The holiday season is nearing its end, with New Year’s right around the corner. With that in mind, it’s time to recap some of what we’ve learned through the first semester of college basketball and look at some of the teams that have taught us the most.
Oklahoma Can be Explosive
We all know about reigning Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield and what he can do for the Sooners, but the performances of Isaiah Cousins, Ryan Spangler, and Jordan Woodward are as important to this team’s success as anything.
With their championship win at the Diamondhead Classic over Harvard, one that included a quick 17-0 run after trailing at half, Oklahoma reminded us of just how explosive they can be. The question now is, can they be the best in the Big 12?
Early returns suggest that they’re more offensively gifted than the Kansas Jayhawks and they just might have the perfect roster to match up with Iowa State as well. At this point, Buddy Hield looks like a prime candidate to repeat last year’s honors.
Harvard Ain’t Ready to be Done
The Ivy League looks wide open right now, with a race that must include the Crimson. Many expected this year’s group to take a step back overall, which they have, but Tommy Amaker and company aren’t ready to concede their league to the likes of Princeton or Columbia.
Harvard has been tested through the non-conference and put a stretch where they lost four of five games behind them.
Their ability to compete with both Kansas and Oklahoma recently should give this group the boost of confidence they need heading into the New Year and league play.
Others to Follow
We always take a look at the likes of Hawai’i, Auburn, Indiana, and California, all of which have shown a mix of positive and negative results through the year, thus far. The Rainbow Warriors took home third place in their hosted tournament and tied their best finish ever. Auburn is still a few steps away from the heights that many thought they could reach this season. Indiana is who they are, one of the most gifted offensive groups in the country that, also, can’t defend at a high level. For the Golden Bears, we talk about the piece of their talented group that must become more of a focus on the offensive end if they are to reach their potential.
