It is hard to fathom that two months of exhilarating college basketball has already passed us by. With less than five weeks until conference tournament play begins, the road to Houston will soon commence as bracket busters crave their chance to potentially take down a Goliath.

As January comes to an end, it is a logical time to reflect upon the 2015-2016 college basketball season so far, and examine the period that has been defined by polarity.

The Big 12 has gotten off to an incredibly hot start. Among the conference, four teams have already reached 15 wins including Baylor, Kansas, West Virginia and Oklahoma.

Oklahoma, currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, is led by senior guard Buddy Hield, who is averaging over 25 points per game. Hield scored a career-high 46 points in a 109-106 triple overtime loss to the Kansas Jayhawks, widely considered the game of the year.

After the game Kansas head coach Bill Self stated, “We beat a team that could win a national championship.”

The Big East is another conference that has gotten off to a strong start. The conference boasts two top-five teams in Xavier and Villanova. This conference is also home to arguably one of the best players in college basketball, junior Kris Dunn of Providence. Dunn is projected to be a lottery pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

This season has also seen a reemergence of the Maryland Terps. They are currently 17-3 and ranked No. 7 in the country. With a complete squad from top to bottom, Maryland has once again re-established themselves as a dominant team in college basketball.  

Two college basketball powerhouses, Duke and Kentucky, have seen their fair share of struggles so far. Duke is currently ranked No. 20 in the nation with a 15-5 record. They have dropped their last three games and are eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Kentucky is ranked 19th with a 15-4 record. They are currently second in the Southeastern Conference and led by standout freshman guard Jamal Murray. It is an extremely rare occurrence to not see Duke and Kentucky at the top of the national rankings, however it is something we have become accustomed to this season. It will be interesting to see if both teams can finish the season strong and build some momentum going into March.

Going into the season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association banned Southern Methodist University men’s basketball program from postseason play and suspended head coach Larry Brown for nine games due to multiple violations. These violations included academic fraud and misconduct. SMU will also lose nine scholarships over the next three years.

According to the NCAA, the program now leads the nation with 10 major infractions. Among all these obstacles the team has shown no signs of slowing down. SMU got off to the best start in program history and currently holds an 18-1 record. With a favorable schedule coming up, it’s a possibility that SMU could finish the season with over 25 wins, which would lead many to wonder what kind of damage they could’ve made in the postseason.

Each year, the hype surrounding the nation’s top incoming freshman players is insensible. More often than not, players are unable to live up to the outrageous expectations bestowed upon them by crazy fans and mock draft projectors.

With that said, this year has shown us that there is a select group of freshman that have been able to consistently perform at the highest level when the pressure is on. Ben Simmons, the Australian wonder from Louisiana State University, is the most versatile player the college game has to offer.

“He is the closest thing I have seen to Magic Johnson,” said Chris Lazazzera ‘19 on Simmons. At 6-foot-9, he is the best point forward in the nation, with a knack for stuffing the stat sheet each game.

Oklahoma has a freshman gem of their own in point guard Jawun Evans. A lightning quick slasher and masterful assist man, Evans nearly completed a triple double in the Oklahoma State Cowboys take down of the then third Kansas Jayhawks.

Finally, we head up north to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and discuss the incredible abilities of 6-foot-10 power forward Henry Ellenson. The double-machine is keeping the Marquette Eagles relevant in the Big East, while earning himself some major national recognition.

In comparison with the powerhouse conferences across the nation, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference usually flies under the radar each season. However, this year is different; the MAAC is receiving widespread attention due to the antics of the Monmouth bench, which has exposed the heightening standard of basketball that is displayed by MAAC teams.

The College Basketball ratings percentage index rankings, as detailed by teamrankings.com, has the MAAC slotted at No. 20 out of the 32 conferences in Division I basketball, one spot higher than it was at this time last year. With the Stags basketball program on the rise, and the MAAC producing more quality teams and players each year, it is time the country is attracted to more than just a bench mob.

It is safe to say that this year’s edition of college basketball has been a wild one so far. Whether it’s traditional powers having down years, once laughing stock teams making program history, or outstanding freshman playing well beyond their years, the past two months of basketball have been compelling to say the least.

To put it lightly, we cannot wait to see what is on tap next. Best of luck to all the college basketball teams out there during the rest of their seasons, and here’s to the Stags making some noise in Albany come March.  

 

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