RADIO
The NFL regular season has wrapped up with playoffs starting next weekend, but men's college basketball is still in full swing. We had a little holiday break from the action, but the start of the new year marked a ramp back up in CBB action.
The slate we saw this past Saturday had a lot of hype coming in, but unfortunately, a lot of those games ended in blowouts. We did get an absolute classic between Florida and Kentucky at Rupp Arena that featured over 200 points scored. That helped Kentucky move back into a fringe top-5 position while the Gators dropped a couple of spots. Aside from that, the other ranked matchups had an average margin of victory shy of 24 points. Some other seismic shifts were Illinois blasting their way nine spots all the way to No. 13 and UCLA dropping seven ticks after losing by double digits to an underrated Nebraska squad.
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 10 AP Poll released Monday.
Overrated College Basketball Teams For Week 10
Mississippi State Bulldogs: No. 17 to No. 14
Let me start off by saying that Josh Hubbard is one of my favorite players to watch in the country. An undersized, super-shifty microwave scorer that can hit from 28 feet? He's one of those guys who flies under the radar but could be in contention for All-American status next year.
A relatively soft non-conference isn't doing this team any favors as they begin the onslaught of SEC opponents, but the Bulldogs still picked up two ranked wins over No. 18 Pitt and No. 21 Memphis. The only stinker was a ten-point loss to Butler on a neutral court.
This is a team that prides itself on depth, with nine players averaging at least 15 minutes per game. That will bode well for them in a conference that features nine top-25 programs. The doubts lie in their ability to sustain a top-20 offense. Hubbard can light up a scoreboard, but besides him, you have a lot of role players who will need to take larger steps for this team to compete at the top of the conference.
This team reminds me a lot of Texas A&M. They have a certified alpha, pound the offensive glass, and force their opponent into tough shots. I hope they make me eat my words because I honestly am a big fan of their playing style, but I do have doubts about their ability to hold serve in this league. A loss at Vanderbilt tonight would not shock me.
📽️ HIGHLIGHTS: Butler upsets No. 25 Mississippi State to take home the title at the Arizona Tip-Off Championship pic.twitter.com/WWuwVtyV8F
— Butler Basketball (@ButlerMBB) November 30, 2024
Underrated College Basketball Teams For Week 10
Kansas Jayhawks: No. 7 to No. 11
I really just can't get past the talent on this team.
They have it all: All-American post in Hunter Dickinson, a Play-making point guard who is experienced, and lock-down defensively in Dajuan Harris Jr., a glue guy who always makes the right play in KJ Adams Jr., A trio of scoring guards, including Zeke Mayo, AJ Storr, and Rylan Griffen, combined to hit about 37% from deep.
That isn't a percentage that jumps out at you, but any one of them can get hot on any given night.
The loss to West Virginia was absolutely head-scratching. I am not sugarcoating that. At home, against an undermanned Mountaineers team playing without arguably their best player in Tucker DeVries. Kansas laid an egg, and it was an embarrassing one.
I do want to take a quick moment to give Javon Small from WVU his flowers. The transfer from Oklahoma State was definitely a sought-after player in the portal, but not one that was on any All-American lists. The fact that he may be leading the race for Big 12 Player of the Year right now is incredible, and everyone should know his name. Ok, back to KU.
While this Jayhawk team does not look like their usual selves, they have what usually wins in college basketball. Talent & coaching. I truly think they are at the top of the list in both of those categories, and while Bill Self has taken a bit longer to figure out his rotations than he normally does, this is 100% a top-10 team in the country, and I fully expect them to be back there next poll cycle.
Kansas' urgency was a complete 180 from its NYE loss to West Virginia. Jayhawks by 51 over UCF in Orlando. Bill Self's team played pissed off today for 40 minutes.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) January 5, 2025
Illinois Fighting Illini: No. 22 to No. 13
Did Illinois experience by far the biggest rankings jump for Week 10? Do I still have them as an underrated team for this week? The answer to both of these questions is a resounding yes. I am finally starting to buy into the hype around this team, and I'm honestly a bit upset with myself that it took this long.
Brad Underwood lost about 90% of all his production from an Elite Eight team last season and has reloaded better than any program I've seen.
If you haven't watched this team yet, make it a priority because they have one of the best freshmen in the country, Kasparas Jakucionis. The Lithuania native plays like a seasoned NBA vet, with a natural feel for the game and court vision that rivals Braden Smith of Purdue.
He's got a fellow Eastern European who is helping him hold down the fort. 7-foot-1 Tomislav Ivisic from Croatia is a force down low with his 230lb frame but can also step out and hit an open three (23-62 on the season from deep).
Kylan Boswell is a former five-star who provides a steady hand at point, while freshman top-10 recruit Will Riley is a matchup nightmare who will be a lottery pick.
Aside from this team being extremely balanced across the board - top 20 in both adjusted offense and defense on KenPom - they are so much fun to watch. Buy stock now. This team is winning the Big Ten.
Potential top 5 pick Kasparas Jakucionis is on a roll over the past 10 games
He’s currently averaging
19.5 PPG
5.4 RPG
5.0 APG
50% FG
45% 3P
89% FT on 5.6 FTAIn his last 10 games
He’s completely elevated Illinois to another level in the past month, his elite shooting… pic.twitter.com/xvm4s6qJZZ
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) January 7, 2025
