Conference Catch-ups: The SEC

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: Kentucky

Well, this is obvious, isn't it? Kentucky might be the most talented team in the country. If it wasn't for a no-show performance from Terrence Jones and Anthony Davis in Bloomington -- or if Christian Watford hadn't hit the shot of the year to date -- the Wildcats would still be undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the country. There isn't much I can tell you here that you don't already know. Marquis Teague's ability to shoot and protect the ball is the key. Anthony Davis is a freak. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is freakin' awesome (hard-hitting analysis, that's why you read me).
Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The ACC

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: North Carolina

Is it just me, or does it feel like no one is talking about North Carolina as a title contender anymore? That may be a bit of an overstatement, but since UNC lost to UNLV and Kentucky in the span of a week, it feels like they have become the forgotten juggernaut. Do they have flaws? Of course. Kendall Marshall can't guard a door frame. Harrison Barnes has a tendency to become nothing but a jump shooter. Neither John Henson nor Tyler Zeller have the kind of physical strength inside to bang with a guy like Jared Sullinger. But that almost feels nitpicky when you are talking about a team that has the amount of talent on their roster that the Tar Heels do.
Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The Big 12

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: Baylor

I just finished recording a podcast over at CBS, and one of the things that we discussed was Baylor and why they aren't getting the same kind of hype as, say, Indiana or Ohio State or UConn. The most obvious reason is that they haven't exactly beaten a murderer's row; BYU, West Virginia and St. Mary's are, by far, the Bear's three best wins. Teams build hype by winning games that you cannot help but watch, and as of now, Baylor doesn't have a single win of that ilk. But there is more to it: Baylor has serious question marks about three important pieces on their team. Is Scott Drew a good enough coach? His reputation is that of a recruiter, not a play-by-play tactician. Can Pierre Jackson run the point for this team? He's made some clutch plays over the past couple of games, but he also has a tendency to go into NBA 2K mode when he's not good enough for that. Is Perry Jones III ever going to find the "Eff You!" mentality that the best-of-the-best have? Assertiveness and aggressiveness are the only things that are keeping PJIII from being a serious contender for National Player of the Year.
Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The Pac-12

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: Oregon State

Yeah, I said it. I'm going with the Beavers, and it all starts with Jared Cunningham, who, for my money, is the best player in the Pac-12 this year. He's a sensational defender and impossible to keep out of the paint offensively. The rest of his offensive game is still developing, but there may not be a more difficult player in the conference to slow-down when they decide to put the ball on the floor and go to the rim. Ahmad Starks and Roberto Nelson are both underrated and effective playmakers in the back court so long as they keep their decision-making under control. What Oregon State's front line lacks in size they make up for in versatility -- Devon Collier and Eric Morehouse are long, athletic bigs; Joe Burton is a nimble post-scorer that really understands how to pass the ball; Angus Brandt is a lights-out shooter. Most importantly? I believe there is a reason for the dud they threw up against Idaho: it came 36 hours after Fred Thompson, an OSU football player and a friend to a number of players on the hoops team, passed away.
Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The WCC

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: BYU

The Cougars are still a bit of an unknown entity, and that is in very large part due to the way that Matt Carlino has kicked off the season. He's only been on the roster for four games after transferring in from BYU, but Carlino has been fantastic in those four games, averaging 17.3 ppg and 4.8 apg and, most importantly, giving the Cougars a playmaker and a scorer on the perimeter. He's not Jimmer, but he can take the pressure off of BYU's big men, as we saw in BYU's near-upset of Baylor. And those big men -- namely Brandon Davies and Noah Hartsock -- have been terrific in the early going. BYU is the highest ranked team in Kenpom's efficiency ratings this season and are a much-improved defensive team. That defensive prowess, combined with the 1-2-3 punch of Carlino, Davies and Hartsock, is why BYU gets the nod over Gonzaga and St. Mary's.
Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The Missouri Valley

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: Creighton

How can anyone vote against the Bluejays right now? Creighton is 10-1 heading into the start of league play, with the '1' coming on the road against a better-than-you-think St. Joe's team. The Bluejays have size up front and shooting on the perimeter, but more than anything they have the guy that is one of the current front runners for Player of the Year -- National, not Missouri Valley -- Doug McDermott. Creighton is going to be able to score this season, the question mark with this group lies on the defensive end of the floor: are they going to be able to get enough stops to win the bare-knuckle brawls that make up MVC conference games?
Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The Big Ten

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: Ohio State

This pick will be as much of a consensus as any league in country with one, absolutely crucial technicality: Jared Sullinger stays healthy. I love Aaron Craft and his ability to control a game without being a scorer. William Buford may be the best wing in the country. DeShaun Thomas can score with the best of them. Hell, even Lenzelle Smith and Evan Ravenel have been impressive at times this season. But without a healthy Jared Sullinger, Ohio State is a different team. His is the single most dominant force in the paint in the country, and his presence makes it so much easier for his teammates to operate.

Continue reading...

Conference Catch-ups: The Big East

Over the course of this week, we will spend a few minutes catching you up on how some of the best conferences in the country currently look. With conference play starting up, its time to get into the basketball spirit.

You can find the rest of the Conference Catch-ups here.

Favorite: Syracuse

There is a reason that the Orange are currently sitting at the top of both national polls right now. Heading into Big East play, this group is still undefeated and has as deep of a roster as we have seen in Upstate NY in a long time. Their back court is absolutely lethal with Dion Waiters coming off the bench behind Scoop Jardine and Brandon Triche. Their front court is loaded with size and versatility. If this team can stay focused with everything surrounding the allegations against Bernie Fine, Jim Boeheim has a group capable of winning a national title.

Continue reading...