Goz’s College Basketball Poll (Week 1)

This season I’ll be providing my own personal Top 25 poll each week during the college basketball season. My poll philosophy is ranking the teams I believe are the best twenty five best in the country following that given week’s games. These rankings tip off this week and will run until January, when then we shift our projections to "mock brackets" . The complete poll is listed below.

1) Kentucky

2) Duke

3) Villanova

4) Kansas

5) North Carolina

6) Oregon

7) Virginia

8) Indiana

9) Wisconsin

10) Arizona

11) Xavier

12) Michigan State

13) Louisville

14) Gonzaga

15) Purdue

16) UCLA

17) Syracuse

18) UConn

19) St, Mary's

20) West Virginia

21) Texas

22) Maryland

23) Rhode Island

24) Iowa State

25) Dayton

Why Kentucky over Duke at #1- If we had did this first poll back in October, I would have had Duke number one overall.  Instead Coach K's team is dealing with injuries with Harry Giles and Marques Bolden. Does Duke enter the season with the best talent on their roster? Yes. However the poll is reflective of now, rather than the future in the season. Even with injuries the Blue Devils sitting at number shows how good this team is from top to bottom

Indiana at 8?- I absolutely love the Hoosiers this year in college basketball. Indiana was bumped out of the NCAA tournament by North Carolina in the Sweet 16. The Tar Heels went all the way to the national championship game before losing to Villanova at the buzzer. Thomas Bryant has the potential to be the player of the year this season. Look out for the Hoosiers to be a dark horse to win it all in April

Gonzaga and St. Mary's undefeated until February?- The Bulldogs and Gaels will be favored in every game they play until they beat against one another in February. Don't be stunned if two teams enter the NCAA Tournament from the WCC this season.