zags-not-zogs's Week 17 Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arizona | (Prev: 2) Heck of a week, reasserting themselves while missing key pieces and Burries under the weather |
| 2 | Duke | (3) Took Michigan out of everything they wanted to do |
| 3 | Michigan | (1) Blasted Purdue on the road, but showed signs of weakness against Duke |
| 4 | Florida | (5) No one can tell me this team isn't playing like a top 5 team right now |
| 5 | Iowa State | (7) Beating Houston at home was a statement. Losing @ BYU isn't terribly concerning with Dybantsa going nuclear |
| 6 | Illinois | (8) Is the defense a question? Maybe. But the offense is literally one of the best of all time. |
| 7 | Houston | (4) No shame in the 2 losses taken this week. Need to lick their wounds and get back to winning though |
| 8 | UConn | (6) The fantastic resume is not matching the eye test or efficiency metrics. |
| 9 | Purdue | (9) Good bounce back from Michigan smacking them |
| 10 | Gonzaga | (13) Without Huff, they are trying to become a defense first team. They're struggling through it, but it's working for the most part |
| 11 | St. John's | (14) The Red Storm is coming. Batten down the hatches. |
| 12 | Michigan State | (15) Good bounce back week from the Spartans |
| 13 | Virginia | (17) Excited to see what they can do @ Duke |
| 14 | Nebraska | (12) Are the Huskers losing their edge against better teams? |
| 15 | Texas Tech | (10) Good answer to the doubters against KSU. But the loss @ ASU was BAD. And the Toppin injury was worse. |
| 16 | Kansas | (11) How did you let Cincinnati dominate you offensively? |
| 17 | Alabama | (21) Game of the year winners! The offense is awesome |
| 18 | BYU | (22) They're not dead yet! Dybantsa can Kemba Walker this team into success |
| 19 | Tennessee | (23) Awesome week for the Vols, capped by a road win @ Vandy |
| 20 | Saint Louis | (16) A head-scratcher @ URI. But impressive that it's their only loss in the A10. Good bounce back against VCU |
| 21 | Saint Mary's | (Next 10) BIG week for the Gaels, hosting Santa Clara and Gonzaga. Win one of those, and you're probably a tourney lock. |
| 22 | Arkansas | (Next 10) Despite the loss @ Bama, they looked awesome offensively. I've been out on the Hogs, but they converted me a bit |
| 23 | Louisville | (19) Road loss @ SMU isn't awfully concerning. |
| 24 | Utah State | (24) Road loss @ Nevada isn't awful. So many losses around them that they stay. |
| 25 | Miami (OH) | (25) Honorary spot for being undefeated. I hope they can run the table! |
Overall Rationale
Dropped out: Vanderbilt (18), North Carolina (20); Next 10: NC State, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Santa Clara, Villanova, Iowa, Miami (FL), Wisconsin, Georgia, Kentucky