2016-17 Conference Honors & Awards

All-AAC

Robert Gray, Houston [jr]
Damyean Dotson, Houston [sr]

Dedric Lawson, Memphis [soph]

Semi Ojeleye, Southern Methodist [jr]

Tacko Fall, Central Florida [soph]

Player of the Year: Semi Ojeleye, Southern Methodist

Top Defender: Tacko Fall, Central Florida

Best Freshman: K.J. Lawson, Memphis

Coach of the Year: Tim Jankovich, Southern Methodist

All-ACC

Donovan Mitchell, Louisville [soph]
Luke Kennard, Duke [soph]

Justin Jackson, North Carolina [jr]

Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame [jr]

John Collins, Wake Forest [soph]

Player of the Year: Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame

Top Defender: Ben Lammers, Georgia Tech

Best Freshman: Jayson Tatum, Duke

Coach of the Year: Mike Brey, Notre Dame

All-Big East

Jalen Brunson, Villanova [soph]

Josh Hart, Villanova [sr]
Trevon Blueitt, Xavier [jr]
Kelan Martin, Butler [jr]

Angel Delgado, Seton Hall [jr]

Player of the Year: Josh Hart, Villanova

Top Defender: Mikal Bridges, Villanova

Best Freshman: Shamorie Ponds, St. John's

Coach of the Year: Chris Holtmann, Butler

All-Big Ten

Melo Trimble, Maryland [jr]
Derrick Walton, Michigan [sr]

Bronson Koenig, Wisconsin [sr]

Ethan Happ, Wisconsin [soph]

Caleb Swanigan, Purdue [soph]

Player of the Year: Caleb Swanigan, Purdue

Top Defender: Ethan Happ, Wisconsin

Best Freshman: Miles Bridges, Michigan State

Coach of the Year: Chris Collins, Northwestern

All-Big 12

Monte Morris, Iowa State [sr]

Frank Mason, Kansas [sr]
Jawun Evans, Oklahoma State [soph]
Jevon Carter, West Virginia [jr]

Johnathan Motley, Baylor [jr]

Player of the Year: Frank Mason, Kansas

Top Defender: Jevon Carter, West Virginia

Best Freshman: Josh Jackson, Kansas

Coach of the Year: Bob Huggins, West Virginia

All-Pac-12

Lonzo Ball, UCLA [fr]
Markelle Fultz, Washington [fr]
Dillon Brooks, Oregon [jr]

TJ Leaf, UCLA [fr]
Jordan Bell, Oregon [jr]

Player of the Year: Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Top Defender: Jordan Bell, Oregon

Best Freshman: Lonzo Ball, UCLA

Coach of the Year: Sean Miller, Arizona

All-SEC

De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky [fr]

Malik Monk, Kentucky [fr]

Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina [sr]

Sebastian Saiz, Mississippi [sr]
Bam Adebayo, Kentucky [fr]

Player of the Year: Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina

Top Defender: Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina

Best Freshman: De'Aaron Fox, Kentucky

Coach of the Year: Mike White, Florida

Bracket Reaction: Nine Notes

1. This is the first time in the now nine-year history of RBP that the Selection Committee has gotten it right.  So, while the seeding was still a little off, at least the most deserving 68 teams are in the field.

2. The Big Ten has been down this year, and the Selection Committee took notice.  No Big Ten school got better than a 4 seed.  Purdue, the Big Ten regular season champ, picked up the 4, while the league's co-runners-up, Maryland and Wisconsin, received 6 and 8 seeds, respectively.  Confusingly, both Minnesota (5) and Michigan (7) were awarded lower seeds than Wisconsin.  The Wolverines at least won the conference tourney and finished 2-1 versus the Badgers this season.  Minnesota, on the other hand, finished a game behind Wisconsin, failed to advance as far in the conference tourney, and lost twice to the Badgers.

3.  Coming into the tournament as the defending champ with the fewest losses since '92 Duke, Villanova gets rewarded with...Wisconsin as its 8 seed.  The Badgers are the strongest 8 seed since Kentucky in '14.  That year the Wildcats knocked off 1 seed Wichita State in the Round of 32.

4.  Speaking of Wichita State and Kentucky, the Shockers are an extremely strong 10 seed.  First Gregg Marshall's squad will need to get past A-10 regular season champion Dayton, but Kentucky could be looking at Ken Pomeroy's 8th ranked team nationally in the Round of 32.

5.  The Selection Committee did Kentucky no favors, placing the Cats in a region that includes both North Carolina and UCLA.  While the Tar Heels likely will have to contend with either Kentucky or UCLA to advance to the Final Four, the top half of the South Region sets up nicely for Roy Williams' squad.  RBP ranks the Heels' 4 (Butler), 5 (Minnesota), and 8 (Arkansas) seeds as the weakest at each of those positions across the entire bracket.

6. Given their overall records, Vanderbilt (4 games over .500) and Michigan State (5 games over .500) have no business being 9 seeds, even in a weak field.  Both should have been headed to Dayton to play their way into the Field of 64.

7.  The Selection Committee released its 1-68 rankings of the tourney field.  Comparing those rankings to RBP's rankings (see previous post), we can see who the Committee is overvaluing and undervaluing.  The Selection Committee is overvaluing -- Vanderbilt (+13), Michigan State (+13), Minnesota (+12), Butler (+11), and Seton Hall (+8).  It is undervaluing -- Wichita State (-13), Wisconsin (-12), Middle Tennessee (-12), Nevada (-8), and Vermont (-8).  RBP and the Selection Committee agreed on Villanova (1), ETSU (52), South Dakota State (64), and Mount St. Mary's (68).

8. Here are the teams included in RBP's preseason top 25 that did not make the tourney -- Indiana (4), Syracuse (14), California (17), Connecticut (21), Texas (22), and Texas A&M (24).

9. With a healthy Chris Boucher, Oregon comes out of the Midwest and is RBP's pick for the title.  Without Boucher, the Ducks' third leading scorer and the Pac-12's top shot blocker, the Ducks will be hard-pressed to advance beyond the Sweet 16.

2014-15 NCAA Honors & Awards

1st Team All-American

Delon Wright, Utah [sr]

Jerian Grant, Notre Dame [sr]

Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa [sr]

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin [sr]

Jahlil Okafor, Duke [fr]

2nd Team All-American

Kris Dunn, Providence [soph]

Joseph Young, Oregon [sr]

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma [jr]

Georges Niang, Iowa State [jr]

Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky [fr]

All-Defensive Team

Kris Dunn, Providence [soph]

Gary Payton, Oregon State [jr]

Sir'Dominic Pointer, St. John's [sr]

Jordan Mickey, LSU [soph]

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky [jr]

All-Freshman Team

D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

Justise Winslow, Duke

Stanley Johnson, Arizona

Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Player of the Year: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Top Defender: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

Best Freshman: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Coach of the Year: Tony Bennett, Virginia

2014-15 Conference Honors & Awards

All-AAC

Nic Moore, Southern Methodist [jr]

Ryan Boatright, Connecticut [sr]

Will Cummings, Temple [sr]

Shaquille Harrison, Tulsa [jr]

Austin Nichols, Memphis [soph]

Player of the Year: Nic Moore, Southern Methodist

Top Defender: Austin Nichols, Memphis

Best Freshman: Daniel Hamilton, Connecticut

Coach of the Year: Larry Brown, Southern Methodist

All-ACC

Jerian Grant, Notre Dame [sr]

Terry Rozier, Louisville [soph]

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville [jr]

Rakeem Christmas, Syracuse [sr]

Jahlil Okafor, Duke [fr]

Player of the Year: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Top Defender: Darion Atkins, Virginia

Best Freshman: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Coach of the Year: Tony Bennett, Virginia

All-Big East

Kris Dunn, Providence [soph]

D'Angelo Harrison, St. John's [sr]

Darrun Hilliard, Villanova [sr]

LaDontae Henton, Providence [sr]

Sir'Dominic Pointer, St. John's [sr]

Player of the Year: Kris Dunn, Providence

Top Defender: Sir'Dominic Pointer, St. John's

Best Freshman: Angel Delgado, Seton Hall

Coach of the Year: Jay Wright, Villanova

All-Big Ten

Melo Trimble, Maryland [fr]

D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State [fr]

Sam Dekker, Wisconsin [jr]

Aaron White, Iowa [sr]

Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin [sr]

Player of the Year: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Top Defender: A.J. Hammons, Purdue

Best Freshman: D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State

Coach of the Year: Mark Turgeon, Maryland

All-Big 12

Juwan Staten, West Virginia [sr]

Buddy Hield, Oklahoma [jr]

Georges Niang, Iowa State [jr]

Perry Ellis, Kansas [jr]

Rico Gathers, Baylor [jr]

Player of the Year: Buddy Hield, Oklahoma

Top Defender: Anthony Hickey, Oklahoma State

Best Freshman: Myles Turner, Texas

Coach of the Year: Lon Kruger, Oklahoma

All-Pac-12

T.J. McConnell, Arizona [sr]

Joseph Young, Oregon [sr]

Tyrone Wallace, California [jr]

Gary Payton, Oregon State [jr]

Delon Wright, Utah [sr]

Player of the Year: Delon Wright, Utah

Top Defender: Gary Payton, Oregon State

Best Freshman: Stanley Johnson, Arizona

Coach of the Year: Larry Krystkowiak, Utah

All-SEC

Michael Qualls, Arkansas [jr]

Bobby Portis, Arkansas [soph]

Jordan Mickey, LSU [soph]

Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky [fr]

Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky [jr]

Player of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

Top Defender: Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

Best Freshman: Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

Coach of the Year: John Calipari, Kentucky

Field of 68

*Seeding and invites do not project what I believe the Selection Committee will do.  Rather, this entry reflects what the Selection Committee should do.

1 seeds
Kentucky
Wisconsin
Virginia
Arizona

2 seeds
Villanova
Duke
Notre Dame
Gonzaga

3 seeds
Kansas
Iowa State
Maryland
Northern Iowa

4 seeds
Oklahoma
North Carolina
Louisville
Baylor

5 seeds
Wichita State
Utah
Southern Methodist
Michigan State

6 seeds
West Virginia
Arkansas
Oregon
Providence

7 seeds
Virginia Commonwealth
Georgetown
Dayton
Butler

8 seeds
Xavier
Ohio State
Cincinnati
Iowa

9 seeds
San Diego State
Davidson
Purdue
North Carolina State

10 seeds
Oklahoma State
Texas
Indiana
St. John's

11 seeds
Boise State
LSU
Mississippi
Georgia
Miami
Brigham Young

12 seeds
Stephen F. Austin
Wofford
Wyoming
Valparaiso

13 seeds
Buffalo
Harvard
Georgia State
UAB

14 seeds
UC Irvine
New Mexico State
Belmont
Manhattan

15 seeds
Eastern Washington
Albany
North Dakota State
Northeastern

16 seeds
North Florida
Texas Southern
Robert Morris
Coastal Carolina
Lafayette
Hampton

2014-15 Preseason All-Americans and Award Projections

First Team
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State [jr]
Terran Petteway, Nebraska [jr]
Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin [sr]
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville [jr]
Alan Williams, UC Santa Barbara [sr]

Second Team
Delon Wright, Utah [sr]
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia [jr]
Winston Shepard, San Diego State [jr]
Jordan Mickey, LSU [soph]
Georges Niang, Iowa State [jr]

All-Defense
Briante Weber, Virginia Commonwealth [sr]
Josh Gasser, Wisconsin [sr]
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona [soph]
Jordan Mickey, LSU [soph]
Chris Obekpa, St. John's [jr]

All-Freshman
Stanley Johnson, Arizona
Cliff Alexander, Kansas
Myles Turner, Texas
Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky
Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Player of the Year: Frank Kaminsky, Wisconsin

Top Defender: Briante Weber, Virginia Commonwealth

Best Freshman: Jahlil Okafor, Duke

Starting Five: ACC/Big Ten Challenge Edition

1. Have to admit that I am surprised that the ACC/Big Ten Challenge ended in a 6-6 tie.  The bottom four Big Ten schools (Purdue, Iowa, Penn State, and Nebraska) are all pretty weak, but two of those (Purdue and Nebraska) actually picked up victories.  Miami's upset of Michigan State and Virginia knocking off Wisconsin in Madison on the Challenge's second night really helped the ACC against the conference I believed to be the best heading into the season.

2. Illinois is not a Top 25 team.  Yes, the Illini are an undefeated 8-0 after beating Georgia Tech tonight and are ranked 22nd in both polls.  And I will admit that new head coach John Groce's perimeter trio of Brandon Paul (who is performing at a first team all-conference level), D.J. Richardson, and Tracy Abrams probably give Chief Illiniwek enough firepower to earn an invite to the NCAA Tourney.  I will even go so far as to say that this team has the potential to finish in the top six of a very competitive Big Ten - ahead of Wisconsin (more on the Badgers later) and Northwestern.  However, this is not a Top 25 team.  Illinois' best win thus far is a 17-point win over Butler in Maui.  While Butler soundly defeated North Carolina and knocked off Marquette on a buzzer beater, I'm not sold on the Bulldogs.  Illinois also has one-point wins over Hawaii (overtime) and Gardner-Webb.  A December 8 trip to Spokane to play Gonzaga should give us a better idea of where the Illini stand.

3. With victories over Kentucky, Louisville, and now Ohio State, Duke has the most impressive resume in the country.  Still, I'm not ready to label Coach K's squad a contender.  The Blue Devils are ranked third in RBP's most recent Top 25, so it is not as if we are ignoring the extremely impressive early season accomplishments of Mason Plumlee and Company.  In fact, there are a number of reasons to be bullish on the Blue Devils.  Mason Plumlee, who just put up 21 and 17 against the Buckeyes, has turned into a very good college basketball player.  Similarly, Ryan Kelly appears to have stepped up his level of play in his senior season.  And Quinn Cook, who tallied 8 assists compared to 3 turnovers with Aaron Craft hounding him tonight, looks like the point guard Coach K was missing last season.  That being said, it is Ohio State, and not Duke, that I see as having the most room for growth and being the more likely of the two to contend for a National Championship.

4. Wisconsin is struggling.  RBP ranked the Badgers 16th in its preseason Top 25, and that looks like it may have been a mistake.  The torn ACL suffered by Josh Gasser in a late October practice has robbed Bo Ryan of the one player on the Badgers' roster who could have stepped into Jordan Taylor's shoes at point guard.  The Badgers were going to feel the effect of Taylor's departure regardless of Gasser's availability, but Gasser's absence has taken its toll, as no Badger is averaging more than 2.2 assists per contest.  Despite tonight's loss to an underwhelming Virginia squad, I expect Wisconsin to ultimately right the ship and avoid missing out on March Madness for the first time in Bo Ryan's tenure.

5. Did you watch Indiana beat up North Carolina?  The Hoosiers are the best team in the country.  I can't help but notice the ease with which they score and their marked improvement on the defensive end.  Freshman Hanner Mosquera-Perea (suspension) and senior Derek Elston (injury) will be on the floor soon for Tom Crean, adding to what is already a ridiculously deep roster.  Also, I have no idea what is going on in Chapel Hill.  There can be no doubt that the Tar Heels missed P.J. Hairston's services against the Hoosiers, but that was just ugly.  It's not even December yet, but I wouldn't criticize anyone for wondering if maybe this Carolina team just isn't very good.  

Top 25

*previous rank in parentheses
**My choices for each team's five best wins are subjective - meaning I haven't simply listed a team's top five opponents according to kenpom or RPI numbers. I have avoided including wins over sub-.500 teams. The five best wins (and losses) are listed chronologically.

1. Kentucky 21-1 (1)
Five Best Wins: Kansas(n), North Carolina, Louisville, Alabama, @LSU
Losses: @Indiana

2. Syracuse 22-1 (2)
Five Best Wins: Stanford(n), Florida, Marquette, @Cincinnati, West Virginia
Losses: @Notre Dame

3. Ohio State 19-3 (4)
Five Best Wins: Florida, Duke, Northwestern, Indiana, Michigan
Losses: @Kansas, @Indiana, @Illinois

4. Missouri 19-2 (3)
Five Best Wins: Notre Dame(n), California(n), Illinois(n), @Iowa State, @Baylor
Losses: @Kansas State, @Oklahoma State

5. Baylor 19-2 (6)
Five Best Wins: San Diego State, Saint Mary's(n), West Virginia(n), Mississippi State(n), @Kansas State
Losses: @Kansas, Missouri

6. North Carolina 18-3 (7)
Five Best Wins: Michigan State(n), Wisconsin, Long Beach State, Texas, North Carolina State
Losses: UNLV(n), @Kentucky, @Florida State

7. Kansas 17-4 (5)
Five Best Wins: Georgetown(n), Ohio State, Kansas State, Baylor, @Texas
Losses: Kentucky(n), Duke(n), Davidson, @Iowa State

8. Duke 18-3 (8)
Five Best Wins: Michigan State(n), Michigan(n), Kansas(n), Washington(n), Virginia
Losses: @Ohio State, @Temple, Florida State

9. Michigan State 17-4 (10)
Five Best Wins: Florida State, @Gonzaga, Indiana, @Wisconsin, Purdue
Losses: North Carolina(n), Duke(n), @Northwestern, @Michigan

10. Murray State 21-0 (11)
Five Best Wins: Southern Miss(n), Dayton, @Memphis, Tennessee Tech, @Morehead State
Losses: none

11. Georgetown 16-4 (9)
Five Best Wins: Memphis(n), @Alabama, Memphis, @Louisville, @Marquette
Losses: Kansas(n), @West Virginia, Cincinnati, @Pittsburgh

12. Florida 17-4 (14)
Five Best Wins: Arizona, Texas A&M(n), Florida State, @Mississippi, Mississippi State
Losses: @Ohio State, @Syracuse, @Rutgers, @Tennessee

13. Marquette 18-4 (15)
Five Best Wins: Mississippi(n), @Wisconsin, Washington(n), Pittsburgh, Louisville
Losses: @LSU, Vanderbilt, @Georgetown, @Syracuse

14. UNLV 20-3 (13)
Five Best Wins: Nevada, North Carolina(n), Illinois(n), California, New Mexico
Losses: @Wichita State, @Wisconsin, @San Diego State

15. Virginia 17-3 (16)
Five Best Wins: Michigan, George Mason, @Oregon, @LSU, @North Carolina State
Losses: TCU(n), @Duke, Virginia Tech

16. Florida State 14-6 (20)
Five Best Wins: Massachusetts(n), @Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Maryland, @Duke
Losses: Harvard(n), Connecticut(n), @Michigan State, @Florida, Princeton, @Clemson

17. Indiana 17-5 (12)
Five Best Wins: @North Carolina State, Kentucky, Notre Dame(n), Ohio State, Michigan
Losses: @Michigan State, Minnesota, @Ohio State, @Nebraska, @Wisconsin

18. Creighton 20-2 (21)
Five Best Wins: @San Diego State, Nebraska, Northwestern, @Wichita State, @Illinois State
Losses: @St. Joseph's, Missouri State

19. Saint Mary's 21-2 (19)
Five Best Wins: Northern Iowa, Weber State, Brigham Young, Gonzaga, @Brigham Young
Losses: @Denver, Baylor(n)

20. Vanderbilt 16-5 (24)
Five Best Wins: Oregon, North Carolina State(n), @Marquette, @Alabama, Middle Tennessee
Losses: Cleveland State, Xavier, @Louisville, Indiana State, Mississippi State

21. Wisconsin 17-5 (NR)
Five Best Wins: Brigham Young(n), UNLV, @Purdue, @Illinois, Indiana
Losses: @North Carolina, Marquette, Iowa, Michigan State, @Michigan

22. Mississippi State 17-5 (18)
Five Best Wins: Texas A&M(n), Arizona(n), West Virginia, Alabama, @Vanderbilt
Losses: Akron, Baylor(n), @Arkansas, @Mississippi, @Florida

23. San Diego State 18-3 (19)
Five Best Wins: Long Beach State, @Arizona, California, UNLV, @New Mexico
Losses: @Baylor, Creighton, @Colorado State

24. Michigan 16-6 (25)
Five Best Wins: Memphis(n), Iowa State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Purdue
Losses: Duke(n), @Virginia, @Indiana, @Iowa, @Arkansas, @Ohio State

25. Louisville 17-5 (NR)
Five Best Wins: Long Beach State, Vanderbilt, Memphis, @Pittsburgh, @Seton Hall
Losses: Georgetown, @Kentucky, Notre Dame, @Providence, @Marquette

IN: Wisconsin, Louisville
OUT: Connecticut, Kansas State

Notes: Big Ten/ACC Challenge

1. I see you, Indiana. Off to a 7-0 start, Tom Crean's squad is playing like a team that could make a run at a NCAA tournament bid. When Mo Creek went down with his third serious injury since arriving in Bloomington prior to the start of the season, it looked like another long year was in store for the Hoosiers. While Indiana was expected to be more competitive, a run at the NCAA tourney seemed out of reach. After beating a solid NC State team in Raleigh, though, the Hoosiers appear to be, dare I say it, a good basketball team. While the Big Ten's performance the last couple nights suggests the Big Ten may, in fact, be able to challenge the Big East for conference supremacy, I actually like the Hoosiers' chances of finishing in the top half of the conference. Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and probably Michigan look definitively better than the Hoosiers. Minnesota gutted out a victory over Virginia Tech tonight, but Tubby Smith's team is going to struggle without Trevor Mbakwe. I'm not sold on Illinois. And Northwestern and Purdue look comparable to the Hoosiers. Indiana has six quality players in Cody Zeller, Victor Oladipo. Will Sheehey (one of the more underrated players in the country), Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls, and Verdell Jones. They've got a couple of nice roll players to go along with their core six, and I like freshman Remy Abell going forward. To get an idea of just how much the talent level has improved at Indiana since Tom Crean arrived, consider big man Tom Pritchard. A steady post player who was arguably one of the Hoosiers best players as a freshman when he averaged 29 minutes and almost 10 points per contest, he's now a senior averaging playing just over 9 minutes a night. It's possible Crean will need Pritchard when conference play begins. I expect the Hoosiers' Achilles' heel to be their rebounding. While Zeller possesses an even better offensive game than I expected, he's going to get pushed around by Big Ten bigs. Christian Watford, another nice offensive player, hasn't shown much interest in hitting the glass and is limited athletically. Those worries can wait for now, though, as the Hoosier faithful have cause for optimism for the first time in three long years.

2. Despite falling to the Tar Heels by 3 in Chapel Hill, Wisconsin looks very good. Heading into the night, the Badgers owned the nation's second best defensive efficiency rating (according to Ken Pomeroy). The Badgers' defense frustrated the Tar Heels early. And, as has become customary, previously unheralded Badgers have stepped into leading roles for Bo Ryan. This year, it's Ben Brust, Jared Berggren, and Ryan Evans who have provided support to the nation's best point guard, Jordan Taylor. (Josh Gasser and Mike Bruesewitz also return after playing significant minutes last year.) I'm especially impressed by Berggren who finished with 14 points, 5 rebounds (3 offensive), and 3 steals and looked like he belonged on the same stage as Tyler Zeller and John Henson. Bottom line - Bo Ryan reloads in Madison every year. If tonight's game is on a neutral floor, that's likely a Badger victory.

3. North Carolina has issues. They beat a very good Wisconsin team tonight and deserve credit for that. Not every night is going to be a blow out, especially when facing a top 10 opponent. However, if you've watched the Tar Heels this season, you know they look out of sync and, at times, uninspired. Carolina looks like an impressive collection of individual talent, but the Heels have yet to look like a dominant team. That may seem like unfair criticism for a team ranked 5th in the nation who now has wins over Wisconsin and Michigan State (and whose only loss is to a good UNLV squad in Las Vegas). I'm not suggesting ol' Roy won't right the ship. I'm just pointing out that this isn't what we expected when we saw UNC's roster before the season began.

4. Michigan State knocked off a good Florida State team tonight in a matchup of two of the best defenses in the country. After the Spartans closed out a disappointing 2010-11 campaign and opened up this season with back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Duke, I think some of us may have written off the Spartans. That may have been premature. They looked good against a stingy Seminoles squad, and Izzo's team has a lot of upside. Draymond Green, averaging a double-double to go along with 3 assists per game, is the Spartans best player, but it's State's young guys who will decide the type of season the Spartans will have. Sophomores Keith Appling and Adreian Payne look much-improved, and freshman Branden Dawson could be special. I'm no longer sleeping on the Spartans.

5. The Big Ten's 8-4 advantage gave the conference its third consecutive Challenge victory. One bright spot for the ACC was Virginia's victory over a ranked Michigan squad. Rather than being a case of Michigan being overrated, I came away from the matchup thinking I had underestimated Virginia. A number of pundits had picked Tony Bennett's Cavaliers to finish in the top half of the ACC. I picked them to finish seventh but really didn't think Bennett had the personnel to make a run at the NCAA tourney. In what appears to be a weak ACC, the Cavs look like the fourth best team in the ACC (despite a neutral court loss to TCU). Mike Scott, the Cavs' All-ACC forward, looks like a new man after losing 20 pounds. He's averaging 15 and 10 and may make a run at conference player of the year.

Mount MacCulloch: Retired from Basketball but Dork Career Surging

Former University of Washington star and retired NBA big man, Todd MacCulloch is ranked 145th in the world in pinball. The 76ers famously relied upon the tandem of a geriatric Dikembe Mutombo and MacCulloch to slow down a still in his prime Shaquille O'Neal in the NBA finals. Upon learning of MacCulloch's newfound career, Shaq noted that he has never been bested in basketball by a pinball aficionado from the Pacific Northwest (See 2001 NBA Finals & "Shaq vs." Season 1 episode 9). Roundball Portfolio would like to hand out a big congrats to MacCulloch for using his NBA riches to try to live out Tom Hanks' fake adult life in "Big." Watch out Elizabeth Perking, T-Mac may have romance on his mind this Valentine's weekend.

In other news, not enough can possibly be made of Norris Cole's amazing game for Cleveland State yesterday. He played all forty minutes, scored forty-one points, grabbed twenty rebounds, and handed out nine assists. We all would have loved for him to get the triple-double, but let's think about how hard it was to get nine assists when all of your teammates play for Cleveland State. Those were probably some nifty passes.

Bo Ryan led the Sconnies to an upset over the Ohio State Jared Sullingers. We normally only get good vibrations from Madison, but after the game, Sully tweeted that a Wisconsin fan spat in his face. I like Sullinger, but this was probably a lie. I spent a weekend in Madison, and those people were adorable. It was much more likely that one of the fans was trying to feed Sullinger some delicious ice cream and Spotted Cow beer. The only way I would believe this story was if Sullinger was wearing a Brett Favre jersey.

Speaking of Wisconsin, I have to acknowledge the ballsiest bar proclamation I ever witnessed, which happened when a friend of mine demonstratively declared before two dozen people in a Madison, Wisconsin bar that Brett Favre (who was still playing for the Packers) was the most overrated quarterback of all time. He could have collectively called all of their mothers whores, and received less vitriol. Onions, my friend.

The Starting Five: Tu Holloway Edition

1. Outside of Jimmer and Kemba, no one imposes his will on the game like Xavier's Tu Holloway. At a solid 6-0 185 lbs, he's a bull with the rock and gets where he wants to be on the court. And while he can be a bit of a hothead, he plays with a fury that is too often lacking in this generation of AAU prima donnas. Plus, the junior guard knows how to fill a stat sheet, averaging just over 20 points, right at 5 assists, nearly 5 rebounds, and 1.5 swipes per contest. Down to 9 healthy scholarship players, Holloway is the main reason the Musketeers are tied for first place in the A-10 and 16-6 overall. As a side note, kudos to Holloway for following in Jordan Crawford's footsteps by rocking a jersey number in the 50s while playing on the perimeter. We can only hope this becomes something of a tradition at XU.

2. About three weeks ago RBP put together a list of the top 25 players in college basketball at the season's mid-way point. Perhaps the list's most egregious omission – Wisconsin point guard Jordan Taylor. Built like a tailback and conducting Bo Ryan's demanding swing offense at maximum efficiency, Taylor is quite possibly more important to his team's success than highly-touted teammate Jon Leuer, who, incidentally, came in at #17 on my list. To say Taylor knows how to take care of the ball is an understatement. To put things in perspective, the Badger junior has 44 assists to 11 turnovers in Big Ten play. Or, put another way, 11 turnovers in 376 minutes of running the point for Wisconsin against Big Ten foes. (Well, he was playing defense for about 188 of those minutes.) He's also scored 20 points or more in 6 of 10 conference games and at least 14 points in the other 4. Fellow Big Ten point guards Kalin Lucas and Demetri McCamey got the preseason ink, but Taylor has played the best basketball.

3. Minnesota is in trouble. Point guard Al Nolen is out until at least the end of February with a broken foot, and combo guard Devoe Joseph left the team, opting to transfer to Oregon, leaving Tubby Smith's squad without its two best ballhandlers . A season-ending injury to big Mo Walker hasn't helped matters, as the once deep Gophers find themselves a tad thin on the bench. After losing their last three, Minnesota is one game below .500 in Big Ten play. Their remaining conference schedule is favorable. They get Illinois and Michigan State at home, and Penn State will be their toughest road test. Unfortunately, if the Gophers can't find a solution at the point guard position, it won't matter how well they finish in conference play, because an early exit in March will be inevitable.

4. The Texas Longhorns may be playing the best basketball in the country right now, and that is due, in large part, to the maturation of Jordan Hamilton. Hamilton's freshman campaign consisted largely of jacking up ill-advised shots seemingly every time he got his hands on the ball, providing only minimal effort on defense, and sulking. Just when it seemed safe to write him off as a talented headcase with no hustle, Hamilton has morphed into, not only one of the nation's most improved players, but an All-American candidate. Averaging 18.9 points per contest and 7.6 boards, Hamilton is making a case for Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Oh, and shades of Calbert Cheaney on this kid's jump shot. He doesn't have the lift of the Indiana legend (and Evansville native), but his ability to catch and shoot in rhythm without putting the ball on the floor is certainly reminiscent of one of the Big Ten's all-time greats.

5. As has been the case for the past couple years, it's the Big East and everyone else. It may not be as top-heavy with national title contenders as in years past, but this year's Big East offering may be just as impressive, as 11 teams realistically have at-large hopes. After the Big East, I may give a slight edge to the Big 12 over the Big Ten. There's a significant drop off after these three, though. In fact, I think the SEC, ACC, and Pac-10 have more in common with the Mountain West and Atlantic-10 right now in terms of the level of basketball being played in-conference.

Big Ten Review (09-10)

All-Big Ten

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Junior 6-1 190 14.8p 1.9r 4.0a 0.1b 1.2s

Evan Turner, Ohio State
Junior 6-7 210 20.4p 9.2r 6.0a 0.9b 1.7s

Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Junior 6-8 210 15.7p 6.9r 2.1a 1.0b 1.1s

John Shurna, Northwestern
Sophomore 6-8 210 18.2p 6.4r 2.6a 0.9b 0.8s

JaJuan Johnson, Purdue
Junior 6-10 215 15.5p 7.1r 0.7a 2.1b 0.9s

Player of the Year: Evan Turner, Ohio State
The best player in college basketball (and one of the nerdiest) did it all for the Buckeyes this year. The 6-7 junior ran the point (dishing out an impressive 6 dimes per contest), hit the boards (averaging over 9 per game), filled it up on the offensive end (over 20 a game), and played lockdown defense. Forget about leading his team in multiple statistical categories, The Villain led the conference in scoring, finished second in rebounds and assists, and third in steals. Oh, and Turner broke his back on December 5th, missed six games, and returned to lead the Buckeyes - who, while talented, featured a 7-man rotation for much of the season - to a 2 seed and a share of the Big Ten title. Three of Ohio State's 7 losses on the season came during the six-game period Turner was out the injury.

Coach of the Year: Bo Ryan, Wisconsin
It seems that Ryan is finally starting to get the attention he deserves. Every time I see the Badgers in action, the announcers are singing his praises - and rightfully so. His teams execute on offense, play hard-nosed defense, and don't make mistakes. The meat grinder that is the Badgers' halfcourt offense is just as much Ryan's trademark as the Princeton offense is for JT3 or the secondary break is for Roy Williams. His players develop during their time in Madison (witness Trevon Hughes, Jon Leuer, and Jason Bohannon from this year's team), and, seemingly regardless of who is actually suiting up for the Badgers in a given year, they are going to be one of the top 25 teams in the country and compete for a Big Ten championship.

Freshman of the Year: Drew Crawford, Northwestern
Crawford "headlines" an incredibly weak crop of freshmen in the Big Ten. The 6-5 swingman averaged a solid 10 points and 4 rebounds per contest. Crawford's numbers may be underwhelming, but his play was a key factor in Northwestern regrouping after the loss of Kevin Coble. With Crawford, Coble, Shurna, and rising senior Michael Thompson returning, the Wildcats may be dancing next March for the first time in school history.

Defensive Player of the Year: Chris Kramer, Purdue
His stats (3.0 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks) do not begin to tell the story of the Purdue senior's impact on the defensive end of the floor. Kramer has twice been honored as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year (as a sophomore and senior) and was named to the conference's all-defensive team each of his four years in West Lafayette. His on-ball defense is a thing of beauty, and the havoc he creates on the defensive end will be sorely missed by Matt Painter. One of the best perimeter defenders to come through the college ranks in the last decade.

Biggest Surprise: Wisconsin
Not a lot of surprises in the Big Ten this year, but the Badgers get the nod here for continuing to outperform expectations. I tend to give Wisconsin the benefit of the doubt, but even I didn't see Bo Ryan's squad as a Top 25-type team this year - let alone a team that would finish one game out of a share of the Big Ten title. It's about time we learned not to doubt this strange team from the North with their blonde buzzcuts and Scandinavian bloodlines.

Biggest Disappointment: Michigan
John Beilein's third season in Ann Arbor was pretty much a fiasco. For some reason, Michigan was ranked 15th in the preseason AP poll. (I'm really not sure I've ever seen a weaker preseason top 25 team.) Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims are talented, but I'm not sure the roster features another quality basketball player. While I thought Michigan would miss the tourney, I didn't expect the Wolverines to finish with a losing record (15-17). With Harris leaving early (presumably to play overseas because he's not an NBA player) and Sims graduating, things will be even worse for Beilein next year - who left a pretty good situation in West Virginia for what has pretty much become a college basketball wasteland.