NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga exposed, DePaul unbeaten among key takeaways

The AP Poll is just for fun

A feeling that rivals the disappointment when one discovers the individual they have had a secret crush on only ‘wants to be friends’ is the feeling basketball fans feel around the third week of the season when they find out the AP Poll is just for fun.

The Associated Press NCAA Basketball Top-25 Poll attracts some clicks, inspires some conversations, and allows television networks to add a number next to a school’s name in order to advertise a game that has either one or two good teams. Are they a top-15, top-10, or even a top-5? It is debatable, but if you tune in, you will see a good game.

When you have 60 plus games to watch on any given night, it becomes impossible to see every game, especially if you are a writer covering on specific match-up or one particular conference. The only way to be aware of so many games is to boil the two-hour games down to a two-minute reading of a boxscore.

On Monday, the unranked – with zero received votes – Cincinnati Bearcats held No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini to zero fast break points while Mike Saunders scored 20 and Jeremiah Davenport scored 19 as Cincinnati won 71-51. Also on Monday, fresh from falling out of the top-25 Ohio State defeated the freshly ranked No. 21, Seton Hall Pirates 79-76 on a Meechie Johnson three-point shot with two seconds remaining. E.J Liddell led Ohio State with 28 points. Johnny Davis scored 30 has Wisconsin beat No.12 Houston 65-63.

Iowa State defeated No. 25 Xavier 82-70 by scoring twenty-one second-chance points. Iona beat No. 10 Alabama 72-68  off the strength of five players scoring between eleven and fifteen points.  This was before Mustapha Amzil hit a buzzer-beater to lift Dayton over No.4 Kansas and Iowa State running No.9 Memphis out of the gym by the score of 78-59 on Friday.