NCAA Men's Coaches Poll Prediction after Week 17: Kansas tumbles, BYU is in
The new men's basketball coaches poll will come out on Monday, with several shifts in the rankings expected. Week 17 had several significant upsets and was most notable for top 20 teams struggling than for surprising potential newcomers to the top 25.
Most of the projected changes were incremental this week. A disappointing team (say, Kansas or Marquette) could move down a few slots, and a couple of teams behind them will take a step up. Still, every spot matters this close to March Madness, so let's dissect our projected coaches poll rankings after Week 17.
Projected Coaches Poll Top 25 Standings
Top 25 upsets
We have Florida dropping out of the top 25 after a loss to South Carolina. Meanwhile, Dayton had a rough second week and barely remained in the top 25.
The week's biggest story was Kansas taking a pair of losses, which caused some shake-up in the poll. Other top 25 teams that were defeated were Marquette, Auburn and Alabama.
Coaches poll: Changes in the top 10?
With UConn playing only one game this week, a snoozer to Seton Hall, and having claimed second over Purdue by a single ranking point, we expect the Boilermakers to move up this week.
Marquette slid from fifth down to eighth, and Creighton, off upsetting the Golden Eagles, got the bump into the top ten. Auburn could have moved in but suffered a loss to Tennessee.
Newcomers, er, Newcomer to the poll
We expect only one new team in the poll, and that's BYU, back in after delivering an upset of Kansas. Of course, the Cougars had just fallen out of the coaches top 25 last week. Given Dayton's struggle, keeping the team in was not a sure thing.
But here's a fact-- other than BYU, the other teams on the cusp of the top 25 all lost. Wake Forest, TCU, Texas Tech, Wisconsin? All suffered defeats this week.
Are there any surprises in our projected coaches poll rankings? Any team looking particularly overrated or underrated as March Madness heats up? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments section below.