NCAA BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS JANUARY 25, 2010 EDITION

As the NFL season draws to a close, the average fan must do the only logical left to do, embrace NCAA college basketball with open arms. Already, this season is shaping up to end with a bang in March and April. There is no clear cut favorite as in recent years such as in the North Carolina, Florida Championship seasons. Every team has its vulnerabilities, but here is a look at my top 10 teams in the country to this point:

1. Kentucky-I must pick the undefeated Wildcats, led by freshman sensation John Wall, as the #1 team in the country. The Cats are super-talented, have arguably the best starting 5 in the country, but are not a great perimeter shooting team and their youth and tournament inexperience may eventually pose problems.

2. Kansas- My Jayhawks have played well since the glaring lost at Tennessee. Sherron Collins has undoubtedly been the most clutch player in the country and sophomore Marcus Morris has been an unexpected star of late. Cole Aldrich must continue to assert himself and Xavier Henry must continue to gain experience and maturity before the tournament.

3. Syracuse: Is there a frontcourt player in America more enjoyable to watch than former Cyclone Wesley Johnson? Jim Boeheim has this team once again playing great basketball, thanks to balance scoring and great defense. Impressive wins against Cal, UNC, Florida, Memphis, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Marquette bolster their resume to date. Syracuse is still the best team in the best conference.

4. Villanova- Probably my second favorite team to watch besides Kansas, but perimeter oriented teams tend to be Catch-22 in the tournament. They can beat anyone in the country when they are hot, but still are vulnerable against teams that are successful in controlling the team and turning the game into a half-court slugfest. Nonetheless, they have rebound the ball very well this season and have the all-important experience factor in their favor, led by Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fischer, Reggie Redding, and Corey Stokes.

5. Texas- Yes, they have lost two games this week, but they will grow from this rough stretch and have previously beat the #6 team on the list, Michigan State. Their two losses at Kansas State and at Connecticut are nothing to be ashamed of anyways. Damion James and Dexter Pittman form one of the three best frontcourts in the country and Avery Bradley is only going to continue to improve as the season progresses.

6. Michigan St.- The Spartans are very deep and extremely experienced, yet ultimately I do not see their starting five quite as capable as the teams in front of them. Kailin Lucas has been terrific in leading the Spartans to an unscathed Big 10 resume thus far. 3 losses show vulnerability and their signature wins remain an early season victory versus Gonzaga, along with home wins against Wisconsin and Illinois. The Spartans remain a team with a lot to improve with 2 games w) Purdue, a home game w) Ohio St, and a hostile road trip to Wisconsin, but expect them to be a tough out in March as usual.

7. West Virginia- The first 6 were easy, now it becomes a matter of personal preference. West Virginia's losses are a 1-point defeat against Syracuse, a 2 point loss at Notre Dame, and a loss at Purdue with wins against Texas A&M, Marquette, Mississippi, and this week defeated Ohio State. The Mountaineers possess balanced scoring and an outside frontcourt of Butler, Jones, and Ebanks. However, their success will ultimately be determined by the development of their guards.

8. Duke- Fresh off a tough win at Clemson, Duke comes in at #8, in spite of recent setbacks at NC State and Georgia Tech. Duke has big wins against Connecticut, Gonzaga (embarrassed), Clemson (twice), and Wake Forest. Duke remains streaky, yet, this team appears a little more poised for a tournament run than recent disappointment, thanks to Scheyer, Nolan Smith, Singler, and the continued progress of Plumlee.

9. Purdue- True they lost 3 straight, but they were ranked in the top 5 for a reason. Hummel, Moore, and Johnson form a talented, experienced nucleus for a team that desperately needs its role players to step up. Wins versus Tennessee, West Virginia, Wake Forest, at Alabama, and at Illinois speak loudest.

10. Georgetown-I give Georgetown the #10 spot, although Tennessee, BYU, Vandy, Kansas State, or Gonzaga could just as well be ranked #10. However, Georgetown plays terrific defense and will be more than battle-tested from their daunting Big East schedule. Greg Monroe must continue to improve and Austin Freeman has been sensational this year. Impressive wins include: at Pitt, UConn, Washington, Butler, and Temple.