College hoops takes spotlight
Teams are gearing up for March Madness
While you were watching the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots march toward the Super Bowl, college basketball was going full speed ahead. Here are 20 things to know just a month away from March Madness.
1. There are no elite teams — which means March likely will be full of even more madness. If ever there was a season to pick a 7, 8 or 9 seed to the Final Four, this is it.
2. Villanova is the exception. The Wildcats feature Mikal Bridges, a 6-7 junior who has a 7-2 wingspan, the rare guard-forward who can defend inside and out and shoots 49%. Junior guard Jalen Brunson is pretty good, too.
3. Virginia, which features no superstars, is an exception, too. The Cavaliers control tempo every second and force opposing teams to do exactly what they don’t want to do. Teams score just 52.3 points on the Cavaliers. None of them come easy.
4. Purdue should be in this conversation, too. The Boilermakers dropped two games to unranked teams early (although Tennessee is now No. 19) and have followed up by winning 19 in a row. A lot of people wonder if Vincent Edwards (15.5 points, 7.8 rebounds) and Purdue are for real. (Hint: They are.)
OK but really besides those three programs — which have gone a com--
bined 67-4 going into Monday — there are really no elite teams.
5. Oklahoma freshman guard Trae Young is the front-runner for player of the year. You would be, too, if you led the nation in scoring (29.8 points) and assists (9.7). 6. Young is a showstopper, but the top pick in the 2018 NBA draft will likely be Arizona freshman Deandre Ayton, a 7-0, 260-pound center with jaw-dropping athleticism. 7. Speaking of the Wildcats, they’re likely the Pac-12’s only lock for the NCAA tournament, in what really has been a rough year for the conference. 8. Then again, if the tournament
started today, Washington would be in. The Huskies have no bad losses plus impressive road wins against Kansas, Southern California, Colorado. And they beat Arizona in Seattle. Reminder: Washington was 9-22 last season. 9. Another freshman name you need to know: Duke’s Marvin Bagley III. Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski has called the 6-11, 235-pounder “the most unique kid I’ve ever coached.”
10. Kentucky, of course, is known for its annual crop of phenomenal freshmen. The problem with this season is that these Wildcats are extraordinarily young and have a tendency to play like, well, freshmen. 11. Kevin Knox, a 6-9, 215-pound forward, is the best of all those Wildcats newbies, and when he’s on, Kentucky can play with anyone. When he’s not … well, then almost anyone can play with Kentucky. 12. Especially if those “anyones” are from the SEC. The conference known for football dominance could get eight teams into the Big Dance.
13. On that topic, who could have predicted that Auburn (9-1, 21-2 overall), led by once disgraced coach Bruce Pearl, would be in first place in the SEC with a two-game lead? 14. Credit a five-star recruit for Alabama’s hoops success. Collin Sexton is a 6-3, 175-pound freshman point guard who explodes to the rim and knows how to finish through contact. 15. Speaking of toughness, don’t count out Michigan State. The Spar- tans might be mired in an off-court controversy involving Tom Izzo, but it doesn’t seem to be affecting the oncourt play of sophomore Miles Bridges (17.4 points, 7.4 rebounds) & Co. MSU has looked both shaky and Final Fourgood. 16. One team that likely isn’t San Antonio bound? Defending champion North Carolina. Despite bringing back point guard Joel Berry II (17.3 points) and breakout play from Luke Maye (18.3 points, 10.3 rebounds), the Heels (17-7) do not appear to be a title contender. 17. Another blueblood having a rough season: Kansas, which has dropped home games to Washington, Arizona State, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State. Looks like KU’s stranglehold on the Big 12 regular-season championship might end. 18. The team currently in position to take that title? Texas Tech (7-3 Big
12, 19-4 overall), which already has surpassed its win total from last season
(18). 19. And don’t forget about West Virginia, whose suffocating defensive pressure gives teams all kinds of fits. Jevon Carter makes life miserable for opposing guards. 20. Remember the big FBI scandal that rocked college hoops in September? It’s basically been a non-factor. So far, at least.