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Andy Katz
College Basketball Analyst & Writer
John Fanta
College Basketball Broadcaster and Reporter
The holidays are winding down, and with that, college basketball is cranking back up.
With conference play certain to heat up over the next two months, it’s a perfect time to check in on the leagues around the nation. Who is in good shape to win their conference? Who might be a dark horse? And which players and coaches have shined brightest?
Let’s break down six conferences in the latest edition of our college basketball roundtable.
BIG TEN
Who is the front-runner?
Purdue: The Boilermakers are the clear favorites. They have the best, most dominant and hardest-to-defend player in the conference in Zach Edey. The question is which team could supplant them? Edey is the player to beat. If he gets into foul trouble or if for some reason he can’t play due to illness or injury, then that would be a game-changer. The Boilermakers are talented, but not good enough to win the league without him.
Indiana certainly has the personnel, but the Hoosiers aren’t healthy and again haven’t been consistent. The same is true of Illinois. If there are two other teams that have the goods to possibly push the Boilermakers, then I would lean toward Ohio State and/or Michigan State. Neither team has a post player to match Edey, but the Buckeyes have matchup issues for Purdue in Justice Sueing and Brice Sensabaugh. Michigan State has a healthy Malik Hall and Joey Hauser, who could pose issues for the Boilers. The other teams like Michigan, Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa, Penn State and Rutgers all have flaws and probably aren’t teams that can win the league.
Who could be a dark-horse team?
Ohio State: The Buckeyes are my pick. I love the group of Sueing, Sensabaugh, Bruce Thornton, Zed Key and Tanner Holden. There are rotation players who will be influential as well, and the return of Eugene Brown and Isaac Likekele could certainly alter the direction of the Buckeyes. This team nearly beat North Carolina in a thriller in OT and has zero bad losses thus far. Watch out for Ohio State.
Who is the Player of the Year so far?
Edey: The 7-4 Edey is the most dominant player in the country. He’s a double-double machine. He sometimes starts slow but always finishes strong. He has added 10 minutes a game and his productivity has increased. The race is over as long as he continues to stay on the floor.
Who is the Coach of the Year so far?
Matt Painter, Purdue: The Boilermakers weren’t the pick to win the league. Sure, he has the best player, but he has also molded a group of freshmen and veteran players into a team. This team isn’t as talented as last season, but it has more chemistry.
– Andy Katz
BIG 12
Before running through predictions for this league, let’s give the Big 12 its well-deserved flowers. This is the best league in college basketball: bar none. All 10 teams in the conference rank inside the top 65 of the NET rankings, meaning every single game played in the Big 12 is considered a Quadrant 1 or Quadrant 2 affair. The lowest-ranked team in the NET, TCU (62), is currently ranked 18th in the AP Top 25. The Big 12 has accounted for the last two national champions and has been represented in the last three title games. There’s every reason to believe that trend will continue.
Who is the front-runner?
Kansas: The Jayhawks have reloaded with Jalen Wilson performing on an All-America level, Dajuan Harris serving as the steady point guard, and Gradey Dick playing like one of the best freshmen in America. He’s beyond his years in the way he plays and is the perfect weapon in Bill Self’s offense. While size at the center position isn’t a strength, the Jayhawks have used versatility to their advantage, with Kevin McCullar and KJ Adams Jr. both top-four scorers on the team.
Who could be a dark-horse team?
West Virginia: My thinking behind this choice is that I’m not sure the country realizes just how good the Mountaineers have been. Picked ninth in the preseason coaches poll, Bob Huggins’ team is 10-2 and ranked 24th in the AP Top 25. A year after finishing last in the league, West Virginia could be a threat to make the Sweet 16. Huggins has done it by identifying players from the transfer portal that fit his program, with Erik Stevenson (South Carolina), Tre Mitchell (Texas), Emmitt Matthews Jr. (Washington) and Joe Toussaint (Iowa).
Who is the Player of the Year so far?
Jalen Wilson: This is an easy choice. He would be my national player of the year if it wasn’t for Edey. The 6-foot-8 junior forward is averaging 21.1 points and nine rebounds per game.
Who is the Coach of the Year so far?
Jerome Tang deserves a hard look right now. If West Virginia wasn’t my dark-horse selection, it would be Kansas State and its first-year head coach. The Wildcats are 11-1 and look like an NCAA Tournament team. Tang’s team was picked dead last in the preseason. We’ll see if K-State can handle the grind of conference play, but the former Baylor assistant has found success in his first college head coaching job.
– John Fanta
PAC-12
Who is the front-runner?
Arizona: The Wildcats have had one blip — at Utah after Maui. Their bigs are the deepest and toughest to defend of any in the country. The Wildcats will get tested by UCLA. And the Bruins could certainly win the league. They’ve got the goods to match Arizona’s Kerr Kriisa with the offense of Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Jaylen Clark’s two-way play is tough to beat. But Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis is unmatched and Oumar Ballo gives the Wildcats another dimension. Courtney Ramey has been a terrific addition.
Who could be a dark-horse team?
Arizona State: The Sun Devils got through the non-conference with only two losses. Sure, those losses at Texas Southern and at San Francisco were surprising, but the win over Michigan to claim the title at Barclays in November was significant. ASU has a quartet of Devan Cambridge, Desmond Cambridge, DJ Horne and Frankie Collins that is talented enough to cause issues for Arizona and UCLA.
Who is the Player of the Year so far?
Tubelis, Arizona: He is averaging 20/8, and while the preseason buzz was more for Jaquez Jr., Tubelis has been more dominant. Jaquez certainly could unseat him as the favorite, but it’s hard to argue with the numbers.
Who is the Coach of the Year so far?
Tommy Lloyd, Arizona: Lloyd actually could compete for national coach of the year two years in a row. The Wildcats weren’t picked to win the Pac-12 — again — and here Arizona is as the favorite. Lloyd has done a fantastic job building a winner.
– Katz
BIG EAST
Who is the front-runner?
Is it even a question? U-C-O-N-N.
Connecticut is my No. 1 team in the country because the Huskies’ depth is unmatched and they have an All-American in Adama Sanogo. The greatest display of how deep the Huskies can go? When Sanogo takes a breather, a 7-foot-2 star in Donovan Clingan comes in off the bench. With a great leader in Andre Jackson, a deadeye sharpshooter in Jordan Hawkins and Tristen Newton charging a backcourt of options, Dan Hurley’s team could go 16-4 or 17-3 in the Big East and be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Who could be a dark-horse team?
Providence. Ed Cooley seems to be at his best when he’s the sleeper, and the Friars have played their best basketball to start Big East play. With a 2-0 record in the league highlighted by a double-overtime win over Marquette last week, Cooley’s group is beginning to figure itself out after losing the entire starting five from a Sweet 16 team last season. The name to watch is Bryce Hopkins. The Kentucky transfer — who John Calipari could use right about now in Lexington — is averaging 21.5 points and 12.3 rebounds over his last four games. The 6-foot-7 sophomore has a combination of length and physicality when attacking the rim that makes him a really difficult matchup.
Who is the Player of the Year so far?
It would be wrong to not give it to Sanogo at this point. Averaging 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on 62% from the field, the 6-foot-9 junior not only performs but does so with a never-ending motor. A coach told me earlier this season that his players got worn out in a practice while preparing to face UConn and questioned him, saying that there was no way Sanogo did as much as they were simulating on him. That’s how special the Connecticut big man is for that program.
Who is the Coach of the Year so far?
Shaka Smart certainly deserves consideration with a 10-4 start to the season, including wins over Baylor, Notre Dame and Creighton, among others. That being said, UConn was expected to potentially be a top-25 team, but nobody could have seen them potentially being the best in the nation. Dan Hurley is most deserving of the accolade. The Big East is the Huskies’ league to lose this time around. If No. 22 Xavier, which hosts UConn on Saturday (noon ET on FS1 and the FOX Sports app), could ever swipe the conference regular season crown, then Sean Miller would have a case.
– Fanta
SEC
Who is the front-runner?
Tennessee: The Vols beat Kansas in Atlantis for the most significant win of any SEC team outside of Alabama thus far. Tennessee played a tough slate, losing to Arizona in Tucson. The Vols did fall to Colorado at home — Fine. No shame. And when they didn’t play well they still found a way to beat Maryland in Brooklyn and in an SEC opener at Ole Miss.
Tennessee has the deepest team and arguably one of the most experienced in the SEC. Five Vols average in double figures and this team can defend. But … Arkansas (even without Nick Smith Jr.) and Alabama (wins over Houston and UNC when they were No. 1) are more than capable of winning the SEC. It’s hard to say there is one favorite here. This league is DEEP at the top.
Who could be a dark-horse team?
Wow. This is another hard category. Mississippi State, Missouri and even LSU are all viable teams to pull off a stunner and win the SEC. They have all outperformed their preseason predictions. Each team can defend, and each has a new coach with great buy-in from their teams. This race will be one of the hardest to predict from 1-7.
Who is the Player of the Year so far?
Brandon Miller, Alabama: Miller is the top freshman in the country, and he has been the most consistent player for a Tide team that knocked off two No. 1 teams in North Carolina and Houston. Miller will continue to put up solid numbers for a Tide team that can contend for the title.
Who is the Coach of the Year so far?
Dennis Gates, Missouri: Gates got two of the three most important wins on his schedule before the New Year. The Tigers beat Illinois in St. Louis and Kentucky at home handily. The only loss thus far was to rival Kansas. He’s done a masterful job of blending in newcomers and veterans. He was an under-the-radar hire that has worked out wonderfully.
– Katz
ACC
Who is the front-runner?
The Virginia Cavaliers are still my top team in this league even after dropping back-to-back games to Houston and Miami. Why? The combination of experience and balance on the offensive end gives Tony Bennett’s group an edge in the ACC. The backcourt duo of Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman has combined for 102 assists to just 38 turnovers, while Armaan Franklin has shown his breakout potential offensively, and Jayden Gardner has come up clutch. With North Carolina going through some ups and downs, Duke’s youth, and inconsistencies elsewhere, we’re going all in on Bennett and UVA bouncing back from last year’s rare NCAA Tournament absence in a big way.
Who could be a dark-horse team?
I define dark horse as a team that could end up contending at the top of the conference and go on a run in the NCAA Tournament. America, you were surprised by Miami making the Elite Eight run last season. Don’t be surprised if it happens again. The 12-1 Hurricanes have one of the best offenses in college basketball, once again powered by the veteran presence of Isaiah Wong (17.2 PPG, 4.5 APG). With 6-foot-7 wing Jordan Miller and talented guard Nijel Pack surrounding him, the Canes can come at you in different ways, while Norchad Omier leads the effort on the glass with 10 rebounds per game. At 73, Jim Larranaga has reloaded off an incredible run last March.
Who is the Player of the Year so far?
Armando Bacot is the best player in this conference, and while Wong could give him a run for his money, I still think North Carolina’s 6-foot-11 senior will end up winning it. Looking for recent evidence? In the Tar Heels’ last two victories over Ohio State and Michigan, Bacot combined for 54 points and 20 rebounds. It may be a good idea for Caleb Love and RJ Davis to keep feeding the All-American the rock.
Who is the Coach of the Year so far?
Keep an eye on Mike Young if Virginia Tech can earn a top-three finish in the conference. The Hokies were picked to finish seventh in the preseason, but Sean Pedulla has made a seismic sophomore leap and Virginia Tech is currently 11-2 after a win over North Carolina. Wright State transfer Grant Basile has been a quality addition for the Hokies, while Justyn Mutts and Hunter Cattoor have been steady. Young has done a nice job at a difficult place to win down in Blacksburg, and this team is on track to dance for a third straight year.
– Fanta
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John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast “March Madness 365.” Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.
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