By: Spencer McCraw

For his entire life, Dan Hurley has been chasing something, always overshadowed and overlooked. As the son of one of the greatest high school basketball coaches ever and the brother to a two-time national champion in Bobby, the littlest Hurley has always been hungry to create his own legacy. 

Now in his thirteenth season as a head coach, he has done just that. Hurley has done something that neither his father nor his brother have accomplished: coaching their team to a national title. 

Not only has he reached the mountaintop in only his fifth season as the head coach of UConn, but he has also restored national prominence to one of the most proud and celebrated college basketball programs of the last two decades. 

After Jim Calhoun retired following the 2012 season, there was a sharp decline in the level of output by the Huskies (Yes, Kevin Ollie did win a title in 2014, but those were mainly Calhoun’s players). Because of this, Dan Hurley was called upon in 2018 to revitalize this historic program, and slowly he enacted change.

Hurley’s energy and unrelenting pursuit of perfection attracted players like James Bouknight and Tyrese Martin, which has helped to completely change the culture. Hurley now has a national title under his belt and the no. 4 overall recruiting class coming this summer, so it is safe to say the Huskies are back. 

When Dan Hurley came to Storrs, CT, he had a vision. Now, that vision has come to fruition. Hurley envisioned a team that defended, pushed the tempo, and most importantly, hustled. For most of this year – other than a stretch in January – his Huskies did just that. 

UConn dominated their non conference schedule, starting the season 11-0. This was when the rest of the country started to take notice of the Huskies, as they shot up from unranked to the no. 2 overall seed in the AP Poll.

The national attention and high seeding made the Huskies veer away from their identity at the start of Big East play, losing six of eight games at one point. Jim Calhoun and Dan Hurley both agree that this was the best thing that could have happened to the players. This stretch of losses allowed the Huskies to realize who they were, but more importantly who they weren’t. Without this stretch, says Calhoun, they would have not made it deep into March. 

The Huskies rolled through the rest of the year, only losing two games and ultimately lifting the trophy in Houston. The common theme during UConn’s run in March was utter domination. Not a single team had an answer for what Hurley tossed at them, winning every game by double digits. This run through the tournament was reminiscent of 2021 Baylor and 2018 Villanova – two of the most dominant teams in the last decade. 

No matter how the rest of Dan’s career goes, he has created his own legacy. Bobby’s little brother has taken hold of the Hurley name and has written his own chapter to ensure that they will be cemented as one of the greatest basketball families of all time. From Bob – the high school coach – to Bobby – the college point guard – and now to Dan – the college coach – all three have climbed to the top in their own way. 

The culture shift that Hurley brought about in Storrs will ensure that the Huskies will stay near the top.

By: Spencer McCraw

It’s February now, and it’s starting to feel like every game is a must win as the top teams race to the top of the Big East. Right now Xavier and Marquette both sit atop the league with 11-2 in conference records, while Providence (9-3) and Creighton (9-3) are right on their heels. With eight games to go, let’s take a look at who’s trending in the right direction. 

Xavier

No Zach Freemantle, no problem. With the centerpiece of Sean Miller’s offense out for at least a month with a left foot injury, there are a lot of questions surrounding the team going forward. If their overtime victory over no. 17 Providence is any sign of things to come, then the Musketeers will be just fine. 

The other stars stepped up in a big way to fill the void left by Freemantle. Jack Nunge, Souley Boum and Colby Jones looked otherworldly, as they willed their team to the win at the Cintas Center – each going for 20 points. A 25-point drubbing over a struggling St. John’s yesterday only helps the case that the Musketeers may weather the storm of Big East play.

Xavier has one of the easiest remaining schedules in the conference, so they should be able to hold their position atop the conference even with the absence of one half of their dynamic duo in the frontcourt.

Next Wednesday’s match at no. 14 Marquette has game-of-the-year potential written all over it, as two of the most prolific offenses in the country will face off against each other. 

Marquette 

I’d like to issue a formal apology to Tyler Kolek. I egregiously omitted him off of the Big East Player of the Year list.

That was a mistake. 

During the Golden Eagle’s current five game win streak, Kolek has been averaging 16.6 ppg and 7.6 apg. Over the past two weeks, there haven’t been many players in the country that have been playing better than the sophomore guard. 

Even as the highest ranked team in the conference – currently boasting the number one offense in the country – Marquette still feels underrated. If that is somehow possible, I implore you to buy stock now. This is a well-rounded team being coached by one of the nation’s best, and they are poised to make a deep run into March. 

I would say that this team – out of any in the conference – has the best chance to represent the Big East in Houston. 

Providence 

Ed Cooley’s done it again. The Grit and Grind Friars are sitting one game back from first place in the conference and could easily make a charge for back-to-back regular season titles. Wednesday’s two-point overtime loss to Xavier was a tough loss, but there is a lot to build on from it as well. 

Ed Croswell was able to be the bully down low that he can be every game – bringing home 21 points and nine rebounds. Noah Locke also provided pivotal scoring – adding 22 points. 

Jared Bynum has been a key factor as of late. Coming off the bench, the senior guard provides much needed veteran leadership and efficient scoring. His second half eruption of 17 points against Villanova shows just how impactful he can be. 

Cooley is better than almost any coach in the nation at getting his guys to buy into his message. Culture is everything at Providence, and the way the Friars have been playing recently gives me hope that they’ll be able to repeat their success from last season. 

Creighton

This might be the most dangerous team in the country right now. After falling off the map early, the Bluejays were able to retool and get healthy away from the national spotlight, which has helped them tremendously. 

Their dismantling of Xavier last Saturday was a prime example of what Creighton is capable of night in and night out. Everyone of the starters scored in double figures – with a near triple double from Nembhard. They played fast, smart, and physically, which is what Coach McDermott wants to see from his team. A five-point win over Villanova yesterday has now given them six straight in Big East play – a bad sign for the rest of the conference.

If they are able to keep playing at this level, then the Bluejays are going to be a TERRIFYING seven seed in the big dance. 

UConn

Remember when they were no. 2? That felt like a completely different team than the one we’re seeing now. While the regular season crown is out of the question for the Huskies, I still have faith that this team will be able to catch fire at the Garden and may be able to steal the tournament title. 

However, they were tied with 6-18 Georgetown at half yesterday.

Seton Hall

It’s a long shot, but man wouldn’t it be cool to see the Pirates make a charge in the Big East tournament in order to secure a bid for the Big Dance?

By: Spencer McCraw

There have been many great players this year in the Big East. The preseason choice for Player of the Year was Creighton’s Ryan Kalkbrenner, then UConn’s Adama Sanogo put his name in the conversation; now, Xavier’s Souley Boum is leading the charge. Let’s take a look at some of the players controlling the Player of the Year race. 

Souley Boum

Souley Boum has been around for a long time. As a matter of fact, this is the third Division 1 team that he has been on. In his five seasons in college, he has been a consistently efficient scorer. This year, though, has been his first opportunity to show it to the country on the biggest stage. Boum has been the leader for Sean Miller’s thirteenth ranked Musketeers, as he has currently averages 16.6 ppg, 5.1 apg, and 4.2 rpg. Boum’s production has been a big reason why Xavier has been able to earn their 16-4 record. 

One of Boum’s biggest games this season came on January 11, 2023, when a desperate Creighton squad tried to steal a game at the Cintas Center. Not wanting to relent while riding a nine game winning streak, Boum was able to win the game for Xavier, as he scored 26 points, dished out eight assists, and grabbed five rebounds. Boum was also able to score the Musketeers last six points en route to their 90-87 victory over the Bluejays. 

Oh, and he also poured in 21 last night in an 82-79 win over UConn in Storrs.

With the level of consistency at which Boum – and Xavier as a whole – has been playing for the whole season, I do not think it is out of the question to say that he is currently the favorite to win Big East Player of the Year. If Xavier ends up winning the regular season title and finishes in the top-ten, then I think Boum has the award locked up. 

Bryce Hopkins

Is there a player that has benefited more from the changing transfer landscape of college basketball than Providence’s Bryce Hopkins? Last season he came to Kentucky as a top-35 recruit, yet he found the floor for only 6.5 minutes per game. Obviously upset with his lack of play with his level of talent, Hopkins decided to take his talents to Rhode Island to play for the reigning National Coach of the Year, Ed Cooley. 

Playing in a brand new system in his sophomore season, Hopkins has been able to increase his output from 2.1 ppg and 1.4 rpg to 16.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg. Hopkins has been the driving factor behind the success of this year’s Friars squad. 

December 20, 2022 was the day that the country took note of Providence. On that day, then-no. 24 Marquette came to the AMP and the Friars took them to two overtimes, ultimately winning, 103-98. In this statement win, Hopkins was able to bring in a monstrous 29 points and 23 rebounds. 

A second massive game for Hopkins came on January 4, 2023, when he poured in 27 points and five rebounds in a 73-61 victory over then-no. 4 UConn. These outputs have been the norm for Hopkins, as he has built one of the most impressive Big East POY resumes.

Currently, his Friars are sitting at no. 23 and looking to rise higher; if they are eventually able to remain at the top, then he will be able to compete with anyone for the award.

Adama Sanogo

For much of this season, UConn’s Adama Sanogo has been the favorite for Big East POY – for good reason. During the Huskies hot 14-0 start, Sanogo was equally as hot – averaging 17.9 ppg and 6.8 rpg. Even with his team dropping five out of their next seven games, Sanogo was able to keep up his pace – keeping his play at a similar level. 

Winning the Phil Knight 85 Tournament in the beginning of the season was what put the Huskies on the map. Arguably the most important game during the tournament (and maybe even one of the best resume wins in the country) came in UConn’s semifinal matchup against Alabama. In this game, Sanogo proved why he deserved to be in the conversation for POY, as he brought home 25 points, four rebounds, and two blocks in UConn’s 82-67 win over the now-no. 2 team in the country. 

Sanogo has been nothing but consistent and dominant throughout UConn’s wild ride this season. He has been the best player on one of the best teams in the country. If he is able to help the Huskies turn their skid around, then he will be in a great position to secure the award.  

Joel Soriano 

St John’s has had a rather volatile season, but the one consistent thing has surely been Joel Soriano. The Johnnies started the season 11-1 and then lost five in a row to start Big East play. Throughout all of this, though, Soriano managed to average 16.5 ppg and 12.1 rpg (having recorded a double-double in all but three games this season). 

After dropping their first five in conference games, the Red Storm were able to pick up two huge wins, including one at then-no. 6 UConn. In this game, Soriano was able to pour in 19 points and 13 rebounds, while also holding Sanogo below his average. All of this contributed to St. John’s handing the Huskies their first and only loss on their home court this season. 

Although Soriano has been one of the more dominant players in the conference, he probably will not win the award because of the Johnnies’ inconsistent play. If St John’s had continued their winning ways during Big East play, then he would be further up in this discussion.

This will be a close race between all of these great players. Sanogo will probably come out as the betting favorite, but I would say that Souley Boum should win this award. Based on his overall body of work – along with what Xavier has accomplished this season – I think he has shown that he is the Player of the Year in the Big East.

By: Spencer McCraw

It’s been a wild year in the Big East. There have been six teams ranked in the top-25 and right now they have four – the second most of any league in the country. Let’s see how all of the teams stack up against each other. 

Tier 1:

Xavier

Is there a better, more balanced starting five in the country? The front court is held down by Zach Freemantle and Jack Nunge, both of whom average 14 points and eight rebounds. In the back court, Sean Miller has Colby Jones (14.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, and 5.2 apg) and Big East Player of the Year candidate Souley Boum (16.6 ppg and 5.1 apg).

All of this together – along with Adam Kunkel off the bench – have allowed the Musketeers to possess the seventh-best offense according to KenPom. 

Sitting at no. 13 in the country, Sean Miller – a potential Coach of the Year candidate – is looking to lead his team far. Sure, they lost by one to DePaul, but this loss will help them in the long run. Their next three games are going to be a big test, as they face off against UConn, Creighton, and Providence.

If they can come away with two or even three wins during this stretch, they will be poised to make a deep run into March. 

Marquette

When Shaka Smart wins, we all win – and boy has he been winning. Sitting at 16-5 and boasting the no. 16 team in the land, the Golden Eagles are looking to make a big splash in postseason play. While they have won a lot of great games – including over UConn and Providence – the most impressive part may be that their biggest loss has only been by five points. As it sits now, the Golden Eagles have the top offense in the country, according to KenPom. 

Outside of their starting five, though, there are some serious holes with this team.

Shaka has coached his team well, as they don’t often find themselves in foul trouble. If they continue to play smart with the basketball and operate their offense well, there will not be many teams that can beat this team. Their only contest this week is against DePaul on Saturday. 

Providence 

For the second straight year, Ed Cooley has positioned himself as one of the top Coach of the Year candidates. This year, he has fully bought into the idea of the transfer portal – landing three of the nation’s top transfers in Bryce Hopkins, Devin Carter, and Noah Locke from Kentucky, South Carolina, and Louisville, respectively.

These three have been pivotal for this year’s Friars squad, as they have one of the best resumes in the Big East. 

This team has shown that they can compete with anyone in the conference, and they are looking to ride this high all the way into March. Look to see if no. 24 Providence can keep it rolling when they face off against Butler and Villanova this week. 

Tier 2:

UConn

Has there been a harder course correction this season than what has happened with the Huskies in the last three weeks? After starting the season 14-0, no. 19 UConn now sits at 16-5. I was very bullish on UConn in their out-of-conference play. In conference, though, they have been exposed.

No longer are they able to just beat the will to live out of their opponents. In-conference rivals have refused to give up – which is not what they were not prepared to face. A dominant game against Butler is hopefully a sign that they have gained their confidence back.

I think that this stretch of losses has come at a great time for the Huskies. They can take some time to breathe and regroup. Finish the season strong and head into the Big East Tournament playing your best basketball of the season. You never want to peak too early, and I believe that UConn has avoided that.

January 25th will be a massive test for them, as they host no. 13 Xavier. 

Creighton

What’d I say? Don’t count out a Greg McDermott coached Bluejays team. After starting 6-6, Creighton has fully turned around their season now that they are fully healthy. Their two losses after that were close losses to UConn and Xavier. Since their disappointing start while Kalkbrenner  was injured, the public has seemingly forgotten about Creighton. That is not smart.

I am sure that Coach McDermott is loving the lesser attention being brought to his team, as he knows that when they make the tournament, they will be a SCARY seven seed, poised to make a deep run. 

Tier 3:

Seton Hall

In his first season as the head coach of the Pirates, Shaheen Holloway has his team trending in the right direction. A one-point victory over UConn has them sitting as a bubble team right now for the tournament.

They have an easy stretch of games coming up, and if they are able to continue to win these games, win the ones against the top teams, and play well in the Big East Tournament, then they could break through that bubble. 

Villanova 

Are the ‘Cats one of the most disappointing teams in the country? Absolutely. After starting the seasons as the preseason no. 16, they now sit at 10-10 with some very questionable losses. They are coming off an easier stretch of games and finished 3-3 during it. Their next several games are going to be a big test for if they are able to make the tournament.

If they are going to play into the postseason, they need to steal some of these games against the top competition in the conference. The panic button should be fully pressed as they prepare for the end of the year.

Every game from here on out is a must win. 

St John’s

This season has been such a mixed bag for the Red Storm. For one, they started off 11-1 behind the monstrous play of big man Joel Soriano. After that, though, they have gone 2-6 in large part due to the disappointing play of Illinois transfer Andre Curbelo and Big East preseason first-teamer Posh Alexander.

Let’s see if Mike Anderson is able to find some consistency in his players. 

Tier 4:

Butler 

Injuries have derailed the first season for head coach Thad Matta. They have been a punching bag for the top teams as of late. 

DePaul

Great wins over Xavier and Villanova boost them up a tier. Still a very bad basketball team, though.

Tier 5:

Georgetown

Much like in the 80s – thanks to Patrick Ewing – the Hoyas are in a league of their own.

By: Spencer McCraw

If Tuesday night was any indication for what’s to come in college basketball, then Wednesday did nothing but prove to us how hectic these next two months will be. Out of the seven top-25 teams that played, only three (UVA, Marquette, and Auburn) held their ground against lower-ranked opponents. Let’s see what happened to the rest of the bunch.

UConn drops fifth game over their last six 

After the first week of the season, I asked a simple question about the Huskies: “What’s going on in Storrs, Connecticut?” After they started 14-0 and are now sitting at 15-5, I think it is necessary to ask that question again. What’s going on in Storrs, Connecticut?

It seems to me that this team plays the role of the hunter much better than they do the hunted. Sure, they’re a deep team, but they don’t really do one thing better than anybody. At the beginning of the season, this was a team that won by playing harder than their opponents.

They would out-rebound, create turnovers, and get out on the break to get easy shots. These opportunities would add up and the next thing you know, and they’re up by 15 – completely demolishing their opponents (they beat Alabama by 15)!

Now teams are giving the Huskies a taste of their own medicine. Teams are using their five man as a decoy with Adama Sanogo and are thus finding opportunities with their power forward in order to expose freshman forward Alex Karaban – who has been less than stellar with defending the post: look no further than St. Peter’s transfer KC Ndefo going for 14 and eight last night. 

UConn has to take a good, long look in the mirror and try to figure out what type of team they will be for the rest of the year. They are currently sitting at no. 15, but will likely fall to no. 22 – or even out of the top-25 – after all of these bad losses. They host Butler on Sunday in a big-time, must-win game. 

DePaul hands Xavier their first loss since December 

Sean Miller has his Musketeers sitting at no. 8 – one of the hottest teams in the country. Even with last night’s 73-72 loss to DePaul, Xavier still has one of the best resumes in all of college basketball. Before Wednesday night, they had three losses – all coming to top-12 teams at the time and by a total of 13 points.

Xavier were winners of 11 in a row, but a loss like this was bound to happen.

Xavier came into Wintrust Arena not ready to face off against a scrappy DePaul program. Xavier only shot 20% from three, while DePaul went an efficient 45%. The issue for Coach of the Year candidate Sean Miller was guard Souley Boum – who went for only four points on an abysmal one of 12 from the field. Boum has been the most consistent scorer for Miller, as he’s scored in double digits in all but two games (including last night) all year.

For a team that has serious depth issues, Boum not being able to provide on the offensive end really hurt them. The depth issues will be something to keep an eye on going forward. Xavier hosts Georgetown on Saturday. 

Enough about Xavier, though, let’s give credit to Tony Stubblefield – who had DePaul ready to play. Umoja Gibson showed how good he really is, as he went for 22 points and five assists in a massive game. This is a big momentum game for the Blue Demons, as they can take what they did well in this game and translate it to other Big East contests going forward.

Let’s see if they can keep humming against no. 22 Providence on Saturday. 

Other Headlines:

• Arkansas falls to 1-5 in SEC play, as Missouri gets revenge on their home court
• Mountaineers break the hearts of the Horned Frogs – who have now lost three of their last four
• Oklahoma State outlasts Oklahoma 72-56
• Nebraska hands Ohio State their fifth straight loss

By: Spencer McCraw

Over the last three years, the Southeastern Conference – a college football powerhouse – has risen to become one of the premier basketball conferences in the nation. Gone are the days of domination by Kentucky and Florida, though. This is a new breed of basketball that emphasizes physicality and electric home courts. Let’s see who’s the cream of the crop. 

Alabama: Can the Tide ride this hot wave into March?

Let’s cut right to the chase: Brandon Miller is the best freshman in the country – and it’s not even close. Miller has carried the Crimson Tide to the no. 4 ranking in the country all while averaging 19.1 points and 8.5 rebounds. Enjoy him while you can Tide fans, because Brandon Miller will be in the NBA next year – currently projected as the third overall pick. 

Outside of Miller – though – ‘Bama still has a great squad full of top-100 recruits. Junior guard Mark Sears has been a great second option to Miller, as he is averaging 14.7 points per game.

Saturday’s game against Kentucky was a prime example of this one-two punch, as Miller went for 19 and Sears had 16. In that game, Alabama blew out a struggling Kentucky team 78-52 – bringing the Tide another impressive victory on top of their previous ones over Michigan State, UNC, Gonzaga and Houston. 

Nate Oats has built a powerhouse in Tuscaloosa, and they will look to continue their winning ways as they travel to no. 15 Arkansas on Wednesday and host LSU on Saturday. 

Tennessee: The national title contender that no one is talking about 

When people talk about the best teams in the country, the conversation always revolves around Kansas, UConn, Purdue, Alabama and Houston. For some reason, Tennessee is always left out of that conversation. 

In his eighth season as the head coach of the Volunteers, Rick Barnes has one of his best squads so far. Sitting at 13-2, no. 5 Tennessee has dominated thus far in SEC play. On Saturday, The Vols traveled to South Carolina and left victorious –  dismantling the Gamecocks by a score of 85-42. 

What makes this team so hard to beat isn’t their ability to put the ball in the basket – though they can do that pretty well, too. To put it simply, Tennessee’s defense is scary. According to KenPom, their defense is the best in the land – and results like Saturday show why. 

Tennessee’s defense will always be there for them, but when they settle into their offense they become a near-impossible team to beat. If they can continue to average 75 points per game while holding their opponents to only 52, they’re going to go far. Don’t be surprised when the Vols are playing deep into March. 

Auburn: THE BEST home court in America 

I know in my Big Ten overview I talked about how important the RAC is to Rutgers, but I think other than maybe Allen Fieldhouse for Kansas, Neville Arena might be the best home court in the country. Right now, Auburn holds a 27-game home winning streak – good for the third longest in CBB.

That home court advantage was extremely noticeable on Saturday when the no. 21 Tigers tore apart no. 15 Arkansas, 72-59. Junior guard Wendell Green had his way against the Razorbacks defense, going for 19 points and five assists. The energy from the home crowd empowered unlikely heroes on Saturday, as Allen Flanigan went for 18 points and 8 rebounds. 

Since taking over the program in the 2014-15 season, Bruce Pearl has quickly turned Auburn from a football school to a basketball school. This is a team that can compete for an SEC – and even a national title – every year.

If the Tigers can keep riding their home court, then they will always have a shot to compete at the end of the season. Mark my words: sooner or later Bruce Pearl WILL raise a banner at Neville Arena. 

Arkansas: Injuries have plagued a very promising team  

Coming into the season, Arkansas boasted the second best recruiting class in the nation, so there have been high expectations for this young team. Not only does Arkansas have a top recruiting class, but they also have three players that will get drafted in this NBA draft (two are projected in the top-10). 

However, Nick Smith – the projected seventh pick – has been battling a knee injury for the past month and will not return to the lineup until February. In games in which he played a full game, Smith is averaging 16 points per game. 

Sophomore Trevon Brazile is another player that the Razorbacks are greatly missing at the moment. Brazile was a little sporadic in his scoring, but, when he had it on, could go for 20 at a moment’s notice. An ACL injury has Brazile sidelined for the rest of the year. 

Ricky Council and Anthony Black – averaging 18.1 and 12.5 points per game, respectively –  are the two stars who are leading the team in the absences of Smith and Brazile. 

Even with these two injuries, Arkansas is still sitting at no. 15 and looking to compete in SEC play. Wednesday will be a massive test for the Razorbacks, as no. 4 Alabama comes into Fayetteville. 

Missouri: Hey, we’re ranked too!

After they got dismantled by Kansas on their home court, Dennis Gates and his Missouri Tigers had to take a good long look in the mirror and figure out what type of a team they wanted to be. Since that loss the Tigers have had some great wins at Illinois and against Kentucky. 

From the top down, this team is loaded with experience. There are only two underclassmen on the entire roster, and the rest are either fourth year Tigers or multiple time transfers.

More times than not in this era of college basketball, the fourth or fifth year transfer is FAR more valuable than a promising freshman, and the Missouri Tigers are a prime example of that. 

Seniors D’Moi Hodge and Kobe Brown are leading the offense, as they both provide 15 points per game. Thanks to contributions by these two, Dennis Gates – in his first season as the head coach of the Tigers – has turned around this program to now be sitting at no. 20.

Much like what’s going on at Kansas State with Jerome Tang, this Tigers team is an experienced group of guys – looking to go far with their young head coach. 

How do you win in this conference? Protect your home court, try to steal a road victory and prepare for the bloodbath that will occur at the SEC Tournament in Nashville. One of these five teams will make it out and will be poised to make a deep run in the Big Dance. 

By: Spencer McCraw

Due to the state of college basketball today with NIL deals and the ease of the transfer portal, parity exists at a higher level than any year prior. This trend is no different in the Big Ten. Sure, Purdue is at the top of the conference, but it doesn’t really feel like they have a controlling grip of it.

There is a lot that has happened, from the disappointments of Illinois and Iowa to the upsets brought on by Rutgers – let’s review some of it. 

Purdue should win it all, right?

The Boilermakers went from unranked to start the season, to now being the no. 1 team in the country. Just as quickly as they earned this honor, they lost it. After a very impressive out of conference run, will they implode in Big Ten play? I don’t think so at all, but there are still some concerns surrounding the team. 

What you need to remember is that there were no expectations surrounding this team at the beginning of the year. Most experts had them finishing third in the BIG 10 race behind Indiana and Iowa. The fact that they have climbed the ladder this year is something to be proud of. It’s also something to be worried about, though.

Outside of Zach Edey, there is not much experience – and – if the guards aren’t hitting their shots from the outside, then the offense stalls out. As a team, they are shooting 31% from beyond the arc – a clip good for 291st nationally. For this offense to really work, they need to hit their threes.

The blueprint for this offense was on full display in their last two possessions in their gutsy win at Ohio State. In the two possessions, they ran the exact same play – give the ball to Edey in the paint and have everyone else spread out on the perimeter.

On the first possession, the Buckeyes didn’t help in the paint – leaving Edey an easy jump hook. On the next possession, OSU doubled Edey – leading to a wide-open Fletcher Loyer from behind the arc. Matt Painter can run this set over and over again – and – if Loyer, Ethan Morton and Braden Smith are able to hit their shots, this offense is unbeatable. 

Realistically, I don’t think this Boilermakers squad should be the no. 1 team in the land. They’re absolutely a top-10, top-five team, but with so many question marks still present I would caution everyone from going all-in on them. 

The RAC is one of the best home courts in the country, barring the Iowa loss

Okay, yeah, it might be called the Jersey Mike’s Arena now, but the home court of Rutgers basketball will always be the RAC. 

There’s something to love about Rutgers basketball. They might not always have the best teams, but boy do they have grit. For the second year in a row, the Scarlet Knights have dethroned the no. 1 team in the country (it just so happened to be Purdue both times). 

Right now Steve Pikiell has his squad sitting at 11-5 with some impressive victories along the way, including wins over Indiana, Wake Forest, Purdue (huge for March) and Maryland. These wins can be attributed to the sensational play of junior Cliff Omoruyi – who averages 14.1 points and 10.0 rebounds – and senior Cam Spencer – currently bringing home 12.9 points per game. 

In a year where there’s no clear favorite in the BIG 10, this Rutgers team could compete with anyone in the conference. If they keep racking up more impressive wins, this is a team that could get hot going into March. 

Don’t look too far into the 76-65 loss to Iowa in the RAC today. 

Ohio State needs more scoring threats   

Chris Holtmann is in his sixth season as the head coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he has himself another solid team full of NBA talent. That’s normally a great thing, but I think it is hurting the Buckeyes right now.

This team is led by freshman phenom Brice Sensabaugh – currently averaging a cool 16.3 points per game. In their loss to Maryland, Sensabaugh went for 22 points and seven rebounds while also fouling out late. The other leader of the Buckeyes is senior forward Justice Sueing – who averages 13.6 points per game. He was also great against the Terrapins with 21 points and five rebounds. 

While these two were sensational for Coach Holtmann, OSU couldn’t find anyone else to go to. When the Buckeyes needed a bucket, everyone on the court knew who the ball was going to – and the Terrapins shut them off. 

Both of these players can go in the NBA draft this coming summer – with Sensabaugh being a one-and-done. I think it’s imperative for Chris Holtmann to find another scoring threat outside of these two in order to take defensive attention off of them. After dropping a second straight game, the Buckeyes have a get-right game against Minnesota on Thursday. 

Slow and steady wins the race for the Badgers 

When you think Wisconsin basketball, you think SLOW pace. Currently, Greg Gard’s Badgers squad sits as the 330rd team in the country in terms of possession per 40 minutes – aka, they’re bringing the game to a crawl. Even with that slow of a pace, the no. 14 Badgers are still winning games, as they are 11-3 and tied for first in the conference. 

This team is led by a trio of players who each average 13 points per game – guard Chucky Hepburn and forwards Steven Crowl and Tyler Wahl. This team plays well together, and has the size and shooting to compete against teams like Purdue – besting the current Big Ten leader with a 37% clip from behind the arc. 

A problem I see with the Badgers is their inability to play at a consistent level. They have had great wins – look to a 80-77 victory over Marquette – but have also had questionable losses like their recent ten-point defeat to Illinois.

If Wisconsin can find a way to start racking up impressive wins, then they would be the clear favorite to compete with Purdue for the Big Ten crown. This week will be a big test for them, as they host Michigan State on Tuesday and then travel to no. 15 Indiana on Saturday. 

Indiana needs to find another scoring threat

Is Tim Weaver on to something? For those who don’t know who Tim Weaver is, I don’t either. He’s some random guy that decided to write Trayce Jackson-Davis a letter saying that he and the rest of the Indiana team are soft. I think what Mr. Weaver decided to do is a bit extreme, but the Hoosiers are on a slide right now. 

Indiana – the no. 15 team in the country – sits at 10-5 after back-to-back losses to Iowa and Northwestern. As much as Tim Weaver might want to blame him, it is not Jackson-Davis’ fault at all. In the Northwestern game, TDJ put up an absurd 18 points, 24 rebounds and eight assists. Freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino has turned into an incredible player, as he poured in 33 points in the loss. 

Outside of these two, though, Mike Woodson has been unable to find anyone that can consistently score in double digits. Does this mean that this team is soft? I don’t think so. I just think that someone else needs to step up and take some of the pressure off of Trayce and Jalen.

When this happens, this team could be a scary sight in BIG 10 play. Wednesday is a big test for the Hoosiers, as they travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. 

It’s important not to get too discouraged if your team drops one or two games in conference play. This is a conference where anyone can win any game, no matter the records.

By: Spencer McCraw

I don’t think it’s an overreaction at all to say that this year’s national champion will come from the Big 12 – they could realistically get eight teams in the dance, so they’ll have a good shot! Now that they are in the full swing of conference play, let’s take a look at the competition. 

Kansas: Could they repeat?

Bill Self’s bread and butter for the past two decades has been drawing up sets to get the ball down low to their big men – take Udoka Azubuike or Joel Embiid as prime examples. This year, though, they don’t have a true big man, and they operate with five players on the perimeter. This new scheme is the most radical change to his gameplan. 

In place of the traditional big man is 6’7 sophomore forward K.J. Adams. After starting off slowly, Adams has averaged 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds per game since their loss to Tennessee. Adams doesn’t play on the perimeter, but he fills the role of the small-ball big very well. 

Alongside Adams is junior forward and National Player of the Year candidate Jalen Wilson, freshman phenom Gradey Dick, one of the best point guards in the country in Dajuan Harris, and Texas Tech transfer and defensive maestro Kevin McCullar. 

Now with Adams playing well in his role, the sky’s the limit for this Jayhawk squad. Could they be the first team to repeat since the Gators with Joakim Noah? There’s a real chance. With the top five disrupted to such an extent this week, Bill Self’s team looks like the strongest in the country. 

TCU: The Sleeping Giant 

What a time to be alive if you are a fan of the TCU Horned Frogs! With the football team in the national championship and the basketball team no. 17 in the country with a 13-1 record, there has never been a better time to be a fan of the Frogs. 

There was not much national buzz around this TCU team at the end of their out-of conference schedule – even after boasting only one loss. That was mainly due to the fact that they hadn’t played anyone particularly impressive. That has all changed now that they are in the full swing of conference play. Their first game saw them scrape out a six-point victory over a solid Texas Tech squad.

On Wednesday night, they traveled to Waco to take on the Baylor Bears. It was a tale of two halves for the Horned Frogs, as Baylor took a ten-point lead going into half, but TCU battled back to steal a one-point victory from the Bears. Junior guard Mike Miles was sensational with 33 points, and a gutsy block from Xavier Cork stymied a game-winning layup from Baylor.  

After this victory, the country will certainly have to take note of this TCU squad going forward, as they could be one of the teams to beat in this stacked conference. 

Texas: Coach or no coach, they’re still great

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the Texas men’s basketball program and their head coach. With Chris Beard no longer coaching, Associate Head Rodney Terry has been thrust in as the leader of this team. Under Terry, the offense has slightly improved, while the defense has declined. 

The Longhorns are averaging 19.6 assists per game under Terry with a season high 28 coming against Texas A&M Commerce. The backcourt of Texas is something that will keep them in pretty much every game.

Led by senior Marcus Carr – who is averaging 18.2 points and 4.2 assists – paired with sophomore Tyrese Hunter, the Longhorns have one of the best backcourts in the country. Throw into the mix senior Sir’Jabari Rice off the bench, and you have a three-headed monster at the guard position. 

During this stretch under Terry, they haven’t been playing the highest level of competition. Tuesday saw their first big test with Kansas State coming into town.

To put it bluntly, the Longhorns got embarrassed on Tuesday. Kansas State won 116-103, and the home court advantage didn’t seem as daunting as it had against both Gonzaga and Creighton. Texas allowed K-State to walk into the Moody Center and put up 58 in each of the halves.

Coach Terry is going to need to figure out something on the defensive end if the Longhorns want to make it far in this conference. 

Iowa State: Proven in non-conference play

The wizard of Otz has completely turned around this program. The year before T.J. Otzelberger took over as head coach for the Cyclones, they went 2-22. In his first season, they went 22-13 and lost in the second round of the tournament. This year he has his squad sitting at 11-2 – boasting a no. 25 ranking in the newest AP Poll.

To start the season, the Cyclones participated in the PK85 tournament in Portland. They opened up play against Villanova – winning by two – and then handed then-no. 1 UNC their first loss of the season. In the championship game, they lost to what would later become a no. 2 ranked UConn. Even with the loss, this early-season tournament was a massive test to show the world how good Coach Otz’ squad could be. 

This team has EXPERIENCE. Seven of their eight leading scorers are seniors, with guard Jaren Holmes leading the way with 13.5 points per game. Caleb Grill led the scoring with 20 points for the Cyclones in Wednesday’s win at Oklahoma. The win in Norman was yet another in-conference test for Iowa State – who also have a win over Baylor. 

The Cyclones might not have one guy that could drop 30 every night, but they have a bunch of guys that play well together and have experience. They’ve had a tough schedule thus far in the uber-deep Big 12, and they’ve made the most of it. Look out for Iowa State come March. 

Kansas State: The lights of Manhattan aren’t too bright

There are a lot of great stories in college basketball this year. Not many are as good as the one in Manhattan, Kansas. Jerome Tang – a former assistant of Scott Drew’s at Baylor – is in his first year of being a head coach, and has turned around a team that has not seen a winning season since the 2018-19 season. 

At the heart of this team is senior guard Keyontae Johnson. Johnson, a top-70 recruit out of Norfolk, Virginia, was set to make a big impact at Florida before he had to be placed in a medically-induced coma due to heart issues. Many thought there was no chance that Johnson would be able to return to competitive play again, but yet here he is, leading K-State to a 13-1 record – all while averaging 18.4 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. 

Paired with Johnson is senior guard Markquis Nowell – a sensational floor general who averages 15.9 points and 8.5 assists per game. Patrolling the paint is another native of Harlem (like Nowell), the junior big man Nae’Qwan Tomlin – who brings home 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. 

This is an experienced team with an optimistic and energetic coach. After dismantling Texas at the Moody Center, K-State will likely crack the top-25, and if they stay the course, will remain there for the rest of the year. 

Baylor: The most in trouble?

Since 2003, Scott Drew has been quietly building a national title-level program, and in the 2020-21 season, his efforts paid off – bringing the first title home to Waco. With this recent success comes high expectations every year. This campaign has been no different. 

This Baylor team has some incredible talent, as they possess one of the best guard trios in the country in Adam Flagler, L.J. Cryer and freshman phenom Keyonte George. The problem, though, is that there is only one ball to go around and only 30 seconds on the shot clock. Scott Drew hasn’t quite figured out how all three of these pro-level guards can play with each other. 

The struggles show, as they currently sit at 10-4 with losses to UVA, Marquette, Iowa State and TCU. The silver lining is that all of these losses are quad-one losses, but Baylor needs to start winning these important games. 

With how deep the Big 12 is this year, if Baylor doesn’t start winning some games – particularly the ones in Waco – then they are going to be left behind. This team has the talent to go far, but they just need to find a way to put it all together. 

Takeaway: Wins are as important as ever in the Big 12 – 2022-23’s foremost conference.

By: Spencer McCraw

What’s going on with Kentucky? Ever since Coach John Calipari took over this historic program in 2009, they have demanded a certain level of respect around the country. Those days – it seems – are fading fast.

During the COVID year of 2020, the Wildcats saw their first losing season under Coach Cal, going 9-16. In the 2021 season, there was a major improvement to 26-8, but, in a catastrophic fashion, the ‘Cats suffered a brutal loss to last year’s Cinderella – Saint Peter’s – in the first round of the tournament. 

Much of the team’s success last season can be attributed to the National Player of the Year, Oscar Tshiebwe. Statistically, Tshiebwe is having a similar effect from last season- currently averaging 16.5 points and 13.6 rebounds per game.

With the reigning National POY leading your team – playing at a similar level from the year prior – one would think that this team would be a national title contender. Cal’s group, though, has deeper problems with the way it’s constructed. 

While Kentucky was able to scrape out a two-point victory against a good LSU squad on Tuesday night, the second half of the game was a prime example of the problems with this offense. Kentucky was up by double-digits, but a stagnant offense led to the Tigers clawing their way back into the game in Rupp.

Possessions witnessed Kentucky players wasting time until a late shot clock pick-and-roll with Tshiebwe was called, ultimately leading to forced shots with seconds left. Tshiebwe almost seems like a role player. That could seem like a crazy take, but he just stands near the basket until a board comes his way.

The offense could be very simple: GET OSCAR THE BALL and let everything else work itself out.

Like Calipari, Matt Painter also has an all-world talent at the center position in Zach Edey, and he runs effective sets to get Edey the ball. I’m not sure if the problem is with Tshiebwe or Coach Cal, but there doesn’t seem to be any plays directed at getting him the ball. 

I saw a tweet mentioning that Coach Cal is still stuck in 2012, and that might not be far from the truth. Kentucky does not have the talent on the same level as the teams of old, where they were able to give the ball to players like John Wall or Anthony Davis and let them work. They have talent – yes – but not on the same level that they are used to possessing.

In the days of NIL and the transfer portal, more parity exists in college basketball. Because of this, talents like Bryce Hopkins are easily able to head to Providence and make a case for Big East Player of the Year – just a year after averaging two points per game in Lexington. 

This isn’t to say that this team doesn’t have talent. They certainly do. Oscar Tshiebwe, Jacob Toppin and freshmen Cason Wallace and Chris Livingston are all players that could get selected in this year’s NBA draft, but this wildly-talented roster has yet to fully gel. Coach Cal is a Hall of Famer, so I have faith that he will figure it out (but the SEC is deep this year, so they are going to need to pick up the slack quickly). 

High expectations surround the basketball team in Lexington, so some of the faithful in Big Blue Nation are calling for Coach Cal to be fired.

Is that an overreaction? Probably.

He has a lifetime contract, so, as Larry David says, it’ll be pretty pretty pretty expensive. Even if Kentucky loses early in the tournament again, or even if they miss the tournament, Coach Cal should still be the head coach of the Wildcats; I don’t think that’s really a question. Big Blue Nation does have a reason to be upset, however.

They have expectations to be in national title contention year-in and year-out. For the past five years, though, that has not been the case. All I can say to BBN is: have faith that your national championship-winning coach will figure out this team soon.

By: Spencer McCraw

The Good: The Musketeers Dethrone UConn

It’s 2023, and Sean Miller is quickly returning to the top of the college basketball world. Miller’s teams in years past have been focused mainly on defense, and then the offense would work itself out. While sitting out for the entirety of last season, Miller studied the nation’s top offensive schemes and now has Xavier sitting as the seventh highest-rated offense according to KenPom. 

This offensive efficiency has helped the Musketeers off to their hot 12-3 start – including a 4-0 start in Big East play. The highlight of this hot start has to be handing no. 4 UConn their first loss of the season on Saturday.

Xavier – now sitting at no. 18 in the most recent AP poll – played their brand of basketball in order to defeat the Huskies. Miller’s offense emphasizes team play and that was on full display, as the Musketeers had five players score in double-digits and totaled 20 assists as a team. 

With all this emphasis on offense, though, comes a lack of attention on the defensive side of the ball. According to KenPom, Xavier sits at no. 78 in adjusted defensive rating – a rather large gap from their top ten rating with offense. This gap also drives Coach Miller crazy, and he is surely looking for a solution because he knows that this could be something that could come to hurt them late in the season.

The Musketeers have a long break to rest before they travel to the Main Line on Saturday to face off against Villanova. 

The Bad: Hurley’s Antics Hurt the Huskies 

For the first time all season, the Huskies are wounded. UConn opened conference play against Georgetown, Villanova and Xavier. In those first two games, they produced their worst two offensive games of the year, but ultimately walked out with two wins on their home court.

Saturday, though, saw their streak come to an end when they traveled to a packed Cintas Center to face off against Xavier. 

UConn was unable to get into the paint and utilize their big men, while they ultimately chucked up a season high 37 three-pointers (only hitting 13 of them). While offensive and defensive struggles plagued the Huskies all game, what really hurt them were once again Dan Hurley’s sideline antics.

With 2:25 left to go in the game, Hurley received a technical for allegedly saying “unbelievable!” to a foul call on Tristen Newton. This foul and technical led to a six-point Xavier advantage and basically gifted all of the momentum – and the game – to the Musketeers. 

I say allegedly, though, because Dan Hurley has a history of yelling at refs and getting himself in trouble. Earlier last week when they played Villanova, Hurley called the refs “clowns” several times throughout the game. Nothing came of this, but refs have a shorter leash for outbursts.

With the Huskies said to be one of the top five teams in the country, Hurley needs to get his emotions in check, as they could seriously hurt his team and compromise all of the hard work they have put into this season.

UConn is back in action on Wednesday when they travel to Providence; they will host Creighton at noon on Saturday. 

The Ugly: St. John’s Regression to the Mean

Entering Big East play, the Red Storm sat at 11-1, and now they have fallen to the bottom of the pack with losses to Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall. After their hot start, the faithful in New York were wondering why their basketball team was receiving no national attention, and their collapse in early Big East play has shown why. 

Coming into the season, junior guard Posh Alexander received the honor of a Big East preseason first-team member, and – well – he hasn’t exactly lived up to the hype. Alexander has averaged 9.1 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, 2.1 steals per game while shooting a meager 35.4% from the field – all of which are career-lows. 

Senior forward Joel Soriano is the only true scoring threat on the team, as he averages 15.8 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Soriano’s inability to stretch the floor – coupled with weak guard play – has exposed the Johnnies after their success during an easy out-of-conference schedule.

We’ll see if Mike Anderson can turn around his team, but they have a tough stretch – facing off against two good teams in Marquette on Tuesday and Providence on Saturday.