Final Four Recap

Michigan survives late Syracuse surge to reach championship game

If you told me Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr, and Nik Stauskas would be a combined 5-29 from the field and Caris LeVert would outscore Burke, I would think Michigan lost by double digits.  But that wasn't the case because the Wolverines used defense and offensive rebounding to overcome Syracuse 61-56.  In the first half Michigan was down 17-15 before ending the half on a 21-8 run spurred by the bench.  In the second, Syracuse slowly fought back and made it close in the waning minutes.  Cuse started pressing late and the pressure seemed to be getting to the Wolverines.  With less than a minute left the Orange started fouling and Michigan only made 4-8 free throws down the stretch to keep the game undecided.  But the controversy came on a questionable call with 19 seconds left and Cuse down two, after Burke split a pair at the line.  Brandon Triche drove the lane and Jordan Morgan stepped in for a charge.  The block/charge is the hardest call to make in basketball and refs like to swallow their whistles late.  But with how much contact there was, something had to be called and the ref went with a charge.  After another split at the stripe, this time by Jon Horford, Syracuse was down three but turned the ball over and Morgan finished the game with a breakaway dunk.  The two main stories leading up to this game was how will Michigan handle the Orange 2-3 zone and who will win the point guard matchup between Trey Burke and Michael Carter-Williams.  Let's talk about the zone first and in the first half Michigan was tearing it apart.  Mitch McGary became a play maker from the high post with a career high six assists.  Reserves Spike Albrecht and LeVert came in to hit two huge 3s each to provide a much needed lift from the bench.  Stauskas was looked at to be a key part to beating the zone after he went 6-6 in the Elite 8 from beyond arc but last night he missed all four of his attempts.  When the 3-point shot wasn't on, McGary and Glenn Robinson III where able to keep possessions alive with five offensive rebounds apiece.  As for the great PG matchup, neither was impressive.  Burke was 1-8 from the field with seven points and four assists, while MCW went 1-6 with two points and two assists.  Not only did MCW account for six total points, but he also had five turnovers and fouled out.  It was a night he'd much rather forget.  The one player that kept Syracuse in the game the whole night was C.J. Fair.  He realized he had a height and athletic advantage over anybody that Michigan put on him as he put up 22 and got the Orange back in the game in the second half.  Triche played good down the stretch as well, finishing with 11 points and 8 assists.  But, again for Michigan it was McGary, who might be having the best tournament of anybody so far.  He had his third double-double with 10 and 12 boards.  They now head to National Championship game 20 years after the Fab Five last did it for U of M.  This was only the second game of the year Burke scored single-digits and if Michigan wants its second national title, they will need more out of the National Player of the Year.  On a side note, Michigan called its last timeout with 1:51 to go in a very tight game.  I started having flashbacks of 20 years ago and Chris Webber's fatal timeout when they didn't have any.  I just pictured in my head Mitch McGary (who wears #4 like Webber) finding himself trapped in a corner and calling one more TO.

Louisville uses their bench to rally past the Shockers

Wichita State was ready to continue shocking the world for about 30 of the 40 minutes in their Final Four game against top seed Louisville.  That was until the pressure ramped up and Luke Hancock took over.  In the first half Wichita State did exactly what they needed to, handle the Louisville pressure and limit turnovers.  While doing so the Shockers were able to hold a 26-25 lead and only had four turnovers.  Louisville has owned the second half of games in the tournament but WSU came out ready to play and opened up a 47-35 with about 13 minutes left.  The dominate Cardinals now look vulnerable but an unsuspecting player stepped up, Luke Hancock.  Just like coming to the aid of Kevin Ware after his injury, Hancock did not shy away from the big moment and carried his team.  The junior captain averages seven points a game but scored 14 of his 20 in the second half to bring Louisville back on a 21-8 run to take a 56-55 lead with 6:30 left.  It seemed like this was the run we were all waiting for Louisville to make and they were going to close it out easily.  But Cleanthony Early didn't stop fighting.  Down five with less than two minutes left, Early scored six straight for the Shockers as they were extending the game with fouls.  This game had its share of controversy as well when it was Hancock at the line with a two point lead and eight seconds to go.  He makes the first but misses the second and Wichita State's Ron Baker grabs the long rebound but Hancock ties him up for the jumpball.  The possession arrow favored Louisville and Russ Smith hit a free throw to give us our final score 72-68.  Now some think the whistle was blown too early and Baker had actually wrestled the ball away, but my problem is with the alternating possession rule of jumpballs.  You are telling me that refs are that bad in throwing the ball straight up in the air that we can't have an actual jumpball after tie-ups?  Nonetheless, Louisville gets the win and a chance to play for a championship even with their starters being out played by the bench.  The starters were 10-33 from the field for 38 points, the bench was 12-16 for 34 points.  Smith scored 21 but on 6-17 shooting and only 5-12 from the line, Peyton Siva was 1-9 for seven points and three assists, while Gorgui Dieng was almost non-existent missing the only shot he took but grabbing six rebounds.  Along with Hancock's 20, Montrezl Harrell had eight and Tim Henderson (who only had 16 points all year) hit two back-to-back 3s when Louisville was down 12.  For the Shockers, Early finished with 24 and 10 rebounds and Carl Hall added 13 points.  Malcolm Armstead was the MOP of the West region but only managed 1-10 shooting with seven assists.  Louisville looked shaky for 3/4s of the game but when they needed it, their defense created turnovers and their bench became the scoring threats.  They move on to play Michigan, a team that commits the fewest turnovers in the country, which should make for a great matchup.

Elite 8 Day 1 Recap

Wichita State shocks another top seed to earn a trip to Atlanta

Cinderella is still dancing as Wichita State took down the 2-seed Ohio State 70-66.  The Buckeyes couldn't hit anything in the first half as the Shockers built a 35-22 halftime lead as Cleanthony Early led the way.  In the second it was more of the same for the first nine minutes as WSU pushed the lead to 56-36 with 11:01 left.  But Ohio State wasn't about to give up yet.  After seeing Michigan erase a 14-point deficit with less than seven minutes to go against Kansas the night before, OSU started to chip away.  The Buckeyes went on a 23-6 run to make it 62-59 with 2:49 remaining.  In a spot where most thought the 9-seed Shockers would continue to wilt, they came up big.  First it was Tekele Cotton who hit a 3-pointer on their next possession.  Then after Deshaun Thomas scored, Fred Vanvleet made a shot in the lane that bounced at least six times on the rim before finally dropping.  From then on it was a foul fest and OSU wasn't able to complete their comeback.  Wichita State had great balance on offense as six players scored at least eight, led by Malcolm Armstead with 14 and Early with 12.  The Shockers also played great defense holding the Buckeyes to only 31% from the field and 5-25 on 3-pointers (OSU was 50% in the tournament prior).  On the outside, Armstead held Aaron Craft to only 2-12 shooting while Carl Hall controlled the paint with six blocks.  OSU star Deshaun Thomas finished with 23 and LaQuinton Ross played well for the third consecutive game adding 19 but it wasn't enough.  Wichita State only won by four but pretty much dominated for 3/4's of the game and earned their ticket to the Final Four.  Their region was decimated with upsets but they managed to get past the #1 and #2 seeded teams in the West.  The Shockers might be a mid-major 9-seed but they have proven themselves worthy and should not be taken lightly by either Louisville or Duke.

Syracuse continues its strong defense, knocking off Big East foe

It wasn't the prettiest game but that's how Syracuse is making their opponents look on offense, ugly.  The Orange held Marquette to only 18 points in the first half and 39 for the game as they smothered their Big East counterpart for the 55-39 victory.  Marquette's 39 points was the fewest ever scored in an Elite Eight game in the shot clock era.  The Syracuse 2-3 zone has been dominating opponents all tournament with their length and athleticism.  To have a guy like Michael Carter-Williams (6'6) at the top of the zone is what causes trouble for other teams.  His length makes it difficult to find passing lanes and he's able to challenge 3-point attempts.  MCW had 12 points, eight rebound, six assists, and five steals with only one turnover against Marquette.  Speaking of turnovers, Marquette is now the third team to have more turnovers than field goals made against the Orange in this years tournament, joining Montana and Indiana.  The Golden Eagles had 14 TOs but only 12 shots made on 22% shooting.  Cuse's defense is unbelievable right now, they are holding teams to 14 less points than in the regular season (45.8 per game), 29% from the field and 15% from long range.  James Southerland was a big spark in the scoring department, putting in 16 and can be a killer from deep.  The remaining teams should be fearful of Syracuse and their zone, nobody seems to be able to figure it out.  If defense wins championships, the Orange are in prime position to cut down the nets.



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What To Watch For In The Elite 8

Marquette vs Syracuse

Player To Watch - Vander Blue has done whatever this team has needed during their run in the tournament and he will have to continue that against Syracuse.  Marquette is not a good 3-point shooting team (30%) but Blue has gone 5-10 in his first three games.  That coupled with his penetration ability is what the Golden Eagles are going to need to breakdown the Syracuse 2-3 zone, which caused Indiana fits.

Key Matchup - These two Big East teams only played once in the regular season, a game Marquette won 74-71.  This is more of a team thing than individual as it's Marquette's offense against the Syracuse 2-3 zone.  In their game against Indiana, the Orange befuddled the Hoosiers because they rarely had to play against a 2-3 but Marquette sees it every year.  In their first game Davante Gardner had 26 points and eight boards but everybody else struggled, especially from the 3-point line.  There are multiple ways to beat the zone but hitting outside shots helps a lot and if Marquette is cold again from beyond the arc they might not be as fortunate to escape with a win.

Deciding Factor - Rebounding.  Can Syracuse rebound out of their zone and can Marquette keep the bigger Orange off the offensive glass.  Playing a zone makes it difficult to find a man and box out especially against hustle guys like Gardner and Jamil Wilson.  But the Orange have the size to attack the offensive boards as well with Baye Keita, Rakeem Christmas, James Southerland and C.J. Fair.  Marquette and Syracuse had 13 and 14 offensive rebounds respectively in their first game and the team that can limit the other has a great chance of winning.


Ohio State vs Wichita State

Player To Watch - Aaron Craft has been playing great offensively and defensively in Ohio State's first three games, including hitting a game winner against Iowa State.  All year he's been the x-factor for this team.  We know what to expect out of Deshaun Thomas but when Craft plays like he has been this team can beat anybody in the country.  He's averaging six assists and just over 11 points in the tournament.  He's going up against a senior in Malcolm Armstead that's been playing well himself so it will be interesting to see if Craft's pressure will get to him.

Key Matchup - Deshaun Thomas vs Carl Hall.  Thomas led the Big Ten in scoring at almost 20 a game and hasn't slowed down in the tournament.  Hall played great against LaSalle, 16 and 8, but containing Thomas is a difficult task.  It's tough to say that Hall can neutralize Thomas but if he keeps their matchup somewhat close Wichita State has a better chance of pulling the upset.

Deciding Factor - These teams are basically mirror images of each other if you look at stats across the board.  Points, rebounds, assists, steals, and turnovers are all pretty even.  To me it's going to come down to if Deshaun Thomas continues to get help on the offensive end.  Whether is Craft, LaQuinton Ross, or Lezelle Smith Jr, somebody else has to score.  Ross has put up 17 in the each of the last two games but if that stops OSU will struggle.  Wichita State is a deeper team so if they have multiple guys contributing, as they have so far, look for them to stay with the Buckeyes until the end.


Michigan vs Florida

Player To Watch - Obviously Trey Burke.  But I'm going with Mitch McGary.  John Beilein finally decided to start the big freshman and it's paying off.  McGary is averaging just under 20 points and a little over 12 rebounds in the tournament.  All of a sudden this guy is playing like one of the best big men in the country.

Key Matchup - Trey Burke against the Gators pressure.  Burke had 23 points and a huge game-tying 3-pointer from super long range against Kansas but has turned the ball over uncharacteristically in the tournament.  During the regular season Burke had the best assist to turnover ratio in the country but has 13 in three games in the tournament, including seven against VCU.  The Gators forced 20 turnovers against Florida Gulf Coast and have three guards that bring pressure.  Burke will be the likely Player of the Year but if he continues to struggle with turnovers it can put Michigan in a bad spot.

Deciding Factor - Offense vs Defense.  The Gators have won by double digits in every victory this year but when they've lost they've had a hard time scoring.  Even in their win against FGCU they only shot 38%.  Michigan on the other hand has hovered around 50% all tournament but their defense has been shaky all year.  If Michigan can limit Florida on offense they will likely win.  But Florida is ranked in the top ten in Ken Pomeroy's offense and defense and has the ability to run with the Wolverines.  If it's a shooting match, the Gators defense is better and will help them prevail.


Louisville vs Duke 

Player To Watch - Gorgui Dieng.  In their first matchup he didn't play and Mason Plumlee had 16 and seven rebounds to help Duke get a 76-71 win.  With Dieng back in the lineup he's one player that can stop Plumlee on offense and the glass.  Dieng is averaging a double-double on the year with 2.5 blocks and is the inside presence Louisville needs to make a title run.

Key Matchup - Russ Smith vs Seth Curry.  These are the two hottest shooters in the country as Smith is averaging 27 and Curry with 24.  Both of these guys have the ability to go for 30 and very well might.  If you like scoring then this is the best matchup for it from here on out.

Deciding Factor -  Can Duke stop Louisville?  The Cardinals entire offense has been on point as they've shot at least 54% in every game in the tourney so far.  If Duke wants to win this game they have to figure out a way to slow them down because so far nobody has been able to.  I expect this to be a classic game between these two teams and coaches, Rick Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski.



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Sweet 16 Day 1 Recap

Ohio State does it again, downing Arizona in the final seconds

For the second straight game Ohio State was tied with its opponent and had the ball for the last shot.  Against Iowa State it was Aaron Craft who hit the dagger 3-pointer, tonight against Arizona it was LaQuinton Ross.  This game was back and forth all night, with each team controlling a half.  In the first it was all Arizona who held an 11 point lead before the Buckeyes cut it to four, 38-34, at the break.  OSU opened the second stanza with a 10-0 run to take a six point lead, which later grew to ten.  But the Wildcats weren't done as Solomon Hill and Mark Lyons kept them in it during OSU's run.  At one point Hill scored nine straight and finished with 16 on 7-11 shooting.  In the last 1:20 Arizona was down 69-63 when Lyons scored the last nine for the Cats and he tied the game at 70 with 21 seconds left.  So again OSU can take the last shot and the ball is in Craft's hands.  This time he gives it up to Ross who nails the triple with only two seconds remaining and Ohio State finishes off Arizona 73-70.  Ross was on fire in the second half as he scored 14 of his 17 after the intermission.  For Arizona, Lyons had a great tournament scoring no less than 23 in each of his three games.  In the 2012 NCAA tournament, players were 0-12 in the last ten seconds on potential game-tying or go-ahead field goal attempts.  This year we've already had four made field goals by Vander Blue, Tyrone Garland, Aaron Craft, and now LaQuinton Ross.

Syracuse and the 2-3 zone slows down Indiana

That sound you hear are thousands of people ripping up their brackets.  If Gonzaga and Miami going down wasn't enough, we lost a very popular pick to win it all when Indiana fell to Syracuse 61-50.  The Orange controlled the pace of the game and slowed down Indiana with their 2-3 zone.  The Hoosiers scored a season low 50 points while shooting 33% from the field (3-15 on 3's) and committed 18 turnovers.  Syracuse was disruptive all night with their length blocking ten shots and creating 12 steals as Michael Carter-Williams led the way.  MCW had 24 points and 4 steals because nobody on Indiana could contain him, not even Victor Oladipo.  But, Oladipo was the lone bright spot for IU scoring 16 on 5-6 from the field.  Cody Zeller posted 10 and 10 but was 3-11, and Christian Watford and Jordan Hulls combined for 4-17 (Hulls 0-6).  Syracuse is a tough team to prepare for if you don't play against a lot of zone during the regular season and they are a very dangerous team that seems to be clicking on both sides of the ball.

Marquette breezes past Miami FL to get to Elite 8

The Marquette Golden Eagles were a bad in-bounds pass away from being bounced early by Davidson and are now heading to the Elite 8 after routing Miami.  Marquette won its first two games of the tournament by a total of three points but against the Hurricanes their largest lead was 22 before the game finished at 71-61.  It was definitely a total team effort as the six players that scored all had at least eight points and Jamil Wilson led with 16.  Marquette shot 54% from the field and held Miami to only 35% and 8-26 on 3-pointers.  The Hurricanes had a terrible start to the game, only scoring 16 in the first half and were never able to recover.  The Golden Eagles reach the Elite 8 for the first time since 2003 when Dwyane Wade was running the show.  This year it's been Vander Blue leading this team hitting the game-winner against Davidson, putting in 29 in a 74-72 win over Butler and last night scoring 14 on 7-12 shooting.  Marquette had an early exit in the Big East tournament but are now showing signs of the surprise team that shared a regular season title with Louisville and Georgetown.  They epitomize the word "team" and now have to face a familiar foe in Syracuse for a chance to go to Atlanta for the Final Four.

The Shockers continue their post season run

For the first time in this tournament Wichita State was the favorite in their matchup with LaSalle and they played like it.  The Shockers started the game on a 17-3 run and the game was basically over from then on as they cruised to a 72-58 win.  Carl Hall scored ten of his 16 points during that run and also added eight boards.  In the second half it was Malcolm Armstead that paced the Shockers scoring nine straight at one point en route to leading the team with 18.  Wichita State also played great defensively holding LaSalle to only 35% shooting and continued their trend of keeping their first three opponents to that same percentage.  For the Explorers, Ramon Galloway and Tyrone Garland were a combined 9-30 from the field.  Wichita State has a date with Ohio State on Sunday and earlier in the tournament Thad Matta told reporters teams that a good at rebounding scare him.  Well, the Shockers outrebounded LaSalle 44-23.



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NCAA Tournament Day 1 Recap

Harvard gets first tournament win in school history

For those of you who didn't stay up until midnight you might have awoken up to your bracket being busted.  Harvard, a 14-seed, picked up their first ever NCAA tournament victory over 3-seed New Mexico 68-62.  Apparently, they not only have brilliant minds attending their school but ball players as well.  The Crimson was able to slow down the pace of the game and hit key 3-pointers, led by Laurent Rivard who went 5-9 from deep with 17 points.  New Mexico is known for its offensive struggles and it showed as Mountain West player of the year Kendall Williams went 1-6 from the floor for eight points.  The Lobos were discussed as a possible Final Four candidate but that's out the window now that Harvard knocked them out.

Marquette storms back over Davidson

3-seed Marquette looked to be the first casualty in this years tournament at the hands of 14-seed Davidson.  The Wildcats were up pretty much the entire game and held a 54-48 lead with 1:10 to play.  The Golden Eagles proceeded to hit three 3s to pull within one, 58-57, with 10 seconds left.  After the inbound, Davidson tried to play keep away while running the clock and ended up turning the ball over.  Marquette's Vander Blue then hits a driving layup with 1 second to spare as the 3-seed is able to survive.  Davidson had this game wrapped up if they would have just held onto the ball and got fouled.  They are the best free throw shooting in the country at 79.5% but only managed 14-22 for the game including a crucial miss in the last minute.  Marquette came up big though making their last three 3s after starting 1-12.  And ask St. John's if Blue's shot looked familiar.  They now move on to play Butler.

Southern pushes Gonzaga to the brink

Sooner (hopefully) or later we will see a 16-seed pull off the ultimate upset over a 1-seed.  Southern University, the champions of the SWAC, was in it all the way down to the wire against top seeded Gonzaga.  The Jaguars were only down three at the half and even tied the game at 56 on a Derrick Beltran jumper with 3:47 left.  The very next play, the Bulldogs Gary Bell Jr. hit a big 3 to take back the lead.  After two Beltran free throws, this time it was Kevin Pangos with an even bigger 3 to push the Zags lead to four with just under two minutes to play.  Southern would fail to score the rest of the game and lose 64-58.  The 6-point win in the closest in a 1 vs 16 game since 1990 when Michigan State beat Murray State 75-71 in OT.  Most people weren't sold on Gonzaga being a top seed and this effort did nothing to silence their critics.

Oregon pulls off the first upset and looked good doing it

Oregon was not given much credit for winning the Pac-12 tournament as they received a 12-seed and faced 5-seed Oklahoma State.  The Ducks must have took offense to this because they jumped out to a 37-26 lead at halftime.  They balanced scoring as usual, with four guys in double figures led by Damyean Dotson with 17.  But it was Arsalan Kazemi who had 11 points and 17 rebounds that stood out for Oregon.  They also played great defense holding Marcus Smart and the Cowboys to only 40% from the field.  They play Saint Louis on Saturday which will be a tough test but the Ducks seem to have a chip on their shoulder so look for this to be a close one.

Cal gives payback to UNLV

Oregon isn't the only Pac-12 team that can pull off the famous 5-12 upset.  The Cal Bears took out UNLV, marking the first time two teams from the same conference won as 12-seeds.  This was a rematch from December, a game UNLV won 76-75, and again it came down to the last minute.  The Bears were led by Pac-12 POY Allen Crabbe who had 19 points and nine boards but it was reserve big man Robert Thurman who scored eight straight for Cal on four dunks.  The Bears will now try to use their "home court advantage" (they are player in San Jose) against Syracuse.

Louisville showed they are ready to make a run

The #1 team overall is Louisville and they did not want to leave any doubt in their game as they cruised to a 79-48 victory over 16-seed North Carolina A&T.  The pressure D that made the Cardinals the best defensive team in the country was in full force as they set a NCAA tournament record with 20 team steals.  Yes, 20, including eight by Russ Smith who also scored 23 points.  Louisville is said to have the hardest bracket, but also has the popular vote to win the title.  It's so easy to overlook teams (see Gonzaga) but with handling business they way they did, look for the Cards to be focused no matter who is their opponent.

VCU and Syracuse run opponents out of the gym

The VCU Rams are not sneaking up on anybody like they did back in 2011, but apparently the Akron Zips didn't get the memo.  VCU had an impressive showing with an 88-42 win.  Now I understand that Akron didn't have their starting point guard Alex Abreu (6 apg) but they were still MAC regular season and tournament champs.  Not having a PG is huge against a high pressure team like VCU, but the Rams were on point offensively as well.  They shot 54% from the field and 8-16 from downtown, 6-11 from Troy Daniels who scored 23.  That is exactly what VCU had going for them when they made their Final Four run in 2011, they pressed the heck out of you and were on fire from 3.  Michigan is up next, who has Trey Burke (the best assist/turnover ratio in the country), so it will be interesting to see how he handles the press.

Syracuse was another team that impressed as they crushed Montana 81-34.  Cuse was paced by Brandon Triche on offense as he put in 20.  But it was Jim Boeheim's patent 2-3 defense that shut down Montana from the outside as they only hit 4-31 (13%) from distance.  The Orange held the Grizzlies to 20% shooting overall and nobody on the team had more than five points.  Their next game against Cal will basically be a road game but if Syracuse can continue to lock up on D and be efficient on the offensive end this team is dangerous.



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East Region Breakdown

The Indiana Hoosiers are the top seed in the South region, the only 1-seed to not win their conference tournament.  IU was the preseason #1 and spent the most time atop the rankings.  The ACC champ Miami Hurricanes are a team that's proven itself throughout the season and should be expected to make some noise.  But other than that there isn't too much Indiana should fear.  Syracuse and Marquette are decent but not on the level of the top two seeds.  Of course we always have to keep an eye on everybody's favorite Cinderella, Butler, as Brad Stevens knows how to coach in March. 

Top Seeds
1. Indiana
2. Miami FL
3. Marquette
4. Syracuse

Sleepers
This region isn't very deep and picking a 5-seed doesn't really count as a sleeper but UNLV might surprise people.  When you have a player like freshman Anthony Bennett, who averages 16.2 points and 8 boards, your team can make a run.  Add senior point guard Anthony Marshall (10 ppg, 4 rpg, 6 apg) to the mix and that's a recipe for success in March.

First Round Upset Alerts
5 UNLV vs 12 California - So I mention a sleeper, then talk about them being upset in the first round.  This is a rematch of a game UNLV won 76-75 in Berkeley.  But aren't teams with higher seeds supposed to be playing closer to home?  Then how is this game being played in San Jose?  I understand that's not too far from Las Vegas either but that smells like some home cooking for Cal.  Both teams have NBA talent in the aforementioned Bennett for the Rebels and Alan Crabbe for the Bears.  Bennett will be a high lottery pick if he comes out this year.  Crabbe was the Pac-12 player of the year and puts up 18.7 points and 6 rebounds.

6 Butler vs 11 Bucknell - Yes, the upset specialists need to worry about getting upset.  The main reason is the Bison's Mike Muscala.  A 6'11 NBA ready center that posts 19 points and 11 rebounds a game.  Butler has huge wins over Indiana and Gonzaga this year but when going up against a player like Muscala if you don't come to play you'll be going home early.

7 Illinois vs 10 Colorado - Illinois started the season fast at 12-0 with wins over Butler and Gonzaga but had a hard time in the Big Ten only going 8-10 in conference play.  Brandon Paul can light it up but they are one of the worst shooting teams in the country at 41%.  Colorado isn't the best shooting team either (43%) but the combination of Spencer Dinwiddie (15.6 ppg) and Andre Roberson (11 ppg, 11 rpg) will be tough for the Illini to handle.  This could be one of the ugliest games of the first round if nobody is hitting their shots.

Possible Matchups 
Indiana vs Butler - Who wouldn't want to see this game again after the two played an overtime thriller back on December 15th that Butler won 88-86.  That was Indiana's first loss of the year and this would be great for the state of Indiana to start a new rivalry between these teams.

Miami FL vs Syracuse - Miami just took control of ACC basketball and Syracuse will be joining the conference next year.  What better way to welcome the Orange to the league than by meeting for a Final Four bid.

My Pick
It's either Indiana or Miami and it would be a great game.  Both teams matchup well in size while the Hoosiers are strong on offense and the Canes are strong on defense.  The difference is that Indiana has two national player of the year candidates in Victor Oladipo and Cody Zeller.  I see Oladipo, the best all-around player in the country, leading this team to Atlanta and a Final Four birth.



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College Basketball Power Rankings: February 11

     It's only February but it feels like March with how many upsets we saw last week.  4 of the top 5 and 9 of the top 15 teams suffered a loss and three teams (Kansas, Ohio State, Creighton) went down twice.  Things couldn't get more difficult to determine who is the best team in the country because nobody has shown any dominance.  But that's why we love college basketball right?  Let's get into it.

1. Indiana (21-3, LW 1) - Even though IU lost on a last second lay-up to Illinois, they came back and handled Ohio State on the road with ease.  Because of that OSU win they remain at #1 and are rewarded with a "week off" of sorts with Nebraska and Purdue coming to Bloomington.
2. Miami FL (19-3, LW 10) - Undoubtedly the hottest team in the country, I'm starting to drink the kool-aid after the Hurricanes blew out UNC at home 87-61 to run their winning streak to 11.  Durand Scott, Kenny Kadji, and Shane Larkin can all create their of shot and Reggie Johnson is a load in the post averaging 10 points and 9 boards.
3. Michigan (21-3, LW 3) - This was a stressful week for Big Blue as both of their games went to OT.  First, they were able to pull off the win against OSU as Tim Hardaway Jr. hit 6 of 9 three's for 23 points.  Then they went to Wisconsin, where they haven't won in eleven meetings, and Ben Brust hit a half-court buzzer-beater to send it to overtime and also hit the game-winning three in OT.  Michigan finishes its grueling four game stretch with a visit to Michigan State on Tuesday.
4. Duke (21-2, LW 6) - Duke was one of the few top teams to escape last week without a loss, barely.  They avenged their loss to NC State with a 98-85 win, but needed Mason Plumlee to hit 3 of 4 free throws late to beat Boston College 62-61.  Now they prepare for bitter rival North Carolina.
5. Florida (19-3, LW 2) - The Gators came out flat at Arkansas getting behind 43-26 at halftime and couldn't recover.  However, they did just that against Mississippi State winning 83-58.  This week they play host to Kentucky.
6. Gonzaga (23-2, LW 5) - Gonzaga is coasting through their conference but travel to Saint Mary's on Thursday, which poses it's most difficult test until the conference tournament.
7. Syracuse (20-3, LW 9) - Cuse was one of the few teams that didn't lose last week and also were able to welcome back James Southerland.  He returned against St John's to score 13 points in a 77-58 win.
8. Michigan State (20-4, LW 11) - As usual, Michigan State has been sitting back winning games while nobody pays attention to them.  Now they are tied for the Big Ten lead with Indiana.  They host Michigan on Tuesday which could turn out to a be another classic in the Big Ten this year.
9. Arizona (20-3, LW 7) -The Wildcats dropped a surprising home game to California 77-69 this weekend as they were outscored in the second half 44-31 behind Allen Crabbe's 31 points.  They will look to rebound on the road against a tough Colorado team that should have beat them earlier if not for a blown call.
10. Butler (20-4, LW 14) - The Bulldogs needed to hold on late at George Washington after blowing a 17-point lead to win 59-56.  We are now waiting for a showdown at VCU on March 2nd.
11. Kansas (19-4, LW 4) - What has happened to Kansas?!  After riding an 18 game winning streak the Jayhawks have dropped 3 straight to Oklahoma St, TCU, and Oklahoma.  Monday they host Kansas State to kick off rivalry week on ESPN.  This game is the perfect spot for KU to show the country it's still dangerous by taking out the Big 12 leader.
12. Louisville (19-5, LW 8) - Hands down the game of the week went to the 5-OT thriller between Louisville and Notre Dame.  ND came out of this winner 104-101 after Jerian Grant scored 12 points in the last 44 seconds to force the first OT.  The Cardinals get an easy stretch now with their next four games against unranked opponents.
13. Kansas State (19-4, LW NR) - Three of K-State's four losses are from ranked teams.  They've been a team that's under-the-radar all season but have consistently won.  The Wildcats lost their home meeting to Kansas earlier but will get a huge boost if they can give the Jayhawks a fourth straight loss.
14. Pittsburgh (20-5, LW NR) - Pitt is rolling right now after starting the Big East season 1-4 they recently have wins over Syracuse and Cincinnati.  Their only game this week is a visit to Marquette.
15. Georgetown (17-4, LW NR) - The Hoyas seem to be hitting their stride as well as they've won 7 of 8 since a 28-point home loss to the aforementioned Pitt Panthers.  Otto Porter Jr is playing great averaging 15 points and 8 rebounds.

Biggest Jump - Miami FL up 8
Biggest Drop - Kansas down 7

New Editions - #13 Kansas State, #14 Pittsburgh, #15 Georgetown
Old News - Ohio State, Creighton, New Mexico

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 29

     The final full week of January felt like the final week in March as there were plenty of ranked teams going down.  While top teams fell, Michigan continued to win and is ranked #1 in the AP Poll for the first team since the Fab Five in 1992.  As for the ones who lost, 8 of last weeks top 15 suffered a loss and powerhouse Louisville lost both of their games last week.  Here we go.

1. Michigan (19-1, LW 1) - Michigan handled Purdue and Illinois easily last week but this Saturday they will have the chance to validate themselves as the best team in country.  The Wolverines travel to #4 Indiana as these top teams in the Big Ten meet in what could determine the conference championship.
2. Kansas (19-1, LW 3) - After a tough win at rival K-State, the Jayhawks extended the nation's longest winning streak against Oklahoma to 17.  Kansas is also garnishing #1 votes and only have 1 more game on their schedule against a ranked team
3. Florida (16-2, LW 6) - In conference play, Florida has outscored opponents 74.6-48.1 in 6 games.  I don't care if the SEC isn't as good as years past that is still very impressive.  That's all you need to know.
4. Indiana (18-2, LW 7) - The Hoosiers had a great win at home over a good Michigan State team 75-70.  Victor Oladipo tallied 21 points, 7 rebounds, 6 steals, and 3 blocks.  He is shooting 66% from the field, 55% from three and is the MVP of that team, not Cody Zeller.  They now travel to Purdue before hosting #1 Michigan.
5. Syracuse (18-2, LW 2) - After wins on Louisville and Cincinnati they lost to Villanova in overtime 75-71.  The Orange will have a week to regroup before heading to Pittsburgh.
6. Gonzaga (19-2, LW 10) - The Zags blew out a solid BYU team 83-63 behind Kelly Olynyk's 26 points on 9-9 from the field and 8-8 from the line.  Their schedule is easy until a February 14 game at Saint Mary's.
7. Duke (17-1, LW 4) - The road got to the Blue Devils again as they were routed by Miami 90-63.  It was one of the worst losses ever by a #1 ranked team.  Duke has two more road games this week at Wake Forest and Florida State before a rematch with NC State.
8. Arizona (17-2, LW 8) - Arizona was beaten at home by UCLA 84-73 and were never really in the game.  They came back with a 74-50 win over USC and now hit the road to face both Washington teams.
9. Louisville (16-4, LW 5) - Since being ranked #1 Louisville has dropped three straight to Syracuse, Villanova, and Georgetown.  But ended that drought Monday with a 64-61 win over Pitt as Russ Smith put in 20 points and Gorgui Dieng added 14 points and 12 boards.
10. Butler (17-3, LW 9) - The Bulldogs took the lead against La Salle with 8 seconds left but couldn't get a stop as the Explorers went the length of the floor for a lay-up of their own and the 54-53 win.  However, Butler's leading scorer Rotnei Clarke returned against Temple with 24 points and 9 assists.
11. Oregon (18-2, LW 14) - Still standing as the last undefeated tam in the Pac-12, the Ducks have stayed under the radar and handled their business.  They don't see Arizona or UCLA again so they have a chance to remain without a loss.
12. Michigan State (17-4, LW 12) - MSU earned a huge road win at Wisconsin couldn't make the comeback at Indiana despite 21 from Gary Harris.  A home matchup with Illinois should get Sparty back on track.
13. Miami FL (15-3, LW NR) - The biggest win last week went to Miami disposing of then #1 Duke.  They remain the only undefeated team in the ACC but travel to Va Tech and NC State this week.
14. Ohio State (16-4, LW 15) - OSU rebounded from a loss to MSU with two wins last week and took out Wisconsin tonight 58-49.  The Buckeyes are still trying to find a consistent scorer to compliment Deshaun Thomas who is averaging 20 points a game.
15. Missouri (15-4, LW NR) - The Tigers creep back into the rankings but only by default because so many team in this range lost.  They are still playing without leading scorer Laurence Bowers but were still able to dispose of South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

Biggest Jump - Miami FL up 10
Biggest Drop -  Kansas State down 6

New Editions - #13 Miami FL, #15 Missouri
Old News - Kansas State, Minnesota

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 22

     We had another wild week in college basketball and we can expect it from here on out.  Louisville was able to reach the top spot but fell to Syracuse 70-68 and Indiana was shocked at home by Wisconsin 64-59.  We also saw Gonzaga miss out on getting a huge road win at Butler as they turned the ball over in the final seconds and Butler squeaked by 64-63.  Here's what we have after a crazy week of college hoops.

1. Michigan (17-1, LW 4) - Call me a homer if you want but getting a road win at #10 Minnesota and doing it convincingly is nothing easy.  The Wolverines largest lead was 19 as Tim Haradaway Jr. scored 21 on 7-8 shooting with 4 three's.  If not for a sluggish start against OSU this team would still be undefeated.  Now they get a week off to prepare for Purdue.
2. Syracuse (18-1, LW 5) - A week after suspending their second leading scoring the Orange went into #1 Louisville and pulled off the 70-68 upset behind Brandon Triche's 23 points.  Then last night staved off a home upset of their own coming back against Cincinnati to win 57-55.  Their stellar PG Michael Carter-Williams came up huge late and finished with 16 points, 5 boards and 7 assists.
3. Kansas (16-1, LW 2) - Kansas came back late on Texas for a 64-49 road win to push their streak to 15 games.  But to extend that streak they will have to beat rival #11 Kansas State on the road.  The combination of Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey are proving to be one of the best inside-outside duos in the country.
4. Duke (16-1, LW 3) - After its first loss, Duke rebounded nicely against lowly Georgia Tech 73-57.  But still the loss of Ryan Kelly hurts this team badly and now they have a trip to Miami, the lone undefeated team in the conference.
5. Louisville (16-2, LW 1) - The Cardinals couldn't hold on to the #1 spot for more than a week but that loss was a tight one to a very good Syracuse team.  The loss doesn't hurt their stock too much but let's see how they handle 2 road games this week at Villanova and Georgetown.
6. Florida (14-2, LW 9) - Florida has been slowing climbing the charts even though they haven't been beating quality opponents, at least not until last Saturday when they crushed Missouri 83-52.  It was over before it started as the Gators jumped out to an 11-0 lead and were able to turn Missouri PG, Phil Pressey, over 10 times.
7. Indiana (16-2, LW 6) - The shocker of the week was Indiana's home loss to Wisconsin 64-49.  The Badgers are in a down year but have won 11 straight against the Hoosiers.
8. Arizona (16-1, LW 7) - After their loss to Oregon, the Wildcats have gotten back on track winning 2 straight road games.  They now host UCLA, a team that has been playing better as the season goes on.
9. Butler (16-2, LW 15) - Even without leading scorer Rotnei Clarke, Butler managed to pull out a huge home win over Gonzaga as Roosevelt Jones hit a buzzer-beater for the 64-63 victory.  Their schedule is favorable until a March 2nd meeting at VCU.
10. Gonzaga (17-2, LW 8) - The Zags narrowly escaped Butler with a win but fell short.  Still, you can't take much away from them for the loss.  They now have to prepare for a solid BYU team coming to their place.
11. Kansas State (15-2, LW NR) - The Wildcats have been under the radar but hold a win over Florida and their only losses coming to Michigan and Gonzaga.  They have a big game against Kansas this week and don't be surprised if there's an upset in the Octagon of Doom.
12. Michigan State (16-3, LW NR) - Sparty had a nice home win over Ohio State 59-56 holding them off late.  This is the time MSU usually starts hitting their stride and we'll see what they are made of this week as they travel to Wisconsin and #7 Indiana.
13. Minnesota (15-3, LW 10) - After starting conference play off great, Minnesota has lost two straight albeit to #7 Indiana and #1 Michigan.  Two roads games on the docket for the Gophers this week against Northwestern and Wisconsin.
14. Oregon (16-2, LW NR) - The Ducks have already taken out Pac-12 favorites Arizona and UCLA and have one of the most balanced offense in the country.  Oregon scores 76 a game while having 6 players that average between 8 and 12 points
15. Ohio State (13-4, LW 12) - The Buckeyes couldn't complete the comeback at Michigan State despite 28 points and 7 rebounds from Deshaun Thomas.  For this team to win big games consistently they need to find another scoring option to help Thomas.

Biggest Jump - Butler up 6
Biggest Drop - Creighton down 5

New Editions - #11 Kansas State, #12 Michigan State, #14 Oregon
Old News - Creighton, North Carolina State, San Diego State

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 16

     We entered last week with three undefeated teams and we enter this week with zero after Arizona, Duke and Michigan all lost.  This created a mix up at the top of our rankings and also showed that every team in vulnerable on the road in conference games.  Just as I was about to put this out last night Indiana was a in a tight game with Wisconsin.  I figured I'd wait until it was over and sure enough, the Badgers pulled off the upset on the road 64-49.

1. Louisville (15-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals take over at #1 after Duke and Michigan go down but they are a viable National Champion contender.  They have one of the best defenses in the country and showed it in the second half of their win over UConn last night.  Next up, #6 Syracuse on Saturday.
2. Kansas (14-1, LW 5) - For the second week in a row a top 5 team needed to make a late comeback to avoid an upset and force overtime.  Last week it was Arizona, this week KU needed a desperation bank 3-pointer at the end of regulation by their stud Ben McLemore to overcome Iowa State 97-89.  McLemore finished with 33 points and 6-6 from deep.
3. Duke (15-1, LW 1) - After getting news that Ryan Kelly will be out indefinitely, Duke proceeded to lose its first game to NC State 84-76.  The loss of Kelly is huge and it will be interesting to see how the Blue Devils will handle his absence.
4. Michigan (16-1, LW 2) - Michigan looked inexperienced and terrified in the first half of their road loss to Ohio State.  They were making bad turnovers and couldn't hit a shot.  A positive was they were able to make it a game however in the second half tying the score at 46.  Other than that it was a game they'd like to forget and now have to prepare for a game at #10 Minnesota.
5. Syracuse (16-1, LW 7) - The Orange suspended its second leading scorer James Southerland indefinitely and has to face now face #1 Louisville this weekend.  Syracuse is pretty balanced but this is a loss they will have to adjust to if they want to keep their final four hopes alive.
6. Indiana (15-2, LW 4) - Last night the Hoosiers hosted Wisconsin, a team they haven't beat in their last 10 efforts.  That streak is now 11 as IU found it difficult to score.  They still lead the nation at 85 points per game but could only amass 59 on 37% shooting.
7. Arizona (15-1, LW 6) - After winning several games they could have lost, Arizona finally fell at Oregon 70-66.  The Wildcats have beaten quality opponents and win close games which are good qualities to have come tournament time.
8. Gonzaga (16-1, LW 9) - The Zags took out their rival St Mary's 83-78 at home their last time out.  Next up a road game at Portland before heading to Butler for their toughest test of the season.
9. Florida (12-2, LW 10) - Since the Gators' loss to Kansas State they have played extremely well winning 4 games by an average of 23 points.  This week brings a road game at Texas A&M (who just beat Kentucky) and a home game against Missouri, two quality opponents.
10. Minnesota (15-2, LW 8) - Minnesota couldn't get anything going in the first half at Indiana and just ran out of time to complete their comeback.  We are going to see the Big Ten teams beat up on each other all year and it doesn't get any easier for them as #5 Michigan comes in to town Thursday.
11. Creighton (16-1, LW 13) - Last week against Missouri State, Doug McDermott outscored the Bears in the second half 28-25 by himself.  He finished with 39 points going 15-19 from the floor and 10 boards.  They should get challenged this Saturday at Wichita State.
12. Ohio State (13-3, LW 15) - The Buckeyes got their first win against a ranked opponent as they beat bitter rival Michigan.  They looked great in the first half but looked sluggish in the second as they let UM back in the game.  I'm still not completely sold on OSU and a tough road game at Michigan State is up next.
13. North Carolina State (14-2, LW NR) - A lot was expected of this team to start the year as they were preseason #6.  After a couple early losses the Wolfpack are hitting their stride after getting an 84-76 win over Duke.  Their next game is at Maryland which should provide another test.
14. Butler (14-2, LW NR) - The Bulldogs beat Dayton their last time out but it came at a price as leading scorer point guard Rotnei Clarke left the game with a next injury.  They have two home games against Richmond and #8 Gonzaga this week and I'll be surprised if they escape without a loss if Clarke is out.
15. San Diego State (14-2, LW NR) - After needing overtime to beat Colorado State, this week will be even tougher for the Aztecs.  They host Mountain West contender UNLV on Wednesday then travel to Wyoming (who just lost their first game of the season) on Saturday.

Biggest Jump - NC State up 8
Biggest Drop - Illinois down 10

College Basketball Power Rankings: January 8

     With conference play opening up last week we had a top 15 matchup between Ohio State and Illinois where we saw the Fighting Illini win easily 74-55 and a controversial ending in the Colorado-Arizona game with a game winning three pointer by Colorado was taken away.  From here on out, this is where things get juicy.  Here we go.

1. Duke Blue Devils (14-0, LW 1) - Duke has been coasting lately and even though conference play is starting that still might not change.  The ACC is nowhere near as talented as it once was but they will have one of their tougher tests this week at NC State.
2. Michigan Wolverines (15-0, LW 1) - Two Big Ten games, two 28-point wins.  That's how Michigan opened up last week against Northwestern and Iowa.  The Big Ten is by far the best conference with six team ranked and three in the top-ten.  We will see how good this team is with back-to-back road games against Ohio State and Minnesota coming up.
3. Louisville Cardinals (13-1, LW 3) - The Cardinals had a huge win over rival Kentucky, a game they saw their center Gorgui Dieng back in action.  He only saw 20 minutes that game but against Providence he recorded 11 points, 11 boards, and 4 blocks.
4. Indiana Hoosiers (14-1, LW 5) - IU was tested in their opener at Iowa mainly in part because sharp-shooting Jordan Hulls went 0-10 from the floor and 0-4 from 3 (he's over 50% for both on the year).  They bounced back though with a 74-51 win at Penn State.  Next up a tough Minnesota team.
5. Kansas Jayhawks (12-1, LW 6) - Temple tried to take down its second top-ten team this year but Kansas was too much down the stretch.  With only a surprise loss to Michigan State, this Jayhawks squad is poised to make a strong push through the Big 12.
6. Arizona Wildcats (14-0, LW 4) - I wanted to drop the Wildcats further because if it wasn't for a bad call by the refs this team would not be undefeated.  Even with a review they still took away Colorado's Sabatino Chen's last-second 3.  None-the-less Arizona pulled the game out in OT but it will be interesting to see what happens in a poor Pac-12 where they are the only ranked team.
7. Syracuse Orange (14-1, LW 7) - The Big East is going to be a two-team race between Syracuse and Louisville for the top spot.  The Orange has a guard oriented offense led by Michael Carter-Williams and if he can learn to be a consistent scorer, they can be a very dangerous team down the stretch.
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (14-1, LW 8) - Minnesota still isn't getting the credit they deserve from the media in my opinion.  After a convincing 13-point win over Michigan State maybe that will change.  The Gophers are strong on D, leading the Big Ten in blocks and steals.  We will get a real sense of this team as their next 3 games are at #12 Illinois, at #4 Indiana and home against #2 Michigan.  Yikes!
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs (15-1, LW 11) - Last week they had 3 road wins including, at Oklahoma State and at a tough Santa Clara team.  The West Coast Conference always has its share of teams looking to upset the Bulldogs including Saint Mary's (next up) and BYU.
10. Florida Gators (10-2, LW 13) - The Gators looked nice early on but are climbing the ranks because of other reams losing.  Playing in a watered-down SEC they will have to win a lot of games decisively and not slip up against any of the middle teams to stay respected
11. Missouri Tigers (11-2, LW 12) - After a nice win over Illinois, Missouri fell to UCLA in OT and sneaked out a win over a strong Bucknell team.  Phil Pressey has been leading the charge of last with 19 points and 19 assists against UCLA and 26 points against Bucknell.
12. Illinois Fighting Illini (14-2, LW 10) - Illinois is starting to get a little shaky of late going 2-2 in its last 4.  They started conference play with an ugly loss to a bad Purdue team 68-61 but followed it up with a very impressive win over OSU 74-55.  They will get another test their next game at home against Minnesota.
13. Creighton Bluejays (14-1, LW 15) - The Missouri Valley Conference always has teams that sneak up on people once the tournament comes around but not this Creighton team.  Lead by Doug McDermott, who is third in the nation with 23.1 point per game, they will be a team to watch the rest of the season.
14. Notre Dame Fight Irish (14-2, LW NR) - Since losing early to Saint Joe's in OT, the Irish have picked up wins over BYU, Kentucky and most recently on the road at Cincinnati.  Jack Cooley has been a double-double machine averaging 15 points and 11 rebounds.  I bet their fans quickly turned their attention to the hardwood after the performance from their football team last night against Alabama in the BCS Championship game.
15. Ohio State Buckeyes (11-3, LW 9) - So apparently this team doesn't fair well against ranked opponents.  Their three toughest games have been their three losses (Duke, Kansas, Illinois).  The Buckeyes will have to find another scoring threat to go along with Deshaun Thomas or else the Big Ten season will be long and ugly for OSU.

Biggest Jump - Notre Dame up 4
Biggest Drop - Ohio State down 6

College Basketball Power Rankings: December 25

     Merry Christmas everyone!  This past week we saw the biggest shake up of top teams in the country as four took a loss, two for the first time this year.  In ranked matchups, Kansas took out Ohio State 74-66 and Missouri beat Illinois 82-73.  The biggest upset was Temple over Syracuse 83-79.  Here are my latest rankings.

1. Duke Blue Devils (11-0, Last Week 1) - The top-ranked Blue Devils disposed of Cornell and Elon on back-to-back nights.  Mason Plumlee and Seth Curry continue to be a great inside-outside tandem.
2. Michigan Wolverines (12-0, Last Week 2) - Michigan continues to get contributions from the entire team as four players average over 12 points per game.  After a 93-54 drubbing of Eastern Michigan, they finish with the directional schools in the state, taking on Central Michigan this week.
3. Louisville Cardinals (11-1, Last Week 4) - Rick Pitino's squad showed its defensive prowess holding FIU and WKU to 55 points.  They are rolling as a date with rival Kentucky looms this week.
4. Arizona Wildcats (11-0, Last Week 5) - The Wildcats opened up the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii with wins over ETSU and a solid Miami (Fl) team.  A game against San Diego State in the championship could prove a tough test.
5. Indiana Hoosiers (11-1, Last Week 6) - Since their loss to Butler, Indiana has taken their frustration out on lesser opponents Mount St Mary's and Florida Atlantic.  They still remain the nation's highest scoring team.
6. Kansas Jayhawks (10-1, Last Week 9) -The Jayhawks received a big boost after beating OSU in Columbus 74-66.  Ben McLemore scored 22 and seems to be improving each week.
7. Syracuse Orange (10-1, Last Week 3) - After getting coach Boeheim his 900th win, the Orange dropped a surprising game at Temple 83-79.  Michael Carter-Williams went 3-17 from the floor and 7-15 from the line, while their leading scorer James Southerland managed only six points.
8. Missouri Tigers (10-1, Last Week 15) - After watching the Tigers beat Illinois rather convincingly I'm starting to believe in this team.  They were able to control the paint as Laurence Bowers and Alex Oriakhi each posted a double-double and Mizzou had a 51-29 rebounding advantage.
9. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-2, Last Week 7) - OSU dropped a big game at home to Kansas as they were only able to shoot 31% from the field.  They have lost their only games to top ten teams but this was one the needed to show they can compete with the elite teams in the country.
10. Minnesota Golden Gophers (12-1, Last Week 11) - Minnesota has its eyes set on Michigan State on NYE.  I believe this team can contend for a Big Ten title and the Spartans will provide a good test.
11. Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0, Last Week 12) - The Bearcats looked good in the second half in a 60-45 win over in-state rival Xavier but they continue to shoot a poor percentage from the field, ranking 164th nationally.  Their defense is great, but it will be interesting to see what happens when they face a ranked team.
12. Illinois Fighting Illini (12-1, Last Week 10) - Illinois struggled mightily on offense shooting 33% while Brandon Paul and D.J. Richardson combined for 8-31.  This was the first setback to a surprising start for this team.
13. Gonzaga Bulldogs (11-1, Last Week 13) - The Zags took care of Campbell now look towards playing two Big 12 teams in Baylor and Oklahoma State.
14. Florida Gators (8-2, Last Week 8) - Florida has dropped two of its last three after falling 67-61 to Kansas State.  This team looked good early on but is starting to stumble on the road.
15. San Diego State Aztecs (11-1, Last Week 14) - A win over Arizona in the championship in Hawaii will turn some heads for this team.

Biggest Jump - Missouri up 7
Biggest Drop - Florida down 6

College Basketball Power Rankings: December 19

     We entered last week excited about a Top 10 matchup between the Florida Gators and Arizona Wildcats but the Butler Bulldogs stole the headlines with their upset of the Indiana Hoosiers in overtime.  I expected that game to be highly contested but was definitely surprised to see Butler win and they showed us again that you never can count this scrappy team out.  Here are the top 15.

1. Duke Blue Devils (9-0, Last Week 1) - Duke is now the #1 team without debate after Indiana's loss and looks forward to playing their first game in 11 days against Cornell on Dec. 19 the first of a back to back with Elon.
2. Michigan Wolverines (11-0, Last Week 3) - John Beilein went against his old team, West Virginia, and handled them with ease.  Trey Burke is making a case for Player Of The Year after putting up 27 points, 8 assists, and 0 turnovers.  Next up, their neighbor, Eastern Michigan Eagles.
3. Syracuse Orange (10-0, Last Week 5) - Jim Boeheim recorded his 900th win on Monday making him the third coach in men's college basketball history to achieve that mark.  Michael Carter-Williams recorded his 5th straight double-double and is averaging 10.7 assists for the year.
4. Louisville Cardinals (9-1, Last Week 6) - They faced a 16-point first half deficit on the road at Memphis but scored 59 second half points to come out on top.  Now face two cupcakes before a matchup with Kentucky on Dec. 29.
5. Arizona Wildcats (9-0, Last Week 8) - After being down six with a minute left the Wildcats used three turnovers, a missed free throw, and a Mark Lyons lay-up to upset Florida at home.  This team is showing it's for real after a road win over Clemson on the road and now the Gators.
6. Indiana Hoosiers (9-1, Last Week 2) - Indiana ran into the upset minded Butler Bulldogs and couldn't hold their halftime lead.  Butler outplayed the Hoosiers down the stretch and won in OT.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (9-1, Last Week 7) - They've been rolling opponents after their loss at Duke but this week brings the Kansas Jayhawks to Columbus.
8. Florida Gators (7-1, Last Week 4) - The Gators could not hold on late against Arizona and suffered their first loss of the season.  Good thing for them they next play 1-7 SE Louisiana before taking on Kansas State.
9. Kansas Jayhawks (9-1, Last Week 9) - Since their loss to Michigan State they have disposed of weaker competition very easily.  However, they travel this week to play another Big Ten team in Ohio State.
10. Illinois Fighting Illini (12-0, Last Week 10) - After a big win against Gonzaga, the Fighting Illini coasted past its next two opponents.  Now look forward to playing Missouri on the road.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (11-1, Last Week 11) - Trevor Mbakwe could find his way back in the starting lineup soon after posting 14 points and 18 rebounds against North Dakota State.  Next up Lafayette before starting Big Ten play against Michigan State.
12. Cincinnati Bearcats (10-0, Last Week 12) - Cincy remains unbeaten and the best rounding team in the country.  This week they take on in state rival Xavier, let's hope another brawl doesn't break out.
13. Gonzaga Bulldogs (10-1, Last Week 13) - The Zags dropped after losing to Illinois but rebounded nicely with a 68-52 win over a decent Kansas State squad.
14. San Diego State Aztecs (9-1, Last Week 14) - SDSU took down rival San Diego by 16 behind Jamaal Franklin who leads the team with 18.6 ppg and 9.7 rpg.
15. Missouri Tigers (9-1, Last Week 15) - The Tigers share the rebounding lead with Cincinnati at 46.1 per game and this week host a tough Illinois team.

Biggest Jump - Arizona up 3
Biggest Drop - Indiana and Florida down 4

College Basketball Power Rankings: December 11

     Not too much happened this week as most of the top teams had easy blowouts but the marquee match-up was Illinois at Gonzaga which we saw the Fighting Illini take in an upset 85-74.  With the Zags being the only team to lose not much has changed but here are the top 15.

1. Duke Blue Devils (9-0, Last Week: 1) - Duke had a week off before handling Temple 90-67.  Now they wait until Dec. 19 to play Cornell giving them 2 games in 18 days.  Plenty of rest for Coach K's team.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (9-0, Last Week: 2) - After posting a 100-69 win over Central Connecticut St, the Hoosiers are in line to take on in state rival Butler on Dec 15 which will be their last real test before starting Big Ten Conference play on Dec 31.
3. Michigan Wolverines (9-0, Last Week: 3) - The Maize and Blue coasted to wins over Western Michigan and Arkansas bringing their hot start to 9-0.  But they have a game against John Beilein's old team West Virginia looming later this week in Madison Square Garden.
4. Florida Gators (7-0, Last Week: 5) - The Gators beat their rivals Florida State in football on the road then a week later embarrassed the FSU basketball team on the road again 72-47.  However, a top 10 match-up at Arizona will provide a tough test.
5. Syracuse Orange (8-0, Last Week: 4) - In three games last week the Orange average margin of victory was 39.6 points.  The Orange are rolling behind a balanced team that is 3rd in points, 1st in rebounding, and 6th in assists per game.
6. Louisville Cardinals (8-1, Last Week: 6) - Speaking of blowouts, Louisville won its last 2 games by 52 points.  Next up is a road meeting with Memphis.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (6-1, Last Week: 7) - After an easy win over Long Beach St, the Buckeyes have a few more home snoozers before taking on Kansas next week.
8. Arizona Wildcats (7-0, Last Week: 9) - Arizona had a nice road win at Clemson 66-54 last week.  Now they'll have a week to prepare for a home showdown with the Florida Gators.
9. Kansas Jayhawks (7-1, Last Week: 10) - Rock Chalk Jayhawk cruised past Colorado 90-54 and welcome Belmont this week.
10. Illinois Fighting Illini (10-0, Last Week: 13) - The most surprising team keeps up the trend after upsetting Gonzaga in the Kennel last week behind the sharpshooting Brandon Paul's 35 points.  This week provides two easy match-ups before heading to Missouri next week.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (10-1, Last Week: 11) - The Gophers breezed by USC 71-57 giving Tubby Smith his 500th career victory.
12. Cincinnati Bearcats (9-0, Last Week: 12) - Cincy has looked good all year and has kept it going against soft competition lately behind consistent offense and strong defense.
13. Gonzaga Bulldogs (9-1, Last Week: 8) - Dropping 5 spots after a tough loss at home to Illinois, the Zags will look to get back on their winning ways against Kansas State.
14. San Diego St Aztecs (7-1, Last Week: 15) - The Aztecs jumped out to an early lead against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos with Chase Tapley leading the way going 6-8 from deep.  Next up at rival San Diego Toreros.
15. Missouri Tigers (8-1, Last Week: NR) - Frank Haith's squad struggled against then #2 Louisville earlier this year but has hit its stride.  Laurence Bowers is back off an injury averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds while UConn transfer Alex Oriakhi is posting 11 points and 8 boards.

Dropping out of the Ranks: Georgetown Hoyas (7-1, Last Week: 14) - I can't figure this team out.  After looking good against Texas winning 64-41 they squeak by Towson 46-40 shooting 29% at home.

Biggest Jump - Illinois up 3
Biggest Drop - Gonzaga down 5

College Basketball Power Rankings: December 4

     Last week we saw four major conferences go head to head in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge and the SEC-Big East Challenge.  The Big Ten-ACC games were the most anticipated headlined by Duke-Ohio State, which Duke came out on top 73-68.  After seeing the majority of the top 25 in action against quality opponents we learned a lot about what these teams have to offer.  Here are my top 15 College Basketball Power Rankings.

1. Duke Blue Devils (8-0) - With wins over then ranked #3 Kentucky, #2 Louisville, and #4 Ohio State it's hard not to put this team at the top.  Mason Plumlee is playing like a player of the year candidate averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds so it's hard to argue against Duke as the best team in the country.
2. Indiana Hoosiers (8-0) - It was hard for me to knock IU out of the top spot, especially after a 24-point blow out of North Carolina, so let's call them 1-B.  They are the nation's highest scoring team and their POY candidate Cody Zeller has had plenty of help from Victor Oladipo, Jordan Hulls, and Christian Watford as this is a balanced offensive attack.
3. Michigan Wolverines (7-0) - After winning the NIT Season Tip-Off the Wolverines followed it up with a solid win over North Carolina State.  Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. have improved from last year and the additions of Glenn Robinson III and Nik Stauskas make this team the most talented perimeter team in the country.
4. Syracuse Orange (5-0) - The Orange have replaced Kris Joseph and Dion Waiters with the emergence of James Southerland and Michael Carter-Williams.  Southerland is a top sixth man averaging almost 17 points off the bench and Carter-Williams is stuffing the stat sheet posting 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, and 3.7 steals per game.
5. Florida Gators (6-0) - Coming off a 33-point drubbing of Marquette, this balanced inside-outside team has won every game by double digits and an average of 25 points.  Their next two games, at rival Florida State and at Arizona will tell us how good they could be.
6. Louisville Cardinals (6-1) - After a 23-point win over then #13 Missouri and a five point loss to then #5 Duke, Rick Pitino's squad struggled to get a three point home win over Illinois State.  With Gorgui Dieng out with injury Louisville will rely even more on Peyton Siva and Russ Smith.
7. Ohio State Buckeyes (5-1) - OSU took an eight point halftime lead at Duke but subsequently fell 73-68 after giving up 50 2nd half points.  Deshaun Thomas has filled in nicely after the departure of Jared Sullinger averaging 21 points and 6 rebounds.
8. Gonzaga Bulldogs (8-0) - The Zags have five players averaging double digits and lead the nation in field goal percentage as a team.  Their eight wins have been by an average of 28 points.
9. Arizona Wildcats (5-0) - They have been great on offense ranking 6th in points (85.2), 6th in assists (18.2), and 5th in field goal percentage (.523) in the nation.  But we don't get a good barometer for this team until December 15th when it hosts Florida.
10. Kansas Jayhawks (6-1) - Since an early three point loss to Michigan State, Kansas has looked good but against lesser competition.  They have a few more games at home before traveling to Columbus for a matchup with Ohio State.
11. Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-1) - Rodney Williams is one of the best athletes in the country and with Trevor Mbakwe trying to work his way back from an ACL injury this team is on its way up.
12. Cincinnati Bearcats (7-0) - Cincy has been solid all year being lead by Sean Kilpatrick and Cashmere Wright.  They are dominating the glass ranking 3rd in the country in rebounding and doing it collectively as no player averages more than 6.4 per game.
13. Illinois Fighting Illini (8-0) - Starting the season unranked this team has recorded convincing double digit wins over USC, Butler, and Georgia Tech.  However, their game on December 8th at Gonzaga will tell us even more about them.
14. Georgetown Hoyas (5-1) - After taking the #1 Indiana Hoosiers to overtime on the road, this team caught everybody's attention.  Their 37-36 win over Tennessee raised some eyebrows again, but in a negative way.
15. San Diego State Aztecs (6-1) - SDSU opened the season with a 13-point loss to then #9 Syracuse.  Since then they have played well behind the leadership of Jamaal Franklin and Chase Tapley.