Champions Classic -The Best Night Of The Non-Conference Season

The best single night of the non-conference season is the Champions Classic tonight in Chicago. (nationofblue.com)

In the first week of the college basketball season, when ranked programs are supposed to hone their skills against weaker opponents, the big boys are coming out to do battle tonight in Chicago. Four of the most storied programs in college basketball will be under the same roof for a double header that will be the center of the college basketball world.

This is the final leg of the three-year, round-robin-style Champions Classic. No. 1 vs. No. 2 and No. 4 vs. No. 5. Kentucky vs. Michigan State and Duke vs. Kansas. These are matchups perfect for March but four months early. Freshmen phenoms will battle. Hall of Fame coaches will try to outwit their counterpart. Passionate fan bases will get into heated Twitter fights about how the other team is a bunch of cheaters.

These coaches and programs need to be commended for agreeing to this tournament. It seems like an easy sell; go play in the United Center or Madison Square Garden in prime time against one of the best teams in the country. But doing so the second week of the season when even John Calipari thinks his team of McDonalds All-Americans isn't very good yet is a lot to ask.

Yet no one will look in March at a Kentucky or Michigan State loss tonight as a reason either should fall in the bracket seeding. A win for either side doesn't guarantee anything, but it's a marker to evaluate and boost a team's confidence. And after playing this level of competition, Miami of Ohio is going to seem like a walk in the park. You want your team to get better? Play the best.

One of the best decisions of the college basketball season thus far was to extend the classic for another three years, traveling to Indianapolis in 2014, Chicago in 2015 and New York City in 2016. The Maui Invitational and Preseason NIT are great early-season tournaments, but there is no greater one night of hoops in November than the Champions Classic. You know what you will get every year. Great players, great coaches and a ton of hype.

In the first year of the event, Kansas faced Kentucky. Those two teams later met up in the national championship game. Enjoy the games tonight and hope and we may be lucky enough to see part two of these matchups in March.

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Friday Roundtable: The 2013-14 Final Four

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

Poorly fitting polos and too-short ties are what the Big 12 is all about until March. (Danny Medly/USA Today Sports)

This week's question:The college basketball season kicks off today. Who will make it to the Final Four in March?

Alex:
Andrew Wiggins already set his goals of winning a national championship and going No. 1 in the NBA draft directly afterward. The truly imposing thing is, although the freshman forward is getting the lion's share of Kansas' attention, he has the supporting cast to accomplish the former. Wayne Selden and Joel Embiid are getting some secondary shine after offseason and exhibition workouts, but this Jayhawks team is still stacked with players the like of Perry Ellis and freshman Conner Frankamp, a combo guard with deep range and a reliable shooting form who is lost in the media hype surrounding a KU team that should make the Final Four.

Kentucky? As stacked as ever. The Wildcats are young, of course, and after a year off, head coach John Calipari has what is arguably his best recruiting class in recent years. Expect a deep NCAA Tournament run capped with - if nothing else - a Final Four appearance.

This next name isn't as much of a shoo-in as Kansas or Kentucky, and isn't exactly an underdog, but it still feels like a bit of an out-on-a-limb guess: Louisville. The defending national champions lost Peyton Siva (whom I championed during the draft) and interior presence Gorgui Dieng to the NBA, but head coach Rick Pitino's squad still sports lightning bolt Russ Smith as a lead guard with backcourt mates Chris Jones and Kevin Ware balancing his occasionally out-of-control play, which shouldn't be completely erased even with an expected step forward in maturity. At 6'10", freshman Mangok Mathiang is the tallest body on the Cardinals' roster, which will allow Pitino to utilize the same sets in which the 6'11" Dieng stood out last season. There's some ground to make up without Siva's ability to pick pockets, but Louisville's pressure defense will still create turnovers and quick points for the Cardinals in the newly branded American Athletic Conference and on the way to a follow-up trip to the Final Four.

The last spot is a toss-up, for me, and even though strong cases can be made for multiple teams, I'll call it for Oklahoma State. I don't believe the Cowboys can win it all in the Big 12, much less the nation, with Travis Ford coaching. The return of Marcus Smart, one of the nation's premier point guards, for a sophomore season in which he'll be surrounded by supreme athleticism from the likes of Le'Bryan Nash and Markel Brown is just enticing enough for me to be sold on the Pokes willing their way into a rather unexpected run through the NCAA Tournament and topping out just short of the title game.

Kyle:
I actually don't think it would be out of the question for the four participants in Tuesday's Champions' Classic to all be in the Final Four. That would be Kentucky, Michigan State, Duke and Kansas, who are all in the top five in the preseason poll. We would be lucky if that was the case because there are countless great matchups there from four prestigious programs. Seeing as it is called March Madness and all four of these teams could be No. 1 seeds, rarely does it work out like this. However, this year feels top-heavy and I don't know how many Cinderellas, or even 3-4 seeds, will be able to crack the Final Four. A team like VCU or Marquette has a chance, but it's too early to make a pick on them now.

That's why my Final Four, which at this point we are basically basing on potential, is going to be Michigan State, Kentucky, Kansas and Arizona. A Tom Izzo player always gets to a Final Four and this is the year that happens again. Gary Harris, Keith Appling and Adreian Payne are experienced and lead an extremely talented team. For the other three teams, it's so hard to tell how freshmen will react (see Kentucky last year) but there is so much talent that can't be overlooked. Kentucky is overflowing with McDonalds All-Americans, led by No. 2 recruit Julius Randle. Arizona has the freakishly athletic Aaron Gordon and junior guard Nick Johnson could be huge for the Wildcats this season. Finally, my Kansas pick is more than just Andrew Wiggins. Wayne Selden is a probable one-and-done, the 7-footer Joel Embiid could have the highest ceiling of them all, and quiet forward Perry Ellis could still lead this team in scoring.

It's so hard to predict this early in the year, as so much could change, but just by looking at potential, these four seem to have as good a shot as anyone.

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Friday Roundtable: Most Underpaid Coaches In College Basketball

Mike Brey has Notre Dame - and one Cincinnati Bengals fan - ready for war. (USO photo by Mike Theiler)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall recently got a raise after taking his team to the Final Four, which got us to thinking, who are the most underpaid coaches in college basketball?

Alex:
Bob McKillop. His name doesn't carry the same swagger as a Bill Self and he doesn't have a well-known nickname like Coach K, but it should spark some memories, at the very least. Like the time McKillop's Davidson team knocked down Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin on a march to the Elite Eight behind strong team chemistry and the hot hand of Stephen Curry, coming within three points of the Final Four as Kansas outlasted the Wildcats. Or the time, more recently, when McKillop's squad beat Self's Jayhawks in what was essentially a home game for KU (they played in Kansas City), as teamwork and a knack for efficient three-point shooting prevailed against the college all-stars (Thomas Robinson, anyone?) and rich tradition of the eventual national runner-up.

The list goes on, yet McKillop is just the 49th-highest paid coach ($370,618 with no incentives or bonuses) in NCAA hoops, trailing the likes of current Kansas State head coach and Illinois-reject Bruce Weber (No. 25; $1.5 million with $655k available via bonuses) and Cincinnati's Mick Cronin (No. 29; $1,358,900 before $555k in possible bonuses). McKillop has been consistently more successful than both relative to his school and conference affiliation (Southern), taking the Wildcats to seven March Madnesses since 1997-98, including six in the past nine seasons. His brand of basketball isn't flashy and he doesn't attract top-tier recruits, but he develops the right recruits in a system that allows them to play to their strengths without sacrificing team ideals for individual success.

Kyle:
The good people at USA Today ranked the 62 highest-paid college basketball coaches for 2013, and most of the names at the top are no shock to anyone. Yet one that surprised me, because of the conference, success of the program and number of years with the school was Mike Brey of Notre Dame. Brey is the No. 41 highest-paid college basketball coach at $616,843 without any bonus opportunities.

Notre Dame has not been a national title contender much, but the program has always been competitive in the brutal Big East, and considering where the program was before Brey took over, he is a steal for $616,000. Brey came to Notre Dame in 2000-01, and after not making the NCAA Tournament since 1990, Brey has taken the Fighting Irish to the big dance in eight of his 13 years as head coach, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2003. Notre Dame has also had 20 wins or more in ever season but three during that stretch.

Brey might not be an elite college coach, but when Jay Wright and Travis Ford are making $2.2 million a year and Mike Montgomery at Cal is making a million more than Brey, he has had a lot of success for just over half a million dollars.

Saturday Roundtable: What Cinderella Can Repeat At The NCAA Tournament?

Who doesn't want to dance in March? (Sarah Coward/AP Photo)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: Which Cinderella team has the best chance at making a repeat to the NCAA tourney? 

Alex: 
Wichita State. I know it isn't the sexy choice and their dorms are mired in a college hill area with a less-than-stellar reputation rather than on a beach, but this works not only for the homer angle but because the Shockers knocked off a then-No. 1 Gonzaga and came within minutes of upsetting eventual national champion Louisville and making it to the biggest game in college basketball. WSU returns tournament spark plug Ron Baker in a talented guard corps than also includes Fred VanVleet and Tekele Cotton, plus forward Cleanthony Early will be the Shockers go-to when the team needs baskets and make no mistake -- Early is likely one of the best scorers in the NCAA. However, the loss of point guard Malcolm Armstead's senior leadership and Carl Hall's commanding defensive presence in the paint leave holes that head coach Gregg Marshall will have to patch. Compounding the problem of needing a dominant big man in the paint due to Hall's graduation is the fact that the Shockers also lost 7-footer Ehimen Orukpe, who was at least good for committing fouls, when needed.

Not to be underestimated is the Shockers' undisputed big man on campus status in the Missouri Valley Conference now that Creighton and that Doug McDermott guy bolted for the new Big East. It was usually a two-man race between WSU and the Bluejays for the MVC title, with Indiana State making a valiant effort to contend and ultimately collapsing at the end of last season. The conference's crab-in-a-bucket mentality (Creighton and WSU finished first and second, respectively, in 2012-13 with each successive team trailing by just one game with a three-way tie near the bottom) sees a looming Northern Iowa, but should be able to stave off the Panthers for at least one more season atop the MVC and an easy entry into the big dance.
 
Kyle: Yes, I'll admit I'm jumping on the bandwagon. I'll also admit that the team popped into my head first out of emotion and reaction. How can you not think of Florida Gulf Coast after what that team did in March? The Eagles were the talk of the tournament, and overall were just really fun to watch. Who doesn't like Dunk City? Then I did some research. FGCU lost it's leading scorer in senior Sherwood Brown, but he and senior Eddie Murray (who averaged 3.8 ppg last season) are the only players not returning. Everyone else is back. Bernard Thompson, Brett Comer and Chase Fieler will lead the Eagles and revive Dunk City for another year. FGCU also lost head coach Andy Enfield to USC, but brought on long-time KU assistant Joe Dooley. Dooley has been offered head coaching jobs for years now, and the fact he took this one should mean he's ready. Dooley has long been seen as one of the best assistants in the country, and if he can bring a piece of Bill Self's system to FGCU, the Eagles should be fine.

FGCU's schedule is also favorable. The Eagles scheduled games against power-conference teams, traveling to Nebraska to start the season, then going to NC State in late November and back-to-back games against South Florida and Mississippi State on the road right before Christmas. Those are opponents that are recognizable names, but also teams that can be beaten. The Eagles will then head to conference play in the very winnable Atlantic Sun Conference. FGCU actually finished second last year to Mercer (14-4, 24-12) but they were the only two conference teams with more than 15 wins. Be honest with yourselves, a piece of you wants to see Dunk City back in the big dance for another year.

Rhode Island Keeps It Simple With New Court Design

Rhode Island keeps from going over the top on its new court design. (nbcsports.com)

The newest college basketball fad is redesigning the basketball courts to be covered in trees, national monuments or tiger stripes.

Schools are trying to take a piece of their environment and enshrine it in the court. It makes sense, and is a nice gesture, but rarely is it done well.

When Rhode Island announced it was unveiling a new court design Wednesday, more of the same was expected. Yet URI didn't give in to peer pressure and managed to create a design that was not over the top, but still easy on the eyes. Rhode Island has included plenty of color with the two-tone logo at half court and the darker wood inside the 3-point arc, and proudly displays the athletics website and Twitter handle on both sides of the court.

The goal of any court design is to easily let people watching at home know where the game is taking place and to add to the atmosphere of the arena. By looking at this design, it is easy to figure out what school the court belongs to, so what else is needed? Is the action on the court not interesting enough that fans need something else to look at during games?

If Rhode Island wanted to take a piece of its environment or history and place it on the court, top choices probably would be the state bird (Rhode Island Red - a type of chicken) tree (Red Maple), flower (Violets) or maybe Peter Griffin from Family Guy.

It's probably best to stick with the final product above.

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Friday Roundtable: Best Early-Season College Basketball Tournament

Is this year's Maui Invitational the best early-season tournament? (bleacherreport.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: What is this year's best early-season college basketball tournament?

Alex:
Every tournament seems to have roughly four interest-worthy teams and an equal or greater number of programs that warrant a shoulder shrug followed by a muttered, "Meh." Though it's not nearly as high-profile as some of the other early-season gatherings, the Wooden Legacy should be on every college hoops fan's radar for the following reasons:

1. High parity. Mixing the nation's best college basketball teams with mid-major is a standard expectation for such tournaments, but the Wooden Classic features a surprisingly even battlefield. The tourney's heavy-hitters are Miami, Marquette, Creighton and San Diego State. The Hurricanes seem like an early favorite until one remembers about the departure of Shane Larkin, the team's 2012 spark plug, for the NBA. Enter: Kansas State transfer Angel Rodriguez, a sometimes frustrating point guard with a knack for big moments who will still be learning head coach Jim Larranaga's system. Creighton, the new-look Big East's representative, features one of the nation's best players in senior small forward Doug McDermott, who may be the NCAA's single most talented scorer. Buzz Williams' Marquette squads are never pushovers and Steve Fisher always has the Aztecs ready for anything, as seen during the program's increased national exposure over the past 14 years. They're not blue-bloods, but opposing coaches would be foolish to overlook any of these programs now or in March.

The (relatively) minor players of the Wooden Legacy are Arizona State, Cal-State Fullerton, College of Charleston and George Washington. Cal-State and CoC are capable of capturing Big West and Colonial Athletic titles, respectively, whereas George Washington is a routine member of Kansas State's non-conference schedule, usually playing the Wildcats close until the end. This means the Colonials will have some level of familiarity with the Hurricanes' showrunner when they face Rodriguez and Miami in the first-round.

Any mix of Creighton/Miami/San Diego State (and possibly Marquette) match-ups will be great early-season theater for fans, but that doesn't mean the field's mid-majors won't knock off any of the higher regarded teams. And, yeah, this explanation ended up being only one point — but look at the potential semifinal games and find a game that won't be close. You likely won't.

Kyle:
I don't know if the Champion's Classic counts here because it's not a typical early-season tournament, but more of a three-year, round-robin event with the site location changing each year, and the teams involved go on to play in another tournament a few weeks later. Some of you may be taking the wording of this question extremely seriously, and because of this, I will select a new answer. It's probably best, because I don't think any tournament can compare to having Kentucky, Kansas, Duke and Michigan State make up your field in any year, but especially this one. All four are top 10 teams. People are starting the "Kentucky might not lose a game" talk again, while Kansas has the No. 1 recruit in Andrew Wiggins and Duke has the No. 2 recruit in Jabari Parker. Wiggins and Parker will square off in one game, with Kentucky and Izzo's Spartans in the other. What are you doing Nov. 12? Watching that all night is the correct answer.

The Hall of Fame Tip-Off has a good field, which includes defending national champion Louisville and North Carolina, as well as a couple of strong mid-major programs in Richmond and Belmont. The NIT Preseason Tip-Off is also strong, with Duke and Arizona, who could be a preseason top-five team with freshman Aaron Gordon, headline the field, along with Alabama and Rutgers as regional hosts. The reason to watch this is for the potential Arizona vs. Duke showdown in the finals.

But my pick will have to be the Maui Invitational. Maui is always a star-studded event, and one that major programs love to participate in. Who could blame them? They get to spend a week in Hawaii and winning this tournament is great for the résumé. Although this year's lineup has teams that can potentially be great, but have question marks. Syracuse, Baylor and Gonzaga headline the field, followed by Arkansas, Cal and Minnesota, and while people seem to have a good barometer on Syracuse, Baylor is a team that is expected to be good, but was also expected to be great last year and underperformed. The Bears have no Pierre Jackson, but Isaiah Austin should be improved. Gonzaga has to bounce back from losing several key players, including Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris, but still has one of the best point guards in the country in Kevin Pangos.

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Games To Watch From The ESPN College Gameday Schedule

Florida and Kentucky will face off on ESPN's College Gameday on Feb. 15. (espn.com)

I actually have to give the four-letter network some credit here; there's only one "Big East" game and one ACC matchup here. Giving the Palestra some love is a nice touch, too. Of course, they do have the Dukies on twice, and Digger Phelps will have a live microphone, but...let's stay positive! Good set of matchups.

In no particular order, these are the games I would consider to be appointment viewing.

Florida at Kentucky - Feb. 15:
If you only had to pick one SEC matchup, well, yes, this is it...and both teams will know it. For the perpetually baby-faced Wildcats, this will be a chance to make a statement both to the selection committee and the draftniks. If anyone still cares about regular season conference titles, well this game will matter for that as well. The Gators have a couple star frosh coming in, Kasey Hill at point guard and big man Chris Walker will compete for starting spots. Patric Young and Scotty Wilbekin headline the returning class.

At this point, Calipari's boys will have already faced off against Baylor, North Carolina, Louisville and Michigan State in non-conference play, so they won't be too green. Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley-Stein are (gasp) sophomores, so you can be sure they'll be looking to rectify the failure to be drafted in the first round last season. I'm only half-kidding on that, because UK has reloaded as usual with a horde of top recruits who are all looking ahead to draft day already, most notably Julius Randle, Marcus Lee, Dakari Johnson, James Young, and twins (for real) Aaron and Andrew Harrison. They're all tall and athletic, if that helps. I suggest you buy a program to keep all this straight. The Lexington crowd should be live as well, which always helps when you're watching college hoops.

Michigan at Michigan State Jan. 25:
Oh, if you didn't know - Sparty did NOT like watching the wolverines in the title game. No, sir. Roundball is where they can really throw their weight around against big brother, so that event was a real eye-opener for the MSU folks. This, naturally, is their chance to reassert the old world order: y'all are a football school, and Izzo is king.

As for an impartial fan such as myself, I'm going to enjoy watching Mitch McGary and Adriean Payne thump-thump under the boards. If Keith Appling can get out of the way, Gary Harris and Brendan Dawson could break out to be the superstars they showed potential for last year. Lot of great matchups in this one.

Also will be a great chance for Lil-Big Dog (is that a thing yet?) Glenn Robinson III to make his lotto case against one of the closest NBA-defense simulators that the college game has to offer. Bump-n-grind, young fella. Jump shots are nice, but as the seer Rasheed once declared: "buttholes get tight".

Gonzaga at Memphis Feb. 8:
Okay, fair warning: some hating here...this feels like a fake nod to the "mid majors", and while these are both fine programs in their own right, they shouldn't have to play each other to get ESPN's attention. Like arm-wresting for the wishbone at the kid's table on Thanksgiving. If you want to do a real mid-major spotlight, put Wichita and Creighton on the tube or something bold like that. This has that "Boise St vs TCU" bowl game feel, and while it's a great opportunity for these schools, it feels patronizing from the network types.

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Friday Roundtable: Best College Gameday Matchup

ESPN's College Gameday will be in Syracuse when the Orange look to break the record for attendance at an on-campus basketball game. (cbssports.com)

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among a group of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: The ESPN College Gameday schedule was released this week. What game are you most looking forward to seeing?

Alex:
Mark March 1 on the calendar and don't plan anything else for the evening. On the surface, Kansas traveling to Gallagher-Iba to duel with Oklahoma State doesn't have the sheen of a "classic" matchup or rivalry. Dig into some recent Big 12 history and you'll find the Cowboys, even in down years, almost always play the Jayhawks close, if not winning outright.

Gallagher-Iba in Stillwater, Okla., is about as underrated as college basketball arenas get; the atmosphere will be super-charged with Cowboy fans and a large, well-traveled Jayhawk contingent. The stage will be set before the two young, highly hyped teams take the court. Two of the best players in college hoops - two projected to be lottery picks in the 2014 NBA Draft, at that - will each try to propel their teams to a win, as Marcus Smart holds down the point for OSU and Andrew Wiggins goes for what would be one of his most sterling accomplishments in his (probably) lone NCAA season. Check out the rosters and you'll see multiple other high school All-Americans filling roles across the board. Between the Dukes, Kentuckys and Louisvilles, don't overlook KU and the Pokes.

Kyle:
I live in Big 12 country, and I have grown up watching and being a fan of the conference. So naturally I can't wait for Kansas and Oklahoma State. These two teams are the clear favorites to battle for the conference crown, and KU's Andrew Wiggins and OSU's Marcus Smart should be two of the best players in the country this year.

But because of my Big 12 ties, I am going to pick another game that I'm very interested in seeing, and that is Duke vs. Syracuse. The storylines here make for must-see TV. Two blueblood programs. Two hall of fame coaches. Syracuse playing its first season in the ACC. That would be enough there, but add in the fact that Syracuse is considering moving the court to the center of the Carrier Dome to break the all-time attendance record for a basketball game on a college campus, and this could be one of the biggest games of the year. Syracuse already has the record for attendance, with 35,012 fans on Feb. 23, 2013 when the Orange and Georgetown faced off for the final time in what is now the old Big East. Kicking off a new conference rivalry is great, and breaking an attendance record with a atmosphere that is sure to be going crazy makes this a game fans will be circling on their calendars now.

Fred:
I can't wait to see Kansas and Oklahoma State go at it. These two teams will be battling for the Big 12 crown after putting on two classic games last year. One of their two games went into double overtime with the Jayhawks coming on top.

This year Kansas adds one of the most intriguing prospects we've seen in years to the mix with Andrew Wiggins. In my opinion, seeing Wiggins in the national spotlight makes this a can't miss game.

Chris S: 
I actually have to give the four-letter network some credit here; there's only one "Big East" game and one ACC matchup here. Giving the Palestra some love is a nice touch, too. Of course, they do have the Dukies on twice, and Digger Phelps will have a live microphone, but...let's stay positive! Good set of matchups. In no particular order, these are the games I would consider to be appointment viewing.

Florida at Kentucky: If you only had to pick one SEC matchup, well, yes, this is it...and both teams will know it. For the perpetually baby-faced Wildcats, this will be a chance to make a statement both to the selection committee and the draft analysts. If anyone still cares about regular season conference titles, well this game will matter for that as well. The Gators have a couple star frosh coming in, Kasey Hill at point guard and big man Chris Walker will compete for starting spots. Patric Young and Scotty Wilbekin headline the returning class.

Michigan at Michigan State: ohh, if you didn't know - Sparty did NOT like watching the Wolverines in the title game. No, sir. Roundball is where they can really throw their weight around against big brother, so that event was a real eye-opener for the MSU folks. This, naturally, is their chance to reassert the old world order: y'all are a football school, and Izzo is King.

Gonzaga at Memphis:
Okay, fair warning: some hating here...this feels like a fake nod to the "mid majors", and while these are both fine programs in their own right, they shouldn't have to play each other to get ESPN's attention. Like arm-wresting for the wishbone at the kid's table on Thanksgiving. If you want to do a real mid-major spotlight, put Wichita and Creighton on the tube or something bold like that. This has that "Boise St vs TCU" bowl game feel, and while it's a great opportunity for these schools, it feels patronizing from the network types.


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Fixing College Basketball: What Rules Need To Be Changed For Next Season

Freshmen Marcus Smart (left), Ben McLemore and Anthony Bennett are all expected to be in this June's NBA Draft, but should the one-and-done rule be changed? (espn.com)

Reputations are powerful, especially bad ones, and right now college basketball's reputation is heading south. This reputation isn't about cheating or steroids. It's about the on-court product, although the NCAA does have its own issues to work out in terms of "amateurism."

A brilliant and entertaining national championship game wasn't enough to mask months of low scoring and poor officiating. Now that college basketball has entered the offseason, it's time to make the changes necessary to improve the game. If the NCAA needs some suggestions, how about starting with these:

One-and-done rule
This should be first and foremost on the NCAA's to-do list. It is difficult for the casual fan to become attached to the game when the teams go through complete overhauls each season because the star players sprint to the NBA Draft just as the country gets to know them. Imagine this – Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers, Bradley Beal, Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Tristan Thompson, Brandon Knight and others all entered the draft as freshman and if not for the rule, they could all still be playing college basketball. What a March this could have been.

Six freshmen from this past season have already put their names in the draft, two of which, Ricky Ledo and Norvel Pelle never even played a game in college. Some players are talented enough to be ready for the NBA out of high school. That's fine, let them go. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard did not need college. But most do. Josh Selby left Kansas as a freshman and now has been jumping back and forth from the D-league. So let those leave out of high school if they are projected lottery picks. Otherwise make them stay in college for three years. The players will develop their games, mature and the fans get players and teams they can look forward to watching for more than one season.

Charge/block rule
The addition of the charge arc under the hoop, as seen in the NBA, is meant to protect offensive players from defenders laying out for a charge under the basket. If the defender is on or inside the arc, it can't be a charge. The problem lies in the focus on the arc. Officials are paying more attention to the defender's feet in relation to the arch that they are missing crucial factors such as if the defender is shuffling his feet or leaning into the play or if the offensive player was out of control.

The charge/block call is the focal point on an overall issue of officiating as the game has become more physical. The whistles constantly blowing breaks up the flow of the game. Part of this is poor defensive principles by the players, but too often are officials the story of the game and eventually players need to be able to make plays when the game is on the line.

Shot clock
Those 35 seconds on the shot clock in the college game can feel like an eternity, especially when teams like Wisconsin slow the game down and play a low-scoring, grind-out game. You could make dinner and do your taxes in the time Wisconsin has the ball for one possession when they grab offensive rebounds and throw the ball back out to start again.

There is no reason why college offenses should need 11 more seconds to hit the rim than NBA teams get with a 24-second clock. Take the college clock down to 24 seconds, or 30 even if 24 is a little too extreme. This will speed up the game, increase scoring and keep fans from falling asleep when those teams that play at the pace of a geriatric league don't bore people into turning the channel.

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Going Pro: Who Is Leaving Early To Enter The NBA Draft

The next few weeks will be filled with college players leaving early to enter the NBA Draft in June. (pistolsfiringblog.com)

With the college basketball season over for all but four teams, now begins the whirlwind of players putting their names in the hat for the 2013 NBA Draft. Check back with the blog regularly to see which names are added to the list as the April 16 early entry deadline nears.

Players leaving school early for the NBA Draft
Newest additions in italics 

Steven Adams - freshman center, Pitt
C.J. Aiken - junior forward, St. Joseph's
Anthony Bennett - freshman forward, UNLV
Vander Blue - junior guard, Marquette
Lorenzo Brown - junior guard, NC State
Reggie Bullock - junior forward, UNC
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - sophomore guard, Georgia
Michael Carter-Williams - sophomore guard, Syracuse
Allen Crabbe - junior guard, Cal
Jamaal Franklin - junior forward, San Diego State
Archie Goodwin - freshman guard, Kentucky
Tim Hardaway Jr. - junior guard, Michigan
Myck Kabango - sophomore guard, Texas
Shane Larkin - sophomore guard, Miami 
Ricky Ledo - freshman guard, Providence
Alex Len - sophomore forward, Maryland
C.J. Leslie - junior forward, NC State
Amath Mbaye - junior forward, Oklahoma
Ben McLemore - freshman guard, Kansas
Tony Mitchell - sophomore forward, North Texas
Eric Moreland - sophomore guard, Oregon St.
Shabazz Muhammad - freshman forward, UCLA
Nerlens Noel - freshman forward, Kentucky
Victor Oladipo - junior guard, Indiana
Kelly Olynyk - junior forward, Gonzaga
Norvel Pelle - freshman forward/center, Iona (although never played for team)
Otto Porter - sophomore guard, Georgetown
Marshawn Powell - junior forward, Arkansas
Phil Pressey - junior guard, Missouri
Tony Snell - junior guard, New Mexico
Isaiah Sykes - junior guard, Central Florida
Adonis Thomas - sophomore guard, Memphis
DeShaun Thomas - junior forward, Ohio State
B.J. Young - sophomore guard, Arkansas
Cody Zeller - sophomore forward, Indiana

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When The NIT Was The Premier Tournament

Rhode Island could not stop George Mikan in the NIT. (DePaul/Getty)

March Madness is one of the most exciting times for basketball. The best college athletes get together to play an exciting 68-team tournament where upsets are plentiful. A year without March Madness would be an empty one.

So can you believe that at one time the National Invitation Tournament was actually the premier basketball tournament in the world? The NIT used to host players such as George Mikan, Ed Macauley, Lenny Wilkens and Maurice Stokes.

Before every game was nationally televised, the NCAA Tournament didn’t have the same amount of exposure it does today. The NIT was always held in Madison Square Garden, which boasted crowds of 19,000. Meanwhile, the NCAA was hosted in different areas of the country. Teams had a hard time meeting the travel expenses for the NCAA Tournament and played in smaller arenas.

In 1951, City College of New York was caught in a point shaving scandal which included seven schools in total and sent shock waves throughout the basketball world. New York City as a whole was quickly turned off college basketball.

The point shaving scandal came at a perfect time for the NCAA Tournament. Advances in travel and the development in television allowed the NCAA to quickly ascend to the premier tournament that we are all watching and enjoying this March.

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Complete Conference Tournament Breakdown, Winners

Belmont punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament with a win over Murray State in the
Ohio Valley Conference Championship game. (rantsports.com)

The regular season is now over for all college basketball programs and conference tournament play begins this week for many of the conferences, including all six power conferences. Automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament are waiting to be handed out to the winners in the precursor tournaments to the big dance.

To keep you up to date on who's dancing and when your favorite conference will be playing, we're compiling and updating a list of winners from all 32 conferences throughout the week.

ACC: March 14-17

Winner: TBD 

American East: March 8-10, 16

Winner: TBD

Atlantic 10: March 14-17

Winner: TBD 

Atlantic Sun

Winner: Florida Gulf Coast (24-10)

Big 12: March 13-16

Winner: TBD 

Big East: March 12-16

Winner: TBD

Big Sky: March 14-16

Winner: TBD 

Big South

Winner: Liberty (15-20)

Big Ten: March 14-17

Winner: TBD 

Big West: March 14-16

Winner: TBD 

Colonial:

Winner: James Madison (20-14)

Conference USA: March 13-16

Winner: TBD 

Great West (No automatic bid): March 14-16

Winner: TBD 

Horizon

Winner: Valparaiso (26-7)

Ivy

Winner: Harvard (19-9)

Metro Atlantic:

Winner: Iona (20-13)

Mid-American: March 11, 13-16

Winner: TBD 

Mid-Eastern: March 11-16

Winner: TBD 

Missouri Valley

Winner: Creighton (27-7)

Mountain West: March 12-16

Winner: TBD 

Northeast

Winner: LIU Brooklyn (20-13)

Ohio Valley

Winner: Belmont (26-6)

PAC 12 : March 13-16

Winner: TBD 

Patriot

Winner: Bucknell (28-5)

SEC: March 13-17

Winner: TBD 

Southern:

Winner: Davidson (25-7) 

Southland: March 13-16

Winner: TBD 

Summit

Winner: South Dakota State (25-9)

Sun Belt:

Winner: Western Kentucky (19-15) 

Southwestern Atlantic: March 13-16

Winner: TBD 

Western Athletic: March 12, 14-16

Winner: TBD 

West Coast:

Winner: Gonzaga (31-2)

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Grambling State Finishes Winless Season Record At 0-27

Grambling State finished the season 0-27 without ever coming close to a victory. (cbssports.com)

Every program has down years, but this wasn't a down year for Grambling State University. This was a failure that few teams have ever experienced.

With Saturday's loss, the Tigers finished the regular season with a 0-27 record. That's impressive in a way no one wishes to be. An entire season without the thrill of victory. Twenty-seven games watching the opponent celebrate. A winless season is bad, but for Grambling, it was worse than just that. It wasn't just that the Tigers lost; it was how they lost. Maybe with a season like this, a few breaks didn't go the team's way. Maybe the other team snatched the victory out of its grasp at the very end. Maybe luck just wasn't on this team's side.

This wasn't bad luck. This was just being worse than the opposition and the numbers that prove it are startling.

Grambling is dead last in NCAA Division I basketball (No. 347) in RPI, BPI, KenPom and Sagarin rankings, according to CBSSports. The Tigers only averaged 49.6 points per game (170th in DI) while giving up 77 (163rd), both ranked last in the SWAC. In fact, Grambling was only able to score 60 or more points in three games all year. The most staggering statistic is the Tigers lost all 27 games by double figures, managing to lose by just 10 to Prairie View on Feb. 9 for the closest margin of defeat. Grambling lost eight games between 10-20 points, 14 games between 20-40 and five games by more than 40 points with a 50-point loss to Auburn on Dec. 11.

It doesn't seem possible that the Tigers were in the SWAC Tournament championship game just two years ago. They have fallen hard and fallen fast. It's not like the SWAC is a super-conference. The conference only has one 20-win team and has six teams, including Grambling, that have 10 or fewer wins on the season. Yet the Tigers could never find a way to win.

It's difficult to fully understand how challenging this season was for the players and program. Terry Rose was by far the Tigers' best player, averaging 13.6 points per game, but did not have any help. The second-leading scorer only averaged 6.3. It's tough to win games when you can't score.

It also feels like this was more than just not having enough talent. Even bad teams occasionally have flashes of greatness and find a win, especially against some of the other poor teams on the schedule. As a fan of the game and as a competitor, it's painful to see a team go through months of work and preparation to never know the feeling of victory. This season had to take its toll on the players and take some of the fun and love out of the game.

There's still a chance. Grambling will still compete in the first round of the SWAC Tournament, with an opportunity to rid themselves of this horrible streak and end the season on a high note.

The question now is how the Tigers will respond. Two years ago, Grambling was on the verge of an NCAA Tournament berth. Recording any wins next year will be an improvement and for a fan base and team that had to go through 27 consecutive losses. That's the silver lining of hitting rock bottom. The harsh reality is it's a supreme challenge because of how far behind Grambling was this year.

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Gonzaga Eyes No. 1 Ranking, Which Would Be A Rare Feat For Mid-Major Programs

Gonzaga has soared through this season and now has its sights on a No. 1 ranking. (bleacherreport.com)

"Heavy lies the crown" has been a common theme this college basketball season as No. 1-ranked teams have dropped at a remarkable rate.

Indiana is the latest to fall while at the top, losing on the road to Minnesota 77-73 Tuesday. With the loss, the crown could go to a new king in Gonzaga. This would be a rare shift in command, as rarely do teams from mid-major conferences reach the summit that is the No. 1 ranking.

The Bulldogs fully deserve the honor, which would be the first No. 1 ranking in school history. Gonzaga has the best record in the country, 27-2, and if you've actually taken the time to watch the Bulldogs play, you'll notice they are one of the most balanced and complete teams in the country.

The discussion this season has been if this squad is Mark Few's best. Just being in that discussion means it's a pretty good team. Junior 7-footer Kelly Olynyk is one of the best players in the country this year, and the combination of he and senior Elias Harris, with underrated Sam Dower as the first big man off the bench, make a dominant front court. Olynyk and Harris's numbers are very similar as Olynyk averages 17.7 ppg and seven rpg, while Harris is second in points at 14.5 per game and 7.4 rebounds. Kevin Pangos is a tremendous scoring point guard, Gary Bell can also score at will — although he's having a bit of a sophomore slump — and David Stockton shows shades of his dad John with amazing passes. Then you have a glue guy like Mike Hart, who will do all the little things necessary to win and will work harder than everyone else on the court. Every team needs a Mike Hart.

But I know what you're going to say: Gonzaga plays in a weak conference. There's no denying that. St. Mary's should make the NCAA Tournament and BYU is tough but having an average-but-down year (Gonzaga is on the road tonight against BYU in the toughest game remaining on the schedule). Other than that, there's not much competition in the league. But worrying about the conference's strength is narrow-minded thinking.

Gonzaga has an RPI of 10 and a strength of schedule of 61, even being in the WCC. The Bulldogs countered this by playing a brutal non-conference schedule (a 23 SOS in non-conference games) that they successfully completed. The Zags went 5-0 against Big 12 teams this season (K-State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, West Virginia and Baylor), while also beating Davidson, Clemson and Washington State. As for the two season losses, it took a miraculous buzzer-beater by Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse in January to win and the other was a loss against Illinois in early December after the Illini had just won the Maui Invitational and they were playing like a top 10 team.

But yet people still go back to the conference. Again, the WCC is weak this year and there's no going around it. But no matter how tough the competition, every highly ranked team has had slip-ups in conference play. Michigan just loss to Penn State, who was 0-14 in the Big Ten. Kansas lost to a dreadful TCU team. Georgetown lost to South Florida. Florida lost to Tennessee. Yet Gonzaga has yet to slip in conference play. In fact, in the last 10 games, the Bulldogs are defeating teams by an average of 22.7 points per game. Two of those wins were by more than 40, five were by 20 or more and nine by double digits. That is unreal. Only San Diego at home was ever close enough to win and the game was not as close at the end as the two-point score would seem.

This team has earned a No. 1 ranking; a ranking that is much more difficult for a team like Gonzaga to achieve. Memphis was No. 1 in 2008. UNLV reached No. 1 in 1990. But there are just a handful of teams outside the power six conferences that have been able to reach that milestone. The list should expand next week and Gonzaga should receive a new crown, because weak conference and all, they've earned it.


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Friday Roundtable: College National Player of the Year

Trey Burke and Victor Oladipo are No. 1 and 2 in the latest Player of the Year straw poll and will be two of a handful of players battling for the award in the last month of the season. (espn.com) 

BDD's Friday Roundtable is a weekly discussion among three of our writers on a trending NBA or college basketball topic.

This week's question: If the season ended today, who would be your choice for college basketball's National Player of the Year?

Alex:
If voting ended today, Trey Burke would be at the top of my ballot. However, it doesn't and after a few surprising losses, Creighton is poised for a late comeback with Doug McDermott leading the Bluejays.

The junior is third in the latest NPOY straw poll after making a run at the award last year and with good reason. He is averaging 22.5 ppg, 7.8 rebounds per game and nearly as many nightly assists (1.8) as Indiana guard Victor Oladipo, who came in second in the same poll.

McDermott's race toward NPOY could mirror Jimmer Fredette's. Preceded by a stand-out year on the national stage, Fredette shouldered the workload for his team and won the title the following season. Both players are from schools outside of Power Six conferences, and an argument could be made for this year's Missouri Valley being tougher than the Mountain West in which Jimmer competed when he won NPOY.

Voters have soft spots for athletes from mid-major schools and players whose teams succeed based almost entirely on their play. McDermott fits both those descriptions and Creighton is on the path to finish at or near the top of the MVC before playing in the NCAA tournament.

Kyle:
Trey Burke has been one of the front runners in the NPOY race all season, and for good reason. Burke is one of the best scoring guards in the game and yet is still a great passer and makes his team better. If the season ended today, Burke would receive my vote, but there's still another player that I think has a legitimate chance to overtake Burke in the final month of the season.

I've always been a fan of Doug McDermott, but I'm afraid Creighton's struggles will keep him out of the race. I think Kelly Olynyk of Gonzaga has been the most improved player in the country and has turned into one of the best and most versatile big men in college basketball. Again, playing in a weaker conference without the national attention on a weekly basis as a Burke or Mason Plumlee will keep him from being in the top three.

Then there's Indiana's Victor Oladipo. While he averages fewer points per game than Burke (14 to 18.6), although he is one of the best rebounding guards in college averaging six boards per game, Oladipo seems to make big play after big play for the Hoosiers and has proven to be their most valuable player. Take the Michigan State game Tuesday as an example. Oladipo tallied 19 points, but more importantly, every time a game-changing play needed to be made for Indiana, Oladipo was the one with the ball. With Indiana inbounding the ball with under a minute left in the game against the Spartans, it was Oladipo who broke free from his defender for a wide-open dunk that all-but sealed the Hoosiers' victory. Not to mention Oladipo had nine rebounds and five steals in the contest.

Burke still has the upper hand at this point in the season, but if Oladipo's numbers remain consistent and if he continues to be the most clutch player on the nation's No. 1 team, I could see Oladipo taking the crown from Burke.

Eddie:

The point guard is the most important position on a basketball team. He sets the tone defensively and is the quarterback for the offense. So how is it, then, that no point guard has won the Wooden Award since Jameer Nelson in 2004 (there is some dispute regarding whether Jimmer Fredette classified as a true point guard)? If the Player of the Year were to be chosen today, I believe that streak should finally come to an end, as Trey Burke (G, Michigan) and Marcus Smart (G, Oklahoma St.) have pushed out in front of a crowded field of contenders.

Burke dominates the statistical categories that are typically strong for a point guard, posting 18.6 points and 6.9 assists per game. Meanwhile, Smart does it all. He has a remarkably strong stat line across multiple categories, with 15 points, six rebounds, 4.4 assists, and three steals per game. It may be that no single player in the country is more valuable to his team than Smart. He has time and again led the Cowboys to victory, seemingly by will alone. Not to mention, Smart is still a freshman.

All said, I would ultimately cast my ballot for Burke. He has excelled as the premier floor general in the nation's best conference. He is a consistent scoring threat, whether he is shooting from deep or taking his defender off the dribble. Most impressively, though, he posts an eye-popping 3.8 assist-to-turnover ratio. Michigan and Burke ran into a rut recently, but he has averaged 23.5 points the last two games and looks poised to gain momentum down the stretch.

There is no position more important than point guard, and no one I would rather have filling it than Trey Burke. At least until Marcus Smart proves me wrong.

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History Says Don't Doubt A Tom Izzo Michigan State Team

Tom Izzo always finds a way to get his teams ready for March. (usatoday.com)

Tom Izzo-led Michigan State teams are always dangerous, this year included, and one of the main reasons can be linked to an unlikely source: early-season losses.

It’s a formula that Michigan State fans probably don’t particularly enjoy. It causes a bit more stress and worry in November, but the end result surely makes up for the early heartache. It seems that over the past half decade or so, Michigan State drops a couple early games, usually due to the strenuous schedule Izzo puts together on a yearly basis, yet the Spartans bounce back and make a run into the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Don't believe me? Let's take a look:

2008-09
Michigan State had two losses to Maryland and No. 1 UNC by Dec. 3 and lost two more to non-ranked Big Ten teams Northwestern and Penn State by Feb. 1, yet advanced all the way to the National Championship game where the Spartans fell to UNC.

2009-10
Again, a No. 11 UNC team gets the better of Michigan State early, as well as Florida and No. 2 Texas as MSU has three losses before Christmas. Even a three-game losing streak in early February didn’t stop Izzo’s club from making a run in March and reaching the Final Four.

2010-11
This was a down year for the Spartans, who struggled all season, failing to reach the 20-game win mark and lost in the first round of the tournament to seven-seed UCLA. It's nearly impossible for a program to keep a level of success this high every year.

2011-12
Back-to-back losses to No. 1 UNC and No. 6 Duke to start the season had the country writing off Michigan State early. Maybe part of the reason was the poor play of the season before, but the Spartans fell off the radar early on, despite not losing again until Jan. 14. MSU was definitely on people’s radars late in the year, winning the Big Ten Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16 before eventual-Final-Four member Louisville ended the Spartans season.

2012-13
This year has been mostly the same. The Spartans lost the first game of the year to a UCONN team that was without Jim Calhoun for the first time and facing NCAA sanctions. Despite winning against Kansas the following game, MSU then lost to Miami in late November (now this doesn’t seem bad but hindsight is 20/20) and then No. 9 Minnesota (this one looks a bit worse now) on the road on New Year's Eve. Yet since 2013 began, the Spartans have only lost one game to now-No. 1, then-No. 7 Indiana and have wins over No. 11 Ohio State, No. 18 Minnesota and No. 4 Michigan. The Spartans have regained a spot in the top 10 and are one of the hottest teams in the country.

Which brings us to our valuable lesson. The season is a long one, and a team can be very different in March than it was in November, especially if it is coached by a man like Izzo. His teams consistently improve throughout the course of the season and seem to use early losses as lessons on toughness and how to get better. Many of the losses covered above were to very talented and highly ranked opponents, which Izzo is known to scatter throughout the schedule to give his players a taste of what it’s like to play the best of the best. Izzo’s trial-by-fire approach means his Spartan teams have experienced it all, and while the record won’t always be as pretty as others, his teams will always be ready for when it counts in March.

Yet people still tend to look past the Spartans after the second or third early loss each year and Izzo keeps proving why that is not wise. As we get closer to Selection Sunday, go ahead and throw Michigan State into the pile of teams that could make a run at the Final Four, because recent history has proven discounting this program before March is rarely a smart decision.

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Miami Hurricanes Pick Perfect Time To Rise From Ashes

With the help of Jim Larranaga, no one has been able to stop the Hurricanes in 2013. (miamiherald.com)

It seems like so long ago that George Mason took down one Goliath after another in route to a Final Four appearance. Jim Larranaga's name was being talked about for coach of the year, and he was later named the Clair Bee Coach of the Year for the Final Four appearance.

The George Mason run seems so long ago that Larranaga's name began to fade again, even while his teams continued to put up successful seasons. But now he should be in consideration for a coach of the year award again this year with the job he's done at Miami.

That won't be the only honor or award that's about to flow Miami's way if the last two months are any indication of how the remainder of the season will play out. Most news coming out of the "U" has been negative of late with accusations of improper benefits and the connect of Nevin Shapiro and then-Miami coach Frank Haith. But Larranaga, in only his second season with the Hurricanes, has turned the program around faster and better than most would have imagined.

There was no room at the top of the ACC for the Hurricanes at the start of the season, with the likes of NC State, Duke and UNC claiming attention as the favorites. Then ACC play began. (Fighting off the urge to type the phrase "the storm's coming.")

Wins at UNC and against Maryland in games two and three of conference play made a great start for the Hurricanes. Then came the smashing of No.  Duke 90-63 in game five that turned heads. A one-point, grind-it-out victory at No. 19 NC State made Miami look like this was less of a fluke and then came the thrashing of UNC 87-61 Saturday, making the Hurricanes 10-0 in the ACC and by all accounts legitimate.

Miami does have a few blemishes early on the schedule (all in 2012) with three losses, and two of them considered "bad" losses. It is worth noting the first loss to Florida Gulf Coast was while leading scorer Durrand Scott was suspended and the Arizona and Indiana State losses were while center Reggie Johnson was injured. This is not to make excuses for early failures, but rather pointing out that since the Hurricanes have been healthy, no one has been able to stop them. Balanced scoring, strong defense and big plays makes this group fun to watch and hard to stop.

This is the rise-from-the-ashes success story college basketball was looking for in a year where parity is flowing throughout the game. With no perceivable "great" teams right now, this is the perfect season for a team like Miami to make this sort of unprecedented run. The Hurricanes have handled every talented ACC team thrown their way and have found their stride during conference play. Now they just have to makes sure not to play their best basketball before March.

The early losses still draw questions about whether this team is among the best in the country, but a team can evolve and grow quite a bit between November and February. Until Miami exposes a flaw and a loss as a complete unit, the Hurricanes need to be included in the discussion of the current best teams in the country and Larranaga's needs to again be in the running for national coach of the year.

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Villanova's Amazing Week Could Turn Season Around, But There's More Work To Do

After knocking off No. 5 Louisville and No. 3 Syracuse in back-to-back games, Villanova is looking more like a NCAA Tournament team than it did a week ago. (ncaa.com)

Last week wasn’t just a good week for Villanova basketball. It was one of the best weeks they could have asked for in a time when a chance at the NCAA Tournament was falling out of reach.

This was the type of week that can turn around a season. At 11-7 and facing three straight Big East losses, Villanova was sinking to the bottom fast. On Jan. 22 Nova found new life with a 73-64 upset of No. 5 Louisville, whom many have picked to win a national title this year. It was a huge win for the resume, but still in the season as a whole, looked more like luck than what was meant to happen.

Then Saturday came with another matchup with a top-five team in No. 3 Syracuse. It took a little bit of magic in a game-tying 3-pointer by Ryan Arcidacono to send the game into overtime, but again Villanova found a way to win 75-71.

Not many teams even get the chance to play top-five opponents in back-to-back games, let alone come away with two victories. The feat is so impressive many are now asking if the team that lost to Columbia by nearly 20 points earlier this year could now be in the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Jay Wright has won his share of big games with Nova, so it’s a little less surprising to see this happen with him as the coach. He deserves much of the credit for getting his team prepared for such formidable opponents. This is a very young team who might finally be finding its identity. But the work is not over yet.

Last week was the momentum shift, but this week will prove what kind of team Villanova really is. The Wildcats still have 11 Big East games remaining, where they could either spring off this confidence boost or fall back into the losing pattern of the first half of the season. The next test is Wednesday, when Nova travels to No. 24 Notre Dame.

Both of the top-five wins were at home, and the Wildcats have struggled on the road (4-3) thus far. It’s easy to point at those signature wins as evidence, but those will only help if Nova continues to win. Only two currently ranked teams remain on Villanova’s schedule, so the Wildcats can’t afford any bad losses.

It’s a great story if Nova can write it; a young team struggles early, postseason dreams seemingly out of reach before turning it around midway through the season and reaching the NCAA Tournament. But wins over Louisville and Syracuse won’t get the Wildcats to their goal alone.

A road win at Notre Dame would sure help in making this great week evolve into a season Nova fans didn’t think would be possible a week ago.

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 

Saturday Proved College Basketball Excitement Starts Long Before March Madness

Hinkle Fieldhouse erupted as Butler defeated Gonzaga on a buzzer-beater Saturday night. (themonitor.com)

It's a common misconception that the college basketball season doesn't really get exciting until tournament time.

Saturday helped disprove this notion with a full day of drama. Out of the 13 games featuring a top-25 team, nine of those games were decided by single digits and seven of those games were decided by five points or less. The NCAA Tournament is one of the most dramatic and exciting postseasons in all of sports, but the great games start long before March, as Saturday showed. Saturday afternoon was like a three-course meal with each course better than the last.

Appetizer
Texas had Kansas on the ropes midway through the second half with an 11-point lead. Texas had a similar lead against West Virginia last week, but was unable to hang on. Saturday was deja vu for the Longhorns. KU continued to chip away at the lead until finally going ahead 54-53 with 4:29 remaining. It was a one-point game for the next three minutes until KU broke free for good with a huge dunk by Ben McLemore to extend the lead to five with 1:14 left. Texas' youth showed through in the end as the momentum continued to swing in the Jayhawks favor, but the Longhorns were clearly not intimidated by the No. 4 next to the Kansas name.

Main Course
Remote controls were getting a work out. With about a minute of game time between them, Wichita State was trying to hold on to a home win against No. 12 Creighton while No. 6 Syracuse was giving No. 1 Louisville all they could handle at the Yum! Center in Louisville. WSU superbly defended National Player of the Year candidate Doug McDermott, who was unable to convert on the final Creighton possessions as the Shockers held on to win 67-64.

At the same time, Louisville saw its lead slip away with a steal and emphatic dunk by Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams gave the Orange a lead they would not give up with 23 second left.

That highlight will be shown in March, but wasn't even the best play of the day. That was fittingly saved for primetime. Leading up to the final game on the night, Oregon hung on to knock off UCLA in Pauley Pavilion and Michigan State closed out a 59-56 nail-biter against Ohio State.

Dessert
Like most great meals, you are already full and content entering the dessert round. Saturday would have been one of the best college basketball days of the season after Ohio State, Michigan State, but the best was still to come.

The matchup was set for a great finish. No. 8 Gonzaga versus No. 13 Butler in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. The battle of mid-major juggernauts battling on the court where the Hoosiers once captivated the world. The atmosphere could have been a Final Four, and the caliber of teams was just as strong as the surroundings.

After a back-and-forth battle, Gonzaga looked to have the game wrapped up. Kelly Olynyk hit two big free throws to take a 63-62 lead in the final 10 seconds. Butler was then called for traveling on the next possession, with 3.5 seconds left, nearly sealing their fate. But then the "magic" of Hinkle Fieldhouse, which looked very real Saturday, began to work. On the inbounds play, a miscommunication between Gonzaga's David Stockton, who was inbounding the ball, and Olynyk led to a steal by Butler's Roosevelt Jones. What happens next was scripted for March.

Fans had to be exhausted after seven hours of lead changes, nail-biters and plays that will live on highlight reels long after this.

March is supposed to be the exciting time of year for college basketball. But take a look at the games this month and realize the drama begins long before the tournament. We can only hope March is as exciting as Saturday was.