This year we as college basketball fans have an opportunity to watch what could be the best season we have ever seen. There are so many good, young players who will be going to the NBA this year and making big splashes. Let's start with No. 1 ranked Michigan State. Keith Appling and Gary Harris is easily the best guard combo in college basketball. Adreian Payne is one of the best centers in the country. All-around, Michigan State is the real team to beat this year. But there are a couple teams in mind who can make an argument against that. Kansas is all around great with Wayne Selden at guard and Joel Embiid playing Center. Did I mention they have Andrew Wiggins, the high school prodigy compared to Lebron? Kansas has a very good chance at being No. 1 some point during this season. Another team to watch as the season goes on is Kentucky. They are a very young team with the Harrison brothers, James Young, and that guy Joseph Randle, projected to be a Top 3 pick in the draft this year. Kentucky is young, but as the season goes on they will get better and better. The last team I want to mention in this mix is not Duke. Jabari Parker is a great player but overall I cant see Duke competing with these guys. The real team to watch this year is Oklahoma State. If you thought the Michigan Sate combo was good, look at Marcus Smart-Markel Brown. Marcus Smart single-handedly beat Memphis on his own and last night Brown and Smart combined for 50 points, beating USF by almost 30 points. These 2 guys are beasts, leading Oklahoma State to 2nd in PPG.
Now let me tell you about these over-rated teams. Beginning of the season Memphis was ranked 11th. Now they are slowly falling, because of there poor back-court and there lack of talent at guard. They are playing with a bunch of OK guards, but that isn't going to help you maintain your spot on the top 25 list. Another team that is on a very slippery slope is Louisville. The 3rd ranked team to start the season has a similar problem to Memphis, not having a good back-court. They have Russ Smith helping them keep games close, but one guy cannot win every game for you. Louisville doesn't deserve a spot in the Top 10.
Teams to Watch:
California: They return 4 starters from last season, and gain a great talent in Freshman Jabari Bird. California should be one of the top teams finishing in the Pac-12.
Iowa: Iowa returns practically everyone on there roster from last year and have a lot of talent/potential especially at the guard position
Projections as of right now: It is early in the season, but I believe the clear cut winner as of now in March is Michigan State. They are the overall best team in the nation. As for player of the year I am going with a dark horse, I am taking Doug McDermott from Creighton. He is averaging 30 points a game and about 9 rebounds. A lot of people believe he is slow, but wait until you see his shot. He is one of the most under-valued players in the nation.
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