Ranking the 10 Most Underrated Teams in College Basketball Right Now
We're now a couple of months into the college basketball season, and you know what that means: Ladies and gentlemen, start your halfway-point analysis!
With 12 games, give or take, under the average team's belt, the real picture of the season is starting to congeal. The trends, questions and storylines are emerging.
For instance, should we just fast-forward to Duke vs. Kentucky right now, or is there some kind of point in playing the other games? Which conference rosters, rejiggered and otherwise, are looking especially tasty going into the heart of conference play? What teams, for better or worse, are meeting expectations, and which ones are not?
It's the latter that we're concerned with here today. We're concerned with identifying those teams that are below the national radar, but don't deserve to be.
These are the 10 most underrated teams in the country right now, from low-major upstarts to Big Dance bubble teams to potential postseason powerhouses.
Teams are ranked based on the degree of their underratedness, computed through team records, national poll positions, RPI and other, less tangible factors like personal opinions and so forth.
AP poll rankings accurate for the week of Dec. 22. RPI rankings courtesy of NCAA.com and accurate as of Dec. 23. All other stats courtesy of ESPN.com.
10. Incarnate Word Cardinals
1 of 10
Record: 8-2
RPI: 45
National ranking: N/A
Break up the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals! Or as I like to call them, The Real Basketball Team in San Antonio.
All right, I admit it. That previous paragraph was written in jest. Is Incarnate Word going to reach the Final Four anytime soon? My answer would have to be no, especially since it's ineligible for the postseason until 2018, which was a condition of its moving up to Division I in 2013.
Nevertheless, the Cardinals have had no problem fitting in at the big table, finishing 21-6 in their first season on the D-I stage and picking up that momentum so far this season.
The highlight was inarguably their thrilling defeat of Nebraska, one of the biggest upsets by any team this season and one of the biggest wins in UIW history. Wins over Princeton and University of Missouri-Kansas City round out the resume.
The Cardinals' shooting is the key, and they are averaging 83 points per contest—good for 13th in the nation. They may not be world-beaters, but I know I wouldn't want to see them buried like a graphite shard in the cupcake portion of my schedule.
9. Davidson Wildcats
2 of 10
Record: 9-1
RPI: 79
National ranking: N/A
Davidson has enjoyed its share of success. Under coach Bob McKillop, Wildcats fans have had the privilege of rooting for seven tournament teams and some dude named Steph Curry.
And they're keeping it rolling in 2014-15. Moving to the Atlantic 10 conference hasn't dampened any spirits. Know how I know that? They're currently the best team in the conference.
Conference play hasn't started yet, if you want to get all technical about it. But still, there they are, those crazy Wildcats, with their only defeat thus far coming to North Carolina.
They are currently third in the nation in scoring with about 88 points per contest. They are a deep team, and that's embodied by their on-court braintrust of senior guard Tyler Kalinoski, sophomore guard Jack Gibbs and freshman forward Peyton Aldridge, who collectively average 44 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists per game.
A couple weeks ago, Davidson squeaked into that illustrious "Others receiving votes" area of the AP poll but remain well below the national radar. The team faces a huge test Dec. 30 when it faces Virginia before beginning A-10 play in earnest.
8. TCU Horned Frogs
3 of 10
Record: 12-0
RPI: 70
National ranking: 25
If schedules were fish, TCU's slate would be, well, a weakfish, I suppose.
On the flip side, the Horned Frogs have undoubtedly mowed down, with extreme prejudice, all those the athletic department deemed fit to place in their collective path. Their average margin of victory to date has been a downright Kentuckian 24 points, spurred by a defense that concedes a paltry 54 ppg.
They have to hope that continues. They're an abominable 2-34 against conference opponents in the last two seasons. How does something like that even occur?
That little factoid might have something to do with people looking past them, and their performance in that area will certainly have something to do with whatever they earn (or don't earn) from here on out.
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7. Washington Huskies
4 of 10
Record: 11-0
RPI: 22
National ranking: 13
The Huskies don't always get it done with style points, so it's a good thing they don't yet factor style points into bracketology deliberations.
U-Dub commits an average of 12 turnovers a game. The Huskies have a starter (Andrew Andrews) only hitting a third of his shots. And hey, if your hometown boosters aren't buying in, well, that's not a good bellwether for the rest of the country.
But buy in they should. The Huskies play outstanding team defense: Other teams only average 58 points against the Huskies, and they have held opponents below 50 points on three separate occasions.
As long as Nigel Williams-Goss stays healthy, they'll probably continue to do just enough offensively. They are ranked 13th, so it's not like they are criminally underrated. Still, though, they probably deserve to be a bigger part of the national conversation.
6. Penn State Nittany Lions
5 of 10
Record: 12-1
RPI: 34
National ranking: N/A
You might see a trend emerge in this list: Many underrated teams feature at their core at least one underrated player. That's certainly the case, maybe most the case, for Penn State.
DJ Newbill, the Lions' clutch senior guard, has my vote for the most unsung player in the entire nation—how he was left off the Naismith Watch List I'll never know. And unfortunately for Penn State opponents, he's taking it out on, you know, Penn State opponents. How does 21 points, five rebounds and three assists per contest sound? Frightening is how.
As Newbill goes, so goes the offense (he accounts for 30 percent of the team's scoring). Other aspects of the game are more of a group effort, with a lane-clogging defense and a roster that ranks seventh nationally in total rebounds. This group is one double-OT oddity with Charlotte away from an undefeated record.
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6 of 10
Record: 8-3
RPI: 17
National ranking: 20
After a couple of early losses, and with those off-the-court troubles lingering in the background, everyone sort of wrote off the Heels. Between Week 3 and Week 5 of the season, UNC fell 16 total spots on the AP poll.
Credit to the Heels, though; they've rebounded.
With the favor of hindsight, that 14-point loss to Kentucky probably wasn't so bad. There's a good chance everyone is going to do that. And since then, they've won two straight, most recently over No. 12 Ohio State. And don't forget that they have wins over Florida and UCLA in their nonconference pockets as well.
In the loaded ACC, there are plenty of tests ahead. But with Marcus Paige at the helm of a fairly experienced rotation and freshmen like Justin Jackson chipping in, the Heels appear to be hitting their stride and could be ready to catch some people off guard.
4. BYU Cougars
7 of 10
Record: 10-3
RPI: 35
National ranking: N/A
No team in the country scores more points per game (89) than BYU. No single player scores more points per game (24) than Tyler Haws.
But if you think this is another one of those gimmicky streak-shooting outfits, prone to big ups and downs, think again. They share the ball (fifth nationally in assists) and rebound the rock (40 boards each contest). That 3 in the loss column does catch the eye, but those defeats came in double OT to then-No. 15 San Diego State, in single OT by two points to Purdue and by four points in regulation to then-No. 13 Utah.
So it's not like they're getting picked off by big underdogs. Meanwhile, Haws and company could be the ones doing the sniping. If I'm No. 8 Gonzaga, I'm bringing my A-game into Provo, Utah, this Saturday.
3. Old Dominion Monarchs
8 of 10
Record: 10-1
RPI: 14
National ranking: N/A
Back in what we used to call the day, Virginia was the seat of America's Age of Enlightenment. Right now, there's an enlightening new age afoot in Virginia basketball, what with UVA dominating all comers, VCU in and out of the top 25 and those Old Dominion Monarchs, hailing from old Norfolk towne, looking like the best squad going in Conference USA.
Junior guard Trey Freeman, a native of nearby Virginia Beach, keys the team's offense, but it's the team defense—19th in the nation in points allowed—that has really led it to success. Three times this season, the Monarchs have held opponents below 50 points.
And if you think it's all coming over chumps, check that RPI. They've already toppled LSU, VCU and solid mid-majors like Georgia State and Gardner-Webb. If they keep this up, they'll be looking at their first Big Dance berth since 2011.
2. Colorado State Rams
9 of 10
Record: 12-0
RPI: 12
National ranking: 24
Remember that trend we've been discussing, regarding underrated teams having underrated players? Such is the case for Colorado State, whose performance tracks closely to that of its do-it-all star, J.J. Avila, who averages 14 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Avila also is emblematic of the Rams' brand of ball. In a nutshell, they make shots. The team hits at 48 percent from the floor and 40 percent beyond the arc. And the Rams are unselfish and balanced, with four players averaging double-digit points and at least two assists every game.
With their win Monday over Charleston Southern, the Rams set a school record for the longest win streak to start a season. They are playing great team ball under Larry Eustachy—who never stopped being a really good basketball coach—and as such, the wins and records should continue.
1. Baylor Bears
10 of 10
Record: 10-1
RPI: 21
AP ranking: 22
At No. 22, fewer people are sleeping on the Bears now than they were at the beginning of the season, when they were picked to tie for sixth in the Big 12.
They could stand to be even higher, though. Maybe a lot higher. To illustrate, they sit five spots lower than St. John's in the AP poll, despite having one additional win and being eight spots higher in RPI. Sure, they've played some squeakers (most recently a four-point escape Monday against Southern), but as has been previously established, a W is a W is a W.
Baylor's lack of star power and flashy stats belies a balanced team that does everything well. Nine players see at least 10 minutes of playing time per contest; that gives them the depth to get after it and stay after it on the boards (fifth in the nation in rebounding margin) and on defense (55 ppg allowed).
Sounds like a winning formula to me. Being underrated is nothing new at Baylor. We'll keep looking past them, and they'll keep making deep postseason runs.
.png?w=480 "NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Championship")
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