Kansas Basketball: Rock Chalk

I haven’t seen a more impressive team this season than Kansas.

Coach Bill Self’s squad lost Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich and hasn’t skipped a beat.

The Morris twins are proving to be a load in the paint. Marcus and Markieff are averaging 30 points and 15 rebounds between the two of them and in Monday's game against Baylor, they were unstoppable.

Kansas has also been getting good guard play. Tyshawn Taylor held down the fort for the beginning of the season, but now Josh Selby is in the fold giving them another dimension.

Selby is explosive and can create his own shot and shots for his teammates. The athletic freshman out of Baltimore is hell in Nikes and will burn the Big XII up this year.

Stock Up: San Diego St. The Aztecs have run roughshod over their competition this year.

With wins over Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, Wichita St., UNLV and New Mexico, the Aztecs have a very impressive resume.

Kawhi Leonard, D.J. Gay and Malcolm Thomas are three of the best players in the nation and come March, everyone will become acquainted with them.

Stock Down: Sun Belt. Sun Belt officials tried to come up with strategies to increase at-large bid opportunities for the conference.

What’s transpired has been a failure on all levels. The conference has underachieved mightily, with no team being more disappointing than Western Kentucky.

The Hilltoppers went down to the San Juan Shootout hoping to get some quality wins and came back 1-2 with a loss to Davidson. The rest of the conference hasn’t been much better as it is ranked 26 out 31 conferences in RPI.

Looks like it might be time to look over the plan for the conference again.

Stock Up: Xavier. It’s almost to the point where it’s like death and taxes with the Musketeers.

We shouldn’t be surprised to see them atop the Atlantic-10 again. Year after year, they contend for the title and it looks like this year will be no different.

They bounced back nicely after their loss to Cincinnati by winning their first three conference games.

With a trip to St. Bonaventure followed by two home games, the Musketeers can really distance themselves.

Stock Down: Auburn. How can a BCS conference team be so bad? I know people may be asking if I’ve seen Depaul play.

Yes, I have seen him live and they’d mop the floor with Auburn. How the Tigers beat Florida State is beyond me, but they’re already 0-3 in league play and it can get really ugly down the stretch.

Thank God for football.

This Week’s Bracket Projections:

Last Four In: Marquette, Butler, Cincinnati, Miami (FL)
Last Four Out: Memphis, New Mexico, Dayton, UCLA

Good for games through 1/17

SOUTHWEST

1. Kansas 16. Northern Colorado/Morgan St Tulsa

8. North Carolina 9. Tennessee

5. Wisconsin 12. Xavier Tampa

4. West Virginia 13. James Madison

6. Louisville 11. Utah St Chicago

3. Purdue 14. Vermont

7. Washington 10. Gonzaga Washington, DC

2. Connecticut 15. Bucknell

WEST

1. Duke 16. Austin Peay Charlotte

8. Vanderbilt 9. Missouri St

5. Minnesota 12. Cincinnati/Butler Chicago
4. Missouri 13. Oakland

6. Colorado 11. Old Dominion Denver

3. Villanova 14. Coastal Carolina

7. St. John’s 10. Boston College Tucson

2. San Diego St 15. Chattanooga

SOUTHEAST

1. Pittsburgh 16. Long Island Cleveland

8. St. Mary’s 9. Oklahoma St

5. Florida 12. Southern Mississippi Tampa

4. Michigan St 13. Ball St

6. Illinois 11. Miami(FL)/Marquette Denver

3. BYU 14. Belmont

7. Arizona 10. Wichita St Tulsa

2. Texas A&M 15. Long Beach St

EAST

1. Ohio St 16. McNeese St/Jackson St Cleveland

8. Temple 9. Georgia

5. Notre Dame 12. Harvard Tucson

4. Texas 13. Valparaiso

6. Georgetown 11. Florida St Charlotte

3. Kentucky 14. Iona

7. UNLV 10. UCF Washington, DC

2. Syracuse 15. Florida Atlantic

In Graphical Form