One Thing Every Top 25 College Basketball Team Is Thankful for
As college basketball fans, we're thankful for a lot of things right around now.
We're glad the season is in full swing, with a great slate of games every day thanks to the many preseason tournaments that provide quality matchups you wouldn't otherwise get this early in the year.
We're also thankful that parity in the game makes the upsets we're seeing more of the rule than the exception, a testament to mid- and low-major teams picking off unprepared power teams (and often picking up a nice check to do so).
Every team in Division I has something to be thankful for at this point in the 2015-16 season, and we've identified what this is for the schools currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.
25. (tie) Texas A&M Aggies
1 of 26Homegrown talent
When Texas A&M joined the SEC a few years ago, it was clear the move was meant to boost the football program more than anything else. This would help the Aggies be able to recruit in the fertile Southeast, and the rest of the sports were just made to come along and try to make it work.
The men's basketball team has slowly moved up the SEC standings each season, going from 11th in 2012-13 to a tie for third last year. And with an influx of top prospects, all of whom are from the Lone Star State, A&M is projected to have its best team since Billy Gillispie led them to the Sweet 16 in 2007.
Texas-bred freshmen Tyler Davis, Admon Gilder, D.J. Hogg and Elijah Thomas combined for 33 points in Wednesday's win over Texas, a game played in the Bahamas as part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.
25. (tie) SMU Mustangs
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Larry Brown's suspension is nearly half over
The NCAA came down hard on SMU during the offseason, banning the program from the postseason in 2015-16 and forcing Hall of Fame coach to stay away during the Mustangs' first nine games this season. The school opted not to appeal Brown's penalty, so he'll be away from the court until a Dec. 22 game against Kent State in Las Vegas.
“I know they're going to be really well-coached, and I know they're going to do the very best they can, and I'm really comfortable in that regard,” Brown said, per Stephen Hawkins of the Associated Press (h/t the Austin American-Statesman). “But it's never easy watching people you care about.”
SMU has started 3-0 under assistant coach Tim Jankovich, including an 85-70 win at Stanford. The remainder of the games without Brown are at home except for a Dec. 2 trip to TCU.
Brown will be on hand for the biggest contests, though, including the entire American Athletic Conference slate and a Feb. 13 visit from Gonzaga.
24. Cincinnati Bearcats
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Mick Cronin's health
One of the most fiery coaches in the game, Mick Cronin isn't doing his job if he's not screaming and turning beat red on the sideline. But last December, he was forced to take a medical leave of absence after being diagnosed with an unruptured aneurysm.
Cronin was given a clean bill of health in March, and the 44-year-old has been back to his old self this season, even with Cincinnati dominating its weak early schedule.
The Bearcats are 5-0, scoring 89.8 points per game and winning by at least 15 points each time. The December slate gets much tougher, though, with matchups against Butler, Xavier, VCU, Iowa State and Temple.
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23. Xavier Musketeers
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An early resume-booster
Xavier has made the NCAA tournament in nine of the past 10 seasons and figures to be a safe bet to qualify again this season. How the Musketeers play in the Big East—where they finished sixth in 2014-15 but then reached the conference tourney final—will have the most impact on their postseason outlook, but picking up some nice nonconference wins also helps.
The inaugural Gavitt Tipoff Games between the Big East and Big Ten ended in a 4-4 tie, with six games won by the home team. Xavier played at Michigan and pulled off an impressive 86-70 win, the best result in a 4-0 start.
Xavier will have more opportunities to pick up quality wins this weekend at the Advocare Invitational in Orlando. It opens Thursday against Alabama and could also face Wichita State, Dayton, Iowa or Notre Dame.
22. LSU Tigers
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The spotlight is going away for a while
By virtue of having the nation's top-rated freshman, per 247Sports, on its roster, LSU is going to be a team whose games are closely watched by scouts and NBA experts regardless of the opponent. Ben Simmons is projected by NBADraft.net as the No. 1 pick in June, and his performance will be heavily monitored.
But as the Tigers showed this week in losses to Marquette and North Carolina State, Simmons can't do it all himself. In fact, even in spite of Simmons' monster games—21 points, 20 rebounds and seven assists in the first game, followed by a four-point, 14-rebound, 10-assist effort—LSU often looked like a team that wasn't built to play together.
Thankfully for the Tigers, those are the last high-profile games until SEC play begins in January. Maybe during the break they can figure out how to be more than a one-man team.
21. Oregon Ducks
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Chris Boucher's circuitous route to Eugene
Oregon coach Dana Altman hasn't been shy about taking on players who began their careers at other schools, be it from another Division I program or the junior college ranks. It's supplemented his high school recruiting and enabled the Ducks to replenish the ranks with experienced players on an annual basis.
It's also how he landed Chris Boucher, the reigning NJCAA junior college player of the year. The 6'10” forward from Canada spent last season at Northwest College in Wyoming. Before that, he was at a junior college in New Mexico.
On Wednesday, Boucher had his best game yet with Oregon, setting a school record with nine blocks along with 17 points and nine rebounds in a home win against Arkansas State. He's averaging 12.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.2 blocks.
20. Wichita State Shockers
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The season isn't lost in November
Wichita State has one of the most veteran backcourts in the country in the form of senior guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, a duo that first made a splash during the Shockers' run to the 2012 Final Four and was key to their unbeaten regular season in 2013-14. Their final season together has brought another set of lofty expectations.
It's been a rough start for Wichita, though, having already lost at Tulsa, and VanVleet is dealing with a hamstring injury. He missed the last game and isn't likely to play during the Advocare Invitational that begins Thursday in Orlando.
Making matters worse: His backup, freshman Landry Shamet, suffered a stress fracture in his foot and was expected to have surgery this week, per Paul Suellentrop of the Wichita Eagle.
19. Vanderbilt Commodores
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The chance to lose on national television
There's no such thing as bad publicity, right?
Vanderbilt might have lost to Kansas in Wednesday's Maui Invitational, but the Commodores turned heads with their performance over the three-day tournament. The Internet age has helped spread the news that Vandy has its best team in years, but nothing can compensate for national TV exposure, even in a loss.
“Not sure KU fans realize it but that was a great win for the Jayhawks,” Bleacher Report's Jason King tweeted. “Vandy is a damn good team. I'll be voting them in my top 10 next week.”
The Commodores didn't trail in the tourney until a few minutes into the second half against Kansas, easily beating St. John's and Wake Forest along the way. They can build off this performance to be a serious challenger to Kansas in the SEC.
18. Connecticut Huskies
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The graduate transfer rule
Players who complete their undergraduate degree at one school but still have eligibility left are allowed to transfer to another school without having to sit out a year. In theory, the NCAA has made this possible for players who are interested in pursuing a second degree, but it's really just a loophole that has enabled free agency in college basketball.
Say what you will about the rule, but Connecticut absolutely loves it.
The Huskies picked up two major pieces for the 2015-16 season off the graduate transfer wire, getting forward Shonn Miller from Cornell and Sterling Gibbs from Seton Hall. Miller might have stayed at his own school, but he sat out a season and the Ivy League doesn't allow redshirting, so in order to play this final year, he had to go elsewhere.
Miller and Gibbs combined for 24 points in Wednesday's win over Michigan in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Miller is scoring 12.8 points per game, while Gibbs is pouring in 14.5 points per game.
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
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Demetrius Jackson learned from the best
The graduation of star point guard Jerian Grant was the biggest hit to Notre Dame after reaching the Elite Eight last season, but there was hope Demetrius Jackson would be able to help fill the void. So far, so good.
The junior guard is averaging a team-best 20.7 points and 5.0 assists while shooting 60 percent overall and 40 percent from three-point range. The Fighting Irish haven't faced anyone tough yet through a 3-0 start, but that should change this weekend when they play either Dayton or Iowa during the second day of the Advocare Invitational in Orlando.
Jackson averaged 12.4 points and 3.1 assists last season, playing either alongside Grant or in his place. That experience seems to be paying off.
16. Purdue Boilermakers
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Big men who can ball
They don't have the same notoriety as Gonzaga's frontcourt triplets, but Purdue's trio of big men—7-footers Isaac Haas and A.J. Hammons and 6'9” freshman Caleb Swanigan—give it the most imposing frontcourt in the Big Ten. And in a league where banging around and getting dirty tends to produce results, the Boilermakers are set up for success.
Hammons, a senior, missed Purdue's first two games but since returning has averaged 11 points and 5.3 rebounds in just 17.7 minutes per game. He's shooting 60.9 percent from the field, up from 54 percent a year ago.
Sophomore Haas, who is 7'2”, leads the team at 13.2 points per game with 6.8 rebounds and a whopping 76.7 field-goal shooting percentage. And Swanigan, one of the top prospects from the 2015 class, has been impressive with 10.2 points and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per game so far.
15. Miami (Florida) Hurricanes
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It's Puerto Rican roots
Miami was unranked to start the 2015-16 season, but a great first two weeks resulted in the program's highest ranking ever in the month of November. The Hurricanes are 5-0 after rolling through the field at the Puerto Rico Shootout, beating Butler and Utah in the process.
The trip was a homecoming for Miami's top player, senior guard Angel Rodriguez, a Puerto Rican native who played high school ball in South Florida but opted to sign with Kansas State instead of stay nearby. He transferred from there after the 2012-13 season, sat out a year and then had an up-and-down season with the 'Canes.
It's been much more consistent this fall, with Rodriguez averaging 12.8 points and 4.6 assists while shooting 42.2 percent. He was a 33.7 percent shooter last season but was 6-of-10 for 19 points in the Puerto Rico Shootout title game.
14. California Golden Bears
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Cuonzo Martin's recruiting skills
California had some pretty good teams under Mike Montgomery between 2008-14, but those were more the result of coaching than pure talent. Cuonzo Martin is no slouch as a teacher and tutor, though so far, it's been his ability to lure some high-profile prospects to Berkeley that's drawn him the most praise.
The Golden Bears are a trendy Final Four pick this season despite not making the NCAA tournament the past two years. That's because of the presence of freshmen Jaylen Brown and Ivan Rabb, both of whom were among the top seven players in 247Sports' composite rankings for 2015.
Through four games (all wins), this duo has combined to score 28.3 points per game along with 15.8 rebounds. Rabb is also shooting 61.5 percent and has 12 blocked shots.
13. Indiana Hoosiers
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Tom Crean is at or near the top of almost every list of coaches on the hot seat in college basketball, despite having one of his most talented teams yet at Indiana. The way that group performed in the Maui Invitational didn't help Crean's reputation or resume, which after going 1-2 with losses to Wake Forest and UNLV makes him 125-113 in seven-plus seasons.
The Hoosiers usually play nearly all of their nonconference games in Bloomington, the exception being for one-off neutral-site games or road trips mandated by their involvement in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The last time they'd played three straight away from Assembly Hall came last December and January, when a game in New York City and then two straight conference road games resulted in a similar 1-2 performance.
They were 5-10 in non-home games last season.
Indiana plays five of the next six at home, though in the middle is a trip to Duke on Wednesday as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.
12. Virginia Cavaliers
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An early loss to provide perspective
Virginia did not suffer its first loss of the 2014-15 season until Jan. 31, in its 20th game. Before that, there were a few close calls but nothing that warranted a change in approach until Duke beat the Cavaliers on their home court.
That first setback—and all that can be learned from it—came much quicker this time around. Virginia's 73-68 loss at George Washington on Nov. 16 served as the one of the first major upsets of the season in college basketball, though GW is likely to get ranked before too long.
That loss opened Virginia's eyes about some things, such as how its defensive approach might not be as effective with the more wide-open game of 2015-16. And point guard London Perrantes realized he needs to be more involved in the offense beyond running it. The junior responded with three straight double-digit scoring games to help the Cavs roll to the Charleston Classic title.
11. Arizona Wildcats
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Home cooking
Duke won its 119th consecutive nonconference home game on Wednesday, but the Blue Devils lose on occasion to league opponents at Cameron Indoor Stadium, including once last season. Arizona hasn't been on the short end of a score in McKale Center, regardless of the opponent, in almost three years.
The Wildcats' 41-game home-court win streak is the longest in the country, dating back to February 2013. They've won their four games this season by an average of 19.8 points, allowing just over 60 per contest.
Arizona will get an even greater appreciation of how important the home court is next month when it visits Gonzaga, which won 41 straight home games before falling to BYU last February.
No. 10 Gonzaga Bulldogs
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No more temporary courts (after this weekend)
Gonzaga will have plenty of bumps and bruises—not to mention a ton of frequent-flier miles—from the start of this season, which has taken the team to Asia and the Bahamas in the first three weeks. As fun as such trips are, the quality of the games gets compromised when they're not played in standard basketball arenas.
The Bulldogs' opener against Pittsburgh, played inside a humid military base rec center in Okinawa, was canceled at halftime because of unsafe conditions. Players were constantly slipping during the first half because the lack of air conditioning led to constant moisture on the court.
The playing surface at the Battle 4 Atlantis isn't dangerous, per se, but it's not ideal when the court is on top of carpet in what's essentially a converted ballroom at a casino resort.
Once Gonzaga gets home, it will be playing strictly in basketball facilities, either its home court or those of opponents where basketball is the primary use.
No. 9 North Carolina Tar Heels
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The impending return of Marcus Paige
When North Carolina announced at the beginning of this month that senior guard Marcus Paige had a broken bone in his right (shooting) hand, the team could have gone one of two ways: The Tar Heels could react as if having their best player meant they weren't capable of winning without him, or they could use his absence as an opportunity to become more well-rounded.
It's been a little of both, actually. Paige's absence was very much felt when then-No. 1 UNC lost at Northern Iowa on Saturday, blowing a 16-point second-half lead that likely wouldn't have happened with its leader available. But a few days later, the Heels trailed Kansas State in the CBE Classic final in Kansas City yet rallied to win 80-70.
“If North Carolina becomes the kind of team coach Roy Williams believes it can, if the Tar Heels end their season in early April in Houston, at the Final Four, they might well remember a November night in Kansas City as a defining, forging moment,” Andrew Carter of the News & Observer wrote.
Paige is on track to return next week, and that will provide a huge boost. But if he struggles or has any setbacks, at least UNC knows the rest of the team can win without him.
No. 8 Villanova Wildcats
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Its conference mates are bumping up the league's resume
Villanova has won the regular-season title both years since the new version of the Big East debuted, an impressive feat that led to the Wildcats getting high seeds in the 2014 and 2015 NCAA tournaments. The Wildcats won a combined 62 games in those two seasons, yet they were knocked out in the third round of the NCAA tourney each time.
A lack of quality competition during the league schedule (as well as during the preseason) was identified as a reason Villanova hasn't been able to parlay regular-season success into postseason performance. The Wildcats addressed this with a much tougher non-league slate in 2015-16, with upcoming games against Stanford, Oklahoma and Virginia, but they have no control over the strength of the Big East.
Villanova is in luck, though. Several Big East teams have already recorded big wins this season, with Marquette knocking off LSU en route to the Legends Classic title and Xavier going to Michigan and claiming victory.
No. 7 Oklahoma Sooners
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Buddy Hield decided to come back
Oklahoma would have still be a good team this season without Hield, the reigning Big 12 Player of the Year, but his return for a senior season is among the many reasons the Sooners are a legitimate threat to Kansas' long reign in the Big 12.
And though it's early, Hield is showing that he plans to make his swan song count.
The 6'4" guard is averaging 25.7 points per game, a rate that likely won't be able to be maintained once Oklahoma starts playing tougher opponents—such as Wisconsin this weekend, and Villanova next month—but for now it's looking pretty great. He opened the season with a 30-point performance in the win at Memphis and is shooting 56.8 percent overall and 57.9 percent from three-point range.
Hield was only a 41.2 percent shooter last season, when he helped Oklahoma make the Sweet 16.
No. 6 Duke Blue Devils
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Humble pie
Duke tends to steamroll the vast majority of the teams it plays during the pre-ACC portion of its schedule, games that allow the team to build confidence and develop into the kind of unit Mike Krzyzewski can get in place for a national title run. Last year, the Blue Devils went 12-0 in November and December, with three 10-point victories serving as their closest contests.
Not so this opening month. Though Duke is 5-1 it has been tested in each of the last four games, starting with an 11-point loss to Kentucky in the Champions Classic. It had to fight tooth and nail to beat VCU and Georgetown in the 2K Classic in New York City, and then on Wednesday, it trailed almost the entire half at home to Yale before waking up to win 80-61.
This less-than-impressive start for Duke can actually pay off in the long run, particularly if the heralded freshman class takes from this that things won't just be handed to them. Laura Keeley of the News & Observer tweeted that Krzyzewski “thinks that it's going to take a while to get everyone going at the same time.”
No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks
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The NCAA finally acted
Cheick Diallo was Kansas' top recruit in the 2015 class, a 6'9” forward who was coveted by numerous big-name programs for his length, athleticism and amazing abilities as a rebounder and shot-blocker. But questions about his coursework at a prep school in New York—as well as before he arrived in the country from Mali—caused the NCAA to drag its feet in determining his eligibility for this season.
The NCAA finally made a determination on Wednesday, and it was a vague one. Diallo has been cleared and will be eligible to play on Tuesday against Loyola (Maryland).
“Based on the amateurism review, the NCAA concluded that Diallo received a limited amount of extra benefits,” per the NCAA's Web site, though it didn't detail what those benefits were.
Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star reported those benefits were $165 that Diallo received from the man who would become his legal guardian in the weeks before that became official.
Though the Jayhawks would have loved to have him from the start of this season, especially for their loss to Michigan State on Nov. 17, this is better than not having him at all.
No. 4 Iowa State Cyclones
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Their new coach is letting them play
Steve Prohm didn't exactly inherit a tough situation when taking over the Iowa State job from Fred Hoiberg this spring. If anything, it might be a little too easy so far.
The Cyclones bring back some of the best talent in the country, which is why the loss of a coach such as Hoiberg didn't affect their preseason ranking. To this point, they've gone 3-0, with only the opening win over Colorado (in Sioux Falls, South Dakota) serving as anything close to a challenge.
Though for the most part Prohm has let Iowa State's veteran lineup do its thing to this point, he has infused some of his influence on the team. Joseph Nardone of TodaysU.com noted that Prohm has pushed for more aggressiveness from senior guard Nazareth Mitrou-Long, who leads the team in scoring at 17 points per game after being at 10.1 last season.
“It isn’t as if he is only helping guide the ship Hoiberg built,” Nardone wrote. “Prohm has added his own decks to it.”
No. 3 Michigan State Spartans
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Plenty of early challenges
Tom Izzo is a master of getting his team prepared for the NCAA tournament, something we saw last season when Michigan State suddenly went from a shaky team during much of the regular season to a Final Four participant. If the same thing happens in 2015-16, it will be because the Spartans aren't afraid to play quality opponents in the nonconference slate.
Sure, MSU has some softies on the slate, having beat Florida Atlantic, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Eastern Michigan by an average of 32.3 points, but it's also faced (and beat) Kansas in the Champions Classic. It could face Arizona or Providence in this weekend's Wooden Legacy, and there are remaining games with Louisville and Florida before getting into Big Ten play.
No. 2 Maryland Terrapins
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Melo Trimble wasn't a one-and-done player
Nearly all of the top freshmen from the 2014-15 season are either in the NBA or trying to pursue a pro career instead of playing a second year in college. It's a reality we have to accept, though we don't have to like it.
And it means when a talented youngster such as Melo Trimble decides to stick around, it's worth celebrating.
Though Trimble wasn't projected as a high pick—not that such a thing has stopped some over the years—the fact he decided to return to Maryland for his sophomore year was huge. It's a big reason the Terrapins began this season ranked so high, and he's also been integral as to why the Terps have been able to weather some challenges in the first few weeks.
The 6'3” guard had 18 points, six rebounds and four assists in Wednesday's 86-63 win over Rhode Island in the Cancun Challenge final.
No. 1 Kentucky Wildcats
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A mention on almost every prospect's list of finalists
The early signing period for college basketball has come and gone, and it might seem like a broken record, but Kentucky is sitting atop the recruiting rankings.
Shocking, we know.
The Wildcats signed five five-star prospects for 2016, per 247Sports. That includes two of the top five players in the country (guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk) and a trio of power forwards (Edrice Adebayo, Wenyen Gabriel and Sacha Killeya-Jones).
Kentucky isn't done, though. It's chasing after several other uncommitted players and figures to have a good shot at all of them. John Calipari doesn't always get his guys, but he's a perpetual finalist for them all.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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