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Road to Selection Sunday: An Early Report Card on the Best Conferences
By Selection Sunday
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/456311?referrer_id=
A month into the 2014-15 college basketball season, let's take a look at some of the teams exceeding expectations, under-performing, or those who, for the most part, are meeting their preseason expectations. We'll focus on what generally are considered the best 9 conferences in the country: Big Ten; AAC (American); ACC; Atlantic 10; Big East; Big XII; Mountain West; Pac 12; and SEC.
Big Ten
The Surprise: Maryland (8-1) -- Win over Iowa State opened eyes, and only loss (Virginia) is excusable and came after Dez Wells injury.
Underachiever: Michigan (5-3) -- I had Nebraska penciled in here, but then NJIT and Eastern Michigan happened to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
Holding Serve: GOPHERS (6-2) -- Record is where we expected it to be, except we thought one of the losses would be Gonzaga, not Saint John's.
AAC
The Surprise: Tulane (6-1) --Green Wave's schedule has been soft, but here is a 59-54 win over the SEC's Mississippi State.
Underachiever: Memphis (3-3) -- SMU & UConn also worthy candidates, but the Tigers' 3 losses (Wichita State, Baylor, Stephen F. Austin) all were by double digits. Josh Pastner's seat is getting hot.
Holding Serve: Cincinnati (6-1) -- Bearcats lost their only significant game, 66-54 to Ole Miss.
ACC
The Surprise: Miami (9-1) -- Hurricanes were surprised at home by current RPI #1 Green Bay, but there also are wins over Florida (in Gainesville) and Illinois.
Underachiever: North Carolina (6-2) -- My preseason national champion has lost to Butler (in the Bahamas) and to Iowa in Chapel Hill. Perhaps the Tar Heels are concentrating too much on their paper classes?
Holding Serve: Louisville (8-0) -- Cardinals own the Big Ten with wins over the Gophers, Ohio State, and Indiana, but they were expected to win all three. Remaining non-conference schedule is soft other than Kentucky's Dec. 27 visit.
Atlantic 10
The Surprise: Saint Bonaventure (6-1) -- A-10 has been a major bust, but the Bonnies are off to a solid start. The highlight is a win over Bobby Hurley's Buffalo squad (#18 RPI).
Underachiever: VCU (5-3) -- Is the shine coming off Shaka Havoc? Losses to Villanova and Virginia were by a combined 41 points.
Holding Serve: Dayton (7-1) -- The expected start for the Flyers, who advanced to last year's Elite 8 and return several key players. A key road date at Arkansas looms.
Big East
The Surprise: Butler (8-1) -- So many pleasant surprises to choose from, but let's go with the Bulldogs. After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, BU already possesses wins over North Carolina and Georgetown.
Underachiever: Georgetown (5-2) -- Probably unfair to label the Hoyas underachievers, but I have to select somebody. This conference has been REALLY GOOD in the non-conference.
Holding Serve: Villanova (9-0) -- Wildcats were expected to be a top 10-type team, and that's exactly what they've been. However, will be much tougher to plow through the Big East this season.
Big XII
The Surprise: TCU (9-0) -- Honorable mention to 8-1 West Virginia, but who thought the Horny Toads would be unbeaten 9 games in? Have 3 wins over the Power 6. ... Wazzu, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss.
Underachiever: Kansas State (5-4) -- One of my preseason sleepers, the Wildcats have struggled out of the gate. Still have key non-Big XII games with Texas A&M and Georgia.
Holding Serve: Texas (7-1) -- The only blip is a very respectable 63-51 loss to Kentucky in Lexington.
Mountain West
The Surprise: Colorado State (8-0) -- Rams are mostly untested, but there is a decent win over UTEP (#25 RPI) and a Great Alaska Shootout championship.
Underachiever: New Mexico (5-3) -- Losses to Boston College and USC were unexpected, and an injury to star guard Cullen Neal hasn't helped matters.
Holding Serve: Boise State (5-2) -- Road losses to Wisconsin and NC State are forgivable, and the road win at Saint Mary's could look nice on the resume at the end of the season.
Pac 12
The Surprise: Washington (7-0) -- Huskies' upset of San Diego State has been one of the few bright spots for the woeful Pac 12.
Underachiever: Stanford (4-2) -- 15-point road loss to DePaul a head-scratcher after competing reasonably well vs. Duke.
Holding Serve: Arizona (9-0) -- Wildcats keep on winning, but getting the feeling this isn't a Final 4 team.
SEC
The Surprise: Ole Miss (6-2) -- Mixed bag. After season-opening home loss to Charleston Southern, Rebs have rebounded with wins over Creighton, Cincinnati, and Oregon.
Underachiever: Florida (4-4) -- Gators have played a brutal schedule, but 4 losses by Dec. 10?
Holding Serve: Kentucky (9-0) -- If the Wildcats win at Louisville on Dec. 27, 40-0 becomes a possibility.
Power 6 Head to Head (through Dec. 9)
1. Big East (17-9, 65.4%)
2. Big XII (20-12, 62.5%)
3. ACC (20-16, 55.6%)
4. Big Ten (21-20, 51.2%)
5. SEC (14-24, 36.8%)
6. Pac 12 (4-15, 21.1%)
*The ACC leads the Big Ten, 11-8
RPI Top 25
1. Green Bay (4-2)
2. Kentucky (9-0)
3. Gonzaga (6-1)
4. Duke (8-0)
5. Kansas (6-1)
6. Wichita State (5-1)
7. Virginia (9-0)
8. Wisconsin (8-1)
9. Colorado State (8-0)
10. Boise State (5-2)
11. Texas (7-1)
12. Arizona (9-0)
13. Louisville (8-0)
14. Old Dominion (6-1)
15. Villanova (9-0)
16. LSU (6-2)
17. San Diego State (6-2)
18. Buffalo (5-2)
19. Seton Hall (7-1)
20. Northern Iowa (8-0)
21. Rhode Island (4-2)
22. Baylor (8-1)
23. Washington (7-0)
24. VCU (5-3)
25. UTEP (5-3)
Big Ten in the RPI
8. Wisconsin (8-1)
30. Ohio State (6-1)
45. Illinois (7-2)
48. Penn State (8-1)
49. Michigan State (6-3)
62. Maryland (8-1)
64. GOPHERS (6-2)
78. Northwestern (5-3)
87. Iowa (8-2)
109. Purdue (7-2)
110. Rutgers (5-4)
114. Nebraska (5-2)
120. Michigan (5-3)
139. Indiana (7-2)
Revised Big Ten Projection
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan State
4. Iowa
5. Maryland
6. Illinois
7. Nebraska
8. Michigan
9. GOPHERS
10. Purdue
11. Indiana
12. Penn State
13. Northwestern
14. Rutgers
Tonight's Gopher Prediction: Gophers 94, Southern U 57
By Selection Sunday
http://www.gopherhole.com/news_article/show/456311?referrer_id=
A month into the 2014-15 college basketball season, let's take a look at some of the teams exceeding expectations, under-performing, or those who, for the most part, are meeting their preseason expectations. We'll focus on what generally are considered the best 9 conferences in the country: Big Ten; AAC (American); ACC; Atlantic 10; Big East; Big XII; Mountain West; Pac 12; and SEC.
Big Ten
The Surprise: Maryland (8-1) -- Win over Iowa State opened eyes, and only loss (Virginia) is excusable and came after Dez Wells injury.
Underachiever: Michigan (5-3) -- I had Nebraska penciled in here, but then NJIT and Eastern Michigan happened to the Wolverines in Ann Arbor.
Holding Serve: GOPHERS (6-2) -- Record is where we expected it to be, except we thought one of the losses would be Gonzaga, not Saint John's.
AAC
The Surprise: Tulane (6-1) --Green Wave's schedule has been soft, but here is a 59-54 win over the SEC's Mississippi State.
Underachiever: Memphis (3-3) -- SMU & UConn also worthy candidates, but the Tigers' 3 losses (Wichita State, Baylor, Stephen F. Austin) all were by double digits. Josh Pastner's seat is getting hot.
Holding Serve: Cincinnati (6-1) -- Bearcats lost their only significant game, 66-54 to Ole Miss.
ACC
The Surprise: Miami (9-1) -- Hurricanes were surprised at home by current RPI #1 Green Bay, but there also are wins over Florida (in Gainesville) and Illinois.
Underachiever: North Carolina (6-2) -- My preseason national champion has lost to Butler (in the Bahamas) and to Iowa in Chapel Hill. Perhaps the Tar Heels are concentrating too much on their paper classes?
Holding Serve: Louisville (8-0) -- Cardinals own the Big Ten with wins over the Gophers, Ohio State, and Indiana, but they were expected to win all three. Remaining non-conference schedule is soft other than Kentucky's Dec. 27 visit.
Atlantic 10
The Surprise: Saint Bonaventure (6-1) -- A-10 has been a major bust, but the Bonnies are off to a solid start. The highlight is a win over Bobby Hurley's Buffalo squad (#18 RPI).
Underachiever: VCU (5-3) -- Is the shine coming off Shaka Havoc? Losses to Villanova and Virginia were by a combined 41 points.
Holding Serve: Dayton (7-1) -- The expected start for the Flyers, who advanced to last year's Elite 8 and return several key players. A key road date at Arkansas looms.
Big East
The Surprise: Butler (8-1) -- So many pleasant surprises to choose from, but let's go with the Bulldogs. After missing the NCAA Tournament last season, BU already possesses wins over North Carolina and Georgetown.
Underachiever: Georgetown (5-2) -- Probably unfair to label the Hoyas underachievers, but I have to select somebody. This conference has been REALLY GOOD in the non-conference.
Holding Serve: Villanova (9-0) -- Wildcats were expected to be a top 10-type team, and that's exactly what they've been. However, will be much tougher to plow through the Big East this season.
Big XII
The Surprise: TCU (9-0) -- Honorable mention to 8-1 West Virginia, but who thought the Horny Toads would be unbeaten 9 games in? Have 3 wins over the Power 6. ... Wazzu, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss.
Underachiever: Kansas State (5-4) -- One of my preseason sleepers, the Wildcats have struggled out of the gate. Still have key non-Big XII games with Texas A&M and Georgia.
Holding Serve: Texas (7-1) -- The only blip is a very respectable 63-51 loss to Kentucky in Lexington.
Mountain West
The Surprise: Colorado State (8-0) -- Rams are mostly untested, but there is a decent win over UTEP (#25 RPI) and a Great Alaska Shootout championship.
Underachiever: New Mexico (5-3) -- Losses to Boston College and USC were unexpected, and an injury to star guard Cullen Neal hasn't helped matters.
Holding Serve: Boise State (5-2) -- Road losses to Wisconsin and NC State are forgivable, and the road win at Saint Mary's could look nice on the resume at the end of the season.
Pac 12
The Surprise: Washington (7-0) -- Huskies' upset of San Diego State has been one of the few bright spots for the woeful Pac 12.
Underachiever: Stanford (4-2) -- 15-point road loss to DePaul a head-scratcher after competing reasonably well vs. Duke.
Holding Serve: Arizona (9-0) -- Wildcats keep on winning, but getting the feeling this isn't a Final 4 team.
SEC
The Surprise: Ole Miss (6-2) -- Mixed bag. After season-opening home loss to Charleston Southern, Rebs have rebounded with wins over Creighton, Cincinnati, and Oregon.
Underachiever: Florida (4-4) -- Gators have played a brutal schedule, but 4 losses by Dec. 10?
Holding Serve: Kentucky (9-0) -- If the Wildcats win at Louisville on Dec. 27, 40-0 becomes a possibility.
Power 6 Head to Head (through Dec. 9)
1. Big East (17-9, 65.4%)
2. Big XII (20-12, 62.5%)
3. ACC (20-16, 55.6%)
4. Big Ten (21-20, 51.2%)
5. SEC (14-24, 36.8%)
6. Pac 12 (4-15, 21.1%)
*The ACC leads the Big Ten, 11-8
RPI Top 25
1. Green Bay (4-2)
2. Kentucky (9-0)
3. Gonzaga (6-1)
4. Duke (8-0)
5. Kansas (6-1)
6. Wichita State (5-1)
7. Virginia (9-0)
8. Wisconsin (8-1)
9. Colorado State (8-0)
10. Boise State (5-2)
11. Texas (7-1)
12. Arizona (9-0)
13. Louisville (8-0)
14. Old Dominion (6-1)
15. Villanova (9-0)
16. LSU (6-2)
17. San Diego State (6-2)
18. Buffalo (5-2)
19. Seton Hall (7-1)
20. Northern Iowa (8-0)
21. Rhode Island (4-2)
22. Baylor (8-1)
23. Washington (7-0)
24. VCU (5-3)
25. UTEP (5-3)
Big Ten in the RPI
8. Wisconsin (8-1)
30. Ohio State (6-1)
45. Illinois (7-2)
48. Penn State (8-1)
49. Michigan State (6-3)
62. Maryland (8-1)
64. GOPHERS (6-2)
78. Northwestern (5-3)
87. Iowa (8-2)
109. Purdue (7-2)
110. Rutgers (5-4)
114. Nebraska (5-2)
120. Michigan (5-3)
139. Indiana (7-2)
Revised Big Ten Projection
1. Wisconsin
2. Ohio State
3. Michigan State
4. Iowa
5. Maryland
6. Illinois
7. Nebraska
8. Michigan
9. GOPHERS
10. Purdue
11. Indiana
12. Penn State
13. Northwestern
14. Rutgers
Tonight's Gopher Prediction: Gophers 94, Southern U 57
