Early Season CBB Surprises and Disappointments

[runt#69]

Your thoughts? I'll start off ....

Syracuse? Are they for real? I think the longer this season goes, the more of a fraud they'll be shown to be. LSU ? They're still cached by Johnny. Don't think they'll amount to much, but Ben Simmons sure is a great player. Man that boy got skills (wish we had him). Vandy and aTm looks to be about as advertised. I think they'll be the two other top teams in the SEC, but will flame out early in the NCAAT (as usual) and UK will be the last from the SEC left standing (the way it should be).

Duke? Young but talented, I think they may very well end up atop the ACC, if UNC*** ever gets Paige back, that may be the difference in the end. Speaking of UNC***, I think they were overrated in the pre-season because of the strong way they ended last season, and they had everyone coming back. Now, I know in the pre-season that's all we have to go on, but I think back to the beginning of last year year for them, and they didn't impress me much. Same thing this year. By NCAAT time, who knows, they'll prob'ly get a #1 seed if they accomplish what everyone thinks they will , and getting a #1 seed in the NCAAT should (by default get them deep into the dance. I wouldn't be surprised to see them exit before the final four, though. We shall see.

Michigan State, feel good for them. I like the way Valentine looks, he's a baller. Maybe UK-MSU in the finals this year? Right now, that wouldn't look to be a bad pick.

UofLOL ? hehe - Love to see them lose against MSU and UK, other than that, pay them no attention.

Gonzaga looks to me like they could make the final four. Maybe? I dunno, I just can't ever seem to get behind them, but I'd like to see Wiltjer have success. Wichita State's demise continues after their latest loss.

Wisconsin? Their plummet continues, that brings a smile to my face because of all the jackass fans that showed their ass last year. I've yet to see or meet any nice and respectable Badger fans in this lifetime. I'm seriously doubting I ever will.

Kansas might just get upended and dethroned by the Sooners this year, but I won't bet on that. Still, the Sooners look good this year. I still think Maryland takes a fall, and a deep one at that, I just can't get behind them, I still think they will be seen as overrated as the year goes on. They may be the one team I am most wrong about, but we'll see.

I'll close by mentioning the Hoosiers and that I think they'll have an up-and-down season, but make the NCAAT as a 8 or 9 seed. I predict they'll get UK as the #1 seed in their region. UK-IU in the chicken bucket this year, anyone? I'd LOVE to see that happen!

So, enough for me - what are your thoughts?

 

[caneintally]

Gonzaga is typical gonzaga they will lose pre conference anytime they play someone with talent and they will cruise thru that joke of a conference then lose in the round of 32 or sweet 16. Same ol' same . Mich St is a Top 5 team but couldn't hang with UK or even KU with Diallo IMO . The final 4 IMO will be UK( 1 seed ) , KU ( 1 seed) Texas A&M ( 6 seed ) and Miami ( 8 seed) . UK vs KU for the title once again and once again UK wins .

 

[UKCatsFan10]

Miami was the easy pick for a surprise this season, but then they went and dropped a game to Northeastern.

Wichita State has been a huge disappointment.

 

[Smashcat]

Xavier is usually good to very good but looks like they could be excellent this season.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

It's going to be hard to figure out how good anyone is until later in the season. Since there are no truly great teams, the mediocre teams are probably less than mediocre by comparison. And since the top teams play so few true road games, and no conference opponents yet, it's just a guessing game.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

The SEC finally tied their shoes this year, looking good so far. Still think ACC will be the best conference in the end. A lot of good teams, not a lot of bad ones. Duke is not going to steamroll through that conference. And UNC has some issues. I think the ACC will be a gauntlet like the Big East was. Some team is going to escape the pile on, and it might not be who we think.

 

[Nubb16]

If IU makes the dance I'll be shocked. But I have confidence and patience in the great Tom Crean and so should the IU faithful that after their NIT bid this season things will be looking up for their future.

 

[Galbpt02]

I think UK, Michigan State are the top teams. I do think Kansas will improve with the addition of Diallo and getting headcase Greene back. UNC is hard to peg, but I think with Paige back, they stabilize that ship. Maryland and Duke will still be in the hunt as well. I have not seen Arizona to know how I feel about them.

I think one team that has surprised early is Alabama. Avery Johnson is a great coach - I don't think they can sustain it but their wins over Notre Dame and Wichita State were impressive. They could challenge for a top 3 team in the SEC. They just don't have the guns to compete with UK.

 

[ukfan79]

If IU was an 8/9 in our bracket with us as the 1 seed then that game would not be in Louisville. The regional is in Louisville not the first 2 rounds.

 

[ukfan79]

If Alabama is challenging for Top 3 in the SEC then the conference is in trouble. Monmouth beat ND and everyone is beating Wichita without Their main guy.

Alabama will be more like in the 10-12 range in the SEC. Avery may be a great coach. He may not be. I don't know where everyone gets this notion that he definitely is going to be great at Alabama. People thought the same thing if Anthony Grant.

 

[Untouchables22]

Watch out for Purdue....would give us some serious match up problems and likely to be in the Louisville region with us if they finish in the top 16.

 

[khuff80]

Oregon's looking like the best out of the PAC-12 in the early going. And I think most thought it would be Cal or 'zona (and may still be).

 

[runt#69]

Thanks for the clarification,ukfan79.... I thought the first round were in Louisville. I also agree with your thoughts on bama. Good commenting on the zags too. Xavier was another team I had overlooked, and perhaps I should keep a closer eye on them, too. Nice start for them, gotta give Coach Cronin a tip of the hat. After yet another los last night,LSU looks like they might be the biggest flop of the season. If Jones can't get that team to perform any better than this, they really need to get a new coach. Period.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

Title game or a final four game will be MSU and Kansas. We have no shot at beating those two teams, not with our shooting and ft shooting

 

[qwesley]

Johnny Jones hurts them but LSU will get better when Victor and Hornsby join and Simmons stops deferring.

Good call earlier on Purdue.

 

[ukfan79]

Thanks for the clarification,ukfan79.... I thought the first round were in Louisville. I also agree with your thoughts on bama. Good commenting on the zags too. Xavier was another team I had overlooked, and perhaps I should keep a closer eye on them, too. Nice start for them, gotta give Coach Cronin a tip of the hat. After yet another los last night,LSU looks like they might be the biggest flop of the season. If Jones can't get that team to perform any better than this, they really need to get a new coach. Period.

Haha gotcha again. Cronin coaches Cincinnati. Chris Mack is Xavier's coach.

Cincinnati is decent this year too.....I think. But hard to say because George Washington is by far the best team they've played. It should be a VERY interesting Crosstown Shootout next weekend at Xavier.

 

[ukfan79]

BTW....I think Xavier is the team to beat in the Big East, not Villanova. Nova is overrate as usual.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Title game or a final four game will be MSU and Kansas. We have no shot at beating those two teams, not with our shooting and ft shooting

Oh yeah, we should just mail one of those two the trophy. Everyone else should just give up. Signed 2014-2015 Kentucky Wildcats.

 

[ukfan79]

Oh yeah, we should just mail one of those two the trophy. Everyone else should just give up. Signed 2014-2015 Kentucky Wildcats.

Title game or a final four game will be MSU and Kansas. We have no shot at beating those two teams, not with our shooting and ft shooting

I guess we had no shot last year either huh? Through 7 games we were 32% from 3 point range. This year we are 28%. Literally 4 more made 3s would put us on par with last year through 7 games.

Also last year through 7 games we were shooting 65.3% from the foul line. This year.....66.5%. Also through 7 games the 2012 team was shooting 68.1%. A whopping 2 more makes would get us to that same level this year. Maybe the 2012 team had no chance either.....

 

[docholiday51]

I think the polls have about as much wrong as they have right this year.I think Duke,Zona and Md.are over rated a bit
KU,Mich St and OK are pretty good.The games this week will give us some good feedback,UNC/Md,Duke/IU and even Mich St/UL will shed some light on how things really are.I think Purdue is a good team,Vandy is a question mark it seems they should have made a little better showing overall.LSU may get better when they get a couple of players back but they have way under performed thus far.

 

[Big_Blue79]

Ben Simmons sure is a great player.

UNC*** [snip] they didn't impress me much. Same thing this year.

Michigan State, feel good for them. I like the way Valentine looks, he's a baller. Maybe UK-MSU in the finals this year? Right now, that wouldn't look to be a bad pick.

Gonzaga looks to me like they could make the final four.

I still think Maryland takes a fall, and a deep one at that, I just can't get behind them, I still think they will be seen as overrated as the year goes on.

Strongly agree with all of this. My interactions with Wisconsin fans have been very pleasant. Bozos in every bunch.