Did your favorite Men’s NCAA basketball team make the cut?
It’s that time of the year, where all the face paint comes out and the school spirit takes a shot of pure energy and we celebrate the fact that the top 25 men’s NCAA basketball teams have been announced. One of the annual things me and my friends do still to this day is go over the top teams including our favorite teams and attempt to predict the outcome of the season. We are rarely right but in some cases my Wolverines have actually gotten to wear I had foreseen us going but came up short. This year we sat down and had the same constructive conversation about the season and the consensus is that we have no clue who will take the lead and show the world they are the best in the land.
The top 25 Men’s NCAA rankings have been released and without surprise Kentucky and North Carolina are at the top of the list. Coming off their nearly historic season John Calipari does what he does best and has recruited another top level class to add to his already deep roster. Kentucky plays in the SEC and will most likely dominate once again because the conference only has one other appearance in the top 25 with LSU coming in at #19. Florida losing Billy Donovan to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder doesn’t help the SEC throw more competition at the wildcats either. Stranger things have happen so I may be wrong about the conference.
North Carolina brings in one of the best freshman classes as well. Also bringing back impact guard Marcus Paige who will be looking to solidify his draft stock this season. I am a fan of Paige and expect him to be the best guard in the country this year or at least in the conversation. Roy Williams hopes to rebound from a year full of controversy and put his tar heels in position to bring home another NCAA championship. It won’t be easy with Duke and Virginia following right behind them in the top 10. The ACC will be as competitive as any conference in the country. Whoever wins the conference will surely be around in March to cut down the nets.
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The Big Ten has 5 teams in the top 25 to start the year. The competitive conference has Maryland who is still a new comer to the conference sitting at #3 followed by Michigan State, Indiana, Wisconsin and Purdue. Michigan falls at the tail end tied for #25. This looks to be one of the most competitive years in history for the Big Ten with hopes of bringing a championship back to the conference. The parody across the country has become so wide open that the smaller programs are starting to see major jumps in recruiting. Teams like Wichita State are bringing in top level players to compete against the juggernaut schools. It is no longer as important to go to the big name programs in order to get a look from NBA scouts. Some of the best young players in the league are from small time schools for example Damien Lilliard out of Weber State an all-star who plays for the Portland Trailblazers. College basketball is back and I am as ready as anyone can be. I love the competitiveness and excitement that the college game presents. I can’t wait to discuss more.
The full list of the Top 25 Men’s NCAA basketball teams have been announced, a USA Today poll is below. Who do you think will be on top of the mountain come March? Leave a comment and tell me what you think.
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1 Kentucky |
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1 North Carolina |
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3 Maryland |
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4 Duke |
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5 Kansas |
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6 Virginia |
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7 Iowa State |
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8 Oklahoma |
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9 Villanova |
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10 Arizona |
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11 Gonzaga |
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12 Wichita St |
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13 Michigan State |
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14 California |
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15 Indiana |
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16 Utah |
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17 Wisconsin |
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18 Notre Dame |
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19 LSU |
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20 Vanderbilt |
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21 Baylor |
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22 Butler |
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23 West Virginia |
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24 Connecticut |
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24 Purdue |