College basketball season is already off to the races and many teams have been on a hot start so far. ESPN has Arizona at their one spot for power rankings, Arizona has been looking promising after this past week. Arizona hasn’t just won every game so far this season, but they have beaten multiple top three teams in the first five games of the season.
Everyone knows college basketball teams can win games in November but when it comes to March it is anyone’s game, but Arizona is definitely a team to look forward to. Players not only fill college basketball stadiums, they also build programs.
Many teams also are in the hunt to make a run this March and BYU is one of them who has been putting on a show in the Big 12 this season. They have a talented young team and even though they are ranked high they can be counted as a sleeper team for this March.
ESPN 2025 Number one recruit out of high school AJ Dybansta has been lighting up college basketball. He is averaging 20.3 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 57.4% from the field. Dybansta took over in the second half thriller against UConn totaling 25 points. He hasn’t looked anything less than great; the best thing about Dybansta’s play style is how smooth it looks and how well it looks like it will coordinate to the NBA. A lot of college basketball stars struggle to score in NBA ball because of the spacing and iso opportunities presented against the best in the world. Dybansata scoring looks promising for NBA teams looking for a future star with the number one pick next year.
March is still four months away, but it’s never too early to take a look at bracketology. CBS Sports predicts that the first seeds may consist of Illinois, Duke, Houston, and Purdue. This ranking was made previous to Arizona’s statement win against UConn.
Indiana has been on the surge recently though as they have a perfect 4-0 start to the season and are looking like a secret team. They destroyed Marquette 100-77 who is predicted to be a top five team in the tournament. Indiana’s offense has splurged this season and have jumped an enormous 277 spots in made 3-pointers per game. Vanderbilt is also eclipsing a great season while averaging 101.5 points per game which is a great look for college basketball.
Teams need to have a certain type of glue to bring them together. A team of freshmen always has a harder chance to win the tournament due to the lack of experience. This is why Duke is always questionable when it comes to tournament time due to the lack of player court time in March. The team that plays together and is able to get team wins are the best Cinderella teams when it comes to March. Defense plays a huge role in college basketball and Syracuse is first when it comes to opponent points per game. Houston follows close behind them and ranks as one of the best teams in the NCAA right now. Offense also is important and Vanderbilt is the best team leading in that category so far.
March may seem a long way away in this blustery winter weather, but college basketball still matters this early in the season. Many teams have made some statements early on and others have had some inconsistencies so far. It’s hard to decide who will be on top of the board after the tournament but there is no doubt we’re looking at another competitive season.