Which State Has the Best College Basketball?

With all of the hoopla surrounding the Memphis-Tennessee matchup in a #1 vs. #2 men's college basketball show down, there hasn't been much credit given to the state of Tennessee for it's ability to produce the two best basketball team's in the nation... at least for this week anyway.

But Tennessee is not the only state having a good showing in college basketball this season. There are a few other states that worth noting as well, but I'll start with the Volunteer State since they are atop of the rankings and all...

Tennessee

Not only do Tennesseans get to enjoy the great pride of being a citizen of a state that boast the top two college basketball programs in the nation, but they actually get to watch both teams square off in a rare matchup of #1 vs. #2. But those aren't the only teams in Tennessee that have represented the state well. Vanderbilt is also having a stellar season at 22-4 and they are ranked 20^th and 16^th in each of the national polls.

Two teams in the top 2, and three teams in the top 25 is very, very impressive for a state that generally gets overlooked when talking about men's college basketball.

Texas

The land of football shouldn't be counted out of the basketball discussion either. As usual, Texas is a top ranked team in hoops as well. They have beaten the likes of Kansas, UCLA, and Memphis this season, and have garnered a record of 21-4 and #7 ranking in the polls.

Texas A&M is no slouch either. They are 20-6 with wins over the aforementioned Texas and Oklahoma. They are currently ranked #22 in the polls.

And you can't sleep on Houston or Baylor. Baylor has been a formidable opponent and is battle tested with a strength of schedule that ranks 38^th in the nation. And Houston is also an underrated team that has a Top 50 RPI, as does Baylor.

California

You can't really talk about states with good basketball teams without mentioning the great state of California.

Surprisingly, St. Mary's College has prevailed as one of the best mid-majors in the nation, and they are currently a top the West Coast Conference standings. They are ranked #23 in the nation, have a 21-3 record, and they are the 26^th team in terms of RPI.

UCLA heads the California class. They are ranked #6 in the polls with a record of 22-3. They have beaten the likes of Michigan State, California, Washington State, and USC. They are a top of the Pac-10 for the first place, but they are having a hard time holding off the second place team, the Stanford Cardinals.

Stanford is challenging UCLA as the team to beat in both California and the Pac-10. They sit at 21-4, with three conference losses and they are only a half game back of UCLA for the Pac-10 lead. They are ranked 9^th in both polls and they could jump UCLA if they can knock them off on March 6^th when the Bruins travel north to Stanford for a California showdown.

And despite USC's up and down season, they are still an NCAA bona fide team. They only have a 15-9 record, but their strength of schedule is 11^th in the nation and they rank #37 in terms of RPI.

Indiana

Ahh! The Hoosier state, where basketball was born... sort of. Anyone who watched Hoosiers had to walk away from the movie thinking that people in Indiana really love their amateur basketball. What Bobby Knight did at Indiana boosted that program to its current elite status as one of the most celebrated college basketball universities in the nation. Kelvin Sampson is doing his best to tear down that legacy, but even his cheating antics can't tear down the house that Knight and Indiana fans built, which is why the Hoosiers are ranked 14^th and 15^th in the national polls.

But they aren't the only ones in Indiana keeping the state's appreciation for basketball in good spirits. The Butler Bulldogs are actually having an even better season at 24-2 and they are ranked 8^th in the national polls. Their Horizon League is getting and deserving of a lot more respect these days, and if they run the table leading up until the Field of 65, they could be in for a top two seed that hasn't been given to a true mid-major in a few years.

Then of course, there is Purdue, which ranks 14^th and 15^th and is right there with Indiana in the national polls. Purdue is battling it out with Indiana for the top seed in the Big Ten tournament at the end of the season, and that could determine which school from Indiana has the easier route to the Big Ten championship game.

And we can't leave out Notre Dame, who after a rough start to their season, have bounced back to a 19-5 record and a #21 ranking in the polls. They are only a game back of the Big East lead and they will play Louisville on February 28^th to play for a possible share of the Big East lead.

So if prior to reading this you thought amateur basketball got better than the Hoosier State this year, you might have to rethink your conclusion.

Honorable Mention States:

North Carolina

Kansas