2022 NCAA Basketball Discussion Thread

[NewYorkExpress]

Louisville should get some ACC wins since it's such a terrible conference usually, I"d like to know NYE's take on Michigan State.

Honestly, the Spartans should be 1-3 right now. They got very lucky against both Villanova and  Kentucky (though you can make an argument for 2-2 the way Gonzaga played against Texas, though again, Gonzaga destroyed Kentucky in a way Michigan State did not). The Spartans could easily get shut out at the Phil Knight Invitational, but Notre Dame is one of the easier possible opponents in the ACC to draw for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and their last three non-conference games are layups. 9-4 heading into the New Year should be the expectation for Michigan State (especially since first two Big Ten opponents are Northwestern and Penn State), and 10-4 heading into their January 7 game with Michigan should be the expectation here.

[Orwell]

Louisville should get some ACC wins since it's such a terrible conference usually, I"d like to know NYE's take on Michigan State.

Honestly, the Spartans should be 1-3 right now. They got very lucky against both Villanova and  Kentucky (though you can make an argument for 2-2 the way Gonzaga played against Texas, though again, Gonzaga destroyed Kentucky in a way Michigan State did not). The Spartans could easily get shut out at the Phil Knight Invitational, but Notre Dame is one of the easier possible opponents in the ACC to draw for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, and their last three non-conference games are layups. 9-4 heading into the New Year should be the expectation for Michigan State (especially since first two Big Ten opponents are Northwestern and Penn State), and 10-4 heading into their January 7 game with Michigan should be the expectation here.

I couldn't disagree more, MSU should have beaten Villanova by 20+ and beaten Gonzaga handily (I'll blame that on the USS Abraham Linlcoln) I think with how MSU has played so far we deserve our Top 15 AP ranking. Being 3-1 over the hardest schedule in the country so far with wins over 2 pre-season top 25 (including a preseason Top 5) If anyone has "earned" their ranking it's the Spartans. None of Kentucky, Villanova, or Gonzaga had an answer for our guard play with Hoggard and Walker. Walker's elbow jumpers killed both Kentucky and Nova. I'm only worried about a possible Akins injury, I think we can handle Alabama and Notre Dame.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Another sterling performance by Louisville, losing 70-38 to Texas Tech. 

[NewYorkExpress]

It really doesn't qualify as an upset, but Georgia lost 87-73 to UAB today in the Sunshine Slam Championship Game in Daytona Beach.

UAB's having another nice season in Conference USA, and with their only other non-conference tests being back-to-back games against West Virginia and South Carolina, they could easily enter conference play with one or two or losses (I think the Blazers lose to West Virginia but beat South Carolina, personally). They have to be the favorites in Conference USA right now.

[NewYorkExpress]

San Fransisco on track to possibly be the best non-Gonzaga team in the WCC, taking down Wichita State 67-63 in the Hall of Fame Classic finals.

San Francisco easily could go into WCC play unbeaten, as their only serious test in non-conference play is a home game against Arizona State on December, and the only clear losses in WCC play I can see are the two games against WCC, with the two games against BYU/St. Mary's being tossups in my eyes.

San Francsico should get an at-large seed in the NCAA Tournament easily, and easily could get a top four seed (especially if they can get a win against Gonzaga-or two, including a conference tournament victory).

[NewYorkExpress]

Over in the Fort Myers Tip-Off, Sam Houston crushed Northern Illinois 88-54 to improve to 6-0.

The Bearkats have one of the more impressive non-conference resumes, especially for the WAC, with wins over Oklahoma and Utah already. They have another chance for a signature non-conference win, when they head to Stillwater on December 6.

[NewYorkExpress]

Louisville now an embarrassing 0-6 after getting blown out by Cincinnati 81-62 at the Maui Invitational.

Next up for the Cardinals, a tough home game against Maryland as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, followed by games against Miami (FL) and Florida State to begin ACC play. 0-8 by mid-December seems likely for Louisville, and they haven't been competitive against any Power Five level team.

[NewYorkExpress]

Embarrassing upset today at the ESPN Events Invitational as Siena destroys Florida State, 80-63.

The Seminoles's only victory so far was at home against Mercer, and they draw Purdue for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, meaning that they likely will be 1-8 when ACC play begins on December 3 (at Virginia, which is a horrible road trip).

I wouldn't be shocked if longtime Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton is fired or forced to retire by season's end.

[NewYorkExpress]

The Kyle Neptune era at Villanova is not off to a good start. The Wildcats lost to Iowa State at the Phil Knight Invitational, 81-79, to fall to 2-3 (losses against Temple, Michigan State and Iowa State, victories against La Salle and Delaware State). In addition to their Big East-Big Twelve battle against Oklahoma (not the hardest Big Twelve foe...they got really lucky to avoid both Kansas and Baylor), two of their final three non-conference games are against Philly Big Five schools (Penn and Saint Joseph's), and they've already split the first two (easily beating La Salle, and losing to Temple).

[NewYorkExpress]

Villanova has literally collapsed since Jay Wright left. They lost to Portland 83-71 at the Phil Knight Invitational, something that I don't think would ever happen under Wright (let alone Rollie Massimino). The Wildcats are now 2-4 on the season, and next play Oklahoma at home.

[GeorgiaModerate]

#1 North Carolina (who was clearly overrated even before this game) just lost to Iowa State 70-65 in Portland.

[NewYorkExpress]

#1 North Carolina (who was clearly overrated even before this game) just lost to Iowa State 70-65 in Portland.

Maybe North Carolina isn't overrated, but Iowa State was actually very underrated???

[GeorgiaModerate]

#1 North Carolina (who was clearly overrated even before this game) just lost to Iowa State 70-65 in Portland.

Maybe North Carolina isn't overrated, but Iowa State was actually very underrated???

Iowa State is indeed pretty good, but if you look at North Carolina's games previous games (against a bunch of cupcakes) they've been far from overwhelming.

[NewYorkExpress]

Not mentioned yesterday, but the big headlines probably are Kansas losing to Tennessee in the Bahamas, and Gonzaga losing to Purdue at the Phil Knight Invitational, and neither game was particularly close.

[NewYorkExpress]

Meanwhile, Syracuse gets stunned by their second mid-major in a month losing to Bryant 73-72 today.

Got to wonder if Jim Boeheim is going to be forced into retirement after this season, as he's almost 80, and this is the second season in a row Syracuse has dramatically underperformed.

[GeorgiaModerate]

In the game of the day, Alabama beat #1 North Carolina 103-101 in 4 overtimes, the second straight loss for UNC. 

[NewYorkExpress]

Over at the Phil Knight Legacy, #8 Duke got destroyed by #24 Purdue 75-56.

[NewYorkExpress]

Florida State and Villanova's misery continued, as both lost today, Florida State to Nebraska at the ESPN Events Invitational 75-58, and Villanova to Oregon at the Phil Knight Invitational 74-67.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Houston is the new #1 in the AP poll for the first time since 1983, followed by Texas, Virginia, Arizona, and Purdue.  The Boilermakers jumped 19 spots after clobbering Gonzaga and Duke last week.  Last week's #1 North Carolina dropped to #18, the largest one-week drop for a #1 team in the poll's history.

[NewYorkExpress]

The ACC/Big Ten and SEC/Big Twelve Challenges in Men''s and Women's Basketball will end and be replaced by an ACC/SEC challenge starting next season.

[GeorgiaModerate]

It's not an upset that will get a lot of attention, but East Carolina, usually an AAC doormat but off to a decent 5-2 start this year, was a 17-point favorite at home against 0-7 South Carolina State.  ECU lost 73-68.

[NewYorkExpress]

Still early, but #6 Baylor is getting destroyed by Marquette, 51-25 at halftime.

The Bears have committed 16 turnovers in the first half alone.

[NewYorkExpress]

Louisville's abysmal start continues, as the Cardinals get crushed in their ACC/Big Ten challenge game against #22 Maryland 79-54, to fall to 0-7 (including 0-4 at home).

Next up for Louisville is the beginning of ACC play, with a home game against Miami (FL) and a road trip to equally abysmal Florida State to kick things off.

[NewYorkExpress]

The ranks of the unbeaten are likely to drop by one, as Wichita State leads unbeaten Missouri late in the second half, 64-56.

[GeorgiaModerate]

The ranks of the unbeaten are likely to drop by one, as Wichita State leads unbeaten Missouri late in the second half, 64-56.

Your upset killing powers clearly extend to college basketball.