Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 59

This week's Jersey Appreciation Friday goes to Michigan State for the black and neon beauties they debuted a few weeks ago. These things are electric. There is no other way to describe them. I've always felt that Michigan State should have black uniforms, and these delivered. Whenever a team does a new alternate, they tend to switch up the uniform scheme, which isn't always a good thing. But Michigan State knew enough to just change the colors. A brilliant move. Well done, Spartans. Click Here

Eye Test Power Rankings Week 16

This hasn't been that crazy of a week on the court as it has been off of it. The news came swirling earlier this morning about all the names involved in the FBI investigation, and that has rightfully dominated the college basketball news scene. The ETPW still moves forward, though, so here are this week's rankings.

1. Virginia
The Wahoos have still only lost two games all year and look to be in the driver's seat for that #1 overall seed in the tournament. A win tomorrow against the lowly Pittsburgh clinches the outright ACC regular season title.

2. Michigan State
I was almost super pissed that Michigan State was about to crap the bed against Northwestern last Saturday. (I was at the game and wanted to see Michigan State play well.) The Spartans were down 27 at one point in the first half, but they somehow turned it around and won by 5 points, only allowing 11 second half points. It's cool to see this team rolling and to have seen the largest comeback in Big Ten history live.

3. Villanova
Just when everyone thought Nova was going to lose the throne of the Big East to Xavier, they did only what Villanova could do: they dominated Xavier on the road to reclaim control of the conference. Villanova has this quality to them where whenever they are a heavy underdog (like against Xavier) they find a way to win. It's also good that Phil Booth came back against DePaul on Wednesday, so now the Cats are at full strength.

4. Duke
Duke is coming off a really strong stretch after that loss to North Carolina. What might be the most important aspect of this run is that Duke has been playing without Marvin Bagley. In Bagley's absence, Grayson Allen has really stepped up, averaging 23.8 ppg and leading his team in scoring in each of the four games. The defense has improved as well. Some are attributing that to Bagley's absence, but let's not get carried away here. Duke is better with Marvin Bagley.

5. Kansas
Yep. I've fallen into Kansas's trap once again. The Jayhawks are good. They flat out abused Oklahoma on Monday, winning 104-74. If Kansas shoots half as well as they did on Monday into the tournament, then they might actually be a lowkey favorite to win this thing. They have a huge game against Texas Tech tomorrow in Lubbock. That game will decide if Kansas wins the Big 12 outright for the 14th straight year. My money's on the Jayhawks.

6. Xavier
It seems foolish and maybe unfair to punish Xavier for losing to Villanova, but the Musketeers have yet to get over the hump in the Big East, and this year was the time to do it. They had it all laid out on a platter for them--Villanova was unhealthy, on the road and on the ropes--and they couldn't close the deal. This team is still a threat in March, but damn that loss has to sting.

7. Gonzaga
Gonzaga survived a close one yesterday against San Diego, but that happens from time to time. I'm still really confident in the Zags this year, and I believe they are a legitimate Final Four threat. Tomorrow is kind of a prove-it game for the Zags, as they get BYU on the road, a team that should be their second-most difficult opponent in the WCC.

8. Purdue
Purdue is still recovering from its 3-game losing streak, as it had two close calls against Penn State and Illinois. While they won both games, Purdue still has some questions to answer regarding their performance against the big dogs. I really need to see them take down either Ohio State or Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament next week in order for me to consider them a Final Four team.

9. North Carolina
UNC has quietly stuck around in the upper echelon of the college hoops scene. They've won six straight and are in the 2-seed discussion for the NCAA Tournament. Joel Berry and Luke Maye are being heralded as one of the best duos in basketball and finally there are programs that people are more suspicious of than them. All is bright in Chapel Hill.

10. Texas Tech
Texas Tech literally had one job: Don't lose to Oklahoma State Before the Biggest Game in Program History. And they didn't execute. The Red Raiders had a chance to knock the Jayhawks a game back in the Big 12, but now they are fighting just for a share of the Big 12 title on Saturday. There is cosmic conspiracy to keep the Jayhawk streak alive. I'm sure of it.

Eye Test Power Rankings Week 15

I've reached new levels of laziness this week. I've nearly missed all major games due to napping, I've barely been doing my homework, and I've spent the majority of my days watching stupid YouTube videos. In keeping with that theme, and realizing it's almost Saturday, I've decided to deliver the power rankings with team descriptions of five words or less. Because a billion words couldn't express how f**ked up college basketball is right now.

1. Michigan State
The clear national title contender.

2. Xavier
Your new Big East champion.

3. Virginia
We know about the defense.

4. Texas Tech
Keenan Evans = Kemba Walker.

5. Villanova
Watch them at full strength.

6. Gonzaga
Final Four run is possible.

7. Auburn
The FBI screwed them over.

8. Duke
I'm not giving up yet.

9. Purdue
It's been a tough week.

10. Cincinnati
I needed a name here.

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 58

Even though they just lost about a half hour ago, I'm appreciating the Rhode Island Rams this week for Jersey Appreciation Friday. The Rams are one of the few Adidas schools that can contend with Nike for uniforms due to the contrasting blues. The navy blue base with the light blue lettering makes this uniforms a hit. Also the shorts are solid with the design at the top. This jersey pumps me up. The color scheme and format just work.Click Here

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 57

This week's Jersey Appreciation Friday goes out to the new Chicago Bulls City Edition uniforms. There are plenty of awesome new variations of this jersey, but Chicago's stands out the most to me because I'm from there. First of all, the color scheme is terrific. Light blue and red goes together better than I expected. The cursive font is also a really nice addition as it goes back to the Jordan days. The four stars down the side representing the Chicago city flag is a nice touch as well. I appreciate a jersey that is well thought out, and this one certainly is. The only thing I would change about this uniform would be to make the primary color light blue. That would be sick. Click Here

Eye Test Power Rankings Week 14

The last few days of college basketball have been quite a spectacle. On Wednesday we saw St. John's knock off their second top-5 opponent in a row in a win at (1) Villanova. Purdue finally lost their undefeated Big Ten record as Ohio State beat them in West Lafayette. Auburn, a team I've started to really like, lost by 1 to Texas A&M at home, putting a lot of doubt into their surprising season. Duke's struggles continued with loss at rival North Carolina on Thursday, and Arizona looked like a YMCA team in a loss to UCLA at home. College basketball has gone off the wall. I'll try to make sense of it in these rankings.

1. Virginia
Virginia finally claims the #1 spot in my rankings after several top teams lost this week. The defense is downright absurd, with an adjusted rating of 81.8 per KenPom. That's good for the best in basketball. Perhaps the most telling telling mark of Virginia's improvement was Wednesday night against Florida State. The Cavs were down 10 at halftime, but they rallied back in the second half to win 59-55.  A previous Virginia team probably wouldn't have done that.

2. Michigan State
With all the stuff going on in East Lansing, the Spartans haven't been too bad. They have won their last 7 games, and a lot of those were won in clutch situations. Michigan State still has a turnover issue, but it hasn't really hurt them in late-game situations. Miles Bridges has scored 20+ points in two of his last three games, so that's also encouraging as we come to the final month of the season. The real test comes tomorrow when they take on Purdue in a top-5 matchup.

3. Villanova
Villanova suffered their second loss on Wednesday when they fell to St John's at home, a team that was previously winless in the Big East. This was coming off a solid 16-point win over Seton Hall, so it was kind of surprising to see the Wildcats get outplayed by a team in the cellar of the Big East. I'm not that worried about this game though because Villanova played without two starters, Phil Booth and Eric Paschall. We need to reevaluate Villanova when it is completely healthy, which should be by the end of February.

4. Purdue
Purdue is finding itself in one of the most grueling two-game stretches of any team this year. First they had to host Ohio State on Wednesday, a game in which they blew a 14-point lead in the second half and lost, and now they must travel to Michigan State. The end of this week could see the Boilermakers fall from undefeated in the Big Ten to 3rd in a matter of 4 days. That's rough. Overall I'm still high on Purdue, but we'll learn much more about them on Saturday.

5. Xavier
You can look at Xavier in two ways. The first is that they are 21-3 (10-2) on the season and have a half-game lead over Villanova in the Big East. The second would be that Xavier has just gotten extremely lucky this season and are not as good as their record suggests. After all, this IS a team that needed a miraculous 4-point play and overtime to get past Georgetown at home a week ago, so who knows what type of team Xavier will be in the tournament? For right now though, they are still hanging on to that elite status.

6. Ohio State
What Ohio State has done in the Big Ten this year has been nothing short of remarkable. This team looked dead in the water early in the season with blowout losses to Gonzaga, North Carolina and Clemson, but they have resurrected themselves with wins over Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue. The Buckeyes are 12-1 in the Big Ten and have already gotten past the hardest part of their schedule. If they win the Big Ten, are we looking at a potential 2 seed in the tournament?

7. Cincinnati
The Bearcats still haven't lost in the AAC so far, and they don't seem likely to anytime soon. Cincinnati currently sits 4th in the KenPom efficiency rankings and has the second-best defense in the country behind Virginia. Strength of schedule is obviously an issue. The American is NOT good at basketball as a whole. But Cincinnati still has two games against Wichita State and one against Houston, so the opportunity to enhance their record is still there.

8. Texas Tech
Every week I feel like I just insert some random Big 12 team and call it a day. This week that honor goes to Texas Tech. The title of the best Big 12 team is a revolving door with whoever lost the longest time ago getting the nod. The Red Raiders have won five straight since their embarrassing defeat against Iowa State back in January. Keenan Evans has put himself into Big 12 POY discussion, but time will tell if his play will be enough to get Tech over the Kansas hump. They are currently tied for the Big 12 lead at 8-3 with the Jayhawks.

9. Saint Mary's
Saint Mary's has been tearing up the WCC and hasn't lost since November 26th. The Gaels already have the all-important road win at Gonzaga, and Jock Landale has put himself into NPOY consideration. The senior center from Australia is averaging 22.7 ppg and 10.7 rpg to go along with 40% 3pt shooting. Put him with perimeter players like Emmett Naar and Calvin Hermanson, and you got yourself a team ranked 3rd nationally in offensive efficiency. Despite their ridiculously awful nickname (the GAELS??!?), Saint Mary's is actually a pretty viable threat this year.

10. Auburn
I was so pissed off at Auburn for losing to Texas A&M on Wednesday. The Tigers were going to be my extreme sleeper Final Four pick, but now I'm not so sure. Auburn is really good offensively. Their 3-point shooting and just overall swagger on that end is overwhelming for many opponents. But I'm worried about their lack of size as we head into March. A&M out rebounded Auburn 33-22, and if that's any indication of how they will handle bigger teams, we have a problem. 

Jersey Appreciation Friday Vol. 56

This week's Jersey Appreciation Friday goes to St John's. St John's sucks at basketball. No question there. The Red Storm are 10-13 and 0-11 in the Big East. That's pretty horrible. Despite their performance-related issues, St John's has pretty cool uniforms. Ever since they introduced navy blue into their traditional red and white uniforms, things have looked pretty good. They currently rep red jerseys with navy Red Sox-esque font. I also like the fact that they didn't overdo it with the side striping. The red speaks for itself and doesn't need an added design. Simple but effective. Click Here

Eye Test Power Rankings Week 13

In what has been a pretty boring week on the college basketball scene, I have done little to no watching of basketball. Most of my evenings have consisted of taking naps actually. Since last Wednesday, the only majorly notable game was Virginia knocking off Duke on the road. Other than that, there really hasn't been anything worthy of writing/tweeting about. Anyway, here are the Week 13 ETPR.

1 Villanova

Villanova survived a tough road test against Marquette last Saturday, and I was really worried about how they would handle Creighton on the road last night. The Wildcats surprised me again though, and they dominated the Blue Jays and won by 20. This is all without Phil Booth by the way. Basically, Villanova has the #1 spot until they give me a reason to hand it to someone else.

2 Virginia

Virginia is becoming an outside-the-box national champion pick for me. It's weird to say that about the 2nd-ranked team in America, but it's appropriate given their lack of tournament success in recent years. Still I'm still high on the Cavaliers because of their defense and recent offensive surge (65 and 74 points in their last two games). 

3 Purdue 

It really sucks that Purdue is stuck as the #3 since they could very well be the top team in other years. They recently eclipsed their all-time win streak mark last Sunday, at Indiana of all places. I feel that accomplishing that feat against their longtime big brother signifies a different Purdue team this year in some cosmic way. Just something to consider.

4 Duke

Even though they lost to Virginia, I cannot move Duke down the rankings. I just think Virginia is a buzzsaw. Duke is still an insanely good team, even with three ACC losses. The more I watch Duke, the more I am impressed with Wendell Carter Jr. Marvin Bagley's Robin is averaging 18 ppg and 11.2 rpg in his last 5 games and might end up Duke's x-factor in the tournament.

5 Kansas 

I've been waiting all my life to scream "SVIOTSLAV' in a not ironic way. Now I can because Svi is playing out of his effing mind. He's averaging 17 ppg on on 47.9% from 3. It's weird seeing him be an consistent force on Kansas, something we haven't seen in his first 3 seasons. He and Devonte' Graham are making the Jayhawks a real contender. (I'm kicking myself for saying that). 

6 Xavier

I don't know why Xavier isn't being looked at in a higher regard. The Musketeers are 20-3 overall and 8-2 in the Big East with no appalling losses. They also got to the Elite Eight last year and returned most of their core for this year. Like seriously people, get on the X Train before it rolls to the Final Four. 

7 Michigan State

Michigan State had two straight scares last week, almost losing to Maryland and Penn State before getting their act together late. If this were another team, I probably wouldn't drop them two spots for winning two games. But until they actually play well for 40 minutes in the wake of this sexual assault cover-up, I'm gonna assume that it's taking a toll on the players. 

8 Cincinnati 

Cincinnati continues to roll in the American, even though Houston gave them a decent run earlier this week. The Bearcats are still undefeated in conference and only have two losses on the season. Is strength of schedule an issue? Yes. Is it enough of an issue to overlook them as a top 10 team? Not at the moment. You can't fault Cincy for having a sucky conference, but I'm still deciding whether I like this team for March.

9 Arizona

A dominant performance over Washington State still has me high on Arizona. It's also nice that they have been winning without Rawle Alkins, who's missed their last 3 games. Allonzo Trier and Deandre Ayton are starting to take over this team like we thought they would in the preseason. 

10 Auburn

Hey! An SEC team is back in the ETPR for the first time since Week 8! And if you told me it would be Auburn, I would've said you were clinically insane. But here we are, on the 2nd of February, talking about Auburn basketball. The Tigers are 20-2 and only have one SEC loss. Bryce Brown is a force on the offensive end, and Auburn could actually be legit.