North Carolina No. 1 on ballot — duh

If only all the picks were as easy as voting North Carolina No. 1. Then this top 25 balloting for The Associated Press media poll would be as easy as predicting a Detroit Lions loss.

But after typing in North Carolina at No. 1, there immediately are more choices than New Circle Road exits. This week I decided to flipflop Connecticut and Pittsburgh at Nos. 2 and 3. UConn’s narrow win at Buffalo (68-64) influenced my thinking. But less than 12 hours later, I’m having second thoughts. Pittsburgh hasn’t played a ranked team yet with its most eye-catching victory coming against Washington State.

Duke slipped from No. 4 to 7 after losing at Michigan. Teams on the rise (at least on my ballot) included Tennessee (from No. 12 to and Xavier (from No. 13 to 9). Tennessee’s only loss has been to Gonzaga. We’ll know a lot about the Vols before SEC play because of games against Marquette, Gonzaga and at Kansas. Xavier has solid wins against Memphips and Missouri, plus an upcoming game against Duke.

I added Missouri (7-1) to my ballot and dropped Florida after the Gators lost to Florida State.

Teams under consideration for the final five slots, but didn’t make my ballot were Ohio State (5-0), Washington State (6-2), Clemson (9-0) and Michigan (6-2).

Kentucky? The Cats are getting better and would have merited consideration with a victory over Miami (Fla.). Miami came to Rupp Arena intent on making a statement. Kentucky did not match that zeal. UK got outplayed on its homecourt.

It’s early. Kentucky is getting more cohesive and getting improving play from its point guards. But the Miami game was an opporturnity lost. It was UK’s fifth straight loss to a ranked opponent, and UK probably won’t play another ranked team until going to Louisville in early January. So for the next several weeks, Kentucky figures to be in neutral from a national standpoint with its most impressive victories coming against Kansas State (picked eighth in the Big 12) and West Virginia (picked ninth in the Big East).

Here’s my ballot for this week:

1. North Carolina

2. Pittsburgh

3. Connecticut

4. Texas

5. Gonzaga

6. Oklahoma

7. Duke

8. Tennessee

9. Xavier

10. Purdue

11. Michigan State

12. Louisville

13. Notre Dame

14. UCLA

15. Syracuse

16. Davidson

17. Miami (Fla.)

18. Kansas

19. Arizona State

20. Wake Forest

21. Baylor

22. Georgetown

23. Missouri

24. Villanova

25. Memphis