The Emery Board: Week 5

College basketball has not seen a team go undefeated since Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers went 32-0 in 1975-1976. The closest we have seen since then was a Jameer Nelson-led St. Joseph's team that went 27-0 in the 2003-2004 season before losing to Xavier in the Atlantic-10 tournament. Every season a team flirts with the notion of an undefeated season, but every season that notion slowly fades as January turns to February and February turns to March. BYU's senior guard Jackson Emery, has made the bold prediction that his team, a Cougar squad that finished with a 27-4 record last season, will in fact go undefeated this season.

We have decided that, in honor of Emery's swagger, we will keep a watch on the BYU Cougar's schedule, see if they can walk-the-walk. We will also keep tabs on any other undefeated teams who try to make a run at the perfect season.

Week 5:
Jimmer Fredette made his long-awaited pilgrimage back to Glen Falls, NY, and the Cougars defeated Vermont 86-58 behind his game-high 26-points. The last time Fredette played in Glen Falls, he went 3-for-24 from in the 2007 Class A State Title game in which his Glenn Falls High School squad lost. This time around Fredette was 9-for-16 and while it wasn't a State Title game,the homecoming was still pretty special.


But the Fredette homecoming wasn't the end to the Cougar's week. On Saturday BYU smacked Arizona 87-65 behind 33-points from Fredette, who also grabbed a career-high nine rebounds. Those 33 points came one year after Fredette scored a career-high 49 points in a 30-point win against the Wildcats in Arizona. Noah Hartsock had to leave the game after suffering a concussion late in the first half when was accidentally hit in the mouth. The blow resulted in a concussion and several stitches in his upper lip.

Like most teams in the country, BYU won't be playing this week because of final exams. Their next game is on Saturday against fickle UCLA. If the Bruins squad that nearly beat Kansas shows up to play, things could get interesting. But if the UCLA team that lost to Montana shows up, BYU should be able to continue their undefeated streak for four games, until they face UNLV on January 5th.

Next Game: 12/18 vs. UCLA

Next Potential Loss: 1/5 at UNLV


Other Undefeated Teams

I'd like to point out that "next potential loss" means the opponent on the schedule closest in date to now with the most realistic chance of defeating the unbeaten team. There may be games in between "next game" and "next potential loss" and while it is quite possible a loss would occur during this time, I wouldn't bet on it. Or maybe I would.....

No. 1 Duke: 8-0
Next Game: 12/20 vs. Elon
Next Potential Loss: 1/2 vs. Miami

No. 2 Ohio State: 8-0
Next Game: 12/15 vs. Florida Gulf Coast
Next Potential Loss: 12/18 vs. South Carolina

No. 4 Kansas: 9-0
Next Game: 12/18 vs. USC
Next Potential Loss: 1/17 at Baylor

No. 6 Connecticut: 8-0
Next Game: 12/20 vs. Coppin State
Next Potential Loss: 12/27 at Pittsburgh

No. 7 Syracuse: 10-0
Next Game: 12/18 vs. Iona
Next Potential Loss: 12/28 vs. Providence

No. 9 Baylor: 6-0
Next Game: 12/15 vs. Bethune-Cookman
Next Potential Loss: 12/18 vs. Gonzaga

No. 13 Tennessee: 7-0
Next Game: 12/14 vs. Oakland
Next Potential Loss: 12/14 vs. Oakland

No. 15 San Diego State: 10-0
Next Game: 12/13 vs. Cal-Poly
Next Potential Loss: 1/5 at TCU

Central Florida: 8-0
Next Game: 12/15 vs. Louisiana-Lafayette
Next Potential Loss: 12/18 vs. Miami

Cincinnati: 8-0
Next Game: 12/14 vs. Georgia Southern
Next Potential Loss: 12/31 vs. Seton Hall

Cleveland State: 12-0
Next Game: 12/18 at West Virginia
Next Potential Loss: 12/18 at West Virginia

Louisville: 8-0
Next Game: 12/14 vs. Drexel
Next Potential Loss: 12/31 vs. Kentucky

Northwestern: 5-0
Next Game: 12/13 vs. Long Island
Next Potential Loss: 12/16 vs. American


Drop-Outs

No. 3 Pittsburgh: 10-1
We Predicted they'd lose to: Tennessee
They lost to: Tennessee

No. 10 Georgetown: 8-1
We Predicted they'd lose to: Missouri
They lost to: Temple

No. 14 Memphis: 7-1
We Predicted they'd lose to: Kansas
They lost to: Kansas

No. 19 UNLV: 9-1
We Predicted they'd lose to: Louisville
They lost to: Louisville

No. 23 Notre Dame: 8-1
We Predicted they'd lose to: Wisconsin
They lost to: Kentucky


The Bottom of the Barrel:

It would be rude of us to include the "have's" and but not the "have-not's". After all, planetary balance is very essential. For every team that hasn't lost a game, there has to be a team still fighting for their first win.

Alcorn State: 0-6
Next Game: 12/21 at South Alabama (2-5)
First Potential Win: 12/21 at South Alabama (2-5)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff: 0-8
Next Game: 12/13 at New Mexico State (2-7)
First Potential Win: 12/13 at New Mexico State (2-7)

Centenary: 0-11
Next Game: 12/18 at Marquette (7-3)
First Potential Win: 1/15 vs. Southern Utah (2-7)

Colgate: 0-8
Next Game: 12/13 at Maine (4-5)
First Potential Win: 1/2 at Longwood (3-7)

Holy Cross: 0-8
Next Game: 12/19 at Marist (2-9)
First Potential Win: 12/19 at Marist (2-6)

Maryland-Baltimore County: 0-9
Next Game: 12/14 vs. American (5-3)
First Potential Win: 12/30 vs. Niagara (3-7)

UNC Greensboro: 0-8
Next Game: 12/15 at Wake Forest (5-4)
First Potential Win: 1/10 vs. Elon (3-5)