POWER RANKINGS

It's week 4 of the power rankings as the teams hit their stride and the second half of their seasons are around the corner.

1) Detroit: With the other teams falling, Detroit gets the benefit of the doubt. Who are we kidding, they get the benefit without the other teams losing. They held Dallas to 69 points.

2) Boston: Did someone forget to leave the note...just because the Patriots lost does not mean you have to follow in their footsteps. Then again, you are still blowing out teams without the full usage of the "big 3."

3) Golden State: They beat New Orleans and have attracted Chris Webber. He doesn’t just play for anyone; he only plays for contenders.

4) Phoenix: Do the Suns know which way the Earth is turning? The following weeks could be telling now that they have a big guy people call Shaq.

5) Los Angeles: Another team that made a big move. The addition of Pau Gasol gives Kobe someone to play with...or fight over the ball with.

Teams on the rim:

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We want the next Greg Oden...

5)Washington: They seem to have thought the all-star break was happening earlier and that the recent games are simply practice sessions.

4) Charlotte: The early season was promising. Now the fans are wishing they could go back in time.

3) Minnesota: They are slowly climbing out of the hole. This may not be their year but give them time and they may impress.

2) Miami: The heat have been burned all year long. Adding Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks could be what the doctor ordered.

1) New York: If you think fans are rowdy at the NBA drafts in June...I wouldn’t want to see them now.

1) Duke: The win over North Carolina has people starting to talk Duke again. People in Chapel Hill can’t wait for the rematch on March 7th.

2) Memphis: Unanimous number one in the polls, but not here. They play well, are disciplined, and have talent, but they have showed signs of weakness more than Kansas.

3) Tennessee: They are only dominating teams on both ends of the court and Chris Lofton has the hot hand the last 7 games.

4) Wisconsin: Bo Ryan should be mentioned as a possible coach of the year candidate. The Badgers lost their two best players from a year ago only to be putting together a solid year. They may not have a Hibbert, Hansborough, or Bayless; but they have teamwork.

5) Xavier: Squeaked one out against Saint Louis. But are still the class of the A-10. Can play with the best...and the worst.

Teams on the edge of the court: UCLA, Texas, Butler, North Carolina, Purdue

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Can we play against the high school down the street?

5) Rice: They played Memphis better than they have anyone else this season. But they are still winless dating back to December 29. It’s been a disappointing season coming off of a solid season last year.

4) Drexel: The promise was there at the beginning of the year. Now they can’t buy a win.

3) Massachusetts: There was once talk of them getting into the big dance. Now, the only talk is of them still making the NIT.

2) Louisiana Tech: Kyle Gibson and crew is another team that has not won since December. The next game versus Idaho is the most winnable game they have left in a down year for the Western Athletic Conference.

1) NJIT: Four games remain. Will it be 0-29? Their leading scorer is averaging just over 10 points a game.

1) Detroit: The wins keep adding up. It looks like no team can match them.

2) Minnesota: 6-2-2 in the last 10 games. They are holding strong in the toughest division.

3) Philadelphia: They can beat everyone as of late. Well anyone not wearing a red uniform.

4) Pittsburgh: They’re recent stretch without Sidney Crosby has brought the team down to mediocrity at best. It begs the question whether a team needs more than one superstar to compete with the leagues top teams.

5) Montreal: They beat a good Ottawa team and continue to look strong.

Teams on the Brink: Ottawa, Dallas, San Jose, NY Rangers, Anaheim

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Did their momma forget to teach them how to skate?

5) Edmonton: Competed for the Stanley Cup not so long ago. Now, they are competing against the injury bug.

4) Tampa: They probably deserve a worse ranking, but they are only five points out of first in their division.

3) Vancouver: With the other teams in the Northwest division experiencing global warming, the Canucks went back in time to the Ice Age. Normally that would be a good thing with it being hockey, but not this go around.

2) Los Angeles: Worst team point-wise in the league. It’s been a long season in Hollywood.

1) Toronto: Losing is not a good thing. So losing by eight goals cannot even be considered as high as being embarrassed.