The football season came to a close Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, which means one thing: March is right around the corner.
While the Super Bowl was a complete snooze, it was a big weekend in college hoops, highlighted by Arizona’s first defeat of the season and its loss of key forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season with a broken foot. It not only led to a new No. 1 in Syracuse, but also cast doubt on Arizona as the favorite to cut down the nets in April.
1. Syracuse (2): Feb. 22, when Syracuse visits Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, can’t get here soon enough. In the teams’ first meeting Saturday afternoon at the Carrier Dome, they gave us a classic game that somehow surpassed the heavy hype: an overtime thriller won by Syracuse. Odds are, the Orange will still be undefeated when they meet again — they are a program-best 22-0 — which would only add intrigue to the rematch.
2. Florida (3):Â The rich get richer on Tuesday, when highly rated freshman center Chris Walker is expected to play his first game for the Gators against Missouri after a lengthy delay because of eligibility issues. Florida, which has won 13 games in a row since a last-second loss to UConn, should only improve with the 6-foot-10 Walker, a shot-blocking and rebounding dynamo.
3. Arizona (1): The Wildcats’ last-second defeat at California was disappointing, but nothing compared to the season-ending loss of Ashley. Arizona’s one weakness — depth — will be severely tested now. Impressive freshman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will see his role expanded immediately.
4. San Diego State (5): The Aztecs could be in line for a No. 1 seed if they run the table. It won’t be easy, however, as Mountain West foes Nevada and New Mexico have hit their stride and both host San Diego State down the road.
5. Wichita State (6): Maybe the Shockers are getting bored. Perhaps it was just a slow start. Either way, it didn’t matter. Wichita State spotted Evansville to a 15-point lead and still cruised to an 81-67 victory on Saturday, extending to a program-best 23-0 start behind a typically balanced attack.
6. Cincinnati (9): There isn’t a bigger surprise in the country than Mick Cronin’s workmanlike Bearcats. Despite losing two of its top three players in Cashmere Wright and JaQuon Parker and being picked to finish in the middle of the AAC, Cincinnati is running away and hiding atop the new conference.
7. Villanova (10):Â The Wildcats have responded to that ugly loss at Creighton as a legit contender should, with consecutive road victories over Marquette, Georgetown and Temple, staying even with the Bluejays atop the Big East. Feb. 16 in Omaha, which will likely determine the league champion, should be fun.
8. Kansas (5): Just when we were getting ready to anoint the Jayhawks as a Final Four favorite, they laid an egg in Austin against Texas, reminding us when your best players are freshmen — and Kansas’s clearly are — there is no telling what the immediate future holds.
9. Michigan (7): John Beilein’s club picked a poor time for a clunker, losing Sunday at Indiana before a critical stretch against Iowa, Ohio State, Wisconsin and Michigan State — the heart of the Big Ten — following Wednesday’s matchup with Nebraska.
10. Michigan State (8): The Spartans are reeling somewhat, injuries and inconsistent play leading to this stretch of two losses in three games. Simply put, when forwards Adreian Payne (plantar fasciitis) and Brandon Dawson (broken right hand) aren’t available, Michigan State isn’t the same team. Fortunately for Tom Izzo and the Spartans, Payne could be returning soon.
11. Saint Louis (20): Is there a more underrated program in the country? The Billikens aren’t flashy, they don’t feature any projected lottery picks or hot-shot freshmen. They just win, looking like an odds-on favorite to repeat in the rugged Atlantic 10 as regular-season and postseason champions.
12. Louisville (13): There is championship pedigree and Hall of Fame coaching, but the Cardinals don’t look like anything more than a Sweet 16 team — at best. Louisville’s inability to beat anyone of consequence — UConn doesn’t count — casts serious doubt on them for March.
13. Creighton (14): The legacy of Dougie McBuckets — Doug McDermott’s hokey nickname — added another chapter last Tuesday, when he singlehandedly beat St. John’s, scoring 39 points including the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds remaining.
14. Duke (19): Sure, the Blue Devils lost at Syracuse in overtime, and they don’t accept moral victories in Durham. Yet it was another example of this team trending upward after five straight wins. If the whistle had gone their way, and Jabari Parker and Amile Jefferson hadn’t fouled out late in regulation, the final result could’ve been different.
15. Virginia (NR):Â The Cavaliers are quietly in position to win an ACC crown, two games up on Pittsburgh and Duke, and just one back of Syracuse, which visits March 1. After a handful of narrow defeats to the likes of VCU, Wisconsin and Duke, Virginia finally got the statement victory it has been in search of, winning at Pittsburgh on Super Bowl Sunday in the kind of low-scoring dogfight the Panthers love.
16. Iowa (11)
17. Texas (25)
18. Iowa State (22)
19. Kentucky (12)
20. Oklahoma (NR)
21. Oklahoma State (15)
22. Memphis (21)
23. Pittsburgh (17)
24. VCU (NR)
25. Gonzaga (NR)
Dropped Out: Providence, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio State
Stock Watch — Up
Billy Baron
The MAAC was supposed to come down to an Iona-Manhattan showdown, a battle of local programs featuring local players. Instead, Canisius is looking like the team to beat, and there is one reason why: Billy Baron. The senior from Rhode Island, who has gone from Virginia to Rhode Island and now Canisus following his father Jim Baron, the coach at the last two stops, is averaging a league-high 23.7 points per game, playing as well as any guard in the country.
Texas
From Syracuse’s overtime victory over Duke to Arizona’s loss at California, Saturday was a wild day in college basketball. But the biggest statement was made by Texas, which announced its status as a Big 12 contender with a stunning 12-point victory over Kansas, extending its win streak to six. Picked eighth in the conference’s preseason poll, Rick Barnes has his unsung kids playing inspired basketball.
Stock Watch — Down
Marcus Smart
Considered a certain top-five pick during the preseason, Smart’s stock is falling as Oklahoma State has dropped four of five — the latest loss a triple-overtime heartbreaker Monday night against Iowa State. His perimeter jump shot — a concern at the next level — has betrayed him of late. The sophomore guard has hit just four of his last 33 3-pointers.
Big Ten
The league had as many as four top-10 teams at one point, and now has none, which speaks to its depth. But perhaps it reveals the conference may have been overrated, at least in the case of fast-fading Ohio State and Wisconsin. Obviously, we won’t know where the Big Ten stands until March. Right now, it appears as if the Big 12 is the country’s best league.