While Gonzaga and Baylor are making what are usually the most difficult decisions easy this season, the bottom of the ballot continues to confound.
I had to leave Purdue off my ballot this week — like Alabama two weeks ago — and I’m not exactly happy about it. I’d like to find a way to include Purdue. The way things worked out, there were only two spots open (thanks to BYU and Winthrop) and while No. 21 Missouri lost at Auburn and is ranked 38th in KenPom, the Tigers still have a top-10 resume (as measured by Wins Above Bubble and Strength of Record) and don’t deserve to drop out of the poll.
You could certainly make an argument that Purdue should be in over newcomers Oklahoma or Virginia Tech or retainee Missouri, and the Boilermakers may be next week, but this is once again a situation where you only get 25 spots.
THIS SEASON’S BALLOTS
Preseason | Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 8 | Week 9
THIS WEEK’S TOP 25 BASKETBALL BALLOT
1. Gonzaga (last week: 1)
2. Baylor (2)
3. Villanova (3)
4. Michigan (4)
5. Houston (5)
6. Ohio State (12)
7. Illinois (14)
8. Iowa (8)
9. Texas (6)
10. Alabama (10)
11. Wisconsin (11)
12. Virginia (7)
13. Creighton (20)
14. West Virginia (9)
15. UCLA (15)
16. Tennessee (19)
17. Texas Tech (16)
18. USC (18)
19. Kansas (17)
20. Drake (23)
21. Loyola-Chicago (24)
22. Missouri (21)
23. Florida State (13)
24. Oklahoma (NR)
25. Virginia Tech (NR)
OUT BYU (22), Winthrop (25)
