Why Syracuse and Arizona Are the Two Best Teams in the Country

Normally this time of year, the winter has settled in and locked me in my house until the long awaited signs of spring begin to come. However, since I'm now residing in the beautiful city of Columbia, South Carolina, winter has become a nonexistent concept. As a result, I haven't gotten my normal fill of college basketball Maybe it's because the warmer climate makes it feel like it shouldn't be basketball season, and I don't feel motivation to watch? Maybe it's because college football season was so fun? Maybe it's because the University of South Carolina has a (and this is putting it very, very kindly) less than stellar basketball team? No matter the reason, I forced myself to renew my interest by watching multiple games this week and over Christmas break. For one, I need some new subject material for this blog, so I can avoid doing homework for as long as possible once Netflix gets boring (Also, to any of my professors who stumble on to this- It's syllabus week. Homework isn't acceptable now, okay? The forced procrastination shouldn't have to start until next week). Also, I need to make sure I can win a bracket pool... or two... or eighty nine, so I can make some money once March rolls around. To get our feet back in the water, I've decided to talk about the indisputable top two teams in the country currently: Arizona and Syracuse. If my life depended on predicting a national champion right now, it would definitely be either the Wildcats or the Orange. Granted, I'd be so confused on which one to take, my head would probably explode, so the whole concept doesn't really work. Since I eradicated my own theory, let's just dig and see why these teams are so good. 

Arizona hasn't lost a game yet. They've had impressive wins over Duke, UCLA, and Michigan. They have a balanced lineup who can beat you in a variety of different ways. T.J. McConnell might be the most underrated point guard in the country and plays defense like Aaron Craft. Aaron Gordon is doing what he needs to do, even if he isn't living up to being a member of the best freshman recruiting class of all time like I am. Kaleb Tarczewski is an absolute Greek god in the paint. (See, his name sounds like Zeus, who was like the God of Gods in Greek Mythology, so that's punny). Brandon Ashley is also coming into his own which will only make this team more dangerous. Their coach, Sean Miller, proved he could win in the NCAA tournament at Xavier, and I think this is the year he breaks into the Final Four. Not to mention, the Pac-12's caliber of basketball seems much better than year's past. This will only help the Wildcats prepare for a deep tournament run in March.

As good as Arizona has been, I think Syracuse has been even better. They've had wins over California, Minnesota, Indiana, Villanova, and North Carolina (The Tar Heels have been the single most inconsistent college basketball team this year, so it's debatable how good of a win that one was). The Orange, like Arizona, can have any player on the team beat you on the offensive end, and the 2-3 zone continues to be a black hole for opposing offenses. I'm fully convinced Jim Boeheim could take five students from the student section one game and turn them into elite defensive players in in time for the next one. Hell, for the sake of a challenge, he could probably take the students' moms and make them shut down a solid intramural team with a week or two of practice. The scariest thing about this team? How easily they score, as four players are averaging double figures. First off, there's CJ Fair, a legitimate player of the year candidate, who has blossomed into the Orange's natural leader this year. Then, there's Trevor Cooney, who is the only player in college basketball who could beat you in a drinking contest, beat you in basketball, and then beat you in a brawl, all in the same average, Tuesday night (Do I know if Trevor Cooney is actually Irish, as I strongly stereotyped him to be in that last sentence? No. But if he's not, that would be saddening). On top of that you have Rakeem Christmas. Not only does Syracuse have a player with the last name of Christmas, he wears #25!

"Christmas 25" has to come right behind "Love 69" as the best thing you can have on the back of a basketball jersey (Okay Kevin Love, the ball's in your court now... You make this happen and you'll have the best selling jersey in the NBA, even if it's just a bunch of teenage boys buying it). That alone gives Syracuse more intangibles than just about every team in the country. Finally, the biggest reason Syracuse is playing the best basketball of any team in the country right now is because of Tyler Ennis. Last year, the Orange rode the play of the Michael Carter-Williams to the Final Four, and all the experts expected the point guard position play to drastically fall off. So inevitably, what happened? A Canadian freshman (NOT named Andrew Wiggins!!!) steps in, averages double figures, plays ferocious defense, and proves the power of maple syrup game after game. I didn't even mention Jerami Grant in that entire paragraph, and he just happens to be Syracuse's second leading scorer. If that's not a testament to this team's potential in March, I'm not really sure what to tell you. Barring a serious injury, an Aaron Hernandez-like murder controversy, or Ennis getting caught smoking synthetic marijuana without any pants in a parking lot because he can't find a Boston Market (Oh wait, Kellen Winslow is already of being the only athlete in New York who will do that... Make that the only athlete in the world who will do that), Syracuse looks like a lock for the Final Four right now. 

To conclude this week, I've decided to bring back the Fun Fact of the Week: Over break, I stumbled upon the Xavier basketball team. What stuck out to me about the Xavier basketball team? It wasn't the possibility of them winning the new Big East or being a dark horse team in the tournament. Rather, it was Matt Stainbrook. Before proceeding, I want you to imagine a stereotypical D1 college basketball player in your mind. Now scroll down and behold the Ryan Gosling lookalike, insanely athletic, and future NBA Hall of Famer, Mr. Matt Stainbrook

To make matters worse, Stainbrook had a massive bandage on his face to go with his Rec Specs during the game I watched. On the Xavier website, he's listed at 263, but that might be a little generous, as the guy struggled to get down the court. Don't get me wrong, he had a nasty baby hook. I just still can't figure out how somebody who looks like the nerdy, pale Hulk can be a prominent figure on a good basketball team.

J. Nave

Bold and Not So Bold Predictions for the 2014 College Football Season

Last night, the Florida State Seminoles completed one of the most remarkable comebacks in college football history to stun the Auburn Tigers. Last night, the BCS era came to a fantastic conclusion after years of controversy, but not before giving fans the best five of the best BCS bowls of all time. Last night, Jameis Winston reminded the world that "God is so blessed." Last night, was also the final college football game for more than 230 days. In honor of the end of the BCS and all the anticipation of 2014's landmark college football season and playoff, I'm going to try and make up for my atrocious 19-16 bowl record by making some predictions for what will happen next season: 

1. Jameis Winston Will Continue To Give Bad Interviews
Last night, Jameis Winston proved two things: First, he is a very good quarterback deserving of the Heisman trophy. Second, he has no public speaking abilities whatsoever. I was going to try and write this entire paragraph in 'Winston English', but the task was simply too hard. He may have "done it big" and "brought that swag back" on the football field, but I couldn't write a paragraph in 'Winston English' unless I was writing it with my teammates who wrote it with me! Instead, I'm going to let Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall explain what I thought of Winston's inspirational words following last night's game:

Adding "twerk", "YOLO", and eradicating the meaning of literally has already made the English language a laughingstock. But I mean, Famous Jameis, if you want to be taken seriously be me, please practice your public speaking skills along with your three step drops. Besides, if you have to go to court for another scandal down the road, you're going to find the English language very useful. (Also another mini prediction, look for hundreds, if not thousands of College Gameday signs taunting Winston's speaking skills next fall)

2. Brady Hoke Will Get Fired or Win a Division Title

The University of Michigan football team used to be one of the top programs in the country. Then, Rich Rodriguez happened, they stopped playing defense, and they forgot how to beat Ohio State. To ascent back to the top of the college football universe, they hired Brady Hoke. However, the Wolverine faithful are figuring out that Hoke is both figuratively (and much more literally) weighing them down. After spending more time eating chicken wings than preparing for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Hoke is going to have even more pressure next fall. He has recruited well, but it's not translating to any success on the field. Michigan hasn't won a conference championship since 2004 and was only able to win a bowl game in Hoke's first season. With the new Big Ten alignment, a win over Ohio State could vault the Wolverines into the Big Ten title game. And that seems to me the only way Hoke keeps his job. 

3. Alabama Will Make the Playoff 

Nick Saban's and the Crimson Tide have lost two straight football games, AJ McCarron will be gone, the defense will lose some key players, and Auburn, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, and LSU can all compete with the Tide. All of those reasons, especially the first one, explain why Alabama will have success this fall. If you can believe Saban doesn't lay awake at night reliving the Chris Davis return (and more recently getting outcoached by Bob Stoops), you are too naive about Saban's outlook on life and football. Saban will spring the entire spring preparing for any possible outcomes he might face next year. What if Mike the Tiger escapes on to the sideline during their game at Baton Rouge? (I'll have two graduate assistants spaced 15 yards apart each carry a tranquilizer) What if my kicker misses three field goals again (I'll kick the damn ball myself) What if Johnny Manziel doesn't leave Texas A&M? (I'll kill him. I have no choice but to kill him) Nick Saban's drive to win will be even greater this fall, and when coupled with his threats to severely injure his players if they lose, look for the Crimson Tide to get the nod to participate in the playoff, even if Saban has to bribe a few committee members.

4. An Ohio State Buckeye Will Miss Games Due to a Suspension for Ecstasy Use

Wait, this already happened? Thanks Noah Spence! At least one of these will be right! (Actually, who am I kidding, number one is a guarantee, too).

5. UCLA Will Win the National Championship

Now, that may sound crazy. And I must admit, I nearly laughed as I typed it. That can't actually happen can it? Winston has another Heisman and championship locked up already. If not him, one of the mighty teams in Alabama will win it. Michigan State could be scary good. Oregon and Stanford both play in the Pac-12 and UCLA can't beat either of them. Well, nobody had Auburn making it all the way to Pasadena this year, and it's much more plausible for the team that plays in the Rose Bowl to make a run like that next year (Also, it's no fun to pick a team, like Bama or FSU, because everybody will pick them. Plus, if UCLA even makes it to the title game, you can bet I'll reference this January blog post to assert my sports knowledge dominance). Especially when you have a guy by the name of Brett Hundley. The kid got some major draft buzz this year, and he will likely be a top five pick if he has another solid season. When you combine his talent on offense, a stout UCLA defense, and Oregon and Stanford having to come to Los Angeles, UCLA will win the Pac-12, get into the playoff, and win it all.

Other Playoff Teams:

-Alabama: Talked about above.

-Florida State: As much as I knocked Jameis, the ACC is really bad and Florida State is really good. If they don't make it into the playoff I would be shocked.

-Oklahoma: The Sooners ended the season fire, and if Trevor Knight keeps playing like a capable quarterback, Oklahoma could be really, really good next year. 

J. Nave

The Quest for 35-0 (Part Three of Three)

Well, 35-0 seemed like a great goal a couple weeks ago. Now, I think I'll gladly settle with a couple games over .500. I've never personally liked picking bowl game (nor ever been that good at it) because there are so many variables. What team is going to show up motivated? What team just wants the bowl's goody bags? What team lost their head coach? What team suffered a last minute injury? Add in way too much time to analyze every game, and all of a sudden you understand why I'm not good at picking them. However, with the calender turning to 2014, maybe I'll have some new luck with my final round of bowl picks? Also, to additionally change my karma, I've decided to abandon the haikus. To replace them, I'll simply give a one sentence explanation for how each remaining bowl game will unfold. Happy New Year to all my readers, and let's start out 2014 undefeated!

24) Gator Bowl--- Georgia over Nebraska: Georgia's backup quarterback hands the ball off to Todd Gurley and makes fewer mistakes than Nebraska's backup quarterback.

25) Heart of Dallas Bowl--- North Texas over UNLV: I flipped a coin and got heads, so I'm picking the Mean Green.

26) Outback Bowl--- LSU over Iowa: SEC speed and Les Miles' trick plays lead to a close victory for the Tigers.

27) Capital One Bowl--- South Carolina over Wisconsin: I'm not picking against my own school, I hate Wisconsin, and Connor Shaw's bound to play well in his final game.

28) Rose Bowl--- Stanford over Michigan State: Was going to pick Sparty, but with the loss of the heat and soul of the defense (Max Bullough), I'm going with the Cardinal.

29) Fiesta Bowl--- Baylor over UCF: Bryce Petty and Blake Bortles are both great quarterbacks, but Baylor's offense wins the shootout.

30) Sugar Bowl--- Alabama over Oklahoma: I will not pick against Nick Saban, I will not pick against Nick Saban, I will not pick against Nick Saban.

31) Cotton Bowl--- Missouri over Oklahoma State: Missouri's offense shows the Cowboys why they got the invitation to join the SEC.

32) Orange Bowl---Ohio State over Clemson: (SPOILER ALERT: Breaking my one sentence rule here) In the game I had the most difficulty picking, I opted to pick the Buckeyes. Clemson's receivers SHOULD have a field day against the pathetic Ohio State secondary, but it is Clemson after all. Dabo makes some dumb decisions that let Ohio State escape with a win. Plus, I don't think Clemson can stop Braxton Miller, Carlos Hyde, and the Buckeye offense.

33) BBVA Compass Bowl--- Vanderbilt over Houston: Commodores use compasses, therefore they got the nod over the Cougars, who are completely unaware of what a compass is.

34) GoDaddy.com Bowl--- Ball State over Arkansas State: Parks and Recreation mentions Muncie, Indiana from time to time, so the team from that city is who I'm going with.

35) National Championship Game--- Auburn over Florida State: (Breaking my one sentence rule again) Magic? Destiny? Vodoo? I don't know how you want to explain what happened with the Auburn football team this year, but it's been one helluva ride for the Tigers. A miracle happened and then another miracle happened in the month of November for them, and then in the SEC championship, they won a game that should resemble the title game against a good Missouri team. Meanwhile, the Seminoles have steamrolled their way through heavy opponent behind the unbelievable play of Jameis Winston. So what happens this Monday? Auburn wins. How? They block a Florida State extra point in a game tied 38-38, and return it for a two points with three seconds on the clock to win 40-38. The Auburn magic continues, and the national title stays in the state of Alabama.

J. Nave

Bowl Record: 14-9 (through all bowl games played 12/31 and earlier)

The Quest for 35-0 (Part Two of Three)

The quest for 35-0 is still alive!........... Just kidding. Thanks to missing the first three bowl games, my quest for a perfect slate of bowl picks was short lived. Currently, I'm 3-5, which is really embarrassing and really pathetic. However, just like any gambling addict and self-declared football genius would, I'm going to keep picking the games.  I have a good attitude still, though. The first few bowl games are like the preseason, anyways. They're between a bunch of teams that very few people have seen play, and they mainly serve as advertisements for companies that very few people have ever heard of (Hello, Beef O'Brady's and Royal Purple). However, the bowl picks this time around actually feature some teams I've heard of and seen play this year. That's why I'm very confident I'm going to go undefeated with part two of my picks (Actually, I"ll be honest with you. I probably won't get them all. Here's hoping to only missing one or two, though... Actually, I'll be lucky to get two right with my luck right now. If I get them all, though, then somebody get Mark May on the phone at ESPN, so you can tell him he's being replaced.) Let's go write some haikus!

11) Fight Hunger Bowl: Washington over BYU

Who is Brigham Young?

Price and Sankey can sure play

Huskies beat Mormons

12) New Era Pinstripe Bowl: Notre Dame over Rutgers

Bowl game in the Bronx

Do the players get free hats?

Rutgers might get killed

13) Belk Bowl: Cincinnati over North Carolina

Was torn with my pick

Bearcats won this bowl last year,

giving them slight edge

14) Russell Athletic Bowl: Louisville over Miami (FL)

Bridgewater's last game?

Both teams are overrated

Cardinals soar higher

15) Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl: Kansas State over Michigan

Gardener injured?

Hoke just wants to eat free wings!

Wildcats by three

16) Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl: Navy over Middle Tennessee State

What's a Blue Raider?

Midshipmen like to run and run

 Helicopters rule!

17) Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl: Georgia Tech over Ole Miss

Inconsistent teams

Yellow Jackets use option

Ole Miss is confused

18) Valero Alamo Bowl: Oregon over Texas

Mack Brown's farewell game

Do 'Horns send him out happy?

Ducks say no. Win big.

19) National University Holiday Bowl: Arizona State over Texas Tech

Kingsbury's team scores

Sun Devils score a lot more

Lots of passes thrown

20) Advocare V100 Bowl: Arizona over Boston College

Two great running backs.

Williams might outrush Carey,

but Cats get the win

21) Hyundai Sun Bowl: UCLA over Virginia Tech

LA team in Sun

Too good to be true for me

Bruins smash Hokies

22) AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Mississippi State over Rice

Rice won title game

But in a bad conference

SEC team wins

23) Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Texas A&M over Duke

Manziel's farewell game?

This isn't Duke basketball?

Aggies win chicken

J. Nave

Record so far: 3-5 (through games on December 26th)

The Quest for 35-0 (Part One of Three)

Folks, we are at the beginning of the end of the college football season: Bowl season. Without a doubt the most exciting football season of my lifetime, it's going to be tough to see it end. However, there are still 35 more games to be played before the most dreaded hiatus in all of sports. In honor of bowl season, I've decided to predict every bowl game. Instead of lengthy analysis that would lead to "too long, didn't read" status, I've opted to write a haiku for every single bowl game. For those of you unfamiliar with this form of Japanese poetry, go look it up on Wikipedia because I'm not wasting my time to define it. Let's begin our quest for picking all 35 games correctly with the first ten. (My poetry takes time to craft. It is an art after all. Also, I procrastinated and this is all I could get done before the first bowl game started).

1. Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Washington State over Colorado State

The first of many

Rams vs. Cougars? How wild!

Cougars win shootout.

2. Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: Fresno State over USC

Carr is a sure bet

Southern Cal prefers roulette

Go with the sure thing

3. Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Buffalo over San Diego State

The bowl on blue turf

Both lost to Ohio State

Bulls win potatoes

4. R+L Carries New Orleans Bowl : UL-Lafayette over Tulane

Pelican State War?

I like the Ragin' Cajuns

Name is fun to say

5. Beef O' Brady's Bowl St. Petersburg: East Carolina over Ohio

Aargh! the Pirates say

Meow! the Bobcats mumble

Jack Sparrow's team wins

6. Hawaii Bowl: Oregon State over Boise State

Peterson left team

Christmas in Hawaii? Fun!

Beavs win narrowly

7. Little Caesars Pizza Bowl: Bowling Green State over Pittsburgh

Falcons beat Panthers

MAC Champs seem to like Detroit

Are seats five dollars?

8. San Diego Country Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl: Northern Illinois over Utah State

Man! That's a mouthful

Jordan Lynch is hard to stop

His team wins the plants

9. Military Bowl: Marshall over Maryland

Don't have much to say...

Both teams are unknowns to me...

Team with movie wins

10. Texas Bowl: Minnesota over Syracuse

Kill's guys come to play

Would make for good basketball

Gophers are damn cute!

Incoherent Rambling About Bowl Games--- An Ode to Finals Week

It's Finals Week here at the University of South Carolina. In honor of my difficult exams, my dedicated studying habits, and the last week of my first semester, I have decided to spend the next amount of my procrastination time talking to my loyal readers. Last time I graced you all with my presence, we talked about college basketball, and I made some horrible predictions about what teams will make the Final Four. But you know what, it's still December, so those teams have time to figure it out before March. We're gonna go back to football this week because the college football season got a helluva lot more entertaining over the past few weeks. Gus Malzahn became the second coach in the state of Alabama to sell his soul to the devil for some satanic magic, and he even beat the devil himself during the process. Thanks to OHverrated State getting exposed at the hands of Michigan State, Auburn now finds themselves in the BCS championship, too. Awaiting the Tigers in Pasadena will be Florida State and Jameis Winston, the latest person to benefit from the stellar, Floridian legal system, who should be toting a Heisman trophy once January 6th rolls around. What should you watch for in bowl season other than this classic? Here are some games you won't wanna miss (Predictions coming next week!)

1) The "That's a Bowl Game" Game?!?!?!?! UNLV vs. North Texas--- Heart of Dallas Bowl 1/1
The fact that there are 35 bowl games is extremely unnecessary in my opinion. Why, you ask? No need to look farther than this heralded match-up between the Rebels and the Mean Green. If there wasn't a team from Texas in the bowl, the attendance would rival your local WNBA game. Now, it might be able to eclipse the attendance at your average WWE! Monday Night Raw show. Either way, I will not be tuning into watch this game. And neither should you, unless you have a relative playing for either one of these teams... Actually, you know what... You probably still shouldn't watch it.

2) The Irony Bowl: Duke vs. Texas A&M--- Chick-Fil-A Bowl 12/31
Maybe it's just me, but I find it extremely ironic that Mr. Johnny Football's last college football game will be sponsored by one of the most Christian companies in the United States, if not the world. Mr. Manziel has lived his life according to the Ten Commandments, has been a perfect disciple for Christ throughout his college career, and his regular church attendance is now being rewarded with a match-up against Duke. Unless Mike Krzyzewski and the 2012 USA Olympic Basketball team shows up on the sidelines, the Blue Devils have zero chance to win this game. Also, I find it extremely ironic a team nicknamed 'Devils' is in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl. It's pretty obvious that Dan T. Carthy had absolutely nothing to do with picking the teams that would be playing in his game. 

3) The Which Clemson Tiger Will Urban Meyer Punch Bowl? Ohio State vs. Clemson--- Orange Bowl 1/3

Last time Ohio State and Clemson played in a game, Woody Hayes threw a mean right hand at a Clemson player and got himself fired. If Marcus Hall or Dontre Wilson decides to do the same thing to Dabo Swinney, I won't complain one bit. This game matches two teams that were embarrassed in their last outings. Clemson got in the Christmas spirit early by committing six turnovers in their ugly loss to my Gamecocks, while Ohio State got outcoached and outplayed by Michigan State. The question is what team decides to show up in Miami. The Buckeyes had no plans to be in Miami, and the Tigers might not be able to navigate themselves around such a large city and not show up on time to the game. Here's hoping OHverrated State doesn't show up, and the team that won 24 straight games beats Clemson both on the football field and in an encore sideline fight.

4) The Best Bowl Game This Year Bowl: Michigan State vs. Stanford--- Rose Bowl 1/1
If you only watch one bowl game this year, make it this one. First off, both teams will run the ball about 50 times each, so it should be over in a little over two hours. Secondly, it should be one of the most competitive bowl games. Finally, Brent Musburger will be on the call, and you never know what attractive girlfriend he may spot in the crowd this year. The first team to get to 14 should be in good position to win this game. 

5) The What Will Clowney Do This Year Bowl? Wisconsin vs. South Carolina--- Capital One Bowl 1/1
I was going to link a video of the hit, but let's face it: If you're reading this you've seen it, and you're probably tired of seeing it. Instead, I'd like to talk about the most underrated football player of the 21st century: Mr. Connor Shaw. The man has 26 touchdowns and ONE interception. The man came off the bench to lead a 17 point comeback in ONE quarter against Missouri AT Missouri. The man has the most wins of any South Carolina quarterback of all time. The man eats bowls of nails for breakfast... without any milk. The man has been an absolute delight to watch play this year, and you won't wanna miss his final college game. Plus, Wisconsin matches up pretty well with the Gamecocks, so it should be a good game. 

Well, I think that's enough procrastination for now. Next week, I'll pick every bowl game. However, I have to get back to studying. And by studying I mean, go workout, watch some Netflix, obsessively check Twitter, eat, take a nap, listen to music, text some people, go to the bathroom, shower, eat some more, and watch some more Netflix. #College

J. Nave

A Return to What I Do Best

Back in February when The Athletic Acumen started one of the most popular Internet trends since posting old pictures of yourself on Thursdays, I discussed college basketball week in and week out. Well, since the college football season has basically come down an inevitable National Championship between Alabama and Florida State, we're going back to our forte: College basketball. The little brother to college football, NFL, and NBA, college basketball has to fight for every second of media coverage it can get until March rolls around. Last Tuesday, there was one hell of a November night for college basketball where people, believe it or not, MY OWN AGE commanded national attention. In honor of the Champions Classic, and in anticipation of one of the best college basketball seasons of my life, I present The Athletic Acumen's Not Quite Preseason Awards for the 2013-2014 college basketball season:

1) The Player of the Year: Doug McDermott

I'm a college freshman. Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker, Aaron Gordon, and Julius Randle are also all college freshman. Together, we form one of the greatest recruiting classes of all time (Actually, one of us isn't playing basketball at our respective academic institutions, but does that really matter?...). That's why it might be a surprise to see a walk-on, senior, white male from the state of Nebraska in this position. Well folks, it really shouldn't be. Creighton might not have the recent NCAA tournament success of Wichita State or the name recognition of Butler, but Doug and his dad, coach Greg McDermott, have made the Bluejays into a perennial NCAA team. Here are some stats from McDermott three games into the season that validate why he's well on his way to POY consideration:
-Nearly 26 points per game
-Better than 50% from behind the three point line, 55% from the field, and 78% from the free throw line
-Nearly 6 rebounds per game
Don't get me wrong, McDermott won't have nearly as many opportunities to shine on the national stage as the heralded freshman listed above. However, since Creighton is playing in the Big East 2.0 now, he will be getting way more opportunities than he ever did in the Missouri Valley. Plus, after a victory over an underrated St. Joe's team this weekend, the basketball nation should realize Creighton is for real. As long as McDermott continues doing what he's been up to, he might run away with the player of the year, and considering the athletes named above, that's quite an achievement. Also, any player who wears a t-shirt under his jersey this day deserves an automatic 100 point boost in the standings.

2) The Freshman of the Year: Julius Randle

I'd be stupid if I didn't discuss just how special my recruiting class could be in terms of deciding the national title picture this year. Also, I'd be stupid if I didn't discuss the Kentucky Wildcats. Remember last year when UK lost at Robert Morris in the NIT, and the Athletic Acumen heckled them relentlessly? This year, that won't happen. Big Blue Nation is for real, and while they might have suffered a Big Blue Bruising from Michigan State last Tuesday, I came away 100x more impressed with the Cats than I expected. Michigan State might be the most complete team in the country at this point of the year. At the forefront of this resurgence is Randle. At times, the man dominated Michigan State down low. However, other times, Randle struggled to hang on to the basketball and tried to make something that wasn't there. His development will come with time, and come March, there will be very few power forwards in the country who can go toe to toe with him. Unless he follows in Nerlens Noel's footsteps.....

3) The Past Her Prime Disney Channel Child Star of the Year: Marshall Henderson

Get arrested for synthetic marijuana while in high school? It's okay. Everybody makes mistake. Get arrested for underage drinking and marijuana possession again? Everything's still fine in my book. Common teenage mistakes. Trying to get into a fight with every opposing fan base on the planet? I understand. Learning the lesson between overconfidence and cocky is difficult for anyone. Claiming you didn't realize posessing marijuana, other illegal drugs, and illegal weapons are felonies? I get it. The law's confusing. But doing an ESPN interview with a haircut and pose like this? That's the final straw. No more respect or understanding from me. He's officially in danger of joining Lindsay Lohan and Miley Cyrus in the Wacky Shack. Don't get me wrong, I love his game (and can't wait to become best friends with him when he comes to Columbia in the middle of January). However, Henderson's bizarre "I-Swear-To-God-I'm-A-Changed-Man-And-I-Won't-Get-Arrested-Again-Oh-And-Now-I-Look-Like-Troy-Bolton" act isn't really working for me. Yes, Marshall you need to stop getting arrested. However, keep acting like a cocky SOB on the court. It's entertaining to watch, and it's what your known for. Just ask Johnny Football how valuable being yourself can be.

4) The Can You Believe I'm Still Playing College Basketball Player of the Year: Aaron Craft

It seems like since 1345, Aaron Craft has been shutting down Big Ten point guards for the Buckeyes. The man has become a star in college basketball solely by playing defense. With the basketball shot equivalent of Tim Tebow's throwing motion, it's truly a testament to Craft's abilities that he remains relevant. You try and go one on one with him? The ball gets stolen. You blow by him? He recovers and steals it from behind. You think you have an easy layup? He draws a charge. Hell, if Aaron Craft was the villain on Dora the Explorer instead of that dumb, ratchet fox, Swiper, the show would've gone off the air years ago. Dora's talking backpack would have to shut the hell up because there'd be nothing left in it. You put him in the same backcourt as Shannon Scott and it suddenly isn't fair. Just ask Marquette. They scored 35 points against the Buckeyes on Saturday! Thirty five! Expect low scores to be a common occurrence in Ohio State games this year. Also expect the Buckeyes to put the old adage of defense wins championship to the forefront of the college basketball universe this fall.

5) The SportsCenter Top Ten Player of the Year: Aaron Gordon
A picture's worth a thousand words, right? Then this video should serve for about four million.

The Aaron Gordon Show

I'm going to set the over/under on Gordon dunks in the Top Ten at 6.5. If you didn't watch that video, go watch it. It's the only good part of this whole article. 

6) The Team Who's Ranked Way Too Low: Iowa State
Last time most people remember seeing the Cyclones, they were one shot away from upsetting Ohio State and advancing to the Sweet Sixteen. Well, Sunday night the Cyclones got their revenge against a Big Ten foe and upset Michigan. Basketball in Ames has undergone a renaissance over the past couple years thanks Frank Hoiberg and look for Iowa State to take the next step this winter. Iowa State may suffer from Texas A&M syndrome and that could be their biggest obstacle in challenging Kansas for the Big XII title. They're going to put up ridiculous offensive numbers game after game. It's just a matter of whether they can hold it together enough on the defensive side. Keep an eye on Melvin Ejim this winter, too. The man is off to a great start after returning from injury, and he could be a household name once March rolls around.

7) The Team Who's Ranked Way Too High: Syracuse
Syracuse may be 4-0, but they have looked less than stellar in each of their four games. When you have Syracuse written across the front of your jersey, you shouldn't be struggling against St. Francis (NY), Colgate, and Cornell. Last year, Syracuse rode their patented 2-3 zone all the way to the Final Four. While they do have talent on this roster, it seems like the loss of Michael Carter-Williams is really impacting the team. Next week, the team goes to Maui where they will face some stiffer competition. If Boeheim doesn't get their act together, the Orange might be spending more time surfing than shooting next week. (In all honesty if I played for the Orange, I'd probably tank in the tournament. Who cares about November basketball? I just want a free trip to Hawaii.)

8) The Way Too Early Final Four Predictions: Michigan State, VCU, Kansas, Kentucky
All four of these teams are currently in the top ten. All four of these teams have patented styles of play. All four teams have proven coaches who have risen to the occasion in March. However, since I'm picking all these teams to make it to Jerry World for the Final Four this early, it wouldn't surprise me if not a single one of them do. Here's why I like these four right now
-Michigan State: Tom Izzo takes his players to the Final Four. This is his most talented team in ages and it's been a few years since Sparty's made a deep tournament run.
-VCU: Havoc, havoc, havoc, havoc, havoc, havoc, and more havoc. The Rams already have a win over a solid Virginia team, and with Treveon Graham looking like a brand new player, they might have enough offense this time around to make a serious impact in March.
-Kansas: Ten years ago, Carmelo Anthony single-handedly took Syracuse to the National Championship. Andrew Wiggins has enough talent to do the same, plus he has a better supporting cast.
-Kentucky: Does Calipari's team follow last year's path or the national championship path? It's going to be an interesting question to watch, but Randle and Co. have too much talent in my opinion to not make it to Arlington.

J. Nave

All pictures are courtesy of ESPN... If the legal team at ESPN tracks these pictures here and tries to sue me, I hope they at least read what I've written above. I'll do any of your analyst's jobs for free.