Uncover the Hidden Gems in College Basketball
The Overhaul Check-in
The college basketball landscape is constantly evolving, with transfer portals and NIL rules driving player movement like never before. This season, several marquee schools have completely transformed their men's hoops programs, and it'll be fascinating to see which teams and coaches have been able to successfully navigate these choppy waters.Power conference programs like Kentucky, Louisville, Vanderbilt, West Virginia, DePaul, and USC have all undergone a 100% makeover, with new rosters and head coaches. Let's take a closer look at how these wholesale changes have affected each team.
Kentucky: The Wildcats are a far cry from the days of John Calipari. The new coach hails from BYU, and the best player also transferred in and wasn't even a starter. Meanwhile, Kentucky's leading scorer averaged just 11 points per game on an Oklahoma team that missed the NCAA Tournament last season. It's a completely new era in Lexington.
Notable Results
Since last Sunday night, the college basketball world has been abuzz with exciting games and upsets. Here are the top results from the past week:
Arkansas 89 vs. (14) Michigan 87, (20) Wisconsin 80 @ Illinois 86, (3) Iowa State 89 @ Iowa 80, Louisville 85 @ (5) Kentucky 93, (17) Texas A&M 70 vs. (11) Purdue 66, Xavier 65 @ (22) Cincinnati 68, (24) UCLA 57 @ Arizona 54, (1) Tennessee 66 @ Illinois 64, (6) Marquette 63 @ Dayton 71, (8) Gonzaga 71 vs. (18) UConn 77
UConn bounced back in a big way, rising to No. 4 in the country with wins over Baylor and Gonzaga, plus a victory at Texas. Dayton, on the other hand, has been on a roll, undefeated outside of two narrow losses to North Carolina and Iowa State in Maui. They've also toppled Northwestern and Marquette among the power conference teams.
SEC Dominates Another Saturday
The SEC had another dominant Saturday, with Kentucky providing a high-scoring thriller against rival Louisville and maintaining their hold on the Battle of the Bluegrass. Jordan Gainey's buzzer-beater sent No. 1 Tennessee to a 10-0 record over Illinois. Texas A&M also scored a big non-conference victory by downing Purdue in Indianapolis.
Games to Watch
With semester finals and Christmas break in full swing, there aren't a ton of games to choose from. However, there are a couple of intriguing matchups that are worth keeping an eye on:
Tues: North Carolina @ (9) Florida
Wed: (13) Oklahoma @ (14) Michigan
Fri: (22) Cincinnati @ Dayton
Sat: (25) Mississippi State @ Memphis
Sat: (24) UCLA @ North Carolina
Sat: (11) Purdue @ (2) Auburn