After a convincing win to start conference play and a weekend of upsets, the No. 2 ranked Texas Longhorns should assume the top spot in all the polls tomorrow afternoon. The No. 1 ranking would be a first in school history.
Texas now stands as one of only two undefeated teams in the country. The super talented Kentucky Wildcats are the other one.
Thinking winning on the road in college basketball is easy? Think again. Take a look at just this weekend's results -
No. 1 Kansas lost at unranked No. 15 Tennessee, 76-68.
No. 4 Purdue lost at No. 20 Wisconsin, 73-66.
No. 5 Duke lost at No. 17 Georgia Tech, 71-67.
No. 8 West Virginia lost at unranked Notre Dame, 70-68.
No. 10 Kansas State lost at unranked Missouri, 74-68.
No. 19 Florida State is currently losing at unranked Maryland.
No. 22 Washington is currently losing at unraked Arizona.
Texas will get its first conference road test this Wednesday when they visit Iowa State.
Your Texas Longhorns are now 15-0 for the first time since 1933. They have won 14 of their 15 games by double digits and already defeated Pittsburgh, USC, North Carolina, and Michigan State. Damion James is quickly becoming one of the favorites for national player of the year and a leader for First Team All America; Dexter Pittman is the most unguardable big man in the college game; and Avery Bradley is performing as well as any freshman in the country not named John Wall. Rick Barnes' squad is the one of two or three deepest in the country, with a capable backup at all five positions.
All that said and all of that already accomplished, this team is barely scratching the surface. Texas isn't a good free throw shooting team, hasn't shown enough consistent shooting from deep and risks being zoned to death in future games, employs a three-headed and flawed attack at point guard, is still gelling as team defensively, and relies heavily on untested freshman in big spots.
Needless to say, I'm pumped about college basketball and excited to see this team through to Indianapolis. Congratulations to Rick Barnes and the Texas Longhorns for starting this season without a loss and earning the No. 1 ranking. Yeah, I know it's only January, and March matters more. But, man, No. 1 feels good.