Though trending in opposite directions, Villanova and Temple remained Top 25 teams in the latest men’s college basketball polls released Monday.

The Wildcats remained unbeaten in the Big East with a 90-72 win over Notre Dame on Jan. 27, raising their overall record to 19-1. ‘Nova moved up one spot to second in both polls, behind new No. 1 Kansas, thanks in part to formerly top-ranked Kentucky dropping to No. 3. John Calipari’s squad full of future recruiting violations lost their first game of the season to South Carolina on Tuesday.

‘Nova got four first-place votes in both polls.

As for North Philadelphia’s favorite overachievers, Temple fell in the rankings, from No. 15 in both rankings to No. 17 in the Coaches poll and No. 19 in the AP, because of a road loss to A-10 rival Charlotte. The Owls rebounded on Saturday with a home win over La Salle, 64-52.

Both teams have two games this week, with Villanova hosting Seton Hall on Tuesday before a Big East slug-fest at AP No. 7 Georgetown on Saturday. Temple, meanwhile, plays Duquense at home Wednesday and Richmond on the road Saturday.

In other college basketball news, the NCAA Tournament will most likely become the bloated cash cow that the BCS now is. The NCAA is coming up on a deadline to opt out of their current March Madness broadcast contract with CBS, and if the rumors are true, a joint bid by CBS and Turner Sports could see the Tournament expand to 96 teams, possibly as soon as 2011.

Of course, single-elimination from 96 does not leave a Sweet 16, Elite Eight or Final Four, so the conventional wisdom is the “top” 32 teams will receive first-round byes.

There have been some arguments that the decision will cut down on the first-round blowouts in the current bracket system. The theory is an expanded field would allow more teams from major conferences to be included in the tournament, thus giving them a better chance of upsetting top teams. While it would create upsets in the new first round, however, there is no logic in thinking games would be closer if a 1-seed is playing a 16, 19 or 24-seed, no matter what conference they play in.

Does the NCAA really want to let in the entire Big East or Big-12 to the best annual sports tournament in the country? Apparently so, because it means more money for NCAA President Jim Isch and his band of greedy conference heads, and mo’ money means no problems for the “educators” involved.