Breaking Down the AP Preseason All-Americans

Indiana sophomore Cody Zeller was a near unanimous selection as a Associated Press Preseason All-Americans. (Kevin C. Cox)

We are on the verge of November, which means the college basketball season is just about to tip off. It also means that it is time for all of the preseason honors and predictions to be given out. Today, the Associated Press announced their preseason All-Americans.

A 65-member panel does the deciding voting on who will be the All-Americans. This year, there were a tie for the fifth most votes, so there are six players overall. The players are as follows with the number of votes in parentheses:

• Cody Zeller, Indiana (64)
• Doug McDermott, Creighton (62)
• Isaiah Canaan, Murray State (43)
• Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State (26)
• C.J. McCollum, Lehigh (16)
• Trey Burke, Michigan (16)

There were five main stories that jumped out at me from this year's list.

1. Three out of the six All-Americans are from mid-majors.
I doubt this has ever happened before. Not only are McDermott, Canaan and McCollum from mid-majors, they are all from different conferences. The wealth of college basketball talent seems to spread around the country more and more each season. You no longer have to play at Kentucky, North Carolina or Kansas to be the best players in the country. Each of these players led their teams on deep runs into the NCAA tournament last year and are fully capable of doing it again this year.

2. The other three All-Americans are from the Big Ten.
The AP voters love the Big Ten this year. First, they put Indiana (#1), Ohio State (#4) and Michigan (#5) in the preseason top five in the poll. Now, they named each of their respective stars All-American. Zeller is the top man on a talented and experienced Hoosiers team. Thomas may have been overshadowed by Jared Sullinger (now in the NBA) during last season's Final Four run, but he will shine as the star now. Even though no Buckeye fans will agree with this, Burke is the best point guard in the country and is the most dominant at his craft.

3. One voter is delusional or blinded by his dislike for Cody Zeller.
Zeller is the best college basketball player in the country as of right now. For standing 6-foot-11, he is extraordinarily agile and mobile. He has good scoring instincts and doesn't mind being aggressive. Zeller can be explosive at the rim, runs the floor very well and has a high basketball IQ. He has All-American written all over him. I hope the one voter who chose not to vote for Zeller gets to watch him dominant on a nightly basis.

4. There are no freshman preseason All-Americans.
This isn't about a lack of talent. It is clearly there. It's even quite likely that there will be at least one freshman on the list at the end of March. However, the problem from now is that there aren't any of them that we are confident will make an immediate impact. Kentucky's Nerlens Noel, UCLA's Shabazz Muhammad and and Kyle Anderson and Arizona's Kaleb Tarczewski all have respectable chances at being named All-Americans by season end.

5. If this list is any indicator, this year's March Madness might be crazier than ever.
Not to downgrade their talent one single bit, but this list of preseason All-Americans is one of the weakest I have seen in a long time. The Big Ten is expected to be a tough conference at the top, but after that the rankings are pretty spread wide and far. It appears as though pretty much any team could make a shocking run to the top this season.

Who's Tournament Tickets Will Be Punched Saturday?

VMI vs. UNC-Asheville - 12:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

This game is the Big South Conference Championship. Everyone expected UNC-Asheville to be here. The Bulldogs rolled through conference play to a mark of 16-2 during the regular season. The surprise here is that their opponent is VMI. VMI came into the conference tournament as the #7 seed. They held on to beat Radford and then pulled the shocking upset of the #2 seed, Coastal Carolina. UNC-Ashville won both of the regular season matchups, but don't be surprised if the Keydets hang tough in this one.

Tennessee State vs. #9 Murray State - 2:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

The Ohio Valley Conference Tournament has gone exactly to form so far. Murray State has been in the headlines all season because of their quest for perfection. That quest was spoiled by none other than Tennessee State. Both these teams will be pumped for this matchup. Murray State would like to showcase their dominance once again, especially against the only team to beat them all season. Tennessee State would love to ruin the Racers' goals once again. The Tigers have been the only team able to do that, but the question remains whether or not they can do it again.

Florida Gulf Coast vs. Belmont - 7:00 PM EST, ESPN2/ESPN3

The Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament ended up looking quite similar to that of the Big South Conference. Belmont, a talented team who nearly won at Duke, marched through conference play to the tune of a 16-2 record. On the bottom half of the bracket, the #6 seeded Florida Gulf Coast upset the #3 seed USC Upstate and then the #2 seed Mercer, the tournament host. Belmont destroyed Florida Gulf Coast in both of the regular season matchups. The Bears won those games by 42 points at home and 23 points on the road. The Eagles would love to avenge those losses, but would have to play their absolute best basketball to even have a chance.

Could Murray State's First Loss be a Blessing in Disguise?

If someone could predict the future, no one would have believed how much hype Murray State would get this season. The Racers made it to #7 in the national polls, were the last unbeaten team at 23-0, and the talk of every major college basketball discussion. Tonight, Tennessee State handed Murray State their first loss of the season. Isaiah Canaan scored 31 points for the Racers, but it simply wasn't enough.

The media coverage of Murray State will get significantly less now. It will be interesting to see how far they drop in the Top 25 polls. However, I am of the belief that this might actually help the Racers in a big way. They are going to learn things they can improve on from watching this tape. There always things to improve on following wins, but it takes on new significance when you lost the game. The loss also takes the pressure of the games prior to their big BracketBuster matchup with St. Mary's. The game with the Gaels is a big one. Now that their perfect record won't be on the line, they can focus on simply playing better basketball.

I think that Murray State is capable of making a run in the NCAA tournament. In fact, I will go as far as to say I am more convinced now that they have lost. It is important to feel that sinking feeling of defeat. It can be very motivating. I am not saying they didn't have motivation before. What I am saying is that they have a new sense of urgency in their motivation now. The Racers might not have wanted their perfect race to end, but it might actually help them down the road come March. We will just have to wait and see.

Busting Out the BracketBusters

142 teams. 71 games. 16 conferences. The matchups for the 10th Annual BracketBusters event were announced last night. For those of you who don't know what this is, I will explain. In college basketball, there are six power conferences (Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, SEC, and Pac-12). These are considered to be the best collegiate conferences in the country. What happens with the BracketBuster games is that the best teams from the non-power conferences play each other to help show which teams are better than others. The best of these games are aired live on national television. The games will be taking place on Friday, February 17 and Saturday, February 18.

Here are the Top 5 BracketBuster games (all on February 18) in my opinion:

#16 St. Mary's @ #9 Murray State - 6:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN2

St. Mary's is in control of the WCC. With an overall record of 21-2, the Gaels are 10-0 in conference play with two wins over BYU and one over Gonzaga. Murray State is the only undefeated team left in the country, but the Gaels will be their toughest opponent so far. This game should give us a better indication of whether or not the Racers can finish off the perfect season and/or make a tournament run.

Long Beach State @ #12 Creighton - 10:00 PM EST, ESPN2

Long Beach State is 9-0 in conference play. The 49ers used a tough non-conference schedule to prepare for big games such as this one. Creighton has had an impressive season so far. They have non-conference wins over San Diego State and three Big Ten teams. They also currently sit atop what is a very deep and talented Missouri Valley Conference. This is an intriguing matchup all-around.

Nevada @ Iona - 4:00 PM EST, ESPN/ESPN2

Nevada stumbled out of the gates by losing their first two games, but have won eighteen out of nineteen since. The Wolfpack are led by a solid guard combo of Deonte Burton and Malik Story. Iona is tied atop the MAAC standings with Manhattan and Loyola (MD). I'm not sure what gave the Gaels the edge to receive this matchup, but the bottomline is that they got it. Iona likes to run an up-tempo offense, so this should be a high-scoring affair.

Wichita State @ Davidson - 12:00 PM, ESPN/ESPN2

Wichita State currently sits in second place in the Missouri Valley Conference. Their only two conference losses were to first-place Creighton and in triple overtime at Drake. The Shockers most convincing win came in their beatdown of UNLV at home. The Davidson Wildcats are the favorite to win the Southern Conference. Their best win this season is clearly an upset of Kansas in Kansas City. This game will help determine whether that was a fluke and which of these teams is a contender.

Drexel @ Cleveland State - 11:00 AM, ESPNU

Drexel started off the season slow with a 2-4 record. Since then, the Dragons have won fifteen of sixteen and are tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Conference. While Drexel seems like a long shot for at an at-large bid for the tournament, a big road win here could give the momentum they need going into their conference tournament. Cleveland State opened up play with the first major upset of season, a win over a then #7 ranked Vanderbilt team. The Vikings currently lead the Horizon. Both these teams are defensively minded, so expect a low-scoring grinder in this one.

Here is a listing of all of the nationally televised games: http://espnbracketbusters.com/site/about/tv-schedule

Here is a listing of all of the rest of the games: http://espnbracketbusters.com/site/about/tv-schedule?id=12

Seven Things: A Recap of Week 7 and a Preview of the Week to Come

1. Team of the Week: Florida State

In the span of a week, Florida State turned around their season. Okay, the week is from Saturday to Saturday, but these wins are too impressive not to put the Seminoles here. They crushed North Carolina at home and took care of business against Maryland. Then, they finished off the week by going into Cameron Indoor and ending Duke's unbeaten streak at home.

Six Runners Up: Missouri, Dayton, Murray State, Long Island, Long Beach State, & Kansas

2. Player of the Week: Kevin Jones, West Virginia

Can anybody stop this guy? All he did this week was score 25 points and have 7 rebounds against in-state rival Marshall. Then, against a red hot Cincinnati team, he helped lead the Mountaineers to the big win with 26 points and 13 boards. Look at his stats from the season so far. He is a virtual double-double machine. In my opinion, he has not only put himself in position as the favorite for Big East Player of the Year, but he should be considered in any All-American conversation.

Six Runners Up: Faisal Aden (Washington State), Jason Clark (Georgetown), Anthony Davis (Kentucky), Anthony Marshall (UNLV), Aaron Broussard (Seattle), Kyle O'Quinn (Norfolk State)

3. What do we make of the Big East Conference?

Syracuse is still the best team, but certainly looked vulnerable against Notre Dame. Connecticut is struggling badly, having lost four of their last six. Georgetown certainly didn't look dominant in a win against Rutgers. Who knows how good Marquette, West Virginia, and Cincinnati really are? Then, everyone keeps beating each other. The bottomline is this is a untypically weak year for the conference.

4. Who is the best team in the Big 12?

Kansas is undefeated in conference play after knocking off Baylor at home and surviving a road trip to Texas. The Jayhawks certainly have to be considered as winners of 13 of their past 14. Missouri stated their case as well after putting a beatdown on Texas A&M and getting by Baylor as well. The Bears will have to look to respond after dropping two. Iowa State and Kansas State look to make some ripples in conference play as well.

5. Can Florida State win the ACC?

I already mentioned the Seminoles upset wins over UNC and Duke, so they are definitely capable. Those three teams are the favorites, but they can't afford to sleep on North Carolina State and Maryland. Both teams have shown signs of potential this season. Virginia looks less impressive after getting upset by Virginia Tech today at home.

6. How great is the Mountain West Conference?

This conference has been impressive so far and has already shown their supremacy as the best conference west of the Mississippi after knocking off a handful of Pac-12 teams. San Diego State is 17-2 and 3-0 in conference play, including a last second win over conference favorite UNLV. The Rebels have looked impressive in non-conference play. Who would have believed that Wyoming would be a Top 25 team right now? The Cowboys finished 10-21 last season, but are 16-3 so far this year. Colorado State, New Mexico, Air Force, and TCU are all not easy outs either in an impressive conference this year.

7. Seven Games to Watch This Coming Week

Monday: Syracuse @ Cincinnati

Tuesday: Michigan @ Purdue; San Diego State @ Wyoming

Wednesday: St. Louis @ Xavier

Thursday: Indiana @ Wisconsin

Saturday: West Virginia @ Syracuse; Mississippi State @ Florida

Upsets a Plenty on a Busy Saturday of College Basketball

I will breakdown the Top 25 teams that were in action on Saturday.

Convincing Wins

#1 Syracuse 78 Providence 55 - The Orange showcased their supremacy once again as they routed the Friars. They host Pittsburgh on Monday.

#4 Baylor 106 Oklahoma State 65 - The Bears offense keeps getting the job done in convincing fashion. They scored 15 three pointers and nearly doubled the Cowboys on the glass.

#15 Louisville 76 Depaul 59 - The Cardinals bounced back nicely from losing two straight. The travel to Marquette next Monday.

#16 Connecticut 67 Notre Dame 53 - UConn was without Ryan Boatright (being investigated by the NCAA). The most impressive thing about the Huskies win was the play of two of their big men, Andre Drummond and Alex Oriakhi.

#25 Harvard 69 George Washington 48 - The Crimson looked convincing in their final non-conference game. Now, they just have to focus on taking care of business in Ivy League play.

Got the Job Done

#9 Missouri 84 Texas 73 - The Tigers just keep winning. They didn't get frazzled by their first loss of the season to Kansas State. They host Texas A&M on Monday.

#10 Kansas 82 Iowa State 73 - The Jayhawks overcame a sluggish first half to beat the Cyclones. This setups a big Top 10 showdown on Monday when they host the undefeated Baylor Bears.

#14 Murray State 82 Tennessee Tech 74 - The Racers are now off to a school-record 19-0 start. They are 6-0 in OVC play, and their next conference opponent is Morehead State on Wednesday.

#19 Florida 79 South Carolina 65 - The Gators improved to 2-1 in SEC play with a road win over the Gamecocks. Their next game isn't until next Saturday when they host LSU.

#24 Marquette 62 Pittsburgh 57 - The Golden Eagles improved to 3-2 in Big East play, while the Panthers fell to 0-5. Who would have believed Pitt would be struggling this badly right now?

Survived a Scare

#2 Kentucky 65 Tennessee 62 - The Wildcats displayed some poise in a tough road win. The Volunteers showed once again this week that they are much better than their 8-9 record would indicate.

#20 Mississippi State 56 Alabama 52 - Both of these teams want to make the NCAA tournament, so this was a big win for the Bulldogs. The Crimson Tide were ranked in the preseason polls, but they need to find an answer to their struggles quickly if they are going to rebound from this loss.

#23 Gonzaga 62 Loyola Marymount 58 - Coming off a blowout loss at St. Mary's, the Zags barely survived a tough win over the Lions. They look to get back to form against San Francisco at home on Thursday.

Upset Victims

Florida State 90 #3 North Carolina 57 - This might be exactly what Florida State needed. The Tar Heels had no answer for the hot shooting Seminoles. The loss was the worst in the Roy Williams era.

Northwestern 81 #7 Michigan State 74 - The Wildcats showed they still have a shot in the Big Ten, as Michigan State's win streak of fifteen games was snapped. The Spartans look to get back on track on Tuesday when they travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan.

Iowa 75 #13 Michigan 59 - The Hawkeyes are a tough team to figure out. They have upset two Top 25 teams, but they have also got blown out by two of them.

Oklahoma 82 #18 Kansas State 73 - The Wildcats might be a bit overrated as they now fell to 1-3 in Big 12 play. They will look to recover on Wednesday when they host Texas.

Thriller

#22 San Diego State 69 #12 UNLV 87 - This might be a sign of what is to come in what is a tough Mountain West Conference this year. Aztec guard Jamaal Franklin made the game winning off-balance layup with 0.3 seconds left in the game.

Murray State Races Out to 15-0 Start

Basketball in Kentucky has been dominated by the University of Kentucky for a long time. But right now the Wildcats don't have the best record in the state. That belongs to Murray State. Tonight, the Racers beat Eastern Kentucky 76-67 to improve to 15-0 on the season. They are now one win away from tying the school's all-time best start which was set in 1935-36. This is the same Murray State team that pulled an upset of Vanderbilt at the buzzer in last year's NCAA tournament.

So how are they getting it done? Murray State has been shooting the ball very well and playing some great defense. As a team, their field goal percentage is .488, which is 17th best in the country. The team does need to work on their rebounding though, especially if they can't keep the hot shooting up. They rank 270th in the nation when it comes to grabbing boards.

The Racers have three main guys leading the way. Tonight, junior Isaiah Canaan scored his 1,000th point. Canaan is dual-threat guard based in the fact that he is both the team's leading scorer and assist man. Senior Donte Poole likes the three ball and connected on three tonight. He was the leading scorer in the game with a season-high 22 points. Tonight's game also showed that the Racers have some depth as they were without senior Ivan Aska. The team is not sure how long Aska will be out with a broken bone in his hand. While he is out, the team will miss his 6-7 frame. At times during tonight's game, Murray State was playing four guards. It is clear that they need Aska to return as soon as possible.

Now, let's look at their schedule. How good really is their record? They've beaten three Conference USA teams. That includes a double overtime win over a 14-2 Southern Miss team and a four point win over a ranked Memphis team. They also beat Dayton, a team that has been in the national conversation, by a convincing 17 points. While their schedule isn't overwhelming, it still has some quality wins so far.

So I know what you are thinking. Is Murray State capable of running the table? It is definitely possible. They are already 3-0 in conference play. None of the other Ohio Valley Conference teams have looked particularly tough. But that doesn't mean all those teams won't be pumped to try and be the team that ends the perfect season. Murray State's next game is Saturday at Austin Peay. The Racers have passed the half-way point of their season-long marathon. Now what remains to be seen is whether or not they can finish it perfect.