Dom's CBB Top 25 (3/8/21)

Conference Futures

With the "Power Six" major conference tournaments starting this week, I'm going to give my pick to win and one sleeper team in each.  My rankings saw some massive movement from last week, and I'm reflecting who I believe the best 25 teams in the country are right now. For example, Villanova dropped from #10 to #24 after a win over Creighton and a loss at Providence. The real loss occurred at the point guard position though. Senior leader Collin Gillespie suffered a torn MCL and will miss the remainder of the season.  The injuries compounded when Nova's other point guard Justin Moore sprained his ankle. At this point, Villanova is no longer a Final Four contender, and no longer the favorite to win the Big East Tournament. Which brings me to my first conference tournament pick...
 

Big East
My Pick: UConn (+300) 
With James Bouknight in the lineup, UConn is 10-2 with close losses to Creighton in OT and at Villanova. Bouknight is fully healthy now and UConn is playing like a top 15 team in the country.
Sleeper: St. John's (+2000)
 

Big Ten
My Pick: Illinois (+375) 
Illinois won the most games in Big Ten conference play, yet they don't get to hang a Big Ten Championship banner. Michigan played fewer games but has the edge in win percentage, so they get that title. I expect Illinois to have a chip on their shoulder and bulldoze their way to the tournament championship, where maybe they'll meet Michigan and attempt to beat them again - this time with Ayo Dosunmu in the lineup.
Sleeper: Ohio State (+685)
 

Big 12
My Pick: Baylor (-134) 
Baylor is simply the best team in the conference by a decent margin. The path isn't easy, with a second game matchup against Oklahoma State or West Virginia, but I have to go with the most complete team here.
Sleeper: Kansas (+325)
 

Pac-12
My Pick: Oregon (+175) 
Again I have to go with the best team in the conference by a wide margin. I expect the Ducks to make the title game rather easily, then likely beat USC or Colorado.
Sleeper: Colorado (+300)
 

ACC
My Pick: North Carolina (+425) 
UNC has the size to match up well with Florida State, so I think they can get to the finals. Winning four games in four days will be tough, but with a super weak ACC field this year, why not rely on ol' Roy to win the ACC Tournament for his sixth time?
Sleeper: Georgia Tech (+2000)
 

SEC
My Pick: Alabama (+220) 
I think Alabama has the easier side of the bracket, avoiding talented teams like Arkansas or LSU until the finals. If they hit their threes, Alabama is nearly an unstoppable force.
Sleeper: LSU (+1200)
 

Questions & comments - @Dom_MSU on Twitter

 

College Basketball Top 25

1. Gonzaga
2. Baylor
3. Illinois
4. Michigan
5. Houston
6. Alabama
7. Oklahoma State
8. Iowa
9. Arkansas
10. West Virginia
11. Oregon
12. UConn
13. Loyola Chicago
14. Creighton
15. Purdue
16. Texas Tech
17. Texas 
18. Ohio State
19. Colorado
20. LSU
21. Florida State
22. Wichita State
23. USC
24. Villanova
25. San Diego State

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