Welcome to the third edition of The Buzzer-Beater, my weekly Monday column about college basketball and what’s going on around the country. This week’s column comes to you from beautiful Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I was here calling softball, and the Alabama Crimson Tide had a nice 3-1 and showing here for the Black and Gold Invitational, with the only loss coming to 11th-ranked Baylor. Shout-outs to Caroline Hardy, Kaylee Tow, Peyton Grantham, and Claire Jenkins, who made the all-tournament team. I watched as much basketball as I could while down in Mississippi, and the craziness that was this week changed a lot in my eyes. A lot happened on the hardwood, so let’s dive right in to the newest version of The Buzzer-Beater.
Who do you trust? That was the question on “College Gameday” on Saturday, and it’s the one I pose today. Is there any team that you feel confident about as we head towards the NCAA Tournament? Is there one squad that you have faith in to make the Final Four? For me, the answer is no, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re setting up for a version of March Madness that will be historic because there’s simply no way to predict what will happen. Whoever wins your bracket pool will be lucky, not good. I’m expecting lots of upsets this March, and I think that a few teams can be the Final Four “dark horse” that always pops up every year. Let’s take a look at the middle seeded teams (let’s say 5-seed through 9-seed) that I believe could make a run to San Antonio. For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll use Joe Lunardi’s updated bracketology.
Texas A&M-When you have the ability to score in the post, you can beat almost anybody. Texas A&M has arguably the best tandem of big men in the country with Tyler Davis and Robert Williams, and the guard play for the Aggies is finally starting to catch up. Despite losing two road games this past week, I still have lots of faith in Billy Kennedy’s team. Their resume is solid, with a healthy mix of home, road, and neutral site victories against Top 50 RPI teams. The Aggies are bound to be a six-seed once the bracket comes out, and I’d hate to be a team in their regional that doesn’t have at least one Uber-talented post player.
Gonzaga is a potential “dark horse” Final Four team.
Gonzaga-I know that the Zags’ RPI and SOS aren’t great, but every time I watch this team, I’m impressed. Rui Hachimura is an absolute man down low (seeing the theme here?), and they get fantastic guard play night in and night out. It’s all going to depend on the draw for this team, but I wouldn’t be shocked to see Mark Few’s squad make it to San Antonio.
West Virginia-They’ve struggled in their last 12 games (5-7), but I’m counting more on how difficult it is to prepare for the press one short notice. They should be a lock for the Sweet Sixteen no matter who they face because of the quick turnaround, and Jevon Carter is one of the most prolific scorers in the Big 12. Again, this selection will entirely depend on the draw, but I think the defensive scheme that Bob Huggins deploys will carry the Mountaineers far in the NCAA Tournament.
I’m not saying those three will make the Final Four, but I think all of them have the potential to get there. It’s going to be a wacky March, so don’t expect this year’s bracket to be all chalk.
Gray’s Top 10
- Virginia
- Michigan State
- Villanova
- Gonzaga
- Xavier
- Duke
- Texas Tech
- Kansas
- North Carolina
- Purdue
Virginia stays in the top spot after winning on the road this week against Miami. Michigan State moves up after an impressive comeback against Northwestern. I saw the halftime score while calling Alabama-McNeese State softball, and when I saw the final score hours later I couldn’t believe my eyes. Villanova is third because of the loss to Providence, but wow were they phenomenal against Xavier. Gonzaga is fourth because this team has been the steadiest of anybody over the last few months. While the game was at home, I can’t fault Xavier for losing to ‘Nova. The Wildcats were just on fire in that game. Welcome to Duke, who comes in at fifth after being off my list last week. The Blue Devils looked dominant this week, particularly in a tough road victory over Clemson. Are they better without Marvin Bagley III? That’s a legitimate question. The rest of the Top 10 fills out with teams who are good but that I still do not trust come March. Seriously, this tournament is going to be WILD.
Random Rankings
As most of you know, I’m a student at the University of Alabama and have been watching the Crimson Tide my entire life. This year’s basketball team is as entertaining as any, and Collin Sexton is must-see every time he takes the court. He’s not the first Alabama player to enthrall this fan base though, as Tuscaloosa has seen plenty of thrilling athletes play in Coleman Coliseum. This week’s Random Rankings honors those players. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Alabama basketball players that I’ve watched in my lifetime. *Usual Disclaimer*: once Random Rankings are posted, they aren’t changing. Sorry. It’s my opinion; if you disagree, then tell my why in the comments.
1. Trevor Releford
TRelly deserved better. Releford was an excellent player here at Alabama, but he never really had the talent around him to push the Crimson Tide to the next level. Still, while here on the Capstone, Releford provided some of my favorite Alabama basketball memories, like this one:
And yes, I will go to my grave firmly believing that Alabama team deserved to be in the NCAA Tournament.
2. Mykal Riley
What can you say about a player that made a live-saving three-pointer? I know lots of people who would’ve been on the street during the SEC Tournament Tornado in 2008. Here’s what happened:
Had Riley not made that shot, thousands would’ve been milling the streets when that tornado hit. That, plus his electric 3-point shooting during his career, made him an easy choice for number two.
3. Ronald Steele
Steele donned the crimson and white when I was a youngster, but I still remember the days of playing basketball in the driveway with friends and pretending to be Ronald Steele. He’s the first Alabama basketball player of which I have vivid memories, and it’s really a shame that he dealt with so many injuries.
4. Retin Obasohan
Another player who deserved better, Retin Obasohan is an example of a player who waited his turn. Early in his Alabama days, Retin didn’t play much at all. Then, once players graduated, he made his move and became a dominant force on a middling Alabama team. In 2015-16, Retin came into his own and averaged 17.6 points per game. Unfortunately, Alabama as a team that year only scored about 66 a night.
5. JaMychal Green
For four years, JaMychal Green was a scoring and rebounding machine for the Tide. Never averaging less than ten points per game in each of his seasons, Green provided head coach Anthony Grant with a constant post presence. Plus, who could remember his tip-in over Auburn:
SEC Bubble Watch
The SEC is one of the Top Two deepest conferences along with the Big 12, and there are plenty of tournament contenders. Let’s break down how each SEC team stands in terms of the NCAA Tournament Bubble. This week, Georgia moves back into contention (kinda) and Florida gets bumped down.
Safely In
Auburn
Overall: 23-4
Conference: 11-3
RPI: 8
SOS: 52
Non-Con SOS: 84
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 5-3
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Kentucky
Overall: 18-9
Conference: 7-7
RPI: 18
SOS: 2
Non-Con SOS: 5
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-7
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Tennessee
Overall: 19-7
Conference: 9-5
RPI: 15
SOS: 26
Non-Con SOS: 31
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-6
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Texas A&M
Overall: 17-10
Conference: 6-8
RPI: 21
SOS: 7
Non-Con SOS: 18
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 7-7
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Feeling Good
Alabama
Overall: 17-10
Conference: 8-6
RPI: 33
SOS: 14
Non-Con SOS: 28
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 5-3
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. Minnesota, at Ole Miss
Florida
Overall: 17-10
Conference: 8-6
RPI: 59
SOS: 51
Non-Con SOS: 43
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 7-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): at Ole Miss
Missouri
Overall: 17-9
Conference: 8-6
RPI: 23
SOS: 22
Non-Con SOS: 76
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. Illinois
On the Right Side of the Bubble
Arkansas
Overall: 19-8
Conference: 8-6
RPI: 25
SOS: 59
Non-Con SOS: 99
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-4
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): None
Work Left to Do
LSU
Overall: 15-11
Conference: 6-8
RPI: 72
SOS: 42
Non-Con SOS: 147
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 7-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. Stephen F. Austin
Georgia
Overall: 15-11
Conference: 6-8
RPI: 64
SOS: 53
Non-Con SOS: 200
Record vs. RPI Top-50: 4-5
Bad Losses (sub-100 RPI): vs. San Diego State, at Massachusetts
No Shot: Mississippi State, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt
W2W4 This Week
So what’s happening this week in college basketball? Here are the match-ups worth your attention.
Monday
Oklahoma at #8 Kansas (Pick: Kansas)
Tuesday
#21 West Virginia at Baylor (Pick: Baylor)
Kentucky at Arkansas (Pick: Arkansas)
Wednesday
#17 Michigan at Penn State (Pick: Penn State)
Alabama at #12 Auburn (Pick: Alabama–this is a legit pick; Auburn won’t be able to handle Alabama down low)
#6 Texas Tech at Oklahoma State (Pick: Texas Tech)
#10 North Carolina at Syracuse (Pick: North Carolina)
#15 Clemson at Virginia Tech (Pick: Virginia Tech)
Florida at #19 Tennessee (Pick: Tennessee)
Thursday
UCLA at Utah (Pick: UCLA)
Saturday
#3 Villanova at Creighton (Pick: Villanova)
#8 Kansas at #6 Texas Tech (Pick: Texas Tech)
#12 Auburn at Florida (Pick: Auburn)
Sunday
#2 Michigan State at Wisconsin (Pick: Michigan State)
#25 Florida State at NC State (Pick: NC State)
Arkansas at Alabama (Pick: Arkansas)
Missouri at Kentucky (Pick: Kentucky)
That’s it for us! Have a great week!