Breaking Down Every Conference Race - Pt. 2: ACC, Big 10, Big 12, Big East

Men's College Basketball Conference Races: Pt. 2

ACC

Favorite - Virginia | Seed: (2-4)

The Cavaliers started their season off strong with wins against Baylor, Illinois, and Michigan and quickly asserted themselves as the top team in the ACC. However, they have recently dropped two straight against Miami and Houston. These losses can be blamed on their 3 point shooting, as they shot 60%, 30%, and 50% from 3 in their wins against Baylor, Illinois, and Michigan, but shot 27% and 26% against Houston and Miami. If they figure that out, Virginia should return to being not only the best in the ACC, but also one of the best in the country.

Contenders - Miami, Duke, North Carolina

Though Miami beat UVA, they don’t have any other huge wins and got blown out by Maryland. They’re the top team to challenge Virginia, and though they have already successfully challenged them once, they must stay consistent to win the ACC regular season title. Duke and North Carolina both had very high aspirations for this year but haven’t exactly lived up to them. Duke is at 10-3, and UNC is at 9-4. However, once Duke’s Dereck Lively and Dariq Whitehead return from injury, things should get easier for them. North Carolina has also been playing well recently, as they are on a 4 game win streak with wins over Ohio State and Michigan. Once those teams start trending upward, they will be a tough task for UVA to overcome.

Sleeper - Wake Forest

Coming off a win against Duke, Wake has now begun to move inside of the March Madness bubble. They are led by Tyree Appleby, the third highest scorer in the ACC, behind only Armando Bacot and Caleb Love by .2 and .3 PPG, respectively. He’s also the second highest in assists. Led by him, Wake can beat any team in the ACC as long as Wake’s role players like Carr, Hildreth, and Monsanto can play their part, which they have thus far.

Big 10

Favorite - Purdue | Seed: (1-2)

Purdue, currently ranked #1 in the country, is the obvious pick for the Big Ten leader. They’ve looked flawless so far, beating Gonzaga and Duke with ease. However, recently, they’ve played Nebraska and Davidson rather close. It is unlikely that any other team in the weak Big 10 will be consistent enough to finish at the top of the conference, but they likely won’t go undefeated.

Contenders - Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State

None of these teams have been consistent. They’ve all had their ups and downs, Wisconsin having the best record out of the few with 2 losses. Wisconsin has beaten Maryland but lost to Wake. Indiana beat Xavier and UNC but lost to Rutgers. Illinois beat UCLA and Texas but got blown out by Missouri. Michigan State beat Kentucky but lost to Notre Dame by 18. Ohio State may have a bit less going for them, but for a team as solid as them in a weak Big 10 to not be called a contender wouldn’t be right.

Sleeper - Rutgers

Though they may not be as talented as teams like Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio State, they are by far the most experienced team in the Big 10. And though they weren’t the most talented team last season either, Illinois still won the Big Ten because of their experience. However, Rutgers has fallen into cold spells offensively. These cold streaks were the cause of their losses to Temple and Seton Hall, but if they can become more consistent on the offensive end, they should be added into the “contenders” list.

Big 12

Favorite - Kansas | Seed: (1-3)

Defending national champs Kansas have been the hottest team in the country recently. Sitting at #4 in the country, they’ve recently trounced 2 top-25 teams in Missouri (likely will be T-25) and Indiana, as well as a bubble team in Seton Hall. However, their season did not get off to that smooth of a start. They played Wisconsin and NC State very close, before losing to Tennessee. Now though all of those teams are very solid, they didn’t look like big-12 favorites. But, the breakout of Jalen Wilson as well as freshman Gradey Dick being one of the best freshmen in the country has propelled them into the top spot for now.

Contenders - TCU, Texas, Baylor

Any team from top to bottom can win this conference. However, there are only a few that have both the talent and experience to contend with Kansas. At one point, Texas was looking like the favorite in the conference. But, with a loss to Illinois, the Chris Beard situation (not getting into that), then a narrow OT win against Rice, their status as the top team has taken a step back. TCU has fought injuries so far this season, but recently with their returning starting 5 from last year’s team all back, they’re on a 9-game winning streak. As for Baylor, they’ve seemed to fit in the low-top 10 tier, losing to Virginia and Marquette but beating UCLA and Gonzaga. They sure are more consistent than the other contenders, so don’t be surprised if they repeat as regular-season champs.

Sleeper - Kansas State

Like I said, any team could be a contender, but Kansas State sticks out especially because of their 11-1 start. I had them picked to finish last in the conference because of all the talent they lost from last year’s team, but their numerous transfers have meshed earlier than most transfer-full teams do. Leading scorer Keyontae Johnson, the 4th highest scorer in the B12, has returned to form very nicely. In 2020-21, Johnson was a preseason all-SEC player. After collapsing on the court early in that season, he has already recovered to being one of the best players in the B12. KSU is currently a near-top 25 team, and with a solid conference record, they should find themselves on the right end of the bubble come March.

Big East

Favorite - Connecticut | Seed: (1)

UConn has been the most surprising team in the country so far. Not only are they one of the only 3 undefeated teams left in the country, they also sit at #2 in the country as many argue they should be #1. Their success comes from Sanogo being a top 10 player in the country, sophomore Jordan Hawkins having a breakout season, ECU transfer Tristen Newton meshing better than most transfer players do with their new teams, and the best bench in the country. They’ll be taken down by someone in the Big East, but the question is: Who?

Contenders - Xavier, Marquette, Creighton, Providence

Unlike the Big 12, the contenders in this conference have all been inconsistent. They’re a combined 40-16, and Xavier is the only one currently ranked among them, though that might change soon. Marquette, Creighton, and Providence have all been very inconsistent because they are all rather young or are bringing in a lot of new faces. These are all things that tend to work themselves out as the year goes on, and since all 4 of these teams are just as talented as Connecticut, if their transfers and young players begin to settle in, which some already have, UConn is not safe.

Sleeper - Butler

Butler, like many of our contenders, have been inconsistent as a result of lots of new players. They handed Kansas State their only loss of the season, but have recently lost 3 straight to UConn, Creighton, and Providence and currently sit at the bottom of the conference. They sure are good enough to make the NCAA tournament, as a starting 5 of Chuck Harris, Manny Bates, Simas Lukosius, Jayden Taylor, and Eric Hunter Jr. is top 5 in the Big East. It will all come down to if they can beat some of the middle teams like Villanova and St John’s.