Wesley Johnson and the Orange have exceeded everyone's expectations.
What surprises you? Each year, the unexpected happens in one capacity or another, so what really curls your ear or crooks your eye? Hopefully, I’ve got a few things listed below that will do one or the other. Though the ear thing is a bit harder over the Internet.
Have you been paying attention to hoops closely, or are you now just starting to visit sites like this one because college football has ended its regular season?
Well, I got ya covered. Surely you know about John Wall, Kansas and Texas looking scary good and the absence of Tyler Hansbrough (how have we survived). But here are a few things many around the college game didn’t see coming.
New Mexico’s undefeated season to date. The Mountain West is formidable yet again, with BYU, San Diego State and UNLV all looking strong. The Lobos, coached by Steve Alford, are having a better season than anyone. The team is 11-0 and enjoying its highest ranking in a decade. And if you think this team hasn’t been tested, you’re wrong. Though Creighton is weak this year, it did hold a 31-15 lead on the Lobos at one point this season before getting taken over. A win Wednesday over Oral Roberts would give UNM its best start in 35 years. Its best start ever? The ’67-68 team started out 17-0. Can it get to 2010 unblemished? A home date with Texas Tech Dec. 29 stands in the way.
Missouri State’s undefeated season to date. The Bears can smell … victory. Yeah, this team’s a little pissed after it was picked to finish ninth in the relevant-again Missouri Valley. Tulsa is no slouch, and Missouri State took care of it. Arkansas is pretty terrible this year, but I worry about that game, which the Bears go at tonight. Every once in a while you see a hot team from a mid-major go up against a middling major squad and lose. It’s sort of a put-you-in-your-place game. If this MSU wants to be taken seriously, it’s gotta win that one.
That about sums it up, Ben.
UCLA’s swan dive. Sure, we expected the Bruins to take a dip. But the program’s worst start since 1945? That’s what 3-7 will do for you. I can’t take complete credit for seeing a collapse coming, but the loss to Portland was a clear sign of bad things to come. UCLA, Kentucky, St. John’s, Georgetown, Indiana, North Carolina: at least one of these historically great college basketball teams has had a down year every season in the past decade. (The exception: Kansas.) Just when it seemed St. John’s and Indiana could/would end that, the Bruins fall into the muck.
The Big East remaining to be the strongest conference in the country. Sure, I’ll listen to your arguments about the Big Ten and Big 12, but can you deny how good this group has looked? I’d name all the teams that are good this year, but it’d be easier to name the teams that aren’t. OK, I’ll do it: DePaul, Providence … that’s it. That’s the freaking list. Now, I don’t expect double-digit berths from this conference (will this ever happen?), but you can’t deny how good this 16-team group has been. Even injury- and senior-depleted Marquette has been more than serviceable! Looking healthy, the Big East is.
Will Derrick Caracter continue his uptick in El Paso?
Derrick Caracter’s play and poise. Caracter was an abject, absolute disaster in Louisville. He didn’t work hard, didn’t care what Pitino thought he should be and was all but a vacuum for positive energy in the locker room. He’s gone to UTEP and been, well, pretty damn effective — and positive! Nearly averaging a double-double per game, Caracter already has two under his belt, and he’s only been eligible for a couple of weeks. He’s still got doubters out there, and he won’t be redeemed unless he carries this 7-2 Miners team to The Tournament. I’m sorry; that’s just how it is.
St. Mary’s starting 9-1 without Patty Mills. Patty Mills, for my money (what little I have. Ah, to be young and ambitious and in the newspaper business), Mills was the most valuable player to any team last season. But the Gaels are making me look like a fool. No worry; it happens on a near-daily basis. Omar Samhan (great name, by the way) is second in the conference in scoring and has proven to be worth every inch of his 6-foot-11 frame. Samhan also leads the conference in rebounding — 12 per game — and his teammate, Ben Allen, is second in the WCC with 7.7 per tip. So, from guard-oriented to players in the paint? Not so. Junior Mickey McConnell learned plenty from Mills, and he’s shooting 55 percent from 3 and six assists/game. Love the balance in Moraga, Calif.
ESPN’s lack of Jay Bilas. He hasn’t really been around that much, has he? Jay, come on out and show yourself! I’m a bigger Bilas fan than most. I think he’s the best hoops guy at The Juggernaut not named Bill Raftery.
Northwestern continuing to win without Kevin Coble. The Wildcats are 9-1. I’ve said a few times on this site I still think the streak (NU is the only BCS school without a Tournament berth) will continue come March, but you can’t knock a .900 win percentage without your best player. True, Northwestern’s best and toughest test was a loss to Butler, but the Notre Dame win is nice. A relatively weak OOC will play a part yet again if this team can’t get to 20 wins.
Florida getting back on track. UF was picked to finish fourth in the SEC, and it seemed with good reason. Still: Wins over Florida State and Michigan State are pared a bit by back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Richmond. Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton are combining for nearly 10 assists a game. Combine that with a guy I can guarantee 96 percent of you have never heard of, 6-foot-8 Dan Werner, shooting almost 50 percent from 3 and that’ll get it done against most teams. But the Gators are 8-2 and have three kitty cats on the slate before what could be a telling game against N.C. State in the new year.
