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!
