The Most Underachieving College Basketball Teams So Far in 2014-15
Let’s get one thing straight—barring catastrophic injury, no college basketball team has made or broken its season yet. Still, there’s been plenty of disappointment already, and we are less than a month into the season.
For every Kentucky or Duke that has impressed the nation with dominant play, there has been a Florida that has fallen off an early cliff. Fortunately, college basketball allows plenty of time to make up for a slow start, unlike its football counterpart.
With that in mind, read on for a closer look at some of the most underachieving teams in the country.
Florida
1 of 10
Where They Started
The Gators started at No. 6 in the preseason Associated Press Poll and were expected to reload with an impressive crop of youngsters. On paper, Florida was the one team in the SEC that could theoretically compete with Kentucky for an conference crown. Billy Donovan was fresh off yet another Elite Eight appearance, and it didn’t seem to matter that Florida was forced to replace four senior starters.
Where They Are
It’s one thing to lose, but it’s another thing entirely to lose while dealing with health and depth concerns. Dorian Finney-Smith and Eli Carter were dealt early injuries, and Florida lost a shocker to Miami in the second game.
The Gators followed that with an unimpressive overtime win against Louisiana-Monroe and then lost to Georgetown after that. Throw in one more loss to North Carolina, and Donovan’s squad is sitting at 3-3 and has a trip to Kansas on deck. A losing record through seven games is a likely scenario, which doesn’t exactly scream Kentucky competitor in the SEC.
Syracuse
2 of 10
Where They Started
The Orange came into the season as the No. 23 team in the country and part of the much-hyped ACC power group of Duke, North Carolina, Louisville and the Orange. Rakeem Christmas was back to lead the way on the floor, and Jim Boeheim was sure to maximize his talent.
Where They Are
While it is far too early to give up on the Orange, and they did impress with a three-point win over a solid Iowa squad, things have not gone according to plan. They are out of the Top 25 after an early loss to unranked California and then lost to Michigan in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge Tuesday.
To make matters worse, offense has been something of a struggle. Syracuse has yet to top 72 points since its season-opening win over Kennesaw State and is only shooting 45.1 percent from the field. If Boeheim’s players don't pick it up on that end of the floor, games at Villanova and against the top of the ACC are sure to be struggles.
Auburn
3 of 10
Where They Started
The Tigers certainly didn’t start in the Top 25 at all, but the hiring of new coach Bruce Pearl brought plenty of hype to the program. Throw in a triumvirate of potential stars in Antoine Mason, KT Harrell and Cinmeon Bowers, and there was legitimate reason to expect a solid year in a wide-open SEC behind Kentucky and Florida.
Where They Are
Mason’s injury has derailed the offense, and the Tigers are 220th in the nation in field-goal percentage and 140th in points per game. While Bowers has impressed on the glass with 13 boards per night, no other Auburn player has more than 3.8 rebounds per game.
A 31-point loss to Colorado and an 18-point loss to Tulsa did nothing to drum up early excitement either for Auburn. This still looks like a team that is a few years away from seriously competing in the SEC, but it will definitely help when Mason returns.
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VCU
4 of 10
Where They Started
The Rams came into the season at No. 15 in the initial poll and a serious threat to Wichita State as the top team in the country outside of the power conferences. Treveon Graham was an All-American candidate, and the high-pressure defense was supposed to be one of the hardest things to crack in the country.
Where They Are
There is still plenty of reason for optimism about the defense with the majority of the season ahead, but VCU is 43rd in Ken Pomeroy’s pace-adjusted defensive efficiency rankings in the early going and has struggled to consistently stop opponents.
That is not why the Rams are on this list, though. They missed a golden opportunity to add a marquee nonconference victory to their resume against Villanova and then lost again to Old Dominion later in the year.
VCU still has to play Virginia before the conference schedule begins, and it may have to swallow another loss.
Connecticut
5 of 10
Where They Started
The Huskies won the national championship last season, so anything they do this season is basically the cherry on top of a magical 2013-14 run.
Connecticut entered the 2014-15 season at No. 17 in the country with Ryan Boatright, Rodney Purvis and Daniel Hamilton leading the way in place of Shabazz Napier. Another national title may have been out of the question, but that trio was good enough to keep the Huskies afloat in the rankings.
Where They Are
All of Connecticut’s goals are still in place, but it has played two games against power-conference competition and three games against mid-major competition. While it did pick up those three wins against the lesser competition, it failed both of its tests against Texas and West Virginia.
The loss to the Longhorns was particularly heartbreaking because it came by a single point after a late three-pointer, but the loss to the Mountaineers came by 10 points. The offense has struggled as well and is 46th in Pomeroy’s rankings and 227th in the nation in points per game.
SMU
6 of 10
Where They Started
With or without Emmanuel Mudiay, the Mustangs came into the season with the No. 22 ranking and plenty of hype around a potential NCAA tournament run. Markus Kennedy’s status was still up in the air, but there was reason to expect a solid run from Larry Brown’s team after an appearance in the NIT Final a season ago.
Where They Are
Despite those early expectations, SMU has already missed three golden opportunities to pick up marquee nonconference wins, which are critical when it plays in the American Athletic Conference. The Mustangs lost to Indiana, Gonzaga and Arkansas and never had a chance in the game against the Bulldogs.
To make matters worse, Kennedy was ruled ineligible for the first semester, so the rest of the nonconference schedule could be a struggle. The game at Michigan in particular stands out as a potential loss, which would give SMU four key losses and zero impressive wins before a mediocre AAC slate.
Pittsburgh
7 of 10
Where They Started
The Panthers started the season on the outside looking in at the Top 25 in the initial rankings, but they were among the other programs receiving votes. Players like James Robinson and Michael Young gave fans reason for optimism, even if the ACC was absolutely loaded on the top of the conference.
Where They Are
Those early expectations appear to have been misplaced if the initial results are any indication.
The Panthers inexplicably dropped a game against Hawaii early in the schedule before also losing to San Diego State by 17 points and Indiana by 12 in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge. In name, the Indiana loss isn’t bad, but the Hoosiers did drop a home game against Eastern Washington earlier in the season.
The Panthers may struggle to make the NCAA tournament with so many difficult ACC games on the dock if they don’t pick up their play.
UCLA
8 of 10
Where They Started
The Bruins came into the season in the others receiving votes category in the AP poll, but there is always a certain amount of hype surrounding them. They lost plenty of talent to the NBA draft, but just the name UCLA on the front of the jersey inspires high expectations.
Where They Are
UCLA has played only two games of note in the early going and lost both of them. Wins against the likes of Montana State and Coastal Carolina don’t exactly scream resume-builders, and the Bruins missed chances to beat Oklahoma and North Carolina. The Tar Heels loss was particularly poor considering it came by 22 points.
The defense has been the biggest problem for UCLA. It has given up 73.6 points per night, which is 299th in the nation and ranks 67th in Pomeroy’s defensive rankings. If that end of the ball doesn’t improve, UCLA could be on the outside looking in at the race for the Pac-12 championship.
Memphis
9 of 10
Where They Started
Like UCLA, the Tigers came into the season in the others receiving votes category, but that may have more to do with the name recognition than anything else. Memphis is one of the most recognizable programs in the American Athletic Conference along with Cincinnati and Connecticut and was recognized accordingly.
Where They Are
Things have not gone according to plan for Memphis through five games.
The Tigers did beat Indiana State and Prairie View, which should be a given, but lost three other contests. The Wichita State defeat is understandable, even if it did come by 15 points, but a 24-point loss to Baylor and 12-point loss to Stephen F. Austin are less explainable.
The Bears and Lumberjacks are potential NCAA tournament teams, but a 2-3 start is not what Memphis had in mind.
Stanford
10 of 10
Where They Started
The Cardinal came into the season with plenty of hype after reaching the Sweet 16 last season with a victory over Andrew Wiggins and Kansas. The returns of Chasson Randle and Anthony Brown did nothing to quell that early excitement, and Stanford was in the others receiving votes category in the initial poll.
Where They Are
Stanford had a golden opportunity to make a national statement against Duke in November, but it failed in an 11-point loss. While that is nothing to be ashamed of, the 15-point loss to DePaul in the last game is inexplicable for a team that has NCAA tournament aspirations.
Those two losses weren’t the ideal way to start the season, but it is the actual play that fans have seen in the early going that is most concerning. The defense has been abysmal this season and ranks 101st in Pomeroy’s ratings, which is going to be a serious problem when the Cardinal go up against Arizona in Pac-12 play.
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