Florida State, Rutgers trending upward, Memphis in trouble
Mon, Jan 17, 2022
NCAAB News (AP)
AP Sports College Basketball Analyst
Postponements. Cancelations. Angst.
All of that happened in men's college basketball over the past month. But what didn't change was the yearly anointment of teams too early in the season.
Too often teams are given a "pass" to the tournament before the new year even arrives.
Well, this past week showed that early reads on teams aren't always accurate.
The season is not over for any of the teams below by any stretch. Some even have renewed hope, while others face major concerns.
Let's discuss.
Andy Katz shares which teams he thinks are showing renewed hope, and also the teams that should be concerned with their recent performance.Teams with a pulse:
Texas A&M (15-2, 4-0)
The Aggies were hardly a team of note in the SEC in the preseason or even during non-conference play. They had a legit shot to take down Wisconsin in Las Vegas in the first round of the Maui Invitational, but couldn't hold a lead. They went on to win the final two games of the event over Butler and Notre Dame, and the only blemish since that Wisconsin loss was a four-point neutral-court loss to TCU. The Aggies took down Arkansas and Ole Miss at home, before notching an impressive road win over Missouri. We will find out where the Aggies stand this week, with Kentucky on Wednesday and a visit to Arkansas on Saturday before LSU in Baton Rouge the following week.
Northwestern (9-6, 2-4)
The Wildcats beat Michigan State without Pete Nance over the weekend in East Lansing, giving them their second Big Ten road win. Home losses to Michigan State, Penn State and Maryland after holding leads stings. But they have plenty of chances upcoming with Wisconsin on Tuesday before road games at Purdue and Michigan.
Arkansas (12-5, 2-3)
The Hogs were a trendy NCAA Tournament pick early after winning the Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City, but then fell flat and lost five of six in December and early January. But an impressive win over Missouri, followed by a road win over LSU has changed the direction of this team. A home game against Texas A&M Saturday will be telling.
Marquette (12-6, 4-3)
The Golden Eagles have won four in a row under Shaka Smart, including beating Providence and Seton Hall. The Golden Eagles already have wins over Illinois, Ole Miss and West Virginia, as well as a road win at Kansas State. The next four games will be crucial at Villanova, Xavier, at Seton Hall and at Providence.
Florida State (10-5, 4-2)
Leonard Hamilton always finds a way in the ACC. Florida State just needed time. The Seminoles have won three in a row (4-2 in the ACC), including knocking off Miami after the 'Canes had just beaten Duke.
Mississippi State (12-4, 3-1)
The Bulldogs' 78-76 win over Alabama was season-changing. They already have wins over Arkansas, and at 3-1, must be taken seriously in the SEC. The biggest tests for the Bulldogs will come next week at Kentucky on Jan. 25 and at Texas Tech on Jan. 29.
Rutgers (10-6, 4-2)
Geo Baker is healthy, Ron Harper Jr. is scoring, and the Scarlet Knights have won five of six games, including beating Michigan at home. The home win over Purdue has a great shelf life. And knocking off Maryland on the road gives Rutgers that much-needed road win.
TCU (12-2, 2-1)
The Horned Frogs had a COVID pause, but have come back with two wins in the Big 12 at Kansas State and over Oklahoma in OT. The win over Texas A&M will have legs for TCU.
Murray State (14-2, 4-0)
The Racers had a win at Memphis and an early loss to Auburn. But Murray State is 14-2, 4-0 in the Valley after beating rival Belmont by 22 in Nashville. Murray State has at-large credentials.
Teams in trouble:
Louisville (10-7, 4-3)
The Cardinals have lost three in a row, including by 12 at Pitt. They've already lost at Western Kentucky and at home to Furman, DePaul and NC State. They are flailing at 10-7, 4-3 in the ACC.
Syracuse (8-9, 2-4)
The Orange have lost four of five, including home games to Virginia and Florida State. Add those two to a home loss earlier in the season to Colgate, and Syracuse is nowhere near a tournament team.
Virginia (10-7, 4-3)
The Cavaliers are inconsistent again after losing two of three games, including at home to Wake Forest. In their last two home losses, the Cavaliers have scored 50 and 55 points, respectively.
Memphis (9-7, 3-3)
The Tigers looked like things were heading in the right direction with wins over Wichita State, Tulsa and Cincinnati. But since then they have lost two in a row, last week at UCF and at East Carolina at the buzzer. The Tigers had little room for error, having already whiffed against Iowa State, Georgia, Ole Miss and Murray State. The win over Alabama stands out, but there were too many other faults. Beating SMU on Thursday is a must. The first of two Houston games is Feb. 12 on the road. Memphis still has the goods to win the American Tournament. But if they don't change their direction, that may be this team's only way into the field.
Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst and host. He can be seen on AP Sports and Big Ten Network platforms, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the podcast "March Madness 365." Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, prior to that, in newspapers for nine years.
