Villanova slipping down the ranks

by Eric Schwartz

Tuesday February 23, 2010 

Villanova slipping down the ranks thumbnail

What looked like a foregone conclusion eight days ago is now something that is covered by a cloud of uncertainty.

Oh Villanova, what have you done?

After looking like a lock to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for three-quarters of the season, Nova has dropped consecutive games to Big East foes, falling back into a filed of no less than six teams that could be in the mix for a No. 1 seed. While seeding doesn’t mean everything, earning a top bill typically gives teams a bit of a home crowd edge as the committee likes to keep the top teams in their home region.

After starting the season 22-2, then Wildcats have lost consecutive games to UConn and Pittsburgh. Knowing how stacked the Big East is, there is no shame in these losses, but the timing of them could not be much worse.

There is still plenty to be determined and the final two weeks before the Big East Tournament will go a long way in doing so. After what should be an easy win against the University of South Florida, Nova finishes the year at Syracuse, at West Virginia and home against Cincinnati. Those would be games against No. 4, No. 8 and a team that until this week was in the top 25 all year.

And then they get to play those teams all over again in the Big East Tournament.

Villanova is certainly alive to get a No. 1 or No. 2 seed come March. However, their recent play just made that quest a much more difficult one.

Now the complete AP Top 25:

1. Kansas 26-1

2. Kentucky 26-1

3. Purdue 23-3

4. Syracuse 25-2

5. Duke 23-4

6. Kansas State 22-4

7. Villanova 22-4

8. West Virginia 21-5

9. Ohio State 21-7

10. New Mexico 25-3

11. Georgetown 18-7

12. Pittsburgh 21-6

13. Brigham Young 25-3

14. Michigan State 21-7

15. Butler 25-4

16. Vanderbilt 20-6

17. Wisconsin 20-7

18. Gonzaga 22-5

19. Tennessee 20-6

20. Temple 22-5

21. Texas 21-6

22. Texas A&M 19-7

23. Richmond 22-6

24. Baylor 20-6

25. Northern Iowa 24-3

Others Receiving Votes: UTEP 86, Virginia Tech 76, Maryland 57, Missouri 17, Illinois 14, Xavier 13, Marquette 11, Louisville 9, Mississippi State 5, Oklahoma State 4, Utah State 4, Wake Forest 2, Murray State 2, Cornell 2, Clemson 1.

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