There are as many ways to rank the college basketball teams as there are teams. Just about every conventional sports site has its own “power rankings,” none of which holds much water from a handicapping perspective. Here are the three sets of rankings you should pay most attention to.

AP (or ESPN/USA Today): These are the “official” rankings, released every week during the season. They’re purely subjective, but people place so much emphasis on them that the betting market becomes skewed.

RPI: The Ratings Percentage Index is a tool used by the NCAA to rank the teams and help in the selection of which 65 get a crack at March Madness. It’s got its flaws, but RPI is at least objective.

Pomeroy: Basketball stathead Ken Pomeroy is one of the leading lights in college hoops. His Pomeroy Ratings tweak the familiar “pythagorean” calculations to account for how good the opponents are. Use them.