College Basketball "STOCK WATCH"
ACC
Stock UP:
NC State- The Wolfpack seem to be in this position ever year. Last year, they were one of the last teams to make the field. They have put themselves in that place again, but have something that most bubble teams do not have and that is two great wins, - Duke and at Louisville.
Stock DOWN:
North Carolina- The Tar Heels have many problems for a perennial contender in the latter part of the regular season. They have still not been able to find a consistent shooter to help take the pressure off Marcus Paige. And speaking of Paige, his foot is not right, and they need him to be at 100% to be any threat at all. Too make things worse? This team struggles on the defensive end.
Big Ten
Stock UP:
Michigan State-Outside of Wisconsin, who should end up being a 1 seed, every team in the Big Ten has had a hard time establishing themselves as the second best team in the conference. Tom Izzo’s bunch has struggled this year, and has had a hard time separating themselves from the bubble. Michigan St received a huge lift from Denzel Valentine on Saturday with a win over Ohio State and they will be expected to continue to gain confidence down the stretch.
Stock DOWN:
Iowa- You think your team had a bad week? It could not have been as bad as Iowa’s. A week ago, Iowa was sitting pretty and on their way to a solid seed in the NCAA tournament. Now, after consecutive losses, first at home to Minnesota and then on the road at Northwestern, Iowa finds themselves searching for answers. The Hawkeyes have a favorable schedule down the stretch so let’s see if they can regain some momentum.
Big 12
Stock UP:
Oklahoma- Despite losing their last game via a late game dagger from Marcus Foster, Oklahoma is still one of the hottest teams in the Big 12 having won their five prior games. The Sooners are not offensively challenged which is the case for many teams. Four players average double-digits for the Sooners, led by Buddy Hield, one of the best players in the country. Oklahoma also possesses eight wins against the RPI top 50.
Stock DOWN:
Texas- The Longhorns have won three consecutive games, but they have been against the bottom of the conference. Texas was a top 10 team in November and many expected them to contend for a national title. Isiah Taylor’s return to the lineup didn’t seem to fix anything, and Texas seems to be in the 7-9 seed range at this time. The biggest problem? Texas’s next 4 games are all against ranked foes, including three road games at Oklahoma, at West Virginia, and at Kansas.
SEC
Stock UP:
Arkansas-Outside of Kentucky, no other SEC team has really dazzled this year. Arkansas finally gives us a clear #2 team in the conference. The Razorbacks have won 7 of 8 and seemed primed for a solid seed in the NCAA tournament. Bobby Portis and Michael Qualls lead a solid bunch. Arkansas’ problem used to be winning on the road and that hasn’t been the case this year. Arkansas is coming off consecutive road wins including a one point victory at Mississippi. Arkansas’s biggest challenge the rest of the regular season? How about a date in Lexington to take on Kentucky?
Stock DOWN:
Florida-Besides being mediocre, the middle of the SEC has actually been pretty consistent. Florida may be the most disappointing team in the country. Florida is currently under .500 overall at 12-13. To be sure, this team lost a lot of seniors, but the Gators were in the Final 4 last April. Billy Donovan and Co. will most likely not even accept an NIT bid, if they even get an invite.
Big East
Stock UP:
Villanova- This is one of the most underappreciated top teams in recent memory. The Wildcats have no household names and no All-American candidates but all they do is win basketball games. The sweep of Providence and Butler on the road last week was very impressive. The Wildcats will be in the discussion for a #1 seed on Selection Sunday
Stock DOWN:
Seton Hall- This team has completely unraveled. The Pirates have lost five straight, and quite frankly, none of those games have been very competitive. It has been ugly on and off the court for the Pirates. Jaren Sina has left the program and there is word of serious issues in the locker room. To make things worse, Seton Hall’s best player, Sterling Gibbs, will probably have to sit out a few games after striking Villanova’s Ryan Arcidiacono late in Monday's loss to the Wildcats.
PAC 12
Stock UP:
UCLA- About a month ago UCLA was not even being considered for an at-large bid and now many people believe they are right on the cusp. The Bruins have won 5 of 6 including a win over Utah and over bubble teams Stanford and Oregon. The Bruins have very fair schedule down the stretch including their final three games coming at home against Washington, Washington St, and USC. The only real challenge comes this Saturday at Arizona.
Stock DOWN:
Washington: Back in mid-December the Huskies climbed to as high as #14 in the AP rankings. Since that point it has been anything but pretty for Lorenzo Romar and Co. Since kicking Robert Upshaw off the team, Washington has lost eight straight games. It is going to be a long rest of the year for Washington.
Mid-Majors
Stock UP:
Northern Iowa- The Panthers are built in a mode a lot like Virginia. They’re a grind it out team that will make you work for everything. They also have a star in Seth Tuttle, who is one of the top players in college basketball. The Panthers, now ranked #11 in the AP poll, will not be afraid of anyone in the tournament. They handled Wichita St a couple weeks ago better than anyone in year’s past. February 28th, their regular season finale will be the rematch against the Shockers and it will most likely be for the Missouri Valley Conference crown.
Stock DOWN:
VCU- Before beating George Washington this past weekend VCU had lost three of four. Normally, there would not be so much concern about the Rams because of their style of play. The problem is, “havoc leader” Briante Weber is out for the year with a severe knee injury. He was the engine that made everything run for the Rams. It is hard to see them making it out of the first weekend without him.