5 Big Takeaways from College Basketball's AP Top 25

By Josh Hunter

Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the world of college basketball! Now that football season is essentially in the rearview mirror, it's time to shift our attention to the upcoming winter sports season. In the coming months, the University of Iowa will look to reestablish their dominance over the rest of the nation in wrestling and women's basketball, and Drew Timme will also look to reestablish himself as the most dominant facial hair in the WCC. Overall, this one should be a season to remember.

For those who need to be brought up to speed, the Associated Press released their annual Preseason Top 25 rankings for men's basketball this morning. And, as always, it matched my expectations, surprising me a little bit but not much. Below, I've listed 5 key takeaways from the rankings, as well as why they should be taken away. Enjoy!

1. Don't Overlook Gonzaga...The Committee Clearly Didn't

After taking a crushing blow from Baylor in the 2021 National Championship and losing arguably their best two players from last season, the Zags are still on top of the polls. Why is that? Well, despite everything, Gonzaga is still Gonzaga. They still have Drew Timme, they still have Andrew Nembhard, they're adding top overall recruit Chet Holmgren, and Mark Few is still their coach. Will they contend for the title again this year? Until March, it'll always be too early to tell; however, they definitely look the part.

2. Ignore Duke and Kentucky...The Committee Clearly Didn't

Duke and Kentucky may still be recruiting powerhouses, but that doesn't necessarily give them a reason to both be ranked in the top 10 after each team barely played better than Northwestern last year. It really doesn't matter to me how much "potential" they each have, no team should make it into the preseason top 10 after missing the NCAA tournament the year before. Don't expect either of these teams to make the Sweet 16.

3. The Bonnies Are Back...Enjoy Them While They're Here

St. Bonaventure is ranked (ahead of far too many Big Ten teams) at 23, and that's all I really need to say. Looking ahead at the upcoming schedule for the highly-ranked Bonnies, I predict instant challenge from powerhouses Siena and Canisius. If they can eek out victories in those two matchups, there won't be much to stop them from finishing the season, as their remaining schedule is packed with cupcakes such as Boise State, UConn, Virginia Tech, and Dayton, among others.

4. Luka Garza Left a Mark

Last year, Wooden Award-winner Luka Garza led the Iowa Hawkeyes to an impressive 22-9 record and a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament, where they once again lost in the second round to a more athletic team, Oregon. Now, Iowa sits far outside the Top 25, not even receiving so much as a vote to be in the rankings. Although Iowa has much to look forward to in rising stars such as Keegan Murray and Patrick McCaffery, the voters know that Garza truly was the most valuable player in all of college basketball last season, and they need Iowa to prove themselves without him before they consider moving them up.

5. Caitlin Clark Is Still the Best Player in College Basketball

Speaking of Iowa, the Hawkeye women's team should have very much to look forward to this season, as they not only have one of the most dominant centers in the nation in Monika Czinano, but they also have the best overall player in both men's and women's basketball, Caitlin Clark. Because there remains no clear evidence against this claim, no other human being can refute it: Clark could take on any men's college basketball player 1-on-1 and at the very least hold her own (if she doesn't win by 21). If any of you would like to prove otherwise (or have any other questions, comments, or concerns about anything I've been saying), let me know in the comments. God bless.

All non-original information in this article was taken from various locations on ESPN.com.

Power Ranking the Organ Systems I’ve Learned About in Medical School By How Cool They Are

1. Brain

2. Renal System/Kidneys

3. Lungs

4. Endocrine System

5. Liver/Biliary Tract

6. Cardiovascular System

7. Gastrointestinal Tract

8. Musculoskeletal

9. Immune System/Lymphatics

723. Skin

Week 8 Preview: A Time for Everything

After a "shocking," and I use that term very lightly, turn of events in Iowa City this past weekend, many fans and haters of the formerly #2-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes' football team are wondering if they will even make a postseason appearance this year. For those that didn't get ESPN's "Upset Alert" notifications, Iowa was once again single-handedly dismantled by David Bell on Saturday; the game featured guest appearances by George Karlaftis III and Jeff Brohm and an array of extras and stuntmen all currently enrolled at Purdue University hoping to make a name for themselves. And, being the connoisseur of the arts that I am, I made sure I had the best seats for this show, and like many other Hawkeye fans, I was truly cut to the heart by the stellar performance from Bell; however, I felt that the most convincing performance came from the other sideline, as Kirk Ferentz's Hawkeyes once again perfectly matched the ability level indicated by their opponent's record.

Although this game was the clear headline of Week 7, there were a lot of other teams that also played, and apparently those teams matter to some people. Georgia dominated Kentucky, and Cincinnati established themselves as the top non-Power 5 Bearcats out there. And, as there often is at this time of year, another weekend of college football lies ahead of us. Let's dive in to the good stuff, shall we?

Big Byes for Week 8

#11 Iowa Hawkeyes

There's a time for everything, and there could be no better time for Iowa to have an off week. Look for Ferentz and the Hawks to capitalize on this with a strong showing in Week 9.

#1 Georgia Bulldogs

If Iowa pulled their act together for even a brief moment on Saturday, the top two teams in the rankings would've both been off this weekend. Oh, well. Georgia has been rolling since Week 1, but I expect them to roll over this weekend and lose a close one in Week 9.

#3 Oklahoma Sooners

They don't even have a bye this week, but they're playing Kansas. If Oklahoma finds a way to make this game remotely competitive, I'll owe you guys a Fraud Warning segment next week.

Smallest Upset of the Week: Appalachian State over #14 Coastal Carolina

There's no mascot name in college football I respect more than the Chanticleers, but I really wouldn't see this as an upset, and I'm fully on the chaos train for the rest of the season. Other possibilities include Wake-Army, ND-USC, and SDSU-Air Force

Biggest Blowout of the Week: #4 Alabama over Tennessee

We all know 'Bama isn't invincible, but I honestly feel Tennessee will "Volunteer" (please cringe) to take one for the conference this week to keep the SEC's hopes of once again having 2 CFP teams alive, at least for the time being.

Biggest Stat Line of the Week: Breece Hall, Iowa State

We've all seen what Hall is capable of when it comes to producing next-level stats, and as underwhelming as the Big 12's defenses tend to be, there's no denying that he's a gifted athlete and playmaker. However, the reason why I'm giving him the nod over Desmond Ridder and TreVeyon Henderson, two other players that are set for big games this week, is not because I think he'll have a huge game against Oklahoma State; in fact, it's just the opposite. Look for Hall to have a total of 47 yards on 21 touches paired with 2 fumbles and a crucial dropped pass on 4th and long at the end of the game to seal the Cowboys' victory.

Best Games for Week 8

#23 Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Clemson Tigers

In full honesty, this may be the least exciting week of college football all season, which is saying a lot considering Iowa (a team that seems to actively suppress offensive playmaking to produce the most hard-to-watch style of football above high school Class A) is on bye. Because of that, this "stirring rivalry" sits atop the Best Games list this week. Pitt-Clemson was an instant classic in 2016, and 5 years later, the Panthers are the ones in the AP Top 25. Look for Dabo to do whatever it takes to make this one a good one and put his team back in the rankings. 35-32 Clemson.

#4 Georgia Bulldogs vs. Iowa Hawkeyes

This isn't a real-life game, but I'll be leading the 'Dawgs as they host the 2-0 Hawks in the legendary EA Sports game NCAA Football 13. It'll hopefully be a better game than most of the other games happening this weekend. Also, if the Georgia and Iowa players wanted to get together at Kinnick and play some free-admission touch football, I can almost guarantee there'd be more fans there than at any other stadium this week. 17-10 Georgia.

#8 Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Iowa State Cyclones

I'm actually kind of intrigued by this matchup. I think this game will be really ugly and really close all the way through, and I'm always down for an ugly game. As I said earlier, I think this game will end on a Breece Hall dropped pass to convert a fourth down. 24-21 OSU.

Feel free to hit me up in the comments with any bold predictions, questions, or ideas for future posts; I'll try my best to read them. God bless.