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A college football national champion has been crowned, which means it’s time to turn the spotlight on college basketball.
The men’s season is in full swing as conference play is underway, and there has been plenty to discuss — from sensational freshmen, national title favorites and disappointments. The season is more than halfway done, and Selection Sunday is just 54 days away before one of the most exciting months in sports tips off.
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So what’s happened in the first two months, and what should be paid attention to as we approach the NCAA tournament? Here are the top storylines in college hoops:
Who is the best college basketball team so far?
Arizona Wildcats guard Jaden Bradley (0) dribbles the ball during the second half of the game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at McKale Memorial Center.
Arizona sits atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with a perfect 18-0 start.
The Wildcats have running through every opponents ever since the season opening win over defending champion Florida, with a blend of young (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and experience (Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas) paving the way. They average 90 points a game, win by an average margin of 21 points and have done it against talented teams with a 7-0 Quad 1 record.
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Arizona has been a regular-season power under Tommy Lloyd, but he may finally have the right recipe to break the long Final Four drought in Tucson.
Plenty of national championship contenders exist
While Arizona is at the top, other teams lurking in the water. It sounds odd, but there’s parity — it’s just at the top level, as you can easily make the case for several teams to win it all.
Michigan, Connecticut, Purdue, Duke have proven to be formidable teams that are on a straight path to March. You also can’t forget Houston, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska (more on the Cornhuskers soon). It’s making for a very compelling race for the top seeds in the bracket.
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Last season was the second time and first since 2008 with all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four. There’s a solid chance that could happen again in 2006.
