TOP 25
Purdue impresses on New Year’s Day
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If it was Texas that hogged the spotlight by trouncing North Carolina at Cowboys Stadium during the pre-Christmas snowstorm, it was Purdue’s chance to do the same with their New Year’s Day demolition of West Virginia (if you managed to pull away from the Outback Bowl). But while the Mountaineers’ fall from the ranks of the unbeaten wasn’t a surprise, it was shocking to see Syracuse look mortal for the first time this season in a home loss to Pittsburgh. Oklahoma, UAB and Clemson each promptly played their way back into obscurity, replaced by three teams that are not only surging into their conference seasons but are easy to root for: Baylor, BYU and Rhode Island.
Records through Jan. 4
| No. | Team (Record) | Comment | Pvs. |
| 1 | Kentucky (15-0) | According to SI’s Grant Wahl, Wall has team’s highest GPA | 1 |
| 2 | Kansas (13-0) | Morris twins right at home, literally, in rout of Temple | 2 |
| 3 | Texas (13-0) | Corpus Christi has gotten closer than anyone so far | 3 |
| 4 | Purdue (13-0) | Hummel still hasn’t missed in Mountaineers’ nightmares | 4 |
| 5 | Villanova (12-1) | Reynolds’ game-winning runners now a regular occurrence | 7 |
| 6 | Duke (12-1) | Blue Devils are good, but Clemson should be embarrassed | 8 |
| 7 | West Virginia (11-1) | Must improve handling defensive pressure | 6 |
| 8 | Syracuse (13-1) | Unlikely to have another 1-for-13 night from 3 | 5 |
| 9 | Georgetown (11-1) | Averaging 4.2 bench points in last six games | 11 |
| 10 | Kansas St. (11-1) | Wildcats weren’t ever this good with Beasley | 12 |
| 11 | Michigan St. (11-3) | Snuffed out the Northwestern buzz quickly | 13 |
| 12 | New Mexico (14-1) | Non-con resume impressive, but so is Mountain West | 17 |
| 13 | Connecticut (10-3) | Stanley Robinson ratchets up scoring for Big East | 10 |
| 14 | North Carolina (11-4) | Could Ginyard’s injuries could hurt his draft stock? | 9 |
| 15 | Ole Miss (11-2) | White outdid himself with seven 3s in latest win | 14 |
| 16 | Florida St. (12-2) | Comcast Center will be waiting on Sunday | 15 |
| 17 | Texas A&M (10-3) | Holmes must be more consistent with Roland out | 16 |
| 18 | Tennessee (10-2) | Uh oh | 18 |
| 19 | Texas Tech (12-2) | Rebounds, free throws saved Raiders vs. UTEP | 19 |
| 20 | Temple (11-3) | Okay, Jayhawks proved Owls have a ceiling | 20 |
| 21 | Georgia Tech (11-2) | Lawal rescued Jackets vs. 49ers with 29 points | 21 |
| 22 | Wisconsin (12-2) | Showdown with Spartans in East Lansing on Wed. | 22 |
| 23 | Baylor (11-1) | Bears’ past happily can stay in last decade | NR |
| 24 | BYU (14-1) | Tough games ahead vs. UNLV, at UTEP | NR |
| 25 | Rhode Island (11-1) | Only loss was 2-point squeaker at VCU | NR |
HEATING UP
Georgetown » Hoyas are proving they might be closer to the top of the Big East than we first thought.
Also » Kansas State, Michigan State
COOLING DOWN
Connecticut » It’s hard to believe the Huskies are actually fifth in the Big East in field goal percentage.
Also » Syracuse, West Virginia
TOP 25 GAME OF THE WEEK
Minnesota at No. 4 Purdue, Tuesday, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
The competitive Big Ten kicks into gear this week with several excellent matchups. Minnesota (11-3, 2-0) has taken the early lead in the conference, while No. 4 Purdue (13-0, 1-0) is one of four unbeatens left in the nation. After losing three straight, the Gophers have won their last seven games behind PG Lawrence Westbrook (14.6 ppg). The Boilermakers are propelled by a trio of juniors – G E’Twaun Moore (16.3 ppg), F Robbie Hummel (15.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg), and C JaJuan Johnson (14.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Purdue has won the last three meetings, one each the last three seasons..
PLAYER TO WATCH
Elliot Williams, Memphis, guard
On Wednesday (ESPN2), Williams and visiting Memphis (10-3) will take on Wesley Johnson and No. 8 Syracuse (13-1). After averaging 4.2 points per game last year at Duke, Williams has blossomed at Memphis, scoring at a 19.7 ppg clip. Players who transfer between Division I programs are required to sit out a season. But Williams, a Memphis native, was granted a waiver after convincing the NCAA that he transferred to be close to his sick mother. The 6-4 sophomore has led the Tigers to a strong start that could have been better. All their wins have come by double-digit margins; all their losses have come by a combined 10 points.
STORY LINES
1. Lawless Tennessee » In a single traffic stop Friday night, Knoxville police scored a trifecta — netting drug, alcohol and gun charges against four Tennessee basketball players. The foursome, four of the top eight scorers for the 18th-ranked 10-2 team, have been suspended indefinitely by coach Bruce Pearl, who was quick to apologize, but could suddenly be on the hot seat after elevating the fortunes of the Volunteers. According to police, after the car was pulled over for speeding, officers smelled marijuana. They found a handgun with an altered serial number, a bag of marijuana and an open container of alcohol. The incident, coupled with legal scrapes by the Tennessee football team, sharpens the spotlight on the school’s athletic program. Tennessee hosts Charlotte on Wednesday and Kansas on Sunday (CBS).
2. Lawless USC » Southern California has imposed harsh sanctions on its basketball team, barring the Trojans from postseason play this year, reducing scholarships, vacating all of its wins from the 2007-08 season and returning the money it received from playing in the NCAA Tournament that season. It was the year O.J. Mayo was at USC, and is alleged to have received improper benefits, including thousands of dollars of cash, from booster Rodney Guillory. Former USC coach Tim Floyd was fired last June for giving $1,000 to Guillory. The penalties come as USC (10-4) was on the rebound under Kevin O’Neill, winning its last eight games. It also comes as the school’s football program remains under investigation for improprieties involving Reggie Bush and boosters.
3. Rising A-10 » Several teams from the Atlantic-10 appear to have the stuff to contend for NCAA berths, joining perennial powers Dayton and Xavier. Could the conference deserve more than the three bids it received last year? Among the improved teams are Richmond (11-4), which has toppled Mississippi State, Missouri and Florida; and Temple (11-3) and No. 25 Rhode Island (11-1), who have two wins each over Big East teams. In addition, George Washington (10-3) has matched its win total from last year, while Charlotte (10-3) is one victory away from doing the same. A-10 players who have taken dramatic steps forward include Ryan Brooks (Temple), Chris Johnson (Dayton) and Jordan Crawford (Xavier), who gained notoriety last summer when he dunked on LeBron James.
