Early Season Review: What We’ve Learned

If the out-of-conference games were any indication, this year's college basketball season might be one of the most memorable in recent history. With plenty of teams that have enough talent to win it all this year, and even more that might be that good after they gain some experience, March Madness can't come soon enough. But even in a season where so much is uncertain, we do know some things without a doubt.

Five Things We've Learned

1. The Kansas Jayhawks are the best team in the nation.

This shouldn't surprise anybody, since they're ranked first in every major poll, and they deserve to be. With apologies to a slew of other fantastic teams near the top of the polls this year, no team is more impressive than the team boasting not one, but two All-Americans. Add to that one of the best freshman of last year's recruiting class and the best supporting cast in the nation, and you've got a recipe for nearly limitless success.

Sherron Collins is the second most consistently electrifying player in the nation, and Cole Aldrich has shown a propensity for imposing his will in the paint. If Xavier Henry is anywhere near as good as advertised, and it appears that he is, I'd be fairly surprised to not hear Kansas fans chanting "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk" all the way through March.

2. The Kentucky Wildcats are the most improved team in college basketball.

John Calipari made this one particularly easy when he assembled the best recruiting class of the decade. John Wall looks eerily like Derrick Rose did in his freshman year, except for one major difference — Wall just might be better. Besides Wall, the Wildcats also added five-star recruits DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton, and Eric Bledsoe, and top-40 recruit Jon Hood. Those five freshmen would have mopped the floor with last year's Kentucky team, even if Jodie Meeks had stayed.

Having said that, it might seem like Kentucky should be considered the best team in the nation, and in any other year, they probably would be. The one problem they face is that the Kansas Jayhawks were built to beat relatively inexperienced squads like Kentucky. Regardless of this fact, Kentucky appears destined for a deep run in March. Considering that they not only failed to reach the NCAA tournament last year, but also floundered in the quarterfinal round of the NIT, this season should be a big relief to fans who have become accustomed to sustained success.

3. The Louisville Cardinals aren't nearly as good most people thought.

I never thought I'd say this, but Rick Pitino is leading the most disappointing team in college basketball. The Cardinals might be far from the epitome of underachievers, but I expect better of a team with as much talent as Louisville. I know they lost two players to the NBA draft, but they retained Edgar Sosa, Samardo Samuels, and Terrence Jennings, all of whom played important roles in last year's squad that got a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

All the Cardinals have done so far is go 7-3, a record which is not, in and of itself, such a terrible thing. The problem is that not one of those seven wins has come against elite competition, and only one of the losses has come against a top-25 team. They're far from being declared a bust for this year, but they have simply not met expectations to this point.

4. The Syracuse Orange are much better than most people thought.

After a preseason loss to Division II Le Moyne, many people, myself included, wrote off the Orange as simply another pretty good team with no chance of being truly special. Since that game, Syracuse has won all 11 games it has played, and has done so with an average margin of victory of 25 points.

Still not impressed? One of those wins came against North Carolina, in Madison Square Garden, by 16 points, which proves that they can win on the road, in the most hostile of environments. They have six different players averaging 10 or more points per game, which proves that they clearly have depth. This team will win a lot this year, even in the mighty Big East.

5. The Big East is still the best conference in college basketball.

The battle for the title of best conference is closer than it was last year, but the Big East is still on top of the college hoops world. They have five teams in the top-15 of the latest coaches poll, and 11 teams with two losses or less. They'll end up with no less than half a dozen teams in the NCAA tournament, and the majority of those teams will be capable of winning multiple games once there.

Five Predictions

1. The national championship game will feature at least one Big 12 team.

2. John Wall won't win National Player of the Year, and neither will Sherron Collins.

3. The Kentucky Wildcats will win 30 games this year.

4. The UNLV Runnin' Rebels will play in the Elite Eight.

5. The Gonzaga Bulldogs won't finish first in the WCC.

Whether you agree or disagree with any of this, one thing is clear to everyone. This year's road to March Madness won't be short of excitement memorable games.