Biggest Surprises of the 2020-21 Men's College Basketball Season

Though the 2020-21 men's college basketball season is only two weeks old, a handful of teams around the country have demanded some attention for better-than-expected starts.

While it's reasonable to share criticisms in a small sample size, the focus of the list is positive early surprises.

One important note: Highlighting any team doesn't mean we expect the program to thrive all year. In some cases, that might happen! West Virginia, for example, is typically a strong team. Nevertheless, it's simply a nod to early accomplishments.

Consensus expectations—though imperfect—help guide the list, which is subjective and in no particular order.

San Francisco Shocks Virginia

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

To some degree, Virginia's historic loss to UMBC in the 2018 NCAA tournament numbs the significance of this result. While understandable, that shouldn't ruin San Francisco's moment.

Not since 1981 had the program defeated a Top Five team. Two days prior to facing Virginia, the Dons lost to UMass Lowell.

This was an incredible accomplishment.

Jamaree Bouyea netted 19 points and dished two pivotal late assists for the Dons, who buried 13 triples while holding the Cavaliers to only three. Virginia's Sam Hauser had a decent look at the buzzer but missed a potential game-winning three.

"This win for the program is really, really big for us," Bouyea said, per Pat Eaton-Robb of the Associated Press. "I've been here for four years, and this is probably the best team I've played in four years. To beat them and just have an amazing performance is wonderful."

Clemson Picks Up 2 Quality Wins

Keith Srakocic/Associated Press

Note of caution: As we're about 14 days into the campaign, don't be invested in quadrants and rankings. Using past seasons as a guide, though, Clemson has padded its resume so far.

On consecutive days, Brad Brownell's team toppled Mississippi State and Purdue at a neutral site. Those are notable because Mississippi State has three 20-win seasons in a row, and Purdue had five straight NCAA tournament trips before a rough 2019-20.

Simply for reference, per WarrenNolan.com, Clemson managed three Quadrant I victories last season. This could be two.

Given the strength of the ACC, the Tigers will have plenty of chances for marquee wins. But stacking a resume in nonconference play is always a good thing.

West Virginia Raising Its Stock

Josh Jurgens/Associated Press

Moral victories aren't as enjoyable as actual wins, but West Virginia turned some heads in a loss to top-ranked Gonzaga. The Mountaineers led for a hefty portion of the game, basically only fading after Oscar Tshiebwe fouled out.

That encouraging performance came after WVU earned quality wins over South Dakota State, VCU and Western Kentucky.

Now, this probably doesn't feel dramatic. When you think of a surprise, you're likely hoping for something bigger.

However, the Mountaineers have picked off some quality teams and legitimately competed with the national-title favorite. Post players Derek Culver and Tshiebwe have provided the counterpunch WVU desperately needs, given its three-point inconsistencies.

Baylor and Kansas are the deserving Big 12 favorites, but West Virginia looks capable of competing at that level.

San Diego State's Fluid Transition

Gregory Bull/Associated Press

After posting a 30-2 record last year, San Diego State lost All-American guard Malachi Flynn and key seniors KJ Feagin and Yanni Wetzell. Though the Aztecs returned Matt Mitchell, that trifecta keyed their run to a likely top-two seed in March Madness.

We're not saying SDSU is better in 2020-21. So far, however, the Aztecs have hardly played any worse.

They opened with a 15-point victory over No. 22 UCLA and smacked Big West favorite UC Irvine by 19 points. While building a 4-0 mark, Brian Dutcher's team allowed just 54.3 points per game.

San Diego State entered the year as a top Mountain West contender, but this start has only raised optimism for the Aztecs.

Virginia Tech's 4-0 Start

Jessica Hill/Associated Press

Are we buying the Hokies? Probably not! Most recently, the Hokies struggled to put away SoCon foe VMI.

But again, this is a snapshot of early results. Thanks to an overtime win against No. 3 Villanova, Virginia Tech boasts one of the most impressive upsets of the season. (Incidentally, the Hokies defeated third-ranked Michigan State last year, too.)

As a result, Virginia Tech has soared from unranked and unnoticed to 16th in the latest AP Top 25.

While sustaining the hot start will be challenging in a tough ACC, the Hokies have a star in junior forward Keve Aluma. He's averaged 17.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks so far.

Texas Might Actually Be Back

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

During a 13-season span from 1999 to 2011, Texas landed a top-eight seed in the NCAA tournament. Since then, the Longhorns have managed five March Madness berths—including three as a double-digit seed—and were on the bubble last year.

In short: Shaka Smart's tenure hasn't gone as hoped. But the Longhorns might finally be rounding the corner.

Texas returned the entire rotation and added 5-star forward Greg Brown, who's made an immediate impact with 8.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Led by Matt Coleman III at 16.4 points per game, five players are averaging eight-plus points.

And the Longhorns aren't simply beating bad teams. They've already beaten Davidson, Indiana and North Carolina behind a defense that ranks No. 2 nationally, per KenPom.com. Plus, there's hardly any shame in a four-point loss to Villanova.

If you're hesitant to completely buy Texas, recent history tells you it's understandable. But this roster looks different.