March Madness 2013 Preview: Which College Basketball Team is the Best Right Now?

No men's college basketball team has been ranked #1 in the country in back-to-back weeks over the course of the last five weeks of the NCAA season. There will almost certainly be a different #1 next week with Indiana's loss. Duke is the only team to have been at the top twice, but the Blue Devils are currently fourth. With such volatility at the top of the food chain, is there a clear-cut favorite heading into next month's March Madness Tournament?

Duke has the most weeks of being the #1 team, but lost two out of three games in one stretch of January, both to teams ranked 20th or lower. Indiana has also been the best at multiple points this season, but just lost to the Illinois Fighting Illini on the road Thursday night. Michigan was the top team in the country for the first time since the Fab Five strolled around campus, but lost to currently top-ranked Indiana and was beaten by Ohio State in the first game between the teams this school year. Louisville lost three games in a row in late January and lost both games against top-ten teams.

No other team has claimed the top spot this season. Kansas won't do so anytime soon after a surprising loss to TCU that coach Bill Self called the worst loss the Jayhawks have suffered since the school played YMCA's over 100 years ago.

Ohio State and Kentucky are the only other teams that made last year's Final Four. Kentucky lost the majority of its starting lineup to the NBA, and the Buckeyes have lost five of their six games against ranked teams. Of last season's Elite Eight teams, only Florida and Syracuse are ranked currently, though they're both in the top ten.

It appears Florida won't be the next team to don the #1 ranking (and opponents' target), with the double-digit loss at Arkansas this week. Michigan and Duke seem to have the best shot at reclaiming the top ranking, with the Wolverines avenging their first loss of the season last month against Ohio State in the re-match, beating the Buckeyes 76-74 in overtime in their only contest this week. The Blue Devils beat unranked NC State Thursday by 13 points, falling just a pair shy of 100 scored for the first time this season.

Being the best during a given week certainly doesn't guarantee success, and that may work to the advantage of the fans next month. It looks as if the top of the bracket could be as unstable as ever.