RON'S WEEKLY TOP 25 BALLOTS
(1998-99 SEASON)

Each Sunday night, I make out a new Top 25 ballot.

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98 Nov 6: PRESEASON - [] Column

  1. Stanford
  2. Duke
  3. Connecticut
  4. Kentucky
  5. Michigan State
  6. Maryland
  7. Arkansas
  8. Utah
  9. Washington
  10. Massachusetts
  11. Tennessee
  12. Purdue
  13. Georgia
  14. UCLA
  15. Clemson
  16. Temple
  17. Xavier
  18. New Mexico
  19. Rhode Island
  20. College of Charleston
  21. Syracuse
  22. Oklahoma State
  23. Fresno State
  24. Wake Forest
  25. Indiana
Nov 16 - [] Column
Temple looked good winning the COACHES VS. CANCER CLASSIC. Rhode Island impressed "winning" the CoSIDA CLASSIC and then unimpressed with a blowout loss. Arizona showed there's yet life left in them 'Cats (at the expense of Tennessee, who's not yet ready for prime time). Wake Forest is too green right now, but keep an eye on them for later.

  1. Stanford
  2. Duke
  3. Connecticut
  4. Kentucky
  5. Michigan State
  6. Maryland
  7. Utah
  8. Purdue
  9. Georgia
  10. Washington
  11. Massachusetts
  12. UCLA
  13. Temple
  14. Tennessee
  15. Xavier
  16. Clemson
  17. New Mexico
  18. Arkansas
  19. College of Charleston
  20. Syracuse
  21. Oklahoma State
  22. Fresno State
  23. Arizona
  24. Indiana
  25. Rhode Island
Nov 23 - [] Column
North Carolina looked great in their first real test against Georgia, so they make the big jump straight into the Top 10. Miami (Ohio) and Cincinnati break into the rankings on the backs of teams with plummeting reputations (Tennessee and Rhode Island). Oklahoma State (ZIPPY'S INVITATIONAL) and Villanova (TOP OF THE WORLD) break in on the strength of mid-level tournaments. Massachusetts hangs on only because nobody else had earned their way into the Top 25.

  1. Stanford
  2. Duke
  3. Connecticut
  4. Kentucky
  5. Maryland
  6. Michigan State
  7. Temple
  8. North Carolina
  9. Purdue
  10. Georgia
  11. UCLA
  12. Clemson
  13. Xavier
  14. Utah
  15. Washington
  16. Miami (Ohio)
  17. Oklahoma State
  18. Syracuse
  19. New Mexico
  20. Tennessee
  21. Cincinnati
  22. Arizona
  23. Indiana
  24. Villanova
  25. Massachusetts
Nov 30 - [] Column
Lots of movement in the rankings following the Thanksgiving tournaments. Maryland leaps all the way to the top after routing the loaded field at the PUERTO RICO SHOOTOUT (but Pittsburgh impressed there as well). North Carolina shouldn't even be this good this early, but they came away with the PRESEASON NIT crown. Cincinnati stunned Duke to take home the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT title. Syracuse did yeoman's work by winning the MAUI INVITATIONAL over a solid field. Washington played solidly in winning the BIG ISLAND CLASSIC.

  1. Maryland
  2. Connecticut
  3. North Carolina
  4. Michigan State
  5. Cincinnati
  6. Duke
  7. Stanford
  8. Pittsburgh
  9. Kentucky
  10. Temple
  11. Syracuse
  12. Purdue
  13. Washington
  14. UCLA
  15. Indiana
  16. Utah
  17. Kansas
  18. Georgia
  19. Miami (Ohio)
  20. New Mexico
  21. Clemson
  22. Tennessee
  23. Arizona
  24. Oklahoma State
  25. Creighton
Dec 7 - [] Column
We didn't learn much we didn't know among the top teams. They're pretty interchangeable at this point, without any one of them seeming invincible.

  1. Maryland
  2. Connecticut
  3. Duke
  4. Cincinnati
  5. Stanford
  6. Michigan State
  7. Kentucky
  8. North Carolina
  9. Purdue
  10. Indiana
  11. UCLA
  12. Temple
  13. Pittsburgh
  14. Syracuse
  15. Georgia
  16. New Mexico
  17. Clemson
  18. Tennessee
  19. St. John's
  20. Washington
  21. Arizona
  22. College of Charleston
  23. Penn State
  24. Ohio University
  25. Creighton
Dec 14 - [] Column
Nobody below St. John's is playing good ball right now.

  1. Duke
  2. Connecticut
  3. Cincinnati
  4. Kentucky
  5. Michigan State
  6. Maryland
  7. Stanford
  8. North Carolina
  9. Purdue
  10. UCLA
  11. St. John's
  12. Indiana
  13. Clemson
  14. New Mexico
  15. Temple
  16. Georgia
  17. Pittsburgh
  18. Miami (Ohio)
  19. Arizona
  20. Tennessee
  21. Syracuse
  22. Oklahoma State
  23. Kansas
  24. Washington
  25. College of Charleston
Dec 21 - [] Column
Lots of reshuffling (not particularly related to this past week's results). Minnesota, Creighton and Iowa are all playing off each other's rep.

  1. Duke (10-1)
  2. Kentucky (10-1)
  3. Maryland (11-1)
  4. Cincinnati (9-0)
  5. Connecticut (8-0)
  6. Stanford (7-2)
  7. North Carolina (12-1)
  8. Michigan State (6-3)
  9. Purdue (11-1)
  10. UCLA (6-2)
  11. St. John's (9-2)
  12. Indiana (11-2)
  13. New Mexico (6-0)
  14. Arizona (6-0)
  15. Minnesota (7-1)
  16. Temple (6-4)
  17. Creighton (7-2)
  18. Iowa (8-1)
  19. Kansas (8-2)
  20. Clemson (9-1)
  21. Tennessee (7-3)
  22. Miami (Ohio) (6-2)
  23. Georgia (7-3)
  24. Wisconsin (10-1)
  25. Auburn (11-0)
Dec 27: PRECONFERENCE - [] Column
The preseason is over. The pecking order among the elite teams isn't quite so certain, but one thing is: The Big 10 had a great showing.

  1. Duke (11-1)
  2. Maryland (13-1)
  3. Cincinnati (11-0)
  4. Connecticut (9-0)
  5. Stanford (9-2)
  6. Michigan State (9-3)
  7. Kentucky (10-3)
  8. St. John's (10-2)
  9. North Carolina (12-2)
  10. Purdue (12-2)
  11. Louisville (5-2)
  12. Pittsburgh (8-4)
  13. Wisconsin (12-1)
  14. Minnesota (8-1)
  15. UCLA (7-2)
  16. Indiana (12-2)
  17. Auburn (11-0)
  18. Clemson (11-1)
  19. Tennessee (8-3)
  20. Arizona (6-0)
  21. Creighton (8-2)
  22. Oklahoma State (7-3)
  23. Gonzaga (8-3)
  24. Georgia (8-3)
  25. Syracuse (8-3)
Jan 4 - [] Column
I guess Auburn's for real after all, eh? Now that we've hit conference play, the Big 10 teams will start feeding off of each other's reputation, so they'll all likely be a bit overrated by tournament time. (Either that or they'll all be tournament tough.)

  1. Duke (13-1)
  2. Cincinnati (12-0)
  3. Connecticut (11-0)
  4. Michigan State (11-3)
  5. Kentucky (12-3)
  6. Stanford (11-2)
  7. Maryland (13-2)
  8. St. John's (11-2)
  9. Auburn (13-0)
  10. UCLA (9-2)
  11. Purdue (12-2)
  12. North Carolina (13-3)
  13. Minnesota (9-1)
  14. Louisville (6-3)
  15. Ohio State (12-3)
  16. Iowa (11-1)
  17. Wisconsin (12-3)
  18. Indiana (14-3)
  19. Oklahoma State (9-3)
  20. Syracuse (10-3)
  21. Creighton (10-2)
  22. Arizona (8-1)
  23. Georgia (10-3)
  24. Clemson (11-3)
  25. Providence (9-4)
Jan 11 - [] Column
Connecticut and Cincinnati flip-flop because the Bearcats let lesser teams hang around too long. The teams at #11-#15 are a grab bag. Likewise, #21-#25 has more to do with who had a good week last week as much as who's having a good year.

  1. Duke (15-1)
  2. Connecticut (13-0)
  3. Cincinnati (15-0)
  4. Kentucky (14-3)
  5. Stanford (13-2)
  6. Maryland (15-2)
  7. Auburn (15-0)
  8. Michigan State (12-4)
  9. Louisville (8-3)
  10. North Carolina (14-3)
  11. Ohio State (13-3)
  12. Wisconsin (13-3)
  13. Purdue (13-3)
  14. St. John's (13-3)
  15. Iowa (12-1)
  16. UCLA (11-3)
  17. Syracuse (11-3)
  18. Oklahoma State (11-3)
  19. Minnesota (10-2)
  20. Arizona (11-1)
  21. Tennessee (10-4)
  22. Florida (11-2)
  23. Miami (Ohio) (11-3)
  24. Gonzaga (12-4)
  25. College of Charleston (12-2)
Jan 18 - [] Column
Stanford, Maryland and Oklahoma each posted a solid road win in-conference against a league power.

  1. Duke (17-1)
  2. Connecticut (15-0)
  3. Stanford (15-2)
  4. Maryland (16-2)
  5. Auburn (17-0)
  6. Cincinnati (16-1)
  7. Michigan State (14-4)
  8. Kentucky (15-4)
  9. Louisville (10-3)
  10. Wisconsin (16-3)
  11. St. John's (15-3)
  12. North Carolina (15-4)
  13. Iowa (13-2)
  14. Minnesota (11-3)
  15. UCLA (12-4)
  16. Tennessee (11-4)
  17. Ohio State (13-5)
  18. Purdue (14-4)
  19. Arizona (12-2)
  20. Miami (Ohio) (12-3)
  21. Gonzaga (14-4)
  22. Indiana (16-5)
  23. Oklahoma (13-4)
  24. Providence (12-5)
  25. New Mexico (15-2)
Jan 25 - [] Column
The Top 6 are the real contenders, but they're not out of reach from the Top 20. 21-25 have piled up win streaks against also-ran competition.

  1. Duke (19-1)
  2. Stanford (17-2)
  3. Connecticut (17-0)
  4. Maryland (18-2)
  5. Cincinnati (18-1)
  6. Kentucky (17-4)
  7. Wisconsin (18-3)
  8. Michigan State (16-4)
  9. Auburn (18-1)
  10. St. John's (16-4)
  11. Ohio State (15-5)
  12. North Carolina (17-4)
  13. UCLA (14-4)
  14. Louisville (10-5)
  15. Minnesota (12-4)
  16. Iowa (13-4)
  17. Miami (Florida) (12-4)
  18. Florida (14-3)
  19. Arizona (13-3)
  20. Gonzaga (16-4)
  21. Tennessee (12-5)
  22. Utah (14-4)
  23. Xavier (15-4)
  24. College of Charleston (16-2)
  25. Murray State (18-2)
Feb 1: MIDCONFERENCE - [] Column
The teams in the MVC are playing good ball, but no one team has emerged as the clear favorite. The Big 12 teams keep losing at home, which isn't a good sign. The elite teams in the WAC (after Utah) and the Atlantic 10 are all smoke and mirrors.

  1. Duke (21-1)
  2. Connecticut (19-0)
  3. Cincinnati (20-1)
  4. Stanford (18-3)
  5. Kentucky (19-4)
  6. Wisconsin (19-3)
  7. Michigan State (18-4)
  8. Auburn (20-1)
  9. St. John's (17-5)
  10. Maryland (19-3)
  11. Arizona (15-3)
  12. Iowa (15-4)
  13. Ohio State (16-6)
  14. North Carolina (18-5)
  15. UCLA (15-5)
  16. Minnesota (13-5)
  17. Tennessee (14-5)
  18. Miami (Ohio) (14-4)
  19. Utah (16-4)
  20. Gonzaga (18-4)
  21. Florida (15-4)
  22. Miami (Florida) (13-5)
  23. College of Charleston (18-2)
  24. Murray State (20-2)
  25. Mississippi (15-7)
Feb 8 - [] Column
Look who's back: it's the Washington Huskies!

  1. Duke (23-1)
  2. Connecticut (20-1)
  3. Cincinnati (21-2)
  4. Michigan State (20-4)
  5. Auburn (22-1)
  6. St. John's (18-6)
  7. Stanford (19-4)
  8. Kentucky (19-6)
  9. Arizona (16-4)
  10. Maryland (20-4)
  11. Ohio State (17-6)
  12. Wisconsin (19-5)
  13. UCLA (17-5)
  14. North Carolina (19-6)
  15. Miami (Ohio) (17-4)
  16. Iowa (15-6)
  17. Utah (18-4)
  18. Miami (Florida) (15-5)
  19. Minnesota (14-6)
  20. Mississippi (17-7)
  21. Florida (16-5)
  22. Gonzaga (19-5)
  23. Washington (14-7)
  24. College of Charleston (21-2)
  25. Indiana (18-7)
Feb 15 - [] Column
Give credit where credit is due. Only 3 teams have made it this far with only one loss. They deserve to be the Top 3, don't they?

  1. Duke (25-1)
  2. Connecticut (22-1)
  3. Auburn (24-1)
  4. Michigan State (22-4)
  5. St. John's (20-6)
  6. Kentucky (20-6)
  7. Cincinnati (21-4)
  8. Maryland (22-4)
  9. Stanford (20-5)
  10. Arizona (18-4)
  11. Ohio State (19-6)
  12. Wisconsin (21-5)
  13. Utah (20-4)
  14. Miami (Ohio) (19-4)
  15. Iowa (16-7)
  16. North Carolina (19-7)
  17. UCLA (17-7)
  18. Miami (Florida) (17-5)
  19. Gonzaga (21-5)
  20. Louisville (14-7)
  21. Purdue (18-7)
  22. Tennessee (16-7)
  23. Florida (17-6)
  24. College of Charleston (23-2)
  25. Mississippi (17-8)
Feb 22 - [] Column
Long time no see for the Temple Owls. They've regrouped inside the weak Atlantic 10. It remains to be seen how that will translate when they go back out of conference in the postseason.

  1. Duke (27-1)
  2. Michigan State (25-4)
  3. Auburn (25-1)
  4. Connecticut (23-2)
  5. St. John's (22-6)
  6. Cincinnati (23-4)
  7. Stanford (22-5)
  8. Maryland (23-4)
  9. Kentucky (21-7)
  10. Arizona (20-4)
  11. Ohio State (21-6)
  12. Miami (Florida) (19-5)
  13. Utah (22-4)
  14. UCLA (19-7)
  15. Wisconsin (21-6)
  16. Iowa (17-7)
  17. North Carolina (21-7)
  18. Tennessee (18-7)
  19. Florida (18-6)
  20. Miami (Ohio) (19-6)
  21. Gonzaga (22-6)
  22. Louisville (16-8)
  23. College of Charleston (25-2)
  24. Temple (18-8)
  25. New Mexico (20-6)
Mar 1: PRETOURNAMENT - [] Column
Two points away from an undefeated season and a 25-point average scoring margin ... you can't have asked Duke to have played any better.

  1. Duke (29-1)
  2. Michigan State (26-4)
  3. Connecticut (25-2)
  4. Cincinnati (25-4)
  5. Stanford (24-5)
  6. Auburn (26-2)
  7. Maryland (25-4)
  8. St. John's (23-7)
  9. Ohio State (22-7)
  10. Miami (Florida) (21-5)
  11. Utah (24-4)
  12. UCLA (21-7)
  13. Kentucky (22-8)
  14. Arizona (20-6)
  15. Tennessee (20-7)
  16. Miami (Ohio) (21-6)
  17. College of Charleston (28-2)
  18. Gonzaga (24-6)
  19. North Carolina (22-8)
  20. Florida (19-7)
  21. Indiana (22-9)
  22. Iowa (18-8)
  23. Louisville (17-9)
  24. Wisconsin (21-8)
  25. Princeton (20-6)
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