Tuesday Night College Hoops Observations

Most of the top 25 teams in action won handily in home games against mid-majors last night, but the marquee matchup ended with the Buffalo Bulls continuing their impressive start by knocking off Syracuse 71-59 in the Carrier Dome. There were a couple of other intriguing games involving Big East teams that might find themselves on the wrong side of the bubble as both Xavier and Creighton failed to capitalize on key chances to pick up power five road wins in losing to Missouri and Oklahoma respectively. Here's some random takes/observations from what I was able to watch.

• Buffalo Stays Undefeated: It's time for fans, whether casual or obsessed to take notice of what's going on in Buffalo. The Bulls are now 11-0 after handling a struggling Syracuse team by double-digits. This team isn't going anywhere, with five seniors among its top seven in minutes played. CJ Massinburg and Nick Perkins both can exploit certain matchups, and should become household names as this team continues to roll. Buffalo has one more chance to big up another gigantic road win Friday when it heads to Marquette. With a win there, the chances of an undefeated regular season will intensify. 

• Problems in the Big East: As I mentioned earlier, the Big East had a chance to pick up a couple of quality-to-decent road wins last night, but went 0-2. Xavier was supposed to fall off a bit with the loss of Coach Chris Mack to Louisville, and the graduation of Trevon Bluiett and JP Macura. Things might be worse than imagined however with the Musketeers now sitting at 7-5 and with only one top-100 KenPom win over an Illinois team that might be the worst team in the Big Ten. NCAA Tournament hopes seem pretty bleak at this point. Meanwhile, things aren't as dire for Creighton, but one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country shouldn't start out a game only making one three in the first half in it wants to win on the road. The Blue Jays ceiling is a little higher, and losing to an Oklahoma team that's stock is on the rise won't kill them long-term. But neither of these teams will have nearly as many opportunities as in past seasons to enhance their postseason resumes in conference play with Marquette as the only team currently ranked. 

• Oklahoma "Ewing Theory": I'll spare anyone the explanation of what this means, (just check the link to get the gist of it) but it covers the phenomenon of a team inexplicitly getting better when it loses it's best player. Trae Young went to the NBA after a polarizing season that had him go from the next Steph Curry, to a black hole that shot too much and didn't involve his teammates. His teammates had to essentially listen to how garbage they were all season as the Sooners flamed out rapidly by March. Well now most of that supporting cast is back, and what's followed is a 10-1 start. Christian James has become the best player on the team after playing in the shadows with Buddy Hield as a freshman, and Young last year. The Sooners boast the 10th best defense in the land according to KenPom, and are doing it with a bunch of lengthy, tough wings, and with the help of two graduate transfer guards combining to serve as the primary playmakers. I would have thought Oklahoma would be at or near the bottom of the Big 12, but now this seems like a 5 or 6 seed come March. 

                                                       (Ronald Martinez, Getty Images)

• Player of the Night: Jeremiah Tilmon was just part of Missouri's standout freshman class last season, but definitely took a backseat to the hype around the brothers' Porter. Now Michael Porter Jr is in the NBA, and Jontay Porter is out for the season. With this being the first time I've seen Mizzou play this season, it's evident that Tilmon looks like a different player. He seemed much more poised, and was able to throw up a 23-point, 10-rebound effort against a Xavier team that has a couple of decent interior defenders (shout out Zach Hankins). Tilmon looks like he's gotten a lot better, and Missouri could end up finishing a bit higher in the SEC than I expected. 

• Takes?!?: Is it time for Jim Boeheim to hang it up? As a high schooler, would you want to play for Syracuse? If you do, you're always going to have to answer questions at the next level about your defensive abilities because you're playing in a zone your whole college career. You're not necessarily going to have much support if you want to go to next level early, with Boeheim one of the most vocal coaches I remember criticizing former players like Tyler Ennis and Malachi Richardson leaving early (not that they're exactly killing it at the next level, but I digress). They've had success in the NCAA Tournament, but they really haven't had a great regular season since 2014 when they were a three seed. This season was supposed to be more promising with all five starters returning, but Cuse is now 7-4 with an offense that lacks outside shooting and a reliable post-option. 

                                                    (Rich Barnes, Getty Images)

• Bonus Content: I didn't catch any of these games, but the Pac 12 is kind of garbage right now. USC lost to Santa Clara at home, and Stanford lost to San Jose State. This is after the lone ranked team in the conference lost to Vanderbilt on Monday night. This could be the rare power conference that only gets 2-3 bids on Selection Sunday, or maybe worse. 

Week One College Hoops Observations

College basketball is back, and due to some employment circumstances beyond my control, I’ve been able to watch a fair amount of it over the last seven days. What follows is some of my observations from what I’ve watched over the last week. I hope to write at least a post once a week depending on what else in life goes on. I may write more, I may write less. Here’s what I thought about the opening week of games.

Did Duke just break College basketball?: I mean, the Blue Devils came back to Earth a bit in their second game against Army, but this hypothetical stems from its opening salvo when Kentucky was made to look extremely pedestrian. This debut from the boys from Durham simply smashed all expectations I had for this team, especially compared with all the hype surrounding the previous two freshmen-laden preseason top five teams. To come out and make KENTUCKY look like a freshman team scrimmaging the varsity was something that I don’t think anyone expected. Each of the four freshmen completely blew me away with their athleticism and their competitiveness. I expected this to be the case with Zion Williamson, but RJ Barrett,  Cam Reddish, and Tre Jones all had moments that made me say “holy shit!” while watching at home. Are they going to be able to maintain this dominance all year? Will someone like Virginia or Syracuse be able to figure out a way to guard them, thus giving other teams a blueprint heading into March? Will role players Jack White or Alex O’Connell become the next white Duke player all of America hates? These are all questions going forward for what is sure to be an entertaining ride watching the 2018-19 Duke Blue Devils.

                                                                              (Getty Images)

Kansas Not to be outdone by Duke’s freshmen, Kansas has two freshman guards that also acquitted themselves rather well on opening night. Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson both had stellar debuts as they combined for 37 points in leading the Jayhawks to a mostly easy win over Michigan State. Udoka Azibuike crushed Nick Ward, and Dedric Lawson managed a 20-14-6 line despite a horrible 5-for-18 shooting night from the floor. Ten players logged minutes for the Jayhawks, and they look like they have the best 1-10 roster in the land. Without Duke going ballistic, this would have been the story from opening night. The Jayhawks also struggled a bit in their second game, but this game Lagerald Vick hit all eight of his threes on his way to 32 points. It looks like Kansas could have a different player that goes off in any given game. 

Trash or Nah: I honestly don’t know if Kentucky is going to be good or not. Preseason polls and recruiting rankings are saying that they are a Final Four threat. My eyes tell me that they maybe have only one or two shooters, too many big guys that can’t space the floor, a freshman point guard that should be a high school senior that looks spooked every time he comes in the game, and countless other issues. Stay tuned on this one, as we won’t really know much until the Wildcats play Seton Hall, Utah, and North Carolina in December. 

Players of the Week: 

• CJ Massinburg: Massinburg put on a clinic against West Virginia, netting 43 points with 35 coming in the second half in Buffalo’s road upset over WVU. He hit nine threes, with most of them coming from deep NBA range. He didn’t do much in Buffalo’s other two wins, but Massinburg is the leader for a team that could be the next mid-major that stakes its claim in going from virtual unknown to top 25 mainstay in 2018-19. 
• Markus Howard: The best scorer in the Big East led the Golden Eagles to two wins putting up averages of 28-8-6 with only four turnovers. After a quiet opener, he torched Bethune-Cookman for 37 in game number two. 
• Zion Williamson: Other than already being a cultural phenomenon on a first-name basis, his numbers stood up as well in his first two college games. Williamson is shooting 81.4 percent from the field, averaging 27.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 3.5 blocks. Obviously these won’t continue, but if he can average a double-double with that kind of shooting, he could easily surpass his teammate RJ Barrett and others to win Player of the Year. 
• Oshae Brissett: Tyus Battle got most of the preseason love, but Brissett might be the best all-around player in Syracuse. The sophomore has started the season off with 18.5 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 2.5 Steals as Cuse cruised in its first two games. 
• Ty Jerome: Jerome doesn’t get as much hype as Kyle Guy or Deandre Hunter, but he’s arguably the most important player on Tony Bennett’s roster. Jerome kicked off his campaign to be the best point guard in the land by leading UVA in points, assists, and steals in his first two games. He’s made 10 of his first 14 threes, and is a pest at the heart of Virginia’s top-ranked defense. 

New faves: I really don't follow recruiting over than to learn the names of the top 100 freshmen coming into college each season. So I almost always have no clue what to expect with newcomers playing for prominent teams at the beginning of the year. That leads to discoveries such as the players I mention here being unexpected joys to watch.  This begins and ends with Georgetown freshman and Virginia native Mac McClung. I just assumed that he was a dunking phenom who wasn’t actually any good at playing basketball. Come to find out he’s starting in the backcourt with another freshman against Illinois and contributing heavily. I legitimately said “Oh God” aloud when he got a steal and had a wide open path to the rim last night Two or three other Sportscenter Top 10 type plays and it’s safe to say The Hoyas will be appointment television within the Big East. Another one who stood out is USC’s Kevin Porter Jr. He’s been creeping up draft boards as a potential one-and-done, but even while playing limited minutes due to foul trouble Sunday night against Vanderbilt, you can see that he could take the Pac 12 by storm with his athleticism and ability to get to the rim. Lastly, Zach Hankins from Xavier stood out. He is a Caucasian with tattoos and cornrows. He’s a rim protector who at times gave Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ fits when the two squads met last night. Happ absolutely murdered him in the post to the tune of 30 points, but Hankins had some moments where he swatted a couple of shots and talked copious amounts of shit the whole time. I compared him on twitter to a bigger version of former Big East villain Eric Devendorf. Whether he or Xavier is relevant this year is hard to say right now, but at least for one night he stood out. 

             

                                                                        (Fox Sports 1)

Worst that I Saw: The offenses of Georgia Tech and Cincinnati were rather putrid in nature in losses to Tennessee and Ohio State respectively. Neither squad is really known for their offensive prowess, but 0.76 points per possession on 3-for-19 from three (Georgia Tech), and 0.89 PPP on 23.1 percent from deep as you open your brand new arena (Cincinnati) is no way to go through life. 

Mid-Major love: Buffalo has to be the leader in the clubhouse right now for best mid-major that started the season outside the top 25. Hoops junkies knew they were going to be good with most of the 2017-18 team that destroyed an Arizona team with three guys now playing in the NBA back this season. But two road wins, including one over West Virginia that could age really well has the Bulls in the top 25 already. They’re experienced and have had a taste of March success already. If they can beat St. Bonaventure on the road later on in early December, they could be 11-0 heading into a December 18^th showdown with Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. 

Week Ahead: The 2K Empire Classic is not necessarily a loaded field, but Syracuse-UConn and Oregon-Iowa on Thursday, with the winners and losers matching up on Friday could make for decent intrigue. From a Big 10 vantage point, this is the first chance for Iowa to pick up a quality win as they try to come back from a losing season with the majority of that roster still in Iowa City. Other questions to be answered: How good is Oregon's freshman Bol Bol? And is Syracuse really a threat within the ACC and a dark horse Final Four contender?

                           

                                                                       (Rich Barnes Getty Images)

Charleston: The tournament here is sneaky good with two top 25 teams, and then a bunch of other fringe top- 100 teams that could pull off a couple of upsets. I honestly don’t know if Purdue or Virginia Tech is the best team here. Purdue is still figuring things out after losing four program cornerstones to graduation. Carsen Edwards is a Player of the Year candidate, but how good can the supporting cast be? VT brings back most of its roster, but as of right now is missing its most versatile player with Chris Clarke suspended. Nickell Alexander-Walker might be on the verge of becoming a breakout star. Wichita State, Alabama, and Davidson all loom as bracket busters that could really set themselves up for big seasons with a couple of upset wins.

 Big East-Big 10: This event already kicked off last night with two games, but it really gets going tonight with a rematch of last season’s National Championship game. Michigan heads to Villanova to try and get revenge. Marquette just cracked the top 25 and gets an important test when they head to Bloomington to play Romeo Langford and Indiana. There are four other games of varying importance also set to take place over the next three days with Seton Hall at Nebraska, Ohio State at Creighton, Penn State at Depaul, and St John's at Rutgers. 

Picks Sure to go Wrong: (So if one were into gambling or that sort of thing, go the other way)

• Villanova over Michigan
• Nebraska over Seton Hall
• Marquette over Indiana
• Purdue to win the Charleston Classic
• UCF to win the Myrtle Beach Invitational
• Syracuse to win Empire 2k Classic

Weekend (Plus Monday) in Review

The SEC-Big 12 Challenge and a top five clash in the ACC highlighted the last three days of college basketball, that of wish I actually got to watch a fair amount for the first time in a while. So that's why after a brief hiatus, I'm back to provide analysis of what went down. Here's a brief look at some of the highlights and other random thoughts from the games I watched over the last three days.

                               ( Ty Jerome has seven assists and three steals to lead
                                  UVA to a two-point win at Duke (AP Photo).

Best Win: With apologies to Big Blue Nation and its mammoth road win in Morgantown, the Wahoos get the nod here for winning at Duke for the first time since 1995. To put that into context for those that know me, I was 5'4, in the 8th grade, and weighed about 100 pounds at the time. Coming into the game, it was known that this would be decided by Virginia's defense and whether it would be able to stop Duke's offense. The Cavs ended up holding the Blue Devils to 0.97 points per possession, and kept them under 70 points for the first time all season. Marvin Bagley and Wendell Carter gave them problems in the paint, but Duke's perimeter players couldn't do anything against the pack-line defense. Ty Jerome hit the key three-pointer late, and Kyle Guy scored 17. There was also nothing better than Guy almost causing another Grayson Allen meltdown at the end of the game. Virginia is for real, whether you find them boring or not. This might be the year they break through in March.

Worst Loss: Kentucky potentially salvaged its season by erasing a 17-point deficit at West Virginia. The Mountaineers really had no business losing this game, especially at home. There are still too many question marks on offense to really take this team seriously in the grand scheme of things. They still really much too heavily on Jevon Carter, and aside from some deep shooting from Beedle Bolden, had no shows from Daxter Miles, Lamont West, and Esa Ahmad. That trio combined for 3-for-20 shooting for the game from the field, which combined with the fact that Kentucky stopped turning the ball over after halftime, enabled the freshmen-dominated Kentucky squad to get the win. If they can't cause turnovers, how does West Virginia figure out its offensive woes?

Player of the Weekend: I tend to go off the grid a bit with these, and so even though it wasn't the flashiest performance, Jaren Jackson Jr. keyed Michigan State's comeback win at Maryland. Only a freshman, Jackson is already one of the best rim protectors in the land, and he had four blocks as Sparty picked up a 74-68 win in College Park. He only took six shots, but made both of his three-pointers he took in a key stretch at the beginning of the second half that helped them silence the crowd that was beyond hyped with Maryland in desperate need of a resume-boosting win. Jackson also had eight rebounds, as he and Nick Ward did their usual work contesting and blocking shots at the rim for one of the best defenses in the land.

Most Efficient Performance: Surprisingly Purdue gets the nod here because it struggled a bit with Indiana in knocking off its in-state rival in Bloomington The Boilermakers are one of two teams that are ranked in the top ten in both offensive and defensive efficiency per KenPom, and it held Indiana to 3-for-16 shooting from three. The Boilermakers didn't turn the ball over, and made 15-for-18 from the free throw line to offset a cold shooting day from deep. People seem to think that they just bomb threes and always beat people that way, but Sunday's game showed that Matt Painter's team can pound the ball inside, get stops on defense, and find other ways to win as they now sit at 21-2 overall with an undefeated mark in Big 10 play.

Random Miscellany:

• Florida Gonna Florida: There might not be a more widespread range of March outcomes for any team in the country than Florida. Its win at home against Baylor showed that this is one of the best teams in the country when they're hot from the outside. The Gators have looked really good, and also really terrible multiple times this season. Good luck figuring out what to do with them in your bracket. 
• Props to Donta Hall: All the talk going into Saturday's Oklahoma-Alabama game was justifiably centered around the matchup between Trae Young and Collin Sexton. But the Crimson Tide has a solid defense anchored by Hall, who ended the game with eight blocks. The combination of the Tide's defense with the abilities of Collin Sexton and John Petty to set the Earth ablaze from the perimeter at any time will make the Tide a tough out going forward. 
• Eff You Phil: I recently went to a Villanova-Depaul game here in Chicago, and since I'm a Carolina fan and Phil Booth had the game of his life in the National Championship game two years ago against UNC, I dislike him. I literally said "Eff you Phil" any time he did anything positive in game. Booth is now out for a couple of weeks with a broken hand, meaning that Donte DiVincenzo now has to start. Nova still was able to beat Marquette on the road Sunday, but they may slip up a time or two with freshman Collin Gillespie essentially taking up the extra minutes. Gillespie has been solid, but is also coming off an injury that kept him out of eight games earlier. Without much depth and with Jalen Brunson tweaking an ankle, one more injury could ruin things for the number one team in the country. 
• Ukainmaker Making it Rain: Kansas dismantled Kansas State fairly easily, and are once again the favorites to win the Big 12 for about the 98th year in a row. Svi Mykhailuik isn't getting enough love as Kansas continues to devour Big 12 opponents. He was only occasionally effective his first three seasons in Lawrence, but he might be the most improved player in the country this season. Svi had 22 points Monday night, and is shooting an insane 47.9 percent from three in 2017-18. He's automatic from deep, can get to the rim, and is finally starting to show the promise that had him touted as a future NBA player.

Saturday Preview and Predictions

Outside of the Army-Navy game, the college football regular season has come and gone. That means this Saturday is the first of many in the coming months where college hoops takes over. Here's the first of many guides to Saturday viewing with some probable wrong predictions thrown in free of charge for those with degenerate streaks and inclinations.

• Florida vs. Cincinnati: This should still be the best game of the day despite the fact that both teams are limping a bit after losses. Florida has gone from a potential Final Four contender, to a team that lost to a school I have never seen play despite the fact that I could walk to their gym in ten minutes (shout out to the Loyola Ramblers). Meanwhile Cincy got beaten down by Xavier in the Crosstown Classic. Even though the Bearcats boast a better offense than they've had in previous seasons, they still look to win with their top ten defense. Florida is going to try and run and shoot threes in transition, while Mick Cronin's squad will look to be physical and muck things up in the halfcourt. (Prediction: Cincinnati is favored by 1.5, but I think Florida goes back to showing why it was so hyped after its performance at the PK Invitational. Florida 85, Cincinnati 80). 

•  Minnesota at Arkansas: Minnesota got off to an 8-1 start but then surprisingly didn't show up in its loss at Nebraska earlier this week. Meanwhile Arkansas is 6-2 with two losses where it got beat by more than 20. The Gophers will look to pound the ball inside and let Jordan Murphy cook, while the Razorbacks will lean on their three senior guards to give them most of their offense. With Reggie Lynch averaging over four blocks per game, Arkansas is going to need Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon to hit threes with shots at the rim being more difficult. (Prediction: Minnesota is more balanced and won't get rattled in a hostile environment with the steady hand of senior Nate Mason. Arkansas is favored by 3.5, but I like the Gophers to win. Minnesota 74, Arkansas 67). 

• Wichita State at Oklahoma State:  The Wheat Shockers already own a road victory over a Big 12 opponent with their win last Saturday against Baylor. Oklahoma State is 7-1, but did most of its damage against inferior competition. Wichita State is clicking right now, and the combination of Shaq Morris and Darral Willis will be too much for the Cowboys interior to handle. Look for Zach Brown to lock down Jeffrey Carroll, forcing Mike Boynton's unit to have to get points from secondary options. (Prediction: Wichita State will cover the 5, and do so with ease. Wichita State 85, Oklahoma State 69). 

•  UCLA at Michigan: Neither of these teams really are all that great defensively, so at the risk of sounding really simple and obvious, it's going to come down to who makes shots. Michigan isn't off to that great of a start in that department thus far, so getting Moe Wagner or Duncan Robinson to make multiple threes could determine the outcome. UCLA is finely free from the Ball Family drama, and could have the best two players on the floor with the inside-outside duo of Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh. The significance is magnified here because neither the Pac 12 nor Big 10 look especially good right now, meaning this could be one of the last chances for either team to boost its respective resumes. (Prediction: I'm going to take another road underdog here, because UCLA is just more talented. Michigan is favored by 6.5, but take the Bruins and the points. UCLA 75, Michigan 72). 

                                                                (rolltide.com)

• Alabama at Arizona:  This could be the best game of the day for two reasons. Collin Sexton and Allonzo Trier. Sexton is averaging 20.8 PPG, while Trier is averaging 22.0.If high-scoring guards aren't your jam, then the secondary clash in the paint also could provide just as much in determining the outcome. Can the combo of Donte Hall and Daniel Giddens stop Deandre Ayton? Ayton is averaging almost 20 points on 60 percent shooting from the floor, but Hall (2.8 blocks per game) and Giddens (1.6) can alter and erase shots at an elite level. Arizona can show that its performance in the Bahamas was a fluke with another win here, while Alabama has a chance for a road win that will probably be worth a bunch in March if it has a strong season in the SEC. (Prediction: While being a 9 point favorite is probably a bit much, I like the Wildcats here. I don't think they'll cover the number, but they will win. Arizona 68, Alabama 62). 

 
 
 

Random Ranker: Thoughts on Six Potential NCAA Tournament Teams that Played Friday

Friday night isn't usually the home for a seemingly random tripleheader all held at the same venue. Last night however, there were three games at the Staples Center in Los Angeles that featured six teams with a combined record of 44-8. All of these teams have legitimate prospects for being in the field of 68, yet aren't exactly household names. Taking advantage of the fact that I had a rare Friday night off, I watched all three games and here is how I would rank the teams based off of what happened Friday, and what the teams have done in the first month of the season.

                                                                (Getty Images)
 1. TCU: The Horned Frogs are a serious threat to not only make their first NCAA Tournament of this century, they also could be a factor in the Big 12 race. There's a bunch to like here, but point guard play has to be at the top of the list. Jaylen Fisher and Alex Robinson both do a nice job getting everyone involved and getting into the paint. Kenrich Williams will become a household name by the end of the season with his do-it-all type numbers, and I'd be lying if the fact that Jamie Dixon's squad has someone named Vladimir Brodziansky blocking shots and hitting threes didn't make me a fan. I'm all on board for the "Cousin Vlad" experience all season.

2. Oklahoma: This is the part where I rant and rave about Trae Young and the insane numbers he's put up only eight games into his college career. This article over at CBS gives one a nice introduction to the young point guard that is becoming a superstar, so I'll just stick to data. He already has three games where he's gone for more than 30 points, and three games with more than 10 assists. The college Steph Curry comparisons might be a bit premature, but Young gives the Sooners an absolute weapon that can dish and also pull from 30 feet on any given possession. There's a gaggle of other shooters, and some leftover experience from the team two years ago that made a Final Four. Expect Oklahoma to be ranked soon, and expect some classic Big 12 games with Young battling with senior guards like Devonta Graham and Jevon Carter once the calendar flips to 2018.

                                                                 (Getty Images)
 3. Arizona State: Bobby Hurley has taken a team that hasn't been relevant since the James Harden days to an undefeated start in his third season at the helm. There's some questions about how the Sun Devils are going to defend teams with size, and some defensive questions in general. But three senior guards that can all get out in transition, distribute, and shoot with deep range shows why this is the sixth most efficient offense right now per KenPom. If freshman Romello White can give ASU a post presence, this is a sleeper in a wide-open (potentially crappy) Pac 12.

4. Nevada: I've been high on the Wolf Pack for a while now, but it takes more than ten games to fully get things right from a chemistry perspective with so many transfers playing pivotal roles. They looked kind of disjointed offensively both times I've seen them play, and right now the Martin twins are taking too many tough shots without spreading the ball around. They're still the favorite to win the Mountain West however, and they linger as a legitimate Sweet 16 threat if they get the right matchups come March.

5. St John's: No one is really talking about the Johnie's right now when discussing the Big East, but this is really solid team that will only get better when Marcus Lovett comes back. Shamorie Ponds is simply tasked with having to take way too many tough shots right now without Lovett to take some of the pressure off. Being in the middle in the Big East will be good enough to go dancing, and the Red Storm have the pieces to finish there, if not higher. They have good athletes and have been outstanding forcing turnovers and protecting the rim early on. This is another squad incorporating multiple transfers, so check back in about a month for some improvements.

6. USC: There are more questions than answers right now with the Trojans as they've surprisingly gotten off to a sluggish 4-3 start after dropping three games in a row. Expectations were high, but players with legitimate NBA aspirations are not playing like pros. USC is shooting only 45.6 percent on two-point shots in its first seven games, which doesn't add up when Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu should be able to score in the post at will. Add in the fact that D'Anthony Melton hasn't played yet because of the NCAA investigation and you get a team with multiple questions right now.

If I had a Vote: My Top 25 Rankings

As a writer, nothing would make me happier than one day receiving the honor of being one of the voters that gets to submit a top 25 ballot each week. I could get made fun of, yelled at by various fanbases, and just get an unlimited amount of vitriol sent my way by the internet masses. While a top 25 at this early point in the season is pretty meaningless, here's a go at what my rankings look like at this point in the season. And in honor of one of my favorite baseball writers, the format is similar to former Grantland and current CBS writer Jonah Keri. Keri writes his baseball rankings every week at picks out certain teams to write about within the rankings. At this point I've seen almost every team play at least once, but I've seen some more than others and thus have more to go with.

25-21:

25. Texas (5-2)

24. Arizona St. (7-0)

23. Nevada ( 8-0)

22. Baylor (5-2)

21. Texas Tech (6-1)

Baylor might fall out of the regular top 25 after dropping games at Xavier and at home against Wichita State this week. This is a solid squad with loads of length which makes this a potential top ten defense. They can switch from zone to man-to-man, and have good athletes. The problem however is a lack of depth that will be felt with Terry Maston being out with an injury until January. They now only really play seven guys, so problems with foul trouble might force the Bears to exclusively play zone. The loss of Johnathan Motley is being felt with Jo Lual Acuil having to be more of an offensive option. JLA shot almost 57 percent on 2's last season, but is getting tougher looks and shooting only 50 percent on 2's this season due to having to (or choosing to) take tougher shots. Lual-Acuil is best as a complimentary piece scoring at the rim of on putbacks on the glass. With the lack of depth, Tristan Clark and Nuni Omot need to share more of the scoring load until Maston comes back.

20-16

20. Seton Hall (7-1)

19. Purdue (8-2)

18. TCU (8-0)

17. West Virginia ( 7-1)

16. Cincinnati (7-1)

                                                       (Getty Images)

Cincinnati got Macura'd on Saturday when it lost a mere 3.4 miles from its campus at Xavier. Macura only scored nine points, but managed to get Cincy's Coach Mick Cronin to try and fight him after the game, which I can't remember ever seeing in my time watching college hoops. The Bearcats racked up an undefeated record against inferior opponents, then just got beat up by Xavier in a game that was only reasonably close. This team is better than the Cincy teams of the past that just beat people up and won rock fights. However, it gave up 1.19 point per possession Saturday and basically were late getting out to Trevon Bluiett all day when he shot from deep. The lack of intensity from everyone that isn't the coach is slightly concerning, especially in a tilt against one's biggest rival.

15-11

15. Xavier (7-1)

14. Minnesota (8-1)

13. UVA (8-0)

12. Gonzaga ( 7-1)

11. North Carolina (8-1)

                                                                (SI.com)

 I've gotten better over the years at writing about North Carolina without sounding like a complete fan boy or homer. So I'll make my best effort here. The loss against Michigan State notwithstanding, this team is much better at this point of the season than I imagined. Although I didn't think things would be as bleak as the 2009-10 season where the Tar Heels went from national champs to the NIT (shout out to Larry Drew and the Wear twins), I had low expectations. But things like Luke Maye becoming a GD superstar averaging a double-double, the freshmen big men (none of whom were top 100 recruits) playing reasonably well, and Kenny Williams becoming the second coming of Donald or Shammond Williams slipped my mind. Now with Cameron Johnson coming back by ACC play, this could be a second weekend NCAA Tournament team.

10-6

10. Miami ( 7-0)

9. Kentucky ( 7-1)

8. Notre Dame ( 7-1)

7. Texas A&M ( 7-0)

6. Florida ( 5-1)

Kentucky is still a mystery to me. I'm in the camp of thinking that they aren't that good, and that the SEC grind might cause the Wildcats to be a potential 8-9 seed with 10-11 losses heading into the tournament. Others laud the potential, especially on the defensive end once the freshmen figure things out. Starting on December 16, things will become a little more clear with games against Virginia Tech, UCLA, and Louisville. It would not surprise me at all if they lost at least two of these heading into SEC play.

5-1

5. Wichita State ( 6-1)

4. Villanova (8-0)

3. Michigan State (7-1)

2. Kansas (7-0)

1. Duke (10-0)

Wichita State has had six players lead the team in scoring in seven games. I say that to illustrate the fact the Shockers are much deeper than I imagined. When your third guard can score 31 points in a game, then get shut out in a win on the road against a top 25 team, you know that this is a team with multiple options and players that are capable of going off. And they don't even have Markus McDuffie yet. The Baylor win on Saturday showed with Connor Frankamp, Landry Shamet, Shaq Morris, and Darral Willis all scoring inside and outside that the weaponry makes this a Final Four contender.

Feast Week Recap: Part Two

There was simply too much that went on to not break this down into two separate posts, so although it's a little late, here's a look at some of the highlights from last week's tournaments that took over the airwaves during Thanksgiving.

Phil Knight Motion Bracket

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What Happened: Duke overcame second half deficits in all three of its games to take the title. While the Blue Devils struggled at times on the defensive end, they showed that this year's team is more than likely a much more cohesive and talented team than in 2016-17. Florida showed that despite losing the title game against Duke that it can win the SEC and contend for the Final Four. Gonzaga and Texas also both showed inklings that they might be better than many expected, with Texas taking both Duke and Gonzaga to overtime before losing. The Zags lost a good deal from last season's national runner up, but showcased the fact that its experience in the backcourt, and the tandem of Johnathan Williams and Killian Tillie inside will make them a factor once again in March.

Key Storyline Going Forward: It has to be how good Duke can be? It is off to an 8-0 start and have the potential Player of the Year who should still be in high school (Bagley, Marvin). As mentioned in the above paragraph, the defense is still a concern. But the talent of the starting five alone makes this one of the scariest teams of the last ten years. Can the Blue Devils avoid the drama (Allen,Grayson) that has plagued them in seasons past and continue to steamroll everyone all season?

Best Three Players: Bagley was incredible and could go on to have a freshman season that rivals the productivity of Kevin Durant and Michael Beasley years ago. He had double-doubles in all three games, going for over 30 points in the wins against Texas and Florida. A lot of times with freshmen the hype doesn't match the on-court product. Bagley has shown both in this tournament, and in the eight games he's played so far as a college player that the hype is real. Two seniors also showed they could be heading for big seasons with Chris Chiozza from Florida and Williams from Gonzaga taking over games at various points of the event.

Phil Knight Victory Bracket:

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What Happened: North Carolina played one of its worst games of the Roy Williams era in losing the title game to Michigan State. Sparty won the title tilt despite turning the ball over a whopping 24 times. The games on this side of the bracket weren't nearly as competitive or entertaining as the other side. Arkansas looked outstanding at times, but then like garbage against Carolina. There are still plenty of question marks going forward as well with UConn, Oklahoma, and Oregon.

Key Storyline Going Forward: It's a safe bet to assume that Michigan State is one of a handful of teams that can cut the nets down at the end of the season. Two concerning variables that could ruin this are the health of Miles Bridges, and the turnover concerns. Bridges hasn't come out of the blocks nearly as productive as people thought, He only scored 17 points in the two games he played in Portland, and although he doesn't need to score 30 for Michigan State to win, he does need to be its best player and be more assertive. As more the turnover issue, only two of its top seven rotation players have turnover rates under 20 percent. This obviously has to change. The Spartans are doing some really good things in terms of crashing the offensive boards and defending the rim, but they can't turn the ball over at this level if they expect to win the Big Ten and go to a Final Four.

Best Three Players: Luke Maye has gone from the former preferred walk-on, to the guy who hit the shot against Kentucky, to a "maybe legitimate" candidate for awards in March. Maye got shut down against Michigan State, but he was insane against Arkansas with 28 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists. He also had a 20-10 game in the first round against Portland. Cassius Winston stood out for Michigan State with his ability to both score and distribute, while Jaylen Barford averaged 21.3 PPG for the event on 50 percent shooting from deep. Barford and Daryl Macon give Arkansas one of the best guard duos in the SEC.

Best of the Rest

What Happened: Virginia won the preseason NIT by doing what Virginia does. The Cavs held Vandy to 0.68 points per possession, and then squeezed Rhode Island to 0.89 PPP. They've now moved into the top 25 and once again have the nation's top defense per KenPom. West Virginia had to fight a bit to come back against Missouri in the Advocare Invitational and win the title, while Washington State pulled off probably the most shocking tournament win by winning the Wooden Legacy.

Key Storyline Going Forward: St Mary's might have ruined its chances of getting an at-large bid to the field of 68 by losing to Washington State and Georgia in Anaheim. The Gaels only play Cal and Dayton in terms of quality opponents before conference play starts. That means they may be in a situation where they have to beat Gonzaga once or twice to have any hope at an at-large bid.

Best Three Players: Isaiah Wilkins doesn't get nearly enough credit and is one of the most underrated players in the country. Wilkins just does so many blue collar things for UVA that don't flash on the stat sheet, and he was a steady and dominant presence for the Hoos in New York. Jevon Carter terrorized opposing guards in West Virginia's press all weekend, while unknown and unheralded Washington State guard Malachi Flynn averaged 19.7 PPG in Anaheim on 50 percent shooting from behind the arc and 100 percent shooting at the free throw line.