Originally Published: January 7, 2005

Power 16: Expert Lists

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The ESPN.com Power 16 is compiled each week by a panel of ESPN experts and ESPN.com's college basketball editor. These individual lists help create the final rankings each week.

Here is how ESPN.com's experts ranked the top teams in the country.

(Through games played on Wednesday, Jan. 13)

ESPN.com Experts' Top 16s
Andy Katz
Putting North Carolina ahead of Illinois is a tough call, but the Tar Heels are winning so convincingly against tougher competition than Illinois that it's not hard to give them the nod this week. This could change in the next week, but it's hard to argue against the Tar Heels right now. Remember, this is a snapshot about how teams are playing right now and that's why Georgia Tech drops and a team like Boston College continues to climb. The one team that's not on here but could climb onto this list soon is Saint Mary's. Don't sleep on the Gaels.

1. North Carolina
2. Illinois
3. Wake Forest
4. Kansas
5. Syracuse
6. Oklahoma State
7. Duke
8. Kentucky
9. Gonzaga
10. Cincinnati
11. Georgia Tech
12. Boston College
13. Michigan State
14. Washington
15. Alabama
16. Arizona


Joe Lunardi
An interesting question would be this: Which of the current top four teams is most likely to fall out of a No. 1 seed? Now that North Carolina has manhandled Georgia Tech, we may have to wait until Carolina's weekend visit to Wake Forest to know the answer.

1. Illinois
2. Kansas
3. North Carolina
4. Wake Forest
5. Oklahoma State
6. Duke
7. Syracuse
8. Kentucky
9. Gonzaga
10. Washington
11. Boston College
12. Arizona
13. Georgia Tech
14. Cincinnati
15. Michigan State
16. Oklahoma


Pat Forde
In the midst of Showdown Week in the ACC, one thing is becoming clear: North Carolina is scary. Crushing Maryland was impressive; repeating the act against Georgia Tech was even better. No offense to Illinois, which has done nothing wrong all season, but that was enough to move the Tar Heels to the top of my Power 16 -- pending the big game against Wake Forest on Saturday.

1. North Carolina
2. Illinois
3. Kansas
4. Wake Forest
5. Duke
6. Oklahoma State
7. Syracuse
8. Georgia Tech
9. Kentucky
10. Boston College
11. Michigan State
12. Cincinnati
13. Texas
14. Gonzaga
15. Washington
16. Marquette


 Dick Vitale
Kansas remains No. 1 with a great win at Kentucky. Consider that Kansas big man Wayne Simien didn't play and guard Keith Langford sat out the final two-and-a-half minutes, but the Jayhawks still got the W. Illinois and North Carolina remain very impressive. Boston College, still unbeaten, moves up to No. 9.

1. Kansas
2. Illinois
3. North Carolina
4. Wake Forest
5. Duke
6. Oklahoma State
7. Kentucky
8. Syracuse
9. Boston College
10. Georgia Tech
11. Michigan State
12. Marquette
13. Washington
14. Louisville
15. Texas
16. Oklahoma


Jay Bilas
Illinois will stay No. 1 until the Illini lose, or North Carolina averages 110 per game (which doesn't seem far off!). The Illini play the right way, and Bruce Weber has done a magnificent job of building a true team environment. I love that team. However, if I were an opposing coach, I would fear Carolina. Wake Forest has really toughened up, and is the major contender I expected before the season. Kudos to Skip Prosser for challenging this team without beating them up. Bill Self and Kansas have overcome the most obstacles, and the Jayhawk run has been incredible. How can Gonzaga be out of the top dozen in the polls? The Zags are the best in the West, and the WCC has tough road games! St. Mary's can play, as can Pepperdine, Santa Clara and San Diego.

1. Illinois
2. North Carolina
3. Kansas
4. Wake Forest
5. Oklahoma State
6. Georgia Tech
7. Syracuse
8. Duke
9. Texas
10. Michigan State
11. Gonzaga
12. Boston College
13. Kentucky
14. Washington
15. Wisconsin
16. Arizona


Andy Glockner
I couldn't pull the trigger. As dominant as UNC has been, I can't demote an unbeaten Illinois that is still rolling and has won 15 of its 17 games by double digits. If UNC wins at Wake on Saturday, that might be the straw that breaks Illinois' run at the top of my Power 16. Kansas impressed me this week with the shorthanded win at Kentucky and then the gritty follow-up win at Iowa State, always a tough venue.

1. Illinois
2. North Carolina
3. Wake Forest
4. Kansas
5. Duke
6. Oklahoma State
7. Syracuse
8. Kentucky
9. Boston College
10. Washington
11. Gonzaga
12. Georgia Tech
13. Michigan State
14. Wisconsin
15. Oklahoma
16. George Washington

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