Feast Week can be overwhelming. There are games morning to night. Literally non-stop ball. It’s a glorious sight and bit of sensory overload. Nearly every single contender has been tested in some way by now. There are even more on tap tonight as the calendar flips to December with Duke-Florida, UConn-Kansas and UNC-Kentucky heavyweight duals.
So, what have we learned about the best of the best?
In the preseason, we anointed Purdue and Houston as the best teams in college basketball. But right now, Michigan is all the rage after a mega-impressive showing in Las Vegas.
This week’s slate is tremendous. I wonder who is going to be anointed next.
The college basketball season is a long, grueling grind. Teams evolve from November to March. It’s our job not to get caught up with who played well on National Broadcasts most recently and truly see the full picture.
Some stats are noisy right now. Others are more indicative of what’s to come.
Let’s update the national championship tiers after a full month of data, split three ways: The No Brainers in Tier 1. On the Doorstep in Tier 2 and then a third tier of Darkhorses, who have the talent to make serious noise but have real work to do to get up to speed.
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
Tier 1: No-brainers
Michigan
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Wake Forest, TCU, Auburn and Gonzaga)
Odds to win national title: +750
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The defense unquestionably; the offense isn’t far away, either.
What we’ve learned: Michigan’s talent-laden roster has quickly coalesced into a flat-out problem, and Dusty May’s recipe of paint domination is coming to life. Michigan has made 55 more two-point field goals than its opponents this year, per CBB Analytics. That’s No. 1 in the Big Ten. Armed with Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr., Michigan has transformed into the best rim-protecting team in the country. Opponents are shooting just 38.9% at the rim against Michigan, and the Wolverines have the personnel to have some switch-everything lineups that are utterly nasty. Michigan has the bones of the No. 1 defense in the land, and it turns stops into buckets at an elite rate, thanks to a vroom-vroom transition attack.
There will be nights when Michigan turns it over too much. There will be nights when Michigan’s 3-point shooting is a little iffy. But the size, depth and bludgeoning are overwhelming.
Purdue
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Alabama, Memphis and Texas Tech)
Odds to win national title: +850
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: You knew Purdue’s offense wouldn’t turn it over much. So far, so good. You knew Purdue was going to generate great shots with Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn on the sticks. So far, so good in that department, too. What we didn’t predict is just how dominant Purdue could become on the offensive glass with Kaufman-Renn downshifting to the 4 and centers Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen joining the fray. It’s helped Purdue’s offense go from great to a run-you-over freight train. The Boilermakers are poised to make a real run towards cementing themselves as the best offense of the modern era.
Purdue’s defense doesn’t have special personnel, so it could struggle against isolation-heavy offenses, but Painter’s group doesn’t make back-breaking mistakes and it has real rim protection this year. Purdue’s block rate has more than doubled, but its rim deterrence is maybe even more notable and encouraging in the early going.
- 2024-25 Purdue defense’s percentage of shots at the rim allowed: 31.3%
- 2025-26 Purdue defense’s percentage of shots at the rim allowed: 21.6%
Gonzaga
(Record 7-1 | Wins over Oklahoma, Creighton, Arizona State, Alabama and Maryland, loss to Michigan)
Odds to win national title: 12-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 3
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: Matchups tell the tale in college basketball, and Michigan very well could be the worst possible draw for this iteration of Gonzaga basketball.
Frankly, there are many teams out there like Michigan that have the cavalry of big men needed to slow down the Zags’ combination of Braden Huff and Graham Ike. When you can’t do that, Gonzaga can start rolling with high-quality treys adding a different dimension to an always dangerous pick-and-roll offense and an airstrike-like transition attack.
Gonzaga, while battered from the Michigan drubbing, still has the pieces to be so dangerous. This roster legitimately has 11 guys who can hoop. I trust Mark Few, offensive coordinator Stephen Gentry and this sharp Gonzaga coaching staff to keep tinkering its way to dominance, even though, if injected with truth serum, they’d likely admit they’d prefer to see full-strength Michigan as far away in the bracket as possible on Selection Sunday.
UConn
(Record: 6-1 | Wins over BYU and Illinois, loss to Arizona)
Odds to win national title: 12-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: The roster that Dan Hurley built still isn’t fully optimized yet, but you don’t have to squint to see the vision. Injuries to Tarris Reed and Braylon Mullins are annoying, but it has provided an opportunity for second-unit dudes like Malachi Smith, Eric Reibe and Jayden Ross to prove they’re more than ready for the moment. This team is nine deep with much-improved perimeter size and defensive bite.
But it’s the offense that can crank UConn into overdrive. It’s so hard to key in on one dude in this arsenal. One day, it’ll be Solo Ball raining treys. Next, it’ll be Alex Karaban’s cuts and top-of-the-key triples. UConn is a headache because you have to worry about Reed duck-ins, Silas Demary Jr.’s slashing drives and pull-ups, Mullins’ heaters, all weaponized by the movement and counters in this gorgeous scheme.
This UConn offense is so clearly going to be a turbo smash sooner rather than later.
Duke
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Texas, Kansas and Arkansas)
Odds to win national title: 10-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense and the defense are heading that direction.
What we’ve learned: Duke stays in Tier 1 because it is undefeated and Cameron Boozer’s game is wired to win basketball games. The freshman forward has created an absurd 269 points this season (33.6 per game). Boozer scoring and diming his way to 50 points in a single game is firmly in the range of potential outcomes.
Boozer is the next coming of Kevin Love.
But have you gotten the warm and fuzzies from this Duke club yet? I sure haven’t. Wins over Texas, Kansas and Arkansas all included real perplexing stretches from the Blue Devils. Boozer’s brilliance on the hardwood and Jon Scheyer’s excellence on the whiteboard have covered up some hot spots. There are far too many times when Boozer is the only guy on the floor who can consistently create advantages. This defense, ranked top-5 on KenPom right now, could very well be buffed up by a schedule that has featured zero top-30 offenses. Oh, and Duke’s starting lineup of Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr, Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba and Boozer has a -3.9 net rating in 31 minutes against Duke’s three high-major competitors.
I wonder if a starting lineup flip — inserting a pass-dribble-shoot forward like Nik Khamenia into the mix for defense-first Sarr — is in the cards for Scheyer.
Even amidst an unblemished November showing, Duke still has real questions to answer. This week’s dates with Florida and Michigan State will be illuminating.
Arizona
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Florida, UCLA and UConn)
Odds to win national title: 16-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense and the defense.
What we’ve learned: The meat and potatoes with Arizona is the good stuff. Arizona is just pillaging teams on the glass. 41-39 against that Florida frontline is great work. 35-28 on the boards against UCLA still makes Mick Cronin disgusted. The 43-23 rebound advantage against short-handed UConn was a splattering, to put it kindly.
If this continues, and I don’t see why it won’t as long as Tobe Awaka, Koa Peat and Motiejus Krivas stay healthy, Arizona will be in business.
Oh, and don’t get into a razor-tight brawl with this group because Jaden Bradley has ice water in his veins in the clutch. The Arizona senior guard is shooting 8 for 11 from the field without a single turnover in clutch time, per CBB Analytics.
S-T-U-D.
Houston
(Record: 7-1 | Wins over Auburn, Syracuse and Notre Dame, loss to Tennessee)
Odds to win national title: 15-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense and the defense … in time
What we’ve learned: Houston is not a great basketball team right now. That shows up on tape early and often. This defense, while still No. 2 in the country, is certainly a real step down from last year’s group. There are more scouting report errors than the standard. Houston is fouling more than Kelvin Sampson likes, and it isn’t that supercharged stops machine quite yet.
But boy, this team also has some dangerous potential because these Houston guards look different. Freshman Kingston Flemings has a jet-quick first step and generates paint touches at will. Emanuel Sharp is a fearless gunslinger. Milos Uzan is Steady Eddy, who you know will shoot it better from downtown soon.
Houston’s backcourt could easily be the best in America sooner rather than later, and National Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner, JoJo Tugler, complements ’em nicely. If skilled freshman big man Chris Cenac can embrace the daily deposits of development, the Cougars can win six straight.
Florida
(Record: 5-2 | Wins over Florida State and Miami, losses to Arizona and TCU)
Odds to win national title: 22-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The defense; TBD on the offense
What we’ve learned: This is an opportunity to buy the dip on Florida. The Gators aren’t running quite as flawless an operation as a year ago, but the smash-mouth brand of basketball can unequivocally work. Florida has out-rebounded four of the five high-majors it has played. It’s shooting 64.5% at the rim and holding opponents to just 52.8% at the rim in five games against top-100 teams. That rim-dominance recipe is the way, and it helps Florida suffocate the best 3-point shooter on almost every scouting report.
But this group is turning it over more (19.1%) than any other Todd Golden team. This group is also shooting it worse from 3-point range (27.7%) than any other Golden-coached club.
I expect the rim dominance and rebounding to travel every night. I do not expect the 3-point shooting and turnovers to be this glaring a red flag all year.
Maybe this team doesn’t have quite enough depth, but the Gators are a better team than they’ve played so far.
I think the switch starts to flip tonight against Duke, and the narrative around this team could change dramatically in 24 hours.
BYU
(Record: 6-1 | Wins over Villanova, Wisconsin and Miami, loss to UConn)
Odds to win national title: 22-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 1
Elite unit sniff test: The offense.
What we’ve learned: BYU moves up a tier because it’s getting harder and harder to guard this club by the day. Kevin Young so clearly has numerous actions he can run that all generate advantages or tough one-on-one matchups for opposing defenses. It’s Feed The Studs on repeat. Everything offensively runs through Rob Wright, AJ Dybantsa or Richie Saunders, with no one else stealing possessions away from the alpha dawgs.
BYU’s defense was the biggest question in the preseason, and for the most part, it’s taken real strides in the right direction. BYU is up to No. 22 on KenPom in defensive efficiency, thanks to the hounding effort from Kennard Davis and Cleanup on Aisle 5 displays from Keba Keita. Plus, Khadim Mboup has settled in nicely as a disruptive small-ball 5-man to help BYU’s defense avoid being a total dumpster fire whenever Keita sits.
Tier 2: On the doorstep
Iowa State
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Mississippi State, St. John’s and Syracuse)
Odds to win national title: 22-1
Preseason outlook: Not included
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The defense
What we’ve learned: I was not buying Iowa State as a true title threat in the preseason, mostly due to concerns about whether this guard room has enough pop. When Tamin Lipsey was healthy, he was balling like the All-American T.J. Otzelberger predicted. He has to get healthy after suffering a lower-body injury against St. John’s, but Iowa State still crushed Creighton and Syracuse without Lipsey because this roster is further along than initially projected.
Freshman guard Killyan Toure is a madman on-ball defender who fits Otzelberger flawlessly. Milan Momcilovic has upgraded his game in a major way. Oh, and no high-major frontcourt player is averaging more assists than Joshua Jefferson, which is buffing up a halfcourt offense to complement to the double-digit points Iowa State is getting simply from a defense that takes the ball away at an outrageous 25% clip.
Lipsey has to get (and stay) healthy, but Iowa State is for real because Otzelberger squeezes the last drop out of his teams. This isn’t the most talented roster in the Big 12, but this defense is a takeaway machine, and Lipsey, Momcilovic, Toure and Jefferson have each become the absolute best versions of themselves. That matters.
Louisville
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Kentucky and Cincinnati)
Odds to win national title: 16-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: It didn’t take a rocket scientist to look at this roster and surmise that Louisville was going to shoot the ever-livin’ cover off it. Through the first month, Cornell is the only team in the country to make more 3s per game than Louisville (13.3).
Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely are among the nation’s leaders in treys, and Mikel Brown Jr. is going to be a lottery pick for a reason.
The disruptive Kobe Rodgers and the interior stoutness from Sananda Fru certainly soothes some of the personnel questions, but four straight showings against teams like Arkansas, Indiana, Memphis and Tennessee over the next two weeks will shed real light on whether Louisville’s defense is a unit to be taken seriously or not.
Kansas
(Record: 6-2 | Wins over Notre Dame, Syracuse and Tennessee, losses to UNC and Duke)
Odds to win national title: 25-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The defense.
What we’ve learned: A grimy game in the 66-possession range is right up Kansas’ alley right now. The Jayhawks are about to get freshman sensation Darryn Peterson back, but they’ve found something starting with a defense that is turning opposing guards’ water off. That sparked KU’s 3-0 showing in Las Vegas and can be a springboard for the rest of the season. Melvin Council can guard his yard, and Flory Bidunga can be a defensive weapon when he’s dialed in.
Defense and a superstar like Peterson can take you far, especially if role players like Elmarko Jackson, Tre White and Bryson Tiller roll strong Vegas winnings into more. But I question if this offense ever has a special gear, no matter how brilliant Peterson is. That’s why they stay in Tier 2.
Michigan State
(Record: 7-0 | Wins over Arkansas, Kentucky and North Carolina)
Odds to win national title: 30-1
Preseason outlook: Not included
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The defense
What we’ve learned: Michigan State is so dialed into the non-negotiables right now. Their gap help defensively is dialed in. Their commitment to smoking anybody and everybody on the glass is so respectable. It’s honestly a bit ironic how similar Dusty May and Tom Izzo are in approaching winning basketball games these days, even if Michigan’s roster has more raw talent.
Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. only made 24 jumpers all of last year. He’s already up to 16 through seven games. Fears’ added growth as a shot-maker, combined with the brilliance as a on-ball defender and sharp floor general (his 4.3-to-1, assist-to-turnover ratio is stupid stuff) has charted him into a new zip code of Big Ten point guards.
While so many other teams are still figuring out what they do best, Michigan State knows its identity already. I do wonder if Michigan State’s excellent defense is a tad vulnerable against do-it-all bigs. We’ll get our answer this week when Duke’s Cameron Boozer strolls into town.
Illinois
(Record: Win over Texas Tech, losses to Alabama and UConn)
Odds to win national title: 25-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: Illinois is still a work in progress, but the skilled size does create mismatches all over the floor. At full strength, Illinois should be one of the most dangerous isolation offenses in the sport. Kylan Boswell, Andrej Stojakovic and David Mirkovic can all go get one for themselves at any moment, and Illinois’ spacing and scheme versatility offensively is noticeable.
Blending things together will be the deciding factor. Illinois can’t reach the peak of its powers without center Tomislav Ivisic at max capacity, and Brad Underwood is still tinkering with which lineup combinations work best. There were far too many defensive errors, offensive rebounds allowed and bricked open treys in the Black Friday loss to UConn. Championship teams make open 3s, rebound and don’t commit that many costly sins on defense.
Illinois has a chance to be fantastic, but there’s work to do to vault into Tier 1.
Tennessee
(Record: 7-1 | Wins over Rutgers and Houston, loss to Kansas)
Odds to win national title: 22-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The defense.
What we’ve learned: Tennessee has two offensive engines (Nate Ament and Ja’Kobi Gillespie) and scores of excellent big men who love to rebound and control the paint. That’s a very dangerous combination. Tennessee’s offensive process is encouraging in the first month. The Vols have leaned into finding actions that incorporate both Ament and Gillespie at the same time to give defenses real headaches. Tennessee still has to tighten some screws defensively, and there’s a real fear that Tennessee is a rolled ankle from Gillespie or Ament from being in a major bind, but Rick Barnes has so clearly given this program another bite at the apple.
But can a team be awesome with just one guard you have to worry about? Tennessee is putting that to the test right now.
St. John’s
(Record: 4-3 | Win over Baylor, losses to Alabama, Iowa State and Auburn)
Odds to win national title: 25-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: Want to pile on St. John’s for a rocky first month? Go for it. It’s deserved. The late-clock offense is shaky. The defense has let primary options like Auburn’s Tahaad Pettiford, Alabama’s Labaron Philon and Baylor’s Cameron Carr go nuclear. This point-of-attack defense is a real problem right now. No matter which lineups St. John’s plays, it’s easy to find weak defenders to hunt.
It’s all accurate.
Sell St. John’s now, but I’m buying them later.
This group still has a dangerous combination of power, speed and athleticism that shows up in transition and on the offensive glass. Bryce Hopkins looks like Bryce Hopkins again. Dillon Mitchell is a freak. Zuby Ejiofor’s offensive game has improved. Oziyah Sellers is settling in, and Ian Jackson is not a lost cause. Rick Pitino will get these young guards to sit down and play defense one day.
Texas Tech
(Record: 6-2 | Win over Wake Forest, losses to Illinois and Purdue)
Odds to win national title: 50-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 2
Elite unit sniff test: The offense soon.
What we’ve learned: JT Toppin is already putting together another ludicrous season and Christian Anderson is a stud, but some scary trends have started to develop in the early going. Texas Tech got worked on the boards by Illinois and Purdue, which is understandable. But it barely won the rebounding battle against Sam Houston State and was even with Wyoming.
That ain’t it.
Luke Bamgboye is back in the mix which is helpful. Texas Tech needs the VCU transfer big man to play with real force and protect the rim at a high level.
Texas Tech is going to be very potent when it coalesces, but I’m starting to get a bit worried about these wings. Donovan Atwell and Tyeree Bryan are spacing threats, but no one is scared of them off the bounce or as creators. It’s heaping a ton of pressure onto Toppin, Anderson and LeJuan Watts to create, uh, everything.
Tier 3: Dark horses
UCLA
(Record: 5-2 | Losses to Arizona and Cal)
Odds to win national title: 80-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 3
Elite unit sniff test: Neither, yet
What we’ve learned: UCLA’s veteran-laden group has already hit some choppy waters. All-American hopeful Donovan Dent is shooting just 3-for-23 on jumpers and 57% from the charity stripe. That’s … peculiar and can’t be sticky, right? UCLA’s defense was pretty good against Arizona, but it still hasn’t looked particularly vicious yet. That also can’t be sticky, right?
I’m willing to be patient with this group because the talent is obvious, but UCLA played seven games in November and didn’t look particularly cohesive in five of ’em.
That better change quickly.
Kentucky
(Record: 5-2 | Losses to Louisville and Michigan State)
Odds to win national title: 22-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 1
One month later: Tier 3
Elite unit sniff test: Neither, yet.
What we’ve learned: Kentucky has had two real tests this year, and they flunked both of them. Losses to Louisville and Michigan State, parlayed with injuries to Jaland Lowe, Mo Dioubate and Jayden Quaintance, have sent things into a tizzy in Big Blue Nation.
A coaching change in football can only steal the headlines for so long.
Kentucky, albeit short-handed, has to come out this week against North Carolina on Tuesday and Gonzaga on Friday and make a statement.
I think Kentucky’s biggest issues are fixable. There have been a large chunk of defensive scouting report errors early. That’s fixable. The effort and competitive spirit have been challenged. I know it’s in there somewhere for guys like Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen. The “after me, you come first” shot selection gaffes can get fixed real quick with a date with the pine. The pivot to starting Malachi Moreno at the 5-spot was needed. His processing as a top-of-the-key hub should iron out the rough edges of this offense. Mo Dioubate’s ankle injury is going to let Kentucky’s staff get a long look at what this offense can look like with a shooter at the 4 (Kam Williams or Andrija Jelavic).
But none of the schematic changes matter if Kentucky doesn’t come out this week and plays like a wounded dog.
Alabama
(Record: 5-2 | Wins over St. John’s, Illinois and Maryland, losses to Purdue and Gonzaga)
Odds to win national title: 25-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 3
One month later: Tier 3
Elite unit sniff test: The offense
What we’ve learned: Alabama is so annoying to play against. Nate Oats’ group plays with relentless pace, and the Tide generates a barrage of open corner 3-pointers. Over 15% of Alabama’s shots are those ultra-valuable corner 3s. That rates in the 97th percentile nationally, and it’s fueled by All-American Labaron Philon, speedy deadeye Aden Holloway and multiple lineups that feature five shooters.
But this team just isn’t matchup-proof right now. Gonzaga corralled 20 offensive rebounds. Purdue had 19 against ’em. This front line is a major work in progress. Aiden Sherrell’s continued growth is a major X-Factor because Alabama can’t win six straight with a frontcourt that gets routinely pelted like this on the glass. I’m not sure the flaws on this roster are fixable.
Arkansas
(Record: 5-2 | Losses to Michigan State and Duke)
Odds to win national title: 35-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 2
One month later: Tier 3
Elite unit sniff test: The offense soon.
What we’ve learned: Here’s what I wrote about Arkansas in the preseason: “John Calipari has not had a team with a top-20 offense and defense since 2019. For one reason or another, he’s had a hard time streamlining things, and his teams tend to leak oil on one end or the other. This team could (and should) buck that trend.”
After one month, Arkansas is 5-2 with respectable losses to Duke and Michigan State and survival wins over Winthrop and Samford. The offense? No. 47 nationally. The defense? No. 35. The talent on this roster is undeniable, but it’s not playing at that championship-level gear yet.
Darius Acuff is a beast, and Calipari has wisely elevated Meleek Thomas past DJ Wagner. That freshmen duo is dynamic, slithery and a flat-out problem. Billy Richmond is a game-changing role player, and the mercurial Trevon Brazile’s best moments are fantastic, which makes the no-shows even more frustrating.
Right now, it just simply comes down to whether Arkansas can learn how to do the hard things to win basketball games. Why is one of the most athletic teams in the country a mediocre rebounding team right now? Can it find easier answers for this halfcourt offense, so it’s not quite as much “your turn, my turn” between Acuff and Thomas? Can it add more wrinkles to the defense? Sticking with solo coverage on Cameron Boozer was certainly a decision…
I’m still in wait-and-see mode with this Arkansas team that can play with anybody but might be able to lose to anyone.
North Carolina
(Record: Win over Kansas, loss to Michigan State)
Odds to win national title: 35-1
Preseason outlook: Tier 3
One month later: Tier 3
Elite unit sniff test: None, yet.
What we’ve learned: With Seth Trimble still sidelined with a broken arm, The Caleb Wilson Show rolls on. The five-star freshman is playing like he wants to join the Big Three in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the energy, explosiveness and terrifying athleticism give North Carolina a shot to be competitive every night. The Wilson-Henri Veesaar pairing has been excellent for UNC this year.
But the Tar Heels’ guard play was not good enough against Michigan State. It missed Trimble’s quick-twitch burst, and it’s been a struggle for Kyan Evans to avoid turnovers and get to the rim this year.
One extra subplot is that North Carolina has been an excellent team (+37.5 net rating) with Veesaar on the floor and a terrible one (-6.7 adjusted net rating) when he sits. The lack of trustworthy frontcourt depth could be a serious hindrance for this team in March.
UNC stays in Tier 3 until Trimble gets back and acclimates again.
EXPLAINING NOTABLE EXCLUSIONS
Vanderbilt (No. 17 in AP Top 25): The ‘Dores are ballin’ these days. Vanderbilt has at least three trustworthy playmakers on the floor at all times, and the ball pops and has real energy. Tyler Tanner? Stud. Duke Miles? Bucket. Devin McGlockton? Elite role player. Mark Byington? Pretty darn good at his job. Vanderbilt is up to No. 10 on KenPom after blasting Saint Mary’s and VCU. All the metrics look phenomenal, but I’m still not quite ready to anoint Vanderbilt as a true threat to win six in a row until I see how they handle some more proven frontlines. Who is the best big man Vanderbilt has faced this year? Saint Mary’s Andrew McKeever? I enjoy watching this team as much as any in the sport these days, though. National championship odds: 25-1
Indiana (No. 22 in AP Top 25): Do you really think Indiana is the third-best two-point defense in college basketball, or is that a direct result of playing Marquette and Kansas State teams that don’t have a threatening interior big man? I think we all know the answer. That being said, Indiana shoots a billion 3s and has a roster that meshes together so snugly. Tucker DeVries and Lamar Wilkerson can go 3-for-3 with just about any duo in the sport. Indiana-Louisville on Saturday will feature four of the best sharpshooters in the sport in DeVries, Wilkerson, McKneely and Conwell. National championship odds: 80-1
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