RADIO
Christmas is right around the corner but before we all get cozy around the fire sipping hot cocoa, we must first take a look at hot off the press men's college basketball AP poll and fire off some takes.
After a wild Saturday of college hoops, the rankings experienced quite a mix-up. The top three teams - Tennessee, Auburn, and Iowa State - remained as such, but the seven other spots in the top 10 found new programs. Michigan took the biggest drop of 10 spots after only a narrow two-point loss to Arkansas, while UConn saw the biggest jump of seven on the heels of their huge win vs. No. 8 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden.
It's time for the next article of a year-long series: Overrated and Underrated College Basketball Teams after the release of the weekly Associated Press Poll. All rankings listed are based on the Week 7 AP Poll released Monday.
Overrated College Basketball Teams For Week 7
Kentucky Wildcats: No. 4 to No. 5
Mark Pope has worked wonders in his first season at the helm of this storied program. They have proven that their win against No. 6 Duke in mid-November was no fluke, with wins over No. 7 Gonzaga in OT, as well as a recent hard-fought victory over Louisville.
This is an incredibly balanced team, especially on the offense end that can beat anyone in a variety of ways. They run a fluid motion offense that is very difficult to stop, with six players average double figures with an additional two hitting that mark in minutes. This is not your Kentucky team of old that is just loaded with talent but was mostly lost on offense. Pope has pulled together a band of slightly above-average transfer prospects and made them gel seamlessly.
While major credit is due to both Pope and Kentucky's Athletic Director for making the hire (against the majority of the fan base's wishes), I don't think Kentucky is THIS good. Similar to the sentiment around Michigan last week, the overall talent level leaves a bit to be desired, which I think will definitely be a problem in conference play. Pope has been also to mask some of that with his elite offensive coaching. This team is not nearly as good on the other side of the ball, which is going to be tough against a conference that has seven teams in the top 20 of adjusted offense.
Lamont Butler DID NOT MISS from the field in No. 5 Kentucky's win over Louisville 🎯
33 PTS | 10-10 FG | 6-6 3PT pic.twitter.com/mwUzHnfvle
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) December 15, 2024
Texas A&M Aggies No. 17 to No. 12
I knew A&M would get the bump they did after taking down Purdue in Indy, but as someone who was already down on the Boilermakers this season, I don't agree with the jump here. Buzz Williams' squad is elite at two things. Defense and offensive rebounding. It's easier said than done to keep them off the boards, but if you can do that with any success, it negates a significant portion of their offensive output.
Another year, another season of Wade Taylor shooting below 40% from the field and everyone ringing his praises. Hand up. This was me two seasons ago. I liked Taylor to assert himself as a potential All-American, but now the jury is out. We know what we are getting at this point. With Taylor, it's a microwave scorer who is uber-inefficient but can carry your team once in a while. A&M will be a scary team come tournament time because of their streakiness and toughness, but not one that I like in a top-15 spot.
Good dub boys 👍 #GigEm pic.twitter.com/CquIKCSCee
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) December 14, 2024
Underrated College Basketball Teams For Week 7
Houston Cougars: No. 15 (no change)
The Cougars have played one of the hardest non-conference schedules this season, and they have not exactly come out of it unscathed. Houston has dropped three games thus far, all to really good opponents. No. 1 Auburn, No. 9 Alabama, and SDSU (now ranked No. 23), the latter two ending in overtime.
I am still a big believer in the Cougars long term for two main reasons. #1 - They are elite at both ends of the floor, which usually bodes well for sustained success. #2 - They are not in the SEC. I may be placing too much stock into this super-conference, but the early numbers are absolutely astounding with how dominant this league has been. The Big 12 on the other hand, should be a tight three-man race between Iowa State, Kansas, and the Cougars. Never count out Kelvin Sampson. Houston will be fighting for a conference title and a top-three seed come March.
Good dub boys 👍 #GigEm pic.twitter.com/CquIKCSCee
— Texas A&M Basketball (@aggiembk) December 14, 2024
