College basketball continues to make like a snow globe: shake it up and see where the pieces fall.
1. Ohio State – The Buckeyes make 49.3 percent from the field (#2 in the nation).
2. Kansas – The Jayhawks make 52.1 percent from the field (#1).
3. BYU – The Cougars are proving they are more than Jimmer. BYU shot 14-of-28 from behind the arc in their win at San Diego State. Fredette went 4-of-8 from long range.
4. Duke – The Blue Devils host a desperate Clemson club on Wednesday before traveling to Chapel Hill on Saturday.
5. Pittsburgh – The Panthers have lost 2 of 3.
6. Texas – The Longhorns host Kansas State tonight. The Wildcats have won four in a row and 6 of 7.
7. Notre Dame – The Irish have a team assist to turnover ratio of 1.54:1 (#5)
8. Wisconsin – The Badgers are limiting opponents to 57.4 ppg (2nd in the nation), and they are #1 in FT percentage-82.8. Combine that with a number one assist to turnover ratio of 1.79:1.
9. Purdue – The Boilermakers have reeled off six in a row.
10. San Diego State – Dress these guys up in Big East uniforms, and many would argue that the Aztecs are #1.
11. Kentucky – Will the real Wildcats please stand up?
12. Louisville – The Cardinals make almost nine treys per game. No other top 25 team makes more. They make 36.5 percent from long range.
13. Florida – Play at Vanderbilt later this week.
14. St. John’s – The Johnnies’ lineup consists of nine seniors.
15. Syracuse – The Orange took two on the road last week.
16. Georgetown – The Hoyas have lost three of four.
17. Arizona – The Wildcats return home after getting whacked twice last week.
18. UConn – The Huskies are in a 5-way tie for seventh in the Big East.
19. UNC – The Heels have won 10 of 11.
20. Villanova – Villanova has lost four of six and heads out on the road to play at Notre Dame and Pitt this week.
21. Xavier – Winning at Dayton was bigger than what most will think.
22. Texas A&M – The Aggies play at Kansas on Wednesday.
23. Utah St. – These Aggies just keep winning.
24. Temple – The Owls are healthy just in time for the post-season.
25. George Mason – The Patriots going into the Colonial Athletic tournament winning 15 in a row.
How many OT thrillers have the L’ville Cardinals won this year …. 5? 6?
How is Kentucky still up there at #11? Doesn’t feel right. Or Pitt at #5?
“21. Xavier – Winning at Dayton was bigger than what most will think.”
No kidding … you nailed that one, Casey! This is very similar to “a win at Duquesne is a springboard …” from two weeks ago. Or maybe Smitty said that … whatever 😉
What a horrible list. Just awful.
I’m going to bump Notre Dame to #5 ahead of Texas and Pitt. I also would like SDSU to move up a few spots; their only losses have been to the #3 team in the nation. In fact, move Texas to #362 and move Purdue into their spot. George Mason! We’ve missed you! Welcome back.
Can we hear it for senoir leadership? Look at what St. John’s and Notre Dame are doing in the polls! Watching ‘Nova and Notre Dame right now. ND just flat out doesn’t care who scores. They move ball and simply make the right pass every time. It is ridiculous to watch because they make offense look easy. Although I wonder if Jay Wright will become the Rich Rodriguez of college basketball. His “small ball” 4-out offense is getting him killed on the offensive boards tonight by a hungry and athletic Irish team. ‘Nova guards just seem to penetrate and hope for the best. Very little faith if any in any inside scoring with the Wildcats. Spread formation is a great idea, but you have to have the personnel to make it work. Like Pat White or Scottie Reynolds/Randy Foye/Allan Ray.
The way his last two teams have started fast and faded down the stretch, I was wondering if Jay Wright has been reading Oliver Purnell’s coaching handbooks.
Great point with a Purnell comparison. At some point, your novelty show has to give way to fundamental basketball because people will have enough film to figure out how to stop a one-dimensional feature. (If that makes sense).
Notre Dame basketball – addition by subtraction.
One dimensional makes complete sense. Just makes that final 4 run all the more amazing.
Dare I say Mike Brey coach of the year
You beat me to it.
I gotta say, I was impressed with BYU on Saturday. In San Diego State’s gym, they were impressive.
Casey, you are absolutely right – they are more than just Jimmer. 50% for the game behind the 3 point line? Pretty impressive and on the road no less.
As for Villanova – this is 2 years in a row with an end of the season collapse. Somehow you have to think that the Wildcats’ style of play doesn’t hold up in the Big East. 2nd time through teams and opposing teams are using them to wipe the floor. Tonight’s loss to Notre Dame has to push them out of the Top 25.
Tu Holloway against Dayton.. again he was dominant in the 2nd half. Every time Dayton whittled the lead down – Holloway had an answer.
Saturday was the first time that I saw Fredette as a POINT guard. To me they have had him bring up the ball because you have to start defending him 30′ from the bucket. But on Saturday? What did he have 9 assists? They were comparing him on tv to Stephen Curry. No way. There was no one on that Davidson team that could score like Jackson Emery or Brandon Davies. Not to mention Noah Hartsock.
Fredette and BYU certainly had their way with San Diego St.. Like you said, the Aztecs focused on Fredette and he spent a majority of the game getting the ball to the open player. When the Aztecs had no choice but to focus elsewhere, he had started scoring.
Absolutely textbook.
What about Steve Lavin for Coach of The Year?? Heck … I’m extremely delighted we’re talking about Mike Brey … trust me … but who saw St Johns doing this???
Kansas State had the scary look of a desperate team last night. And I mean that in a good way for the Wildcats and not for their opponents.
Whoa – It didn’t take BYU long to feel the strain left by their recently dismissed starter. They got pummeled by New Mexico last night.
And that game was played AT BYU. Time to circle the wagons.