zags-not-zogs's Week 2 Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue | Braden Smith baby |
| 2 | Kansas | Kevin McCullar is their best player |
| 3 | Marquette | Unproven so far, excited to watch in Maui |
| 4 | Houston | They're going to be this good again, huh... |
| 5 | Arizona | They're playing defense?!!! |
| 6 | Creighton | Need Miller to contribute at the 4 spot |
| 7 | Tennessee | Can they actually score now? Is Knecht a flash in the pan? |
| 8 | UConn | Karaban might be their best player |
| 9 | Duke | Flip and Roach are stars... need someone else to step up |
| 10 | Texas A&M | Good road win at Ohio St with Taylor IV playing poorly |
| 11 | North Carolina | Bacot's double doubles will mean more with these pieces around him |
| 12 | Florida Atlantic | Need Alijah Martin to return to form. Vlad is the real deal down low |
| 13 | Kentucky | A little shaky against Commerce, but I still believe in them long-term |
| 14 | Gonzaga | Nemby never runs out of gas, and B Huff might be the next Kelly Olynyk |
| 15 | Villanova | Not much to go on yet with Nova, but they haven't dissuaded me |
| 16 | Arkansas | So many great players, but too many mouths to feed? We will see |
| 17 | USC | Ellis and Collier look like a top 3 backcourt in the country |
| 18 | Texas | Abmas needs to be more efficient and Disu needs to get healthy |
| 19 | Michigan State | Not hitting the panic button just yet, but adjusting expectations. Freshmen aren't there yet, and need more from the veterans. |
| 20 | Baylor | Will their defense be better? JTT clearly cannot be what he once was, but Missi might make that okay. |
| 21 | Miami (FL) | I still don't trust their defense, but they have too many dogs to leave them out of the rankings |
| 22 | Colorado | The Buffs will surprise. The da Silva family owns the Pac-12 |
| 23 | Alabama | Estrada and Nelson have been better than I expected, but the bench is still questionable |
| 24 | Memphis | Dominant road win against Missouri erased some doubts I had about the Tigers |
| 25 | Mississippi State | Will their offense be functional? Early returns are positive, especially without Tolu. |
Overall Rationale
Trying not to overreact to week 1 results. Still think MSU and Duke are very good. USC, Baylor, and Arizona seem better than I expected.