Storyline: According to the Bible David watched his flock of sheep at night. I watch ESPN nightly see which teams will make March Madness. Pay special attention to these teams.
Forget Christmas. February is actually “the most wonderful time of the year.”
Courtesy: foxsports.com
Why? February is a crucial month for college basketball teams with a little event called “the NCAA tournament” rolling around soon. One game can make the difference for a team. A signature win can secure a spot in the tourney and a key loss can push a team right off the bubble and into the NIT.
An NIT invitation is like a participation trophy, a consolation prize for teams that miss The Big Dance. Any coach who says his team’s ultimate goal is to make the NIT needs to be checked for brain damage.
As the regular season winds down and the postseason approaches there are several teams that have not been given the respect they deserve. Some teams are not projected to be nearly as high a seed as they should be. Others, who are deserving, may be left out in the cold.
Whatever the case may be, underdogs have the potential to shock the college basketball world in conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament. So here’s my “David Watch.”
ACC
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets are like the weather in my hometown: bipolar. Early in the season Georgia Tech suffered terrible losses to Ohio and Penn State. The Yellow Jackets also lost by a combined 40 points by SEC opponents Tennessee and Georgia. But, now, Tech is playing excellent basketball, having upset North Carolina, Florida State, and Notre Dame in the last few weeks. They have an overwhelming presence inside in 6-10 junior Ben Lammers, who’s the second-best shot blocker in the nation (3.2 blocks/game). He also nearly averages a double-double with 14.7 points and 9.7 points per outing. Don’t sleep on this team!
Miami’s Ja’Quan Newton (photo, The Salt Lake Tribune)
Miami: That win against North Carolina a couple weeks ago did wonders for the Hurricanes. The team was in desperate need of a signature win. At 16-8 overall and 6-6 in ACC play the Hurricanes have solidified their NCAA tournament resume with that win. Behind the scoring duo of Davon Reed and Ja’Quan Newton (15.5 and 15.0 points per game, respectively), Miami is a team that can spoil frat victory parties at campuses across America.
Syracuse: There’s Jim Boeheim, as always, with his lockdown 2-3 Zone. This year he has three players who shoot over 40 percent from long range. That’s a perfect recipe for a second consecutive Final Four appearance. Right? Maybe.
Virginia Tech: That double overtime victory against Virginia Sunday night was HUGE. Couple that win against the Cavaliers with a convincing 14-point victory against Duke and the Hokies appear to be a potential diamond in the rough.
Big 12
Courtesy: Wichita Eagle
Kansas State: Don’t let that 16-9 record fool you. The Wildcats are legit. K-State lost by just a combined five points in both meetings with in-state rival Kansas. Bruce Weber’s Wildcats also knocked off #2 Baylor in Waco recently. Kansas State is a team that plays good ole-fashioned fundamental basketball and they can be a real menace come March.
Oklahoma State: The Cowboys got off to a horrendous 0-6 start in conference play, but Oklahoma State has now won six out of its last seven…and one of those victories was in Morgantown against Huggy Bear and “Press Virginia.” If electric point guard Jawun Evans plays to his full potential the Cowboys can make some noise in the Big 12.
Big Ten
Michigan: Behind a balanced scoring attack Michigan has compiled a proficient 16-9 record and beaten Indiana both times by a combined 42 points. The Wolverines will be the dark horse of the Big Ten tournament a few weeks from now.
Northwestern: Northwestern is looking to earn its first trip to the NCAA tournament in school history and—barring a major collapse— the Wildcats should make The Big Dance. Northwestern has been a defense-first team all season long; the Wildcats have never given up more than 77 points. That mentality will give the Wildcats a chance to go far in its first-ever NCAA tournament.
PAC-12
Courtesy: USC
USC: At 21-5 and a victory over rival UCLA under its belt the Trojans may be the most underestimated team in America. They play extremely good offense, recording an average of 15 assists and 79 points per game. Steve Alford and his Bruins better be on the lookout for the crosstown Trojans come conference tournament time.
Washington: Nobody in the college basketball world understands the Huskies’ 9-16 record. U-Dub has the best point guard in the country in Markelle Fultz, yet this team has been dominated all season long. That being said, the Huskies can still play spoiler and win the PAC-12 tournament if Fultz gets hot at the right time.
SEC
Alabama: Avery Johnson’s ball club plays outstanding defense, ranking in the Top 25 nationally in scoring defense, and that defense can be a nightmare for opposing teams. But until the offense and shooting woes are resolved the Crimson Tide are on the very edge of “The David Watch.” I mean, seriously, this team went 9-of-26 from the line against Kentucky last Saturday! That’s almost impossible to do.
Georgia: The Bulldogs have underachieved all season long, but Mark Fox’s squad is led by a great senior guard in J.J Frazier. Frazier averages 16.6 points per game and is more than capable of taking over in clutch situations.
Other teams
SMC’s Joe Rahon (photo, WTOP.com)
Saint Mary’s: The Gaels have dominated their way to a 22-3 record in a conference where it’s pretty much SMC and Gonzaga. Led by big man, Jock Landale, St. Mary’s is the second best defensive team in the nation, giving up just 56.6 points per game. If the Gaels receive a favorable seed in a typically weak West Region, then Saint Mary’s just could punch its ticket to the Final Four for the first time in school history.
Wichita State: The Shockers rebound the basketball better than just about anybody in the nation. That ferocity (40 per game) is bound to overwhelm and might even upset a #1- or #2-seed in the Round of 32.
