For some, being the smartest, toughest, or fanciest in the city isn't the main goal. It's having the number one status on your block that shines the most. As another calendar year has come to a close, college basketball invites its teams to shut off cross-country ties and focus in a little more on their own neighborhood.
The major conferences' big boys are through snacking on smaller schools for the time being, and, as always, some bloated records are the result. I mean, you're not going to downplay Illinois, Kansas, or Duke. Talent and tradition precede these schools. However, others have managed to bypass the filters that weed worse teams out from the better. Having gotten to this point, they are called upon as "unproven," "untested," and "wannabes."
Every conference has one. You've seen them, running up and down the floor, gaining confidence, and their fans saying, "we're number one." But not all successful starts lead to fantastic conclusions. So, who leads this season's crop of squads who must prove themselves after the New Year begins?
ACC: Miami
The Hurricanes won seven out of nine to get the season going, including an upset of a Florida team that didn't seem ready to take the spotlight. The 'Canes also took UMass down a notch after the Minutemen upset Connecticut. However, it's time to introduce South Beach to their new home.
And what a greeting. Miami travels to Georgia Tech, Virginia, North Carolina, and Wake Forest. Then there are home games with N.C. State, Duke, and Clemson. If head coach Frank Haith goes .500 with this set of games, maybe him and his players should be one of the multitude of conference teams in the top 25.
Big East: West Virginia
With a history that includes Syracuse, Georgetown, Connecticut, and St. John's, the Mountaineers don't conjure up a bunch of memorable moments. This year, the boys from WV are trying to add a couple to the conference ledger. In building a 9-0 record, WVU won in Baton Rouge and, most recently, halted a speeding train in George Washington.
Actually, GW begins a sort of bookend month West Virginia. The Mountaineers will begin January with a road trip to face N.C. State. After that, the squad has a number of winnable games (including four straight at home) before ending the month at Syracuse, home to UConn, and at Providence. Hey, history was never easy. Just ask the Space Program.
Big 12: Texas A&M
Until this week, there were four unbeatens in this conference. Surprisingly, two of them were Kansas State and Texas A&M. The Wildcats got knocked off their perch Tuesday by Rutgers. That means we'll shift our focus to the Aggies. Sure, A&M is playing well, but they're doing it against power conferences such as the MEAC, SWAC, and Mid-Continent. Oh, and don't forget that astounding victory over Texas-Permian Basin.
So, they haven't played the toughest of opponents. That will change soon. The Big 12 has recently been known for its very physical style of play, and the Aggies will get more than a taste of that kind of play over a four-game stretch. Contests at Kansas, vs. Texas, at Texas Tech, and with Oklahoma will do nothing short of socking these guys in the mouth, repeatedly. Surviving this tussle could send A&M on their way.
Pac-10: Arizona State
The Sun Devils have a big presence in 6-8 forward Ike Diogu. The junior leads the conference in scoring and rebounding, which has helped ASU to an 11-1 record. While some of the teams the Devils thwarted have big ties (Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Temple), they don't really strike awe into the eyes of fans everywhere.
To get respect and a good reputation, this team will need to do a lot of winning over the next few weeks. That probably includes at least two out of their three big games of the month. The first test comes with a Jan. 2nd trip to in-state rival Arizona. Then, after a stretch of confidence-building games, the Devils head to Eugene to battle a tested Oregon squad. An invite to Washington on Jan. 30th lets ASU have a chance knock off a top team at home.
SEC: Arkansas
"Forty Minutes of Hell" isn't quite the mantra of the Razorbacks these days, but Stan Heath does have Fayetteville at a fever pitch with an 11-1 appetizer. However, it looks like the 'Hogs best win is at Missouri. Now, enter the SEC, with a totality of tough teams and environments that no one wants to face.
There aren't a large amount of dominant teams in the conference this season, but a lot of squads will be jostling for respect. Arkansas will face three of those teams this month in Ole Miss, Florida (in Gainesville), and Auburn. And those dominant teams, the 'Hogs have to face them, too. They get Alabama and Kentucky at home, while going to Mississippi State. For the Razorbacks, it appears that 240 minutes of hell are in the forecast.
At the end of the day, all of these conferences will get multiple bids to March Madness. Question is, will these teams be included in those power player plans? They've taken the first step by winning early. We'll see how well they do at getting through the champagne haze.
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