College Basketball's Hot Potato

Suddenly, life as the No. 1 ranked team in college basketball is deadly.

Kansas, the latest No. 1, fell hard to Kansas State last night. Texas is now the next team in barring defeat this week.

Ohio State had made a stronghold on the ranking before losing last Saturday. But freefall is suddenly the norm.

Of course, the rankings are just to create interest for media, fans, coaches etc. The only poll a team follower really cares about is the one the moment after the national championship game. You can dance every dance at the school dance but the most important one is the last dance.

This time of the season is for positioning. Everybody’s goal is the NCAA tournament nothing less. Kansas is positioning for a No. 1 tournament seed, but last night’s loss didn’t hurt the Jayhawks that much. Kansas State needs signature victories to gain the tournament. Last night’s win was a big one for a struggling Wildcat team. That should seal the deal for an NCAA invitation.

If Texas moves to No. 1, this will give other clubs opportunity for NCAA positioning. The sudden No. 1 ranking hot potato can only give these teams greater hope.