3 Most Surprising Teams
1. The Ohio State University
They started off the season as the 18th ranked team in the country, but have quickly proven that they are a top five team. After beating then 10th ranked Villanova Wildcats and 6th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels by double digits, Ohio State has shown they have a very talented squad that can win the national championship. The leader of the Buckeyes, junior Kaleb Wesson, has played very well in the first eight games of the year averaging 12.4 PPG and 9.2 RPG. Interestingly, this team doesn’t have a single star who will score 20+ PPG, but rather they have a group of very efficient players who share the scoring. Chris Holtmann prides himself on his defense and this Ohio State team shows the country why. They are 4th in the country in points allowed with 52.3. The major tests for the Buckeyes will come during conference play when they play Michigan State, Michigan, and Maryland. In a loaded Big Ten, Ohio State has the chance to win the conference and potentially grab a number one seed.
2. University of Colorado
Colorado has been a very surprising team this year and they are currently ranked 20th with a record of 7-0. McKinley Wright and Tyler Bey have been phenomenal and created one of the best backcourts. They have a big game on the road against 2nd ranked Kansas and don’t be surprised if they pull off the upset. Colorado has a very experienced roster and in a down year with no team that is the clear number one team, the experience will give colorado a good chance to win in march madness.
3. San Diego State University
The Aztecs are one of the most under the radar teams in the country yet they are 9-0 and should be ranked. Malachi Flynn has been ballin out scoring 16.9 PPG and is the leader of this team. They are deep and they are good, but due to their weak non conference schedule they are getting overlooked by everyone. This team should win the Mountain West and make a deep run in the tournament.
3 Most Disappointing Teams
1. Michigan State University
Everyone is the country has the same question about Michigan State. “What is going on with MSU?”. The preseason number one team in the country has shocked the world the wrong way. They lost to Kentucky in the first game, Virginia Tech in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational, and the most surprising loss to Duke at home. Tom Izzo has to turn this team around before conference play starts or else it will be a long season for the Spartans.
2. University of Florida
A preseason top ten team in the country had high expectations this year, but that quickly turned when they lost to Florida State and Uconn. They are now unranked and play in a weak SEC, so it will be tough for them to show how much they improve. They just lost to Butler, so their season is going even further down hill. The Gators will need a spark to turn around their season and hopefully play like the top ten team they were projected to be.
3. Texas Tech University
After finishing as the runner-up in last years tournament, they hoped to replicate that season and be contenders again. Well, they have lost three games in a row to Iowa, Creighton, and Depaul and sit at 5-3. Not all hope is lost in Lubbock as they have a chance to get back on track before conference play starts. They have a very important game against the number one team Louisville on Tuesday night. If they get crushed by Louisville, the team will have to be very impressive during conference play in order to even make the tournament.