We have finally arrived at our destination. We delved deep into which teams will be in the Final Four and which teams will have some serious trouble on their journey to the tourney. Today is the day we find out which teams will be the pesky ones that will bust your bracket on March. You know, the ones that cause you to tear up your paper on the first day or log onto social media and curse out the entire tournament. Don’t deny it, we’ve all been there. Stupid Lehigh!
A wise man once said, “You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so…get on your way!” This can’t be truer then for the teams we are going to discuss today. Unlike Dr. Seuss’ endless belief in everyone, some people may not believe in these teams. I do, and here is why.
Colorado
I feel it’s fitting to start with an underrated team that finally became ranked Monday for the first time this season, arriving on the AP 25 at #21. With a 9-1 record, the Buffaloes have been dominating teams so far this season; their only loss came to Baylor to open the season.
Colorado is coming off of a huge win over Kansas that saw them sink a buzzer beating three-pointer to clinch it. They stayed with Kansas throughout and it wasn’t due to any sturggles from the Canadian kid, Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins was a very important part of the Kansas offence, contributing a game high 22 points.
Young, talented players lead Colorado, namely juniors Spencer Dinwiddie, Askia Booker and sophomore Josh Scott. Booker, who sank the game winning three against the Jayhawks, was named the national player of the week.
Colorado is good, yes, but the Pac-12 conference they are in is even better. They have made the best of the non-conference schedule so far but come January, they could be in a whole heap of trouble. They’ll be facing UCLA, Arizona, Utah and Arizona State twice each, among other difficult teams. Look for them to accumulate a few more losses and make the NCAA tournament as an at-large bid, a good one at that.
Oklahoma
For a school that is primarily known for its football program, the Sooners basketball team has steadily improved over the last eleven years. With a trip to the Final Four in 2002, and they have made two trips to the Elite Eight since.
Starting the season with a strong 9-1 record, Oklahoma has still yet to break into the AP 25. Understandable though. They have not faced any big name opponents and the team’s only ranked game against Michigan State was a loss. They have been winning big but Goliath wins don’t transfer to top rankings when they are against David sized teams.
The Sooners are in the Big 12, which could spell bad news for the team when the conference schedule begins in January. They will have to contend with the likes of Iowa State, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Texas, and Kansas, just to name a few of the big time programs. This conference could be won by anyone so expect to see a few at-large bids coming from the Big 12.
A real positive for the Sooners is that they have five players averaging over 10 points per game. Nine players are seeing regular action and five more are seeing some. This is a deep team, and even more important than the depth is the experience. Of the nine regular players, only two are freshmen. This is going to be very important in the really close games and as the season wears on.
How they perform in January is going to go a long way in telling us what to actually expect from them. The team’s first three conference games aren’t easy – at Texas, and then home to Kansas and Iowa State. Look for Oklahoma to make some waves in March.
Harvard
Coming off of their best March performance in the history of the program – a trip to the third round – the 9-1 Crimson are hoping to make a name for themselves this season.
Sure, a trip to the round of 32 doesn’t sound very impressive but for a team that has only been to the NCAA tournament three times, it’s huge. Last season was the team’s second consecutive appearance in the tournament with its first coming back in 1946.
Harvard is in the extremely easy Ivy League conference, meaning they should breeze through the season virtually unscathed. They do have a tough game against Connecticut on January 8, a game that will go a long way in determining how legitimate the Crimson will be this year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Harvard end the year with only two losses.
A big problem for Harvard is that they are not very deep, only having six players appearing in all 10 games. Only another three players have seen action is eight or nine games. They are a pretty experienced team though, only having three freshmen on the roster. That experience may make up for a lack of playing time, as long as no one gets injured. But really, when does that happen?
Harvard will win the Ivy League and get into the tournament with a middle of the pack seed. Without seeing them face tougher opponents, it’s hard to decide how far they’ll go but I do expect them to at least reach the round of 32 again this year.
Honorable Mentions
University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB)
The UAB Blazers could be the surprise team of the year. Currently sitting at a 7-2 record, they have a mixed bag of opponents in Conference USA. They have already knocked off North Carolina, a team that is far better then anyone else they’ll face, so expect the unexpected from the Blazers. They also have one of the highest scorers in the country in Chad Frazier. This team could be one of the teams causing you to tear up your bracket in March. You’ve been warned.
Belmont
A relatively untested team who has made it to the second round of the tournament the last three years, the Bruins should have a handle on the Ohio Valley conference. They knocked off North Carolina, in Chapel Hill no less, and they travel to Kentucky on December 21 where they will face their biggest challenge yet. They are a young team so don’t expect a Final Four appearance but expect them to knock off a heavy hitter or two in March.
So there it is folks, the final piece to the puzzle. You now know exactly who will be in the Final Four, and the teams that will not only stumble but will fall throughout the season – except Duke, they’ll come back and win it all, right? And finally, you’ve now found out which David’s to bet on when they go up against Goliath. Happy watching!
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