Category Archives: Power Rankings

College Basketball Power Rankings: Cutting Down the Nets

1 Reply

The Super Bowl is over a week in our rear-view mirror, so by now, you’ve seen all the bracket projections, conference races, and AP rankings you can handle.  But what you really want to know is who’s going to cut down the nets in Atlanta.  We’ll count down from 30, and these rankings won’t be which teams are playing the best right now, who’s the hottest, or who has the best resumes.

This a gut-feel list of who we’d bet on to win the National Championship – whether it be talent, coaching, team makeup, or any other reason we feel plays a role.  In Part I, we started at 30 and went through 9. In this installment, we’ll give a rundown of our “Elite Eight” and some more in-depth info on those teams.

Countdown to the Cut-Down

College Basketball Power Rankings: The “Rest”

1 Reply

The Super Bowl is over a week in our rear-view mirror, so by now, you’ve seen all the bracket projections, conference races, and AP rankings you can handle.  But what you really want to know is who’s going to cut down the nets in Atlanta.  We’ll count down from 30, and these rankings won’t be which teams are playing the best right now, who’s the hottest, or who has the best resumes.

This a gut-feel list of who we’d bet on to win the National Championship – whether it be talent, coaching, team makeup, or any other reason we feel plays a role.  In this part, we’ll list teams 30 through 9 and say a few words about some of them.  In the next installment, we’ll give a rundown of our “Elite Eight” and some more in-depth info on those teams.

Counting down from 30 to 9

College Hoops Power Rankings: The Top of the Top

1 Reply

In Part I, we discussed some teams on the edge of making the The Big Dance and others who have a chance to win a game or two.  In Part II, we discussed five more who are Elite Eight or even Final Four quality.  In this part, we’ll discuss the three teams I feel are best-equipped to make a run to a National Title.

National POY Frontrunner

3. Kansas
Thomas Robinson is on top of almost everyone’s National Player of the Year ballots at this point in the season.  You know what you’re getting game in and game out with Robinson, but it’s how the other high-quality player on this team plays that will dictate its ceiling.  Tyshaun Taylor is a dynamic guard with speed and deep shooting range.  When he’s playing his best, the Jayhawks are elite.  When he’s not, they’re definitely beatable.  He turns the ball over nearly four times per game (compared to 5.0 assists per game).

Kansas also struggles from the FT line, coming in at 178th (68.7%). They’re high on my list, though, because their ceiling is so high if they’re clicking.  The Big Dance is about guard play, teams that can get easy buckets inside, and experienced coaching.  Kansas has all of those things.  And with all of their recent Tourney letdowns, wouldn’t it be ironic if they made a deep run the year they’re not one of the favorites?

Continue Reading the Top of the Top

College Basketball Power Rankings: The Second Tier

1 Reply

While Part I touched on some quality teams that are NCAA Tourney-caliber, this edition will focus on the nation’s top teams.  Much like the round of the Dance named as such, there is an “Elite Eight” at this point in the season capable of winning it all.  But all of them have their weaknesses.  Let’s break those down.

8. Baylor
Perry Jones makes NBA scouts drool, but how often do NBA scouts get it wrong by picking players who “measure” well but have no toughness, heart, and killer instinct?  Jones – and to a lesser extent, the rest of his teammates – haven’t shown that they are consistently tough enough to handle the inevitable adversity they’ll face at some point in March. If you’d like something a bit more measurable, this team turns it over way too much (227th at KenPom in Turnover Rate) and can’t protect the offensive boards (220th at KenPom in Offensive Rebound % Defense).

7. Missouri
This team is hyper-fast and can shoot incredibly effectively.  Point guard Phil Pressey is a game-changing set-up man and defender.  My big worry for Mizzou, though, is their Head Coach.  Frank Haith had a Miami team ranked 16th in the Preseason poll in 2009 that failed to go .500 in the ACC and missed the NCAA Tourney.  His NCAA Tourney experience includes one appearance, two games.  On the court, Mizzou’s biggest concern should be a lack of size. Ranked 166th in Effective Height at KenPom, they could see themselves get eaten up on the glass (where they’re also a mediocre 154th in OReb%O).

Continue Reading Part II of the Power Rankings

College Basketball Power Rankings: Contenders and Pretenders

2 Replies

This blog has had way too many gambling-only posts lately.  Granted, I provide some analysis in each pick, but I feel like I haven’t actually talked about anything lately.  So here are some College Hoops Power Rankings – in Countdown form.

For the purpose of this countdown, we’ll use teams that meet one (or both) of the following conditions: Top 40 in KenPom.com Ratings; ranked or receiving multiple votes in the AP Top 25.  47 teams satisfy the requirements.

The All-Popeye Group
Like its namesake, teams in this group “am what they am.”  They’re probably Tourney-bound, but they likely won’t be a factor past the first weekend.

Hard to doubt this guy, but can he overcome the injuries and hard luck?

47. Northwestern
46. Stanford
45. Iona
44. Cincinnati
43. Louisville
42. Mississippi State
41. Belmont
40. VCU
39. San Diego State
38. Harvard
37. Illinois
36. Texas
35. Seton Hall
34. Vanderbilt
33. Memphis

Comments:

  • San Diego State is ranked 71 by KenPom but 16 in the AP.  I think the poll ranking is heavily weighing the win against UNLV.  It was a home game though, and the game was tight the whole way.  There have been many more significant home wins around the nation.
  • Is Rick Barnes still coaching Texas?  Yes?  OK, they’re in the right tier.

Continue Reading the Power Rankings