NCAA Basketball Power Rankings – Longhorns take top spot, Wildcats not far behind

Online betting players have been waiting for the first BetOnline Power Rankings of the season for college basketball, and it’s fitting to begin when teams are beginning the conference portion of their schedule.

1. Texas (15-0, 1-0): The Longhorns have come up big in their tests against North Carolina and Michigan State, and in Dexter Pittman and Damion Jones, they have one of the best interiors in the country.

2. Kentucky (17-0, 2-0): The Wildcats also have strong post play in DeMarcus Cousins and Patrick Patterson, but it’s possible No.1 pick John Wall that makes Kentucky go.

3. Villanova (15-1, 4-0): ‘Nova survived a tough trip to Louisville thanks to Scottie Reynolds’ heroics, but it gets no easier as they await Georgetown this weekend.

4. Syracuse (15-1, 2-1): The Orangemen bounced back from a loss against Pitt with big wins over Memphis and South Florida. ‘Cuse heads out on the road for three straight, beginning Wednesday at Rutgers.

5. Kansas (14-1, 0-0): The Jayhawks lost to a depleted Tennessee team, and now there are rumors of discontent on the talented squad. Coach Bill Self needs to rally his team if the Jayhawks want to live up to their billing as NCAA basketball betting favorites come March.

6. Michigan State (13-3, 3-0): The Spartans have won four straight since losing at Texas, and sophomore forward Draymond Green has really stepped up his game.

7. Tennessee (12-2, 0-0): The Vols got rid of Tyler Smith and other important players, and still upset Kansas. Too bad it’s been overshadowed by the Lane Kiffin debacle over at the football program.

8. Purdue (14-2, 2-2): This is being generous as the Boilermakers have lost their last two Big Ten games, but Robbie Hummel’s 29-point outburst in the first half in their Ohio State loss has been the performance of the season so far.

9. Georgetown (12-2, 3-1): The Hoyas recovered from their loss at Marquette to beat UConn, and if you’re looking for a March Madness darkhorse in your Sportsbook, Georgetown could be the pick to make.

10. Pitt (13-2, 3-0): The Panthers have won six in a row, and they end a run of three straight road games with a tough test at UConn this weekend.

11. Duke (13-2, 1-1): To their credit, the Blue Devils lost to a talented Georgia Tech team on the road but like last year, they’re choosing to live and die with the three-point shot, which may not be good for their NCAA basketball betting odds.

12. North Carolina (12-4, 1-0): These Tar Heels have been underwhelming this season, and they’ll be out for their first road win of the year when they head to Clemson on Wednesday.

13. West Virginia (12-2, 3-1): The Mountaineers had high expectations coming into the season, but they need to right the ship quickly after losing two of their last three, both on the road.

14. Kansas State (14-2, 1-1): No one is really talking about the Wildcats, who share a conference with Texas and Kansas, and we’ll see what they’re made of in the Big 12 portion of the schedule. Losing at Missouri wasn’t a good look.

15. Georgia Tech (12-3, 1-1): Beating Duke was the best possible response after being upset by Georgia, but now they have back-to-back road games at Virginia and North Carolina.

16. UConn (11-4, 2-2): The Huskies began a tough stretch with a loss at Georgetown, and then they host Pitt on Wednesday before heading to Michigan on the weekend.

17. Ohio State (12-5, 2-3): Their record isn’t great, but the Buckeyes showed a lot of heart in their comeback win at Purdue on Tuesday. Watch for Evan Turner’s name when it comes to national Player of the Year talk.

18. Wisconsin (13-3, 3-1): The Badgers could be the wild-card in the Big Ten race, coming off a solid win against Purdue.

19. Gonzaga (12-3, 1-0): The Bulldogs are back on track after they were blown out by Duke, and an overtime win over Illinois should give them a boost heading into the WCC part of the slate.

20. BYU (16-1, 1-0): The Cougars pulled out a nice win over UNLV, and junior guard Jimmer Fredette may be the best player in the country outside of the major conferences.