What a fun year for College BB

This year is shaping up to be very fun for college bb writ large. Obviously for KU fans it is fun because we are performing well and after 5 games all alone in 1st place of the Big 12. But my view of college basketball is always through the lens of a quant and this season is very interesting. Here are some reasons this season is fun;

1. For KU fans of course, it is fun because KU is winning
2. Generally speaking, all the other blue bloods are ebbing, some seriously (UK). UNC is in the 20’s, Duke is in the 20’s, Gonzaga in the teens, Villanova off the map and Kentucky a bubble team at best and radically underperforming. Michigan State has withered. Michigan who had a slushy love fest with the media because for some reason they love Juwan Howard, has crumbled. UCLA is doing well though.
3. Probably more parity than in many years. There is no clear cut favorite at this point. Every team has weaknesses. Tennessee looked strong but they lost to Kentucky today. Duke lost to Clemson. UConn looked like they were going to pull away early but has fallen back in the pack. Alabama is surging right now. Arkansas surged and is now fading. Purdue looks strong but they are beatable. Houston has a killer defense but can be suspect offensively.
4. The Big 12 is just unbelievably strong top to bottom like never before. When I say never before I have the hard data to back that up. I literally mean never before.
5. Bill Self is the Dean of coaches now. It gets virtually no hype on ESPN or anywhere else. Not totally sure why but I think I sort of know. It will come over the next several years. But in my mind tHere is no one else in his league at this point.
6. There are probably 20 teams right now that could make at game run. Maybe 25. Sure, there are 8 or 10 that comprise the favorites. But it is wide open.
7. Parity, parity, parity.
8. The era of the love affair with freshmen elites is past. The portal has brought back the old days when experience was king. We still hype our OAD’s and we still focus a lot on freshmen. But across the board we are seeing far more players that are organically grown in the furnace of experience. Most of the better teams are not led by freshmen phenoms. Look at Duke with their No. 1 recruiting class. They are middle of the pack in the ACC. Getting good freshmen is always a good thing. But no longer a necessary component of being competitive. Virtually every one of the top 20 teams has a significant contribution from upper class men.

I do not have the hard numbers that you, esteemed colleague in posting. I did post the other day when KU was not playing how most of the conference games were 1 possession affairs even when the favorite won. Lots of really tough games. A Lot of Parity.

Two observations that hit me today:

1.) Blue bloods NOT in the top 25: Duke, UNC, UK, Michigan State

2.) Looking at this week's big 12 scheudle, I kept saying, "Dang, that's a tough game," for literally every matchup this week. It's like the old Navy Seal saying, "the only easy day was yesterday."

Fun, fun, fun season.

NotOstertag wrote: 1.) Blue bloods NOT in the top 25: Duke, UNC, UK, Michigan State

3/4 of the Champions Classic and the Preseason number 1.

If anybody saw that coming I suspect they were the big lottery winner today

Or owns a time machine disguised as a DeLorean. Glad we're on the right side of this anomoly.