Luke DeCock’s AP Top 25 basketball poll ballot: Week 15
Baylor wasn’t giving up that No. 2 slot without a fight, and the Bears came roaring back from their COVID pause with three huge wins. That, combined with Michigan’s loss to Michigan State, left the Wolverines’ tenure at two at one week.
Still, there’s no question Gonzaga, Baylor and Michigan are the three best teams in the country. I have Illinois closest, leading the trailing pack, but you could still make a good argument for Alabama or Houston or Iowa or Ohio State. The eventual ranking of the No. 2 seeds in the NCAA tournament is going to be a consequential decision because that top No. 2 seed will avoid that fearsome threesome.
Georgia Tech — my pick to win the ACC tournament — was under serious consideration but moving the Jackets in would have required moving Wisconsin or Oklahoma State out, and on the whole, both those teams still have a better portfolio.
Wisconsin is an interesting case. Not sure anyone’s had a nine-day span of “better” losses, to use the parlance of the times: vs. Illinois, at Purdue, at Iowa. Wisconsin hasn’t lost to anyone not on this ballot since January, but the Badgers haven’t beaten anyone on this ballot since then, either. It kind of boils down to whether a .500 team in the Big Ten is legitimately one of the top 25 teams in the country, and given that the Big Ten has broken the KenPom record for conference strength set by the ACC in 2004.
THIS SEASON’S BALLOTS
Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 8 | Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12 | Week 13 | Week 14
THIS WEEK’S TOP 25 BASKETBALL BALLOT
1. Gonzaga (last week: 1)
2. Baylor (3)
3. Michigan (2)
4. Illinois (4)
5. Iowa (6)
6. Houston (8)
7. Alabama (9)
8. Ohio State (7)
9. Purdue (11)
10. Arkansas (13)
11. Loyola-Chicago (15)
12. Villanova (10)
13. Virginia (16)
14. USC (20)
15. Florida State (12)
16. Creighton (14)
17. BYU (17)
18. Kansas (18)
19. Colorado (19)
20. West Virginia (5)
21. San Diego State (22)
22. Texas (NR)
23. Connecticut (NR)
24. Wisconsin (21)
25. Oklahoma State (24)
OUT Clemson (23), St. Bonaventure (25)
This story was originally published March 8, 2021 at 8:22 AM.
