We’re more than halfway through the season and there are
plenty of uncertainties: There’s no clear-cut front-runner to
cut down the nets in Indy with Kansas’ lackluster start, John
Wall’s grip on the National Player of the Year isn’t
quite so firm these days after Evan Turner’s return –
and there is no shortage of candidates for National Coach of the
Year.
Here are the top six candidates:
1) Jamie Dixon, Pittsburgh – Lost four starters and
somehow has the Panthers in the Top 10.
2) Frank Martin, Kansas State – The Wildcats are 14-2
overall as Martin has quieted the critics that didn’t feel he
should have gotten the job.
3) Dave Rose, BYU – The combination of his team’s
17-1 record and the fact he has come back from being diagnosed with
cancer put him squarely in mix.
4) Jim Boeheim, Syracuse – The addition of Wesley
Johnson and the 2-3 zone have been key.
5) Rick Barnes, Texas – His Longhorns are loaded, but
he has kept them unbeaten.
6) John Calipari, Kentucky – See Rick Barnes.
CAN’T MISS: Syracuse at West Virginia,
Saturday at 12 p.m. ET – It’s still unclear who is the
top dog in the Big East, but these are definitely two of the
leading candidates, along with Villanova. It’ll be a terrific
matchup of talented wings: Syracuse’s Wesley Johnson against
the Mountaineers duo of Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler.
However, what could be the determining factor not only in who wins,
but how far these two teams go in the postseason is point guard
play.
UNDERCARD: Georgia Tech at North Carolina,
Saturday at 2 p.m. ET – The Yellow Jackets are coming off a
road loss at Virginia, but have a chance to knock off Duke and
North Carolina within a week span. The Tar Heels are struggling and
need to hold court after road losses at College of Charleston and
Clemson. There are plenty of quality bigs in this game, but both
teams have questionable backcourts.
REAL DEAL?: Tennessee – The Vols were riding
on emotion when they knocked off Kansas in Knoxville last weekend,
but now they get to show whether the new-look guys in Orange are
for real or not with another home contest – this time against
a talented and athletic Ole Miss team.
UPSET SPECIAL: I’m desperate for a win after
a red-hot start. My choice of Boston College winning at Clemson
last weekend was pitiful, but I’m still 5-of-8 for the
season. I’m going with Louisville on the road at Pittsburgh
in what has become an important game for the Cardinals.
MID-MAJOR MATCHUP: Dayton at Xavier, Saturday at
11 a.m. ET – These have traditionally been the two top teams
in the league and while Richmond and Temple could challenge for the
A-10 title, this matchup is always intriguing and should be
intense.
MUST-WIN ON BOTH SIDES: UConn and Michigan might
both be NIT teams if the season ended today. They play in Ann Arbor
on Sunday afternoon in what should be an interesting contest. A
year ago, in Connecticut, Michigan nearly pulled off the upset. The
Wolverines personnel isn’t all that different from last
season while Jim Calhoun’s team is now without Hasheem
Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price.
HAVEN’T LIVED UP TO THE BILLING:
Saturday’s game between Cal and Washington in the Pacific
northwest was supposed to be a Pac-10 showdown. Instead, it’s
just a ho-hum matchup of two teams who have underachieved thus far.
Cal is 2-1 in league play, but all three games have been on its
home court. The Huskies have lost three straight in the Pac-10
– including a sweep out in Arizona against the Wildcats and
ASU.
IRRELEVANT: A couple of years ago, USC’s
matchup in Pauley Pavilion against cross-town rival UCLA was all
the talk. Kevin Love vs. O.J. Mayo. This year it’s irrelevant
nationally as the Bruins have struggled and USC isn’t even
eligible for the postseason.
DANGEROUS: Kansas State at Colorado – The
Buffs are capable, especially on their home floor, as they
displayed with a win against Baylor earlier in the week. Jeff
Bzdelik has a quality backcourt with Cory Higgins and Alec Burks.
UNDER-THE-RADAR: Virginia Tech at Florida State
– These are two ACC teams who are difficult to figure at this
juncture. If the Hokies could win in Tallahassee, Seth
Greenberg’s team would be as well-positioned as just about
anyone in the ACC.
PERFECTION AND REJECTION: Kansas and Purdue went
down in the past week, so it’s just Texas and Kentucky as the
duo remaining in the Division I ranks without a blemish. The two
teams left without a win are Alcorn State and Bryant – both
0-16.
