State of the males’s college basketball season, one month in
A month into the 2023-24 men’s college hoops season, absolutely nothing decisive has actually unfolded. Yet. And, if we’re being honest, we have more concerns than answers at this point. Finest team in America? Well, it’s most likely Arizona. However the Wildcats have not definitively separated themselves from Houston, UConn, Purdue, Kansas and Baylor.Was the block/charge modification great for the game? Of course. But here’s a question: Why wait this long to make the switch? We’ve enjoyed some of the best basketball in years as an outcome of the rule change.Who are the stars so far? Depends on how you define”stars
.”The guys’s game doesn’t have a player like Anthony Davis, Trae Young or Zion Williamson. However Zach Edey is making the case, for a 2nd year in a row, that he’s America’s finest player.The next NBA stars? Just follow Kentucky, which has four forecasted first-round choices in ESPN’s latest mock draft. And USC’s Isaiah Collier– regardless of his concerns with turnovers– is predestined to be one of America’s preferred players by January.You can’t make any grand pronouncements a month into any sports season. But ESPN.com’s Jeff Borzello, John Gasaway, Joe Lunardi and Myron Medcalf have a look back at their 2023-24 preseason predictions and have some thoughts on what we’ve seen four weeks later. play 0:17 Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard drills it from logo design for his fifth 3-pointer Reed Sheppard pulls up from downtown to drain his 5th 3-pointer of the night vs. Miami.What has actually been the biggest surprise(good or bad
)of the season so far for you?John Gasaway: The brand-new block/charge rule works! Scoring is up, turnovers
are down and offenses are more effective.( What’s this? Scoring is up despite the fact that accuracy from the field is
practically precisely where it was last season? Feel the shot volume.)Efforts to
draw absurd charge calls 40 to 90 feet from the basket have declined drastically. Well done, NCAA!Myron Medcalf: Reed Sheppard. Yes, the Kentucky standout was the most popular addition to a high-profile 2023 recruiting class, but he didn’t have the exact same accolades or NBA buzz as his peers– Justin Edwards, Aaron Bradshaw, D.J. Wagner and Rob Dillingham– when the season began. Sheppard is clearly, however, among Kentucky’s finest players and now, per ESPN’s prognosticators, he’s also a projected first-round pick in next summer’s NBA draft. You need to value the story that the kid of a former Kentucky women’s star( Stacey Sheppard )and a player who won a nationwide title with Rick Pitino and Tubby Smith in the 1990s(Jeff Sheppard )might be the secret to John Calipari’s future with the Wildcats.Joe Lunardi: I was really worried about BYU’s shift to the Big 12. The Cougars had a losing record(7-9 )in their last West Coast Conference season and could have been taking a look at an unsightly couple of years in their brand-new home. Instead, Mark Pope hit the portal smartly and– with top-15 efficiencies both offensively and defensively– BYU will have high wish for an NCAA bid
when Big 12 play begins in January. It also helps to never ever play a road game(wink, wink ). Jeff Borzello: Arizona. I really thought the Wildcats were a little underestimated getting in the season, but No. 1 in the country after a month? Not a possibility. They had the first signature win of the season, beating Duke on the roadway, then backed it up with a neutral-court win over Michigan State. Tommy Lloyd has a solid, well balanced eight-man rotation and he struck gold in the website with San Diego State transfer Keshad Johnson.
This group has the athleticism and defensive strength that the past two iterations of the Wildcats did not have. They can win it all.Keshad Johnson has been a game-changer for Arizona, locking up the paint, sliding his feet on switches, closing out on shooters and bringing continuously effort and physicality, helping his draft stock considerably at the same time. pic.twitter.com/98ljkZ0e27!.?.!— Jonathan Givony(@DraftExpress) November 28, 2023 Which national championship competitor do you no longer believe in?Lunardi: I’m just not seeing it for Michigan State right now. Losses to Duke and Arizona(and even James Madison) aren’t necessarily bad at this moment, however can the Spartans score enough to actually contend in the Big 10 and beyond? Point guard play is again a concern and, even worse, the Spartans are amongst the bottom 30 3-point shooting teams in the country(26.9%). Tom Izzo’s teams will constantly defend like insane, however ultimately the ball has to go in the basket.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Borzello: I’m with Joe on Michigan State. I believe the Spartans will eventually figure some things out– and they still might be the second-best team in the Big
10 at the end of the day– but veterans like A.J. Hoggard and Malik Hall haven’t rather taken the expected advances and there are enormous problems from a shooting and spacing point of view. Possibly it all clicks late in the season like we’ve seen from Izzo-coached teams before, but it’s difficult to visualize these Spartans reducing the nets.Medcalf: I don’t believe it’s over for its nationwide title hopes, but I do believe Tennessee has to discover an offensive stride that simply hasn’t been there against elite competition
. The majority of America
would lose
3 in a row against Purdue, Kansas and North Carolina outside their home floors. In losses to the Boilermakers and Jayhawks in the Maui Invitational, however, the Vols signed up just 87 points per 100 belongings; their second-half return versus North Carolina recently was impressive however also followed a lukewarm first half. Dalton Knecht (20.3), who is injured today, is the only genuine scorer.Gasaway: It’s just December and I’m keeping an open mind, but preseason No. 2 Duke has actually not looked like the terrifying juggernaut many expected. At 5-3, the Blue Devils are yet to discover their identity. Players not called Jeremy Roach or Jared McCain are shooting 29 %on their threes. Duke’s previous 2 opponents( Arkansas and Georgia Tech)integrated to connect on 61% of their twos. play 0:16 Jamal Shead steals and scores for Houston Jamal Shead takes and ratings for Houston Which championship game competitor are you now more all-in on?Borzello: UConn. I believed the Huskies were the Big East preferred going into the season and a legitimate Last Four contender, but they might be much better than expected.
Tristen Newton is playing like an All-American, Alex Karaban has actually developed into a genuine NBA possibility, Donovan Clingan is a prospective lottery game pick, Camera Spencer brings shooting and experience– and they’ve played just three games with top-10 possibility and forecasted top-10 choice Stephon Castle. When this team is totally healthy, I might see the ruling nationwide champs making another deep run.Gasaway: Houston. The Cougars’remarkable December statistics feature a large grain of
salt since opponents are missing out on all of their
threes. That won’t last. Still, this is not Kelvin Sampson’s very first rodeo, this offense is better than expected after Marcus Sasser’s departure and I can not wait to see them compete in the deep, harsh and remarkable Huge 12. play 0:23 K.J. Adams goes off the backboard for this slam Dajuan Harris Jr. tosses it off the glass for K.J. Adams to toss it down.Medcalf: Kansas. I think you require 3 dependable stars to win a national title. All of us understood about Hunter Dickinson, and Kevin McCullar Jr. is a veteran who has averaged double digits for the previous three seasons in between Kansas and Texas Tech. I figured they ‘d be good. But K.J. Adams Jr.(11.8 PPG, 72%clip inside the 3-point line
), who is dealing with the death of his mother, has actually been another strong factor for the program. He’s the third star Costs Self will need– simply check last week’s UConn game for proof– to win a 2nd nationwide title in three years.Lunardi: It does not trouble me one bit that Purdue lost its Big Ten opener at Northwestern. The Boilermakers have all the pieces, particularly with the addition of transfer Lance Jones. Their young guards are a year older and we saw at the Maui Invitational they are genuinely prepared for prime-time show. And did we mention the very best player in
the country? Yeah, that Zach Edey guy is still pretty good. Purdue isn’t making an early NCAA exit this season. play 0:16 Ja’Kobe Walter hits the triple vs. Seton Hall Pirates Ja’Kobe Walter hits the triple vs. Seton Hall Pirates Which conference race are you most eagerly anticipating, and why?Medcalf: It’s the Big 12 for me. When the web rankings were released Monday, Houston and BYU were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Baylor, Iowa State, Cincinnati and Kansas, in that order, are all in the leading 15. Three more Big 12 groups are ranked in the leading 60. The fight at the top of the heap could be a fight between a collection of future Last Four teams.Borzello: The Big 12 has 3 of the top six groups in my Power Rankings right now, with Kansas, Houston and Baylor. The Jayhawks are still the favorites, but Baylor appears like maybe the very best offensive team in the country, and Houston is perhaps the best defensive group in the nation. This is going to be fun. play 0:20 Donovan Clingan gets the block and bucket onthe other end
Donovan Clingan gets the block and bucket on the other end Gasaway: The Big East. Who knows, we might look back and state Marquette
, Creighton and, oh by the way, protecting nationwide champion UConn were the greatest leading 3 the league has actually seen in a long time. Any or all of the above can reach the Last Four.Lunardi: It’s going to be a titanic battle between Princeton and Yale at the top of the Ivy League. While that’s true, my colleagues struck the obvious responses by calling the Big East and Big 12. I’ll lean in the Big East’s favor as the last major conference that’s still playing a real round-robin. Hence, its regular-season champ is certainly a true winner. Bring it on!What storyline has yet to be dealt with that you’re waiting to see?Gasaway: Will the controversy over the selection process for the College Football Playoff function as the driver for finally bringing NCAA tournament selection out of the Stone Age? Why do we still do this by having individuals go into a spacein March, shut the
door and complete a bracket like it’s 1964 and not
(quickly)2024? Why not utilize a simple win proxy and produce a real-time bracket every day from November to March? Do much better, NCAA!Top stories of the week from Get exclusive access to thousands of premium short articles a year from leading writers. – How the CFP got it all incorrect with FSU “- NBA draft rankings: Leading 25 prospects”- 30 concerns on NFL draft QBs, more “More ESPN+material”Lunardi: What debate? Let’s get everybody their own NIL ophthalmology offer and go strictly by eye test.(Not! )In other news, is anyone paying attention to the ACC’s genuine problem(tip: it’s not Florida State football)? With Duke struggling
out of the gate, the league is on course to go five straight years without a No. 1 seed. It had actually never gone more than 2 without one in this century. Folks, the greatest college basketball conference of perpetuity is reducing right before our eyes.Borzello: It’s been partly attended to, however the reality that we’re sitting here a complete month into the season and the NCAA is still resolving eligibility cases and waiver demands is ludicrous. Efton Reid III had his waiver approved to wear right away for Wake Forest on Tuesday night. Utah’s Deivon
Smith had his turned down on Monday
night. There are still appeals exceptional. Legal representatives are involved, attorney generals of the United States have actually made statements. I arrive’s a large docket of these
cases, but groups need to get word, one way or the other, before the season– or at least before December!Medcalf: A couple of
weeks ago Dan Gavitt informed ESPN
that the committee presently studying possible NCAA tournament expansion has to be” positive”as the college basketball world continues to evolve. The NCAA has already moved NIT rules to include more Power 5 teams. The committee dealing with competition growth concepts might also offer a choice quickly that might offer us insight about the future of the NCAA tournament and the number of teams that will be included. That will affect this sport if it takes place. play 1:38 Zach Edey sets up 28 points, 15 rebounds in crucial win vs. No. 4 Marquette Zach Edey sets up an amazing 28-point, 15-rebound double-double in No. 2 Purdue’s win vs. No. 4 Marquette.Is Zach Edey still the best player in the nation ideal now?Lunardi: Yes, and it’s not specifically close, although it was enjoyable last week enjoying Hunter Dickinson and Tristen Newton do their thing.Borzello: Yes, and the gap between Edey and everyone else in the Wooden Award race is broader than it was last season. He’s more effective than last season, better at rim security than last season and he seems more comfortable when Purdue is attempting to press the ball in shift than last season. He balanced 25.3 points and 13.0 rebounds in three days at the Maui Invitational, against an onslaught of a schedule, and it felt like par for the course for Edey. That’s special.Medcalf: Yes. Dickinson is great– one coach who faced him this season said he’s just an impossible force to deal with in the paint. And, there are other preseason All-Americans who have actually started strong. However Edey remains in his own category today. He’s averaging 23.7 PPG, 11.2 RPG and 2.9 BPG. I think we’re looking at the second two-time Wood Award winner.Gasaway: Edey is the country’s finest player, thanks in part to efforts not quickly recorded by clips or breakdownsof X’s and O’s
. His offending rebound portion is better than those of 15 entire Division I teams.
He draws a genuinely outrageous 11 fouls per 40 minutes and thus destroys challengers with a little above-average shooting at the line. Edey is tops by a mile.If you could have one preseason prediction do-over, what would it be?Gasaway: Backed by information on numerous previous players spanning several decades, I confidently asserted Kyle Filipowski would begin hitting threes
this season. That projection is … not looking so perspicacious. Filipowski is shooting 27 %from beyond the arc thus far, basically what we saw from him last season. Stupid data.Medcalf: I had Kyle Filipowski as the Wood Award winner in my preseason choices. I guess I opted for history and the problem of winning the award twice(just Ralph Sampson Jr. has actually done that). Tyler Hansbrough returned for North Carolina in 2008-09. He didn’t win it again. Oscar Tshiebwe returned for Kentucky last season after winning it. He didn’t get another one, either. So I figured this season would follow that pattern. And it appears like I was incorrect. Filipowski is a fantastic player who will make a lot of NBA money quickly. However Zach Edey is the best college basketball player in America. There is no debate. He needs to win a second Wooden.Borzello: I would not rank Duke as the preseason No. 2 again, mainly due to the fact that I was
wrong about Tyrese Proctor turning into one of the premier guards in the country. The Blue Devils are young, so they could still figure things out, but they have some real concerns, particularly if Proctor’s injury keeps him out for a stretch of time. Teams have actually determined they do not really require to safeguard Mark Mitchell or whoever is playing beside Filipowski, and before his injury Proctor was struggling to get to the rim or make shots from the perimeter.Lunardi: Saint Mary’s might be taking a year off from its perch as America’s best true
mid-major program. Back-to-back-to-back No. 5 seeds do not seem to be in the cards for the Gaels, so we might have to toss our Cinderella chips at the similarity Princeton, Indiana State, McNeese, James Madison, Appalachian State and Grand Canyon.