This Is What We Like...Parity

In the wake of yet another #1 team losing this week, it is time for me to make my predictions of who the top five teams in college basketball will be at years end.  I heard that this is the fourth week in a row that a number one team has lost.

Personally I think this is great for college basketball.  I think people are getting sick of seeing the same teams at the top every year, the Dukes, the North Carolinas, the Kansas's, we like to see the upstart teams like Michigan this year, or even Indiana.  

So here we go with how I think this will play out in the end, and you do not have to take this is fact, but you may want to...just saying.

#5 Syracuse Orange

Now I know that Syracuse has not been playing as well lately as they can, but I think they still have the talent and defense to finish in the top five.  They are currently ranked ninth, but only have 3 losses and they play in the ever tough Big East.  So if they play well and do not accrue to many losses the rest of the season they have a legitimate shot of making a run at a number one seed again this year.  The zone defense that 'Cuse runs is very annoying to every opponent they play, it is not something teams see everyday and takes a lot of preparation for it because Syracuse runs it so well.  

#4 Michigan Wolverines

I am a fan of the Wolverines this year because they really came out of nowhere at the end of last year and played like they could be a top five this year.  And when I see a team up that high that is not usually there I always root for them to do well.  Michigan has a great mix of older players and young talent and they play very well together.  This team also has a few names that you might recognize on it like Glenn Robinson III, or Tim Hardaway Jr, you know these kids have talent because of their family heritage.  I always wonder about kids with famous parents, are they recruited for their last name or because they actually have talent and want to make their own name in basketball.  Anyway, not to get off topic, Michigan is the sleeper team this year, no one is really aware they are as good as they are, but that will change here in the next little while.

#3 Kansas Jayhawks

I think Kansas gets here thanks to the fact that they play in the Big 12, not the strongest conference in college basketball, and the Jayhawks are by far the most talented team in that conference.  I am not completely cold on Kansas especially recently after losing two in a row to Oklahoma State and TCU, not even close to a basketball school.  But once again because of the lack of good teams in the Big 12 Kansas will be just fine, and will rack up the wins.  The Jayhawks also have one of the better players in the league in Ben McLemore, a very exciting freshman with tons of talent.  

  

#2 Duke Blue Devils

Duke is a perennial powerhouse in college basketball, so is it a surprise to see their name up this high on the list?  Coach K ( I would put his whole name, but I do not have the time to spell it out) is the most successful coach in history of college basketball so you will see his team up here every year until he is gone.  Duke is a very experienced team, and a very big team, they have many many forwards and only a few guards.  Their size definitely causes match up problems for any team.  With Seth Curry playing as well as he has been so far this year, and with the Plumlee brothers camping down low, as the season goes on Duke is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the tournament, as always.  

#1 Indiana Hoosiers

Cody Zeller, that is all I need to say.  If this kid is not voted player of the year, it will be highway robbery.  He can score, he can rebound, he is a great defender and has the most all around game of anyone in college basketball.  I have watched Indiana play a few times on television and I have really been impressed with their team defense, as well as the individual defense played by Victor Oladipo, he is a lock down defender.  I have wanted Indiana to be an elite program for years now, because they did have a few seasons of mediocrity, and it is sad to see such a storied program down in the dumps for so long, and now they have the right coach to do the job.  The one thing that could keep the Hoosiers from being number one at the end of the season is there schedule, they play five teams in the top 25 before the end of the year, including my number four team Michigan.  But if they do end up beating all these teams, they will deserve to be number one.    

Well there it is, this is what I saw when I looked into my crystal ball I keep hidden away from the public.  I could very well be wrong, I mean look at all the craziness that has gone down already this year and there is still ten games left to go.  But I am taking an educated guess from what I have seen, and in conclusion, it is going to be a fun last few weeks.