Final Four Preview: The Craziest Final Four in History

In all but 4 NCAA tournaments since 1985’s tournament expansion, the champion has been a 1, 2, or 3 seed. This year is already set to be the 5th, as none of the top 12 teams reached the Final Four in what is among the most shocking 2nd weekends in College Basketball history! We started with 68 teams, and now, we are down to 4! Without further ado, here are the pathways each team left took to get to this point. The storylines, key matchup points, and everything else needed to fully enjoy the Final Four is within this article, so enjoy!

South Region: 5 seed San Diego State University (SDSU)

This was just the 6th year without a 5-12 upset since the NCAA tournament expanded in 1985, which was surprising considering this team’s 1st round game — as well as another team that we will get to later — both were flashy upset picks in the days leading up to tipoff. In fact, San Diego State got a push from the College of Charleston in the 1st half, as the Cougars led for 14 minutes of the 1st half. However, the Aztecs had a vice grip on the game in the 2nd half, and cruised past the Cougars. Perhaps they got a bit of a lucky break that 13 seed Furman upset 4 seed Virginia, but the Aztecs found no trouble with the Paladins. After holding them scoreless for over 7 minutes, the game was never in doubt. At this point, analysts predicted that this is where San Diego State’s season would come to a close, as they had to go up against top overall seed Alabama. It seemed as though Head Coach Brian Dutcher officially had a successful season. Dutcher made the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in his tenure with the Aztecs, and dispelled the narrative about Mountain West teams in the postseason.

However, the train was not stopping for the Aztecs. San Diego State turned a 5 point halftime lead into a win despite Alabama not going down easy. They followed up this massive upset with a 1 point stunner against Creighton that was decided by a last second foul from Creighton’s Ryan Nembhard. As a result, SDSU made the Final Four for the 1st time in school history on Sunday. This team is headlined by an ensemble cast of top notch defenders. In fact, SDSU’s 4th ranked defense on KenPom is easily the best of the remaining teams, and although their offense is the least efficient of the teams left, their physicality may present issues for some opponents. Their highlight scorer is Darrion Trammell, and their highlight defender is the Ghanaian Nathan Mensah. These 2 seniors have the leadership experience that could be a great boon to a roster. Expect the Aztecs to pose major issues to the team they have to play in the Final Four, FAU, and any future team they have to play this year.

East Region: 9 seed FAU

As will become a theme across all 4 of the Final Four teams, FAU got a push in the 1st round of the tournament. However, unlike the other 3 teams, FAU’s initial game literally came down to the wire. In fact, the Memphis-FAU 8-9 game was not without controversy, as the referees decided not to award a timeout to a Memphis team that clearly believed it was theirs. Nonetheless, Memphis’ defense collapsed and let up a layup to Nicholas Boyd in the final 2 seconds of the game, sealing their fate. From there, FAU got a lucky break in not having to go up against 1 seed Purdue, but instead 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson. After escaping from the Knights, FAU got to work by defeated 4 seed Tennessee and 3 seed Kansas State in close affairs. As a result, Head Coach Dusty May’s Owls — who prior to this year’s tournament, had not been to a tournament in over 20 years and had never won a tournament game — are now in the Final Four just 5 years after May took the job.

FAU is a 35 win team that ranks in the top 30 in the country in both offense and defense. While their road to get to the Final Four was paved with easier games — such as Fairleigh Dickinson and an injured Tennessee roster — that should not mean the Owls get disrespected. Their “big 3” of players include guards Alijah Moore and Nicholas Boyd, as well as center Vladislav Goldin. However, in FAU’s Elite Eight win against Kansas State, it was Bryan Greenlee’s sharpshooting that propelled the Owls over the Wildcats. FAU is a team that absolutely deserves respect heading into the Final Four, and they may become the 1st ever 9 seed to win the NCAA tournament!

Midwest Region: 5 seed Miami

GO MIAMI! TO THE FINAL FOUR!! It is no surprise that this publication heavily favors the U, but for the purposes of this article, the bias will be kept to a minimum. Miami’s road to the Final Four was, like the previous teams, not without adversity. Miami was down to Drake 55-50 at the final media timeout, and needed to score 13 of the final 14 points to have a chance. From there, it was a complete blowout of Indiana in which 6’7” Norchad Omier crushed 6’9” Trayce Jackson-Davis on the glass. In the Sweet Sixteen, Miami is the only team left that had to play their projected seed opponents, and they demonstrated both the ability to win convincingly and surge from behind. Against Houston — the team KenPom had at #1, and the favorite to win from most analysts — Miami won by 14 points off an impressive 2nd half. Conversely, their win against Texas required overcoming a 13 point 2nd half deficit. Nonetheless, they climbed both mountains and now stand in view of the summit at the Final Four.

Head Coach Jim Larrañaga is the only coach with Final Four experience, as he brought George Mason to the Final Four in 2006. This team has an excellent starting 5. Jordan Miller had among the best postseason games in tournament history, as he went 7/7 from the field and 13/13 from the line for a 27 point perfect game. Isaiah Wong is the ACC Player of the Year, the aforementioned Omier is electric, Wooga Poplar is incredibly reliable at the little things, and Nijel Pack is a big factor behind Miami’s dominant win over Houston. While this is the least deep team left in the field — and the worst defensively — Miami’s stardom and coaching acumen is more than enough to make them a consideration for the championship!

West Region: 4 seed UConn

The other 3 teams had to overcome adversity in the 1st round, and while UConn did as well, they began steamrolling opponents after that. Iona had a 2 point lead heading into halftime against the Huskies, but Head Coach Dan Hurley fired his team up en route to outscoring the Gaels by 26 in the 2nd half (in a game Bill Murray attended). From there, UConn stomped through Saint Mary’s, Arkansas, and Gonzaga. Their total point differential against their 4 opponents so far is 67, which is the largest for any Final Four team in history. The teams they beat were no joke either. Saint Mary’s was 11th in KenPom heading into their match against UConn, Arkansas had just upended 1 seed Kansas before getting the doors blown off of them by UConn, and Gonzaga had just beaten the nation’s top defense in UCLA before only scoring 54 against UConn. Simply put, UConn is the heavy favorite heading into Saturday.

This team has electric playmakers and a passionate coach! Dan Hurley had not experienced postseason success up until now, but was a dominant presence in the regular season the past few years. This year, he has the added bonus of NBA lottery pick Jordan Hawkins, and the strongest big man duo in college basketball in superstar Adama Sanogo and 6th man Donovan Clingan. Because these 2 players are rarely on the court simultaneously, the different looks Hurley brings with each player is confounding for a team. UConn is a storied basketball program with a tradition of excellence from outside of the top seed, and they are a very likely contender to be the champions for the 3rd time in 12 years!

These types of things are unpredictable, but From Downtown expects Miami to be the 1st ever 5 seed to win the championship over fellow 5 seed San Diego State. Miami has proved their resilience and dominance, and UConn may not be ready for a team that can hang in a game for as long as Miami can. Omier may also prove to be a nuisance for their big men despite his comparatively small size. This is a basketball diehard fan’s Final Four through and through, but we here at From Downtown hope that, no matter what type of fan you are, this is an enjoyable set of games! Enjoy the last 3 games of the season, this is From Downtown, signing off for now!

Top 3 Sweet Sixteen Games to Watch

The 2nd weekend of March Madness is nearing, and with it are what will be among the best games of the tournament! Each year, the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds bring in marquee matchup after marquee matchup. This year, a mix of confident top seeds, scrappy middle seeds, and overachieving Cinderella teams are battling for a spot in the Final Four! Without further ado, From Downtown presents the 3 games a spectator needs to catch if nothing else!

3) 7 seed Michigan State vs 3 seed Kansas State

In the battle of the ___ State schools with guards that grew up in New York City, it is 7 seed Michigan State that is the betting favorite. This is very unusual, and is From Downtown’s first ever bet suggestion. Slam Kansas State moneyline! Kansas State is riding into the 2nd weekend off the back of an exhilarating 2nd half performance from Markquis Nowell. Nowell and his teammate, Keyontae Johnson, make up the strongest duo left in the tournament (though, Brandon Miller and the ever underrated Noah Clowney come in as a close 2nd). Nowell and Johnson both average north of 17 points, and give Kansas State a considerable scoring engine. Head Coach Jerome Tang has done incredible work in year 1 at Kansas State. The Wildcats were picked to finish last in their conference, and are now in the Sweet Sixteen. However, he is not up against easy opposition. Michigan State reached their 15th Sweet Sixteen under Head Coach Tom Izzo with a win over the red-hot Marquette on Sunday. The Spartans demonstrated their grit and teamwork in the win, as they made a few mistakes early on in the game. Specifically, center Mady Sissoko was furious like coach Izzo had never seen before. In fact, Sissoko was so angry with his own performance that he entered the zone, coming up with crucial, game-winning defensive stops for the Spartans when they needed it most. Sissoko’s transcendent performance being fueled from desire to not disappoint himself and his teammates was special to watch. Izzo is an incredible coach, the ensemble cast headlined by New York City native Tyson Walker is legit as well. This game is sure to be exhilarating, but perhaps the most exciting part is that 1 of these 2 teams will reach the Elite Eight. Both of these teams are very fun to watch, and as such, their battle lands at #3 on the list!

2) 3 seed Xavier vs 2 seed Texas

The Musketeers and Longhorns are both storied basketball programs with head coach intrigue that are back in the Sweet Sixteen after a drought. 1 of these teams will storm ahead to the Elite Eight, and the other will leave heartbroken. For Xavier, it has been a modest 6 years since they played on this stage, but for Texas, it goes as far back as 2008 since they made the Sweet Sixteen. A large portion of their success can be attributed to the meteoric rise and incensing leadership of Interim Coach Rodney Terry. At this point, From Downtown finds it ridiculous that Rodney Terry’s future in Austin is uncertain. Being thrust in an incredibly hectic position, Terry steered this program back into clear waters effectively. The Longhorns won the Big 12 tournament, and are now in their 1st Sweet Sixteen in a decade and a half. Texas employs a wide variety of players, but their big men in particular are heavily undervalued. While guards Tyrese Hunter, Sir’Jabari Rice, and Marcus Carr are impressive, the true diamonds in the rough on this team have shone through in postseason play. In Texas’ revenge tour against TCU, Christian Bishop paved the way. As mentioned in the previous article, Dylan Disu was electric against Penn State, and Brock Cunningham is among the most undervalued players in the sport. However, facing Xavier will be no easy task. Xavier matches Texas gun for gun, as they have a star-studded roster with an undervalued big man as well. Before their forward, though, Souley Boum deserves special mention for being both a gifted scorer and among the strongest guard rebounders in the country. However, the standout of Xavier’s tournament run so far is Jack Nunge, who came up with a monstrous block to send home the Owls last Friday. Head Coach Sean Miller has done impressive work in year 1. Some say Miller is the greatest active coach without a Final Four appearance, but he could dispel that narrative this year with just 2 more wins. That will start against the rugged Longhorns though, and that is why this matchup is the 2nd best to catch on Friday.

1) 3 Seed Gonzaga vs 2 seed UCLA

How could the West region preview’s marquee matchup not top this list? As the seeds predicted, Gonzaga and UCLA are meeting for this showdown between KenPom’s top offense and top defense. These two programs have a contender for the best rivalry in 21st century postseason basketball. In 2006, Gonzaga’s nightmare 11-0 collapse in the final minutes of the Sweet Sixteen is the single hardest college basketball game to watch on an emotional level. J.P. Bautista became the most hated man in Spokane, and Adam Morrison became the most empathetic figure in college basketball. However, it was the UCLA Bruins who came out on top in that affair. Gonzaga has the most recent victory though. In fact, Jalen Suggs’ last ditch 3-pointer is the tournament’s most recent buzzer beater. This is the tiebreaker round, and both teams are bringing all the stops in order to get the win. That is, except for UCLA’s Jaylen Clark, who will miss the game with an injury. The defensive player of the year semifinalist’s absence is adversity that Head Coach Mick Cronin’s squad will need to overcome to stop the Bulldogs. The  Bulldogs themselves needed to overcome adversity to even make this point. Gonzaga trailed TCU at halftime, and needed 7 2nd-half buckets from Drew Timme to stand a chance. Timme is among college basketball’s biggest stars — not too different from Morrison all those years ago – and is looking to redeem last year’s disappointing Sweet Sixteen loss to the Arkansas Razorbacks. Timme is not alone, though, as the often overlooked Julian Strawther would be the best player on most Power 5 schools’ teams. However, Strawther will need to shoot better than 3 for 10 from the field as he did against TCU, as those types of numbers will not cut it against UCLA. Speaking of UCLA, they are headlined by Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell, but have a ton of talent. Pac-12 Freshman of the Year Adem Bona, fellow freshman Amari Bailey, and junior Jaylen Clark are all players that often get overlooked. Cronin has led this team to the Sweet Sixteen 3 times in a row, but may hope to be as ambitious as 2021’s Final Four run. Meanwhile, Gonzaga’s Head Coach Mark Few squashes that number, as this is Gonzaga’s 8th consecutive Sweet Sixteen. No matter which of these teams advances, due to the tradition of rivalry, incredible talent, and great coaching these teams possess, this is easily the best game to catch in the Sweet Sixteen of 2023’s tournament!

Top 10 Notable Results from Week 1 of March Madness

March is officially upon us, and this year’s opening weekend did not disappoint! With 2 separate 1 seeds out before the Sweet Sixteen, a 15 seed in the Sweet Sixteen for a 3rd consecutive year, and other notable results, this could go down among the most memorable tournaments in history! Without further ado, here are the 10 best results from week 1 of March Madness!

Note: This article was written prior to the completion of the last 6 games of the second round. As a result, the outcome of some games mentioned in the future may have already been determined upon publication. Enjoy the article!

10) Maryland edges West Virginia with outstanding post play

The first game on the list is, coincidentally, the first game in the main bracket. The 8 seed Maryland Terrapins defeated 9 seed West Virginia in a close call game. Give Head Coach Bob Huggins’ West Virginia team a lot of credit for playing the Terrapins close. Maryland had their work cut out for them to win this game, as they had the unfortunate circumstance of playing against Kedrian Johnson when he was in the zone. Johnson went 8 for 13 from the field, including hitting 4 3s, and he also hit all of his free throws. More importantly, however, he was partially responsible for locking down Maryland’s star player in Jahmir Young, who only made a single basket the entire game (he scored 7 points off of free throws to get to his total of 10). How then, did Maryland win this game? The answer comes from strong center Julian Reese, who recorded among his most impressive games all season. Reese had 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 assists. Simply put, if Reese was not on a heater, it would have been West Virginia against Alabama in the round of 32. WVU went on a 16-0 run at one point, and led by as many as 13, but Maryland pulled out a win. At the end of the game, WVU had the opportunity to seal the game with a desperation 3-pointer, but it missed, and Maryland continued dancing. With this victory, Head Coach Kevin Willard joined the short list of first year coaches this year who won NCAA tournament games. Maryland lost their next game against 1 seed Alabama, but their gritty, comeback victory against a Big 12 opponent was enough to land them a spot on this list!

9) Dylan Disu puts Texas on his back against Penn State

10 seed Penn State upset Texas A&M in round 1 of the tournament, and with less than 5 minutes to go in their game against 2 seed Texas, they held the lead. If not for a specific Longhorn, the Nittany Lions would have continued their hot streak by heading to the Sweet Sixteen. Unfortunately, forward Dylan Disu decided to be unguardable for the day. He went 14 for 20 from the field, and was essential to Texas defeating Penn State. Disu also netted 10 rebounds, and did not turn the ball over a single time. Interim Head Coach Rodney Terry is consistently demonstrating that he deserves the full time position, and he has led Texas to the Sweet Sixteen despite being thrusted into an uncomfortable situation due to Chris Beard leaving. Penn State’s Head Coach, Micah Shrewsberry, has done an excellent job with the Nittany Lions, and deserves to be proud of his team’s run. Perhaps if superstar Jalen Pickett produced in the way that Disu did, the outcome would have been different. In an incredible display of statistical power, this game was nearly identical to the Vegas odds. Texas was -5 and the over/under was 137.5 points. In the end, Texas won by exactly 5 points, and the total game score was 137 points. This fun game is further proof that the Longhorns are legit national title contenders, and they will eagerly await playing 3 seed Xavier in the Sweet Sixteen!

8) FAU wins first ever NCAA Tournament game amidst controversy

The 9 seed Florida Atlantic Owls notched their 1st ever NCAA tournament win — in their 2nd ever tournament appearance — but it did not come without controversy. At the end of the game, Memphis led by 1 point with the ball, but an errant pass from Kendric Davis gave the ball right back to FAU. However, faulty dribbling on the side of the Owls led to a scrum for the ball with 5 seconds left, and although many Memphis players attempted to call a timeout, the officials declared a jump ball and gave possession to the Owls. Memphis Head Coach Penny Hardaway was irate, but Memphis still had a chance with a defensive stop. Unfortunately, in a position where an outside factor puts a team at risk of losing in March, mentality can waver, and the Tigers were unable to stop the Owls from cashing in a game-winning layup. The win came primarily from 6th man Giancarlo Rosado, who hit 100% of his shots from off the bench. Without him, Head Coach Dusty May would not be in a position where he is a double digit favorite in the second round of the tournament (more on that later). The Owls have had a tremendous season, and they are well on their way to the Sweet Sixteen!

7) Xavier’s Jack Nunge stuffs Kennesaw State’s upset dreams

This tournament saw a 16-1 upset, 15-2 upset, and 13-4 upset, but a 14-3 upset was curiously absent. This may be due to Xavier’s rampant comeback in the final minutes. Despite being down 51-38, Xavier managed to stay composed en route to a 5 point victory over 14 seed Kennesaw State. The team out of the ASUN conference has a lot to be proud about, as the team made the tournament for the 1st time in program history this year, and was close to making more history. In fact, as the game approached the final whistle, Kennesaw State had a golden opportunity to either tie the game or take the lead. However, in the pivotal moment, is was a Musketeer who came up big. Xavier’s Jack Nunge had the most monstrous block of the tournament to date, and put the team on his back to save Xavier from being another victim of a huge upset. In addition to his clutch play, Nunge recorded a double double on defensive blocks alone, and had a fantastic day for Head Coach Sean Miller’s squad. Miller has led Xavier to the Sweet Sixteen, where they will play Texas in a hotly anticipated matchup! March is a month of both celebration and heartbreak, and while this highly entertaining game had both, it was nonetheless easily able to secure a spot on this list!

6) TCU and Mike Miles storm back against Arizona State

Historically, a First Four team wins at least 1 additional game in the tournament. In fact, UCLA made a First Four to Final Four run in 2021, so the teams that get a game to get in the March groove tend to do well. Pitt dethroned Iowa State and kept the trend alive, but for most of the game, it looked like the Sun Devils would do it too. However, despite a double digit lead, the Horned Frogs dominated the game in the final minutes en route to a victory. Most of the credit for this win can be attributed to Head Coach Jamie Dixon and star guard Mike Miles. Dixon deserves a lot of credit for keeping his team composed in the final minutes, and he was fired up during the game. As for Mike Miles, the star guard scored 26 points. This was in no small part due to his ability to draw the foul, as Miles hit 12 free throws that put the Horned Frogs in position to sneak away with the win. However, in the end, it was 6th man JaKobe Coles who hit the game winner for the Horned Frogs. Dixon’s trust in his players was on full display, as not many coaches across the league would trust a bench player to hit that shot. It clearly worked out, and TCU moved onto fight against Gonzaga.

5) Kansas State and Kentucky go blow for blow in a thriller

This Wildcat showdown was the most thrilling non-upset in the tournament thus far, and it came down to the wire. Kansas State managed to pull ahead of a game that saw numerous lead changes, incredible shots, and excellent individual performances. For Kentucky, Oscar Tshiebwe was unsurprisingly incredible. He posted a 25/18 double double, and was the catalyst for Kentucky’s strength. However, he had considerable help from freshman phenom Cason Wallace. Wallace is among the best defenders in the sport, and will be a great player in the NBA. Here though, he went a staggering 9/11 from the field, and was a rebound away from a guard double double (for a guard at 6’4”, this is unreasonably impressive). However, despite their best efforts, they were no match for 2nd half Markquis Nowell. Nowell had 23 points in the second half alone, and hit some clutch 3s as the game wound down. Nae’Qwan Tomlin was a monster of defense, as he recorded 4 blocks and marched the Wildcats to the Sweet Sixteen for the 1st time since 2018 alongside Nowell. Head Coach Jerome Tang just took over at K State, and was picked to finish last in the Big 12. The Wildcats are still going strong, and are eyeing down either Michigan State or Marquette for their next game. 

4) Arkansas Hops on the Muss Bus to beat Kansas

Eric Musselman is one of the most emphatic coaches in the sport, and he was no different on the court against Kansas. The Hogs had an up and down season riddled with injuries and poor stretches, but they got their act together in time to deliver a stunning upset to the 1 seed. Arkansas’ roster was chalk full of NBA talent, with guards Nick Smith and Anthony Black both projected to go to the NBA. However, it was their older leadership that paved the way for this upset, as “Devo” Davis and Ricky Council IV both had tremendous performances. Davis went 9 for 15 from the field, and gave an emotional postgame speech about resilience. Make no mistake, this game proved Arkansas is the most passionate team in college basketball. Unfortunately, this win has a significant asterisk, as Kansas Head Coach Bill Self was absent with a heart issue. Considering the final score was 72-71, and Kansas was up by double digits in the 2nd half, it is not farfetched to believe that Self’s leadership would have kept the Jayhawks composed enough to eke out the win. While Kansas almost won, as the old adage goes: “almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Arkansas will have a chance to make their 3rd straight Elite Eight, and cement Musselman as a top 10 coach of the last 5 years!

3) A devastating turnover catapults Furman over Virginia

As mentioned many times, March is a month of heartbreak just as much as it is a month of celebration. No game better illustrates that then Fruman’s 68-67 win over Virginia, which was single handedly-caused by Kihei Clark’s horrible pass at the end of the game. Clark, after being double-teamed, hurled the ball directly into the hands of the Paladins’ JP Pegues, who promptly ripped the game-winning 3. Virginia led by double digits in the 2nd half, but absolutely did this to themselves. Most importantly, they shot an unacceptable 16.7% from 3. Furman Head Coach Bob Richey has deserved the Socon auto-bid for years, as Furman has been in the top 3 of the Socon standings the last 8 years. While he got his big shot here, one cannot help but feel for the Cavaliers. While they won the national championship in 2019 — proving Head Coach Tony Bennett’s coaching wisdom to be viable — they have lost to double digit seeds in their other 3 most recent tournament appearances. Additionally, every game in Virginia’s 2019 run was incredibly close. Simply put, perhaps Bennett needs to take a close look at his team’s slow paced, defensive strategy and reevaluate whether that can succeed in a March Madness setting. While Furman did lose to San Diego State in the next round, the Paladins will go down in March Madness history for this upset that had among the most thrilling conclusions in college basketball history.

2) Princeton honors Pete Carril with another legendary upset

In 1996, Princeton’s Pete Carril stunned the nation by defeating defending champion UCLA in the first round. 27 years later, Princeton is in the Sweet Sixteen after stunning Arizona and whalloping Missouri. The focus here is obviously the 15-2 upset over Arizona. Princeton did not shoot well, and also did not defend the interior that well either. However, their tremendous accomplishment stems from the fact that they limited Arizona’s lineup of strong guards. Forward duo Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo combined for 35 of Arizona’s 55 points, and more importantly, made 15 of Arizona’s 24 shots. Comparatively, Kerr Kriisa, Pelle Larson, and Courtney Ramey made went just 6 for 20, and went 1 for 10 from 3. If Ramey or Kriisa makes a few more shots, Arizona avoids the upset, but Princeton managed to hold them off due to superior defense. Tommy Lloyd was stunned, and this game was not his fault. As was a theme this tournament, teams that got upset had strong play from big men and no help surrounding them. Pete Carril died in 2022, so this upset was more meaningful for hte Ivy League team. As someone who picked Arizona to win the bracket, perhaps this should have been more apparent, as Arizona lost to inferior Pac-12 play all season. In any event, Princeton will face off against either Baylor or Creighton on the road to be the 2nd ever 15 seed to make the Elite Eight (remember St. Peter’s from a year ago). No matter what happens though, Princeton alumni have even more ammunition to look down upon other universities, as they have now trounced 2 basketball schools en route to the Sweet Sixteen.

1. Fairleigh Dickinson calls its shot to beat Purdue

“The more I look at Purdue, the more I think we can beat ‘em.” These were the words uttered by FDU coach Tobin Anderson after their First Four win against Texas Southern. Nobody took them seriously. However, at the end of 40 minutes of regulation, FDU emerged victorious over Purdue in a shocking David vs Goliath story. Again, it was Purdue’s horrendous guard play that sealed their fate. Braden Smith might be the most hated man in Indiana now that he gave up as many turnovers as he scored points and went an atrocious 2 for 10 from the field. Zach Edey, the National Player of the Year (rightfully so), seemed to have no help from his fellow Boilermakers this game. As for the Knights, the star performance comes from Sean Moore, who recorded 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Considering that FDU was the smallest team in the tournament, and was 299th at KenPom coming into the game, there is a legitimate argument that this is the single greatest upset in March Madness history. In fact, Fairleigh Dickinson did not even win their conference tournament, as they lost to Merrimack, but Merrimack was ineligible for the tournament due to being in a D-1 transition year. This is the stuff movies are made about. FDU faces off against the aforementioned FAU, where one of these teams that had never won in the NCAA tournament before will reach the second weekend. The incredible upset comes with heartbreak, as Matt Painter, Zach Edey, and the fans really could not do much considering the poor play from the rest of the Boilermakers. One thing is for sure though: Tobin Anderson’s iconic quote rang true at the end of regulation, as he was right to think they could beat Purdue. FDU can cement their legacy with a win over FAU, but no matter what happens, they have done more than enough to be talked about for generations to come!

March Madness West Bracket Preview!

March Madness is here! With it, From Downtown is here to give all the bits and pieces of information required to make the bracket! Today, the West Region is on the docket, and this region is definitely the most stacked region of them all! 5 of the top 11 teams at KenPom are this region’s 1-10, and the mid-seed talent, while incredibly volatile, has potential to be incredibly scary if they bring their A-game! Without further ado, here is the first round highlight, upset pick, marquee matchup, overhyped trap, and winner pick for the West Region of 2023’s NCAA Basketball Tournament!

First Round Highlight:

8 seed Arkansas (20-13) vs 9 seed Illinois (20-12)

The 8-9 game in the West brings 2 of the least consistent teams at the Power 5 level. Both Arkansas and Illinois spent considerable time in the AP poll this season — and each had respective From Downtown spotlight articles — but ultimately fell far short of their preseason expectations. However, that is not to say either of these teams are not incredibly dangerous to 1 seed Kansas should they win this game. Arkansas has 2 projected lottery picks in guard duo Nick Smith and Anthony Black, while Illinois is commanded by Big Ten first-teamer Terrance Shannon Jr. As a result, this highly contested game between 2 teams hungry to avoid an early exit is the best one to catch, and you can watch it at 4:30 PM EST on TBS. 

Key to the Game:

Illinois center Dain Dainja will need to have a big game, as he would normally have been matched up with Arkansas center Trevon Brazile. Since Brazile has been injured since 2022, Dainja has an opportunity to make a big impact on this game for the Illini when operating in Brad Underwood’s spread offense!

Upset Pick:

10 seed Boise State (24-9) vs 7 seed Northwestern (21-11)

Give the Wildcats — and more specifically, head coach Chris Collins — a ton of credit for getting Northwestern to the tournament for just the 2nd time in school history. However, the Broncos have the matchup advantage, and are on pace to get their first ever NCAA tournament victory despite 9 appearances. This will be a battle of defenses, as these teams rank right next to each other in KenPom’s defensive efficiency metric. Northwestern is 13th, while Boise State is 14th, but Boise State has the advantage by having an offense ranked 30 spots higher than Northwestern. Nonetheless, this is sure to be a close game between 2 strong head coaches. Be sure to catch this game at 7:30 PM EST on truTV.

Key to the Game:

Boise State will need to get going early to avoid being stifled by Northwestern’s top 15 defense. Look for big production from guard duo Marcus Shaver and Max Rice, as these 2 share the majority of Boise State’s scoring volume. If 1 of these 2 can get going against standout defender Boo Buie, then Head Coach Leon Rice’s squad may bring the Broncos their 1st NCAA tournament victory in program history!

Marquee Matchup:

2 seed UCLA (29-5) vs 3 seed Gonzaga (28-5)

Should UCLA and Gonzaga avoid an untimely exit, then this matchup might bring the most exciting game of the tournament .This rivalry has blossomed in the 21st century, and the fact that we could get an exact repeat of 2006’s 2 seed UCLA vs 3 seed Gonzaga would be crazy. In that game, Adam Morrison — one of Gonzaga’s most legendary players — famously cried on the court after Gonzaga’s very own L merchant J.P. Batista sold the game in the final minute. Spokane got the last laugh in their most recent showdown, though, as Jalen Suggs nailed a 3-pointer in overtime in 2021’s Final Four showdown. These two teams sport many of the same players as it did 2 seasons ago, with UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez and Gonzaga’s Drew Timme both returning for a potential rematch. Additionally, Gonzaga has the #1 ranked offense in KenPom, while UCLA has the #1 ranked defense. Catch this game for sure, as the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object might end up being a hallmark classic!

Key to the Game:

UCLA does not have as much experience against high-end talent. They have lost to their 3 strongest opponents, and are not a terribly strong offensive team. Gonzaga, meanwhile, is the best team in the country when filtering since February. Expect Timme and Co. to get it done if this matchup happens, as they are more used to the big moment!

Overhyped Trap:

12 seed VCU (27-7) over 5 seed Saint Mary’s (26-7)

VCU is back in the field, and once was one of the most exciting Cinderella stories when they made a historic run to the Final Four. This year, though, they had a tough draw, as they are against Randy Bennett’s Gaels. Saint Mary’s has a win over Gonzaga, and is currently the 11th best team in KenPom. Meanwhile, VCU is the 58th best team at KenPom, and has lost to teams such as Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, and Jacksonville. This may be an attractive upset because of VCU’s long win streak, but expect Saint Mary’s to make quick work of an overhyped VCU team.

Key to the Game:

Bench player for Saint Mary’s, Harry Wessels, has a 4 inch size advantage over any player on VCU that sees significant minutes. Wessels is not a big scorer, but is nonetheless a tremendous contributor to Saint Mary’s having a top 2 defensive rebounding score in the country. Expect the Gaels to crush the Rams on the glass en route to a deserved victory!

From Downtown’s Winner Pick:

3 seed Gonzaga

A 3 seed has not emerged from a bracket quadrant since Texas Tech in 2019, but that very well could change with the Bulldogs this year. The nation’s top offense is on a tremendous hot streak right now, and sports wins over Alabama, Baylor, and Xavier. Drew Timme is a tried-and-true talent who has been at the top level before, and as this is his last year for the Zags, he will try to go out with a bang. Gonzaga is a lock to go far — their 7 straight Sweet Sixteen appearances are by far the most of any school — but this year, expect them to get back to being within striking distance of the national championship. 

Key to the Game:

Julian Strawther shoots 42.5% from the 3-point arc, and Malachi Smith shoots an astonishing 50% from that range. These two have a combined 111 3-pointers, and could get hot at any time. Considering Drew Timme’s tremendous threat as an interior scorer, expect these 2 sharpshooters to contribute tremendously to Gonzaga’s tournament run!

How Norchad Omier led Hurricanes to 2nd ACC Title in Program History

The Miami Hurricanes narrowly escaped a 2nd straight agonizing defeat, as Blake Hinson narrowly missed a desperation heave to take the lead at the end of the game. As a result, the Hurricanes closed out a historic 24-6 season with a share of the ACC title. As the passionate Hurricanes fans stormed the court, the people most responsible for the Canes’ historic season celebrated. Miami boasts a hall-of-fame coach, a historic starting 5, and the momentum and mentality needed for a deep run in March!

Give the Miami Hurricanes a ton of credit for this season. Aside from a single errant buzzer-beater loss to in-state rival FSU, the Hurricanes went undefeated at home. In addition to their strong home crowd, the Hurricanes vanquished every strong ACC opponent at least once. Against some of the other strongest teams in the conference — Virginia, UNC, Clemson, and Wake Forest — Miami won handedly in their only meeting. As for Duke, Pitt, and NC State, Miami won at least 1 of their 2 bouts throughout the season. A respectable loss to Maryland in November and a pair of upset losses to Georgia Tech and Florida State round out Miami’s short list of defeats.

While the Hurricanes will not have home-court advantage come the tournament, they have a talented roster that is sure to make up the difference. The headliner for the Hurricanes is Isaiah Wong, who averages 15.9 points per game. Wong has scored as high as 36 points on the season, but can have “off” nights, such as Miami’s most recent win against Pitt. Wong went just 1 for 9 form the field, and made 7/9 of his points off of free throws. The other players on this starting 5 are no joke either. Wooga Poplar — likely the consensus 5th best on this starting 5 — proved he is no joke when he hit 6 crucial 3-pointers in the win against Pitt. Jordan Miller does all of the “little things” at an NBA-caliber level, and is truly among the most underrated players in the country. In fact, Miller has not scored less than double digit points in 2023. Nijel Pack is a hot-or-not sharpshooter, but the $800,000 NIL deal Pack received has been worth it for the Hurricanes. Pack can single-handedly alter results, such as when he hit 5 3-pointers in a span of 5 minutes in Miami’s home win against Virginia Tech. With all of that being said, likely the most important player to Miami’s success is Norchad Omier.

Omier transferred into Miami from the Sun Belt — where he won Sun Belt player of the year for the Arkansas State Red Wolves — and he made an immediate impact. The 7-time game MVP averages 14.1 points per game on some of the most efficient scoring in the country. Omier makes north of 60% of his shots inside the arc, and has the potential to go absolutely nuclear. For example, when Miami went to Notre Dame and hosted Virginia Tech, Omier made 8/11 and 9/11 of his shots respectively. In fact, in games where Omier makes more than 6 shots, Miami is undefeated. However, the far more impressive aspect of Omier’s basketball game is his rebounding ability. At 6’7”, Omier is the smallest center in the ACC, but he is the 2nd best defensive rebounder in the conference. This speaks to his monstrous athleticism. Omier unabashedly goes the extra mile on rebounding (as evidenced by his 23 point 26 rebound game back on Arkansas State). His 13 double-doubles on the season put him in the top 30 in the nation when combining scoring and rebounding skill, and he truly is the cornerstone behind this offensive juggernaut.

Despite their highs, Miami is not an unbeatable team. In fact, they struggle to slow down even middle of the road ACC opponents, and they gave up 105 points to Cornell in regulation. The defensive inefficiencies can be attributed to undisciplined guard defense and Omier’s lack of height. 2nd unit players such as Bensley Joseph, Harlond Beverly, and AJ Casey provide defensive relief, but they cannot always contend with the top echelon players Miami will face at the big dance. For example, Miami could get confounded if Summit League favorite Oral Roberts makes the tournament and matches up with them in the first round. Oral Roberts boasts a premiere scorer in Max Abmas, and a 7’5” behemoth and 3-point shooter in Connor Vanover. With a 10” size difference against Omier, Vanover could provide trouble for the Hurricanes, and Abmas has been among the most efficient scorers in the league since Oral Roberts’ historic run in 2021. Nonetheless, no game in March Madness will be unwinnable for Miami. If they catch fire at the right moments, then the Hurricanes could make the first Final Four in school history this year!

How Shaka Smart and Tyler Kolek Shocked the Big East

Marquette sealed a 72-56 win against Butler on Tuesday, which gave them a 3 game lead in the win column in the Big East heading into Wednesday. This record cannot be caught, meaning Marquette is officially the Big East regular season champion for the 2nd ever time (the 1st time came in the 12-13 season, where they split the regular season title with Louisville and Georgetown). Marquette amassing their first ever sole Big East regular season title is a fantastic feat for the team, especially considering Head Coach Shaka Smart is in his 2nd ever season. Far more impressive, however, is the fact that Marquette was picked to finish 9th in the Big East in the preseason coaches poll! Simply put, Smart managed to turn the Golden Eagles from a tournament non-contender to the Big East champion, and he did so through leadership.

The Big East was incredibly strong this year, but more specifically, it was top heavy. While middling teams such as Seton Hall and Villanova were able to present challenges to some of the top teams, the Big East had a “big 5” in 2023. Creighton, UConn, Providence, and Xavier joined Marquette as the clear tournament teams in the Big East. All of these teams had superstar players as well, with Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman, UConn’s Adama Sanogo, Providence’s Bryce Hopkins, and Xavier’s Souley Boum all putting up ridiculous numbers in various stats. In addition to being great stat sticks, all of these players were team oriented, and elevated the players around them as a result. Sanogo elevated teammates such as Jordan Hawkins, and allowed backup center Donovan Clingan to thrive when he took a break. Xavier and Creighton had incredible coteries surrounding their stars, giving them among the most dominant starting 5s in college basketball. Finally, Providence’s Hopkins allowed both Noah Locke and Ed Croswell to thrive under pressure. With all of that being said, though, the star player who elevated their teammates the most was Tyler Kolek.

Kolek is originally a George Mason player that got brought in when Marquette transitioned to the Smart regime. However, in the 21-22 season, he was not the standout like he is in this season. Marquette, after reaching last year’s dance, lost their premiere players in Justin Lewis and Darryl Morsell. Smart adopted a “next man up” policy instead of trying his luck in the transfer portal, putting a lot of responsibility on Kolek’s shoulders. However, Smart seemed to do this because he trusted Kolek implicitly. Kolek has blossomed into arguably the single best passer in college basketball, as he averages a monstrous 7.9 assists a game. Following his lead, teammates Kam Jones, Oso Ighodaro, and Olivier Maxence-Prosper have all shown rapid growth from their 21-22 seasons. Smart trusting his home-grown players to succeed is a vital ingredient in Marquette’s recipe for success, and as the tournament approaches, Marquette is indisputably a team to consider for the Final Four when filling out brackets.

McCaffrey’s Eleven: How Iowa Heisted a Victory from Michigan State

A minute 1:29 separates Iowa from their 3rd straight loss in Big Ten play. Head Coach Fran McCaffrey — less than a week removed from his ejection in Iowa’s loss to Northwestern — barely avoids another technical foul after staring down the referee. Iowa is down 91-81 to Michigan State. However, for disgruntled Hawkeyes fans who turned the TV off at this point, they missed out on the single greatest heist of the 22-23 season. For, 25 minutes later, the Hawkeyes were celebrating a 112-106 victory against the Spartans.

The Hawkeyes have emerged as the Big Ten’s villain in recent seasons. Top 5 NBA draft pick Keegan Murray paired alongside longtime Hawkeye Jordan Bohannon to make last year’s 5 seed team the Big Ten tournament champions! However, both have since departed from the team. Iowa adopted a “next man up” policy, as nearly all of their players are at least a sophomore. Among them, the starting lineup is commanded by Murray’s brother, Kris Murray. Him and Filip Rebraca create a dominant, albeit small, backcourt that confounds teams. Alongside two of McCaffrey children in Connor and Patrick McCaffrey, this Iowa team was playing on a tournament-team level.

However, it felt like Iowa was squandering their opportunity to make a 3rd straight NCAA tournament. The Hawkeyes lost an away game to Northwestern by 20. Sure, losing to the Wildcats is reasonable, but the margin and McCaffrey’s ejection were concerning to a fanbase that was on the bubble. To make matters worse, Iowa had the opportunity to play spoiler in a must-win game for Wisconsin, but squandered this opportunity as well. Their 12 point loss to the Badgers kept Wisconsin’s hopes alive while simultaneously jeopardizing the Hawkeyes, who dropped to a 9 seed in the tournament. A 3rd loss against Michigan State — especially considering after MSU, the group would have to take on Indiana at Assembly Hall — could prove to be a drastic setback. For awhile, it looked like it would be.

However, after a foul call that infuriated McCaffrey, he took matters into his own hands. Despite being down by 11 with less than a minute left, the Hawkeyes scored on every possession to come back from the deficit even against good MSU free throw shooting. The odds of this happening were 200-1 according to ESPN analytics, who gave Michigan State a 99.5% chance to win the game. To Hawkeyes fans, this invigorated the fanbase. McCaffrey backed up his fiery, passionate coaching that got him into trouble with the officials by scoring 20 points in 90 seconds. In D1 Men’s Basketball, SportsRec notes that the average men’s basketball team scores 67.875 points in a 40 minute game. A quick calculation shows how the the Hawkeyes — college basketball’s very own Ocean’s 11 — was over 7 times as efficient as the average D1 team in the last 90 seconds of the game. It is only as far back as 2016, when Texas A&M stormed back from a similar deficit against Northern Iowa in the 2nd round of the tournament, that we can find numbers similar to Iowa’s performance. As proven by their fiery actions both on and off the court, Iowa is a team to be feared at the big dance no matter if you’re an opposing team’s fan, spectator, or even an on-court referee!

Bubble Watch: 5 ins and 5 outs

Selection Sunday is 3 weeks from today, and the bracket begins in less than a month. For college basketball fanatics, this is the most exciting time of the year, and as a result, this article marks the first instance of From Downtown’s NCAA tournament coverage. While a fair amount of teams have already made their way into the tournament, plenty of teams are in the uneasy “bubble zone.” Today, From Downtown is here to project 5 “in” teams and 5 “out” teams from the bubble. Using a mix of Bracketology experts Joe Lunardi, Jerry Palm, Ken Pomeroy, and a touch of From Downtown analysis, these insights are carefully cultivated to be as accurate a predictor of the unpredictable as possible. Nonetheless, the list is ordered from least to most controversial, with a few spicy picks towards the end! Stay tuned!

Boise State: In

Boise State made it to From Downtown’s midseason top 25, but faltered after losses to New Mexico and San Diego State. However, the Mustangs have opportunities to right these wrongs down the stretch against both New Mexico and San Diego State at home. Avoiding losses to UNLV and San Jose State might be crucial to keep Head Coach Leon Rice’s team comfortably in the tournament, but currently, Boise State projects to be a 10 seed by both Palm and Lunardi, which lands them the first “in” spot on this list!

Utah State: Out

Jumping from 1 Mountain West team to another, we have a Utah State Aggies team reeling from a few bad losses. Head Coach Ryan Odom’s team jumped out to a 9-0 start, but have since cooled to being a respectable 12-7 in their last 19 games. The Aggies helped their case with a home win against Nevada, but are 3-4 in their last 7 away games, and have a journey to UNLV in their near future. Losing this game could be catastrophic for the Aggies, and then they have to host the aforementioned Boise State before entering a strong Mountain West tournament. The Aggies have a lot of work to do to get in the tournament, and as a result, they cannot be confidently placed in the field of 68 teams.

Texas A&M: In

Due to the waning strength of the SEC, Texas A&M may actually be one of the most slept on teams in America. Head Coach Buzz Williams suffered a string of brutal non-conference losses to Murray State, Colorado, Boise State, Memphis, and Wofford, but have gone 13-2 in conference thus far. The remainder of their schedule is daunting: playing Alabama and Mississippi State are difficult opponents. However, both of these teams have shown recent weakness, and if the Aggies repeat their recent success against Tennessee, they should solidify their case as a tournament team!

Wake Forest: Out

This is a tough one, as Head Coach Steve Forbes has done well with this program through his first 2 years. However, it seems like the Demon Deacons keep falling just short of the prize, and this year looks no different. Wake Forest’s brutal 4 game losing streak in January is a huge knock against them, and their remaining schedule includes 2 games KenPom projects them to lose (at N.C. State and Syracuse). Wake might need an impressive ACC tournament run to make it to the big dance, but with a top heavy ACC team with a few other schools on the bubble (Clemson, Pitt, UNC, and N.C. State), that might be too tall a task for Forbes and recent NIL deal receiver Tyree Appleby to handle in year 2.

Kentucky: In

What an unfortunate story for the Wildcats. A top 5 team in the preseason now sits at a tenuous 18-9, but Head Coach John Calipari likely still brings his team to the NCAA tournament. This team has taken numerous brutal losses over the season, but has a few strong wins as well. Notably, Kentucky swept Tennessee this season, as well as notching home wins against fellow bubble teams Texas A&M and Mississippi State. The Wildcats have incredible talent on their roster, and could even win a tournament game in the right circumstances. Nonetheless, Calipari needs to avoid another bad loss at all costs, as that could be the nail in the coffin that prevents this team from making the NCAA tournament.

Oregon: Out

Head Coach Dana Altman set his team up nicely for success last Saturday, but could not seal the deal. Despite being poised for an upset against a disgruntled UCLA team, Oregon could not close the deal. To make matters worse, Altman’s squad lost in overtime to Washington, making it really difficult for the Ducks to get back to the field. Winning the rest of their regular season is a must, but this team is not favored against Washington State in their next game. Oregon can make it back into consideration, but Altman would need to reignite his strong coaching prowess and light a fire on a currently underperforming team.

As of later Sunday, the Ducks lost again to Washington State, putting them even further out of reach from the tournament!

Iowa: In

Fran McCaffery furiously left the court on Sunday’s loss to Northwestern after getting ejected by the refs, but the Hawkeyes have the ability to remain resilient and avoid letting that loss snowball. Iowa is favored in 3 of their next 4 games, and storming into Assembly Hall at Indiana and delivering a season sweep of the Hoosiers would be enough for Iowa to write their ticket into the pool. If not, avoiding a loss to Wisconsin and a strong performance in the Big Ten tournament would also help the Hawkeyes punch their 3rd straight ticket to the tournament. Trust the Hawkeyes to do at least 1 of these 2 things and comfortably place in the tournament.

UNC: Out

If Kentucky’s situation is unfortunate, UNC’s is a nightmare. An incredibly talented team that retained most of last year’s championship roster is grievously underperforming. UNC recently lost to in-state rival N.C. State in what exacerbated a concern that UNC has not beaten any of their strong opponents. This team is a poultry 2-7 in away games, and lost to both Miami and Pitt at home. Hubert Davis needs to steer the ship back in the right direction to make it into the field, which will be difficult with Duke and Virginia still on the schedule. Expect the Tarheels to barely miss out on this year’s tournament, and become the only #1 preseason team to do so as well.

USC: In

After Arizona and UCLA, it is hard to discern if another Pac-12 team should make the tournament. Fortunately for USC fans, the Trojans look like they could beat the odds and make the tournament. USC is undefeated at home so far, which might help them notch a win against Arizona. Additionally, while they are not favored in either of their upcoming 2 games, they are against a Colorado and Utah team that have both lost 2 of 3, and can plausibly win both of those games! Head Coach Andy Enfield’s team started the season horribly with a loss to his former team in FGCU (Dunk City), but he has done enough since then to put USC back into the tournament!

Wisconsin: Out

The team that has not won 2 games in a row in 2023 is being projected by some analysts to sneak into the tournament, but after their home loss to Rutgers on Saturday, it looks even more unlikely than before. Wisconsin suffered a brutal stretch in which they lost 6 of 7, and they also recently lost to Big Ten bottom-feeder Nebraska. Had superstar Tyler Wahl been at full strength all season, then maybe Greg Gard’s story would be different this year. Unfortunately though, it looks like Gard will have to pull the upset against multiple of Iowa, Michigan, and Purdue to have a good shot at the postseason, which, currently, is not likely enough to put the Badgers into the field.

Big Time Basketball: How the Big Ten, Big 12, and Big East look Dominant!

True college basketball nuts love ranking conferences just as much as they love ranking teams. KenPom, for example, has a formula designed to rank the strength of each conference in relation to each other. Upon examining this statistic, a shocking revelation occurs. The top 3 conferences all share one thing in common: “big.” The Big 12, Big Ten, and Big East take spots 1-3 in the rankings, and today, From Downtown is here to give you a rundown on the most important storylines from each of these conferences as conference tournament week approaches.

Big 12: Race to the Top

CBS’ bracketology expert Jerry Palm projects a staggering 8 Big 12 teams into the tournament (West Virginia currently projects to head to Dayton and compete in the First Four). This is unprecedented, as it means the Big 12 could account for nearly an 8th of all teams in the field. While the aforementioned West Virginia and TCU (who has dropped a few games with their star player Mike Miles injured) are a few games behind, the other 6 teams are all within 1 loss of each other. Oklahoma State has exploded onto the scene recently, as 7’1” behemoth Moussa Cisse returned from injury and is confounding teams on offense. The other 5 teams have been great the whole season, with Kansas State and Iowa State in particular being notable for exceeding their preseason expectations. Oklahoma, the team that currently sits in last in the standings, eviscerated the currently projected #1 team in the country with a double digit destruction of Alabama. Even Texas Tech, the team that lost 8 straight conference games, has knocked off Iowa State, Kansas State, and Texas in the last 2 weeks. Simply put, the Big 12 is a congested group of strong teams.

Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks are shocked by the strong nature of the Big 12. Self has won 16 of the last 19 Big 12 regular seasons, and they have the opportunity to get back into a tie for first if they take down the Oklahoma State Cowboys tonight. Alongside them, Texas and Baylor are both bouncing back from adversity in incredible ways. After losses to Virginia, Marquette, and a 3 game losing streak at the start of 2023, Baylor has won 10 of 11. A fair portion of their recent success can be attributed to overcoming injuries, as LJ Cryer and Adam Flagler were absent for a few of Baylor’s losses, and the return of sensational Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua. As for Texas, their previous coach was fired after beating his wife, but interim coach Rodney Terry is keeping the Longhorns on course in what surely surprised the rest of the league. In fact, Terry received a raise, and is definitely in contention to assume the role of coach for the future if he continues to be successful. Unfortunately, the Big 12 as we know it has limited minutes, as the exodus of Texas and Oklahoma will be replaced by new entries from Houston, BYU, UCF, and Cincinnati. In the meantime, enjoy what is surely the strongest college basketball conference while it lasts!

Big Ten: Mayhem in the Middle

There is no debating that Purdue is the premier team in the Big Ten, as they have a 2 game lead on 2nd place in the loss column, and are favored in the rest of their games. However, almost the rest of the Big Ten is in a sea of tournament-viable teams scrambling for high seeds in the Big Ten tournament. At 9-5 is a familiar face and a shocking surprise. Indiana and Northwestern — 2 of the 3 teams to hand Purdue a loss this season — are both contending for the tournament, but their preseason expectations were tremendously different. Indiana was projected to handedly win their conference by most analysts, and while they have not necessarily disappointed, they will likely need to prove their mettle in the postseason in order to exceed expectations. On the flip side, nobody expected Northwestern to be within striking distance of 2nd in the Big Ten, let alone a tournament berth. Chris Collins was in jeopardy should Northwestern have had another down season, but the best coach in Northwestern history is proving his mettle with a scrappy, physical team with a top 25 defense.

Speaking of defenses, Illinois, Rutgers, Michigan State, and Maryland all have a defense KenPom ranks in the top 30. Additionally, all these teams are 8-6, and have a spectrum of different coaches. While Kevin Willard is in his beginning year at Maryland’s helm, Tom Izzo has been coaching Michigan State (who had a horrible tragedy this week, and From Downtown’s thoughts and prayers are with the East Lansing community) since the 20th century. In the middle, Rutgers’ Steve Pikiell and Illinois’ Brad Underwood are building respectable careers, but need a big push to the Sweet Sixteen to put themselves on the level of the Big Ten greats. Behind that stretch of 4 teams are Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Penn State. Penn State got a big win against Illinois today, but likely needs a bit more to navigate back to tournament contention after a brutal stretch where they lost 6 of 8. Wisconsin projects as a First Four team according to Jerry Palm, and Iowa and Michigan have good records but very inconsistent gameplay. Still, Iowa and Michigan are right there with the rest of the bunch at 8-6, and could end up as high as the 2nd seed when the Big Ten tournament begins. The Big Ten race for 2nd place is extremely exciting to watch, just as the 8-9 teams that make the NCAA tournament will be as well!

Big East: Impossible to Predict

The Big East boasts 5 ranked teams, and all 5 of these teams are killers for different reasons. Providence has been discussed in articles ad nauseam at this point, but they are nonetheless notable for their strong coach, incredible rebounding, and tenacity in close games (they just had their 2nd 2OT win of the season). Speaking of Creighton, Greg McDermott’s Blue Jays — before their loss tonight against Providence — had the nation’s 5th longest win streak, including wins against Xavier, Providence, and UConn. Currently leading the pack is Marquette, a team with a top 3 offense according to KenPom. Shaka Smart has tremendously exceeded expectations this year, as the team projected to finish 9th in the Big East is currently in 1st place. UConn, conversely, has faltered in 2023. The Huskies, after going 14-1 in 2022, are just 5-7 in 2023. Nonetheless, their recent win against Marquette proves they are still a team to be feared when playing at their best. Finally, Xavier marched out to a commanding Big East lead at first, but has shown splashes of inconsistency with losses to Butler and DePaul. Nonetheless, they have one of the most talented starting lineups in the country, and are a force to be reckoned with on offense.

While the team that wins the Big East regular season will likely not include UConn, the other 4 teams are now neck and neck for the regular season title. Marquette has the opportunity to cement a 1.5 game lead with a win against Xavier, but things become really murky at the top if the Musketeers get it done. Additionally, the Big East conference tournament is sure to have some incredible matchups as well. Any of these teams truly can win or lose to any one of the other teams. Make sure to keep Seton Hall in the conversation as well. Shaheen Holloway — the coach responsible for the St. Peter’s miracle — has been doing good things for the Pirates in year 1, and is in the tournament bubble right now. They will need a few more good wins to get strongly considered, but they have the opportunity to do that against UConn on Saturday. Now is the time to get excited for the Big East tournament, as it is likely to be the least predictable and, therefore, most exciting tournament for the conference in years!

Tennessee’s Meltdown: How Crucial Misplays are Spelling Disaster for the Volunteers

For 39 minutes and 50 seconds, the Tennessee Volunteers played good basketball against Vanderbilt and Missouri. Although — considering Tennessee is, this week, ranked a top 10 team in the country — perhaps the Commodores and Tigers should not have given the Vols any trouble. Nonetheless, as time was expiring, Tennessee found themselves up 2 against 2 SEC opponents. However, in both final scores, Tennessee instead found themselves losing by 1. The reason for this: a complete collapse on defense in the final play of each game. A double-order of disheartening meltdowns makes the future in Knoxville look very bleak for the Volunteers. The onus is on Rick Barnes to get this talented team back into top shape before tournament season, or otherwise, the Volunteers may make a 3rd straight untimely exit from the postseason.

The roster for the Volunteers is, simply put, awe-inspiring. Zakai Zeigler and Santiago Vescovi make up this team’s incredible backcourt. Zeigler, the point guard, is a 5’9” sharpshooter who has already surpassed 250 points on the season. At the 2, Vescovi has also surpassed 250 points, but on stronger efficiency. On the other side of the court, the ever underrated Olivier Nkamhoua is doing wonderful things as the center. He is a great scorer and good defender, and Khamhoua actually averages more points than Zeigler on a game by game basis. Simply put, the talent on this team is enough to where back-to-back close losses to Vanderbilt and Missouri should be surprising.

Why is Tennessee losing these games, though? The answer can be found in Rick Barnes’ coaching. Barnes is a fantastic NCAA coach: certainly top 25 currently, and debatably even higher than that (CBS Sports ranked him as the preseason 14th best coach). However, if one thing has plagued Barnes throughout his tenure at Tennessee, it is that he fails to live up to the big moment. Coaches design plays to go the length of the court in a short amount of time (the all-time most famous play of this type being Kris Jenkins’ shot in the NCAA tournament finals against North Carolina). Unfortunately, sometimes teams catch other teams by surprise. Take, for example, Wake Forest’s November win against Utah Valley. Head Coach Steve Forbes expertly planned for this moment, and Tyree Appleby caught a court-length pass and sealed the game away. For a team like Tennessee, this occurring, say, once every 5 years is perfectly reasonable. However, happening in 2 straight games is a completely different story. Barnes likely needs to head back to the drawing board in these tense situations. 

Tennessee has the #1 ranked defense in the country, and it has been that way for quite a while according to KenPom. However, their offense is ranked 52nd in the country. As a result, they can find themselves locked in close games against other good SEC opponents as time winds down. The solution to these woes: Barnes needs to gain some confidence. He absolutely deserves to be confident in the big moment, but from a spectator’s perspective, he seems to overthink the crucial moments. If Barnes coached the way he did for the previous 39 minutes in the last minute of their games this week, then Tennessee would be 20-4 instead of 18-6. Fortunately, Barnes still has a strong tournament-contender. If he can get this team back into shape, then Tennessee will be a team to take seriously in the postseason even if they find themselves in a close game!

From Downtown Coach of the Year Frontrunners

In the last article, we covered the 10 frontrunners for From Downtown’s Player of the Year award, and the best way to follow that up is by doing the same for coaches. The criteria for coaches, though, is a little different than the criteria for players. A team exceeding expectations, succeeding without a star player, using ingenuitive gameplay ideas, or, in some cases, a mix of these items can land a coach on this list. Without further ado, here are the top From Downtown 10 Coach of the Year Frontrunners!

10) Steve Pikiell - (Rutgers, 16-7, 15th KenPom)

In the preseason, 7 Big Ten teams clouded the top of the rankings, with nearly every analyst or predictive metric giving a different order of the top 7 teams. However, Rutgers was not among those teams. Despite this, they now sit as the sole owners of 2nd place in the Big Ten, and project comfortably in the tournament as well (Jerry Palm’s Bracketology currently has the Scarlet Knights as a 7th seed). A lot of this success can come off the back of Steve Pikiell. Cliff Omoruyi and Paul Mulcahy are a dangerous duo, but not exceptional compared to some of the talents in the Big Ten such as Purdue’s Zach Edey, Indiana’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, or Maryland’s Jahmir Young. Pikiell gets a spot on this list due to his ability to contain some of those great players in their games. Edey scored just 19 points in Purdue’s loss to Rutgers, and Jackson-Davis scored a strangely low 13 points. Pikiell is game planning for star players incredibly well, which will serve him well in the tournament. Rutgers has the 2nd best defense on KenPom, and Pikiell has this team incredibly disciplined. Unfortunately, Rutgers has taken quite a few ugly losses that prevents Pikiell from being any further up on this list. Nonetheless, he has had a standout 22-23 season!

9) Randy Bennett - (St. Mary’s, 21-4, 7th KenPom)

Randy Bennett is doing incredible things in the WCC, but nobody is watching! The Gaels recently upended Gonzaga to extend their win streak to 12, which is the 2nd longest win streak in the country. Bennett has led this school to 8 of their 11 total NCAA tournaments, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance. The Gaels are within striking distance of a 2nd Sweet Sixteen appearance, and it is primarily on the back of Bennett’s coaching. The Gaels have a top 5 defense according to KenPom, but Bennett’s real knack is this team’s consistency. A single 2-point loss to Colorado State separates this team from complete consistency. The Gaels sustained a single 3-game losing streak, but Bennett turned the season around in 2023 by not losing a game in the new year. Freshman Aidan Mahoney is the standout players ere, but Logan Johnson, Mitchell Saxon, and Alex Ducas give Mahoney veteran support. It turns out Any good mid-major season should be recognized, but Bennett in particular is doing an incredible job deserving of this recognition!

8) Ed Cooley - (Providence, 17-6, 28th KenPom)

Ed Cooley is having himself yet another standout season in the Big East. Providence is in contention for a tournament split for the 2nd straight year, and a large portion of their success can be attributed to Cooley’s coaching prowess. As mentioned in a previous From Downtown spotlight article, Providence is among the best rebounding teams in the country, and that takes discipline. They are also quite strong in the clutch, with their recent overtime loss against Xavier being a rare exception to their ability to win a close game. The Big East is no joke this year either, with Marquette (Marquette’s Shaka Smart would have been #11 on this list), Xavier, UConn, and Creighton all being viable Big East Tournament contenders. Add in that Miami and TCU are 2 of their 3 non-conference losses, and Providence is very upset-proof as well. Providence’s coach is curtailed from being higher on this list due to his relatively tame record in away games. Still, Cooley is doing a tremendous job in recent years for Rhode Island’s prized team, and he absolutely deserves his spot on this list!

7) Jim Larrañaga - (Miami, 18-5, 37th KenPom)

Miami’s head coach, Jim Larrañaga, is corralling a team with considerable talent that has trouble gelling. Players such as Isaiah Wong, Norchad Omier, and Nijel Pack are all monsters on the offensive side of the ball, but can be defensive liabilities. This is evidenced by by Miami’s rankings in KenPom: they have top 10 offense, but their defense is outside of the top 100. Being able to win in spite of such a lopsided team is a testament to Larrañaga’s coaching skill. Miami is winning huge games as well, with their away win on Saturday against Clemson and earlier win against Virginia being incredible ACC victories. Larrañaga is, on a game to game basis, designing strategies to allow his team to excel in their strong areas and mitigate their weaknesses simultaneously. Additionally, Larrañaga is an excellent motivator, and this is yet another team that is undefeated at home. Again, Miami has a concerning away-game record, which curtails Larrañaga from being higher on this list. Nonetheless, Miami has exceeded expectations, and is a ranked team with a great coach!

6) Dusty May - (FAU, 22-2, 34th KenPom)

By far the biggest surprise on this list comes from the Florida Atlantic University Owls, and their coach, Dusty May. May led the FAU to 20 straight wins en route to what will likely be FAU’s 2nd ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. This came completely out of left field. Every year, a few mid-major programs manage to catch fire and play incredibly well. For example, last year’s Murray State team lost just 2 games en route to a 7th seed. However, both last year’s Murray State team and this year’s fellow CUSA team UAB were preseason predictions for mid-major success stories. The Owls, however, were not. Nonetheless, FAU is likely the best mid-major team in the country (depending on your thoughts on the American and WCC), and a 20 game win streak for any team is incredibly impressive. Naturally, the coach is a tremendous reason for this team’s success. For this reason alone, M0ay earns himself a spot on this list.

5) Nate Oats - (Alabama, 20-3, 5th KenPom)

Head Coach Nate Oats exploded onto the scene in 2021, and got Alabama a #2 seed in the tournament. Unfortunately, they encountered a piping hot UCLA team and lost in an overtime thriller. In last year’s tournament, Alabama tapered off, and got upset in the tournament by Notre Dame. This year, however, Oats has this team back in title contention, and the Crimson Tide have the opportunity to land an even greater seed than 2021’s season. Oats is greatly benefitted by the presence of Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney, 2 future NBA players. With that being said f, the SEC is not just a random conference where going 10-0 is not incredible. Oats’ team is incredibly innovative, with a top 20 offense, top 5 defense, and the single fastest pace in the country. Being able to play at such speed and still 20-3 is incredible, and it lands Oats firmly in the #5 spot on this list.

4) Matt Painter - (Purdue, 22-2, 4th KenPom)

The other coach on this list with a top 2 team in the country, Purdue’s Matt Painter is squeezing wine from water with his team this year. As is a commonly touted statistic, none of Purdue’s starting 5 was a top 90 recruit going into college. Nonetheless, they have been dismantling all sorts of teams en route to an almost assured 1-seed heading into March. Painter has taken Zach Edey - a player who was not ranked in the top #400 in his high school class - into the premiere college basketball player in the country. There is an argument for Painter being one of the most consistent coaches of all time, but the fact that he has gotten a team that, on paper, does not project as a top 15 team in the country (as evidenced by the preseason) into nearly the consensus #1 team in the country is an incredible feat. As a result, Painter lands at #4 on this list!

3) T.J. Otzelberger - (Iowa State, 16-6, 19th KenPom)

Iowa State’s head coach, T.J. Otzelberger, is lightning in a bottle. In the 20-21 season, the Cyclones went a poultry 2-22. After hiring Otzelberger, however, they won an additional 20 games and made the Sweet Sixteen. The Cyclones look p[oised to do so again, and a large part of this can be attributed to Otzelberger. A defensive mastermind, Otzelberger is squeezing incredible production from his dynamic duo of Gabe Kalscheur and Caleb Grill. Kalscheur and Grill, while playing very well, are not as talented as some of the other talents of the Big 12. Nonetheless, Otzelberger has Iowa State in sole 2nd place in the incredibly contentious Big 12. With that being said, Otzelberger is unfortunately overshadowed by another Big 12 coach achieving similarly fantastic results. Therefore, he sits at a nonetheless incredibly respectable 3rd place.

2) Tommy Lloyd - (Arizona, 21-3, 9th KenPom)

Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona Wildcats were projected to be a top 20 team heading into the season, but a large portion of that was due to Lloyd’s exploits himself. If Otzelberger’s 1st season was impressive, Lloyd’s was legendary. A crazy statistic: as of February 6th, 2023, head coach Tommy Lloyd is as likely to have won National Coach of the Year for a complete season as the sun rising in the morning. Take overlooked Texas transfer Courtney Ramey as a great example. Ramey was underutilized on a Texas team that a redacted but nonetheless very talented head coach helmed at the time. On Arizona, however, Ramey is starting for the Wildcats and averaging north of 10 points a game. Azuolas Tubelis has emerged as one of the best players in the country, but Tubelis was an unranked recruit that was, in part, cultivated by Lloyd himself. Pelle Larson, Oumar Ballo, and Kerr Kriisa are also all succeeding under Lloyd’s coaching, earning him the deserved 2nd spot on this list!

1) Jerome Tang - (Kansas State, 18-5, 26th KenPom)

Nobody could have predicted Kansas State’s meteoric rise, even From Downtown. Despite this publication being among the most positive on Kansas State in the country, they still were in 9th place on From Downtown’s initial Big 12 rankings. However, Tang delivered a home win against Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks in his inaugural season, breathing life into this program desperate to relive their 2018 tournament glory days. Tang is giving players like Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell the national spotlight, which is incredible. The fact that K State is vying for the Big 12 Regular Season and Tournament Titles in Tang’s first year is incredible, but it is only amplified when you consider this team’s preseason expectations. Tang is the pretty clear frontrunner for this award, but he will need to stay vigilant, as the Big 12 is the strongest conference in the country, and one slip up could send him reeling. Nonetheless, for now, Tang has led Kansas State to a place where he is the clear choice for From Downtown’s National Coach of the Year Award!

From Downtown Player of the Year Frontrunners

In about 5 weeks, From Downtown will release its awards for the 22-23 season. These will include the best coach and player from each conference, followed up by the best coach and player overall. Therefore, we will be taking the next few articles to discuss the Player of the Year and Coach of the Year Frontrunners for these awards! In other words, these are the top 10 players right now in College Basketball! 

10) Keyonte George - (Baylor, 6’4”, Small Forward, Freshman)

The superstar freshman for Head Coach Scott Drew had a surprisingly slow start for a consensus top 15 pick in the NBA 2023 draft. However, in 2023, Keyonte George has 5 20+ point games, and has excellent numbers across the board. George is a “do it all” guy at the 3 position - think a diet version of Lebron James - as he can shoot the ball both from within the paint and the outside with great efficiency. At 6’4” and 185 pounds, George is also surprisingly athletic for his build. He has really supported the Bears in the most ridiculous conference in college basketball, as winning a single game in the Big 12 is no small feat. In fact, George has led the team to some victories on his own, as he has notched 6 game MVPs. George is stifled at the #10 spot due to a few uncharacteristically bad performances against some of Baylor’s stronger opponents, such as his 4 point UCLA game or 8 point Kansas game. Drew does not seem to hesitate running his offense through Adam Flagler or LJ Cryer if the game requires it, which is good for Baylor, but leaves George at the very respectable #10 spot.

9) Cason Wallace - (Kentucky, 6’4”, Point Guard, Freshman)

Yet another “one and done” player, Cason Wallace is definitely a surprise on this list for die hard basketball fans. This is because Wallace does not have the volume that the other players on this list have - even compared to his own teammate, Oscar Tshiebwe, who did not make this list - as he did not even start 100% of Kentucky’s games. However, Wallace makes the list because of his impact on this team’s success, particularly on defense. Kentucky has definitely had a rocky season, but by adding Wallace into the starting lineup, they notched an away win against one of the best teams in the nation in Tennessee. Wallace also has one of the most impressive single games in the country - especially considering Kentucky lost this game - where he notched 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and an unbelievable 8 steals in a close Michigan State loss. Wallace played 44 minutes in this double overtime thriller, which is unfortunately the most he has played all season. As a result, he cannot be placed higher than 9th, but this NBA prospect is sure to be a nuisance against teams for years to come. 

8) Keyontae Johnson - (Kansas State, 6’6”, Small Forward, Senior)

The comeback player of the year, the fact that Keyontae Johnson is even playing basketball again is a big deal! Johnson, a former Florida Gator, collapsed during a game in late 2020 in a Damar Hamlin-esque injury. Johnson’s recovery is fantastic in its own right, but the fact that he is playing at this level for the Wildcats is particularly notable. The 2nd small forward named Keyontae (spelled differently) on this list, throughout the entire 22-23 season, Johnson hit double digit points in every game. His masterful consistency earned him 5 game MVPs so far, and he is only bolstered by some particularly incredible individual performances. In the Wildcats’ surprising loss to Butler, Johnson went 9/9 from the field. He did not miss a single shot! That is an unbelievable performance, and Johnson also just notched a double double on purely defensive rebounds on the season against his former alma mater. Against Florida, Johnson went for 13 and 10, a particularly impressive feat. Johnson’s contributions are a large factor in Kansas State being among the best teams in the country, so he finds himself at #8 on this list!

7) Adama Sanogo - (UConn, 6’9”, Center, Junior)

Adama Sanogo is a machine! Certainly the most electric player in the Big East, Sanogo’s stock for a top spot on this list has suffered from UConn's rough January. Nonetheless, he still manages to be #7 despite this setback. The Malian is averaging 16.9 points per game as well as 7.2 rebounds. These are great numbers on their own, but they are amplified by the fact that Sanogo’s teammate, Donovan Clingan, is also very good and splits time with him. Therefore, Sanogo is among the most efficient players in the league. This has led him to 8 game MVPs on the season so far (soon to be 9), over half of all of UConn’s wins! Sanogo is shooting an outrageous 62% from the field, and can do it all on defense. Therefore, Sanogo finds himself comfortably at #7.

6) Drew Timme - (Gonzaga, 6’10”, Center, Senior)

Gonzaga’s Drew Timme is playing out of his mind, but for the headband wearing center, this was expected. A contender for last season’s National Player of the Year, Timme decided to come back to Gonzaga and wreak havoc on the WCC for another season. So far, he has done exactly that! The 9-time game MVP player averages a monstrous 21.5 points per game, and also notches 7.5 rebounds on average. His efficiency is similarly tremendous; Timme makes 63.3% of his 2 point attempts. Timme broke the 30 point barrier 3 times, most recently on January 21st against Pacific. Timme scored a whopping 38 points on 17/21 shooting. These are unheard of numbers. Unfortunately, Timme plays against non Power-5 opponents, and as a result, has a bit of an easier time scoring in these games than he has when playing opponents such as Purdue, Texas, or Baylor. As a result, Timme lands just outside the top 5, but make no mistake, as this player is still a legitimate contender for the best player in the country!

5) Trayce Jackson-Davis - (Indiana, 6’9”, Center, Junior)

If this list was made on December 31st, Trayce Jackson-Davis (sometimes colloquially referred to as TJD) may not have made the list. Conversely, if this list was made exclusively factoring in 2023 results, then Jackson-Davis would be 2nd on the list. As a result, 5th seems like a good middle ground for a player that is recently coming into his own! TJD averages a double double, with 19.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He also has an unbelievable 11 game MVPs, and recently notched an impressive 20 rebounds in a losing effort to Maryland. TJD shoots 58.3% from the field, and does so on relatively good volume as well. He is also the 4th most efficient player according to player efficiency rating, which is a big deal! With that being said, the month of December was not the kindest to Jackson-Davis, as he played a string of poor games while dealing with injury. However, TJD is back, and hopes to continue to climb this ranking as the season heads into ts final full month!

4) Azuolas Tubelis - (Arizona, 6’11”, Power Forward, Junior)

Azuolas Tubelis was a significant role player for last season’s 1st seed Arizona team, but this season, he has emerged as a legitimate superstar. Tubelis averages 20 points a game, and his 9.6 rebound mark is just shy of averaging a double double. The 11 time game MVP has a season low of 12 points, which is unbelievable. Tubelis has a 56% shooting percentage - which is incredible, but is low compared to the other players on this list - so Tubelis makes up for it with great off-ball numbers. Most importantly, Tubelis rebounds like a champ. Tubelis has 10 double doubles, and has an unfortunately large pool of 9 rebound games with double digit points scored. Tubelis and TJD are actually remarkably similar players, but the edge goes to Tubelis due to his overall consistency and bigger contributions to team success. This force of nature is a devastating opponent for all Pac-12 opponents, and the fact that he might stay an additional year should be terrifying to all potential opponents in his path.

3) Jalen Wilson - (Kansas, 6’8”, Power Forward, Junior)

Jalen Wilson is also a strangely similar player to the aforementioned TJD and Tubelis, but where he truly differentiates himself is his ability to shoot from the 3-point line. Jackson-Davis has not attempted a single 3-pointer, while Tubelis has only made 9 through the season. Meanwhile, Kansas’ strongest player has made 51/144 from beyond the arc, and that is just one of his many talents. Truly a Swiss Army knife of basketball players, Wilson does everything at a strong level. He averages 21.4 and 8.6 a game, while also averaging 2.5 assists per game just for good measure. Wilson is one of the strongest players in the country, and has truly elevated Kansas to a team competing for its 2nd straight National Title.

2) Brandon Miller - (Alabama, 6’9”, Power Forward, Freshman)

Alabama was a team people expected to be good, but not great. However, they are now a consensus top 5 team in the country, and that is thanks in no small part to the incredible work of freshman superstar Brandon Miller. Miller has a very unique combination of skills: he is a laser from beyond the arc, and he also stands at a nice 6’9”! Miller is therefore a unique specimen, as he is someone who can defend the interior while simultaneously scoring from the perimeter. His 10 game MVPs are indicative of his strong work for the Crimson Tide, and he broke 30 points in 2 consecutive games against LSU and Vanderbilt. The only time Miller failed to break double digit points was against another consensus top 5 team in Houston, and he has 6 double doubles so far. Miller is a lottery lock for the NBA, but he may get an even greater reward if he manages to land the From Downtown Player of the Year award!

1) Zach Edey - (Purdue, 7’4”, Center, Junior)

Zach Edey is currently the best player in college basketball, and unfortunately for the rest of the players on the list, he seems to be running away with the title. The numbers speak for themselves: 22.1 points per game, 13 rebounds per game, 61% shooting percentage. Purdue is the best team in the country at current, as they have suffered just a single 1 point loss to Rutgers. Edey is the primary catalyst for Purdue’s success this season. In terms of game to game statistics, Edey blows the competition out of the water. Edey has 16 game MVPs, 18 double doubles, and has broken the 30 point barrier 5 times so far. Bar an injury, a historic improvement from another player, or a sudden and significant regression from Edey (none of these are likely), there is very little chance anyone besides Zach Edey will win this award!

The Skyy was the Limit: How a Quitter Turned a Season Around

Wednesday, January 4th. 73-60. Illinois’ loss to Northwestern marked their 5th, and now the Illini were sitting at just 9-5. Sure, their wins against Texas and UCLA were very impressive, an 0-3 conference record including a double digit loss to Penn State at home and trouncing by Missouri was leaving fans disheartened. In fact, locker room issues seemed to be plaguing the Illini as well. The biggest culmination was a passionate postgame interview after the Penn State loss, in which Head Coach Brad Underwood aired out his grievances over his team’s performance. All in all, things seemed to be going downhill quickly for the Illini, and it only continued to get worse when freshman Skyy Clark announced he was stepping away from the team.

Since the announcement, the Illini are 6-1, with only a loss to a revitalized Indiana program. In fact, Illinois recently notched an impressive double digit victory against a Wisconsin team that just got their star player back from injury. Baylor transfer Matthew Mayer scored a season high 26 points in the win, and the Illini are back to contending for the 2nd spot in the Big Ten behind Purdue. It seems like the significant change to this team was Skyy Clark’s departure, and further investigation provides weight to that claim!

In their loss to Missouri, Skyy Clark had what was likely the worst game of his career. The freshman started the game, but missed 4 shots, fouled twice, and was benched for most of the latter half of the game. Clark, after this performance, mysteriously did not play in the Bethune-Cookman game due to a left shoulder injury. This strange incident was further compounded by Underwood’s statements that Clark “could have played” but was held out as a cautionary measure. When Clark returned, he played from the bench in the Northwestern loss, and has not been seen since. Clark stepped away due to an unstated “personal reason,” and this is a totally valid reason to step away from the sport. With that being said, there is no doubt that Clark was responsible for at least some of the friction the Illini were experiencing. The very next game, Coleman Hawkins and Terrence Shannon Jr both scored north of 20 points. It seemed like Illinois had found their footing playing a tough opponent just a game after an ugly loss to Northwestern. 

However, the game against Michigan State proved that Clark’s sabbatical served to improve Illinois in the long run. 5 Illinois players - Shannon, Hawkins, Mayer, Dain Dainja, and RJ Melendez - all had an offensive rating above 100 in the game against Michigan State. Rather than Clark being a bad basketball player - which he is not by any means - his absence seemed to instill a sense of personal responsibility in the remaining players. Since Clark left, Underwood has changed his tune in press conferences. He seems a lot more pleased with the effort his players are putting in, and he has gained confidence in himself as well.

The Illini do not have an easy schedule. They have to go into Purdue - the best team in the country - in a game that likely ends as a loss. The #22 KenPom team also has away games at Indiana and Penn State - both teams they lost at home to - and Iowa, Northwestern, and Rutgers are all other teams that can knock off Illinois. The 9-5 Illinois team on January 4th may not have even been secure in their tournament hopes. However, one thing is clear: the Illini have turned over a new life, and the games that once seemed daunting now seem winnable. Be on the lookout for the Illini in February and March, cause with this recent development, the sky is truly the limit for Champaign’s team!

Midseason Mania: The Top 25 Teams Halfway to March Madness

After a midseason sabbatical, From Downtown is finally back with a biweekly schedule, and what better way to kick off the second half of the season with a comprehensive rating of the teams! These rankings are based off of results, KenPom rankings, and a twinge of subjectivity. No reason to beat around the bush: which teams are the 25 best teams in the country?

1) Purdue - (5th KenPom, 1st Big Ten)

The undisputed kings of the Big Ten have already amassed a 2 game lead in the conference, and for good reason. Zach Edey is currently the best player in college basketball, and the margin is quite wide! Not only does Edey - who averages 21.5 points and 13.2 rebounds a game - have a KenPom Player of the Year rating a standard deviation above everyone else in contention, but he has the clutch factor needed to win games. The tallest player in Big Ten history will be a complete menace come march, as will Head Coach Matt Painter. Painter might have his best team in his nearly 20 year career with the Boilermakers, which is astounding considering none of their starting 5 was ranked in the top 90 of their respective recruiting classes. A 1 point loss at home to Rutgers is the only thing tainting this team thus far, but a single loss to another team on this list is definitely nothing to be furious about. Painter is poised to lead his team to the Final Four for the first time since 1980, and Purdue is the current favorite to hoist the Naismith Trophy at the tournament’s end!

2) Alabama - (3rd KenPom, 1st SEC)

If Zach Edey is the frontrunner for National Player of the Year, then Alabama freshman Brandon Miller is definitely 2nd in line. Miller is playing exceptionally well for Alabama so far, and looks like a great NBA prospect as well. The guard averages 19.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, and is really elevating his team to become frontrunners in the SEC. The Crimson Tide has rattled off 8 straight double digit victories in a strong SEC, and their only losses are to teams on this list. Head Coach Nate Oats is continuing to do incredible things as he takes the helm for his 4th season with the Crimson Tide. Do not count out fellow freshman forward Noah Clowney, as he can become one of the most explosive players come March. Alabama ranks 4th in tempo at KenPom, and hopes to blitz their way to the national championship title when the dance begins!

3) Houston - (1st KenPom, 1st American)

While Houston reigned supreme as the best team in the country for most of January, they took a surprising 1 point loss to Temple at home Sunday that knocked them out of the top spot. Do not let this loss fool you, as Houston is still one of the best teams in the country. In fact, KenPom has them as the single best team in the country, and Head Coach Kelvin Sampson will hope to prove that when he begins marching through teams in March. The team is ranked by top 5 talent Marcus Sasser, who averages 16.7 points and a whopping 2 steals a game. Aside Sasser, fellow starter Jarace Walker and Emanuel Sharp are playing the supporting role well with fantastic efficiency. Sharp is shooting north of 40% from 3, while Walker is hitting 49% of his shots from the field. However, the underrated piece of this puzzle is J’Wan Roberts, who is shooting an unbelievable 63.9% from the field. Sampson notched his 700th win this season, and he will be looking for his and Houston’s first NCAA tournament victory as well.

4) Tennessee - (2nd KenPom, T2nd SEC)

The Volunteers are legit! The first week of the season saw them take an errant loss to Colorado, and while it seemed like their season would be bumpy based on that result, Tennessee got their jitters out early and began rolling opponents. Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler led Tennessee to victory in the Battle for Atlantis, and their only losses since then have been to Arizona and Kentucky. Rick Barnes is coaching this team with incredible discipline as well, as the Volunteers have the best defense in the country according to KenPom as well as the best offensive rebounding. An area of concern for the Vols is their recent postseason woes, as Barnes has failed to lead his team to the 2nd weekend despite strong seeds in 2021 and 2022. Despite this setback, the Volunteers are contending for a 3rd weekend appearance, and that is a testament to Tennessee’s strength this year.

5) Arizona - (16th KenPom, 1st Pac-12)

At their best, Arizona is a team capable of manhandling anybody in the nation. The problem is consistency: Arizona has a trio of double digit losses to significantly inferior teams. With that being said, Arizona might have the strongest pair of victories in the nation, with wins over Tennessee and UCLA respectively. Their starting 5 is chalk full of notable players who all average double digit points a game, but their big man duo of Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo is really confounding opponents. Last year’s Coach of the Year Tommy Lloyd is continuing his excellent streak with the Wildcats. The Pac-12 losses are cause for concern, but if Arizona can shake off its yips before the tournament, then the Wildcats can beat any team in the country by 10+ points!

6) Kansas - (10th KenPom, T4th Big 12)

Seeing Big 12 teams near the top of this list is a trend you should get used to, as the next 5 teams all hail from the Big 12. As for the team topping this order, readers may be surprised to see that the Jayhawks top the list. Fresh off a 3 game losing streak that includes a double digit routing from TCU, it may be strange to still consider the Jayhawks the best team in the Big 12. However, the losses against Kansas State and Baylor - both away games for the Jayhawks - were competitive up until the end. Simply put, Kansas has won the Big 12 too often for it to be wise to predict another team to win the conference. Jalen Wilson is National Player of the Year frontrunner, and freshman Gradey Dick projects as a top 10 pick in the NBA draft. Bill Self is likely the best coach in the country at current, and due to all of these reasons, Kansas still is in position to contend for a 2nd straight championship!

7) Kansas State - (25th KenPom, T1st Big 12)

Nobody expected this! Kansas State emerged from the middle of nowhere as a legitimate national title contender after being picked to finish last in the Big 12 by nearly every relevant analyst (except From Downtown)! Keyontae Johnson’s return to prominence after suffering a Damar Hamlin-esque collapse in 2020 is a feel good story, but not only is he playing basketball again, but he is obliterating opponents. Johnson averages 18.3 points and 7.5 rebounds, which barely beats out Markquis Nowell, who is having an incredible season as well. Head Coach Jerome Tang took this program over less than a year ago, and is definitely trending towards National Coach of the Year material based on this dramatic turnaround. Kansas State would be the best team in the Big 12 if not for one major concern: KenPom hates this team. KenPom ranks the Wildcats significantly behind the other Big 12 frontrunners, and ranks them as a top 30 team in the luck department. Nonetheless, be on the lookout for the Wildcats to contend for their first Final Four in almost 60 years.

8) Texas - (9th KenPom, T1st Big 12)

Texas had the single most shocking off-court development when Chris Beard was fired from the team after a scandalous, violent altercation with his wife. For most teams, this would be a devastating loss, but Texas has managed to navigate back to top 10 status with the help of interim coach Rodney Terry. Terry has lost just 2 games thus far, and notched an incredible comeback against in state rival TCU to boot! While Tyrese Hunter and Sir’Jabari Rice were the killers for the first month of the season, Terry seems to be getting a lot more mileage from senior Marcus Carr. Carr is making north of 40% of his 3s, which is unbelievable for a guy shooting as many 3s as he is! The Longhorns have hope for a Final Four despite losing their head coach, which is proof of how dangerous this team can truly be if left unchecked.

9) Iowa State - (14th KenPom, T1st Big 12)

The Cyclones, while not as doubted as the Kansas State Wildcats, were also projected to just miss the tournament by most analysts. However, head coach TJ Otzelberger has once again proven he is not to be discounted, and the Cyclones have real Final Four hopes this season. Iowa State has beaten all of the major powers in the Big 12 except Kansas, and have the best track record of all the Big 12 teams as a result. Caleb Grill, Jaren Holmes and Gabe Kalscheur are the main players here, and Kalscheur in particular has been tremendous for the Cyclones. With that being said, the main force behind this team’s success is Otzelberger. Otzelberger has proven himself as one of the premier defensive coaches in the country despite only being in year 2. Of the teams in the top 10, the Cyclones are on the less consistent side. They recently blew a big lead against Oklahoma State, and also got blown out by a significantly worse Iowa team. Nonetheless, the Cyclones are looking to do incredible things in the tournament for a 2nd consecutive year!

10) Baylor - (16th KenPom, T4th Big 12)

The first of a few ambitious placements, Baylor has lost 5 games, but they were all games to teams that made this list. Additionally, for a few of those losses, the Bears were not at full strength. Head Coach Scott Drew knows what he is doing, and the Bears are no strangers to the podium after their 2021 run to the championship! Keyonte George is a stellar NBA prospect, and the recent returns Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer put this team back in a position where they can beat any Big 12 opponent. The Bears proved that on Monday with a 75-69 win over Kansas. Nonetheless, Baylor has lost 5 games, and the Bears do have a lot of ground to cover if they want to fight for a top seed in the tournament. Nonetheless, Drew’s crew can absolutely vie for the Big 12 title and beyond in 2023!

11) Virginia - (11th KenPom, 1st ACC)

Tony Bennett’s squad had a rare off year last season. The Cavaliers missed the tournament for just the first time since 2023. However, this year, the Cavaliers are back in business with a realistic shot at winning the ACC. In a departure from his normal coaching style, Virginia is ranked higher in offensive efficiency than they are in defensive efficiency at KenPom. Aside from an errant loss to Pitt in Pittsburgh, Virginia has only lost to teams on this list. They have a pair of strong non-conference wins against Baylor and Illinois, and the Cavaliers are favored in all but 1 of the rest of the games on their schedule. The Cavaliers are headlined by Armaan Franklin, Kihei Clark, and Reece Beekman. These players alternate between which of them has a fantastic night, and come March, that is a great facet to have. Virginia’s biggest concern comes from their rebounding. The Cavaliers are ranked 267th in offensive rebounding, and the team is quite small as well. Nonetheless, Virginia plays some strong basketball, and is absolutely a Final Four contender come March!

12) Xavier - (19th KenPom, 1st Big East)

Since the last Top 25 made by From Downtown, a new superstar emerged in the Big East. In fact, they recently defeated the former #1 team on this list, dropping UConn to their 5th loss in January and out of the top 25. This team is Xavier, and the Musketeers are looking red hot under first year Head Coach Sean Miller. The Musketeers are rocking with an ensemble cast of strong players. Souley Boum, Zach Freemantle, Colby Jones, Jack Nunge, and Adam Kunkel all average more than 10 points a night. Miller has himself an incredible team, but the Musketeers took a strange loss to DePaul just 1 week ago. As a result, this team could be upset prone come March, especially considering Miller, the new Xavier head coach, does not have a top 90 defense in the country according to KenPom. Nonetheless, the 4th best offense in the country is rolling Big East teams like nobody’s business, and could be fierce competition in the Final Four if they can avoid upsets and continue their hot streak!

13) UCLA - (3rd KenPom, 1st Pac-12)

If Baylor was ambitiously high, UCLA is conservatively low. Granted, Mick Cronin has a team that can take the Bruins to their 2nd Final Four in 3 years, but a closer look at the data reveals that the Bruins could be overrated. UCLA boasts a top candidate for National Player of the Year in Jaime Jaquez, and he is not the only talent on the team. Tyger Campbell is accompanied by freshmen Amari Bailey and Adem Bona. Mick Cronin is also among the best coaches in the Pac-12, but this team has a really poor strength of schedule that withholds them from the top 10. UCLA lost to its 3 best opponents, and its best victory is against a limp Kentucky team that is severely underperforming expectations. Due to the Pac-12 having no consistently reliable teams outside of Arizona and UCLA, UCLA’s only chance at a top 25 victory will come in March when they host the Wildcats. As a result, it is difficult to gauge how good the Bruins will be against tough competition from other strong teams. The computer numbers are there, but UCLA seems a bit deceitful this season. The recent double digit loss to USC is just the latest example of this team’s unreliable nature. Nonetheless, they are more than capable of proving this narrative dead wrong, and are a team to thoroughly prepare for come March!

14) Saint Mary’s - (7th KenPom, 1st WCC)

For once, the Gonzaga Bulldogs are not the most highly-rated team in the WCC. Head Coach Randy Bennett’s Gaels of Saint Mary’s are rolling opponents in 2023. The Gaels have the 4th longest win streak in the country with 9 straight wins, including 8 double digit victories. Aidan Mahaney is the standout name here, as his 41% 3-point shooting average ranks in the top echelon of the country. Bennett is easily the best coach in Saint Mary’s’ history, and is continuing his incredible legacy with another excellent season. In particular, this team is stalwart on defense. They have the best defensive rebounding in the country, and the 3rd best steal percentage in the country as well. With that being said, Saint Mary’s has a few issues that prevent it from being in the top 10. This team has a little bit of a discipline issue: they turn the ball over a lot, and they have some of the worst free throw shooting in D-1 college basketball. This makes them a bit upset prone, as they lost to 13-9 Washington and 10-11 Colorado State in close games. Nonetheless, the Gaels are on track for their second consecutive incredible regular season, and this time, they are hoping to get to the Sweet Sixteen and beyond!

15) TCU - (13th KenPom, T4th Big 12)

The Horned Frogs have had quite the rollercoaster season. Their home loss against Northwestern State is among the worst losses at a Power 5 level, and they almost compounded that with a loss to Arkansas Pine-Bluff in their home opener. With that being said, they have maintained national relevance with wins over 4 teams on this list: Providence, Baylor, Kansas, and Kansas State. Head Coach Jamie Dixon’s squad is gritty, tough, and strong on defense, and is one of the most nightmarish teams to face in the country. Mike Miles is a contender for Big 12 player of the year - which is really strong for how stacked a conference this is - and he is surrounded by Emanuel Miller, Damion Baugh, and Eddie Lampkin. The Horned Frogs also have Jamie Dixon, who has really emerged as an underrated, strong coach in recent years. This team has a glaring weakness from beyond the arc, as the Horned Frogs rank an audaciously bad 330th from the 3-point range. Nonetheless, this is a team that can make the Final Four so long as they are playing at their best!

16) Providence - (31st KenPom, T2nd Big East)

Ed Cooley’s team got off to a rough start, going 5-3 in November. However, they then went on a 9 game tear including wins over Marquette and UConn. The Friars are legit this year, and have one of the best rebounding teams in the country. Bryce Hopkins and Ed Croswell are the obvious stars, but unappreciated production is coming from senior Noah Locke. Locke has a top 300 offensive rating in the country, but does not get talked about in the same breath as Hopkins and Croswell. To illustrate how crucial Locke is to this team, in Providence’s loss to Marquette, Lock had one of his worst nights with 2/11 shooting. When Locke scored 17 points against UConn - including the game winning 3 - Providence won against, at the time, one of the best teams in the country. If Locke can stay hot, then this team can win the Big East and more!

17) Gonzaga - (18th KenPom, 2nd WCC)

The Zags are regressing compared to their dominant seasons in the past 2 years, but that by no means puts them out of contention for a 2nd Final Four in 3 years. The Bulldogs obviously retain what made them so strong last season: Drew Timme is a contender for National Player of the Year, and Mark Few is among the best college basketball coaches of all time. Losses to Texas, Purdue, and Baylor are not bad losses at all, and Gonzaga also boasts wins against Alabama and Xavier. The home loss to LMU was a bit concerning, but the Bulldogs are now favored on KenPom in all but 1 of their remaining games. The top 3 offense in the country is another good sign. However, where this team is struggling is on defense. Julian Strawther may be shooting north of 40% from beyond the arc, but he has been a defensive liability so far. However, if Gonzaga can correct their shot defense in time for the tournament, then making their 8th straight Sweet Sixteen is more an inevitability than a challenge!

18) FAU - (34th KenPom, 1st CUSA)

Nobody expected this. The Florida Atlantic Owls have won 19 straight games, including an away win at Florida and 12 double digit victories. Dusty May is on the shortlist for Coach of the Year due to this incredible development, and are on pace for a top echelon seed for their 2nd tournament appearance in school history. This is a balanced team with great 3 point shooting! Johnell Davis, who comes off the bench in most games, is a top 35 3-point shooter based on efficiency, and Nick Boyd and Bryce Greenlee are also ranked nationally in that metric. The team has among the best man defense in the country, as they rank 12th in 2-point defense and their opponents have the 5th lowest assist rate on shots made. The Owls are gritty this year, but concerns arise over their lack of strong opponents. Nonetheless, expect May’s team to take names when it arrives at the dance for just the 2nd time in program history.

19) Marquette - (8th KenPom, T2nd Big East)

A lot of teams were projected in the top half of a crowded Big East in the preseason, but Marquette was not one of them. In fact, Marquette almost universally sat in the back 4 of the Big East. Shaka Smart is proving them wrong with the #1 rated offense in the country. At first, Marquette was a nice story but with a predictable ending. They started the season 5-2, but lost to their 2 strongest opponents in Purdue and Mississippi State. Then, something shifted. The Golden Eagles walloped Baylor by 26 points, which was a shocking result. More good news was Purdue, as the Boilermakers quickly rose to be one of the strongest teams in the country. Marquette continued to find success, only losing to Wisconsin, Providence, and Xavier since November. The Golden Eagles are led by Kam Jones and Olivier-Maxence Prosper, but the standout name here is Oso Ighodaro. The defensive behemoth averages double digit points, 6.3 rebounds, and a staggering 1.8 blocks per game. Ighodaro is the X-factor here, and he starts popping at the tournament, then the Golden Eagles might have an incredible March on their hands!

20) Miami - (36th KenPom, T3rd ACC)

The strongest university in the country once again boasts an incredible team! The Hurricanes have wins against 3 teams on this list: Virginia, Providence, and Rutgers. Head Coach Jim Larrañaga is coaching this team incredibly well, and the Hurricanes have a top 10 rated offense. In addition to being undefeated at home, this team has the best 2nd half numbers in the country. Miami is led by Isaiah Wong, Nigel Pack, Norchad Omier, and Jordan Miller, all of which average north of 12 points a game. These staggering numbers are leading Miami to great success, but this team is vulnerable to upsets due to their below average defense. Miami lost 3 games in January by at most 2 possessions, meaning even if they are hitting on offense, the opponent teams sometimes have the chance to stay in the game. Nonetheless, Miami is a force to be reckoned with on offense, and no team in the postseason wants to go up against that.

21) Auburn - (24th KenPom, 4th SEC)

The Tigers were higher on the list until they lost to Texas A&M in a surprising outcome at home. Auburn has a resume with a lot of wins, but they have yet to notch a notable win against a team on this list, which calls their ceiling into question. Nonetheless, placing trust in Bruce Pearl is historically a good idea. The Tigers rank 15th in defensive efficiency, as evidenced by their ability to win against Northwestern with a measly 43 points. They are especially good at defending the 3-pointer. The main player to watch on this team is Wendell Green, who plays really well in wins, and really poorly in losses. Green has relatively bad efficiency considering his usage, but that is because he really struggles with the mental game when the Tigers are losing. Fortunately, he has help from Johni Broome and KD Johnson, both of whom are playing very well this season. The Tigers are not upset prone, but they are a limited team for now. With that being said, if Auburn can notch a high-quality win against the likes of Alabama or Tennessee, then they will prove why they are a strong contender in March.

22) Boise State - (27th KenPom, T2nd Mountain West)

Boise State was not a team anyone expected to be this good, as evidenced by their 1-2 start against significantly inferior opponents. However, this top 10 defense managed to bounce back. Head Coach Leon Rice brought this team to the Mountain West regular season title in 2022, and he is only a game behind doing it for the 2nd consecutive year. This team is led by Chibuzo Agbo, a Texas Tech transfer shooting nearly 45% from the 3-point line, which is absolutely ridiculous. He is carrying the offense, but the team relies on an ensemble cast of strong defenders to grit their way through games. Boise State is incredible at rebounding: Tyson Degenhart, Marcus Shaver Jr., and Naje Smith all average above 5 rebounds a game. Boise State has major postseason concerns: this team has some ugly losses this season, and has never won an NCAA tournament game. Nonetheless, Rice has this team in position to make waves in the postseason for the first time ever!

23) Rutgers - (17th KenPom, 2nd Big Ten)

The Big Ten has a significant gap between Purdue and the rest of the teams. Additionally, Michigan State, Illinois, Indiana, and even Northwestern are all vying for the 2nd place spot in the Big Ten. However, Rutgers has to get the edge as the only team in the country to have edged Purdue. The 2nd best defense in the country struggled against some inferior competition this season. Their losses to Temple, Ohio State, and Seton Hall all seem strange considering this team has beaten Purdue, Indiana, Wake Forest, and Northwestern. This is because their offense lacks a bit compared to other teams in this range. Nonetheless, Rutgers’ grit on defense is carrying them to impressive victories. The Scarlet Knights are headlined by defensive behemoth Cliff Omoruyi and college basketball bad boy Paul Mulcahy. Omoruyi and Mulcahy were integral to Rutgers’ success in the past 2 seasons, and alongside Head Coach Steve Pikiell, they are bringing life back to a program that had a 30 year NCAA tournament drought. The Scarlet Knights are legit for a 3rd season, and hope to continue frustrating Big Ten teams with their stalwart defense in February.

24) Clemson - (58th KenPom, 1st ACC)

Clemson is currently confounding the computers, as despite their really poor KenPom rating, they are currently the sole leader of the ACC. The Tigers have been quite volatile throughout the season, as they have managed to defeat N.C. State, Duke, and Pitt despite losing by double digits to an atrocious Loyola Chicago team this season. Head Coach Brad Brownell is on the hot seat this season, but he is currently stepping up to the plate in a major way. With that being said, there is a good chance the Tigers fall off this list in February. They have been fortunate to avoid Miami, Virginia, and UNC so far, and they also have to March into Raleigh and play N.C. State. Hopefully, Brownell can leave a few of these games with a win. If he does, teh Tigers will prove their worth to the world, and would therefore be among the best teams to watch in the postseason!

25) UConn - (6th KenPom, 6th Big East)

Last rankings’ #1 team is currently the biggest anomaly in college basketball. After storming out to 14 straight double digit victories to start the season, it seems UConn’s New Year’s Resolution was to become worse at basketball. The Huskies lost 6 games in January, and now are trailing numerous Big East teams in the standings that they project way better than. The computers love this team, and for good reason! Adama Sanogo is a top 10 player in the sport right now, and he is surrounded by incredible talent on all sides. Head Coach Dan Hurley is continuing to do a great job, but this team maybe got a little full of themselves after their success in 2022. If UConn cannot turn it around, they could slide all the way off this list. However, when they were in peak form, the Huskies were the best team in the country. If they can get back to that level of play, then the Huskies can absolutely vie for the national championship!

Honorable Mentions:

Indiana, San Diego State, UNC, Texas A&M

Recipe for Disaster: How a Preseason Contender is Missing the Mark

Written on January 10th

Kentucky took its worst loss of the season Tuesday when they were defeated 71-68 by Head Coach Lamont Paris’ South Carolina Gamecocks. The close loss comes at the least opportune moment for the Wildcats, as fans are furious with the lack of production from Kentucky in the Covid era. After missing the tournament in 2021, Kentucky lost to the historic St. Peter’s team in last year’s tournament. Considering they are 1-3 in the SEC, and 10-6 overall, Kentucky is in jeopardy of missing the tournament for the 2nd time in 3 years. But why is this blue blood struggling so much in recent years? Head Coach John Calipari is taking the fall; even with his national championship, Kentucky fans expect consistent, sustained success due to their storied program. It came to a head in Calipari’s loss against South Carolina, as 2 unruly fans were ejected for carrying a sign telling Calipari to consider another job replacing the recently fired Chris Beard. In other words, he was telling Calipari to get out of town.

This begs the question: is Calipari the reason for Kentucky’s failure? The short answer is no, but upon a further inspection, Calipari is surely contributing to Kentucky’s failure. The Wildcats’ team is captained by last year’s National Player of the Year in Oscar Tshiebwe, and superstar freshman Cason Wallace. Tshiebwe is averaging a nice double double with 15.8 points and 13.2 rebounds, while Wallace averages 12.7 points per game while also being one of the best guard defenders in the country. In a vacuum, these are great headliners for a Power 5 team, but looking more closely, these numbers are nowhere close to ideal. Tshiebwe averaged more points and rebounds in 2022 than he has this season. A regression from last year’s National Player of the Year is really shocking. Additionally, while Wallace has had incredible games - such as his losing effort against Michigan State where he recorded 8 steals - he has also had extremely rough lows that hamper his overall stats. In the 78-52 loss against Alabama, Wallace attempted 13 shots, missing 12 of them. The Crimson Tide have been phenomenal this year, losing only to Gonzaga and UConn, but this does not exclude a premiere starter shooting 1/13. Tshiebwe was not much better, scoring a poultry 4 points on only 7 shooting attempts. These numbers were baffling to fans and analysts alike.

Unfortunately for Wildcats fans, the next game delivered a crushing blow to Kentucky’s future prospects as well. Wallace suffered a lower back injury, and was unable to return in what definitely would have been a difference making role. Oscar Tshiebwe and Sahvir Wheeler were not allowed to leave the court, and Calipari made them play all 40 minutes. This is indicative of a shallow, untrusted roster, and Kentucky evidently does not perform that well when their already small roster is additionally hampered by injuries. The Wildcats lost to a South Carolina team with a new head coach that was below .500 until they got this win. That is not the type of team that should be giving KenPom’s preseason #1 team trouble. Unfortunately for Kentucky fans, the next game does not bode well for their future prospects either. They face off against Tennessee in a road game, and the Volunteers are the only team that upended Kansas thus far, and their only losses are to Pac-12 opponents. Simply put, the likely outcome is that the Wildcats drop to 10-7. From there, do they have a chance to dance in March? The future is unclear.

As mentioned earlier, Calipari is not the cause of this collapse, but he is contributing to it in some way. Calipari is not creating good looks for his team to take advantage of, which is costing them in a significant way. This team also lacks discipline. For example, in the game against the now 13-2 Missouri Tigers, Kentucky turned the ball over a staggering 14 times. The Tigers are known for the defense this year, but 14 turnovers is still unacceptable ball handling. Furthermore, according to KenPom, this team ranks 321st in free throws among all D-1 college basketball teams, which is flat out horrible. Simply put, Calipari can be doing a lot better of a job, though he absolutely still deserves a lot of credit for recruiting and policing a roster this talented.

Kentucky fans have a lot to be worried about, but there absolutely is some hope. This team was a preseason national title contender for a reason, and this is one of the most talented starting 5s on paper. Oscar Tshiebwe, Cason Wallace, and Sahvir Wheeler can absolutely lead a stark turnaround in 2023, and the Wildcats would love nothing more than to see Kentucky pull off something similar to what UNC did in 2022. With that being said, Calipari’s roster could also simply not return to form, which could devastate this program. Who knows what happens to Kentucky if Calipari’s team misses the postseason - he will almost assuredly not be leaving due to his buyout exceeding $40,000,000 - but the fans are already becoming impatient with Calipari. One thing is for certain: Kentucky is one of the most important teams to monitor in the next 4 weeks to see if they are legit, fraudulent, or somewhere in between.

The Recipe for Success: How the Kansas State Wildcats are Winning Big

When From Downtown published our Big 12 rankings during the preseason, we ranked Kansas State as the 9th best (2nd worst) team in the Big 12, and this was bold. At the time, Kansas State projected to be easily the worst team in the Big 12 according to analysts and KenPom. Considering putting them just a single spot above last place was a proverbial “hot take,” the now 14-1 Kansas State Wildcats are obliterating their preseason expectations. What is the recipe for Kansas State’s shocking success so far? From Downtown has curated the 2 main ingredientsin Kansas State’s incredible season so far!

1) Individual Excellence from Keyontae Johnson and Markquis Nowell

Kansas State entered the 22-23 season with just 2 ranked freshmen on the squad. Although this is a far cry from the recruiting class a Power 5 team would like to enter the season with, it gave the Wildcats’ upperclassmen an opportunity to grow into their leadership roles. Keyontae Johnson’s return to prominence is an incredible story. Johnson was an unbelievable player for the Florida Gators, but had a horrific collapse on 12-12-20 that nearly cost him his life. His miraculous recovery not only has him back on the court, but putting up significant numbers for a strong Kansas State team. Johnson averages 18.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. These are tremendous numbers. A surprising standout is 5th year senior Markquis Nowell. The former Little Rock guard passes the ball with incredible skill, averaging 8.5 assists (the 2nd best assist rate in the nation, only behind Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins). In a 2-game stretch (the Wildcats’ 2 big wins against Texas and Baylor), Nowell recorded 65+ points and 20+ assists. These numbers have only been replicated by 2 players in the last 10 years, and they are NBA superstars Trae Young and Ja Morant (stat courtesy of analyst Jared Berson). So long as these two studs continue their excellence, Kansas State can continue to expect strong season results.

2) Head Coach Jerome Tang

The longtime Baylor assistant recently surpassed his teacher in Scott Drew with the overtime win against the Bears, and he could not have done it without performing at a high level. Fortunately for K State fans, Jerome Tang has been doing that all season. Tang is all about overcoming adversity, and it shows in his recent victories. 2 of Kansas State’s 3 conference victories came by way of overtime, and the Wildcats actually notched a 3rd overtime win against Nevada in November. A 3-0 overtime record indicates a team with strong mental fortitude, and that poise rings true with how Kansas State clinched the win against Baylor. This mental fortitude also lends itself towards K State’s strong discipline. This team does not turn the ball over often, turning it over just 6 times against Baylor despite extra time. More importantly, they shoot free throws with unbelievable efficiency. In their last 2 games, they shot 31-33 against Texas, and 18-21 against Baylor. Tang is keeping the Wildcats focused on basketball, and then allowing them to express that focus in unique ways. This explains Nowell’s gift for assisting, Johnson’s return to prominence, and Ismael “Ish” Massoud’s poise coming off the bench. Tang is making his case as the best head coaching hire of the 2022 carousel, and it is a big reason for Kansas State’s success thus far.

How Providence Rebounded in December

A Power 5 conference team starting the season losing 3 games in November is not usually a sign of success. Especially considering they had no wins in the top 200 at KenPom, Providence seemed to be gearing up for an ugly season, and a far departure from their Big East regular season title from the year prior. However, Head Coach Ed Cooley’s team turned it around in December. The Friars won their 6 December games - including a double overtime victory over a strong Marquette team - and now look poised to contend for the moniker of Big East’s #2 team (since UConn is likely not being caught for a while). How did Providence go from a November slog to perfection in December? Their rebound comes from their incredible offensive rebound efforts.

Providence’s MTE (multi-team event) in November was the Hall of Fame Tip-off, where they competed against St. Louis and Miami. The Miami game was not close, with Providence losing by double digits to the best university in the country. Their game against St. Louis, however, was a bigger spectacle. The 76-73 loss was a good effort, but leaving the Hall of Fame with an 0-2 record stung for the Friars. They had a chance to end November with a bang by beating a criticized TCU squad that lost to Northwestern State and barely got past Arkansas Pine Bluff. The Friars were dismantled easily, however, losing 75-62 after taking the trip to Forth Worth. Considering they lost to every team remotely in contention to make the tournament, and only defeated significantly weaker teams, the season looked bleak. They could get back on track in December with 3 separate sub-200 KenPom teams, but they then had a 3-game stretch against Seton Hall, Marquette, and Butler that would likely squash their postseason hopes should it go poorly.

Fortunately, Providence rebounded. The Friars eked out a close win against Seton Hall, beating first year Head Coach Shaheen Holloway’s Pirates 71-67. The Pirates are going through some growing pains of their own after a head coaching transfer, so this win, while definitely a positive, was not enough to turn their season around. What Providence needed to do was get a home win against Marquette. This was not just any Marquette team, however. Marquette gave undefeated Purdue their closest game of the season, and blew the doors off of Scott Drew’s strong Baylor team. After double overtime, however, Providence had emerged victorious 103-98, and they did so with some of the best rebounding in the country.

KenPom currently ranks Providence as the #3 offensive rebounding team in the country, and it showed against the Golden Eagles. Bryce Hopkins had an outstanding 29-23 double double, with 15 defensive rebounds and a staggering 8 offensive rebounds. Altogether, Providence had 15 more rebounds than Marquette, and although Marquette kept them close, this was the main reason Providence managed to win the game in the end. This was not based on a height disadvantage on Marquette’s end: Bryce Hopkins netted 23 rebounds at a moderate 6’7” height. Cooley - last year’s Big East coach of the year - is a disciplined head coach, and it shows with Providence’s rebounding discipline as well. Due to their volume of second chance points on the back of their offensive rebounds, Providence got to the free throw line quite often. While Marquette attempted just 19 free throws, Providence attempted an audaciously large 49 free throws, scoring 35 of them. For reference, Providence scored 39 points in each half of regulation, meaning they scored nearly a half’s worth of points off of free throws. After a big Marquette won, Providence stormed into Butler with newfound confidence, beating the Bulldogs by 20 points. With just a single strong rebounding effort - predominantly off the efforts of one player - Providence successfully turned things around.

Providence still has a lot of games to play throughout the season. To start the new year, they play DePaul in an away game, before they will host the undefeated UConn team, which will probably end their winning streak. Due to Big East titans such as Villanova and Creighton having lackluster starts, Providence’s strong December will be very important to monitor as March rolls around. The Friars have a legitimate shot to make the 2nd weekend of hte tournament, so long as they can continue this rebound and their rebounding!

The Power 5 Frontrunners

Recently, From Downtown published an article detailing the most disappointing teams for each Conference at the Power 5 level. As the holiday spirit is upon us, however, it seems only logical to go over the best team in each Power 5 Conference. Although the season is far form over, these teams have emerged as legitimate conference title contenders. Here are the best teams in each of the Power 5 Conferences!

This article was written on 12-25-22

ACC: Miami Hurricanes (12-1)

For one, a Miami take is not biased! Although in hindsight, it seems obvious that the best university in the nation would rank among the top schools in the country,  Miami was not projected to be a top 3 team in the ACC in analyst, KenPom, or From Downtown metrics. The reason for the jump is twofold. Firstly, the rest of the ACC has been performing below expectations. UNC was the fastest preseason rank #1 team to fall out of the AP poll in history, and has already amassed 4 losses. Duke’s 3 top echelon freshman on paper have not planned out that way, as only Kyle Filipowski looks NBA ready. Finally, Virginia has looked strong this season, but they just lost 2 straight to Houston and Miami. As for the other reason, one can look no further than Isaiah Wong and Norchad Omier. Wong is averaging 17.2 points per game on great efficiency, and is creating looks for his teammates as well (4.5 assists). Wong is projecting as a contender for ACC player of the year, and perhaps even greater honors if his terrific play continues. As for Omier, the monster rebounder averages 9.8 boards a game - just short of averaging a double-double - and is a contender for the most athletic player in the ACC. Head Coach Jim Larrañaga is coaching this team extremely well. The all-time great just surpassed his 700th win, and just coached his team to a close win against a very talented Cavaliers roster helmed by former national champion Tony Bennett. The Hurricanes can beat anyone, but one thing they might need to worry about is beating themselves. Foul issues, turnovers, and a lack of decisive mentality led the Hurricanes to make a few games close that they should have ran away with. Giving up 105 points to Cornell would be disastrous if not for the fact that Miami scored 107. If the Hurricanes should shake out these yips, however, then they will not only be a dominant ACC frontrunner, but they will have aspirations to make the program’s first Final Four as well.

Big Ten: Purdue (12-0)

From Downtown was higher on Purdue than most coming into the season, but not even this publication could have predicted just how incredible the Boilermakers would be. Purdue’s incredible performance is coming from just one source: Zach Edey. As the tallest player in Big Ten basketball history, 7’4” Edey is simply unguardable. He is averaging 22.6 points per game on just 31.8 minutes, and averages a staggering 13.9 rebounds as well. These numbers clear the double/double threshold, and are enhanced by his 2.2 blocks per game statistic. Matt Painter is making it clear he is the most talented Big Ten coach after Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. Not a single Boilermaker this season was in the top 90 of their freshman class. Considering they beat a Duke team who had 5 players in the top 30 of their freshman class, Painter deserves a lot of credit for Purdue’s success so far. With that being said, the lack of talent on this team is a potential cause for concern. Fletcher Loyer has emerged as the premier henchman for Edey’s regime, but no other Purdue player is scoring more than 10 points per game. Additionally, some starters are producing relatively bad efficiency, and although Mason Gillis and Ethan Morton are well coached, they need to improve their fundamentals to give Purdue confidence they can sustain their success. Nonetheless, Edey himself should be monstrous enough to carry this team to a high seed, and the Boilermakers may finally break the curse and get to the big dance’s Final Four.

Big 12: Kansas (11-1)

This may be the most contentious conference in college basketball this season, but as of right now, the Jayhawks look poised to have a legitimate shot at defending their title in 2023. The Jayhawks are once again helmed by Bill Self, but the Ochai Agbaji and Remy Marten led tournament champion team lost many of its key parts. An unsung freshman hero by the name of Gradey Dick has replaced them. Dick is averaging a modest 15.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. These are strong, but not exceptional numbers. However, where jaws drop is in the 3-pointer percentage category, where Dick is making an incredulous 48.6% of his 3-pointers. For reference (this is not a legitimate comparison, and is merely illustrating a point), he makes a higher percentage of his 3-pointers than Steph Curry does in the NBA. Self is coaching this program intelligently, however, and Dick is allowed such a great percentage because he can trust his teammates with the ball just as much as himself. Jalen Wilson is a rebound shy of a 21.1 point double double average, Kevin McCullar is posting double digit scoring on average while nearing 3 steals a game, and Dajuan Harris is creating nice looks for his teammates with 6.6 assists per game. The Jayhawks look good once again. One area of concern could be league play: the Big 12 is chalk-full of incredible teams, with even the preseason bottom feeders Kansas State and West Virginia getting some nice wins early on in the season. Aside from their loss to Tennessee, Kansas has looked ready to take on the Big 12, and they should once again have high hopes for March.

Big East: UConn (13-0)

What can be said about From Downtown’s preseason Big East favorite and December #1 ranked team that has not been said already? Head Coach Dan Hurley’s Huskies have won 13 straight games by double digits, and these are not just low end opponents. UConn has netted these impressive victories against Alabama, Iowa State, Florida, and Big East rivals Butler and Georgetown. UConn is likely the hardest team for opposing coaches to gameplan for due to their deep roster. While Adama Sanogo is the headliner, players like Donovan Clingan and Joey Calcaterra can attain starting-level numbers while playing from the bench. The starters are great at supporting Sanogo as well, with Alex Karaban’s shooting and Andre Jackson Jr.’s assisting both being incredible. One area of concerns for the otherwise indomitable Huskies could be their rebounding. Sanogo is the best rebounder with 7.2 per game, but considering he generally is not on the court when Clingan is, some better rebounding could be helpful. Nonetheless, this has not prevented UConn from steamrolling every opponent they have faced so far, and they are therefore in a position to look for their 3rd national championship in the 21st century.

Pac-12: Arizona (12-1)

The Wildcats had their own spotlight article earlier, but aside from their audacious loss to Utah, they have maintained their incredible form. Head Coach Tommy Lloyd is continuing to look like one of the best in the sport at this point, but the starters of this team are all playing fantastically. All 5 starters are averaging north of 10 points per game, and all of them are doing so on greater than 40% shooting efficiency. Lloyd runs one of the fastest teams in the country, and their scorching pace combined with their great efficiency is really giving teams a tough time. Additionally, star big men Oumar Ballo and Azuolas Tubelis are rebounding the ball incredibly well, with both averaging north of 8 boards. Add in Kerr Kriisa and Pelle Larson passing the ball well (combined 9.6 rebounds per game), and Arizona has a recipe for success. Winning the Pac-12 for a 2nd straight time seems on the table, as UCLA has faltered a little bit compared to preseason expectations, and Oregon and USC are off the radar. With that being said, Arizona may face trouble from their in state rival, as Arizona State’s Michigan win and strong performances could land Bobby Hurley’s Sun Devils in contention as well. Not to mention Arizona faltered got obliterated by Utah. Arizona may face some competition from a rugged Pac-12, but for now, they are the clear favorites from the West Coast.

SEC: Alabama (10-2)

The SEC has been incredibly strange to start the season. Preseason favorites such as Kentucky and Arkansas started the season off with some tough losses, but they join Tennessee, Auburn, and a surprise team in Mississippi State all are contenders for the SEC. However, one team has accomplished more than the rest, and that is Alabama. In a strange off year for the Crimson Tide in football, it is perhaps poetic that they are exceeding basketball expectations. This team is extremely good at rebounding. Both Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney rebound more than 8.5 times per game on balance, and center Charles Bediako adds another 6.8. This team is also very efficient, with only two players shooting less than 40% from the field. Guard Mark Spears is the unsung hero of the team, as his numbers are very strong compared to the buzz surrounding him. The Crimson Tide has shirked past some very strong opponents in close games. They went into Houston and won - perhaps one of the strongest away game wins on the season to date - and closed out some strong teams in Memphis and Michigan State. They also had a quad overtime win against UNC, which was one of the craziest so far. Head Coach Nate Oates has done great things with the program so far! Alabama may have lost 2 games, but losses to Gonzaga and UConn - 2 more of the nation’s best teams - are not outrageously bad by any means. While this team has to contend with a ludicrous number of strong teams in the SEC, they are currently on their way to a promising NCAA Tournament run! 

Whole Hog: How Arkansas Maintained Top Form Through Nick Smith’s Injury

Since joining Arkansas’ basketball program in 2019, Head Coach Eric Musselman has led the Razorbacks to the Elite 8 in every NCAA tournament. Only Houston’s Kelvin Sampson can say the same. Simply put, Musselman has shoved himself into the conversation for the best coaches in the sport by force since joining the Power 5 level. Arkansas sports a great roster this year commanded by young talent, and could be a contender for the SEC title, SEC tournament title, and more.

Entering the season, freshman guard Nick Smith was the most exciting name on the Hogs’ roster by far. Analysts heralded Smith as one of the premier freshmen entering the sport, and he projected as a “one-and-done” player. Unfortunately for Hogs fans, Smith was absent from the initial starting roster due to injury. In fact, the injury persisted for a surprisingly long time, which meant the Hogs entered the Maui Invitational without their strongest player. Unfortunately, this meant they took a brutally close loss to Creighton - a loss which looks worse in hindsight, as Creighton has lost 6 games in a row - and they did not live up to their “favorite” status.

Despite not having Nick Smith, they managed to stay competitive against Creighton through the firepower freshman Anthony Black and Wichita State transfer Ricky Council IV provided. Combined, they went an astonishing 19/37, which included a fair amount of 3-point attempts of which they went 3/9. Unfortunately, they lost by the slimmest of margins, but looked to exit Maui on a high note with a win against the defensive behemoth of San Diego State University.

It turns out that Musselman’s squad did not perform well to start the game. In fact, the entered 2nd half down 9 points, and did little to correct that throughout the game. They looked completely out of the game against SDSU down 8 points with just 5 minutes left. How did the Razorbacks come back from such a deficit? Through the unsung hero of the Razorbacks’ roster: Trevon Brazile.

Brazile came off the bench in this game, just as he did for all the other games he played for the Hogs this season. Despite not starting, he not only scored the most points for the Razorbacks, but he played the most minutes. Brazile made 100% of the 3-pointers Arkansas scored in the game - perhaps a testament to the Aztecs’ great defense - but nonetheless, this sophomore played incredibly well in this match. The Missouri transfer was averaging 11.8 points per game while coming off the bench, and had potential for SEC 6th man of the year.

Musselman’s team has remained undefeated since the close Creighton loss, and they are just coming off of a double digit win against Oklahoma. Considering their ability to remain competitive without their best player, Arkansas fans are extremely excited for what they are capable of now that they have him back. Musselman himself is also very excited: he was extraordinarily passionate after their win against SDSU, and is telling Hogs fans to expect big things in 2023.

Unfortunately, one man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric, and the world had to take from Arkansas as they gave back Nick Smith. Brazile tore his ACL, and will not be playing for the Hogs for the rest of the season. Despite this, Musselman should hope to rely on the nation’s 10th ranked defense and 32nd ranked offense to make a push for great things in the postseason!

From Downtown will be on break for next Wednesday’s Article. Expect an article next Sunday, and for regularly scheduled articles to follow alongside a new announcement afterwards! Happy holidays!

Flopfest: Analyzing College Basketball’s Biggest Busts

Everyone loves to hate! While generally an unhealthy emotion, being able to contemptuously cringe at the worst teams in college basketball is a benign way of releasing an oftentimes corrosive, repressed emotion. As a result, From Downtown is here to list the most underperforming team from each Power 5 conference! While From Downtown does not personally hate these teams, they nonetheless have gotten off to rough starts to begin the season. In addition, I will check back with my preseason predictions to see whether or not we were right about these teams in the preseason. Enjoy!

As a note, thanks for being patient with the lack of articles in the past week. From Downtown took a break to take final exams, and we are very appreciative of our readers’ patience! Thanks again!

ACC

Team: Louisville Cardinals

Record: 0-9

Prediction: CORRECT

Few expected Louisville to make it to the big dance in year 1 under new Head Coach Kenny Payne, but few expected such a drastically bad start. After losing their first 3 games by 1 point, Louisville has been molly-whopped in their last 6 games. They are consistently losing by a 20 point margin, which is a far-cry from any reasonable expectation. Louisville will not benefit from many more easy non-conference games, as their only future opponents currently below .500 are FAMU and a Florida State team that just obliterated them to reach their 2nd win (FSU is terrible in their own right at the moment, but the Cardinals graciously took this spot from them and spared them embarrassment). Louisville will have a lot to evaluate at the end of year 1 under Payne, as in their current form, their postseason hopes are dashed.

Big 12:

Team: Oklahoma State

Record: 6-4

Prediction: CORRECT

As From Downtown predicted, Oklahoma State has looked limp and unenthusiastic to start the season. Head Coach Mike Boynton’s squad was banned from the postseason last year, and the culture has not really departed from that mindset in the 1st month of the season. Oklahoma State has yet to defeat a top 95 team at KenPom, and has looked shaky against some competition they were expected to easily handle. Their loss to Southern Illinois marks one of the worst in the season thus far. All hope is fortunately not lost for the Cowboys - Moussa Cisse is averaging a machine-like 10.4 rebounds a game - but they desperately need to turn around their climate in order to turn around their season.

Big East:

Team: Creighton

Record: 6-5

Prediction: WRONG

Creighton was off to a hot start in their highest-projected season in program history. They defeated Arkansas, and played Arizona and Texas close to get to a very strong 6-2. However, they have accentuated those losses with 3 more losses, including a 10 point loss to Nebraska, and losses to BYU and Arizona State (who themselves have been surprisingly fantastic, so this itself is not a bad loss). Creighton is still a good team commanded by Ryan Kalkbrenner and Baylor Scheierman, but they are not at all performing to their preseason hype. Creighton will hope to correct their course in Big East play, and they still have postseason hopes so long as they can climb out of their self-made hole.

Big Ten

Team: Michigan State

Record: 7-4

Prediction: WRONG

The Spartans were one of the most exciting teams in the beginning 2 weeks of the season, but have quickly fallen off the hype train. After their marquee win against Kentucky and almost-win against Gonzaga, Michigan State had a quaint Phil Knight appearance where they lost to Alabama and skirted past Oregon and Portland. Things looked good for the Spartans, but Head Coach Tom Izzo’s squad got blown out by Notre Dame and lost to Northwestern in their subsequent games to fall to 5-4. They have since improved to moderate 7-4, but for a team that was ranked as highly as 5th in the CBS Top 25&1, they are not performing nearly as well as that ranking would imply.

Pac-12:

Team: Cal

Record: 0-11

Prediction: WRONG

This is quite possibly From Downtown’s single worst prediction. After an entire section of the Pac-12 preview was dedicated to Cal’s underatedness, they thanked our publication by tanking to the one of the worst starts in college basketball history. 0-11 is simply atrocious. Granted, Cal has lost to a plethora of strong teams, such as TCU, Butler, Kansas State, and Arizona. However, they have also dropped ugly games to Texas State and Eastern Washington. As predicted, Devin Askew has been the standout. However, he is surrounded by negligible production, and his ceiling is significantly hampered as a result. Cal will not be making the postseason this year, and Mark Fox likely leaves Cal after this year.

SEC:

Team: Texas A&M

Record: 6-3

Prediction: CORRECT

There is a tried and true proverb “always bet against the Aggies.” Buzz Williams has been terrific throughout his career, but his tenure as head coach at A&M has been less than spectacular. The Aggies have failed to reach the big dance under Williams, and this year looks no different. The Aggies were trounced by their 2 most highly rated opponents at KenPom, and their strongest win was against DePaul. To make matters worse, their next opponent, Memphis, just soundly defeated a much more highly ranked Auburn team that had yet to drop a game to that point. Texas A&M definitely has a strong roster, but the SEC is loaded with talented teams this season. It looks like the Aggies may fall behind yet again if they do not get their act together by league play.