CBB Picks: The Final Countdown

With all over sports done, I need to make some picks so we do it with college basketball. Let's have some fun with it and see what happens. I should probably record my record, but I will say this is the hardest sport to pick without question.

FIRST TIER
14. North Carolina at 4. Duke 8:00 pm ESPN - Who would have thought a month ago, this would be a top 15 matchup again, and everything is right with the world. Marcus Paige developed into one of the best point guards in the nation, and I do not think Duke has an answer for him.  They will win this game by outscoring North Carolina yet that's hard to come by right now for Duke which is weird given all the talent they have especially on the offensive side. I do not trust Duke right now. Coach K is having health issues, team cannot play defense and cannot score, horrible recipe against a hot team. UNC 77-72

19. Connecticut at 11. Louisville 1:00 pm CBS - If Cardinals win, they get at least a split of the conference title in the first year of the American.  Russ Smith might be the least talked about senior in a long time. Smith been so damn good in the past couple weeks including a big 24 point second half against SMU. Smith had a nice game the first time around against the Huskies and there is no reason to think otherwise on Saturday. We need a Russ versus Shabazz five minute interlude and just watch in awe. I will take Louisville. Montrezl Harrell and Russ Smith will be too much for the Huskies. UL 69-62

21. New Mexico at 10. San Diego State 9:00 pm CBS Sports Network - Second meeting between these two squads and the first time, New Mexico delivered a beat down. Dirty little secret about the Aztecs is they have not really beat anyone worth nothing since early January. Last game, San Diego State received 27 points from their bench which is not the norm for them, they will need it again this time around. They also need to put a body on Cameron Bairstow. He went off the first time around for 26 points and eight rebounds. Aztecs cannot have that happen again if they want the rematch. I think they do. Xavier Thames last game with The Show behind him will yield a good result. SDSU 65-58

3. Arizona at Oregon 3:00 pm CBS - Tricky, tricky game for Arizona. They survived Oregon State on Wednesday night and now face an Oregon team that needs a win. They are flirting with the bubble, and if they win, the Ducks are probably in unless something crazy happens. Ducks are hot winning the last six games, and getting Johnathan Lloyd healthy again is big for this team. Mike Moser needs to be a factor too. He disappeared against Arizona earlier this year. It is hard to bet against Nick Johnson whom had 20 or more points three of the last four games, but that's what I am doing. Betting against a team with their backs against the wall at home is usually foolish. Quack quack. OREG 78-75

SECOND TIER
25. Kentucky at 1. Florida 11:00 am CBS - Woof. Kentucky is heading into a buzzsaw with this game. There might be slight hope that the Wildcats could catch them with an 11 am start, but I highly doubt that. Michael Frazier II proved on Tuesday, Florida has so many different options that can beat them.  Casey Prather and Scottie Wilbekin combined for 47 points in the first meeting, and it is hard to imagine things will be different on Saturday. Gators are playing really strong basketball right now, and Kentucky is not whatsoever. I would be stunned if the Cats found a way to win this one. Go Gata. UF 70-59

18. SMU at 20. Memphis 11:00 am ESPN - Even though my team resides in the Big East, the American has been the best new conference from a talent standpoint. All around, I would probably take the Big East, but I move on. Memphis needs to find some defense quick. They gave up over 80-plus points to a Cincinnati team that is known for their defense. They gave up 87 points to SMU in January, what makes me think anything will be different with this team?  Memphis is a good team that cannot play defense. That's a problem. SMU runs them over again with a strong Nic Moore game. SMU 81-72

Oklahoma State at 16. Iowa State 1:00 pm ESPN - Cowboys decided not to be on the bubble once Marcus Smart came back. Unless Oklahoma State loses their last two games of the year, this one and their first Big 12 conference game, I think they are safely in. If they do finish out with two straight losses, they might be sweating a bit. These two played a triple overtime classic at Stillwater and I would expect nothing different at Hilton. I am not worried about Iowa State. I think DeAndre Kane and George Niang will figure it out powering Cyclones over the Cowboys. ISU 74-72

Missouri Valley Conference Championship (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS - Odds are Wichita State could be playing to go wire-to-wire with the undefeated season. That's worth the price of admission. Cannot really make a pick rather just inform you it is there.

THIRD TIER
22. Michigan State at Ohio State (Played on Sunday) 3:30 pm CBS - Can anyone trust Ohio State right now? They are not doing anything on offense and while this will be senior day for Aaron Craft as well as others emotions will run high for the Bucks. Michigan State seemed back against Iowa. Four of their five starters were in double figures plus a nice effort from Travis Trice off the bench. Even though senior day will inspire Craft, Michigan State might be gearing towards to make their run. MSU 66-62

7. Syracuse at Florida State (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm ESPN3 - No one likes to play in Tallahassee and this will be the Cuse's first conference visit. In the last month, the highest point total for Syracuse was 62 points in a loss to Georgia Tech. Noles are hot of late winning four of their last five games playing good defense and actually scoring, a problem for them in the past. Okaro White has been white hot averaging 21.5 points in the last three games. Everything tells me to go with Florida State, but I cannot picture Syracuse dropping another game. They put it together and win a closely contested game. CUSE 64-63

Georgetown at 6. Villanova 1:00 pm FOX Sports 1 - Am I discrediting Villanova? They only have three losses total this season, two against Creighton and one against Syracuse. They beat Kansas albeit early in the season. Nova is being talked about as a one seed and deservingly so. The big three of Bell, Pinkston and Hillard are all averaging around 14 to 15 points a game. Markel Starks gave one of his best performances of his career on Tuesday, but it's not happening here. Nova is not losing at home with the big three taking control late. NOVA 69-61

FOURTH TIER
9. Wisconsin at Nebraska (Played on Sunday) 6:30 pm Big Ten Network - Oh baby. This is the biggest game in Nebraska's college basketball history. It will be a sold out crowd. March atmosphere will be in the air for sure. Wisconsin is red hot and hard to pick against, but the question is 'Who needs this more?' Cornhuskers without question. NEB 63-61

Providence at 13. Creighton 7:00 pm CBS Sports Network - An easy one here. Dougie McBuckets final game in Omaha seems like an easy win even though Providence needs a win desparately here. McDermott goes for 36 tonight in a win. CREIGH 85-72

5. Virginia at Maryland 11:00 am (Played on Sunday) CBS - This has all the remnants of an upset. Virginia already won the ACC. Terrapins are not going to be in the tournament, and this will be their Super Bowl being on national TV and save their coach's job. Easy money here. MARY 68-65

17. Saint Louis at Massachusetts (Played on Sunday) 1:00 pm CBS Sports Network - All of the sudden, Billikens have careened off the side of the road. Minuteman are probably in and could help their resume with a win here. Jordair Jett is bothering a knee injury and that worries me. Give me The Zoo. UMASS 65-60

Charlie.

Final Four Power Rankings Explained by Pop Culture

With the Final Four being about a month away, it is the time to wonder whom might be playing in the Final Four. There is no reason why we should not look the teams at this point. It could be anyone at this point, but I do think we have an idea of some of the teams that look closer to Final Four aspirations versus others that need a paddle as they are swimming up creek. We will look at the Top 30 teams with a couple others thrown in using ESPN's latest Bracketology. Not all will get words behind it, but they will be definitely be ranked.    

Piers Morgan Division - Turn off the lights, there is really no need to wonder about their March 

Michigan State - It is hard to bet against Tom Izzo, but at the same time, this team never really put all together. Think of it as a better functioning Marquette team. 

San Diego State - Bold prediction here. Aztecs did win at Allen Fieldhouse, but their inability to score at times makes me nervous. I feel like due to Wichita State's unbeaten streak and weak conference, no one is discussing the softness of the Mountain West. 

Jared Leto Division - Everyone else is really excited about their chances but you cannot understand the hype

Villanova - Death. Taxes. Jay Wright's team failing to show up when it matters in March. Only time that rule does not apply is when Scottie Reynolds is playing point guard.  

Creighton - It is really hard to envision the Bluejays making any sort of a deep run with how they play basketball. If they face good guards or a tough defensive team, it will be curtains.  

Virginia - I still go back to the fact besides Syracuse, they really do not have the quality wins this season. They have only played the top seven of the ACC, once. That's concerning, no?  I do not think this team can make a push to Dallas.   

Louisville - Am I going to bet against Rick Pitino?  Here's the thing... This team has won a bunch of games against weak opponents, but when the chips are down, they have not beaten many good teams.  

Rob Ford Division - Crazy, unpredictable, really anything can happen. 

Oklahoma State - If this team gets an eight to ten seed, they are the most dangerous low seed right? Even with Travis Ford's lackadaisical nature, it seems like that's a good bet. 

Wichita State - They could either make a run to the Final Four or the Elite Eight or lose in the second round. No real in-between with this team.   

Duke - Anyone noticing how no one is really talking about this team? Isn't that really weird given who they are and what they have in Jabari Parker. A good 3-point shooting team can sink this squad.  

Syracuse - Well they have this zone that has been known to work against the right draw but they can go completely cold against a good defense. Still have seniors and the coach to get them there.

Kansas - One of the best teams in college basketball, but at the same time, they are filled with freshman with no idea what March Mardness is like and we have seen how that goes for teams.   

Matthew McConaughey Division - So hot right now. Steaming hot streak heading into the perfect time.

Iowa State - They are not hot, but hear me out... They have beaten eight top 20 RPI teams. DeAndre Kane and Melvin Ejim are two of the biggest problems on an offense for opposing teams. Yes they do not play defense. Yes they shoot too many threes, but Iowa State has taken down good teams this year consistently.   

Wisconsin - While by the tournament, they could be more of a Leto, I think we need to look at how well the Badgers have played in the last month making this the obvious choice. They are one of the hotter teams in the country.  

North Carolina - No team is hotter right now than Carolina plus add to the equation, they beat Michigan State at full strength and Kentucky before its problems, it's impressive.  

Arizona - Talked about them yesterday, but as of today, they are a team warming up. It is hard to call him a part of the cream of the crop... yet. Still need a couple more games.

True Detective Division - Best of the best right now. 

Florida - They have everything you want from a Final Four. Billy Donovan has won two titles, been to four Final Fours (Three with Florida) and the last three years they have been in the final eight teams in the country. They have loads of seniors, a tough as nails defense and an inside game to compete with anyone.

Right now, it is Florida alone with everyone else trailing behind them. Sure the SEC is not a place where they are challenged every night, but at the same time, that might work to their advantage.  

Charlie.     

CBB Stock Market - March 1st-2nd

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading.

BUY BUY BUY 

Arizona Wildcats - College basketball along with other sports lead to jumping on and off the bandwagon of teams. Arizona... I was on for most of the year and then fell off with Brandon Ashley breaking his foot and now I am back on the wagon!! Nick Johnson is playing at a high level with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson doing some big things inside as well. They are running at a high motor right now and it is very impressive to say the least. In the last three games, Arizona is averaging 84 points a game with wins against Colorado, California and Stanford. They finish tricky with two road games to Oregon where a loss might be possible. If they win these ones, they are a clear one seed in my mind.

Wichita State Shockers - This team is receiving a ton of criticism right now, but they deserve credit. Winning 31 straight games is damn impressive. Who cares they have a weak strength of schedule right now. Can't we just have Wichita State's regular season separated from what they do in the postseason. If they win a couple games in the postseason, I think it is a good season. I realize people think they should not be a one seed and a post is probably coming up about this during the week, but short and sweet, they 100 percent deserve a one seed. Strength of Schedule is important, but it is not the only important stat out there. If the conference tournaments go chalk, we might need a little more of a discussion.

Big 12 = Best Conference - I know people around here want to say the Big Ten, and while I think the conference is very unpredictable, I still think the Big 12 holds the crown. They are like a sandwich with great meat and a good top meat with a soggy bottom. TCU is a godawful basketball program, but other than that, this conference is loaded with talent. Yes Kansas won their 10th straight title, but this conference is nine deep with talent. It will be a hell of a conference tournament with many of them vying for a better position or a spot in the Big Dance.

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Saint Louis Billikens - I would not make a big deal about Saint Louis dropping two games this week. They won 19 straight games, fell into a trap against Duquense and lost at one of the toughest gyms in the nation with VCU. They do not have an easy finish to the season as the Billikens take on Dayton at home then a road trip to UMass. Both of those teams need wins when it comes to the tournament. Saint Louis should be able to rite this ship.

SELL SELL SELL 

Michigan State Spartans - Remember what I said about bandwagons? Yeah I am completely off Michigan State's. They do not lose to Illinois at home and expect to be a Final Four team. It feels like this team does not have the chemistry you would expect them to have with seniors like Adrein Payne and Keith Appling. But with all the injuries Michigan State had this year, the Spartans have not put it all together. Would I get back on the wagon if Sparty made a run in the Big Ten Tournament? You bet your ass. Right now, this team is a bit questionable.

Kentucky Wildcats - Another team I am completely off. I went from thinking this is a team that could either lose in the first round or the Elite Eight to being a team that is completely lost right now. John Calipari gets kicked out of the game when his team may have needed him the most trailing South Carolina in a game no NCAA Tournament team should lose on any given Saturday. Kentucky is lost right now, and I do not know what it will take for them to fix things. It does seem like the correct narrative is 'If the Harrison Twins are on, this is a good team.'  But the other narrative is they do not have one strong defender on that roster which is definitely true too.

Ohio State Buckeyes - I am totally out here. This team should be so much better than what they are right now. Ohio State is loaded full of strong talent yet they cannot figure it on the offensive end. Buckeyes dropped road games to Penn State and Indiana this week. In the last five games, Ohio State has averaged 64 points a game. They have two scorers and that's it. If the Buckeyes do not get a third scorer whether it is Aaron Craft, Sam Thompson or Shannon Scott, they will continue to lose basketball games.

Ted Valentine... In General - Can he retire please?  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 

Tuesday: 13. Creighton at Georgetown 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 16. Iowa State at Baylor 6:00 pm ESPN2

               

Wednesday: 11. Louisville at SMU 6:00 pm CBS Sports Network 

                     Dayton at 17. Saint Louis 8:00 pm CBS Sports Network, 

                     3. Arizona at Oregon State 10:00 pm FOX Sports 1

Thursday: 6. Villanova at Xavier 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 20. Memphis at 15. Cincinnati 6:00 pm ESPN

                22. Iowa at 24. Michigan State 8:00 pm ESPN 

Charlie. 

CBB Stock Market: February 14-16

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

UConn Huskies - People really should take a look at the Huskies' resume right now. They have only lost four games in conference with UConn winning the last seven of eight. Shabazz Napier had 34 points in an overtime win against Memphis on Saturday putting them in position to have a chance at taking the AAC crown. Huskies still have home games against SMU and Cincinnati with a road trip to Louisville in the final weekend of the season. This is a team that can make a run into the tournament with their guard play and solid interior play as well. Keep an eye on these Huskies.

Florida Gators - Even though they are number two in the nation, it is pretty clear this is the number one team in the nation. Florida won both at Tennessee and Kentucky this week including holding their guard against the Wildcats in the second half. In another year of parity, this is the best team in the nation without question. They have the leadership, size and guard play to get Billy Donovan his third National Championship. Just because they play in the weak SEC means virtually nothing to me. They can play with everyone in the league. I would be interested to see what their record would look like if they were at full strength for the year.

Nebraska Cornhuskers - How about Tim Miles? He has made people believers in Nebraska basketball for maybe the first time ever. They earned a road win against Michigan State on Sunday making the Huskers 6-6 in Big Ten conference with some people thinking they might have NCAA Tournament aspirations. It is not unrealistic at this point with them playing five of their last seven at home with their only difficult game being against Wisconsin in the final game of the season. They have road games against Illinois and Indiana. I mean Nebraska does have a chance here. It is probably unrealistic but as JP said from Angels in the Outfield, 'It could happen.'

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Close calls at home - Three teams in the top 15 nearly lost at home this week. One of them did with Michigan State. Duke beat Maryland by two points with a bad call at the end of the game. St. Louis escaped VCU at home but granted, that would not have been a bad home loss. Syracuse needed a game-winning steal at the end of the game to beat NC State. It is that time of the year when teams are desperate needing a win meaning home upsets are going to happen every now and again.

Michigan State Spartans - Everyone is pointing out the fact they are 3-4 in their last seven games, but this team is not healthy at all. This feels like the classic team that gets hot at the right time and makes its way to the Final Four. Tom Izzo did this before with teams, and let's not forgot, this is a real good team unit when they are all at full strength. Keith Appling and Branden Dawson will be back for the month of March and if the injury bug is done with Michigan State, they are dangerous as anyone. Not that you care my power rankings for March right now would be... Florida, Michigan State (IF healthy), Syracuse, Kansas and Arizona.

SELL SELL SELL 

Pac-12 officials - Just a horrible display of officiating in the Arizona-Arizona State game. Jim Burr would be proud. Jahii Carson put an exclamation point on Arizona State's double-overtime win, but he hung at the rim for at least five or six seconds. Fans also rushed the court early, but technically that was not a technical which I have no idea why. Carson should have gotten the technical meaning Arizona getting two shots and the ball back with under one second left. Wildcats might not have won the game, but they still got screwed overall. Kind of hoping we get a rematch of these two teams in the Pac-12 Tournament so Arizona can give them a 'Ball Don't Lie.'  

Pittsburgh Panthers - A dirty little secret about this team is they have not beat anyone this year worth a dam. They had close losses to Syracuse and North Carolina, but close losses only count in horseshoes. Looking at Pitt, their best win might be their road win against NC State... YIKES. That's not good at all. They honestly do not play a tough team for the rest of the season unless you call Florida State at home a tough game. Pitt will need to do some work in the ACC Tournament to get a better seed because when it all comes down to it, Pitt could be looking at an eight to ten seed.  

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Tuesday: 9. Villanova at Providence 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1, 19. Texas at 17. Iowa State 6:00 pm ESPN2
              18. Kentucky at Ole Miss 6:00 pm ESPN

Wednesday: 11. Creighton at Marquette 7:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
                      4. Arizona at Utah 9:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
                    23. UCLA at California 9:30 pm Pac-12 Network 

Thursday: 5. Duke at North Carolina 8:00 pm ESPN, 25. Gonzaga at BYU 10:00 pm ESPN2

Charlie. 

CBB Stock Market: January 11th-12th

Looking for something else on Sports News on Tap, I found a gem called 'CBB Stock Market' which highlighted what happened on the weekend of college hoops. Sometimes I will use this space for a longer form recap, but mostly, it will be a subheading. 

BUY BUY BUY 

Wichita State Shockers - They might play in a weaker than usual Missouri Valley Conference, but they were trailing by 18 points at halftime on the road to Missouri State, and came back to beat them in overtime. That takes a great deal of mental fortitude. Wichita State is the real deal no matter what conference they are playing in this season. I am no Jerry Palm or Joe Lunardi, but I would think if Wichita State lost one or two games like St. Joesph did with that Jameer Nelson, Delonte West team did, I think this could be a two seed, borderline one seed. Cleanthony Early and Ron Baker is a great one-two punch for this team.

Iowa Hawkeyes - We criticize their coach last weekend, but Iowa got their first signature win in a long while by winning on the road against Ohio State. Hawkeyes show they are indeed legit, and deserve to be in the discussion when it comes to the top four in the Big Ten. Roy Deyvn Marble continued to get better and averaging over 16 points a game plus Aaron White is a beast inside. If they can beat Ohio State on the road, they can win anywhere in the Big Ten.  Even when their coach Fran McCaffery got ejected last Sunday, this team still hung tough with Wisconsin on the road.

Pittsburgh Panthers - I could not be happier Syracuse and Pittsburgh are now in the ACC this season. Both are head and shoulders better this season.  Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna are two guys whom have been there forever yet they are finally coming together like coach Jamie Dixon had wanted when he recruited them. Patterson was an underachieving recruit until this season where he is averaging nearly 18 points a game.  They have not had a true test yet this season, but it comes this Saturday heading to Syracuse, a place they know well then they welcome Duke to the Oakland Zoo in late January.

Arizona Wildcats - This team just keeps winning basketball games. They notched a Los Angeles sweep over the weekend by beating UCLA and USC. Arizona now heads home for three straight games over basically two weeks. There is a good chance this team might be undefeated heading into February which I feel like no one saw coming. I thought this team looked good on paper, but the question was would they come together? The latter had been a problem for former Cats team. The development of Nick Johnson is the most impressive thing about this team. Johnson's scoring is up five points and one thing forgotten this year is his free-throw percentage is up 10 percent from last season which is a huge deal with the way Johnson plays basketball. 

HOLD HOLD HOLD

Ohio State Buckeyes - I hyped up Ohio State last week only to have them lose to Michigan State and Iowa this week. For most of the game against the Spartans, they were getting their ass kicked yet they found a way to battle back to victory. You wonder if that had something to do with their poor play against Iowa. Further, I think the Iowa game is more of a reminder that no team is really safe playing at home in the Big Ten. That has not been in the case in years past. It does not get easier as they head to Minnesota this Thursday.

SELL SELL SELL 

Illinois Fightin' Illini - Sometimes when teams get ranked, they do not take it well. Illinois is one of those teams. They were absolutely boat raced by Wisconsin and then only scored 43 points in a loss to Northwestern, arguably the worst B1G team. Not ready for primetime or just an average team?  I would probably say the latter in this case. Being average in this B1G might be above average in other conferences, but they do not seem to be a team that can knock off the elite ones on the road.  

Oregon Ducks - What the hell is going on in Eugene? The Ducks have lost three straight games including two at home in the last eight days. They are not losing to the powers of the Pac-12. Now it could mean this conference is a dogfight every game out, but at the same time, Oregon should beat California and Stanford at home. They are better than that. The worrisome thing is this squad giving up 100, 96 and 82 in their last three losses. That needs to be turned around for them to start winning games again.

Duke Blue Devils - Really the same question for Duke. This team started off in the top five, and now they have hit rock bottom by losing to Clemson on Saturday. Duke really cannot play defense this season, and people are starting to figure that out. How does Coach K change things? He might be stuck in a bad spot with a bad defensive team where they can only outscore teams to win games. They play the next three of four at Cameron Indoor which could be the perfect recipe for this team to get right again.

GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEK 
Monday: 15. Kansas at 8. Iowa State 8:00 pm ESPN

Tuesday: 3. Wisconsin at Indiana 6:00 pm ESPN, Butler at 20. Creighton 6:00 pm FOX Sports 1,
               25. Oklahoma at Kansas State 6:00 pm ESPN2

Thursday: UConn at 17. Memphis 6:00 pm ESPN, 25. UCLA at 21. Colorado 7:00 pm Pac-12 Network,
                Arizona State at 1. Arizona 8:00 pm FOX Sports 1
                11. Ohio State at Minnesota 8:00 pm ESPN2

Sportandfashion-news Bowl Predictions: Quick Picks

With it being the holiday season and me being a degenerate, I am making quick picks for the next couple of days versus giving you full analysis. My apologies, but it's just the way it is like that Tupac song.  

AdvoCare V100 Bowl 
Arizona vs. Boston College 11:30 am ESPN - Nothing says the bowl season like Shreveport, Louisiana. I have Arizona in this one which should be fun as hell if you like great running backs. ARIZ 38-31

Hyundai Sun Bowl 
Virginia Tech vs. 17. UCLA 1:00 pm CBS - I have no idea if this will be Brett Hundley's last game as a Bruin, but I do know one thing I like him against a tough Hokie defense instead of Logan Thomas facing the Bruins. UCLA 30-17

AutoZone Liberty Bowl 
Rice at Mississippi State 3:00 pm ESPN - I have no idea why but I think Rice is winning this football. Crazy like a fox now, genius later. RICE 28-23

Chick-fil-A Bowl 
Duke at Texas A&M 7:00 pm ESPN - LAST GAME OF JOHNNY FOOTBALL. I HOPE HE GOES FOR 450 WITH SIX TDS. TAMU 45-31

Bowl Record: 13-6

Charlie.

13 Thoughts About College Basketball Thus Far

It has been awhile since we have talked about college basketball here. I will start writing more in the coming weeks as we have conference games coming up after Christmas. I will probably do something Monday and Friday for college basketball plus whenever Marquette plays I will have a recap the following night. If you are wondering about Wisconsin, the door has been wide open for someone to start writing about them, but no one seized the opportunity. Yes this is a blogger's version of a subtweet.

The off-base Kansas and Andrew Wiggins' criticism - No one expected Kansas to lose three games in the first month or so of the season. It really comes down to this is still a young team, and they are not going to be perfect right of the gate. Big 12 is off to a fast start with good non-conference wins meaning this could be a better conference than expected.  Andrew Wiggins has took some heat because he does not have the one 'Holy shit, that's why he's Andrew Wiggins' yet averaging 15 points, five rebounds and assists per game is not a bad stat line for a freshman, but people act like he's going to be a bust. Wiggins, Joel Embiid and the boys will round perfectly into form. If they are not a one or two seed, I will be shocked.

Kentucky finishing 37-3 apparently - Kentucky's fan base believed this team could go unbeaten. Even though they were freshman for the most part, people wanted to live the dream with their loaded class featuring Julius Randle, Harrison Twins and others. Sadly for Wildcats fan base is everyone expects all their freshman classes to be in the 2011 squad forgetting they had guys like Darius Miller and Doran Lamb who were both experienced leaders. 2011 is not walking through that door.  Kentucky fell to North Carolina, Baylor and Michigan State this season. They have one more difficult non-conference game against Louisville, but then the SEC should be a breeze other than Florida/Missouri matchups. Kentucky will be fine even if their fan base wants to fire John Calipari.

Arizona is a true number one - In college basketball, it is nice to see the number one whom deserves their ranking at this time of year. Sometimes that can be hard to achieve yet Arizona is the real deal. Who cares Aaron Gordon is not having the best freshman start. They have the likes of Nick Johnson whose off to a great start as well as new transfer T.J. McConnell running the point. Besides Johnson, Gabe York is playing at a high level as well. The fact of the matter is Arizona lucked into a big freshman not having a great year in 2012 meaning almost all of them stayed combining classes making them a true threat for the National Championship.  It really looks like Arizona could be number one by the time they play UCLA on the road in mid-January.

B1G is far and away the best conference - It is pretty easy to say this team won the non-conference belt for conferences. Three of the top five are Big Ten teams. Iowa and Illinois will be rated in and around the top 25 all season. Minnesota is not that shabby either with young coach Richard Pitno. Indiana will be better in January when their freshman start to get cooking. Not to mention, Michigan who has four losses already should be better in conference play. I do not expect a one seed out of the Big Ten honestly. I could see them getting two 2 seeds, but that might be generous. It is not a knock to the B1G, in fact it is a compliment because everyone is going to beat up each other.

Joel Embiid is the college basketball hipster favorite freshman - A part of me thinks by March, he will be right up there with Wiggins and Parker in terms of the best players in college basketball that casual and NBA fans are talking about. ESPN Chad Ford already has him in his top three which means Embiid does not need to do much more for the expects. It will be interesting to see if casual fans will end up buying into him. When a player is getting compared to Hakeem Olajuwon at age 19, you know he could be really great

Jury is still out on Marquette - It probably is time where I talk about Marquette. I would love to say Marquette solved all their problems with wins against IUPUI and Ball State yet they could really use a marquee win this weekend against New Mexico. They looked good with a trap/press defense plus they have found their balance scoring yet it is still concerning who will be the go-to scorer with four minutes left to go in a tight game. Duane Wilson might be coming back this Saturday from an injury. Freshman Deonte Burton and Jajuan Johnson are looking more confident with each game. But I am not ready to be sold on this team until they can do it against solid competition.

I cannot figure out North Carolina - What a bizarre team. They are undefeated against ranked teams and they are 4-3 against unranked teams this year. I have no idea what to think about this squad. Marcus Paige looks like an All-American, but other than that, there is not much there to feel confident in. Leslie McDonald did come back this week in a loss against Texas and the P.J. Hairston decision should come down before the end of the week. This has all the makings of a sixth seed that ends up in the Final Four.

Jabari Parker and Duke are must-watch - People hate Duke all the time. It is the fun thing to do, but is this the most likable Blue Devils team in the last 10 years?  I would say it is damn near close. They do not have the one hateable guy that everyone can rally behind. Jabari Parker is fun as hell to watch because he can shoot six threes or bang it down in the post. At least right now, he is more fun to watch than Wiggins. They have a top three player in the country along with other key contributors. If Duke wants to be more disliked, we need to get Marshall Plumleee some more time

How did people forget about Shabazz Napier? - Naturally, he did not play well last night against Stanford at home, but Napier seemed to be the lost soul in the 'Player of the Year' talk.  I am not saying he will take home the award, but rather, he deserves to be mentioned as one of the best 10 players in the college basketball. I think the reason why Napier did not get the same amount love besides freshman is UConn plays in the AAC versus heading to ACC or you know the Big East.

Not ready for Wisconsin to be this good - As a Marquette fan, I made mention earlier this year about the weirdness of this rivalry but I cannot deal with Wisconsin being a top five team right now. This looks like their best year to get to the Final Four. Sam Dekker will be right up there for Big Ten Player of the Year, and the jury is still out whether Evan Anderson will take J.P. Gavinski's title of 'Best B1G Towel Waver.'  I expect we will see much more Bronson Koenig in conference play.  

Could Wichita State get a top three seed? - This is a honest question with Wichita State sitting at number eleven in the polls, and they are unbeaten for the non-conference. Missouri Valley Conference is missing two games with Creighton meaning Wichita State might have the ability to damn near run the table in that conference. If they do, I would not be surprised if the Shockers get a top 16 seed given their Final Four run last season. I feel like that gives them a little more respect than other mid-majors.

Villanova is not the best team in the Big East, right? - To be frank, it has not been the best start for the new Big East. Villanova clearly has the best win against Kansas in late November, but none of the teams are off to quick starts besides Nova. Is it fair to call Nova the favorites? Probably not. I would say it is wide open, and teams will round into form. Villanova is rated eighth due to beating Kansas and Iowa in one weekend after that, they have played virtually no one. It should be fun to see them against Syracuse next Saturday.

It will never be easier to make the NCAA Tournament - Look at how many teams have three or four losses already and I think it will be very easy for people to get into the tournament. It is not because there is parity in college basketball rather there are more good programs than ever before. This means there will be more upsets leading to a couple eleven or maybe 12 loss program gets into the tournament. I may or may not be saying this to ensure Marquette finds a way in, I don't know.

Charlie.