When people talk college basketball, the subject is always on a few teams considered the traditional basketball “powerhouses”. These so-called “powerhouses” include Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Kansas, who seem to always be playing for a title in March. However, 2017 has been an interesting, or as some may say, unorthodox, year in college basketball. With the lone exception of Kansas, these teams have massively underwhelmed on all fronts. Duke, the center of the college game for many years, has completely fallen flat this season with an “un-Duke-like” record of 18-5, placing themselves near the bottom of the AP Top 25 rankings. Although one could argue that losing their star coach Mike Krzyzewski for multiple games was a blow, anyone who has watched Duke play this season understands that the problem goes far beyond. Despite being buoyed by the number one recruiting class, Duke has shown lapses in almost everything from explosive playmakers to basic team chemistry. With blue skies opening up after a recent win streak, Duke still has a lot to do before being considered a serious title contender.
Kentucky, also in the midst of a disappointing season, has shown glimpses of hope that easily overshadow their measly ranking of 15 on the AP Top 25. Freshman phenom Malik Monk has averaged nearly 22 points per game for Kentucky and sophomore guard Isaiah Briscoe has shown bright flashes of potential while contributing a near 15-5-5 stat-line. In addition to disappointments, there have been some pleasant surprises that have eclipsed the college basketball landscape.
Defending champions, Villanova, have been rock solid near the top of the rankings, currently poised to enter the March tournament with a top seed. Gonzaga, the current leader of the AP Top 25, has managed to pull off a perfect 24-0 record so far, drawing comparisons to legendary teams such as the ‘92 Michigan Wolverines and the ‘14 Kentucky Wildcats. It is inevitable that Gonzaga will enter the March Madness tournament as the team to beat. Other teams ranking inside the top 10 for the first time in a few years include Louisville, Oregon, Baylor, and Arizona. Despite its peculiarity, the 2016-17 college basketball season has taught us one thing thus far — Truly anything can happen come March.
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