Here we give our initial predictions – with it being assured that we will second guess ourselves many times before the First Round gets underway Thursday afternoon.

East Region: 

1 Duke
16 Siena

8 Ohio State
9 TCU

5 St. John’s
12 Northern Iowa

4 Kansas
13 Cal Baptist

6 Louisville
11 South Florida

3 Michigan State
14 North Dakota State

7 UCLA
10 UCF

2 UConn
15 Furman

East First Round Winners: Duke, Ohio State, St. John’s, Kansas, South Florida, Michigan State, UCLA, UConn
East Second Round Winners:  Duke, St. John’s, Michigan State, UConn
East Sweet 16 Winners: St. John’s, Michigan State
East Region Winner:  St. John’s

Something To Watch In The East: South Florida was 15-3 in an underrated American Conference. Louisville’s Mikel Brown will need to come up big there to avoid the perceived upset. Some great Coaches in this Region – Pitino, Izzo, Hurley.  Does Kansas’ Darryn Peterson just go off? It’s fun being the age where I fully remember Cameron Boozer’s father’s career.  Fantastic year for Boozer.

Midwest Region: 

1 Michigan
16 UMBC / Howard

8 Georgia
9 Saint Louis

5 Texas Tech
12 Akron

4 Alabama
13 Hofstra

6 Tennessee
11 Miami (OH) / SMU

3 Virginia
14 Wright State

7 Kentucky
10 Santa Clara

2 Iowa State
15 Tennessee State

Midwest First Round Winners: Michigan, Georgia, Akron, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, Iowa State
Midwest Second Round Winners: Michigan, Alabama, Virginia, Iowa State
Midwest Sweet 16 Winners: Michigan, Virginia
Midwest Region Winner: Michigan

Something To Watch In The Midwest: UMBC can get an opportunity at another #1 seed if they can beat Howard in the play-in. Texas Tech will have Christian Anderson available, but JT Toppin is out for the year after his ACL injury last month. I’m not going to call it, but Santa Clara beating Kentucky wouldn’t be a surprise. Iowa State was 6th overall via KenPom, I might be undervaluing them as I have them losing to UVA in the S16. Michigan lost their backup PG LJ Cason to injury in late February, and that has impacted their rotation. Alabama and Michigan could be a shoot-out. Alabama’s offense is good enough to win. Taking Michigan, as the Wolverines are Top 10 via KenPom in both offense and defense.  I was happy for Miami (OH) that they saw their name called, and disappointed for them that they’re in the play-in.

South Region: 

1 Florida
16 Prairie View A&M / Lehigh

8 Clemson
9 Iowa

5 Vanderbilt
12 McNeese

4 Nebraska
13 Troy

6 North Carolina
11 VCU

3 Illinois
14 Penn

7 Saint Mary’s
10 Texas A&M

2 Houston
15 Idaho

South First Round Winners:  Florida, Clemson, Vanderbilt, Nebraska, VCU, Illinois, Saint Mary’s, Houston
South Second Round Winners: Florida, Vanderbilt, VCU, Houston
South Sweet 16 Winners: Florida, Houston
South Region Winner: Houston

Something To Watch In The South: I think Florida has an easy path to the S16. I’ll take the Gators over Vanderbilt if they meet again, but the Commodores did just beat Florida by 17 in the SEC Tournament. VCU has won 16 of 17, I like that consistency, and UNC isn’t the same since losing Caleb Wilson. Florida vs. Houston would be a great game.

West Region: 

1 Arizona
16 LIU

8 Villanova
9 Utah State

5 Wisconsin
12 High Point

4 Arkansas
13 Hawaii

6 BYU
11 Texas / NCST

3 Gonzaga
14 Kennesaw State

7 Miami (FL)
10 Missouri

2 Purdue
15 Queens

West First Round Winners: Arizona, Utah State, High Point, Arkansas, BYU, Gonzaga, Miami, Purdue
West Second Round Winners: Arizona, Arkansas, Gonzaga, Purdue
West Sweet 16 Winners: Arizona, Gonzaga
West Region Winner: Arizona

Something To Watch In The West: Not taking Utah State over Villanova because of Willard.  The Aggies were 15-5 in a quality Mountain West. High Point was 15-1 in the Big South, and 6th overall in the most recent Mid-Major poll. They score, and Wisconsin was just 52nd overall via KenPom in defense.  I’m not going to take Arkansas over Arizona, but that’s a dangerous game for the Wildcats. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is the currently projected #1 pick in the NBA Draft. They’ll be favored in Round 1, but I don’t envy them having to face a major-conference team that will have gotten their feet wet in the play-in game. I don’t think this is a great Gonzaga team, but I have confidence in Mark Few being able to find two wins here. Purdue vs. Gonzaga is a coin-flip for me, but I’ll take the Zags. Don’t see either one of them beating Arizona.

Final Four: St. John’s, Houston, Michigan, Arizona

Championship: Houston vs. Arizona

Champion: Arizona

Calling for an All-Big 12 National Championship feels like a reach, but these are two excellent teams. The Wildcats are 2-0 vs. Houston, including the Big 12 Championship. Hard to beat a quality team 3x, but I think that’s what happens, if these teams face off once more.

The post 2026 NCAA Tournament Predictions appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Here we will go through the 2025-26 season to-date, and discuss what awaits before 68 teams start dancing.

Who Are The Contenders?

The AP and the Coaches Poll both have the same 16 teams – Arizona, UConn, Michigan, Purdue, Duke, Houston, Nebraska, Gonzaga, Iowa State, Michigan State, Illinois, Texas Tech, BYU, Virginia, Vanderbilt, and Florida – albeit, in slightly different orders.

CBS Sports Top 25+1, has Kansas 16th overall.

The KenPom ratings include Louisville in their Top 16.

Per FanDuel, Arizona and Michigan are the prohibitive favorites both at +470. Duke is third at +900, with Houston and UConn next up at +1300.

If you go back to the KenPom ratings, those odds make sense with Arizona having the 4th rated offense, and 3rd rated defense.  Michigan having 8th rated offense, and 2nd rated defense.  Duke having the 5th rated offense, and 5th rated defense.  Houston with the 15th rated offense, and 7th rated defense.  UConn a bit of an outlier here, as they do have the 4th rated defense, but just the 38th rated offense.

How Do The Conferences Stack Up?

The NCAA Selection Committee replaced RPI Ratings with NET Ratings, but I still think think the Conference RPI ratings provide a decent snapshot of where things stand.

Currently the Big 12 is the top rated conference by RPI, followed by the Big Ten, ACC, SEC, Big East to round out the Top 5.

The 6th through 10th spots are held by the Mountain West, Atlantic 10, WCC, MVC, and the WAC.

Of the 18 teams listed above as contenders, the Big 12 has 6 teams, the Big Ten has 5, the ACC has 3, the SEC has 2, the Big East has 1, and the WCC has 1.

Who Are The Best Mid-Majors?

The Mid-Major Top 25 is here. 

The Top 10 amongst the Mid-Majors are Gonzaga, Miami (Ohio), Liberty, Murray State, St. Mary’s, Yale, Belmont, High Point, Santa Clara, UNC Wilmington.

The Conference Races

American East – UMBC and Vermont are both 5-1 in conference, and will face each other twice.

American Athletic – Florida Atlantic is 6-1 in league play with Tulsa, Temple, and Charlotte each 5-2.

ACC – Duke is 7-0, Clemson is 7-1, and Virginia is 5-2.

Atlantic Sun – Austin Peay, Lipscomb, and Queens are each 7-1.

Atlantic 10 – Saint Louis is 7-0, George Mason is 6-1.

Big East – UConn is 9-0, St. John’s is 8-1, and Kevin Willard’s Villanova is 6-3.

Big Sky – Portland is 7-0, Montana State is 7-1.

Big Ten – Nebraska is 9-0, Michigan, Michigan State, and Illinois are each 8-1.

Big 12 – Arizona is 7-0, Texas Tech is 6-1, Houston and BYU are 5-1.

Big South – Winthrop is 7-1, and High Point is 6-1.

Big West – Hawaii and UC Irvine are both 7-2.

Coastal Athletic – UNC Wilmington is 7-1, Charleston is 6-2.

Conference USA – Liberty is 9-0.

Horizon League – Wright State is 8-2, Oakland 8-3.

Ivy League – Yale is 4-1.

MAAC – Merrimack is 9-2, St. Peter’s is 8-2.

MEAC – Maryland Eastern Shore is 4-0. NC Central 3-1.

Mid-American – Miami (Ohio) is 8-0 in conference, and 20-0 overall. Akron is 7-1.

Missouri Valley – Belmont and Murray State are both 8-2.

Mountain West – San Diego State is 8-1, Utah State and New Mexico are 7-2.

Ohio Valley – UT Martin is 7-2, Tennessee State and Morehead State are 7-3.

Northeast – LIU is 6-1, Le Moyne is 5-2.

Patriot League – Navy is 7-1, American and Colgate are 6-2.

SEC – Texas A&M is 6-1, Arkansas, Florida, and Kentucky are 5-2.

Southern – ETSU is 7-1, Wolford is 6-2.

Southland – SF Austin is 10-1, McNeese is 9-2.

SWAC – Florida A&M, and Bethune-Cookman are both 5-1.

Summit – North Dakota State is 8-0, St. Thomas is 6-1.

Sun Belt – Troy is 8-1, Georgia State is 6-3.

WAC – UT Arlington is 5-2, Utah Valley and Cal Baptist are 5-3.

West Coast – Gonzaga is 9-0, Saint Mary’s and Santa Clara are 8-1.

Player of the Year

Cameron Boozer (Duke) is the betting favorite at -400.

Next up is BYU’s AJ Dybantsa at +500.

Purdue’s Branden Smith is third at +1,500.

Texas Tech’s JT Toppin is fourth at +1,800.

At fifth overall is Houston’s Kingston Flemings at +3,500.

The Current Bubble?

ESPN’s Bracketology has UCLA, New Mexico, USC, and Virginia Tech as the last four in, and Stanford, Santa Clara, Texas, and Indiana as the first four out.

CBS Sports’ Bracketology has the last four in as Missouri, USC, Seton Hall, and Virginia Tech and Texas, Oklahoma State, Butler, and TCC as the first four out.

The post 2025-26 College Basketball Reset appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

As we do, we can evaluate what we’ve seen so far in this College Basketball season, and give some thoughts on what’s to come as we build towards Selection Sunday.

The Best Conference In College Basketball?

Seems clear the answer is the SEC.

In ESPN’s current Power Rankings, they have 4 SEC teams in the Top 6, and 5 of the Top 7.  Then an additional 3 teams in the rest of their Top 25.
CBS Sports’ Power Rankings tell a similar story, where the SEC has 8 of the Top 14 teams, and two others in the Top 25.

The current KenPom Ratings, have 4 of the Top 9, 6 of the Top 20, and 8 of the Top 30.
ESPN’s Bracketology has 13 SEC teams making the NCAA Tournament!

Who Has The 2nd Best Conference?

ESPN’s Bracketology currently has 10 teams from the Big Ten making the NCAAT, but of those teams Oregon ( currently a 3 seed ), UCLA ( currently a 4 seed ), and Purdue ( currently a 4 seed ), are currently the top Big Ten seeds.

ESPN’s Power Rankings have 4 Big Ten teams in their Top 25, with Oregon the highest at 8.
CBS’s Power Rankings have 6 Big Ten teams in their Top 25.

The KenPom ratings have 8 Big Ten teams in their Top 30, with Maryland the highest rated at 11.

ESPN’s Bracketology has 8 teams from the Big 12 making the NCAAT, with Iowa State currently on the 1 line.

ESPN’s Power Rankings have 4 Big 12 teams in their Top 25, with the Cyclones the highest at 3.
CBS’s Power Rankings also have 4 Big 12 teams in their Top 25, with Kansas joining Iowa State in their Top 10.

The KenPom ratings have 6 Big 12 teams in their Top 30, with Houston, Iowa State, and Kansas all in their Top 8.

Who Is The Best Team In The Big East?  

Marquette is 11-2 overall, 2-0 in the Big East.
UConn is 10-3 overall, 2-0 in the Big East.

The Golden Eagles are 10th overall in KenPom, with the 16th rated offense, and 19th rated defense.
The Huskies are 15th overall in KenPom, with the 2nd rated offense, and 98th rated defense.

ESPN’s Bracketology has Marquette as a 2 seed, and UConn as a 4.

ESPN’s Power Rankings have Marquette 9th overall, and UConn 12th.
CBS’s Power Rankings have Marquette 8th overall, and UConn 19th.

Who Is The Best Out Of Dayton, Gonzaga, Memphis, and San Diego State?

ESPN’s Bracketology has Gonzaga (West Coast Conference) as a 2 seed, Memphis (American Conference) a 5, Dayton (Atlantic 10) a 7 seed, and San Diego State (Mountain West) a 9 seed.

ESPN’s Power Rankings have Dayton 15th, Gonzaga 16th, San Diego State 18th, and Memphis 20th.
CBS’s Power Rankings have Gonzaga 20th, San Diego State 21st, and Dayton and Memphis not-ranked.

KenPom has Gonzaga 6th overall, with the 3rd ranked offense, and 24th ranked defense.
Dayton is 32nd overall, with the 18th ranked offense, and 69th ranked defense.
San Diego State is 36th overall, with the 71st ranked offense, and 12th ranked defense.
Memphis is 42nd overall, with the 39th ranked offense, and 54th ranked defense.

Who Is The 2nd Best Team In The ACC?

Duke is 10-2 overall, 2-0 in league play, and 2nd overall in KenPom. They are 5th in the ESPN Power Rankings, and 4th via CBS’ Power Rankings.

ESPN’s Bracketology only has 4 ACC teams making the NCAAT (Duke as a 2 seed, Clemson a 6,  Pittsburgh a 7, and North Carolina a 9).

ESPN’s Power Rankings has Duke as the only ACC team, with Clemson dropping out.
CBS’s Power Rankings have UNC at #26.

In KenPom, Pittsburgh is 25th, UNC is 28th, and Clemson is 31st

Some Random Teams I Like

• UC San Diego:  11-2 overall, and have won their last 9. The Big West team has 4 guys averaging double figures, with 2 guards shooting 40%+ from 3.
• Liberty: 12-1 overall, and have won their last 9. The Conference USA team has 6 guys averaging at-least 9.2 points per game, and 8 guys averaging at-least 7.1
• Bradley: 10-2 overall. The Missouri Valley team has 5 guys scoring 9.3+ points per game, and each of them are shooting 42%+ from 3.
• Arkansas State: 10-3 overall. This Sun Belt team had a competitive 9 point game at Alabama.

The post College Basketball 2024-25: As January Nears appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Where do things stand in College Basketball one month into the season?

Conference Quick Hits

ACC – The ACC has 3 ranked teams in the current AP Top 25 (Duke 9th, Pittsburgh 18th, and UNC 20th). Clemson and Florida State are both 7-1. California is 6-1. Big week coming up for the Conference as Duke has Auburn, and UNC has Alabama in the ACC / SEC Challenge. In the KenPom rankings, Duke is 4th, Pittsburgh 13th, UNC 16th, Clemson 25th, and Louisville 39th.  In the CBS Sports 25+1 Power Rankings, Duke is 8th, UNC 16th, and Pittsburgh is 18th.

Big 12 – The Big 12 has 5 teams in the AP Top 25, each all Top 17 (Kansas 1st, Iowa State 6th, Cincinnati 14th, Baylor 15th, Houston 17th). Arizona State is 7-1.  BYU, Texas Tech, and Utah are each 6-1. In KenPom, Houston is 5th, Iowa State 6th, Kansas 7th, Cincinnati 9th, Texas Tech 20th, Baylor 23rd, Arizona 30th, BYU 34th. In the CBS Sports Power Rankings, Kansas is 1st, Iowa State 3rd, Baylor 13th, Texas 20th, Houston 26th.

Big East – Marquette is up #5 Nationally, while 2x Defending National Champion UConn has fallen to #25 in the AP Top 25. DePaul is 7-0, Xavier is 7-1, Butler is 6-1, Georgetown is 6-1. Marquette is 11th in KenPom, St. John’s is 21st, and UConn is 24th. Creighton is the next highest at 51. In the CBS Sports Power Rankings, Marquette is 4th.

Big Ten – There are 4 ranked teams in the AP Top 25 (Purdue 8th, Wisconsin 11th, Oregon 12th, Illinois 19th). Maryland and Penn State are both 7-1. Iowa, Michigan, Nebraska, UCLA, and Washington are each 6-1.  In the KenPom Rankings, Purdue is 14th, Illinois is 15th, UCLA 17th, Ohio State 18th, Oregon 19th, Michigan 22nd, Wisconsin 29th, Maryland 32nd, Michigan State 37th, and Penn State 38th. In the CBS Sports Power Rankings, Purdue is 7th, Wisconsin 9th, Michigan State 15th, Illinois 17th, Ohio State 19th.

SEC – The SEC reigns with 8 teams in the AP Top 25 (Auburn 2nd, Tennessee 3rd, Kentucky 4th, Alabama 10th, Florida 13th, Oklahoma 21st, Texas A&M 22nd, Ole Miss 23rd). Georgia and Vanderbilt are 7-1. LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, and Texas are each 6-1.  In the KenPom Rankings, Auburn is 1st, Tennessee 2nd, Florida 8th, Alabama 10th, Kentucky 12th, Texas A&M 27th, Mississippi State 28th, Texas 35th. In the CBS Sports Power Rankings, Auburn is 2nd, Tennessee 5th, Kentucky 6th, Texas 20th, Florida 21st, and Ole Miss is 23rd.

Others Of Note

Gonzaga – The Zags are 7th Nationally.  Their 3rd overall in KenPom (2nd in Offensive Rating, 15th in Defensive Rating). In the CBS Sports Power Rankings Gonzaga is 10th.  Gonzaga is 1st in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.

Memphis – The Tigers are 16th Nationally.  31st overall in KenPom (21st in Offensive Rating, 59th in Defensive Rating). In the CBS Sports Power Rankings Memphis is 14th.

Dayton – The Flyers are 6-2 overall, and 26th overall in KenPom (17th in Offensive Rating, 51st in Defensive Rating). In the CBS Sports Power Rankings Dayton is 24th.

Saint Mary’s – The Gaels are 7-1, and 33rd overall in KenPom (35th in Offensive Rating, 35th in Defensive Rating). Saint Mary’s is 2nd in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.

Nevada – The Wolf Pack is 36th overall in KenPom (30th in Offensive Rating, 57th in Defensive Rating).

San Diego State – The Aztecs are 40th overall in KenPom (72nd in Offensive Rating, 12th in Defensive Rating).  In the CBS Sports Power Rankings San Diego State is 25th.

Bracketology

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s bracket as of Nov. 26th. 

Scheduled Games Of Note This Week

All Percentages Are From ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor.

Cincinnati at Villanova –  Big 12 / Big East battle. The Bearcats a 61.1% favorite to beat the Wildcats in Philadelphia.

Syracuse at Tennessee – ACC / SEC challenge. The Volunteers a 94.3% favorite at home.

Michigan at Wisconsin – 8-0 Wisconsin hosts 6-1 Michigan. The Wolverines are given a 35% chance to upset the Badgers.

Wake Forest at Texas A&M – ACC / SEC challenge. The Aggies (6-2 overall, 4-0 at home) welcome Hunter Sallis and the Demon Deacons. Wake is 7-2 overall, and given a 13.9% chance of winning.

Ole Miss at Louisville – ACC / SEC Challenge. The 6-1 Rebels visit the 5-2 Cardinals. Louisville a 57.3% favorite to win at home.

Kentucky at Clemson – ACC / SEC Challenge.  The Tigers are a 50.6% favorite against the highly ranked Wildcats.

Baylor at UConn – Big 12 / Big East battle. UConn is coming off a win vs. Maryland Eastern-Shore after losing 3 straight to Memphis, Colorado, and Dayton. The Huskies are a 63.3% favorite vs. Baylor.

Ohio State at Maryland – The Big Ten season begins for the Terps, with MD a 58.3% favorite vs. the Buckeyes.

Alabama at UNC – ACC / SEC Challenge. The Tar Heels are 57.7% favorites at home.

Marquette at Iowa State – Big 12 / Big East battle. Iowa State a 67.4% favorite to beat Kam Jones and undefeated Marquette.

Auburn at Duke – ACC / SEC Challenge. Duke a 66.4% favorite to beat undefeated Auburn.

Wisconsin at Marquette – In-state rivalry game. Will be the second challenge for each team this week. The Golden Eagles a 72.8% favorite.

Kentucky vs. Gonzaga – The Wildcats vs. the Zags in Seattle. Gonzaga a 58.5% favorite.

Maryland at Purdue – Road test for MD against the Big Ten favorite. The Boilermakers a 70.2% favorite at home.

The post College Basketball 2024-25: Where Things Stand To Begin December appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Week 3 Quick Hits

ACC –  North Carolina (10th), and Duke (12th) are the only ranked teams. Pittsburgh (6-0), Stanford (6-0), and NCST (5-0) are all undefeated. Duke had a 14 point win at Arizona yesterday, with Cooper Flagg scoring 24. Pittsburgh is 14th overall in the KenPom rankings, with the 21st rated offense, and 13th rated defense.

Big 12 – There are six teams in the Big 12 which are ranked (Kansas 1st, Iowa State 5th, Houston 7th, Baylor 13th, Arizona 17th, and Cincinnati 18th). Kansas, Iowa State, Cincinnati, Colorado, and BYU are undefeated. Cincinnati destroyed Georgia Tech 81-58 yesterday. In the KenPom rankings, the Big 12 has 4 of the top 9 overall.

Big East – Four teams in the Big East (UConn 2nd, Creighton 14th, Marquette 15th, St. John’s 22nd) are ranked. DePaul, Marquette, Providence, Xavier, and UConn are undefeated. The Huskies, Red Storm, and Golden Eagles are all in the Top 13 of the KenPom rankings.  Marquette followed up their win over Maryland with a 76-58 win over Purdue.

Big Ten – Five teams in the Big Ten (Purdue 6th, Indiana 16th, Wisconsin 19th, Rutgers 24th, and Illinois 25th) are ranked. Purdue is the top ranked Big Ten team in KenPom at 16th overall.  The league does have 10 teams in the Top 36 of the KenPom rankings. Wisconsin, Oregon, Penn State, Indiana, and Rutgers are undefeated.

SEC – There are seven teams in the SEC which are ranked (Auburn 4th, Alabama 8th, Kentucky 9th, Tennessee 11th, Arkansas 20th, Florida 21st, Texas A&M 23rd). There are eight SEC teams which are undefeated (Florida, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn, and Oklahoma). The SEC has 3 teams in the KenPom Top 10, and 6 teams in the Top 19.

Other

Gonzaga – Was 3rd overall in the latest AP Poll.  Their 3rd overall in KenPom, with the top ranked offense, and 18th ranked defense.

VCU – Received 17 votes in the latest AP Poll, effectively ranking them 31st. They’ll drop after losing their last two games Seton Hall, and Nevada.

Memphis – Outside of Gonzaga, the Tigers are second highest ranked KenPom team which isn’t in the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, or the SEC.  They are 30th overall, with the 45th ranked offense, and 24th ranked defense.

Boise State – The Broncos are 3-1 overall, and ranked 35th overall in the KenPom rankings.

Dayton – The Flyers are 5-0, and ranked 38th overall in the KenPom rankings.

Nevada – The Wolf Pack are 5-1, and ranked 39th overall in KenPom rankings. Number of decent wins on the resume already. The lone loss a 2 point game to Vanderbilt.

Scheduled Games Of Note This Week

All Percentages Are From ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor.

Pittsburgh vs. Wisconsin – The Panthers are a 55.7% favorite.

Memphis vs. UConn – Maui Invitational. UConn a 73.8% favorite.

Auburn vs. Iowa State – #4 vs. #5 in the Maui Invitational.  Auburn a 62.6% favorite.

Dayton vs. North Carolina – Maui Invitational. UNC a 86.3% favorite.

Oregon vs. Texas A&M – Players Era Festival – Power Tournament.  The Aggies are a 60.7% favorite.

Houston vs. Alabama – Players Era Festival  – Impact Tournament. #7 vs. #8.  Houston a 72% favorite.

Kansas vs. Duke – Vegas Showdown. #1 vs. #12.  Duke a 69.8% favorite.

Texas A&M vs. Creighton – Players Era Festival – Power Tournament. The Blue Jays are a 51.4% favorite.

Rutgers vs. Alabama – Players Era Festival – Impact Tournament. Alabama a 81.8% favorite.

Arkansas vs. Illinois – Thanksgiving Hoop Showcase. #20 vs. #25.  Illinois a 69.1% favorite.

Articles To Read 

ESPN – Power Rankings

CBS Sports – Power Rankings

CBS Sports – 6 Breakout Surprises

The post College Basketball 2024-25: Week 4 Overview appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Week 2 Quick Hits

ACC –  Duke dropped their first real challenge of the year, 77-72 to Kentucky. Cooper Flagg had 26 points, and 11 boards, but the Blue Devils were just 4 of 24 from 3.  Wake Forest is 4-1, after losing 75-60 to Xavier. Pittsburgh improved to 4-0 with a 24 point blow out of West Virginia.  Florida State had a 13 point loss to in-state rival Florida. Duke is still 4th overall in the KenPom ratings, North Carolina is 14th, and Pittsburgh is 19th.

Big 12 – The Big 12 has 6 teams in the AP Top 25. Kansas followed up their win over UNC, with an 8 point win against Michigan State. Arizona let up 103 points at Wisconsin. Arizona State had a competitive 8 point loss to Gonzaga. The game was tied at the half. Gonzaga got to the line more often, and converted once there. The Zags also won on the boards. In the KenPom ratings, there are 7 Big 12 teams in the Top 16 overall.

Big East – Marquette won at Maryland, and the Golden Eagles are 4-0. Kam Jones is an elite college guard. Xavier had the aforementioned big win vs. the Demon Deacons. In the KenPom rankings, UConn is 5th overall, with the 7th rated offense, and 7th rated defense.

Big Ten – Purdue had the big win of the week, taking down Alabama 87-78. Only 3 turnovers for the Boilermakers. Indiana is 3-0, and they’re coming of a 16 point blowout of South Carolina. The Hoosiers were 27 of 33 at the line. We mentioned Wisconsin’s win over Arizona State.  Rutgers and Illinois are both undefeated and now ranked. Purdue is the only team in the Big Ten that’s in the KenPom Top 20.

SEC – The SEC has four teams (Auburn 4th, Alabama 8th, Kentucky 9th, and Tennessee 11th) who are ranked in the AP Top 11. In the KenPom rankings, Tennessee is 6th, Alabama is 10th, and Texas A&M 15th are the top ranked SEC teams.

Local Schools

Coppin State –  Three more beatings for the Eagles who are now 0-6. They were relatively competitive in their 17 point loss at Virginia, but destroyed the next two times out at UMBC, and at Miami.

Loyola – The Greyhounds fell to 2-2 with a 26 point beating VCU. Loyola made just 33% of their FG attempts.

Morgan State – The Bears are 3-2, as they won both of their games (U of DC, and NJIT) this past week. The schedule gets harder now, with three games (NC A&T, Buffalo, and Towson) where the Bears will be underdogs between now and Sunday.

Mount St. Mary’s – The Mountaineers had a good week, winning both of their games (@Bucknell, and St. Francis) to improve to 3-1. The win vs. Bucknell was in Double OT, and the Mountaineers had 5 players in double figures.

Navy – The Midshipmen fell to 1-3 with losses to Rider, and Campbell.

Towson – The Tigers began their week with a disappointing 26 point loss at South Carolina. In that game, TU was just 16 of 54 from the floor.  Towson did rebound from that loss though, and beat James Madison. Dylan Williamson had 22, and four other Tigers each had 9.  Towson is now 2-2.

UMBC – The Retrievers are 3-2.  They beat up Coppin, and then dropped an 8 point game to Saint Peter’s.

Games Of Note This Week 

All Percentages Are From ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor.

Gonzaga at San Diego State – The Mountain West hosts the West Coast Conference.  The Aztecs are 2-0. Gonzaga is a 10.5 point favorite, and given a 70.6% chance of winning.

Hampton at UMBC – The Pirates are just 1-3, but they’re typically a solid program. Been in the CAA for a couple of years now. The Retrievers are 64.6% favorites here.

Purdue at Marquette – Interesting game here.  Purdue coming off the big win vs. Alabama.  Marquette winning at Maryland. Marquette is a 58.6% favorite to win.

Illinois at Alabama – The Fighting Illini are ranked 25th in the AP, and the Crimson Tide are 8th.  Alabama is a 60.5% favorite to get the home win.

Baylor at St. John’s – #13 at #22.  Rick Pitino has The Red Storm ranked in his 2nd year with the program. Baylor is a 67.3% favorite here to get the road win.

Syracuse at Texas – ACC at SEC. Texas is a big favorite at home.

Virginia at Tennessee – ACC at SEC.  Tennessee is a big favorite at home.

Oregon at Oregon State – Former conference foes, still in-state foes go at it.  Oregon State is 4-0, and in the WCC this year. Oregon is 4-0, and in their first year in the Big Ten. Oregon is a significant favorite here.

Duke at Arizona – #12 at #17.  The Blue Devils are 3-1.  The Wildcats are 2-1.  Duke is a 54.3% favorite here.

Articles To Read:

CBS Sports: Top 25+1 

ESPN: Judging 5 Early Over-Reactions

ESPN: Power Rankings

The post College Basketball 2024-25: Week 3 Overview appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

Let’s review this past week, and preview the week ahead.

Week 1 Quick Hits

ACC – Four ACC teams (North Carolina, Boston College, Georgia Tech, Louisville) suffered losses in Week 1.  The rest of the conference is undefeated. UNC lost a 3 point game at Kansas. The Tar Heels were down 15 at halftime, but made it a game, and actually took the lead with 6 minutes left. Overall, I’d be encouraged if I was a UNC fan.  The Tar Heels were said to lack inside strength, but they won on the boards 40-39, and had 31 FT attempts.  Wake Forest improved to 3-0, with a 72-70 win this afternoon against Michigan. Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg missed most of the 2nd half of his 2nd game (against Army) with cramping issues.

Big 12 – While UNC rallied from being down 20 against the Jayhawks, KU still won. Kansas had 5 players in double figures against UNC. They put up 92 points, despite going just 6 of 21 from 3.  Baylor entered the year ranked #8 Nationally, and lost their season opener by 38 to Gonzaga. As ugly as that game was, they did beat #16 Arkansas 72-67 their next time out. Five Baylor players in double figures against the Razorbacks. Really poor shooting in both game for Baylor though.  #4 Houston lost to #11 Auburn Saturday night, 74-69. In that game, the Cougars were outscored by 10 in the 2nd half. The box score was largely even, with the only thing sticking out is that Auburn made 53% of their FG attempts, while Houston made just 41.4%.  Arizona State is playing Gonzaga as we write this, with the Sun Devils down just 4 in the 2nd half.

Big East – Villanova, Butler, and Seton Hall lost games. Villanova’s lost being a 10 point loss at home to Columbia. Everyone else is undefeated.  UConn scored 92 in both of their first games against Sacred Heart and New Hampshire.

Big Ten – Michigan (as mentioned above to Wake Forest), Northwestern, UCLA, and Washington have losses. The rest of the conference is undefeated. UCLA lost 72-64 to New Mexico. In that game the Bruins were 5 of 23 from 3, and had 24 turnovers. Wisconsin is 3-0, and averaging 84 points per game. Nice win for Ohio State over Texas, 80-72. Buckeyes were up from beginning to end.

SEC – Arkansas (as mentioned to Baylor), Missouri, South Carolina, Texas (as mentioned to Ohio State), and Texas A&M each have a loss. A&M lost 64-61 at UCF. The story there was UCF got to the line 31 times vs. just 14 for A&M. Alabama put up 198 points (99 per) in their first two games.

Local Schools

Coppin State – Eagles start 0-3.  Had a competitive 15 point loss vs. Wake Forest, but followed that up with a 42 point loss at High Point. Then a 11 point loss to Rider.

Loyola – The Greyhounds are 1-1. They had a 3 point loss to Columbia (who again beat Villanova by 10), and a blowout win vs. Division 3 Lancaster Bible.

Morgan State – The Bears are 1-2. They beat D3 Frostburg State, lost by 5 at home to Mercyhurst, and by 18 at Longwood.

Mount St. Mary’s – The Mountaineers are 1-1, beating Notre Dame of Maryland (D3), and losing at Maryland by 34. The game at College Park got away from them, but it was a competitive effort for about 12 minutes.

Navy – A decent opening week for the Midshipmen. They had a 7 point loss at Saint Joseph’s, and they beat Harvard 85-80.

Towson – The Tigers split their first two games. They had a 7 point loss at Saint Mary’s.  In CollegeInsider’s Pre-Season Mid-Major Top 25, Saint Mary’s was 5th, and Towson was 16th. Towson lost on the boards 41-30. In their second game, Towson blew out Penn State Wilkes Barre.

UMBC – The Retrievers are 1-1, beating Penn State York by 39, and losing to Penn State by 49. UMBC gave up 60 points in the 2nd half to the Nittany Lions, and lost on the boards 50-35. UMBC was just 19 of 65 (29.2%) from the floor.

Games Of Note This Week 

All Percentages Are From ESPN’s Match-Up Predictor.

Michigan State vs Kansas – The 2-0 Fighting Tom Izzo’s face the Jayhawks. The Spartans are given a 36.6% chance of pulling the upset vs. #1 Kansas. Game at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

Duke vs. Kentucky – The Wildcats are currently ranked #23 Nationally. They’re given a 29.3% chance of winning vs. #7 Duke.

Towson at South Carolina – The Tigers on the road against an SEC school.  Towson is given a 20.2% chance of winning.

Coppin State at UMBC – The Retrievers are a 85.7% favorite here in a match-up of local schools.

Florida at Florida State – The Gators are currently ranked #21.  The Seminoles have started 2-0, and are given a 37.8% chance of winning at home here vs. their in-state rival.

Alabama at Purdue – #2 Alabama travels to West Lafayette for a game against Big Ten favorite and #14 overall Purdue. ESPN’s predictor currently has Purdue as a 52.5% favorite of getting the home win.

Marquette at Maryland – #18 Marquette comes to College Park. We will have more on this game later this week.

Arizona at Wisconsin – The Wildcats are #10 Nationally. As mentioned above, Wisconsin has started 3-0.  The Badgers are given a 33% chance of upsetting Arizona.

Ohio at Memphis – An under-the-radar game between favorites in the Mid-American, and American Conferences.  Memphis a big favorite here at home.

Wake Forest at Xavier – ACC at Big East.

Articles To Read:

CBS Sports: Top 25+1

CBS Sports: November Madness: Top In-Season Tournaments

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Conference Overviews

ACC – Just two ACC teams in the opening AP Top 25, with Duke at #7, and UNC at #9.  In Durham, it’s Year 3 of the Jon Scheyer era.  Freshman Cooper Flagg is arriving with super-human expectations. In Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels look like they have lots of strong guards and wings; and limited answers inside.  Wake Forest’s Hunter Sallis is billed as a 1st team All-America candidate by CBS Sports Matt Norlander. Clemson is projected 4th in the Conference, and has two players on the All-ACC Preseason 2nd team. You can find the ACC Preseason Poll and Teams here. 

Big East – There are three Big East teams – UConn #3, Creighton #15, and Marquette #18 in the opening AP Top 25.  I’m sure the Huskies have plenty of talent, but there is just one starter back. Is the preseason ranking based more on their back-to-back titles, or more about real projection for this roster? Creighton looks like they’ll have balanced scoring, while Marquette has a lot of program continuity. Norlander has St. John’s as his #11 best team in the country.  In the Big East Preseason Poll, Xavier placed 3rd ahead of Marquette, and St. John’s with 5th.

Big 12 – With 5 teams (#1 Kansas, #4 Houston, #5 Iowa State, #8 Baylor, #10 Arizona) in the AP Top 10 residing in the Big 12, the Big 12 has an argument for being the premier conference in the land. Cincinnati is #20 Nationally, but projected to finish 6th in their league. In a down year for the Jayhawks, Kansas was still a Top 20 team last year.  This year Bill Self has reloaded, and has a deep, talented roster which everyone has in their Top 5. Kelvin Sampson has built a juggernaut at Houston. The Cougars went 32-5, 15-3 last year in their first season in the Big 12.  This is now Year 1 for Arizona in their new league. Baylor was 4th overall in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, with two players on the Big 12 Preseason 2nd team.

Big Ten – Only four teams (Purdue #14, Indiana #17, UCLA #22, and Rutgers #25) in the AP Top 25. The Boilermakers have been a top 5 seed or better in 8 straight NCAA Tournaments. They’ve got an experienced backcourt in Braden Smith, and Fletcher Lowyer. A lot of people expect Trey Kaufman-Renn to be a breakout start. Purdue enters the year as the Big Ten favorite.  Three portal adds in the projected starting 5 for Indiana. Each of the projected Hoosiers starters averaged at-least 11.5 ppg last year.  Four transfers in UCLA’s projected starting 5. Year 1 for the Bruins in the Big Ten. If Cooper Flagg wasn’t getting every headline about incoming Freshman Nationally, the Scarlet Knights Freshman duo of Airious Bailey, and Dylan Harper might be getting more hype.  I’ve seen multiple sites calling Illinois a conference darkhorse.  Here is the Big Ten Preseason Poll.

SEC – While the Big 12 has five teams in the AP Top 10, the SEC has nine teams in the AP Top 25 (Alabama #2, Auburn #11, Tennessee #12, Texas A&M #13, Arkansas #16, Texas #19, Florida #21, Kentucky #23, Ole Miss #24).  The Volunteers have 3 transfers in their projected starting 5.  The Aggies have 7 of their Top 8 scores back, and added to projected starters in the portal. Senior Guard Wade Taylor averaged 19 ppg last year. Mark Pope begins his first season as Head Coach of Kentucky. He won a National Championship with Kentucky as a player in ’96. The past 5 years he’s been the Head Coach at BYU, where he finished 2nd overall in the West Coast Conference in his first two seasons, and 5th overall in the WCC each of the last three years. The starting 5 are all transfers, with 4 of the 5 scoring in double-figures at their previous stops. Pope has the Kentucky job, because John Calipari moved on to Arkansas, where he quickly assembled a talented roster via the portal.  Here is the SEC Preseason Poll.

The Mid-Major Top 25

CBS Sports Top 100 & 1 Best Teams

Andy Katz’s Picks To Win Each Conference

Jay Bilas’ Preseason All-American Teams

Local Schools

Coppin State – Projected to finish 8th (last) in the MEAC.  Ryan Archey named 2nd team Preaseason All-MEAC.

Loyola – Projected to finish 10th (last) in the Patriot League.

Morgan State – Projected to finish 4th in the MEAC.  Wynston Tabbs, and Will Thomas both named 1st team Preaseason All-MEAC.  Kameron Hobbs named 3rd team.

Mount St. Mary’s – Projected to finish 11th (out of 13) in the MAAC.

Navy – Projected to finish 8th in the Patriot League.  Austin Benigni named 1st team Preseason All-Patriot League.

UMBC – Projected to finish 5th (out of 9) in the American East.  Marcus Banks named 1st team Preseason All-American East.

Towson – Projected to win the Coastal Athletic Conference.  Tyler Tejada named 1st team Preseason All-CAA.  Christian May named 2nd team. Dylan Williamson named Honorable Mention.

Maryland – Projected to finish 10th in the Big Ten.  Our thoughts on the Terps here.

Who Cuts Down The Nets?

CBS Sports Picks

ESPN’s Picks

Games Of Note This Week

Mississippi State at #5 Iowa State –  Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard was voted 2nd team Preseason SEC.

#19 Texas at Ohio State –  The Buckeyes are projected to finish 8th in the Big Ten, which means they’re looked as a potential bubble team. Chance to get immediate help to their resume.

#8 Baylor at #6 Gonzaga – Rematch of the 2021 National Championship game. Gonzaga has another strong out-of-conference schedule, with Baylor currently looking like their primary challenge.

#9 North Carolina at #1 Kansas – Rematch of the 2022 National Championship game.  UNC’s guards and wings should compete well. They are said to be limited inside. How do they handle Hunter Dickinson?

#12 Tennessee at Louisville – Is Louisville improved enough to compete here?

#8 Baylor at #16 Arkansas – The Bears aren’t exactly easing into their schedule. Credit to them for going out and starting their season with two difficult road games.

#11 Auburn at #4 Houston – An SEC powerhouse at a Big 12 powerhouse.

The post College Basketball 2024-25: Week 1 Overview appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

East Region: 

1 UConn
16 Stetson

8 Florida Atlantic
9 Northwestern

5 San Diego St
12 UAB

4 Auburn
13 Yale

6 BYU
11 Duquesne

3 Illinois
14 Morehead St

7 Washington State
10 Drake

2 Iowa State
15 South Dakota St

East First Round Winners: UConn, Florida Atlantic, San Diego St, Auburn, BYU, Illinois, Drake, Iowa State
East Second Round Winners:  UConn, Auburn, Illinois, Iowa State
East Sweet 16 Winners: UConn, Iowa State
East Region Winner:  UConn

Something To Watch In The East:  Florida Atlantic went to the Final 4 last year. This year they had a win over Arizona. If they beat Northwestern, they could possibly take out UConn early.

Midwest Region: 

1 Purdue
16 Montana St / Grambling St

8 Utah St
9 TCU

5 Gonzaga
12 McNeese

4 Kansas
13 Samford

6 South Carolina
11 Oregon

3 Creighton
14 Akron

7 Texas
10 Virginia / Colorado St

2 Tennessee
15 Saint Peter’s

Midwest First Round Winners: Purdue, Utah State, Gonzaga, Kansas, South Carolina, Creighton, UVA, Tennessee
Midwest Second Round Winners: Purdue, Gonzaga, South Carolina, Tennessee
Midwest Sweet 16 Winners: Purdue, Tennessee
Midwest Region Winner: Tennessee

Something To Watch In The Midwest:  This was not a dominant Gonzaga squad. The Bulldogs could easily go out in the First Round to McNeese.  I’ll go with Gonzaga to win, largely because of Coach Few’s experience. I was tempted to pick Samford over Kansas, but I couldn’t pull the trigger. I will change to picking Samford before Thursday if the Jayhawks Hunter Dickinson is not available. I think the South Carolina / Oregon winner is capable of getting to the Elite 8.

South Region: 

1 Houston
16 Longwood

8 Nebraska
9 Texas A&M

5 Wisconsin
12 James Madison

4 Duke
13 Vermont

6 Texas Tech
11 NC State

3 Kentucky
14 Oakland

7 Florida
10 Boise St / Colorado

2 Marquette
15 Western Kentucky

South First Round Winners:  Houston, Texas A&M, James Madison, Duke, Texas Tech, Kentucky, Colorado, Marquette
South Second Round Winners: Houston, Duke, Kentucky, Marquette
South Sweet 16 Winners: Houston, Kentucky
South Region Winner: Kentucky

Something To Watch In The South: I’m not going to be alone in picking James Madison over Wisconsin.  Vermont over Duke will be a popular upset pick as well, but I think the Blue Devils win. NCST just went a run for the ACC Tournament Championship; but I think they lose to Texas Tech.  I like Colorado over Boise State, but I’ll take either to get past Florida.

West Region: 

1 North Carolina
16 Howard / Wagner

8 Mississippi St
9 Michigan St

5 Saint Mary’s
12 Grand Canyon

4 Alabama
13 Charleston

6 Clemson
11 New Mexico

3 Baylor
14 Colgate

7 Dayton
10 Nevada

2 Arizona
15 Long Beach State

West First Round Winners: North Carolina, Michigan State, Saint Mary’s, Alabama, New Mexico, Baylor, Nevada, Arizona
West Second Round Winners: North Carolina, Alabama, New Mexico, Arizona
West Sweet 16 Winners: Alabama, Arizona
West Region Winner: Arizona

Something To Watch In The West: I like St. Mary’s to get past Grand Canyon, but the Lopes can win there. Coach Izzo in March is always a threat; but that’s a pretty limited Sparty squad. Colgate was 16-2 in the Patriot League, winning the regular season and the conference tournament. Baylor will be more athletic across the board, but wouldn’t be shocking to see Raiders pull the upset there. I picked Nevada over Dayton here, but I’ll continue to look at that game.

Final Four: UConn vs. Arizona, Tennessee vs. Kentucky

Championship: UConn vs. Tennessee

Champion: UConn

The post 2024 NCAA Tournament Predictions appeared first on Baltimore Sports and Life.

It has been an absolutely wild stretch of College Basketball, with four of the top five ranked teams in the AP Poll recently falling to unranked opponents. This is the first time we have ever seen before, and it is only a reminder that anything can happen in this absolute crazy sport. One of those teams that went down was #2 ranked Kansas against Central Florida. Although this was a unique spot considering it was the first ever Big 12 Conference home game for UCF, this is not a game the Jayhawks should lose. Just a few days earlier Central Florida fell to Kansas State in blowout fashion 77-52. After leading by eight points at the half, Kansas was outscored 36-23 in the final 20 minutes and even cost themselves at the Free Throw Line, shooting 6-11.

This Kansas team is still 13-2 and should be right there at the top of the Big 12 when it’s all set and done. However, is this a vintage Kansas team that you should have Final 4 or bust expectations for? My answer would be no, as the Jayhawks have shown signs of vulnerability since the start of the season. The bottom line is, outside the top four guys of Hunter Dickinson, Kevin McCullar, DaJuan Harris and KJ Adams, there aren’t many guys you will be able to trust. These four players combined for 43 of the 60 Jayhawks points on Wednesday night in the loss. Bill Self flat out needs more from guys like Elmarko Jackson, Johnny Furphy and Nick Timberlake, if the Jayhawks want to get things turned around. They haven’t shown any signs yet they are capable of doing that. Kansas was also fortunate to get out of Saturday’s game against TCU, due to some questionable calls going in their favor down the stretch.

This weekend’s game against an Oklahoma team ranked in the Top 10, feels like a litmus test game for the Jayhawks and if they can really get back to where they want to be. There aren’t many programs in the country that could be 13-2 and ranked in the Top 5, that you would have this much panic for. However, since it is Bill Self and Kansas, anything short of competing for Championships is not good enough. Losing to Central Florida should be a wakeup call, that this Kansas team just isn’t on par with the teams that had won a combined 59 games in the last two seasons.

ACC – Clemson

After being one the first teams on the wrong end of the NCAA Tournament cut line a season ago, this was going to be a big season for Brad Brownell and the Tigers. Clemson returned six of their top nine leading scorers from last season’s team that won 23 games and went 14-6 in the ACC. Early on it looked like Clemson being selected fifth in the Preseason ACC Poll was too low. The Tigers won 11 of their first 12 games, including a signature road victory at

Alabama in the ACC / SEC Challenge. In addition, PJ Hall has been playing like the clear-cut ACC Player of the Year, with 29 points against Alcorn State and 27 points against UAB. In the last three games however, things have gone in the opposite direction. In the last seven days, Clemson has dropped games to Miami, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. It’s not like any of these games are bad losses per say, but at one point earlier this season, it looked like this could be the best Clemson team of the Brad Brownell era.

This is Brownell’s 14th season on the job, and one constant during that stretch is inconsistency. Playing at Cassell Coliseum is never an easy task for the visiting team, however coming off two straight disappointing losses, I expected a little more from this Clemson team. While just a week ago Clemson would have been labeled as one of the favorites to win the ACC, other teams like North Carolina, Duke and Wake Forest are just playing much better basketball right now.

One issue I have with Clemson at the moment, is the ball seems to be in Joe Girard’s hand’s way too often. Chase Hunter is a veteran player that has been in the program for five seasons now. He averaged 4.5 assists per game last season, but is playing much more off the ball recently which has cost Clemson. Girard is a score first player that can get a little too shot happy at times, that I think would be better off the ball.

Clemson has the talent to turn things around and will have a very manageable upcoming stretch, with home games against Boston College and Georgia Tech, then going to Florida State. That is before their biggest test of the season at Duke on January 24th.

Pac-12 – UCLA

Mick Cronin’s Bruins entered this season in a rather difficult spot, fresh off their third straight Sweet-16, but losing each of their top five leading scorers from last season. While that production was always going to be difficult to replace, Cronin took a little bit of a different approach, building this current version of the Bruins around some of the best international recruits out there. Despite UCLA being picked third in the Pac-12 Preseason Poll and most expecting this team to at a minimum get back to the big dance, saying this season has been a failure so far is an understatement. After opening up conference play with a road victory at Oregon State, UCLA has lost their last three consecutive games and six of their last seven, going back to non-conference play. That doesn’t even include an embarrassing home loss to Cal-State Northridge in December.

Dating back to when Cronin was hired prior to the start of the 2019-2020 season, I always had some questions about how his rugged coaching style would translate at a place known for getting some of the top recruits out of High School in the country. Mick’s teams at Cincinnati weren’t always the most talented, but he was always able to build a team that played the style of basketball he wanted and was always able to get the most out of them. While the first three years at UCLA couldn’t have gone better then they did, it is important to remember those were mostly with players Steve Alford brought to campus. This is the first roster that is filled with guys that Mick brought to campus and it couldn’t have gone worse up to this point.

While the on the court struggles are one thing, Mick’s actions after these frustrating results have been a bad look. The Bruins were just swept in their two game homestand against the Bay Area schools, and Mick refused to show up to his post game press conference following Saturday’s loss to California. Assistant Coach Rod Palmer spoke to the media, which is flat out the Head Coaches responsibility. In addition, Cronin has thrown multiple players under the bus following these losses, and flat out isn’t acting like a coach I’d want my kids to play for. Even as someone who expected UCLA to take a step back, this has been a season where everything that could have gone wrong has gone as worse as possible.

Big East – Seton Hall

There wasn’t a hire in the 2021-2022 Head Coach Cycle that made more sense than Shaheen Holloway going back to his alma mater Seton Hall. Holloway was fresh off leading #15 seeded Saint Peters on a miraculous run to the Elite 8, and former Pirates Head Coach Kevin Willard had just left for Maryland. While it was always going to take some time for Shaheen to really get things rolling, his first season and a half at Seton Hall wasn’t necessarily ideal. The Pirates went 17-17 overall and 10-10 in Big East Conference play last season, losing in disappointing fashion in the opening round of the Big East Tournament to DePaul and in the first round of the NIT to Colorado.

Things didn’t get much better to start this season during non-conference play. The Pirates entered their game against Missouri on December 17th 5-4 overall, and 0-4 against Power Conference teams. A flip seemed to switch that day in Kansas City, as the Pirates defeated the Tigers 93-87 and controlled things for the majority of the second half. Seton Hall has continued the momentum since that game, and have collected a trio of wins over ranked teams in UConn, Marquette and Providence. There isn’t a team in all of College Basketball that has a trio of wins in the last month more impressive than those three by the Pirates.

Senior Guards Kadary Richmond and Al-Amir Dawes have stepped up in a massive way over the course of the last four games, just finding ways to win at any cause. Dawes was phenomenal in Saturday’s victory over Marquette with 23 points, on an efficient 7-10 from the floor and 4-5 from deep. Richmond also scored 21 points in the victory and scored a season high 23 in the Pirates victory over UConn. With Coach Holloway also getting key contributions from younger players in Jaden Bediako and Isaiah Coleman, this Pirates team has been a nice story in the Big East. Especially coming off of their struggles in non-conference play.

SEC – Texas A&M

Expectations were high for the Aggies entering the season, being voted as the favorite to win the SEC in the preseason media poll. This was for good reason, as the Aggies expected to return eight of their top nine leading scorers from last season’s team that went 15-3 in the league and made the NCAA Tournament. This season however hasn’t gone as smoothly as expected, as Texas A&M has started SEC play 0-2 and have more questions than answers at the moment.

It should be noted that big man Julius Marble has not played a second of basketball so far this season, while going through a “university process.” We haven’t gotten much of an update on Marble and it is unknown if he will be returning to the team any time soon. Not having the big man in the middle who averaged 9 points and 4 rebounds in only 20.8 minutes per game last season definitely hurts.

In addition, veteran Guard Tyrece Radford has missed five games this season due to injuries as well. While the Aggies were competitive against a very good Auburn team on the road Tuesday Night, SEC play couldn’t have started in more disappointing fashion than the way it did on Saturday against LSU. Texas A&M was outscored 38-21 in the second half, letting the Tigers shoot 40% from the field for the game and were outrebounded 46-40. This is a concern due to the fact that the offensive glass is usually the Aggies best form of offense, plus as a team they shot 5-28 from three.

As a team this season, Texas A&M ranks 355th in the country in three-point shooting at 26%. Simply put, they will have to shoot the basketball significantly better if they want to turn things around. The schedule will not be getting any easier with Kentucky coming to town on Saturday and a road trip to Arkansas and LSU to follow.

Big Ten – Nebraska

Despite Nebraska being one of the toughest jobs in all of power conference basketball, Fred Hoiberg’s seat was somewhat hot entering this season. Nebraska showed signs of progress in Hoiberg’s fourth season on the job in 2023, but the program had still not won more than 16 games or sniffed an NCAA Tournament during his tenure.

After a relatively easy non-conference schedule, Nebraska needed to start building a resume in Big Ten Conference play in order to march towards a tournament bid. And that is exactly what they’ve done to this point. The Cornhuskers collected not only their biggest win in the Fred Hoiberg era, but one of the biggest victories in program history on Tuesday Night against Purdue. This was Nebraska’s first win over the AP #1 ranked team since1983, when they defeated #1 Michigan. The Huskers shot a ridiculous 61% from three, thanks to 19 points from Kesei Tominaga and 16 points from C.J. Wilcher to get the job done. Purdue big man and National Player of the Year favorite Zach Edey got into some foul trouble early in the first half and Nebraska never looked back. Tominaga is a guy that is built to play in the NCAA Tournament, as a career 37% three-point shooter.

Coach Hoiberg deserves credit for adding some under the radar Transfers from the portal in the offseason, including Rienk Mask from Bradley, Brice Williams from Charlotte and Josiah Allick from New Mexico, who have all been significant contributors. With wins over Purdue, Michigan State and Indiana, Nebraska has the NCAA Tournament in sight and should be hearing their names called on Selection Sunday if they can manage to win the games they’re supposed to in the Big Ten.

With teams like Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Penn State, Rutgers, Iowa and Indiana, somewhat struggling relative to expectations, the opportunity is there for Nebraska to be one of the better teams in this conference. This is still a program looking for their first NCAA Tournament win ever, which will definitely be a storyline to monitor if the Huskers get into the dance for the first time since 2014.

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