RON'S WEEKLY TOP 25 BALLOTS (DETAIL)
(1997-98 SEASON)

[NOTE: This is a reconstruction, done in 2006, of what was saved from the original version of this webpage. -- Ron '06]

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Nov 10: PRE-SEASON [] Column

  1. Arizona
  2. Duke
  3. Clemson
  4. North Carolina
  5. Kansas
  6. Minnesota
  7. UCLA
  8. Fresno State
  9. Xavier
  10. South Carolina
  11. Indiana
  12. Iowa
  13. Rhode Island
  14. Mississippi
  15. Kentucky
  16. New Mexico
  17. Purdue
  18. Temple
  19. Stanford
  20. St. Joseph's
  21. Illinois State
  22. Georgia
  23. UNC-Charlotte
  24. Louisville
  25. Maryland

Nov 17 [] Column

The Princeton Tigers made the biggest impression this week with their win in the COACHES VS CANCER TOURNAMENT. Both teams showed good signs in the South Carolina-Maryland matchup at the BLACK COACHES ASSOCIATION CLASSIC. Minnesota was all hustle and no frontcourt.

  1. Arizona
  2. Duke
  3. North Carolina
  4. Kansas
  5. Clemson
  6. UCLA
  7. Fresno State
  8. South Carolina
  9. Xavier
  10. Iowa
  11. Rhode Island
  12. Mississippi
  13. Kentucky
  14. New Mexico
  15. Purdue
  16. Temple
  17. Indiana
  18. Illinois State
  19. Stanford
  20. St. Joseph's
  21. UNC-Charlotte
  22. Princeton
  23. Maryland
  24. Minnesota
  25. Louisville

Nov 24 - Columns: [] National [] ACC

Gonzaga's victory in the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC was the most surprising turn of the past week. Fresno State, Mississippi and Connecticut had impressive (albeit home) wins. "Bye, bye" to Illinois State and UNC-Charlotte, both of whom weren't ready to step it up to the next level under preseason expectations.

  1. Arizona
  2. Duke
  3. North Carolina
  4. Kansas
  5. Fresno State
  6. South Carolina
  7. UCLA
  8. Xavier
  9. Iowa
  10. Mississippi
  11. New Mexico
  12. Kentucky
  13. Purdue
  14. Maryland
  15. Clemson
  16. Rhode Island
  17. Stanford
  18. Temple
  19. Gonzaga
  20. Connecticut
  21. Indiana
  22. Princeton
  23. Georgia
  24. St. Joseph's
  25. Louisville

Dec 1 - Columns: [] National [] ACC

Big shakeup in the Top 25 after the big week of tournament action. The MAUI INVITATIONAL final (Duke-Arizona) was even better than advertized. The GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT final (North Carolina-Purdue) was great, too. Kansas (PRESEASON NIT), Georgia Tech (PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT), Hawaii (UNITED AIRLINES TIP-OFF CLASSIC), Stanford (BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL) and Michigan State (SPARTAN CLASSIC) each won holiday tournaments over name opponents.

  1. Duke
  2. North Carolina
  3. Kansas
  4. Arizona
  5. Purdue
  6. Kentucky
  7. South Carolina
  8. Xavier
  9. Iowa
  10. Mississippi
  11. New Mexico
  12. Fresno State
  13. Maryland
  14. Georgia Tech
  15. Hawaii
  16. Stanford
  17. Florida State
  18. Connecticut
  19. Arkansas
  20. Georgia
  21. Rhode Island
  22. Clemson
  23. Temple
  24. Princeton
  25. Michigan State

Dec 8 - [] Column

Kansas got a small measure of revenge by beating Arizona in the GREAT EIGHT, the team that knocked them out of last year's NCAA tournament, but then they travelled to Maryland and got tripped up by the Terps. There may yet be hope for UCLA this season.

  1. Duke
  2. North Carolina
  3. Kansas
  4. Arizona
  5. Kentucky
  6. Purdue
  7. Maryland
  8. Xavier
  9. Iowa
  10. South Carolina
  11. Stanford
  12. Fresno State
  13. Mississippi
  14. Temple
  15. UCLA
  16. New Mexico
  17. Utah
  18. Arkansas
  19. Clemson
  20. Connecticut
  21. Florida State
  22. Princeton
  23. Georgia
  24. Hawaii
  25. Ball State

Dec 15 - [] Column

ACC teams came back to earth this week. Duke travelled to Michigan for their annual grudge match and found out they weren't ready for the road. North Carolina ascends to the top spot after fighting off pesky Princeton. Kansas looked shaky against U-Mass. Temple sent Fresno State back to Square One, christening their new "Apollo of Temple" in the process.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Kansas
  3. Arizona
  4. Kentucky
  5. Purdue
  6. Duke
  7. South Carolina
  8. Temple
  9. Maryland
  10. Mississippi
  11. Stanford
  12. UCLA
  13. Xavier
  14. Utah
  15. Arkansas
  16. Connecticut
  17. Michigan
  18. Iowa
  19. New Mexico
  20. Florida State
  21. Clemson
  22. Georgia
  23. Ball State
  24. Princeton
  25. George Washington

Dec 22 - [] Column

North Carolina looks pretty comfortable in the top spot. Temple stumbled twice.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Kansas
  3. Arizona
  4. Kentucky
  5. Purdue
  6. Duke
  7. Mississippi
  8. Maryland
  9. UCLA
  10. Utah
  11. Arkansas
  12. Connecticut
  13. Xavier
  14. Clemson
  15. Stanford
  16. New Mexico
  17. Temple
  18. South Carolina
  19. Iowa
  20. Florida State
  21. Princeton
  22. George Washington
  23. Michigan
  24. Illinois
  25. Ball State

Dec 29: PRECONFERENCE - [] Column

With conference play about to get into full swing, as expected, the ACC is loaded. The SEC has surprising depth. The Atlantic 10 may not be as ready for the Great Leap Forward as it seemed.

The Top 6 are set. No. 7 is a revolving door.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Duke
  3. Kansas
  4. Arizona
  5. Kentucky
  6. Purdue
  7. Florida State
  8. Maryland
  9. Mississippi
  10. Connecticut
  11. UCLA
  12. Utah
  13. Clemson
  14. Stanford
  15. Michigan
  16. New Mexico
  17. Princeton
  18. Xavier
  19. Iowa
  20. George Washington
  21. Temple
  22. Georgia
  23. Arkansas
  24. South Carolina
  25. Indiana

Jan 5 - [] Column

Maybe it doesn't matter if Duke can't win the close ones. Rhode Island just might be in it for the long haul. Florida State's much too high this week.

In truth, there aren't 25 teams with their acts together enough to deserve a ranking.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Duke
  3. Arizona
  4. Kentucky
  5. Florida State
  6. Mississippi
  7. UCLA
  8. Connecticut
  9. Kansas
  10. Purdue
  11. Stanford
  12. Utah
  13. Michigan
  14. Iowa
  15. Clemson
  16. New Mexico
  17. Princeton
  18. Michigan State
  19. Rhode Island
  20. Hawaii
  21. George Washington
  22. Xavier
  23. Arkansas
  24. Illinois
  25. Maryland

Jan 12 - [] Column

Slow week. Nobody really made a huge impression.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Duke
  3. Arizona
  4. Kentucky
  5. Kansas
  6. UCLA
  7. Purdue
  8. Mississippi
  9. Stanford
  10. Utah
  11. Florida State
  12. Connecticut
  13. Michigan
  14. Princeton
  15. Illinois
  16. Maryland
  17. New Mexico
  18. Rhode Island
  19. Xavier
  20. Clemson
  21. Arkansas
  22. Michigan State
  23. Iowa
  24. West Virginia
  25. Miami (FL)

Jan 19 - [] Column

15 out of the 24 ranked teams that played last week lost. What does that tell you?

  1. Duke
  2. Arizona
  3. Kentucky
  4. Kansas
  5. Stanford
  6. North Carolina
  7. Purdue
  8. Utah
  9. UCLA
  10. Connecticut
  11. Michigan
  12. Clemson
  13. Mississippi
  14. Princeton
  15. Maryland
  16. Michigan State
  17. New Mexico
  18. Illinois
  19. Arkansas
  20. Iowa
  21. Florida State
  22. Indiana
  23. Rhode Island
  24. Cincinnati
  25. Massachusetts

Jan 26 - [] Column

George Washington and Illinois State crack the Top 25 on consistent play rather than a big win last week.

  1. Duke
  2. Arizona
  3. North Carolina
  4. Kentucky
  5. Stanford
  6. Kansas
  7. Utah
  8. Purdue
  9. UCLA
  10. Clemson
  11. Maryland
  12. Michigan State
  13. Illinois
  14. Michigan
  15. Connecticut
  16. Mississippi
  17. Princeton
  18. New Mexico
  19. Arkansas
  20. Cincinnati
  21. Massachusetts
  22. Indiana
  23. Rhode Island
  24. George Washington
  25. Illinois State

Feb 2 - [] Column

Arizona takes over the top spot after knocking off undefeated Stanford convincingly on the road. Utah lost for the first time, but just barely.

  1. Arizona
  2. Duke
  3. North Carolina
  4. Kansas
  5. Purdue
  6. UCLA
  7. Kentucky
  8. Utah
  9. Stanford
  10. Michigan State
  11. Illinois
  12. Connecticut
  13. New Mexico
  14. Michigan
  15. Maryland
  16. Princeton
  17. Clemson
  18. Massachusetts
  19. Arkansas
  20. Cincinnati
  21. George Washington
  22. Mississippi
  23. Xavier
  24. South Carolina
  25. Illinois State

Feb 9 - [] Column

UNC-Duke was the big game last week. Connecticut made a statement of its own, too, beating Stanford. TCU climbs into the Top 25 on consistency.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Arizona
  3. Duke
  4. Kansas
  5. Purdue
  6. Kentucky
  7. Utah
  8. Connecticut
  9. Michigan State
  10. UCLA
  11. New Mexico
  12. Illinois
  13. Stanford
  14. Arkansas
  15. Maryland
  16. Princeton
  17. Massachusetts
  18. George Washington
  19. TCU
  20. Michigan
  21. Cincinnati
  22. Temple
  23. Mississippi
  24. Rhode Island
  25. Illinois State

Feb 16 - [] Column

Last week's Second 5 all lost, so there was an opportunity for more subjective ranking than usual. Illinois turned in two strong performances while Stanford and Misssissippi stopped the bleeding.

  1. North Carolina
  2. Arizona
  3. Duke
  4. Kansas
  5. Purdue
  6. Kentucky
  7. Connecticut
  8. Stanford
  9. Illinois
  10. Utah
  11. Michigan State
  12. UCLA
  13. New Mexico
  14. Mississippi
  15. Massachusetts
  16. Princeton
  17. Cincinnati
  18. Arkansas
  19. Michigan
  20. TCU
  21. Temple
  22. Maryland
  23. Syracuse
  24. Rhode Island
  25. West Virginia

Feb 23 - [] Column

Elton Brand is back. That means Duke's back on top where they belong.

  1. Duke
  2. Arizona
  3. Kansas
  4. North Carolina
  5. Kentucky
  6. Connecticut
  7. Stanford
  8. Illinois
  9. Purdue
  10. Michigan State
  11. Utah
  12. Mississippi
  13. Arkansas
  14. Cincinnati
  15. Princeton
  16. TCU
  17. UCLA
  18. New Mexico
  19. Michigan
  20. Temple
  21. Massachusetts
  22. Xavier
  23. Iowa
  24. West Virginia
  25. Rhode Island

Mar 2: PRETOURNAMENT - [] Column

It's tournament time and of the major conferences, only the Big East and Big 12 could say for sure which is the best team in their league going into their tournaments.

  1. Duke
  2. Arizona
  3. North Carolina
  4. Kansas
  5. Kentucky
  6. Purdue
  7. Connecticut
  8. Utah
  9. Michigan State
  10. Stanford
  11. Illinois
  12. Mississippi
  13. Cincinnati
  14. Arkansas
  15. TCU
  16. Princeton
  17. Maryland
  18. Michigan
  19. Temple
  20. Massachusetts
  21. Xavier
  22. Rhode Island
  23. Clemson
  24. UCLA
  25. New Mexico

Mar 10: [Unreleased] - [] Column

[NOTE: This Top 25 Ballot was not sent out as part of the weekly e-mails. It was a private ranking I found in my notes that I made just for myself encompassing the results of the major conference tournaments. -- Ron '06]

  1. North Carolina
  2. Duke
  3. Arizona
  4. Kansas
  5. Kentucky
  6. Connecticut
  7. Purdue
  8. Maryland
  9. Michigan
  10. Cincinnati
  11. Stanford
  12. Michigan State
  13. Utah
  14. Mississippi
  15. Xavier
  16. Princeton
  17. Clemson
  18. Arkansas
  19. George Washington
  20. New Mexico
  21. Illinois
  22. Massachusetts
  23. Temple
  24. Rhode Island
  25. TCU
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Ron McBay's 1997/98 Men's College Basketball Info/Analysis WWW Page
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(c) 1997-8 [Reconstructed 2006] Ron McBay
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