LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The NCAA requires the team that wins the men’s basketball national championship to win at least six consecutive games.
Would you like to know how many teams on my latest Associated Press Top 25 have won six straight?
Purdue, Saint Mary’s, Virginia, Baylor and Florida Atlantic.
There is a reasonable chance the list will shrink by next Monday.
1.Purdue (21-1) — The Boilermakers are looking the part of Big Ten champions — and trying not to dwell on achieving much more. The Boilermakers will be No. when they visit Indiana Saturday afternoon.
2. Tennessee (18-3) — The Volunteers need somebody in the Southeastern Conference to take down Alabama.
3. Arizona (19-3) — If you made me pick a national champion today, the Wildcats would be my choice.
4. Houston (20-2) — The Cougars get their payback game against Temple this week.
5. Virginia (16-3) — The Cavaliers still need to overtake Clemson in the Atlantic Coast Conference,
6. Alabama (18-3) — The Crimson Tide weren’t merely beaten by Oklahoma. They were thumped.
7. Kansas (17-4) — Before the Jayhawks won at Rupp Arena, they had lost three in a row.
8. Marquette (17-5) — The Golden Eagles are tied with Xavier atop the Big East.
9. Kansas State (18-3) — The Wildcats face a payback game at Kansas this week,.
10. Gonzaga (18-4) — The Zags, as usual, benefit from not playing in a league with more heavyweights.
11. UCLA (17-4) — The Bruins need to upgrade their offense for March.
12. Clemson (18-4) — Did you have the Tigers sitting atop the ACC at the midway point of conference play? No, you did not.
13. Texas (17-4) — The Longhorns have lost three of eight and sit in a three-way tie atop the Big 12.
14. Xavier (17-5) — The Musketeers have lost two of their last four.
15. Saint Mary’s (19-4) — The Gaels have won 10 straight and host Gonzaga this week.
16. Baylor (16-5) — The Bears appear to have figured it out, winning six straight.
17. Providence (17-5) — The Friars feature a former Card (Noah Locke), Wildcat (Bryce Hopkins) and Hoosier (Clifton Moore).
18. Indiana (15-6) — The Hoosiers have won five straight, four by double figures.
19. Iowa State (15-5) — The Cyclones faded after a fast start last season, too.
20. Rutgers (14-7) — The Scarlet Knights just surrendered second place in the Big Ten to Northwestern.
21. Auburn (16-5) — The Tigers couldn’t win at West Virginia — and this is not an epic Bob Huggins team.
22. Florida Atlantic — Dusty May will be in line for a job upgrade after the season.
23. TCU (16-5) — The Horned Frogs have lost four of seven and that wasn’t a great Mississippi State team.
24. UConn (16-6) — I’m one more loss from jumping off the Huskies’ bandwagon.
25. San Diego State (17-4) — The Aztecs sit atop the Mountain West and in the Top 25 in four computer rankings.
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