The Madness has seemingly begun to shift stock value as two top 5 teams fell to unranked opponents yesterday, continuing a trend of a fluctuating top 25. Moving closer to tournament time is your team on the rise or slipping through the cracks?
Teams on the Rise:
Drake Bulldogs: While this is the second edition of the stock report, I have waited one week too long to put the Drake Bulldogs “on the rise”. The Bulldogs have been slowly rising up the poll all year only recently earning their respect with an appearance at #25. A ranking built for power conferences and blue bloods, this undefeated team from the Missouri Valley is putting the NCAA on notice. Even though they have not played any big name teams this year they are undefeated for a reason and one of the few remaining teams in Division I basketball that can make that claim.
So what can you expect from this team in March? Right now, they are the perfect team to be the next Cinderella story. Even though their undefeated record will allow them to earn an unusually high seed for a Cinderella team they will be underrated because they do not come from a highly touted conference. Their roster is the perfect formula of veteran leadership, transfer players with experience and impactful underclassmen. A true team effort, as long as the Bulldogs are given a fair matchup in the first and second round, they have the ability to find their way into the sweet sixteen.
Oklahoma Sooners: Featured on the stock report last week, Oklahoma has continued their charge up the polls and into the conversation for a top four seed (at the lowest) in one of the tournament regions. Beating Alabama, shorthanded, has projected the Sooner into the top ten and after losses from Houston and Villanova last night, they should continue to move up the rankings this Monday. A team that has seemingly come out of nowhere must have heard something click over the last few weeks. While the team hovered around the coaches poll they did not have the momentum to crack the top 25 until recently.
Picking up signature win after signature win they are hot at the right time and their momentum has just kept building. If they can continue to string wins together into their conference tournament, they will have no problem becoming a dark horse final four pick that has a chance to shock some of the most popular teams in the nation. Time is their friend as well, as they continue to rest and get back to full strength they will only become more dangerous. A team that does not shoot the ball particularly well from outside, which is usually a detrimental trait of a losing team, has strung major wins together and does not seem to have any plans of stopping soon. If they are able to find their shooting stroke from behind the arc, teams should hope to avoid them in the tournament.
Teams Falling Out:
Kansas Jayhawks: A team that has shown so much promise but can’t seem to put it together has finally had their stock take a massive hit. Barely staying in the top 25, Kansas has seemed to be the highest ranked team that nobody was taking seriously. Even though they seemed to have it all together, it doesn’t feel like the team has gotten any better as they continue to play more games. It also doesn’t help that they play in the Big 12 which has been a conference dominated by the Baylor Bears this year. Unlike the other blue bloods, that do not have any real claim to a tournament birth, Kansas is still in a position to make the tournament. However, with this recent hit to their overall stock they could be put in an unfavorable matchup in the first or second round which would surely end in a forgettable tournament run for the usually threatening Jayhawks.
Minnesota Golden Gophers: Once a team with so much promise and hype the Gophers have seemed to lose their footing as the season progresses. Relying too heavily on the performance of star guard Marcus Carr the Gophers supporting cast has been all but non existent during the two game skid. Forcing Carr to try to shoulder the load has proven two things. When he does not perform they will lose and when he overperforms they will lose. The reason that Minnesota was so exciting in the beginning of the season was because their offense came from a balance of players and was driven home by their star. Without a supporting cast, the offensive shine wears off and teams capitalize on poor defense. If Minnesota wants to turn it around before the tournament, the team will need to rally around Carr, get back to team offense and at least try to tighten up the coverage on the defensive end. I know Pitino and company used their offensive firepower to mask their lack of defensive ability but something has to create a spark to get a win. The Gophers play Rutgers tonight at the RAC and if they can find a way to win the game it should give them a much needed confidence boost.
Honorable Mention:
Purdue Boilermakers: If the Purdue Boilermakers had a slogan above their locker room entrance, it wouldn’t surprise me if it said “slow and steady wins the race”. The Boilermakers have been good all season, the have compiled quality wins in the toughest conference in the NCAA and have finally found themselves in the top 25. A surging team that many not be the flashiest or filled with top tier prospects, Purdue has found a way to continually be a thorn in their opponents side and keep their stock moving in an upward trend. Looking ahead don’t be surprised if Purdue keeps winning for the foreseeable future. The rest of their conference schedule features less than stellar opponents and they are on a roll.