke (8-0)
Big Wins- Beat Illinois 79-66, #11 Marquette 77-73 and #20 Wisconsin 82-58
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Perimeter Shooting, Ball Handling, Guard Depth, Coaching, Full Court Defense, Athleticism
Team Weaknesses- Interior Scoring, Interior Defense, Turnover Prone
Thus far this Duke team has been able to surprise and impress this year.  However, Duke started the year hot last year as well.  This is a much different Duke team though.  They’re a more attacking team that loves to get out and run and can shoot from the perimeter as well as any team in the ACC.  Gerald Henderson has stepped up and could end up emerging as the teams go to scorer.  With Paulus, Nelson, Henderson, Singler, Scheyer, Smith and King, Duke has a ton of perimeter scorers, shooters, ball handlers and headsy players.
The problem with Duke is on the inside.  It’s going to be a struggle with Thomas and Zoubek inside if Duke is unable to create match-up problems with their guards and get out and run on teams. 

#3 Clemson (8-0)
Big Wins- @Mississippi State 74-72, Purdue 61-58, South Carolina 85-74
Bad Games- None
Team Strengths- Athleticism, Experience, Full Court Defense, Perimeter Shooting.
Team Weaknesses- Free Throw Shooting, Ball Handling, Turnover Prone.
If there is any team in the ACC that is capable of playing and hanging with Duke and North Carolina it’s Clemson.  They have the experience and the athletes to be a top tier team in the ACC.  Clemson is for real this year.  Cliff Hammonds is one of the most underrated players in the country.  He’s a do it all senior guard that just simply gets the job done game in and game out.  With Mays and Booker on the interior Clemson has what could be the best front court duo in the ACC.  Mays is a terrific athlete that creates havoc all over the court and Booker is a tremendous interior rebounder and shot blocker who can score with his back to the basket.  Clemson also has the ability to shoot the ball from the outside with Oglesby, Rivers and Hammonds.
Where Clemson is struggles most is in the ball handling department.  They struggle taking care of the basketball and they currently have a freshman running their offense in Stitt who is shooting under 40% from the field and has more turnovers than assists.  That’s not going to cut it against the elite teams in the country.  Nor is their putrid free throw shooting.

#4 Miami (8-0)
Big Wins-  Beat VCU 69-63, Providence 64-58 and St.Johns 66-47
Bad Games- Barely Beat Morgan State 55-51
Team Strengths- Half Court Defense, Rebounding, Perimeter Shooting, Depth, Physical Team, Experience.
Team Weaknesses- Full Court Offense, Ball Handling, Lead Guard Play, Lack Athleticism.
Miami is off to a great and somewhat surprising start this season.  They returned a good amount of talent from last years team but no one was quite sure how their returning talent would mesh with the incoming talent.  Thus far it’s meshed well.  Miami is currently ranked #1 in the RPI. 
They’re a great half court defensive team because of their interior shot blockers and man to man defense on the perimeter.  They don’t handle the basketball ball very well though and if teams can force them into a full court game they will struggle.  This is a tempo team that needs to play at a slow pace, pound the ball inside and hit shots from the outside.  It’s a not a creative team because they don’t like to get out and run and they don’t have very good ball handlers or playmakers.  It should be interesting to see if Miami can stay where they are in my rankings once ACC play starts.  The middle of the ACC is very balanced.

#5 Virginia (7-2)
Big Wins- Beat #17 Arizona 75-72 on the road
Bad Games- Blown out by Seton Hall 60-74
Team Strengths- Lead Guard Play, Rebounding, Half Court Defense, Perimeter Shooting.
Team Weaknesses- Interior Scoring, Turnover Prone, Full Court Offense.
Virginia is a very perimeter oriented offensive team.  Their top five scorers are perimeter players.  They’re led by Singletary who is as good of a go to scorer as you will find in the country.  His 19 points, 4 boards and 7 assists are impressive but his 5 turnovers and 39% shooting are not.  His strength is his ability to get into the lane, create shots for teammates and get to the foul line where he is automatic.  Joseph and Diane are both reliable outside shooters but neither is good at creating their own shot and rely heavily on Singletary.  In fact the entire roster relies on Singletary which is too much for one player.  This is not a good offensive team. 
However, they are a good rebounding team and they play very disciplined half court defense.  They’re not a team that is going to get out and run even though they’re a very perimeter oriented team.  They’re more accustomed to a slug it out type of game where they outrebound and outhustle their opponents.

#7 Florida State (8-2)
Big Wins- Beat UAB 78-70, Beat #25 Florida 65-61 on the road, Beat Minesota 75-61
Bad Games- Lost to Clev St. 66-69, Lost to South Florida 67-68 on the road
Team Strengths- Perimeter Scoring, Guard Play, General Defense, Experience.
Team Weaknesses- Interior Scoring, Very Turnover Prone, Rebounding, Lack Offensive Balance
Thus far Florida State has been an inconsistent team this year.  They’ve beaten Florida @ Florida but they’ve lost to Cleveland State and South Florida.  Senior guard Isaiah Swann has been extremely good this year.  He’s been more reliable in his senior season then he ever was his first three years.  His offense and Florida State’s defense have been this teams biggest strengths this year. 
Four of Florida’s state’s best five players are under 6 foot 2 and that means that Florida State has very little offensive balance.  This team just does not get enough offense on the interior in order for them to be able to score the basketball on a consistent level.  In order for this team to get an NCAA birth they’re going to have to rely very heavily on their guards and their defense.  Those are two things that are key in order to winning basketball games in the ACC but I doubt Florida State will have enough of those two things to get over the hump this year.

#8 Maryland (6-4)
Big Wins- Beat Illinois 69-61
Bad Games- Barely Beat N.Eastern 74-72.
Team Strengths- General Defense, Lead Guard Play, Playmakers.
Team Weaknesses- Turnover Prone, Perimeter Shooting, Half Court Offense, Depth.
It’s been an ugly season for Maryland.  They’re playing very bad offensively.  They’re turnover the ball over, shooting very poorly from the outside and they’re not turning teams over as much as they used to defensively.  With Vasquez and Hayes in the back court Maryland has two capable playmakers but without consistent interior scoring or perimeter shooting they will continue to struggle scoring the basketball. 
Maryland’s half court defense has been good thus far though but they’re not pressuring the basketball and forcing turnovers as much as they used to.  Gist is one of the better shot blockers in the country and his ability to create problems on the defensive end is key for Maryland’s success.  This is not a good Maryland team right now.  They have some talented players in Gist, Vasquez and Hayes but they’re not a terribly deep team and they may have too many glarying weaknesses to get back into the NCAA Tournament this year.

#9 North Carolina State (4-3)
Big Wins- Beat #20 Villanova 69-68
Bad Games- Lost to New Orleans 63-65, Blown out by Michigan State 58-81 and lost to ECU 69-75 on the road.
Team Strengths- Interior Scoring, Size, Decent Half Court Defense.
Team Weaknesses- Ball Handling, Toughness, Lead Guard Play, Rebounding, Full Court Offense, Perimeter Shooting.
Where does one start with this team?  They’re a mess right now and they’ve been easily the most dissapointing team in the ACC.  They have very little team speed and not enough ball handlers or playmakers.  Their strength is their size but they lack athleticism and toughness.  They don’t rebound well and they don’t shoot well from the outside.  They can’t get out and run against teams and are forced to slow games down and try scoring inside, however, both Costner and McCauley are playing out of place and neither look comfortable offensively.  Right now the only bright spot on the team has been freshman big man J.J. Hickson.  He’s the real deal but he’s a freshman and is far from good enough to carry this teams lofty preseason expectations on his back.

#10 Georgia Tech (4-4)
Big Wins- Beat Notre Dame 70-69, Barely lost to Indiana 79-83 on the road
Bad Games- Lost to NC Greensboro 74-83, Lost to Winthrop 73-79 on the road
Team Strengths- Perimeter Shooting, Experience, Interior Scoring.
Team Weaknesses- General Defense, Rebounding, Turnover Prone, Lead Guard Play, Full Court Offense
Georgia Tech has a lot of talent and they’ve been able to score the basketball because they can score in a variety of ways in the half court setting.  Clinch and Morrow give GT perimeter scoring and outside shooting while Smith, Peacock, Aminu and Lawal give them some interior offensive punch.  The problem with Georgia Tech is their arratic lead guard play and overall defense.  They turn the ball over too much and are by far and away the worst defensive team in the ACC in just about every possible category.