2012 College Basketball Power Rankings – Top 5 National Title Contenders: The 2012-13 college basketball season is a few weeks old, and while there are plenty of big games left to come once conference play begins, there have already been some heavyweight out-of-conference battles. As a result, teams are already moving up and down the rankings, and while some are living up to the preseason hype, others have fallen flat. To see how the top teams in the country stack up, here is the year’s first installment of Power Rankings.
2012 College Basketball Power Rankings: Top 5 National Title Contenders
1. Duke Blue Devils (9-0)
They might not be the best team on paper, but on the court, nobody can match the Blue Devils’ early season resume. Heavyweights Kentucky and Louisville are already on Duke’s hit list, along with two other solid teams in Minnesota and VCU. Sure, the Blue Devils are thin inside, but it isn’t going to matter if Mason Plumlee keeps averaging a double-double and is shooting 67 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Seth Curry’s game is only expanding, sophomore point guard Quinn Cook is improving and freshman Rasheed Sulaimon is the real deal as a scorer. Duke has the personnel to spread teams out and kill them from the perimeter, and based on their victims thus far, the rest of the country should be worried.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (9-0)
They are loaded on paper, and at 9-0, the Hoosiers are living up to the preseason hype. Cody Zeller and Christian Watford lead a high-powered offense that currently ranks third in scoring, seventh in field goal percentage and is tied for first in points per possession. Meanwhile, Jordan Hulls, Victor Oladipo and Will Sheehey give Indiana five starters averaging in double figures, and freshman point guard Kevin Ferrell is leading the team in assists. The Hoosiers didn’t exactly crush Georgia and needed overtime to get by Georgetown, but their slide to No. 2 has more to do with the teams Duke has beat than Indiana’s play. Zeller and company are loaded and primed for a big year.
3. Louisville Cardinals (8-1)
The offense has a few more playmakers than in years past, and guard Russ Smith is looking like he wants to be a go-to scorer down the stretch of games. More importantly, the Cardinals’ defense is as vicious and suffocating as ever, and Louisville completely shut down a high-scoring Missouri offense last week. A five-point loss to Duke is nothing to frown on, especially considering the Cardinals were missing their best post defender in Gorgui Dieng. Louisville will actually have to weather the loss of Dieng for several weeks, but the Cardinals appear to have just enough offense to support their defense and make another run in March.
4. Michigan Wolverines (9-0)
Point guard Trey Burke is off to a fast start, and when he is playing well, the Wolverines reach another level. His backcourt mate Tim Hardaway Jr. has also helped the cause by showing the consistency he has lacked in his first two seasons. Hardaway is currently averaging more than 18 points per game while shooting 61.8 percent from the field and 47.6 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, freshman forward Glenn Robinson Jr. has filled a void in the frontcourt and is leading the Wolverines in rebounding. Michigan has solid wins over Pittsburgh and Kansas State already under its belt, and all the young talent on this team sees ready to explode.
5. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1)
The Buckeyes don’t have a statement victory just yet, but forward Deshaun Thomas and point guard Aaron Craft have definitely answered any questions about whether or not they can carry the offense now that Jared Sullinger is in the NBA. Thomas is averaging a team-high 24.0 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 54.0 percent from the field. More importantly, Craft is averaging more than 14 points per game and has a 7.0 assist to turnover ratio. Ohio State still needs to work out a rotation and figure out who its top role players will be, but Thomas and Craft are leading an offense that ranks in the top 10 in field goal percentage and is tied for first in points per possession. The Buckeyes are still a factor.
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