gotchanewsdaily.com 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Feast Week came with casualties.
Five teams in the top 10 as well as 15 in the top 25 in men’s college basketball were beaten last week at tournaments that unfolded in Hawaii, The Bahamas, Nevada, Florida and elsewhere.
Kansas, the reigning No. 1, was not one of those teams. But they lost my top vote to another team that beat No. 5 and No. 12 on its way to winning the Maui Invitational.
Here is my ballot for this week.
1. Auburn (7-0) — If you win a Maui Invitational that featured the best field in years, you deserve to be on top.
2. Kansas (7-0) — I dropped the Jayhawks one spot because Auburn had a better week.
3. Tennessee (7-0) — The Vols have beaten everybody by 15 or more. Usually lots more.
4. Kentucky (7-0) — Road games at Clemson and in Seattle against Gonzaga will test Mark Pope’s team this week.
5. Iowa State (5-1) — The Cyclones bounced back nicely from their opening Maui loss to Auburn.
6. Duke (5-2) — The Blue Devils get Auburn at Cameron Indoor Wednesday night and then head to Louisville Sunday.
7. Gonzaga (7-1) — I can forgive an overtime loss to West Virginia because the Zags have terrific guards.
8. Cincinnati (6-0) — The Bearcats visit Villanova Tuesday, not that it matters as much as it did three years ago when Jay Wright was in charge.
9. Marquette (8-0) — The Golden Eagles handled Purdue at home. Can they win at Iowa State?
10. Oregon (8-0) — The Ducks have three Top 40 wins as well as a Top 75 win.
11. Purdue (7-1) — The Boilermakers face a tricky Big Ten opener at Penn State. Can Matt Painter coach football?
12. Alabama (6-2) — The Crimson Tide survived Houston and Rutgers but not Oregon.
13. Florida (8-0) — The Gators have won every game by double figures but have yet to play a Top 50 opponent.
14. Wisconsin (8-0) — A conference game with Michigan Tuesday.
15. Illinois (6-1) — The Illini took care of John Calipari and Arkansas.
16. Memphis (6-1) — Beat UConn and Michigan State with former IU coach Mike Davis and former U of L assistant Nolan Smith on the bench.
17. Oklahoma (7-0) — The Battle 4 Atlantis field was not as dazzling as the Maui field but 3-0 is 3-0 for Porter Moser’s team.
18. North Carolina (4-3) — The Tar Heels weren’t able to handle Auburn. Will they do better against Alabama?
19. Houston (4-3) — Two of the Cougars’ three losses have been in overtime.
20. UConn (5-3) — Anybody else think public opinion is turning against Danny Hurley who acts like a 13-year-old?
21. Pitt (7-1) — Won at Ohio State but it required a buzzer beater. Wonder if the Panthers tried to plant a flag?
22. Michigan (6-1) — I can tell you the name of one school that will lament not being able to hire Dusty May last spring.
23. St. John’s (6-2) — Most people are not voting for Rick Pitino’s team but they will be.
24. Clemson (7-1) — Brad Brownell is building consistency with the Tigers.
25. UCLA (6-1) — Big Ten games against Washington and Oregon this week. I can’t believe I typed that sentence.
Copyright 2024 WDRB Media. All rights reserved.
