zags-not-zogs's Week 3 Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Duke | (Prev: 2) They look unstoppable so far. I will be surprised if KU challenges them this week. |
| 2 | UConn | (1) They came out dominant against BYU, but they let a depleted inferior team claw their way back. They might have a few more issues than I suspected. |
| 3 | Purdue | (7) I wasn't a big believer after their first week, but TKR showed why his absence was so impactful. I was very impressed with their road win at Alabama. |
| 4 | Houston | (3) I'm a little more worried about this team than I was to start the year. An Auburn team that needed OT to beat Bethune-Cookman was very close to knocking them off. The freshmen look awesome, though |
| 5 | Arizona | (6) Gritty win against UCLA. They showed they don't need to rely on their freshmen. |
| 6 | Louisville | (9) Loved their win over UK. They are a very fun team. UL fans have a lot to be excited about, especially with Brown. |
| 7 | Gonzaga | (10) Their defense is shockingly elite. Struggled offensively @ ASU, but still left with a double digit win. This team looks very good. |
| 8 | Illinois | (12) The pieces are fitting together beautifully. Excited to see their matchup against Alabama. |
| 9 | Kentucky | (4) No major reasons for concern after a road loss @ Louisville. This UK team looks very good. Excited to see them play MSU this week. |
| 10 | Iowa State | (14) Great dominant win against Miss St this week. We'll know more about this team when they hit the Players' Era |
| 11 | Texas Tech | (13) Yes, I'm moving them up after a loss. Losing @ Illinois is nothing. Toppin is a star, and this team looks awesome. |
| 12 | Alabama | (8) Lived and died by the 3 against Purdue. I like Holloway's defense on the perimeter, but there's not a lot else that inspires defensive confidence. |
| 13 | Michigan | (5) They didn't lose, but I lost a ton of confidence in this team this week. The pieces aren't fitting together nearly as well as I thought so far. Monitoring. |
| 14 | Vanderbilt | (15) Not much to get excited about on their schedule till conference play. I'm taking a stab putting them this high, but early returns have been excellent. |
| 15 | Florida | (11) They didn't lose, but major concerns are emerging for this team. The frontcourt isn't as good as expected, and the backcourt hasn't arrived yet. |
| 16 | BYU | (16) Valiant effort shorthanded against UConn. Increased my confidence in this team. |
| 17 | Tennessee | (17) Looking good against inferior opponents. Wait and see till the Players' Era. |
| 18 | St. John's | (18) Looked good in 1 game since the Bama loss. This team still has the pieces to be good. |
| 19 | NC State | (22) They've been nothing but dominant to this point. An intriguing game against VCU tonight will give us more info. |
| 20 | Michigan State | (23) I don't see much talent on this team, but that's never stopped Izzo, and it's not stopping him now. I'm interested to see them play UK. |
| 21 | Saint Mary's | (25) They've played 4 decent mid-majors and BLASTED each of them. They look very good. Their non-con is 100% decent-to-good mid-majors, but nothing eye-popping. |
| 22 | North Carolina | (21) They've looked good since Trimble went down, but there is some cause for concern without him. |
| 23 | Indiana | (19) What in the world was that game against Incarnate Word??? Hopefully just a dud. I remain interested by this team. |
| 24 | UCLA | (20) Showed a lot of fight against Arizona. I just wonder how high this team's ceiling is... |
| 25 | San Diego State | (24) Didn't play last week, and only 1 game this week. Lots remains to be seen with the Aztecs. |
Overall Rationale
Dropped out: None. Next 10: Wisconsin, Auburn, Baylor, Georgia, Ole Miss, Georgetown, Utah State, USC, Kansas, Arkansas