This article is part of our RotoWire Bracketology series.
Is anyone good this season? Like, really good? It's only March, but the sight of BYU at No. 5 in the NET leaves more questions than answers. Still, Selection Sunday is two months away and a lot can change until then. It wouldn't be surprising if one of the better teams went on a 10-game winning streak and the 'no elite teams' theory would be debunked. Even then, UConn had seven conference losses last season and looked like one of the best college teams ever in March Madness.
Maybe the question shouldn't be if anyone is good right now. It should be if anyone can be really good in March and April.
That's one question Purdue fans don't want to answer just yet, having been bounced by a 16, 15 and 13 seed the last three seasons. So, are the Boilermakers better than prior years, specifically last season?
For a live, updated bracket throughout the week check out our RotoWire Bracketology page.
Purdue: NET 2, 18-2 overall, 7-2 Q1
The main stats that jump out to me for the Boilermakers is that they're playing faster than a season ago and are shooting a lot better. After being at 32.2 percent from three last season, they're now one of the best, sitting above 40 percent. Notably, they went 5-for-26 from distance in the loss to 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
It might be as simple as the same guys are shooting better than a year ago. Braden Smith is at 42.6 percent, up from 37.6 percent last season. Fletcher Loyer is at 43.8 percent, up from 32.6 percent. Mason Gillis doesn't take as many, but he's at 51.0 percent compared to 35.6 percent last season. Combine elite outside shooting with Zach Edey, and this team probably would've been in the Final Four a year ago. Of course, bad shooting games are always possible, but having three 40-plus-percent shooters all brick shots in the same game isn't as likely.
Sure, like everyone else, the Boilers have a couple road losses, but the overall numbers suggest that maybe they can finally do some damage in March. Throw in a somewhat down season for the Big Ten and it's hard to find three more losses on their schedule.
Sorry, did I just jinx them?
Connecticut: NET 8, 17-2 overall, 7-2 Q1
The only other team that I think stands above the rest on a surface level, in January at least, is UConn. The Huskies may not be top five in the NET, but it's hard to ignore their potential. Donovan Clingan has rarely been healthy the first few months of the season, and standout freshman Stephon Castle also had an injury that forced him to miss games.
Tristen Newton has turned into a Wooden Award nominee, and transfer Cam Spencer has been a knockdown shooter, as he's getting far less attention from defenses than his time at Rutgers. Alex Karaban has better numbers almost across the board in his sophomore season. Unlike last year, the Huskies didn't hit a lull once conference play started.
Their defensive numbers aren't as good as last season, partly do to poor three-point defense, which sometimes can be a luck thing. Not having Andre Jackson on the perimeter doesn't help, but Clingan is still working his way back to being 100 percent to help protect the rim.
Top 10 NET Rankings
| RANK | PREVIOUS | SCHOOL | CONFERENCE | RECORD | ROAD | NEUTRAL | HOME | QUAD 1 | QUAD 2 | QUAD 3 | QUAD 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Houston | Big 12 | 17-2 | 2-2 | 4-0 | 11-0 | 5-2 | 2-0 | 3-0 | 7-0 |
| 2 | 2 | Purdue | Big Ten | 18-2 | 3-2 | 5-0 | 10-0 | 7-2 | 4-0 | 4-0 | 3-0 |
| 3 | 3 | Arizona | Pac-12 | 14-4 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 10-0 | 5-3 | 1-1 | 5-0 | 3-0 |
| 4 | 4 | Tennessee | SEC | 14-4 | 2-2 | 2-2 | 10-0 | 3-4 | 5-0 | 1-0 | 5-0 |
| 5 | 5 | BYU | Big 12 | 14-5 | 1-3 | 3-0 | 10-2 | 3-4 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 9-0 |
| 6 | 6 | North Carolina | ACC | 16-3 | 4-0 | 3-3 | 9-0 | 4-3 | 3-0 | 4-0 | 5-0 |
| 7 | 7 | Auburn | SEC | 16-2 | 2-1 | 4-1 | 10-0 | 0-2 | 6-0 | 5-0 | 5-0 |
| 8 | 8 | UConn | Big East | 17-2 | 3-2 | 4-0 | 10-0 | 7-2 | 2-0 | 0-0 | 8-0 |
| 9 | 9 | Alabama | SEC | 12-6 | 2-2 | 2-3 | 8-1 | 2-4 | 2-2 | 4-0 | 4-0 |
| 10 | 10 | Iowa St. | Big 12 | 14-4 | 2-2 | 1-2 | 11-0 | 2-4 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 9-0 |
Can anyone else join that group? There has to be two more 1-seeds, assuming both Purdue and UConn get there, and it seems wide open for those spots.
Kentucky seems like a popular pick to advance now that Zvonimir Ivisic is available. After hitting three threes and blocking three shots in his 16-minute debut, he could be a game-changer for the Wildcats. At 7-foot-2 he may not be Chet Holmgren just yet, but it's clear he adds another dimension to the Wildcats with fellow seven footers Aaron Bradshaw and Ugonna Onyenso. Of course, in Ivisic's second game, UK lost by 17 points at South Carolina, and he had three fouls in 10 minutes.
Otherwise, I'm not sold on a thin Kansas squad. Auburn is always exciting under Bruce Pearl, yet its schedule hasn't been the most difficult. Arizona is still great in the metrics, but an 18-point loss against Stanford showed plenty of flaws, in addition to almost falling to UCLA. North Carolina and Duke seem headed for some big battles in the ACC, with both options to take that next step. Tennessee fits the bill with maybe its best offensive group since the days of Grant Williams and Admiral Schofield. Given the Vols' historical struggles in the tournament under Rick Barnes, I'm still not there. Houston rates well as usual, but personally, I don't think this group is more talented than any of the prior ones. No matter, Kelvin Sampson always has this team built to make a Final Four. I just don't think they can get further than that.
Because of the metrics, teams like Houston and Kansas won't have anymore truly bad losses on their resumes playing in the Big 12. I have questions about how good the Big 12 really is, and the metrics only grow as they beat up on each other, but that's a different article.
Metrics prior to games on Thursday, Jan. 25
For a live, updated bracket throughout the week check out our RotoWire Bracketology page.
