*Up For Grabs-. This year is wide open and a number of teams have a shot to win it all. The top 25 has been a revolving door with different programs continuing to move in and out. Come March we will have a better idea as to who are the elite squads, but for right now, there is no doubt that a handful of teams could wind up making it all the way to the Final Four. There is plenty of quality unranked teams out there and that just make the picture even more complex.
*Smaller Programs Are Shining - Throughout the course of the season we have seen small-time programs match up with nationally recognized teams. Boston College loses to Harvard, Carolina crumbles in Charleston and a number 1 ranked Kansas team barely gets by Cornell at home. Certainly, the barrier between the powerhouses and small schools is starting shrink. Much of this has to with players declaring early for the NBA Draft, but there is also abundance of quality players that are making their presence known at smaller schools.
*Freshmen Sensations-Two of the most highly recruited players in the country have delivered thus far on the national level. Both John Wall and Xavier Henry have emerged as two of the best players in the country already. Their quick starts have helped their teams do the same thing, which is why Kansas and Kentucky are two of the best teams out there
*Cal Can Coach On the Big Stage- John Calipari had some pressure to deal with at the beginning of the season and he has handled it remarkably. This is his first big-time coaching gig and it has gone very smoothly in Lexington. Unbeaten and ready to pounce in the SEC, the leader of the Cats is definitely quieting the critics.
*Big Trouble in Chapel Hill- Despite being loaded with talent, the Tarheels have gotten off to a very rocky start. At first people made the excuse that the team was young and needed time to gel, but it’s already January and this team is just not developing the way that Roy Williams wants them to.
*Pac-10 Blues- First of all, problems are brewing for the Bruins as UCLA is off to it’s worst start in years. Ben Howland needs to get this team focused or they might not even qualify for the NIT.
Additionally, USC has embarrassed itself with their severe punishment for recruiting violations. Post-season play is not in the cards for them since they are banned from March. With Pete Carroll off to
Seattle, it’s a tough time to be a Trojan sports fan.
*Big East is the best- There is no tougher task in college basketball than fighting your way through the gauntlet of the Big East regular season. Night after bight teams have to face opponents that are
stacked at every level. When you look at the talent of all the conferences, there leaves no doubt that Big East is the top dog. The conference has more than a dozen teams that have legitimate chances at making the dance Not to mention there is no easy way out in the Big East, because the conference is not split into two, like the SEC or the Big 12. In other words, every team has to play one another.
