College basketball is at the midway point in the season, but that doesn’t mean teams further down the standings can’t rise to the occasion over the next two months.
1. St. John’s (12-4, 4-1)
It’s now four straight wins for the Rick Pitino-led Red Storm, who are tied for the Big East lead with Seton Hall and UConn. Plenty of people warned the college basketball world about the impact Pitino would have with his new team. And after some slight struggles in November and into December, that’s starting to take shape. The Johnnies rebound well and push the pace, ranking inside the top 30 in offensive efficiency.
2. Florida State (9-6, 3-1)
FSU has already equaled its win total from last year, which is 9. It’s been a major improvement for the ‘Noles, who have won three straight ACC games, two of them over Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. That’s not bad momentum for a team that looked out of it just a few weeks ago. The resume still needs work, but the Seminoles can score and play good defense. The issue early on was putting those together in the same game. Lately, they’ve found a good middle, and although the defense could still improve, it’s a good place to be at.
3. Oregon (12-3, 4-0)
The Ducks are undefeated in Pac-12 play and leading the conference, yet aren’t ranked and are still flying under the radar. They’re also doing this without N’Faly Dante, who returned to practice this week. Dante led the team in points and rebounds last season, but the Ducks have found ways to win without him this season. Freshman point guard Jackson Shelstad has turned into a true star and Kwame Evans Jr. has been outstanding, thrust into a tough role with no Dante or Nate Bittle down low. If Dante can come back healthy and effective, the Ducks are a threat to anyone.
4. Michigan State (9-6, 1-3)
Will the Spartans ever turn a corner? For a team that was ranked in the top five to start the season, Michigan State’s easily been the biggest disappointment. Sparty is 1-3 in Big Ten play and not getting enough out of AJ Hoggard. But there’s still a reason to believe this team can finish strong. They had won five in a row before losing in a tough environment at Northwestern. With another huge road game on Thursday night at Illinois, Michigan State has chances to get quality wins and get to a solid standing before it’s too late.
5. Seton Hall (11-5, 4-1)
Some bracketologists still have Seton Hall on the outside looking in despite no Quad 4 losses and wins over UConn, Marquette, and at Providence. The Pirates are leading the Big East and still (sort-of) flying under the radar. Their brand of basketball is defensive, but Kadary Richmond, Dre Davis, and Al-Amir Dawes have been ramping up their offensive efforts. Plus, with a coach like Shaheen Holloway, it will be hard to write off the Hall in March.
6. UCF (10-4, 1-1)
After beating Kansas, UCF won’t be taken lightly by anyone, but I still get the sense the Knights aren’t getting the respect they deserve. They came into the year with very low expectations and have blown past them. In a new conference, UCF has made a statement that they belong in the Big 12. The Knights have been on the bad end of some blowouts but also came close to beating Ole Miss. This is a better team than given credit for and an NCAA Tournament appearance isn’t impossible.
7. Boise State (11-4, 2-0)
Even though the Mountain West has been must-watch college basketball, Boise State had been a disappointment. An NCAA Tournament team from last year, the Broncos lost a lot of their chances at quality wins in the non-conference slate. They did take down San Francisco and Saint Mary’s, but a recent win over Colorado State is the most telling. Junior O’Mar Stanley has been on a tear, dropping 30 points and 11 boards on San Jose State and 17 and 11 in the upset over Colorado State. Max Rice has been hot and cold, so once he gets going, Boise State can make this a five or six-bid league.
8. Virginia Tech (10-5, 2-2)
On most nights, Virginia Tech is your above-average ACC team but with Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor, anything can happen on any given night. That was the case on Wednesday, as Pedulla went for 32 in a big upset win over Clemson. The Hokies have the pieces to finish above .500 in ACC play and make a strong case for the NCAA Tournament. Tyler Nickel has found a home and he leads a good group of role players on an underrated VTech team.
9. Syracuse (11-4, 2-2)
Syracuse has played about as average as it gets. They’ve beaten the teams they’re supposed to, beat some solid teams too like Oregon and Pitt, but have lost against the four best teams they’ve played, making SU 1-4 in Quad 1 games. That’s a tough sell, but there are chances to prove themselves more, like Saturday at UNC. Judah Mintz is a star and this is one of the deepest Syracuse teams in recent memory. If they can start adding on a few more Quad 1 wins, it’s an Orange team that can pull off upsets in the Big Dance.
10. Southern Illinois (12-4, 4-1)
Drake and Indiana State might be the favorites to win the Missouri Valley, but Southern Illinois looks like the best team. The Sycamores took them down by 29 points way back at the start of the season, but the Salukis have since defeated Saint Louis by 39, Oklahoma State, and Belmont by 10. They’ve got Drake on Saturday and a rematch with Indiana State on Feb. 17 which should give more insight into how much this team has improved. But the biggest reason to believe in SIU is Xavier Johnson. He’s second in college basketball with 24.1 PPG but still finds time to dish out 6.2 APG. Johnson also chips in on the glass and on defense, giving the Salukis one of the greatest mid-major stars. The next highest scorer is Clarence Rupert, with 8.8 PPG. Johnson could use a sidekick to step up over these last couple of months if SIU is to reach its full potential.
11. Princeton (13-1, 1-0)
An early-season win over Rutgers started the trend of Princeton being this year’s trendy Ivy League pick, but thanks to Xaivian Lee, Caden Pierce, and Matt Alloco, the Tigers haven’t dropped a beat. Their only loss was at a good St. Joe’s team by 4 points and have since won four straight. Princeton hits almost 37% of their threes as a team and doesn’t even commit 10 turnovers per game. It takes a lot to rattle this team that still has some players from last year’s squad that upset Arizona in March Madness.
12. SMU Mustangs (10-5, 1-1)
Can SMU spoil Memphis or FAU at the top of the AAC? The Mustangs only lost by 3 AT Memphis while holding them to 62 points. Not to mention they lost by 2 at Arizona State and did take down Florida State on the road. Zhuric Phelps has been the man there for a bit, but now he has some legit help in Chuck Harris. The Butler transfer makes the Mustangs a legitimate team that can compete with just about everyone out there.
13. Cincinnati (12-3, 1-1)
I have differing opinions on Cincinnati. On one hand, they finished the non-conference with an 11-2 record, took down BYU on the road and almost upset Texas. But on the other hand, they lost their two premiere non-conf games to Xavier and Dayton. I’m willing to let that slide, because the play lately is why Cincinnati’s on this list. It seems like a new Bearcats team led by Viktor Lakhin, who is having a career year. It’s also a very deep roster, which is why to buy stock in a Bearcats team that can use that to their strength in the tough Big 12.
14. UC Irvine (11-5, 4-0)
A very battle-tested mid-major team, UC Irvine only lost by a point at San Diego State and won by 10 at USC. They’re undefeated in the Big West and have been the leader of that conference ever since Ross Turner took over in 2010. They’ve only earned two NCAA Tournament bids in that stretch, so an automatic bid isn’t anything close to a lock, but the Anteaters look primed to be the favorite again this year. They rank 30th in the country with 17.0 APG and top 100 in RPG, so it’s a team that values offense and fights on the glass.
15. Washington (9-6, 1-3)
Losers of three out of the last four games, Washington has hit a season-low. But it’s premature to give up on the Huskies yet. They only lost at Colorado by 4, at Utah by 5, and at home against Oregon by 2. That’s a tough stretch and if Washington had pulled out two of those, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. When it gets down to it, the Huskies have a tremendous scorer in Keion Brooks Jr. and a grade-A playmaker in Sahvir Wheeler. There’s enough other talent on this team to turn around their season and head into March on fire.
16. Grand Canyon (14-1, 1-0)
Luckily for Grand Canyon, they play in the WAC, so even at 14-1, they’re still somehow flying under the radar. The Lopes’ only loss came to South Carolina by 7 points and they boast wins over San Diego State, at Liberty, and San Francisco. That’s an underrated resume for a team that could very well be a dangerous 12 seed in March. A lot of scoring falls on Tyon Grant-Foster, who averages 20.7 PPG per game, but Ray Harrison and Gabe McGlotahn both average around 14. Former Louisville forward Sydney Curry is also on this team, giving them some Power 6 experience.
17. Weber State (11-4, 2-0)
Dillon Jones is a star and a good audience got a taste of that in his 29-point outburst in Weber State’s upset of Saint Mary’s. The rest of the non-conference slate was a bit up and down, but right now the Wildcats are on a 6-game winning streak. Still, a lot of season to go, but for a team that almost makes 37% of its three-pointers, takes care of the basketball, and has a true star, it’s worth taking note of Weber State.
18. Charleston (11-4, 2-0)
CofC’s won seven straight games including URI and St. Joe’s. That streak started right after a tough loss to FAU following a solid win over Liberty. Charleston didn’t play any Power 6 teams in the non-conference, but they tested themselves with a lot of great high mid-major teams. This team does it by committee, with no one superstar, but nearly averaging 80 points per game shows you what this Pat Kelsey team can do on offense.
19. UAB (10-5, 2-0)
It’s now six straight wins for the Blazers, who took down Drake and UNC Asheville for two underrated wins at the end of non-conference play. After losing Jelly Walker, UAB is now using a team-oriented approach, with eight players averaging between 5.8 and 12.4 PPG. That’s good balance and clearly, UAB has found balance, turning a 4-5 record into 10-5 and 2-0 in the American. Memphis and FAU might run this conference, but there are some sleepers in the weeds.
20. UMass Lowell (10-4, 1-0)
Arizona State’s resurgence makes UMass Lowell’s early season near win over them look that much better. Their win over Georgia Tech is trending the opposite way, but it still counts for something. We all know the America East goes through Vermont, but the River Hawks are presenting a great case right now, having never lost two straight and on a three-game winning streak.
21. Akron (11-4, 3-0)
One of the three teams in the MAC still undefeated in conference play, Akron has a star big man in Enrique Freeman. He’s a unique player who dominates inside with double-doubles and can also stretch out to hit the three from time to time. This season, Ali Ali has been a nice asset in the backcourt. The Zips star transferred to Butler for a year but returned better than ever before and makes this team a true contender in the MAC.
22. Western Carolina (14-2, 2-0)
Winners of eight games in a row, WCU has a superstar in Vonterius Woolbright. The guard leads his team in scoring (21.0 PPG), rebounds (12.4 RPG), and assists (5.4 APG). While not a particularly great three-point shooter, Woolbright converts efficiently from inside the arc and is a true do it all player. He’s had a double-double in all but three games this season and came one assist away from a triple-double once. If WCU continues on this play in the SoCon, they’ll be a dangerous team to face in the NCAA Tournament.
23. McNeese (13-2, 2-0)
All you really need to know is that former LSU head coach Will Wade is now the coach of McNeese and that should make any opponent scared. Wade had a 105-51 record with the Tigers before he was outed because of a recruiting scandal. Of course, in today’s landscape of NIL, Wade has been given another chance and it’s working out very well with the Cowboys. The favorite to win the Southland, McNeese nearly topped Western Carolina on the road in a non-conference game and have wins at VCU, at UAB, and at Michigan.
24. High Point (14-4, 3-0)
The Big South is one of the lowest conferences in college basketball, but when a team is 14-4 and under the leadership of a first-year head coach, there’s a lot of intrigue. The Panthers average 85.2 PPG, 14th most in the country. Five players score in double digits, which means in all 40 minutes there is a player or two who can catch fire and keep the offense going. Even more impressive is their defensive effort. It could be a lot worse than 73.1 opponents’ PPG. There’s work to do, but the foundation is solid to start.
25. Oakland (10-8, 5-2)
The team with the worst overall record on here, if Oakland does make it to the Big Dance, don’t take them lightly. They’ve won four straight to get to a 5-2 start in the Horizon, but it’s more about their gauntlet of a non-conference schedule. A win at Xavier surely is a confidence boost, but losses at Ohio State, Illinois, Michigan State, Dayton, and to Drake all help this team’s toughness. The Grizzlies came close to knocking off the Buckeyes, only losing by six. Trey Townsend is the star of the team and former Michigan State and Mississippi State guard Rocket Watts is a key veteran piece to have.