The current state of men’s college basketball is as stable as the stock market of 1929. Rankings on the AP Top 25 Poll are falling and rising quicker than Cavi’s blood pressure while watching Fox News, the main source of his #AlternativeFacts. We are now into week 13 of college hoops and there have been 5 different teams deemed as #1 in the country. Let’s break down what could be one of the most interesting NCAA tournaments witnessed in a long time.
This week alone, the following top-25 teams lost to non-ranked opponents: #17 Duke (15-5) lost to NC State (14-7), #1 Nova (19-2) lost to Marquette (14-6), #2 Kansas (18-2) lost to West Virginia (16-4), #4 Kentucky (17-3) lost to Tennessee (11-9), #6 Florida State (18-3) lost to Georgia Tech (12-8) and #8 UCLA (19-3) lost to USC (18-4). This erratic theme has been the only consistency throughout the season thus far. What could be causing this lack of dominance that we have grown so accustomed to?
I have two possible explanations. First and foremost, I think that this is a ripple effect of young stud athletes entering the NBA draft in the early stages of their collegiate careers. And secondly, the abundance of talent filling the rosters of schools that aren’t historically known to be basketball powerhouses.
Whichever the case may be, this year is already shaping up to be an exciting March. A year that could see a #1 seed fall to a #16 in the first round. I predict brackets will be busted early and often. So, let’s sit back and enjoy March in January, because you just don’t know what the next game might bring.