NCAA Basketball Rankings Welcome New No. 1 in Syracuse

The NCAA basketball rankings have been stable at the top all year. Today, the NCAA basketball rankings finally got shaken up, after a weekend of upsets. Kansas and Kentucky had been on top for most of the year, having each only lost once. Yet upset losses on the road changed all that - and so did a big performance at the Carrier Dome. As such, the NCAA basketball rankings have Syracuse as No. 1, in the latest stunning accomplishment for Jim Boeheim's team.

Despite their decades of success under Boeheim, Syracuse has only been No. 1 twice in the last 20 years - in 1990, and in 2003 after their only national title. The Orange weren't projected as a title contender this year, but they have risen up all year. Today, the NCAA basketball rankings finally gave them room at the top.

Syracuse's blowout win over Villanova was a big factor, but Kansas, Kentucky and Purdue helped as well. On Saturday, the Jayhawks lost to Oklahoma State, while the Wildcats went down to Tennessee. Yesterday, the Boilermakers capped off an ugly week by losing to Michigan State at home. But even if third-ranked Purdue won, fourth-ranked Syracuse would have likely jumped over them.

The NCAA basketball rankings today confirmed it, as the Orange are No. 1 in both polls. Due to the other upsets, Kansas and Kentucky only slid to 2-3 in the polls, while Duke only went up to fourth. Kansas State continued their own miraculous rise at No. 5, though they have to defend that ranking at Kansas on Wednesday.

Purdue took the biggest tumble to seventh in the AP, and sixth in the coaches poll. Villanova only went down to ninth after their loss to Syracuse, while Ohio State, West Virginia and New Mexico also made the top 10 in both polls.

Thanks to the new NCAA basketball rankings, there is new debate on who the No. 1 overall seed will be, and who gets the last top seed. Syracuse is now a lock for a top seed, along with Kansas and Kentucky, and can now challenge for the overall No. 1. With Purdue now out of the top seed line, after Robbie Hummel's injury, Duke is now favored for the fourth No. 1 at the moment. Kansas State can also break in that conversation by upsetting Kansas.

Today, the focus is around Syracuse and their new No. 1 ranking. The Big East regular season champions can lock up the best overall seed by winning the Big East tournament - even though they weren't ranked in the preseason poll. However, the Orange still have to beat St. John's and Louisville first this week.

Of course, the top of the NCAA basketball rankings is filled with teams already locked in. For the next two weeks, the focus will be on bubble teams, and their efforts to seal up a berth. However, the elite still need to finish strong - which now isn't as easy as it once looked.

Sources

ESPN- "2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Rankings (Mar. 1)"

Associated Press- "Syracuse No. 1 for first time in 20 years"