As a fan, we love upsets. Who doesn't want to see David beat Goliath? Or the glass slipper fit Cinderella?
Sports writers, that's who. Upsets mean more work for us. Last-minute comebacks lead to 11th-hour rewrites. Your friendly neighborhood sports reporter is the only one leaving the building unhappy following an "instant-classic" win.
We know: No one cares.
So we'll stop whining and get on with our upset-influenced Rotoballer college hoops rankings, as of December 12, 2017 (won-loss records in parentheses).
NCAA College Basketball (CBB) Rankings
1. Villanova, (10-0)
No upsets for Jay Wright's Wildcats. Heck, they made a win over No. 12 (according to the AP) Gonzaga look easy. Is Jalen Brunson (17.2 PPG/4.8 APG) the best point guard in the country? No, but he may be the most NBA-ready. A poor man's CP3.
2. Michigan State, (9-1)
Tom Izzo is another coach who always seems to have his teams ready for whatever opponent is in front of them. Doesn't hurt to have forward Miles Bridges (15.6 PPG/6.9 RPG) either. Something must be in the water in Bridges' hometown of Flint. Sorry. That's not funny.
3. Duke, (11-1)
The Blue Devils were rolling along until they went to BC last weekend. Then, the Eagles emerged with an upset ACC win--perhaps their first signature victory since joining the conference. Freshman guard Gary Trent Jr. (13.8 PPG) is one of the few Dukies to have a good game at Chestnut Hill (25 points).
4. Miami, (8-0)
The Hurricanes haven't even had any close calls so far this season. Senior guard Ja'Quan Newton (10.4 PPG/3.0 APG) is averaging 1.5 steals per contest.
5. Wichita State, (8-1)
Senior forward Darral Willis Jr. (11.7 PPG/6.4 RPG) has helped keep the Shockers on the right side of the scoreboard most of this season. If they can navigate the AAC schedule unblemished, look out.
6. Texas A&M, (8-1)
The Aggies went into the Valley of the Sun Showcase and came out with a big "L" to, uh, showcase. Senior forward Robert Williams is averaging 10.4 boards per contest. If only he could score it...
7. Xavier, (9-1)
The Musketeers have won four in a row. And they made it look easy in all of them. Trevon Bluiett (21.7 PPG/5.4 RPG) is part of the reason why. The pollsters love Arizona State--and they account for the only blemish on the X-Men's record right now.
8. Arizona State, (8-0)
Speaking of the Sun Devils, they remain undefeated, and have a signature (upset?) win at Kansas on their resume. They also have senior guard Tra Holder (21.2 PPG/5.6 RPG/5.2 APG).
9. North Carolina, (9-1)
The Tar Heels seem to have put UNC's academic scandal in their collective rearview mirror--and they may have left the rest of the country there, too. Junior forward Luke Maye (19.9 PPG/10.5 RPG) always makes the grade for us.
10. Kentucky, (8-1)
No word yet on when John Calipari's team will officially join the NBA G-League, but freshman forward Kevin "Fort" Knox (15.2 PPG/5.8 RPG) can probably start counting his cash--figuratively. We hope.
College Basketball Chat Room - Live Advice
[iflychat_embed id="c-78" hide_user_list="yes" hide_popup_chat="no" height="320px"]