(1) UCLA - Arron Afflalo is the favorite for Pac-10 Player of the Year, but Darren Collison is just as important to the Bruins. In the win over Washington St. (two excellent defensive teams there), Collison scored 7 points, dished out 8 assists, had only 2 turnovers, and was in complete control all game on both ends. He's quick as a jet, a good outside shooter, great passer, and excellent on-the-ball and off-the-ball defender. Love watching him play.
(2) Kansas - Kansas might have established themselves as the team to beat. They've always had the talent, and now they're playing consistently at home and on the road. At the very least, I can guarantee they will not be losing in the first round this year.
(3) Ohio St. - They did what they had to do, but beating Wisconsin without Brian Butch at home by 1 wasn't really enough to convince me they should be higher than UCLA or Kansas. Certainly the talent is there to make a run towards the title, but I'm not sure they're consistent enough offensively.
(4) Wisconsin - You could write something similar here as for OSU. The talent is there if it all comes together, but I really don't think they're quite consistent enough offensively to make it to the Final Four. I'd feel a little more confident if Brian Butch was completely healthy. What a shame that is for the Badgers.
(5) Texas A&M - They're coming off of a loss, but losing in double OT at Texas isn't too bad as far as losses go. Acie Law is a first team All-American, but they also have 3 other guys scoring over 12 points per game. They're balanced, they're tough, and they're good defensively.
(6) Southern Illinois - Great defensive team, and they seem to be playing their best basketball of the season. I am a little concerned that they seem to be inconsistent offensively at times, but you can't argue with the defense.
(7) Memphis - They didn't look that impressive against UTEP, but they still won. They're very deep, very athletic, and very talented. Like last year, I have some concerns about them if they get matched up with a physical defensive team in the tournament, but it's hard to ignore 18 straight wins.
(8) Florida - Like UNC, the talent is there (obviously), but they just seem disinterested. I'm not too worried at this point, but if they lay another egg in the SEC Tourney there could definitely be a reason to have some concern.
(9) Texas - Hard to deny them of the top spot after hanging on to beat A&M. So make that 5 straight wins for the Longhorns, who are definitely peaking at the right time. Showdown with Kansas on Saturday will show a lot, but I can guarantee you nobody wants to see Texas in their portion of the bracket. Oh, and don't look now, but DJ Augustin is 4th in the country in assists as a freshman.
(10) North Carolina - They've still got incredible talent, but they have lost 3 of 5. Georgia Tech just tore them up offensively on Thursday night. They can still make a run at the Title, but something is not right.
What changes would you make?
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