
In the three weeks that have passed since the last set of rankings, Penn has managed to win a game. The Quakers topped NJIT last week, but have gone just 1-3 overall since the January 12 rankings.
Penn just simply isn’t very good, and I’ll leave it at that.
5. Temple (6-14)
Temple is 1-5 over the past three weeks, as the Owls have continued to struggle immensely. The Owls finally snapped an eight-game skid on Wednesday when they edged out Rutgers, but they just can’t seem to keep things together down the stretch in games.
With a short roster that has been further weakened by injuries over the course of the season, Temple seems to run out of gas late in games. It’s safe to say this is the most disappointing season for Temple that I can remember.
4. Drexel (11-10)
The Dragons’ steady decline has continued over the past three weeks. Since January 12, Drexel has gone just 4-2 and has lost 7 of their last 10 contests. The Dragons edged out Hofstra earlier in the week before narrowly falling to Towson yesterday. For that, the Dragons fall to #4 in the rankings.
Even with an impressive record this season, the Dragons would have been a huge long shot to snag an at-large bid, so as always for Drexel, their tournament hopes will come down to their performance in the CAA Tournament, which at this point they must win if they want to go dancing.
3. La Salle (12-9)
La Salle had been trending upward until hitting a three-game skid recently. The Explorers rebounded however, topping Duquesne yesterday to get back on the winning track. A 12-9 record overall isn’t too impressive, but it is good enough for La Salle to move to #3 in the rankings.
The Explorers have two huge tests coming up this week, as they face Massachusetts on the road before welcoming Saint Louis to Gola Arena.
2. Saint Joseph’s (15-6)
The Hawks have gone 5-1 since the last set of rankings and are 11-2 in their past 13 contests. Saint Joseph’s is playing well, but they still are absolutely horrible at shooting free throws.
That issue almost cost them last night in their win over #21 Massachusetts and will come back to bite the Hawks in the ass if they don’t start making more from the charity stripe. Another big test awaits the Hawks this week, as they welcome #19 Saint Louis to Hagan Arena.
1. Villanova (19-2)
Let me check. Yup, the Wildcats are still the best team in the city by far. Creighton dominated them on January 20, but that was still just their second loss of the season. With depth and scoring potential from all over, Villanova remains the best City 6 squad and is currently ranked #9 in the nation.
By: Kyle Babcock
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