New Year’s Eve is right around the corner. Some people think of resolutions. Others think of champagne corks. Still others reflect back on another year gone by. But, for me, one of the things I think of first when I think of the calendar changing is the start of the college hoops conference season. We have almost 2 months of non-conference play in the books (some of which has been spectacular), and now we get to go into the meat of the season. And, not to leave any stone unturned, we are going to give quick previews of all 32 D-1 conferences as to what has happened in the noncon schedule, as well as what to possibly expect going forward for the next 3 months. This will be a 4-part series with 4 conferences previewed in each. So, with 32 conferences to do, let’s get started with the 4 best basketball conferences in America this year – the Big Ten, ACC, Big XII, and Pac-12.
Big Ten
The best league top to bottom in America last year – by a somewhat wide margin – is, again, the best league in America this year. With several legit national title contenders, the Big Ten goes at least 8-deep as far as tournament-caliber teams. But, possibly the real strength of this league is that there is never a night off. All 12 teams are solid, with tough styles of play and strong homecourt advantages. The Big Ten may have fallen off on the gridiron, but it is thriving on the hardwood.
- Preseason Favorite: Michigan State
The Spartans were everyone’s pick to be the class of this league from the jump and when they beat Kentucky at the Champions Classic, it looked like they were the clear-cut best team in the country. But, they struggled against some inferior competition (Columbia and Oakland, in particular) and were soundly beaten on their home floor by UNC. This is still a team that should be right there in the end, but they have shown some alarming signs, particularly lack of leadership (which is odd considering they are a veteran team with a Hall of Fame coach) and lack of frontcourt depth. - Most Impressive: Ohio State, Wisconsin
Both the Buckeyes and Badgers are undefeated so far and #3 and #4, respectively, in the AP Poll. Whether they have supplanted MSU as the Big Ten favorites or not, these two teams have certainly added some real intrigue to the Big Ten race - Most Disappointing: Michigan
The disappointment in Ann Arbor is because of other people’s expectations. I, honestly, am not surprised by the Wolverines apparent struggles because they have played a rough schedule and aren’t really all that good. Remember they had to replace two NBA draft picks, including the national POY (who was their point guard). Despite the apparent “experience” from bringing back most of the team that played for a national title last year, the Wolverines are much younger than people think – #336 out of 351 in experience. - “My” Favorite: Iowa
This is the spot where I will just spend time on the team I like most in any particular conference. I love this Hawkeye team and honestly think that they are Sweet 16 good. They have a TON of depth and are very, VERY well-coached. I’m not sure they can win this league, but I’m also not sure they should be completely ruled out. - Potential Sleepers: Minnesota, Indiana
No one is talking about this Gopher team, but they do have talent. The Hollinses are special and now that Tubby is gone, maybe they won’t underachieve. As for the Hoosiers – it’s strange to think they are a “sleeper,” but they are under the radar and still VERY good (I am smitten for both Yogi Ferrell and Noah Vonleigh, so I might be biased here). - Also Relevant: Illinois
The Illini are doing again what they did last year – flying under the radar and winning, despite little to no hype. I’m not entirely sure it will sustain itself, but I wouldn’t rule them out of national relevancy just yet. - Dregs: None
That is what makes this conference so good. While Northwestern, Penn State, and Nebraska won’t be competing for any conference titles, they are still really solid teams that could beat anyone on any given night. Northwestern is probably the worst of the bunch, as they are in total rebuild mode, but Coach Collins should turn them around quickly. Penn State is the typical cellar-dweller here, but they have Tim Frazier, who is one of the best players in the country. - The Pick: Ohio State
It is hard for me to pick against Tom Izzo, particularly with the level of talent he has there, but I see alarming signs from the Spartans and am totally sold on the OSU defense. I think MSU is the better Final Four contender, but OSU is the better pick for Big Ten champ…if that makes any sense.
ACC
The self-proclaimed “best conference ever” might be just that next year when they add Louisville to the fold and currently down programs like Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, and freshman-laden programs at N.C. State and Miami continue to rebuild. As for this year, they’re knocking on the door, but I still think they are second to the Big Ten.
- Preseason Favorite: Duke
Ho-hum…another year, another ELITE team for Coach K down in Durham. But, being elite isn’t the only familiar feel to this Blue Devil team. They also have a very familiar flaw – they are so top-heavy on athletic wings…yet again…without a dynamic point guard or big man. I’ve heard this comment (I think Doogan may have made it actually) – “Duke is so good this year that Rasheed Sulaimon comes off the bench.” That is a good point, but one that is a little weakened by the fact that they have to start Josh Hairston or Amile Jefferson at the 5. Sulaimon is clearly one of their 5 best players, but his skills are totally overlapped by guys like Parker and Hood. Even Dawkins and Thornton are rendered somewhat useless because Hood and Parker are so good. Now, this is a total nitpick because this team is fantastic. But, another concern might be greater – they have been pretty bad defensively (#101 in DefEff). Now, that is partially inflated because of the atrocious performance against Vermont, but still it’s very un-K-like. - Most Impressive: Syracuse
If you take the Duke flaws seriously, then you have to consider Syracuse a real threat to the Devils in the Orange’s first ACC campaign. They are special. I don’t understand why no one is talking more about C.J. Fair because he is as good an all-around scorer as there is in the country. And, with the incredible breakouts of freshman Tyler Ennis and, to a lesser extent, sophomore Trevor Cooney, this team is loaded for bear. - Most Disappointing: Boston College
I considered putting Noter Dame here, but only briefly because it’s pretty obviously who the biggest ACC disappointment is so far. The Eagles were supposed to be on the brink of contention here, but are just 4-6 right now. Granted, their losses to UMass, UConn, and even Toledo don’t look as bad as they did at the time because all three of those teams are better than advertised, but still this team should not be 4-6 right now no matter what. Even their wins were unimpressive (a 3-point win over a bad FAU team, an overtime win over a worse Sacred Heart team, and an unimpressive win over an NAIA school). - “My” Favorite: Pittsburgh
Jamie Dixon is on that short list of coaches that I believe in implicitly. Now, it’s hard to tell just how good this team is because the only tough game they’ve played was their 1-point loss to Cincinnati. But, I expect this team to be right in the thick of things all year. - Potential Sleepers: Virginia
It was hard to pick a sleeper here because I think the top of the league is clearly at the top, and there probably won’t be much challenge from the “others.” But, I like the Cavs here because I love Coach Bennett, and I think they will cause issues all year. - Also Relevant: North Carolina, Florida State, Notre Dame, Maryland, Clemson
This conference has a ton of relevant teams, including the Jeckyll & Hyde Tar Heels, the gigantic Seminole team, the disappointing-but-talented Irish, the incredibly-well-coached Terrapins, and the sneaky Tigers. - Dregs: Virginia Tech, Miami
Total rebuilds in Blacksburg and Coral Gables will lead to some bad basketball in each place. Last year’s Miami season seems like a strange blip in the program’s trajectory, but maybe Larranega can make that not so. - The Pick: Duke
I thought long and hard about taking the ‘Cuse, but I think that the Dukies come through in the end and win this conference. It’s just so hard to make all these road trips for the first time, so that might catch up to Boeheim’s team. Then again, many guys in this conference are seeing that zone for the first time, so the edge might actually be with the Orange. I still trust the talent in Durham, though, to win this league.
BIG XII
Just a solid all-around league yet again this year, the Big XII has it all – multiple championship contenders, depth (almost) top to bottom, and what should be a great race all year.
- Preseason Favorite: Kansas
All of the talent that descended upon Lawrence this year bolstered them to not just Big XII favorites, but potential championship favorites. But, KU being the “team to beat” in the Big XII just comes with the season. - Most Impressive: Oklahoma State
Kansas has sputtered and OK State – who actually received as many 1st-place votes from Big XII coaches as Kansas – has played the best ball in the league so far. For a while, Marcus Smart looked like far and away the best player in the country. He has come back to Earth a little, but the rest of the team continues to roll. With the exception of a Memphis team taking revenge after being dominated two weeks prior, the Cowboys have been VERY impressive. - Most Disappointing: Kansas State
The Wildcats weren’t really supposed to challenge for a Big XII title, but they have made themselves almost entirely irrelevant. It is too early to count them out, but there is very little evidence that his team will be anything but an also-ran in the conference race this year. - “My” Favorite: Iowa State
This team is fantastic. Mayor Hoiberg has done such a great job assembling talent in Ames and really employing them in a way that completely maximizes his personnel and minimizes his exposure to poor matchups. It won’t be long until Hoiberg is coaching in the Association, but the Cyclones should enjoy this ride while they’ve got it. - Potential Sleepers: Texas
Just when it looked like Rick Barnes may go the way of Mack Brown, the Longhorns are putting together quite an impressive non-conference slate here, highlighted by a win in Chapel Hill on Wednesday. They probably aren’t Big XII title contenders, but they could play themselves into Tournament discussions at this rate. - Also Relevant: Baylor, Oklahoma
Baylor actually looks really good and should really make that middle-to-top area of the Big XII race incredibly interesting. And, don’t look now, but the Sooners are 10-1 with their only loss coming to Michigan State. - Dregs: TCU, Texas Tech
Texas Tech is bad, but TCU is utterly dreadful – as evidenced by a HOME loss to LONGWOOD (who will appear in the “Dregs” section of one of the worst conferences in the country). - The Pick: Oklahoma State
“The Fire Swamp? We’ll never survive…”
“Nonsense, you’re only saying that because no one ever has.”
Beating Kansas in the Big XII? That is about as tall an order as dragging Princess Buttercup through the fire swamp, but Marcus Smart may just be the Dread Pirate Roberts, and I am going to go out on a limb and take the Cowboys here to more consistently navigate the murky waters of Big XII play than the youthful (and excessively talented) Jayhawks.
PAC-12
The Pac is back, folks. I think that you could easily make the case that this is the 3rd-best (and possibly the single deepest) conference in the country – all of a sudden. There won’t be a single easy game this year out West and any number of teams could make a tournament run. All that said, there is one clear favorite.
- Preseason Favorite: Arizona
The “forgotten” Top-6 team in the preseason because they weren’t invited to the Champions Classic. - Most Impressive: Arizona
And, it’s not really that close. The ‘Cats have been the best team in the country, let alone the Pac-12. - Most Disappointing: Washington
When do we start talking about Lorenzo Romar the same way we talk about Rick Barnes and Tubby Smith? The dude can flat-out recruit (look at the NBA careers of Romar’s alums – Brandon Roy, Klay Thompson, even Sixers rookie Tony Wroten – just to name a few), but he really struggles to win games. This team, while very talented all around, doesn’t have that one transcedent talent and might be the worst team in the league. - “My” Favorite: Arizona
In a strange twist, I am actually picking “the” favorite as “my” favorite because this team is that good, #1 in the polls, and still underrated. Their frontcourt is off the charts good, and I still believe that Nick Johnson is the most valuable player on that team. Throw in the enormously underappreciated T.J. McConnell (who I’ve watched a ton of times as a Duquesne Duke) and you have yourself the best team in the nation. - Potential Sleepers: Utah
I considered pretty much every other team for “sleeper” worthy, but kept coming back to the Utes mainly because of just how under-the-radar they are, as opposed to the other possibilities. Maybe I’m basing this too much on one single result (an 81-64 pummelling of a really good BYU team), but I am ready to say that the one team that is consistently overlooked in this league that will come up and bite you might be the Runnin’ Utes. - Also Relevant: Oregon, UCLA, Arizona State, Cal, Stanford
This upper-middle portion of the Pac is sensationally interesting. Oregon is probably the best of the bunch with transfers James Young and Mike Moser seemlessly folding into this team. But, UCLA looks exceptional, as well. ASU has possibly the league’s best player, while Cal has possibly the nation’s best coach, and Stanford is talented enough to save Johnny Dawkins’ job this year. What a race this is going to be. - Dregs: None
I’m not a huge fan of the teams in Washington, but it would be hard to characterize them as “dregs.” Outside of Tempe, this conference doesn’t have the top-notch firepower to really join the conversation of best conference, but in terms of top-to-bottom quality, only the Big Ten even has an argument and they might actually lose it. - The Pick: Arizona
I would probably pick the ‘Cats in any conference in the country, but here in the Pac, I didn’t even have to think about it.
COMING SOON: PART TWO (which includes the SEC, Big East, American, and A-10)
