UConn, UNC, Kansas all set to receive big boost
Huskies' Robinson among key players who are finally in starting lineups
Jessica Hill / APConnecticut's Stanley Robinson tries to pass against a Stony Brook defender.
Q: Hey Ken. What team has surprised you the most thus far? Michigan’s good, but I might be more amazed that Memphis and Michigan State have both lost twice so far.
— Casey M., Milwaukee, Wisc.
A: You are certainly right about Michigan, Casey. It doesn’t surprise me at all that the Wolverines are improving. John Beilein was a terrific hire at Michigan and I think Michigan will make a steady climb toward the top of the Big Ten under his direction. Perhaps the victories over UCLA and Duke mean the project is ahead of schedule. I really think it will take one more recruiting class for Beilein to mold this team the way he wants to.
Michigan State has struggled but injuries are the big factor there. The Spartans missed center Goran Suton early, especially against North Carolina, and Delvon Roe has been slow bouncing back from two knee surgeries. There’s plenty of time for Michigan State to get it together. And when you think about Memphis, remember the Tigers lost three starters from the team that went to the national championship game. Tyreke Evans is very good but he’s not Derrick Rose. John Calipari always puts together a tough schedule, so I wouldn’t say two losses (one by five points and the other in OT) is amazing.
Actually, those two losses came against two teams that have surprised me a lot. Xavier has been one of the top national programs the last decade and Sean Miller is a rising star, but I didn’t expect the Musketeers to be this good so early in the season. They are ranked No. 7 this week and they deserve it. Xavier is playing terrific defense and the same can be said for Georgetown, which beat Memphis 79-70 in overtime. The Hoyas got lost in the preseason hype of the Big East. With so much talk about UConn, Pitt, Notre Dame, Louisville and Marquette, nobody respected Georgetown. The Hoyas have changed that already.
But I have to say the biggest surprise of the season is Ohio State. Consecutive victories over Miami, Notre Dame and Butler gave the young Buckeyes an impressive run under coach Thad Matta. Sophomore guard Evan Turner is off to a great start. Ohio State could make the Big Ten race very interesting.
Q: Where does Ohio State stand in your opinion with regard to a top 25 ranking? They seem to be coming out of nowhere and putting together a decent squad. Diebler and Evan Turner in my opinion will be the best backcourt in the US by their senior year.
— Jeremy, Richmond, Va.
A: This week the Buckeyes were No. 17 in the AP poll and No. 16 in the ESPN/USA Today poll. That seems about right. It’s only been seven games, but Ohio State fans have to be happy with Thad Matta’s team. Matta lost his top three scorers in Jamar Butler, Kosta Koufos and Othello Hunter. But Turner and Jon Diebler have provided plenty of reason for optimism to this point. Turner is averaging 16.2 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Diebler is the second-leading scorer at 10.2. David Lighty is consistent, provides leadership and gets the job done on defense. Freshman center B.J. Mullens isn’t Greg Oden but he is another 7-footer inside for the Buckeyes.
It would be a great thing for Ohio State — and college basketball — if Matta could keep his backcourt together two more years. In this day and age, that would be special.
Q: Hi, Ken. Love your column. I am a long-time Temple fan and obviously have been very disappointed of late. With a couple of real bad losses already this season, is Fran Dunphy going to come under fire after taking over for the legend? And if he does, is that fair?
— Bill Fisher, Lehighton, Penn.
A: Bill, I’m assuming you wrote this question before the Owls crushed No. 16 Tennessee 88-72 last Saturday. It really was one of the most impressive upsets of the season. You could even say it was an early [Dionte] Christmas present for the Atlantic 10 Conference.
And it certainly changes the complexion of the upcoming game against Kansas. Of course, the Owls have their hands full visiting Allen Fieldhouse, but the Jayhawks displayed their youth in a loss to UMass last week and Christmas is a matchup problem for any team.
John Chaney was a Hall of Fame coach and it’s always tough being the guy taking over for a legend. But I thought Dunphy was handling the situation pretty well. The Owls were 21-13 last season, second in conference play and then won the A-10 tournament to reach the NCAA for the first time since 2001. What’s wrong with that? I think Temple is headed back to the NCAA Tournament this season. The Owls head to Kansas with a 5-3 record. The three losses have been to Clemson (11-0, ranked No. 25), at Buffalo (4-3 with a near upset No. 2 UConn), and Miami of Ohio (6-3).
If Fran Dunphy is under fire, that’s certainly not fair. But we are talking Philadelphia basketball. It’s a tough house.
Q: What do you think about Seton Hall this year?
— Sam, Colonia, N.J.
A: Well Sam, I’m thinking the same thing I think about Seton Hall every year. Bobby Gonzalez is a good coach, but Seton Hall is one of the toughest — if not the toughest — jobs in the nation. The Pirates are 8-1 (best start since 14-1 in 1992-93) but they haven’t played anyone since the Puerto Rico Tip-Off, where they did upset Southern Cal and Virginia Tech. The loss to Memphis there was by 14 points.
We will find out a lot about the Pirates on Dec. 30 when Seton Hall plays at Syracuse in the Big East opener. Jeremy Hazell is a terrific player but he needs offensive support. The biggest problem for Seton Hall is the Big East. There are at least 11 teams in the conference better than the Pirates. Seton Hall will grab an upset or two. The Pirates have repeat games against St. John’s, Rutgers and UConn in the conference. They won seven conference games last season and finished 11th.
I honestly can’t see Seton Hall faring better than that this season in the toughest conference in the country.
© 2012 NBC Sports.com Reprints ![]()
advertisement
More newsCBT: Drew Gordon is taking a different approach than Reeves Nelson, one much more likely to result in hearing his name called come draft day.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - Former Central Michigan guard Trey Zeigler has been cleared by the NCAA to play at Pitt next season.
Ad
