Big Ten Preview: Is It Michigan State's Turn At The Top?

The long wait will soon be over when the first full slate of NCAA basketball games of the 2013-14 season will tip-off on Nov. 8. Some of our favorite players have moved on the ranks of professional athletes, new recruits have been polishing their games in gyms with recognizable logos on the court, and schools have switched conference allegiances. Through a series of conference previews, the BDD crew will do its best to prepare you for the next 4.5 months of collegiate hoops.

Gary Harris and Michigan State are loaded and ready to reclaim the Big Ten crown. (iusportcom.com)

Five Big Ten ballers were drafted in June, four went in the first round and three in the lottery. Will the nation's "best conference" defend this imaginary title and send seven teams into the NCAA tourney again? While things appear to be thinner at the top, the depth remains strong and some squads (I'm lookin at you, Hoosiers) may thrive under lower expectations. This year, however, Tom Izzo will be the coach carrying the weight of Final Four expectations.

Favorite: Michigan State
A year after watching Indiana finish first in the regular season, seeing Ohio State win the conference tournament, and (worst of all for Spartans fans) viewing the big brother Wolverines in the national title game, Sparty should have more to cheer about this year as Gary Harris returns for what could be a very memorable sophomore season. The 6'4" guard was second on the team in minutes last year and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year, but nagging shoulder injuries blunted his effectiveness. Adreian Payne also returns as a top shot blocker with a great free throw stroke and surprising range from the floor. Swingman Branden Dawson, like Harris, is very talented and should break out this year if he can stay healthy. Point guard Keith Appling continued to tease and frustrate Spartan fans with his mercurial shooting and decision-making. In his senior year, will Appling cede to Harris in the backcourt? Izzo will earn his pay if he can smooth everything over and get his team to make the deep run their talent demands.

Dark Horse Team to Watch: Iowa
Ohio State should be nipping at the Spartans' heels all year, but in the spirit of picking an actual dark horse and not a runner-up, I'm going with the Hawkeyes. Coach Fran McCaffery has been rebuilding in Iowa City with an entertaining brand of ball, but it will be a disappointing setback if they don't get into the NCAAs in his fourth season. The NIT runner-up Hawkeyes return all of their key contributors; only seven starts from big man Eric May must be replaced this year. Roy Devyn Marble (yes, that is Roy's kid) had an up-and-down year and was actually benched at times by McCaffery, but he finished on a high note and his ability to get to the line and stretch a defense are crucial for this team. Aaron White is another quality player causing mismatch problems for opposing defenses, and four-star recruit (and 7-footer) Adam Woodbury should start to assert himself more in his sophomore season. The shooting of sophomore guards Mike Gesell and Anthony Clemmens will need to improve for the Hawkeyes to reach their full potential and dance into the Sweet 16 for the first time since Dr. Tom Davis helmed the Hawkeyes in 1999.

Player of the Year: Gary Harris (Michigan State)
Aaron Craft will be your broadcaster choice, but thankfully most of them don't get to vote on anything. Glenn Robinson and Sam Dekker should also contend here. That said, the best player on the best team generally wins this award, and Harris is my prime choice here. Harris has great size for a scoring guard in college, and with his shooting and athletic ability he should be getting to the free throw line much more often this year. As the featured option in the Spartan attack, his points per game should improve quite a bit. It will be interesting to see if he can show more playmaking ability, as nba scouts would be keen to have more examples on tape.

Coach of the Year: Fran McCaffery (Iowa)
In this conference there will always be a lot of qualified candidates who have already won this award, which actually makes it easier for voters to justify giving the nod to a "new guy" in the mix. Iowa is loaded up to take the next step, and McCaffery knows it. A Tuesday night showdown hosting the Spartans on January 28 could be a statement win.

Newcomer of the Year: Derrick Walton (Michigan) 
Replacing the national player of the year is a tall order, but Walton will only be asked to help steer what should still be a prolific offense under coach John Beilein. Mitch McGary, Glenn Robinson and Nik Stauskas will give Walton plenty of passing targets, and the true freshman point guard should show enough 3 point range to keep defenses honest as well.



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BDD Alumni Bracket: Final Four

Duke, Ohio State, Kansas, and Indiana have advanced to the Final Four of the Alumni Bracket. This tournament aims to determine which college can field the greatest alumni team.

We have already seen greats fall. Who will be next?

Each round is decided on by our writers. If you've missed any of the previous editions, you can find them below.

Sweet Sixteen Part I 

Sweet Sixteen Part II 

Elite 8 



Duke:
Point Guard. Bobby Hurley. ‘90-’93
Shooting Guard: JJ. Redick ‘03-’06
Small Forward: Shane Battier ‘98-’01
Power Forward: Christian Laettner ‘89-’92
Center: Mike Gminski ‘77-’80

Ohio State:
Point Guard: Robin Freeman ‘53-’56
Shooting Guard: Jim Jackson ‘90-’92
Small Forward: John Havlicek ‘60-’62
Power Forward: Gary Bradds ‘62-’64
Center: Jerry Lucas ‘60-’62

Duke: 3
Ohio State: 0

via sportsillustrated.cnn.com

______________________________________________

Kansas:
Point Guard: Aaron Miles ‘01-’05
Shooting Guard: Kirk Hinrich ‘99-’03
Small Forward: Paul Pierce ‘95-’98
Power Forward: Danny Manning ‘84-’88
Center: Wilt Chamberlain ‘56-’58

Indiana:

Point Guard: Isiah Thomas ‘80-81
Shooting Guard: Calbert Cheaney ‘90-’93
Small Forward: Scott May ‘74-’76
Power Forward: Alan Henderson ‘92-’95
Center: Don Schlundt ‘52-’55

Kansas: 3
Indiana: 0

via Hoopzone.net

 

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BDD Alumni Bracket Elite 8

See what program's alumni teams advance on to the Final Four in our BDD Alumni Bracket. (celebritynetworth.com)

After a heavily debated Sweet Sixteen, we're on to the Elite Eight.

The greatest players in college basketball history take the court one last time for their respective school. If you need to catch up check out the Sweet 16 Part I and Sweet Sixteen Part II.

Each match up is voted on by three of our writers.


Louisville:

Point Guard: LaBradford Smith ‘88-’91
Shooting Guard: Darrell Griffith ‘77-’80
Small Forward: Billy Thompson ‘83-’86
Power Forward: Pervis Ellison ‘86-’88
Center: Wes Unseld ‘65-’68

Duke:

Point Guard. Bobby Hurley. ‘90-’93
Shooting Guard: JJ. Redick ‘03-’06
Small Forward: Shane Battier ‘98-’01
Power Forward: Christian Laettner ‘89-’92
Center: Mike Gminski ‘77-’80


Duke- 2
Louisville- 1

_______________________________________________________________

Wichita State:

Point Guard: Warren Armstrong ‘65-’68
Shooting Guard: Cleo Littleton ‘52-’55
Small Forward: Xavier McDaniel ‘82-’85
Power Forward: Cliff Levingston ‘80-’82
Center: Dave Stallworth ‘62-’65


Ohio State: 

Point Guard: Robin Freeman ‘53-’56
Shooting Guard: Jim Jackson ‘90-’92
Small Forward: John Havlicek ‘60-’62
Power Forward: Gary Bradds ‘62-’64
Center: Jerry Lucas ‘60-’62

Ohio State- 3
Wichita State- 0

_________________________________________________________________

Kansas:

Point Guard: Aaron Miles ‘01-’05

Shooting Guard: Kirk Hinrich ‘99-’03

Small Forward: Paul Pierce ‘95-’98

Power Forward: Danny Manning ‘84-’88

Center: Wilt Chamberlain ‘56-’58

Florida:

Point Guard: Andrew Moten ‘84-’87

Shooting Guard: Joe Hobbs ‘55-’58

Small Forward: Ronnie Williams ‘81-’84

Power Forward: Al Horford ‘05-’07

Center: Neal Walk ‘66-’69

Kansas- 3
Florida- 0

______________________________________________________________

Indiana:

Point Guard: Isiah Thomas ‘80-81

Shooting Guard: Calbert Cheaney ‘90-’93

Small Forward: Scott May ‘74-’76

Power Forward: Alan Henderson ‘92-’95

Center: Don Schlundt ‘52-’55

Marquette:

Point Guard: Doc Rivers ‘80-’83

Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade ‘02-’03

Small Forward: Don Kojis ‘58-’61

Power Forward: Maurice Lucas ‘72-’74

Center: Walter Downing ‘85-’86

Indiana- 2
Marquette- 1

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NCAA Alumni Bracket Part II: The Second Half Of The Sweet 16

The second part of our alumni bracket takes a look at right side of this year's Sweet 16 bracket: Kansas, Michigan, Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Indiana, Syracuse, Marquette and Miami. 

Each team is gathering their alumni to suit up one last time in an attempt to figure out which school has the greatest all-time team.

If you missed part one, you can catch up here.

Once again, I asked writers Alex, Kyle and Dakota to vote on which team they feel would win if they faced off.

Kansas:

Point Guard: Aaron Miles ‘01-’05

Shooting Guard: Kirk Hinrich ‘99-’03

Small Forward: Paul Pierce ‘95-’98

Power Forward: Danny Manning ‘84-’88

Center: Wilt Chamberlain ‘56-’58

________________________________________________________________

Michigan:

Point Guard: Jalen Rose ‘92-’94

Shooting Guard: Cazzie Russell ‘63-’66

Small Forward: Glen Rice ‘86-’89

Power Forward: Chris Webber ‘92-’93

Center: Juwan Howard ‘92-’95

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Kansas:3

Michigan: 0

Chamberlain (Via http://www.jakestakeonsports.com)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Florida:

Point Guard: Andrew Moten ‘84-’87

Shooting Guard: Joe Hobbs ‘55-’58

Small Forward: Ronnie Williams ‘81-’84

Power Forward: Al Horford ‘05-’07

Center: Neal Walk ‘66-’69

_____________________________________________________________

Florida Gulf Coast:

Point Guard: Brett Comer ‘13

Shooting Guard: Bernard Johnson ‘13

Small Forward: Sherwood Brown ‘13

Power Forward: Chase Fieler ‘13

Center: Erik McKnight ‘13

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Florida: 3

Florida Gulf Coast: 0

Neal Walk (via. gatorzone.com)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Indiana:

Point Guard: Isiah Thomas ‘80-81

Shooting Guard: Calbert Cheaney ‘90-’93

Small Forward: Scott May ‘74-’76

Power Forward: Alan Henderson ‘92-’95

Center: Don Schlundt ‘52-’55

_____________________________________________________________

Syracuse:

Point Guard: Sherman Douglas ‘86-’89

Shooting Guard: Gerry McNamara

Small Forward: Carmelo Anthony ‘02-’03

Power Forward: Derrick Coleman ‘85-90

Center: Rony Seikaly ‘84-’88

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Indiana:3

Syracuse: 0

 

Isiah Thomas (via spokeo.com)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Marquette

Point Guard: Doc Rivers ‘80-’83

Shooting Guard: Dwyane Wade ‘02-’03

Small Forward: Don Kojis ‘58-’61

Power Forward: Maurice Lucas ‘72-’74

Center: Walter Downing ‘85-’86

________________________________________________________________

Miami

Point Guard: Dick Hickox ‘59-’61

Shooting Guard: Don Curnutt ‘67-’70

Small Forward: Tim James ‘95-’99

Power Forward: Rick Barry ‘62-’65

Center: Tito Horford ‘87-’88

________________________________________________________________ 

________________________________________________________________

Marquette:3

Miami: 0

Dwyane Wade ( Via. http://www.dwyane-wade-flash.com)

The winners will be moving on as we continue our quest to crown the greatest alumni team. Keep checking back during the next few days for the next round.

Agree or disagree with our writers? Let us know in the comments below.

Experience Proves Important For NCAA Tournament Run

A group of seniors, including Kenny Kadji (35) and Julian Gamble (45), have led Miami to the Sweet 16. (usatoday.com)

Even in an era of freshmen leaving for the NBA after one year of college, experience still holds an important role in the college game; it translates into deeps runs in the NCAA Tournament.

Forget about the 2012 Kentucky team. It was an anomaly that a group of freshmen and sophomores were able to gel and perform consistently at a high level without having the normal ups and downs of performance as freshmen and sophomore who are still adjusting to the college game tend to do. This year's Kentucky team proved this much and the average expectation for a team made up mostly of top-rated freshman probably falls somewhere in between the two.

This is not to say teams shouldn't take highly touted freshmen just because they may leave after one year. Many of these teams have a freshman or two starting for them. But as you will see below, what most of these teams have is upperclassmen who have been in situations like this before.

Here's a breakdown of the number of seniors (and juniors) who started in the round of 32 for each Sweet 16 team:

Miami: four

Kansas: four

Florida: three (two juniors)

Marquette: three (one junior)

Duke: three

Oregon: three

Arizona: three

Wichita State: three

Indiana: two (one junior)

Syracuse: two (one junior) 

Florida Gulf Coast: two

Michigan State: one (two juniors)

Louisville: one (two juniors)

La Salle: one (two juniors)

Ohio State: none (three juniors)

Michigan: none (one junior)

The lights are the brightest and the stage is the largest at the NCAA Tournament and both of those get even brighter and larger as the field begins to dwindle and teams advance into the second and third weekends. As great as freshmen can be, it's still unfamiliar territory and the biggest stage they've ever been on. The best of both worlds is pairing one or two of these talented freshmen with a group of upperclassmen that can make them stay focused and not get caught up in the moment, which is familiar for many of these seniors.

Michigan has the fewest upperclassmen and have also been the least consistent in the last month, going 6-6 at the end of the regular season and in the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines are extremely athletic and talented, yet the lack of experience and chemistry can be seen at the end of the season. Michigan could still easily advance to Atlanta — that's what talent can provide — but their lack of experience is definitely an outlier in the Sweet 16.

It is not a coincidence most of these teams have juniors and seniors making up more than half of their starting lineups and all but two teams remaining have a senior starting. Talent usually trumps experience, so naturally these players are also very good at the game of basketball. The advantage experience gives is these players have strong chemistry from playing together for multiple years and by now they've seen almost every situation they may face.

We'll see if this trend continues to the Final Four, but at a time where we focus on the best young players to come and leave after one year, this weekend will be a great opportunity to watch some of the best players to take advantage of their college experience and use it to reach this point.

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Breaking Down The NCAA Tournament Sweet 16

No. 15 Florida Gulf Coast continues a historic run to the Sweet 16 and will face No. 3 Florida Friday. (nytimes.com)

It feels sweet to be a double-digit seed. Three of them have made it to the round of 16, including Florida Gulf Coast being the first No. 15 seed to ever reach this mark. We shouldn't be too surprised after watching upsets and parity all season long.

Now that 48 teams have been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament, title hopes seem a little brighter, but the opposition becomes more difficult. After four days of madness, here's where the four regions stand with 16 teams remaining.

Midwest

Everyone said Oregon was better than a No. 12 seed and so far the Ducks have proven the theory correct. Oregon handled talented Oklahoma State and St. Louis teams with relative ease, but now the Ducks face the overall No. 1 seed. If there's a team that has made winning look easier than Oregon, it's Louisville. The Pac-12 has claimed it's been underrated all year. Knocking off a No. 1 seed will help its case but the Cardinals defense has been causing havoc for opposing offenses so far in March.

In the bottom half, a battle of powerhouse programs and Hall of Fame coaches can be found amongst the Cinderella finalists. No. 3 Michigan State and No. 2 Duke have been efficient so far this tournament, although Duke can't afford to get in the foul trouble it did Sunday night against Creighton. Izzo vs. Krzyzewski is a coaching battle worth watching any time and you know these two will have their teams prepared with almost a week to get ready.

West

This West region feels like it was created by ex-girlfriends and angry bosses that just want your bracket to fail. No. 2 Ohio State is the only 1-5 seed to reach the Sweet 16 and if a controversial charging call against Iowa State doesn't go in the Buckeyes favor, the West could be a complete shakeup. No. 9 Wichita State is a terrifying team to play in the NCAA Tournament because of their physicality, tenacious defense and ability to hit big shots when needed. The Shockers will face No. 13 La Salle, who would be the story of the tournament after being one of the last four teams in if it weren't for that team from Florida not named the Gators.

No. 6 Arizona, along with Oregon, continues to try and avenge the Pac-12's name and will now face the Buckeyes for a spot in the Elite 8. Ohio State came through in clutch situations against ISU, while Arizona has won both games by double figures. If this region has taught us anything thus far, it's that predicting its outcome is nearly impossible.

South

No. 1 Kansas against No. 4 Michigan is shaping up to be one of the best matchups of the tournament. Kansas gave one of its best and worst halves of the season in the same game against UNC Sunday, yet won the game more easily than the 70-58 score would suggest. Jeff Withey (16 points, 16 rebounds, five blocks) is the best defender in the country and completely takes away easy shot attempts in the paint. Kansas will have to limit turnovers against a fast-pace Wolverine team with tremendous guard play. Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Glenn Robinson III will give the Jayhawk guards all they can handle and KU will need more from freshman standout Ben McLemore to advance.

Florida Gulf Coast has support from the majority of a country after a historic run being the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. Yet many in its own state will not wish history to continue as now the Eagles must face the No. 3 Florida Gators in the round of 16. This FGCU team is athletic and extremely fun to watch and has more confidence than almost anyone; a deadly combination for opponents in the tourney. Florida will have its hands full as the Eagles bring momentum and the spotlight into Dallas to keep the dream allive.

East

The most predictable and chalk-filled of the regions, the East is the only region with the No. 1-4 seeds advancing to the second weekend. Yet it was not without its scares. No. 9 Temple had the advantage over No. 1 Indiana for most of the game before a 3-pointer by Victor Oladipo sealed it for the Hoosiers, and No. 2 Miami needed clutch free-throws to pull away from No. 7 Illinois.

No. 3 Marquette has only won nail-biters, becoming victorious against Butler in one of the best games of the tournament so far. Gritting out those tough wins has to give the Golden Eagles an advantage as they have proven their toughness and determination to execute in late-game situations. No. 4 Syracuse has yet to be fully tested, so it will be interesting to see how the Orange handle their first bit of adversity.

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Weekend Feast: Michigan Vs. Indiana And Poor Tom Crean

Tom Crean will lead his No. 3 Indiana squad against No. 1 Michigan Saturday night (bleacherreport.com)

Poor Tom Crean. He is about to be a victim of horrible timing.
 
Crean's No. 3 Indiana team will host No. 1 Michigan in prime time Saturday night. It also happens to be the night before his wife's brothers, JIM AND JOHN HARBAUGH, face off as opposing coaches in the biggest single sporting event of the year; the Super Bowl. (Given how big of a storyline this is being played as, I felt it would be rude not to refer to the HARBAUGH BROTHERS in all caps.)

I can only imagine how many questions at his pregame interview will be about the HARBOUGHS. Which HARBOUGH does he like best? Who does he think will win (the Super Bowl, that is)? Who does his wife think will win? Will his wife even be at the game or will she be in New Orleans? Even if his team beats the No. 1 team in the country, it won't be the biggest story in his household this weekend.

But we'll get to that game later. First, here's some other matchups to keep an eye on this weekend.

Free Falling

No. 25 Marquette vs. No. 12 Louisville
In the past two weeks, Louisville has gone from "how can they be stopped" to "what the $*%# is going on" and a three-point win over Pitt at home Monday hasn't done much to ease those worries.

Especially since the Cardinals now face a Marquette team that looks to be finding its identity after a slow start to the season (they feel your pain, Gonzaga. Butler got the Golden Eagles on a buzzer-beater, too). Granted, the past five games haven't been the most challenging of the season, but going 4-1 with only a two-point loss to Cincinnati shows the team is playing some of its best ball.

This Louisville team is known for defense, but the offense will have to be present Saturday as the Cardinals need this win to get back on course.

ACC Powers?

No. 14 Miami vs. No. 19 NC State
This game is a get-together for the We Beat Duke Club. No one except Boston College (go figure) has gotten close to beating Miami recently and if you had Miami starting 7-0 in the ACC, well, I hope you were in Vegas for that pick because you, sir or ma'am, have a gift. Jim Larranaga has to be in the conversation for national coach of the year for what he's done with this program, and it's not the first time he's made this magic (2006 George Mason). Balanced scoring with four players in double figures each game has made the Hurricanes very dangerous as we look ahead to March.

NC State was thought to possibly be in Miami's position, but instead have been on a roller coaster in conference play; defeat Duke, lose to Wake Forest, beat UNC, lose the next one to Virginia. Make up your mind, Wolfpack! What team are you going to be? This matchup with the Hurricanes is followed by a rematch with Duke, so this is the perfect stretch for NC State to find some consistency, whichever way — winning or losing — that means.


The Big Show

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Indiana
The game of the week honor is a runaway favorite for Michigan vs. Indiana. College Gameday will be in one of the best college gyms in the country as the No. 1 team comes to town. And of course, we will hear the storyline that this is the first time Michigan has been No. 1 since the Fab Five in 1992, seeing as one of those five, Jalen Rose, is part of the Gameday crew.

The Big Ten is starting to break into a more natural hierarchy of teams, compared to the seven-teams-could-win-it-free-for-all the conference was at the beginning of January, and Michigan and Indiana have pushed their way to the top of the pyramid. Assembly Hall will be rockin' as these two very even teams square off in what will hopefully be a wire-to-wire battle. Both teams are 7-1 in the conference and sporting four-game winning streaks since suffering their only conference losses. Trey Burke and Cody Zeller are the headliners of big-talent and big-name squads ready for primetime. It just doesn't feel like there's any way this game is a letdown.

As great of a game as this could be, again, I can't help feeling for Tom Crean, who even with a win can't outdo the HARBAUGH BOWL in his own house. Secretly, he's got to be hoping for a tie in the Super Bowl, right?

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Ranking The Top 5 College Basketball States in 2012-13

Kansas and Kansas State have led the way for Kansas to be the most successful state in college basketball. (espn.com)

CBS Sports' Matt Norlander recently published a story examining the best college basketball state of the modern era. The answer may surprise you, but the argument is very much a sound one. This got me to thinking about what other great college basketball states are out there right now. This is not of all-time, but strictly this season. Only looking at the best three Div. I teams in the state (sorry Juco studs), we ranked the top five college basketball states of the 2012-13 basketball season to date. Agree with it? Thank you. Don't agree, let us know your top five.

No. 5 Florida
Florida could have been even higher on the list if Florida State would have been able to carry over the success of last season when they won the ACC Tournament. But the Seminoles have dropped off to a 10-7 record this season and can't seem to win the big games. FSU still has a meeting with Duke and two games against NC State to find a signature win. Miami has been a better surprise, working its way into the top 25 and at the top of the ACC at 4-0 (prior to the Hurricanes game against Duke Wednesday night). Still, the Florida Gators are the best of the state and a legitimate top-10 team who look to be the easy favorite to win the SEC.

State record: 37-12

No. 4 Kentucky
It still feels strange to say that the University of Kentucky is currently holding the state back in our rankings, but a defending national champion is not used to going 12-6 to start the following season. John Calipari has talent, but it's very young talent who still have a lot to learn. Louisville isn't helping matters either, dropping two straight in a talented Big East, but the Cardinals are still a Final Four contender. Murray State has also been down by last year's standards, starting 14-4. The Racers 5-1 in conference play and shouldn't lose too many more before the tournament. Last year the state of Kentucky was stronger with two Final Four teams and all three making the tournament and it should be expected for that level of play to return sooner than later. But right now the state is struggling, by it's standards, which still means two good team and a very good team.

State record: 42-13  

No. 3 North Carolina
This state had by far the most potential at the start of the year. Where Kentucky had two teams who were expected to hang out in the top 10 all year, North Carolina could have potentially had three comfortably in the top 25. Duke lived up to its end as the No. 1 team, but North Carolina's youth and inexperience has made for a tougher path than expected. Roy's boys have rebounded with two straight ACC wins after starting conference play 0-2, but five losses at this point in the season is unfamiliar territory for the Tar Heels. NC State, while still in the top 25, already has four losses and have lost two of three after upsetting Duke. These are still three dangerous tournament teams, but two have a lot yet to accomplish.

State record: 43-10  

No. 2 Indiana
Indiana is synonymous with basketball (enter Hoosier's reference here). But it's the mid-major (if you can even call them that) of the state is actually keeping this basketball powerhouse state ranked so high. Butler's 16-2 start and No. 9 ranking has them talked about the with best of college basketball. The Bulldogs already have wins over UNC, Indiana and most recently Gonzaga. The Hoosiers are one of the favorites to win the Big Ten, although the brutal conference schedule could hurt Indiana's record and ranking. Notre Dame's dismissal from the top 25 after losing three of four games is keeping Indiana from the No. 1 spot.

State record: 47-8  

No. 1 Kansas
Kansas probably wouldn't have been your first guess, right? But the Sunflower State is playing basketball better than anyone. All three Div. I teams are ranked in the top 20 and are showing no signs of slowing down. Kansas has won 16 games in a row while K-State's only loss in the last nine game came at the hands of the Jayhawks Tuesday (this includes a neutral-site win over Florida). Wichita State knocked off Creighton last weekend and is making a claim for a Missouri Valley Conference title and is tied with Creighton for the conference lead. All three teams are practically no-brainers to make the NCAA Tournament and don't be surprised if one or more makes a deep run.

State record: 49-6 

Butler's Brad Stevens Deserves The Respect Of An Elite Coach

Brad Stevens is putting together another great season with Butler. (espn.com)

Brad Stevens has become a household name for college basketball fans, and as a young head coach, he has earned respect in the industry.

But Stevens isn't getting enough credit. He has the wow-look-what-he's-done-with-that-mid-major respect, but it's not enough. Stevens' name should be thrown in with the top 10-15 coaches in the business, and that's a whole new level of respect.

Butler and Stevens had a year to forget last year. The Bulldogs struggled to a 22-15 record after losing key player after key player. (The fact that 22 wins and a winning percentage over .500 is bad by Butler's standards shows what Stevens has done with this program.) And somehow that down year, which all teams go through, negated the fact that Stevens took his teams to back-to-back NCAA Title games. Not only two straight title games, which is impressive for any school, but the first two title games (and Final Fours) in Butler's history.

And this year? Butler is off to an 8-2 start, while taking down two of the great programs, and coaches, in college basketball. The Bulldogs crushed then No. 9 UNC in Maui 82-71 (the final score was not indicative of the game) and Saturday Butler took down No. 1 Indiana 88-86.

Butler may play in the A-10, and the Horizon League before that, but Stevens makes sure to put together a tough out-of-conference schedule. The Bulldogs have also already faced Marquette and Illinois in Maui, and will face Vanderbilt and Gonzaga in the next month. Stevens knows how to get his team to play well against the toughest competition, and Butler has become a terrifying team to schedule early in the year.

It's the nature of the business that Stevens may remain under-appreciated by the rest of the country while at a smaller school. But Stevens could soon be in the running for a few high-profile jobs that, if he continues to succeed, could catapult him into the ranks of one of the most praised and well-paid coaches in the nation.

The rumors have been going on for well over a year. Mike Krzyzewski will be retiring from Duke sometime in the near future, and Stevens' name has been tossed around as a possible replacement. But other schools have been in the rumor mix as well, and if Butler makes the NCAA Tournament again this year, Stevens should have plenty of suitors who come calling.

It's a shame that it will most likely take a high-profile job for Stevens to be viewed in the same light as today's elite coaches, but such is the nature of the business. Stevens will most likely move on to a powerhouse program and find success, finally earning the credit he has deserved for several years.

Until then, admire and don't forget about the young coach who led tiny Butler to the brink of college basketball's elite championship fraternity and completely changed the way we think about seeing Butler on our team's schedule.


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College Basketball's First-Semester Grades

Duke is flying into the spring semester with a high basketball GPA. (cbsnews.com)

It's finals week all across college campuses, which is why you will find very few exciting games until Saturday. So while the players are busy studying for finals (it's all about the academics, folks) let's give out some grades of our own, shall we. Granted it's still early, and we won't really get to know many of these teams until conference play, but here are three teams who have passed the first semester with ease and three who need to hit the books harder in the spring.

Honor Roll:

Duke - A 

Duke couldn't have been asked to do much more than it has already in the first month of the season. The Blue Devils have taken down three then-top-five teams (first No. 3 Kentucky, then No. 2 Louisville and finally No. 4 Ohio State), while also earning solid wins over Minnesota and VCU, who should be tournament teams in March. Duke has a few easier games to round out non-conference play before kicking off ACC games. Duke has to be the new frontrunner to win the conference, with both UNC and NC State showing some inefficiencies early.

Indiana - A

The Hoosiers schedule has not been the gauntlet Duke has faced, but Indiana has taken care of its business in the fashion of the No. 1 team in the country. The two quality wins are there - defeating a Georgetown team, which has outshined its expectations, so far by 10, and beating UNC by a definitive 24 points. Almost as impressive is how Indiana has handled the lesser non-conference opponents. Many top 25 teams has struggled to pull off close wins against teams they should easily beat. Not IU. No team other than Georgetown has finished the game less than 13 points behind the Hoosiers. The real test will be conference play, where three or four teams could win the Big Ten, but so far, Indiana has passed the test.

Illinois - A-

The Illini are off to an 11-0 start and have cracked the top 10 in John Groce's first year at Illinois. Illinois finally got the signature win of the season so far, a road victory against then No. 10 Gonzaga in Spokane, which many will say is one of the toughest home environments. But the strength of schedule has been weak, and the Illini have had a few unimpressive wins, like a one-point overtime win over Hawaii and only being up by two on Norfolk State with six minutes remaining in the team's most recent game. It hasn't all been Illinois' fault as the team made it through the Maui Invitational without having to face the favorite UNC. But some are still questioning the Illini as a legitimate top-10 team and Big Ten championship contender.


Grades Slipping:

 Kentucky - C

Kentucky is the girl you went to high school with that believes perfection is the only option. Get a B on a test and your life is over. UK's expectations are just as high and so far the team has fallen short. A 6-3 record is not acceptable for Lexington. We've talked about how this is definitely not last year's team, and these freshmen are going through growing pains. If this were Minnesota who had loses to Duke, Notre Dame and Baylor, it would still be looked at as a decent start to the season, but Kentucky doesn't lose two in a row very often. Kentucky will be fine in March, but right now this team is having trouble adjusting to college life.

UCLA - D

Another 6-3 team in UCLA, but why did they not earn a "C" like Kentucky? Would Cal Poly like to answer that? The Bruins were Cal Poly's second win of the year (the Mustangs are now 3-4) and UCLA has not gotten its talented and hyped freshmen to produce. The Bruins are 97th in the country in field goal percentage at 45.4 percent and the team's scoring has decreased since the beginning of the season. Again, part of this bad grade is considering the expectations coming into the season. This was supposed to be UCLA's climb back to the top, and the Bruins started the season ranked in the top 15. A month into the season and UCLA has struggled against every decent team they've faced, including barely beating a plummeting Texas team 65-63. Speaking of Texas ...

Texas - D

I know, I know, Myck Kabongo hasn't played all season, and I thought it would hurt Texas. Take the best player from any team and they will struggle to fill the void. Kabongo's absence is the only reason I didn't give the Longhorns an F. But still, no one thought Texas would be 5-4 with the losses coming against Chaminade (Div. II), USC (even worse than Texas), Georgetown (a formidable opponent) and UCLA (see above). Texas can't score, ranked 282nd in the country in points per game (62 ppg) and have so many problems, it's hard to know where to start. Regardless of an ineligible player, a program like Texas and coach Rick Barnes, with a great recent history of success and NBA products, should never let this happen. And how does Texas end its non-conference play? By facing Michigan State and UNC back to back. This could get uglier for the Longhorns before it gets better.


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