Similar format to what I did last week. Basically high-level summarizing Iowa State along wtih the Big 12 and national landscape.
Iowa State Recap
Iowa State went 2-0 this week after crushing Drake 91-43, and narrowly beating Creighton at the Well 91-88 on the Jamie Vanderbeken last second shot (that was off before the horn, but after the red light on the backboard was on). Melvin Ejim shares the Rookie of the Week honors with Perry Jones III from Baylor. Ejim scored 22 against Creighton and 14 against Drake with a shooting percentage of about 76%. Nice to see another Cyclone get a weekly award!
Diante Garrett continues to be the leading scorer and assist man for Iowa State, averaging 18.5 ppg and 7.3 assists/game on the season. Jake Anderson is tearing it up on the glass, averaging 10 rebounds/game, as he collected 15 against Drake this week. Remember, this guy is listed as 6'2, so he's more like 6'0. He's just going all out on those long rebounds and swarming to the ball.
This week we play Kennesaw State and Montana State.
Ken Pomeroy Ratings:
This week: #89, projected to go 17-14 on the season, 5-11 in the Big 12
Nov 15: #130 projected to go 14-17, 3-13 in the Big 12
Preseason: #175, projected to go 12-19, 2-14 in the Big 12
Big 12 Power Rankings:
1. Kansas (3-0) - I doubted them, but they just look like the best team in the conference. When they get Selby, they will look even better. They play A&M Corpus Christie along with Ohio and Arizona this week.
2. Texas (3-1) - They have a loss, but they also played some tough teams. Lots of talent as usual. Question is whether they can play when it counts?
3. K-State (3-0) - Big expectations, and mix results early on. This team may need to take a few blows so Frank Martin can go nuts and have more credibility with it. A team like this seems to play better when they're an underdog as opposed to being the fave. They are in the CBE Classic in KC. They face Gonzaga tonight then Duke/Marquette. Also face Texas Southern this week.
4. Baylor (3-0) - Lots of talent, haven't played anyone. That continues when they play Lipscomb this week.
5. Mizzou (2-0) - Ditto Baylor, they face Wyoming tomorrow.
6. Texas A&M (3-0) - Ditto Mizzou, but with less talent. They do face a decent Boston College team on Thanksgiving though in the Old Spice Classic. Who they face afternoon is up to the Old Spice Guy, I hear.
7. Oklahoma State (3-0) - Ditto Texas A&M. They go to the 76 classic this weekend. They've got DePaul on Thanksgiving and who they face afterwards all depends.
8. Texas Tech - Lost to North Texas in OT but collected wins afterwards against Liberty and Stephen F. Austin. They play Georgia Southern, then head to South Padre Island to take on St. Marys along with either BYU or South Florida.
9. Nebraska - Lost to a very good Vanderbilt team, and losing to Davidson was a bit of a head scratcher there. They've got USC on Saturday.
10. Iowa State - Looking better than expected this far, and fortunate to have beat Creighton with bad foul shooting.
11. Colorado - Laid a couple of eggs this week. Lost to a Georgia team on the road. That isn't too crazy. It's losing to San Francisco in OT that's a little more interesting. At the same time, they are the only Big 12 team with more road than home games, as many of these teams haven't been tested yet. They get the downgrade now, but will probably be moving up as the season goes on.
12. Oklahoma - NC-Central took them into OT, but they edged out the Victory. They face Kentucky tonight. Probably won't be pretty. It is weird having OU ranked so low, but they are hands down the worst team in the Big 12 right now.
Top 16:
1. Duke (3-0) - Destroyed the toothpaste company (Colgate) 110-58. Play Marquette tonight (6:30pm CST, ESPN2) as part of the CBE classic. You can follow the CBE tournament by looking it up. Last week: #1
2. Ohio State (3-0) - Blew out UNC-Wilmington 81-41. Have a light schedule with Morehead State and Miami (OH) this week. Last week: #2
3. Kansas (3-0) - Took care of Valpo 79-44 and a decent North Texas team 93-60. They will play Ohio and Arizona out in Vegas on Friday and Saturday as part of the Las Vegas Invitational. Last week: #11
4. Pitt (5-0) - Had a very nice week. Beat both Maryland (79-70) and Texas (68-66). This week is a bit easier with Robert Morris and Penn, but they've played some real teams to start, so can't hate too hard on it. That Coaches v. Cancer was a pretty solid preseason tournament in my mind. Last week: #4
5. Kentucky (2-0) Went out West and beat Portland 79-48. They face Oklahoma tonight in Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. They will face either Virginia or Washington (likely Washington) tomorrow, and action concludes on Wednesday. Other first round action is Wichita State/UConn and Michigan State/Chaminade. Should be a nice little tournament out there. Last week: #10
6. Michigan State (2-0) - Beat South Carolina 82-73. They are participating in the Maui Invitational, so their schedule this week depends on that after Chaminade. I would expect to see Michigan State vs. Kentucky in the Finals, but Wichita State has the ability to surprise and Washington is pretty good too. They face Tennessee Tech on Sunday when they get back. Last week: #5
7. Georgetown (5-0) - Went 3-0 in the Charleston Classic. They won decidedly against each of Coastal Carolina, Wofford, and NC State. They've got UNC-Asheville on Saturday. Last week: Unranked
8. Villanova (4-0) - Blew out Marist, Boston U, and Lafayette. Participating in the preseason NIT semifinals out in NY. They face UCLA Wednesday night, and then either Tennessee or VCU depending on their and that game's outcome. Last week: #14
9. Syracuse (4-0) - Beat Detroit 66-55, and just got by William and Mary 63-60. They will be participating in the Legends Classic out in Atlantic City on Friday and Saturday. They've got Michigan on Friday and winner/loser (depending on what they do) of Georgia Tech and UTEP. Last week: #8
10. Texas (3-1) - Yes they lost to Pitt by 2 points on a neutral court, but they also picked up a solid win over Illinois. The play Sam Houston State and Rice this week. Last week: unranked
11. Washington (2-0) - Blew out Eastern Washington. Face Virginia tonight. They are out in Maui as well. Last week: #12
12. BYU (3-0) - Beat Utah St. and Chicago St. (Chicago is not a state, btw). Face Miss Valley State and South Florida this week. Last week: #14
13. Memphis (4-0) - Beat Miami by 4, NW St. by 15, and LSU by 9. Got Tennessee - Martin tomorrow. Last week: #13
14. Kansas State (3-0) - Beat what I thought would be a good VA Tech team by 16. Then looked shaky against Presbyterian. They are participating in the CBE Classic this week as well, as they face Gonzaga tonight then either Duke or Marquette. They face Texas Southern after CBE action. Not sure if this team is as good as I thought they were. Last week: #3
15. Illinois (4-1) - Lost to Texas in OT, but made up for it in a way with a win over Maryland the next day. They face Yale and Western Michigan this week. Good team, tougher schedule than many others. Last week: #6
16. Minnesota (5-0) - Gophers come back from Puerto Rico as champions as they knocked off Western Kentucky, a Harrison Barnes-led UNC squad, and WVU. They face North Dakota State this week. Tubby's got the Gophs playin'! Last week: Unranked
New to Poll: Georgetown, Minnesota
Dropped Out: Baylor, Wisconsin
Also considered: UNLV (3-0), Baylor (3-0), Mizzou (2-0), Wisconsin (2-1)
It is all very volatile right now. We should get a better idea of teams over the next few weeks. For now, just have to accept the wild moving around as I try to self correct from projections in the beginning.
Notable Games on TV:
Instead of trying to say every game the teams above are on TV, I thought I'd just take a look at games this week I want to watch other than Iowa State. If there's a team you want to see, I assume you can always look that up.
Tonight: I'm just having my dial set to ESPN2 if I'm home. Duke/Marquette at 6:30pm CST and K-State/Gonzaga at 8:30pm.
Tomorrow: More of the Maui Invitational on ESPN and CBE Classic on ESPN2.
Wednesday: Iowa State game and Maui Invitational on ESPN
Thursday: I love college basketball, but I think if I watch anything, it's Texas A&M - Texas.
Friday: Nothing piques my interest, but there's football.
Saturday: Iowa State in the afternoon. I'm eyeing that Arizona vs. Kansas game as well at 9:30pm CST on ESPN2
There might be more stuff on depending on when you're around and what location you are in. A lot of good football this weekend as well, so a good all around sports weekend in my mind.