Fourth Times the Charm? Weekly College Basketball Rankings

There is a curse in the LTCL Power Rankings. As soon as a team in number one, they lose within the week. Exhibit A. Exhibit B. Exhibit C.

We at Living the College Life Magazine are not going to dwell on the past, but embrace the future as we consider who the top 5 teams in the country are (as well as the fact that we may not be cut out for the college basketball analyst life.)

Duke

Duke has done what was asked of them recently, winning three straight after the lopsided loss to Miami (FL). We’re not sure if people will be as high on Duke as they were when they were undefeated and ranked #1, but regardless this is a senior-led team that could make it to the Final Four (if they catch some breaks along the way.) Their next game is a huge revenge match against the NC State team that knocked them from the ranks of the unbeaten (though State has plummeted since upsetting Duke a few weeks ago.) As big as the UNC game is for rivalry sake, some could argue that the second matchup against Miami is the biggest game remaining for the Blue Devils. That will be a big measuring stick to see if they have really improved since the 27 bludgeoning. That image is still fresh in every college basketball fan’s head, a game where Duke appeared more clueless than a Kardashian. Even in the worst case scenario, we think the Blue Devils will still receive a 3 seed.

Gonzaga

Why is Gonzaga not undefeated is our biggest question at this point in the season? The obvious answer is because they have two losses. Give them a rematch of both games and we think they easily take care of business. Their loss to Illinois didn’t seem out of the ordinary at the time, but now it’s a head-scratching mystery seeing that the Illini (once in the top 10) are on the bubble for the tournament. As for the Butler game, that was just a bit of Hinkle Magic at its finest (ok, more like a Hinkle Magic overdose, but you know what we mean.) Regardless of being undefeated or having two “good” losses, the Zags are still in prime position to get a 1 or 2 seed, then run train on the Big Dance.

Kansas

We give no f***’s that the mighty Jayhawks lost at home to a previously unranked OK State team. The Cowboys are a solid team (now ranked and only 5 blemishes on their record) and were brilliant at the beginning of the season before hitting a minor snag midseason. Kansas’ overall body of work can’t be ignored either. They still only have two losses and are the Darth Vader of the Big 12 (being that they whip almost every other team like they’re their father.) They’ll be fine in the long run, Self will get his team’s kinks worked out, and it will surprise literally no one when they’re playing on the final weekend of the season.

Michigan

The Michigan Referees rebounded nicely by beating Ohio State Tuesday night. OK, we promise the rest of this article will be (relatively) unbiased. Michigan stole one against Ohio State, but we were honestly surprised it was as close as it was (a 2pt OT win in Ann Arbor.) The Wolverines avenged one of their two losses on the season and still have yet to lose at home this season. In a Big Ten as deep and deadly as the 2013 edition, THIS IS CRUCIAL! The only reason Michigan isn’t our top team of the week is the loss they suffered against…well, our top team of the week.

Indiana

Hoosier fans can let out a deep sigh of relief. Indiana reclaimed the #1 ranking spot in the AP Polls after taking care of the best Michigan team since the Fab Five era. They reclaim the ranking dubbed upon them in the preseason and very much looked like the #1 team when they defeated Michigan this past Saturday. The Hoosiers play incredible team ball. However, coming off the big win, the Hoosiers can’t relax. They travel to Columbus this Sunday to take on an inconsistent Buckeyes team. Winning on the road in the Big Ten is a challenge itself (whether playing Michigan or Iowa) so we’ll have to wait and see what happens in Columbus.