College Basketball: 15 Teams That Are Wildly Exceeding Expectations

One of the biggest advantages college hoops has over its football counterpart is that the preseason polls don’t seal a team’s postseason fate. Even a squad that starts the year unranked has plenty of time to play itself into championship contention.

Left for dead after an 0-2 start against Duke and UNC, the Michigan State Spartans have bounced back into the thick of the Big Ten race. Last night’s takedown of 12-0 Indiana was the 12th straight win for Tom Izzo’s boys, quite an achievement for a team that looked like an also-ran during the offseason.

Read on for a closer look at the Spartans and the rest of the teams that have done their best to defy preseason predictions in 2011-12.

15. Saint Louis

Bounced from the rankings by their lone loss on the road at Loyola Marymount, the Billikens suddenly find themselves looking like the class of the A-10 thanks to Xavier’s recent slide.

St. Louis has already beaten Villanova, Washington and Oklahoma, and with Rick Majerus at the helm there’s little doubt they’ll be a force in conference play.

Senior Brian Conklin has stepped up as the primary scoring option, pouring in 15 points a game (six over his career high) while also grabbing 5.1 rebounds a night.

He’s getting much-needed help up front from sophomore Dwayne Evans and his team-leading 6.3 rebounds a game.

14. Kansas State

K-State has been on a tear since its only loss of the season, a double-OT heartbreaker against West Virginia.

In the ensuing three weeks, the Wildcats have taken down then-No. 21 Alabama and routed a dangerous Long Beach State squad to win the Diamond Head Classic.

Senior forward Jamar Samuels has stepped up admirably to replace Curtis Kelly, averaging 12 points and 7.1 rebounds a game.

With Samuels leading a frontcourt that has the Wildcats ranked seventh in the nation in rebounding, the big question is whether sophomore PG Will Spradling can replace enough of Jacob Pullen’s production to improve on last year’s NCAA tournament disappointment.

13. San Diego State

Ignored in the preseason after losing NBA draftee Kawhi Leonard and most of their other key players, the Aztecs have bounced back strong. The key has been the backcourt play of Chase Tapley (17.4 points a game) and Xavier Thames (5.4 assists a night).

SDSU has already taken down Arizona, Cal and Long Beach State, and their two losses came against No. 7 Baylor and No. 19 Creighton.

With several easy home games before conference play begins, look for Steve Fisher’s squad to make a run at a second straight 25-win season.

12. Virginia

Although the No. 24 Cavaliers’ lone loss is unquestionably a bad one—a neutral-site defeat by TCU—they’ve impressed in winning their other 11 games.

A victory over then-No. 15 Michigan highlights a resume that also features back-to-back demolitions of George Mason and Oregon (the latter on the road).

With Florida State reeling, the door is open for Virginia to lock down third place in the ACC.

If senior PF Mike Scott keeps up his torrid pace (17.1 points and 9.9 rebounds a game so far), the Cavaliers will be a challenge even for the Tobacco Road powers in conference play.

11. UNLV

The Rebels exploded onto the national scene this year by stunning then-No. 1 North Carolina in the Las Vegas Invitational, but they’re not just a one-hit wonder.

Recent wins over Illinois and Cal have vaulted UNLV back into the Top 25, and even their losses—at Wichita State and at Wisconsin—are perfectly respectable ones.

The backcourt has been key for the Rebels, with both Oscar Bellfield and Anthony Marshall averaging five-plus assists per game.

Just as important, though, has been the breakout season of PF Mike Moser, a UCLA transfer who’s averaging 13.7 points and 11.2 rebounds a night.

10. Illinois

Considering the Illini’s graduation losses—Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis—it’s little wonder they were overlooked in the preseason.

The key to their sizzling 10-0 start was seven-foot sophomore Meyers Leonard, who’s gone from playing 8.2 minutes a night last season to leading the team with 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game (and scoring 13.4 points a contest) this year.

Even after tough losses to UNLV and Missouri dropped them from the rankings, it’s clear that this team is far better than its initial reputation.

An NCAA tournament bid seems almost a certainty, and contending in the Big Ten isn’t at all out of the question for this squad.

9. Louisville

The Cardinals’ undefeated run may have come to an end last night against Georgetown, but that does little to diminish a sensational start for Rick Pitino’s squad.

Louisville has battled through a rash of injuries to notch key wins over the likes of Vanderbilt, Long Beach State and Memphis, with a huge rivalry showdown against Kentucky yet to come.

The Cardinals’ offense-by-committee is again seeing four players average in double figures in scoring, while point guard Peyton Siva runs the show to the tune of 6.4 assists a night.

With players like Rakeem Buckles and Elisha Justice returning from injury to add depth to Louisville’s rotation, this team is only going to get more dangerous as the season goes on.

8. Indiana

Even with an early schedule loaded with the Savannah States of the world, few would’ve predicted Indiana to be one of the last unbeatens to fall.

Even after suffering their first loss at Michigan State, though, the Hoosiers can hang their hats on a sensational home win over then-No. 1 Kentucky that vaulted them into the Top 25 after weeks on the outside looking in.

Freshman Cody Zeller, brother of North Carolina’s Tyler, has been the catalyst with team highs of 15.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game.

He’s far from alone, though, with four other Hoosiers scoring in double figures and both of Zeller’s frontcourt mates also topping five rebounds a night.

7. Creighton

Even with a couple of fairly inexplicable losses—including last night’s home defeat by scuffling Missouri State—Creighton has had a sensational start to 2011-12.

The Blue Jays are, for a rarity, ranked (at No. 19), and wins over San Diego State, Iowa and Northwestern have them looking like a serious threat to March Madness opposition.

Sophomore superstar Doug McDermott, scoring a dazzling 25.4 points a game, has been the hero for the Blue Jays, but he’s far from alone.

Junior PG Grant Gibbs is dishing out 6.5 assists a game, leading an attack that’s racking up more assists than any team in the country this season.

6. Mississippi State

MSU’s 11-game winning streak was snapped in heartbreaking fashion last night, but a two-point loss to No. 7 Baylor in Dallas hardly diminishes the Bulldogs’ accomplishments.

No. 14 Mississippi State has taken down Texas A&M, Arizona and West Virginia in proving that they’re light-years ahead of last year’s 17-14 squad (and this year’s unranked status in the preseason).

The Bulldogs’ turnaround has been led by center Arnett Moultrie, who’s looking like the best transfer in the nation after arriving from UTEP to score 17.8 points and pull down 11.7 rebounds per game.

He’s getting plenty of help outside from senior PG Dee Bost, who’s scoring 17.2 points a game himself while leading the team with 4.4 assists a night.

5. Missouri

Missouri entered the season with plenty of question marks, including whether new coach Frank Haith would be able to get the most out of a roster built by the departed Mike Anderson.

They’ve erased those doubts with a scintillating 12-0 start featuring a hard-fought win over Illinois and a ludicrous 39-point annihilation of Cal in the CBE Classic final.

Senior SG Marcus Denmon is the best of many superior shooters on the wings for the Tigers, averaging a team-high 18.7 points a game and hitting .449 from three-point range along with .921 from the free-throw stripe.

Sophomore PG Phil Pressey has taken his game to a new level, dishing out 5.9 assists a night while also racking up 2.3 steals per contest.

4. Murray State

The Racers aren’t quite as impressive as their 13-0 record, considering that three of their wins have come against non-Division I opposition.

Even so, No. 21 Murray State is one of just four remaining unbeatens, and a win at then-No. 20 Memphis shows they’re a threat even when they’re not beating up on Tennessee-Martin and Morgan State.

Junior PG Isaiah Canaan has been carrying the squad on his back, averaging team highs of 18.6 points and 4.2 assists per game and ranking second with 3.8 rebounds a night (at 6’0”, 171 lbs).

The Racers could use more of a physical presence inside—their 32.5 rebounds a game rank them 276th in the nation—but their high speed and sharp shooting are going to make them a very dangerous opponent in March.

3. Michigan State

After last March’s first-round flameout and the loss of Kalin Lucas, hopes weren’t exactly high for this year’s edition of Michigan State.

After two tough losses to UNC and Duke to open the season, though, Tom Izzo’s boys have ripped off 12 straight wins highlighted by a road victory at then-No. 22 Gonzaga and last night’s home defeat of previously-unbeaten Indiana.

Senior forward Draymond Green has carried the team as expected, leading in points (15.5 per game), rebounds (9.8 a night) and assists (3.5 a contest).

With sophomore Keith Appling (11.2 points and 3.4 assists a night) starting to provide some perimeter support for Green, the Spartans are looking like a serious threat entering conference play in the Big Ten.

2. Harvard

An Ivy League team in the Top 25 is an unusual sight, but college hoops fans had better get used to it.

The Crimson may have lost decisively at UConn, but Tommy Amaker’s 10-1 squad—which has beaten Florida State and Utah—has a real chance to win every game it plays for the remainder of the regular season.

Forwards Kyle Casey and Keith Wright have controlled the paint, combining for 22.4 points and 12.7 rebounds a game.

Point guard Brandyn Curry has rebounded from a slow start and is dishing out 4.8 assists a game while also recording an eye-catching 2.3 steals per contest.

1. Georgetown

Lost in the Big East shuffle in the preseason, the Hoyas have been nothing short of brilliant since the year tipped off.

Last night’s road win over Louisville was their third defeat of a ranked team, and the only blemish on their record is a four-point loss to Kansas in the Maui Invitational.

Last year’s guard-focused squad has morphed into a team with big-time interior presence, as 6’8” Hollis Thompson leads four Hoyas averaging better than five rebounds a night.

Of course, Georgetown still has a perimeter game as well, thanks to star senior Jason Clark and his 15.7 points a game.