It’s yet another year, and another season of college basketball craziness.
With no clear top team, although some stand out more than others, and ranked teams getting knocked down each week, it is shaping up to be another crazy tournament in March.
The question at this point the year is always, who has disappointed expectations and who has exceeded expectations? Fans will remember how the preseason number one team, the North Carolina Tar Heels, didn’t even make the tournament last year, and it wasn’t even that close.
Here are some of the biggest surprises and disappointments so far this year:
Dayton (17-3, A-10)
The Flyers lost their starting-point guard Malachi Smith in the first game of the season, after just a few minutes. Despite that, the Flyers owned the nation’s longest-winning streak, at 13 games, before losing at Richmond on Saturday. The Flyers have earned the 21 spot in the AP Top 25. The Flyers star, Daron Holmes II, is averaging 19.4 points per game, 7.9 rebounds per game, and shooting 54.5 percent from the floor, according to ESPN.
Arkansas (10-10, SEC)
To put it lightly, the Razorbacks have fallen short of expectations. After making it to the Sweet 16 last year, Arkansas was ranked 14 in the preseason AP poll, according to ESPN. Currently, they are faced with a lot of questions and are 1-6 in the SEC so far, with many of its losses not even being close. Arkansas had a chance to pull things in order with a home game against Kentucky on Saturday but fell short 63-58 as its struggles persist.
Wisconsin (16-4, Big Ten)
After being unranked in the preseason and off to a 1-2 start, few would have thought that the Badgers would be in the position they are in today. Wisconsin stands alone in first place in the Big Ten, with an 8-1 record, and is ranked sixth in the nation. The Badgers continue to get it done with AJ Storr leading them in points at 15.6 per game and Chucky Hepburn averaging 3.8 assists per game, according to ESPN. Wisconsin has a big conference matchup on Sunday as the Badgers host 2 Purdue.
Michigan State (13-8, Big Ten)
It was a rough start for the preseason fourth ranked team as the Spartans started its year 4-5. While Michigan State has turned things around, going 8-3 in its last 11 games, it has still been a disappointing season for the Spartans with just two Quad 1 wins, according to NCAA.com. While Michigan State will probably make the dance in March, it most likely won’t be as a high seed.
Gonzaga (15-5, WCC)
Everyone, or at least most people, know the mid-major powerhouse, the Gonzaga Bulldogs. After being ranked 11 in the preseason poll, the Bulldogs fell out of the AP Top 25, breaking its 143 week streak, according to Sports Illustrated. Now, it’s questionable whether or not Gonzaga will even make the tournament this year, with no Quad 1 wins.
Auburn (16-4, SEC)
Despite two road losses the past week, the Auburn Tigers find themselves ranked 16. The Tigers had won 11 games in a row, dominating every game. Very few people would have predicted that the Tigers would be in this position at the start of the year, yet Auburn is. With no bad losses, and a 6-4 Quad 1-2 record, the Tigers are positioned nicely for the rest of the year.
South Carolina (18-3, SEC)
Despite a lackluster non-conference schedule, the Gamecocks of South Carolina still have an impressive record, racking up 17 wins so far. Just last week, the Gamecocks dominated ranked Kentucky 79-62 and beat 5 Tennessee away on Tuesday 63-59. South Carolina continues to improve and impress and will certainly be a dark horse in March.
Ole Miss (18-3, SEC)
Like South Carolina, Ole Miss played a sub-par non-conference schedule but still started off the year 13-0, which made them one of the last undefeated teams in the nation before losing to Tennessee. With a nice win at Texas A&M on Saturday and over Mississippi State on Tuesday, the Rebels bounced back after a few conference losses. First year head-coach Chris Beard has the Rebels rolling and well on their way to another tournament.
