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Louisville, UK split Kentucky

Menis Top 25

Christian Schmidt

Ah, itis that time of year. The time of year when spring is just beginning to hit some parts of the country, and something is in the air. Namely, the beginning of March Madness. Many publications put out the first of what will be weeks of predictions about the NCAA brackets.

No one is No. 1

Just a day after being voted the top team in the country, Florida dropped a 70-55 decision to Southeastern Conference rival Kentucky in a game that wasnit even as close as the score would indicate. The loss put Florida in the No. 4 spot this week, and raised Kentucky three notches to No. 3.

For the third time this season, Arizona is at the top spot. The previous two times the Wildcats have held the No. 1 ranking, they have lost and dropped. But those tenacious players out in the desert just keep hanging around, and lucky for them, everybody else keeps losing as well.

One note: No. 2 Louisville hasnit lost a game in nearly three months, and if the Cardinals can survive contests against Marquette and Cincinnati, they may not lose again until the postseason.

Kentucky state champions?

A more interesting question than whois No. 1 in America is just who the best team in Kentucky is. Louisville, which thrashed the Houston Cougars 81-55 Saturday, is riding a 17-game winning streak and has lost only one game this season.

On the other hand, intrastate rival Kentucky has a 12-game winning streak and is fresh off that win against Florida.

Louisville boasts an athletic, sharpshooting guard in Reece Gaines and a powerful inside presence with transfer Marvin Stone (who transferred from Kentucky to Louisville). Kentucky also has an athletic, sharpshooting guard in Keith Bogans and a strong inside presence.

Louisville has head coach Rick Pitino, widely acknowledged as one of the best, if not the best, coaches in college basketball. Kentucky has head coach Tubby Smith, a trusted assistant under Pitino who took over the program when Pitino left to coach the Boston Celtics in the NBA.

Whois better? Itis tough to say, and fans of college basketball are praying these teams end up playing it out in the tournament six weeks from now.

Missouri too much

Texas Tech head coach Bob Knight has his 800th victory, but a chance for No. 801 slipped through his fingers Sunday as the Red Raiders couldnit handle the inside strength of a talented Missouri squad.

Led by senior center Arthur Johnsonis 23 points and 13 rebounds, the Tigers beat up on the Red Raiders for an 82-73 victory. For Texas Tech, junior guard Andre Emmett had a career-high 34 points on 14-of-20 shooting. Only one other Tech player had double digits in scoring.

Tigers on a roll

At least one team from the Houston area looks likely to make the NCAA tournament, but it wonit be the Rice Owls or the Houston Cougars.

The Texas Southern Tigers are cruising through the Southwestern Athletic Conference and have won nine of their last 10 games. The 13-6 squad would get an automatic bid to the "Big Dance" if it wins the conference, which appears likely to happen.

Bakeris Dozen

Here at the Daily Cougar, weire wise enough to know that filling out a bracket is a waste of time at this point in the season. Instead, weire giving you, the loyal reader, a look at who we think the top 13 teams in the nation are at this point in the year.

Arizona has the top spot, though Louisville is perhaps just as deserving. Creighton is still out representing all the mid-major programs, and the Bluejays look like theyill be a force to be reckoned with in the tournament.

1.) Arizona

2.) Louisville

3.) Kentucky

4.) Oklahoma

5.) Florida

6.) Texas

7.) Kansas

8.) Duke

9.) Notre Dame

10.) Pittsburgh

11.) Maryland

12.) Creighton

13.) Marquette

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