Ranking Indiana and Most Thrilling CBB Teams So Far This Season

The Indiana Hoosiers have already been called the most watchable college basketball team in the country, thanks to their high-powered offense, bevy of shooting guards and constant threat of playing spoiler to ranked teams’ dreams. But are they really the “most thrilling” team when national title contenders like Iowa State and Notre Dame get fans on their feet every night?

That depends on how we define “thrilling” in NCAA hoops.

First, offense is key. While defense may win championships, no one’s ever been enthralled by a 34-38 game outside of grade school. But that’s not all.

A 100-40 blowout might be great for diehard fans, but a scrapbook full of 89-90 shootouts (win or lose) is what will endear a team to this list. We’re not looking for teams that are dominant—that’s what the AP Top 25 is for—we’re looking for teams that give us riveting contests from start to finish.

Second, you need X-factors. Not every team has future NBA first-rounders, but that didn’t stop Maurice Creek (who?) from dropping 31 points on the heads of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson and Eric Bledsoe one snowy December night. X-factors may fade into obscurity, but they energize their teams every night and are never far from cracking SportsCenter’s Top 10.

The third and final piece of the puzzle is unpredictability. Nothing’s more exciting than not knowing what’s coming next, and some teams love living on the edge. Close games? Check. Monster putbacks at the buzzer to cap a game-winning run? Oh yeah. Upsets? More please.

Though not very team on this list is necessarily the national leader in all three of those categories, they all manage to bring a unique combination of those factors to earn the distinction of being a truly enthralling team.

So, who else has joined (or maybe even deposed) Indiana at the pinnacle of thrill as March Madness lurks on the horizon? Here are the top 10 teams with too much sizzle to ignore.

Honorable Mentions

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Before we dive in, let’s give a shout-out to the near-misses.

Kentucky Wildcats

Arguably the greatest Kentucky team ever to grace the hardwood, John Calipari’s squad this year is an undefeated juggernaut.

It’s bursting at the seams with enticing draft picks, but the Wildcats’ stroll through a weak SEC conference has been a snorefest (Florida’s batting .500, Missouri is a horror show and Texas A&M—the conference’s No. 3—hasn’t even played a ranked team other than Kentucky). Even their overtime wins felt like inevitabilities. Where’s the drama, Kentucky?

Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga is first in the nation in field-goal percentage with 52.7 percent. If you like offense, then you like Gonzaga. The Bulldogs also move the ball remarkably well (ranked 11th in assists) and crash the boards like there’s no tomorrow (ranked 30th in offense rebounds).

Unfortunately, they have a similar problem to Kentucky’s: Their conference schedule isn’t challenging by any stretch of the imagination, so their offensive production isn’t as impressive as it looks on the books. Beating teams like the Pacific Tigers 91-60 is not part of any formula for suspense.

Eastern Washington Eagles

The Eagles boast an imposing field-goal percentage of 48.4 (16th nationally) and points-per-game average (sixth nationally). They also average more than five blocks per game—and there’s nothing better than an emphatic bit of housekeeping to rile up the home crowd.

However, losses to their only two ranked opponents (SMU and Washington) on top of conference games against foes such as Idaho State are enough to dampen any real hopes of generating hype against quality opponents. It’s not that their small-margin victories in the Big Sky Conference weren’t exciting games, it’s just that the Eagles' overall resume couldn’t quite match the highs of the other teams on this list.

Wisconsin Badgers

The Badgers are a great team with some incredible talent (Frank Kaminsky, anyone?), but they’re just too responsible to crack the top 10 on a list of teams at war with your blood pressure.

Being exciting means playing a little fast and loose at times, but Wisconsin is the third-best team in average assist-to-turnover ratio (1.7, per TeamRankings.com) and eighth-best in points allowed in the nation. Simply put, Bo Ryan has his guys playing cool and calculated ball more often than not. While that may be the ultimate goal for any respectable basketball program, it’s all a bit too conventional for this list.

10. Grinnell College Pioneers

Is it cheating to sneak a D-III team into this list? No—it’s a public-service announcement. You might remember Grinnell as the school where that guy scored 138 points in one game, but the Pioneers are more than a one-trick pony.

Coach Dave Arseneault’s playing style (simply called “The System”) scoffs at the notion of defense in favor of a turducken of offense, offense and more offense. The Pioneers may only be 13-9 this season, but they’ve broken 100 on all but two occasions (and their opponents often return the favor).

It’s utter pandemonium accented with a blitzkrieg of three-pointers (The System encourages at least 50 percent of shot attempts to be from behind the arc). If you’re looking for run-and-gun basketball, Grinnell is Usain Bolt with a howitzer.

9. Purdue Boilermakers

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Early home losses to North Florida and Gardner-Webb left them looking shaky, but the Purdue Boilermakers came roaring back with wins against No. 25 Iowa, No. 22 Indiana and No. 20 Ohio State. Everything is set up for an exhilarating finish to get into the NCAA tournament as the Big Ten season winds down and Purdue fights to stay alive.

Purdue is a blue-collar team that tends to share the workload (eight players are tied for most average minutes at 26), and it doesn’t have a true standout scorer (A.J. Hammons is atop the leaderboard with 10.9 points per game), but that’s what makes them such an exciting team. In any given game, seemingly any Purdue player could get hot and have a career night. It’s a grab bag of potential X-factors, if you will.

The bottom line: There’s nothing more thrilling than watching a team on the bubble playing out of its skin for survival on the home stretch.

8. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles

Though the same can’t be said for Purdue, sometimes all the excitement of a super-acrobatic highlight reel can come prepackaged in one team. Case in point: What happens when you pair nationally recognized point guard Brett Comer with his old Dunk City crew? Well, dunks, of course—lots of them.

As a man who creates more opportunities than anyone else, Comer is a textbook X-factor. His assist rate (53 percent) leads the country, and it has undoubtedly been a significant factor in Florida Gulf Coast’s narrow escapes of late (the Eagles won each of their last three games by an average of only three points).

But the aerial acrobatics don’t stop there. FGCU also boasts nearly 40 offensive rebounds per game. When it comes to thrills, keeping last-minute plays alive with offensive rebounds is a surefire way to secure No. 8 on this list (in addition to the high-flying dunks part, of course).

Speaking of flyers…

7. Dayton Flyers

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The Dayton Flyers may not crash the offensive boards like FGCU, but they still find ways to get fans on their feet in a variety of other ways pretty much every game. With an average margin of victory of 8.8, the Flyers have had many close calls this season. Two points over Texas A&M, four over Miami (OH) Redhawks, four over Bowling Green, four over Ole Miss, three over Richmond, a two-point loss to UMass—the list goes on.

However, despite those tight finishes with decent and not-so-decent opponents alike, Dayton has managed to pull out the win more often than not. Underrated X-factor Dyshawn Pierre has helped the Flyers to a 20-5 overall record. They are also currently locked in a three-way battle for first in the Atlantic 10 Conference with Rhode Island and (everybody’s favorite Cinderella) Virginia Commonwealth.

Dayton will face a potential title-decider at VCU on February 28, and, as of now, it looks like anyone’s game (and that’s just how the Flyers—and neutrals—seem to like it). When it feels like nearly every game comes down to the wire, regardless of the venue, that team deserves a nod for its commitment to excitement.

6. Ohio State Buckeyes

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You’ve undoubtedly heard of D’Angelo Russell. He’s the young man with eyes for the Big Ten Freshman of the Year prize. He’s also made a case for going No. 2 in the draft, according to Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix. That’s no small feat for a rookie in the Big Ten, no matter how you slice it.

Russell is shooting like a man on fire and looking more confident every day, and that’s great news for an Ohio State Buckeyes team solidifying its tournament standing. Pair him with Shannon Scott—considered one of the nation’s best point guards—and anything can happen.

Ohio State has had an equal mix of disappointing defeats (Louisville, UNC) and quality wins over ranked opponents (Maryland, IU), but it appears to be jelling down the stretch. The Buckeyes are 5-2 in their last seven outings (both losses were one-possession games), and they have yet to lose by double digits to any team this season, meaning anything can happen on a given night.

Like Dayton (although in a tougher conference), the OSU squad offers a little bit of everything. So as long as the Buckeyes keep it close, they have the pieces to turn the tide at a moment’s notice.

Russell’s scoring (19.1 PPG) and rebounds (5.8) paired with Marc Loving’s three-pointers (52.5 percent) and Scott’s assists (6.2 per game) makes for a potent combination every night. Few things are more exciting in college basketball than watching a well-rounded unit on the verge of becoming something special.

5. NC State Wolfpack

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Remember, this list isn’t about teams with the best records: It’s about teams that (for better or worse) won’t let you sit down.

That said, when it comes to NC State, there is always a possibility it will have an amazing night. The Wolfpack have defeated No. 2 Duke and No. 9 Louisville (at Louisville, mind you). They also came tantalizingly close to beating No. 15 UNC (81-79), No. 8 Notre Dame (81-78 OT) and No. 2 UVA (51-47).

Couple those results with head-scratchers, such as a one-point home loss to the Wofford Terriers and a one-point OT road victory over dreadful Georgia Tech, and you’ve got a team that’s all over the map. If you’re a coach, that’s bad. If you’re a CBB fan looking for an endless source of exciting unpredictability, it’s oh so good.

The Wolfpack are ranked 78th nationally in points per game and 31st in offensive rebounds. Those stats aren’t necessarily stellar, but combine offensive boards with proven scorers such as Trevor Lacey (16.5 PPG) and Ralston Turner (12.6 PPG) and magic can happen when the timing’s right.

4. Georgetown Hoyas

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Think of Georgetown as NC State with a better shooting percentage (and we like scoring). They just edge the Wolfpack with 71.9 points per game (73rd nationally) but distinguish themselves by shooting 46.2 percent from the field (61st nationally). They are essentially as frustrating as NC State, though, when it comes to wins, losses and close calls.

The Hoyas have posted a one-point OT win over No. 18 Florida, a three-point loss to No. 2 Wisconsin, a five-point loss to No. 5 Kansas, a four-point OT win over Indiana, a two-point win over Butler, a blowout win over No. 4 Villanova and then a blowout loss at No. 7 Villanova.

They still have a good chance of finishing second in the Big East, as they share a 9-5 conference record with Providence just behind Butler at 9-4 (for now). The Hoyas frustration at not being in control of the conference after splitting with leaders Villanova partially comes from the play of junior guard D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera and senior center Joshua Smith.

Smith-Rivera, their leading scorer, can be streaky at times from three-point range (for his last four games, he went 1-6, 3-6, 0-4 and 5-10). He still posts satisfying numbers for a team leader, but you never know when it just may not be his night (five points against Creighton and two against Nova).

Joshua Smith, meanwhile, averages 3.6 fouls and 11.4 points per contest, suggesting he still has a considerable potential he’s hanging out to dry. His 6’10”, 350-pound frame makes him a nearly unstoppable force down low, but his foul trouble has limited his minutes. Nothing’s more frustrating (and captivating) than a player routinely mixing glimpses of authority with self-limiting fouls on the defensive end.

Smith-Rivera can score on the best of them (he dropped 29 on Wisconsin), and Smith can own the paint like the best of them—but not being sure which player will show up any given night is part of what makes Georgetown so thrilling.

3. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

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Second in the nation in field-goal percentage, 14th in points per game, defenders of a home court that sometimes seems like a literal castle and boasting a win-loss record that is impressive (but not perfect)—the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are a neutral fan’s dream.

Potential No. 11 draft pick, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, and X-factor Jerian Grant (6.4 APG) highlights a roster featuring four players (Pat Connaughton, Demetrius Jackson, Steve Vasturia, V.J. Beachem) shooting at least 40 percent from outside the arc.

As a team, Notre Dame shoots just over 50 percent from the field. Simply put, the Irish can rain in buckets, and that extra dimension is a big reason why they’re above Georgetown.

Shall we talk close games? Notre Dame won by two at Clemson, lost by four at Pitt, won by four against No. 4 Duke, won by three in overtime at NC State, beat Miami by five at home, won by three at Georgia Tech, lost by six at home to No. 3 UVA and won by one at UNC, just to name a few close-run contests.

Fighting until the bitter end for every one of those games decided in the final minute is why Notre Dame is only 1.5 games behind Virginia in the ACC. The Irish make a habit of getting into (and often winning) thrilling matchups, but they aren’t perfect. That’s what keeps them from ever getting stale in the eyes of the temperamental fan. It’s also what earns them the No. 3 spot on this list.

2. Iowa State Cyclones

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Lurking just behind Kansas for the Big 12 title, Iowa State is a golden standard for offensive statistics. With 36.7 offensive rebounds per game (71st nationally), nearly 80 points per game (12th), a 48.7 field-goal percentage (13th) and 17.2 assists (fifth), the Cyclones are a force to be reckoned with.

That offensive master class (and an edge in strength of schedule) is why they just squeak by Notre Dame on this list. But the Cyclones don’t rest on their laurels.

They’ve beaten a half-dozen ranked opponents while playing in a very strong conference and had eight contests decided by five points or fewer (including a one-point loss at No. 22 Baylor). The Cyclones are a well-rounded unit with all five starters averaging double figures this season.

X-factor point guard Monte Morris is just one of those starters. He’s scoring 11 points and averaging 5.4 assists to 1.2 turnovers per game. That’s part of the reason Iowa State is locked in a thrilling final sprint to the conference title with front-runners Kansas.

Beside Morris are three-point marksmen Georges Niang, Naz Long and Dustin Hogue, who are all hitting 40 percent or better from long range. They’ve contributed to their team’s more-than-healthy offensive production, but the Cyclones still aren’t immune to upsets like the teams on our honorable mention list are.

Close home losses to Maryland and South Carolina (in addition to the handful of aforementioned close victories) prove you can never look away from Iowa State without fear of missing a pulse-pounding finish.

1. Indiana Hoosiers

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The Indiana Hoosiers are the complete package when it comes to offense, X-factors and unpredictability. The fact that they are undoubtedly more frustrating when it comes to inconstancy than the Cyclones and Fighting Irish is why they steal the top spot.

The Hoosiers are just as accustomed to spectacular wins as humbling defeats, which makes them impossible to predict. They average nearly 80 points per game (11th nationally). From beyond the arc, they hit 41.7 percent and have five players who shoot better than 40 percent from long range. Indiana is no stranger to flooding the court with shooting guards to make it rain.

On the other side of the court, Indiana is ranked 310th in the nation in points allowed per game, meaning they can give up just as many points as they score.

The team has beaten well-rounded opponents such as Butler (No. 23), SMU (No. 22) and Maryland (No. 13). But it’s also been demolished by unranked Michigan State and Purdue—not to mention those embarrassing home losses to Eastern Washington and historic rival Purdue (to complete the season sweep).

How about X-factors? Some nights, McDonald’s All-American James Blackmon Jr. plays like one of the top five freshmen in the country (16.2 PPG), while Troy Williams demonstrates feats of athleticism that hearken back to Victor Oladipo’s heyday in Indiana. Other nights, they become mere shadows of themselves.

Point guard Yogi Ferrell (16 PPG) was deserving of his early-season spot on the Wooden watch list for his consistency, but the rest of the team is a mixed bag of wildly varying highs and lows. When they’re firing on all cylinders, the Hoosiers are a spectacular sight. When they suddenly go cold, they turn big second-half leads into nail-biter finishes in a matter of minutes.

The Hoosiers offense is utterly absurd. Coach Tom Crean’s insistence on playing up-tempo ball with as many fast breaks as possible means the players are frequently out of control. When it works, it’s a thing of beauty: Runs, reverses, no-look passes and ally-oops all find their streaking targets for emphatic scores. When it doesn’t work, it creates sloppy turnovers that lead to emphatic dunks by the other team.

Either way, it’s breathless buckets and prolific chaos at both ends of the court. The Hoosiers have run the gamut from shooting clinic to playground-level confusion all season long, leading to unpredictable highs and utterly frustrating lows. That’s why Indiana’s perfect mix of jaw-dropping plays and shocking mistakes has earned it the No. 1 spot as the college basketball’s most thrilling team.

Unless otherwise noted, stats are courtesy of ESPN.com.