College Basketball: 2013-2014 Season

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Most people don't really care for college basketball until it's time for March Madness. Schools big and small, men and women, all across the United States are all ready to hoop it up and go to work. This is the thread for the 2013-2014 season of college basketball. Even though this is the college hoops thread, I usually specify this isn't just about NCAA Division 1 basketball. You might be into NCAA Division 2 or 3, or even some non-NCAA basketball. It's still about college basketball here. Everything from regular season play to the tournament is what this is all about.

With the ever-changing landscape of college basketball, this season should be most interesting. I don't have any sort of expectations for my Houston Cougars. I do know that being in the American Athletic Conference means we'll up against some of the better teams. AAC... that conference that used to be the Big East. Don't forget- that new Big East has all those Catholic schools that are usually among the beasts of college basketball.


No matter who you want to see win and who you want to see beaten, good luck to all of your teams this upcoming season.
 
Tonight begins the many different Midnight Madness events around the country as college basketball season is just warming up for the 2013-2014 season. Hope you all have fun if you're attending or have been to one of these events.
 
The Preseason USA Today polls were released long ago. Here are the Top 25 in NCAA Division 1 Men's hoops:

01- Kentucky
02- Michigan State
03- Louisville (defending champions)
04- Duke
05- Arizona
06- Kansas
07- Syracuse
08- Florida
09- Michigan
10- Ohio State
11- North Carolina
12- Oklahoma State
13- Memphis
14- Gonzaga
15- Virginia Commonwealth
16- Wichita State
17- Marquette
18- Oregon
19- Connecticut
20- New Mexico
21- Wisconsin
22- Notre Dame
23- UCLA
24- Indiana
25- Virgina

The fun begins later on in November as these teams begin to hoop it up for real in their quest for March Madness.
 
This weekend marks the first true weekend of college basketball. One of the big matches this weekend is tonight's game between Georgetown vs. #19 Oregon to be played in an Army base in South Korea. There are all kinds of games this weekend.

Good luck to all of your team(s) this weekend as well as for this upcoming season.
 
You know, two big games tonight COULD be like a Final Four preview. Here are the two big games slated for tonight:

* #1 Kentucky vs. #2 Michigan State
* #4 Duke vs. #5 Kansas

Doesn't that look like a possible Final Four? I wouldn't be surprised if one or all four of these teams make this season's Final Four. Tonight can be huge for the tournament committee to consider in putting teams into the tournament.
 
Wow. Incredible night of basketball that more than lived up to the hype. These freshmen are something else. Randle was terrifying, Parker was outstanding but KU was able to quiet him down in the second half to beat Duke 94-83. As a Jayhawk I'm thrilled with the potential in my young team, but there are a lot of playmakers all over the country; it's going to be a great season.

Congrats to Mich State and Kansas on a big win tonight. Down goes the axis of evil, Duke and Kentucky! Great basketball
 
This one will drive CAM nuts. Tonight, East Carolina is playing at Duke. Nothing will drive most sports fans crazy than when two of one's favorite teams play against each other. Who do you love more?


So far this season, there have been two wicked upsets. Belmont went into North Carolina and beat the Tar Heels in their house a few days ago. Iowa State ended up taking down #7 Michigan at home back on this past Sunday. Even these games go a long way in helping fill out the tournament brackets come March. How many more teams will fall... and to who? Lot of season left.
 
Man East Carolina put up a hell of a fight against Duke.

Quite a performance from Marcus Smart tonight (39pts) as OKST score over 100 on #11 Memphis

Every KU game I watch I get more and more excited about Joel Embiid. For a kid who has only played the game for 2 and a half years, he can really play. So mobile for a 7 footer.
 
How about this? North Carolina Central upset North Carolina State 82-72 in Overtime. I've always had a secret dislike of NC State basketball as a University of Houston fan. Of course, and since ESPN and others like reminding us of it so much- North Carolina State beat my Houston Cougars back in 1983 for the National Championship during our Phi Slamma Jamma days. So part of me is proud the Eagles of North Carolina Central took down the NC State Wolfpack.
 
I figured for this post, I'd introduce you to the new Big East. We all have heard of how the Catholic Seven of the Big East would comprise this new conference. That conference retained the Big East namesake. Here are the teams of this new Big East. Get to know them:

! = new additions

* Butler!
* Creighton!
* DePaul
* Georgetown
* Marquette
* Providence
* Seton Hall
* St. John's
* Villanova
* Xavier!

Butler and Xavier were Atlantic 10 schools, and Creighton was a Missouri Valley school. Butler made it all the way to the Championship Game a few years ago. All three of these aforementioned schools were pretty good mid-major schools to root for. They now play for the big dogs in a major conference.


Let's meet some of the other newer teams to join NCAA Division 1...

* Massachusetts-Lowell - You may have heard of UMass-Lowell if you follow NCAA Hockey. The River Hawks play in the America East conference. Unlike the main campus of the University of Massachusetts, UMass-Lowell is a non-football school. Red and blue are among the teams' colors.

* Northern Kentucky - Northern Kentucky University are known as the Norse. The school is based in Highland Heights, Kentucky. I remember NKU winning the NCAA Division 2 National Championship in basketball a few years ago... or at least playing for the title. NKU is a non-football school that plays in the Atlantic Sun and wears black and gold.

* Abilene Christian - Stepping up from NCAA Division 2, the Wildcats of Abilene Christian play in the Southland Conference. The 'Cats of ACU rock purple and white. This is a Christian school based in Abilene, TX... which is in about north central Texas.

* Incarnate Word - University of the Incarnate Word is home to the Cardinals. The San Antonio, TX school, like Abilene Christian, play in the Southland Conference. They recently reinstated their football program a few years ago. I would imagine they would maybe start up a rivalry series with the University of Texas-San Antonio as part of a crosstown rivalry.

* Nebraska-Omaha - Texas-Arlington is not the only Mavericks team in NCAA Division 1. Meet the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks. This is a non-football school in Omaha, NE that plays in the Summit League. Their colors are Crimson and Black, and they are officially want to be rebranded as the Omaha Mavericks.

* Grand Canyon University - They are known as the Antelopes of Grand Canyon. They are famous for Dan Majerle being the Antelopes head coach. GCU is a private, Christian, non-football school in Phoenix, Arizona founded in 1949. They play in the WAC conference, and their colors are purple and white.


Those are the six newcomers to the D1 party.
 
Sparty goes down!!

The Tarheels walked into East Lancing and took down the #1 team in the nation right after Roy lost to his former Kansas player Jared Haase coached UAB Blazers.

UNC wins 79-65 making Roy and his Tarheels 7-0 against Izzo and the Spartans

Side note: UNC is GOD AWFUL from the line (shot a little better tonight than usual but wow)
 
Considering how good UNC and Michigan State usually are, I wouldn't be surprised seeing these two tussle again in March Madness. That even includes the womens' teams from each respective school. BIG win for the Tar Heels. Also, it is so much harder (at least I think) to win on the road in college basketball than in college football. That makes the win even more special.
 
JohnBM01
Also, it is so much harder (at least I think) to win on the road in college basketball than in college football. That makes the win even more special.
Click to expand...

Completely agree with this. Smaller / indoor arenas make the fans so much more of an impact. When a college basketball crowd gets fired up it's deafening. I know at least at Kansas it's completely against the rules to lose at home. Not allowed. Does not happen. End of story. (More Big XII titles than home losses in Bill Self Era)

I'm definitely biased and also have not had the opportunity to attend college basketball games on very many different teams turf, but I will still go out and make the bold claim that Allen Fieldhouse "The Phog" is the greatest atmosphere in the country in which to watch basketball :) There's nothing quite like it.

Home field advantage is a major part of the sport, and UNC played an outstanding game tonight to come out of the Spartan's house with a win
 
DOWN GOES KANSAS!

A game-winning buzzer-beater helped Colorado beat Kansas 75-72 in Boulder, CO. In the past, this would be just another Big XII conference game. But of course, Colorado moved on to the (now) Pac-12 while Kansas is still holding it down in the Big XII.

UCLA also went down yesterday, but since I didn't get a score, I won't mention their fail.
 
Good, I'm not sure I could bear seeing

"KU loses, Mizzou wins!"

in the same post.

(Except now I have to because I just posted it. Ugh what an awful day yesterday)
 
Earlier today, George Washington beat Maryland 77-75. The Colonials are now 8-1 on the season. GWU ballin' so far with their only loss being to Ohio State. I last remember the George Washington Colonials being a great team when Pops Mensah-Bonsu was playing for them a few years ago.
 
It was 82-77 in Chapel Hill as #18 North Carolina knocked off #11 Kentucky earlier today. I know it's December, but there was an NCAA Tournament-quality match that took place in Ann Arbor as #25 Michigan hosted #1 Arizona. Arizona survived with a 72-70 win.

Those were among two of the more exciting and more interesting games played today. Another good match was between Notre Dame and Indiana played in Indianapolis. Notre Dame came away with the win in that one. This is basically the kind of weekend to let you know that with the college football types having their off time, it's time for college basketball to get its shine on.
 
Tonight in the Women's game, it's #1 Connecticut at #2 Duke. This is a heavyweight fight on the women's side. You got to love a #1 vs. #2 match.
 
DOWN GOES NORTH CAROLINA!

In surprising fashion, the Texas Longhorns went into #14 North Carolina and beat the Tar Heels 86-83. HUGE win for the Longhorns. That would be huge for Texas' postseason resumé in case there's doubt on Texas' tournament hopes.

There was another small school that took down a big one. Houston's own Texas Southern University went up to Temple University and took down the Owls. The Texas Southern Tigers won 90-89. One of the players for Texas Southern was ballin'- Aaric Murray hung 48 on the Owls.


Yay Texas and Texas Southern, right?
 
Iowa went up to Ohio State and stunned the Buckeyes. It was an 84-74 victory for the Iowa Hawkeyes as THE Ohio State has now lost two straight. They've lost to Iowa on yesterday, but they also lost an Overtime game at Michigan State previous to this Iowa loss.

Iowa State WAS undefeated... until they went to Oklahoma on Saturday. They lost 87-82 to fall to 14-1 on the season (2nd in Big XII at present). The Cyclones will battle Kansas at home.

Arizona is #1 and still unbeaten. They are 17-0... their best start in school history. Their next game is on Thursday as their host their rivals from Arizona State.


Just some updates for you.
 
DOWN GOES MICHIGAN STATE!

#3 Michigan State hosted Michigan, and the Spartans lost 80-75. Sparty's fail to the Wolverines is huge. Wow!
 
Three unbeaten teams enter February: Arizona, Syracuse, and Wichita State. Who will remain unbeaten? All three teams have at at least 20 wins.

Good luck to all of your teams.
 
And then, there were two. Arizona lost on Saturday at California. So only Syracuse and Wichita State are the remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Men's Division 1 basketball. A lot of people would have Syracuse as the top overall seed come March Madness.
 
Marcus Smart and his Oklahoma State Cowboys went into Texas Tech yesterday. Though OK State lost at Texas Tech, the real story was in Marcus Smart shoving a Texas Tech fan in the stands as he went into the stands trying to defend the ball. Smart is getting chewed out by media types for his actions. Some say the Big XII will probably suspend him pretty hard for shoving the fan in the stands.

Have to see where all of this ends up and how this COULD impact him should he head into the NBA.


[UPDATE] Three-game suspension for Marcus Smart. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN's "First Take" said Marcus Smart should be suspended 3-5 games. Well... he will miss the next three games for Oklahoma State.
 
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DOWN GOES SYRACUSE!

25-1 now for the Orange after Boston College came into the Carrier Dome and stunned the #1 team in the land. The 'Cuse failed 62-59 in Overt at home to the Boston College Eagles.

Wichita State is the only remaining unbeaten team, and they won 88-74 at Loyola University of Chicago earlier tonight.


[UPDATE] I forgot to mention this BC at Syracuse game went in Overtime. I made the needed changes to this post.
 
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Its March...

Who is your sleeper teams? And players to watch?

Cant wait for this tournament, the talent in College Hoops finally is off the charts. Maybe he best draft class since LeBron, Melo, DWade etc...

My take is look out for UNC they are playing as good as anyone right now. (Hard to trust in the tourney)

Best player hands down Tyler Ennis from Syracuse. His game translates to NBA, CP3 skills.

Im thinking of some more sleeper teams and guys to watch...
 
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I can't believe this thread hasn't been updated!

Well, my Flyers couldn't quite handle Florida tonight. I honestly think skill wasn't the biggest difference between the teams. The biggest difference was...size. Florida's players were a bit bigger, a bit heavier, a bit taller, and had just that little bit extra to punch through to the paint but also create a roadblock for Dayton getting in. There's a reason NBA players are all huge, and there's a reason NBA doesn't defend as hard as college.

Experience and maturity was a factor. Florida has much more experience than Dayton in tournament play, especially at this level. They've been at it for a couple years now and yet this is the first time Florida cracked the Final Four.

You have to get your foot in the door somehow. I think this was a great push by Dayton and will give the team and fans a clearer goal to push for next year. I feel like this is the start of a trend and we should expect more post-season pushes from Dayton in the next few years with Archie Miller. I know those players are upset tonight but pretty soon they'll get their heads straight and realize that they played the #1 team in the region, hung, and now they see how high they need to raise the bar in preparation for next time.
 
#8 Kentucky vs. #7 Connecticut for the title tonight. Tomorrow night, it's the women's title game, and we WILL have one team finish undefeated. But will it be Notre Dame or Connecticut on the women's side?

Good luck to all teams, and may the better teams win the respective championships.
 

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