Northern Iowa Basketball

On the first day of spring, No. 1 has fallen.

Not exactly "do you believe in miracles?", but it's faultlessly uttered. 

Speaking of faultless, how about that March Madness brouhaha?

While we're on the page of difficult words to spell and pronounce, why don't we get right down to the nitty gritty. 

Ali Farokhmanesh. Listed at six foot even, he looks to be at most, 5' 9", tops.

Farokhmanesh looks shorter than every other dude out on the court and doesn't seem like he'll ever be an NBA star, let alone cruise on a roster. 

But, holy hell, what a ballsy introduction. 

All quintessential, trite sports analogies aside, the little man took Goliath to school. And then some.

He pinned Goliath. Farokhmanesh hogtied him, slained him or however else you want to say it.

The kid from Iowa City, Iowa has more than ice water running through his veins. His veins are living, breathing proof that global warming is a farce.

This basketball player has cojones, too. 

With one swift, what-in-the-hell-is-he-doing moment, Northern Iowa went from a No. 9 seed that had an impressive first round win, to the team that will forever be remembered. 

Forever. And ever. And ever. 

Wikipedia will always have Ali Farokhmanesh in its database with a few prime adjectives describing his shot to best Kansas, the No. 1 overall seed in the 2010 NCAA Tournament to unthinkably advance to the Sweet 16

That's fame. That's glory. That's why they play and that's why we watch.

Nothing's a given. On any given day, anyone can be beat by anyone. 

UNI was up one point and attempting to stave off what looked to be an impending disaster for the Panthers. Kansas was steamrolling. They'd seen and heard enough of these nobody's.

Bill Self's slew of stars wanted to just "out-talent" the supposedly inferior opponent.

Two feet set. Nobody within his line of sight. Jump. Follow through. 

Flick of the wrist.

Boom.

Madness. Pure, insatiable, unadulterated lunacy.

Up one on a favorite to win a national championship with 37 seconds left, one would think that a "logical" basketball player would make the "smart" move.

The pundits were pissed on. Every single coaching maneuver, 20 second timeout, and good talking to was put into a brown paper bag and promptly set ablaze on that old neighbor's porch, when Farokhmanesh decided that enough was certainly enough.

T.S. Eliot said, "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

Now, I don't know if Ali The Great 2.0 is an aficionado of the modernism that is Eliot, but hey, if the shoe fits, right?

The CBS color announcer (who cares who it was) retorted Ali's epic trinity. 

"You can't be serious with that shot!" he essentially yelled at the lionheart.

So what if Farokhmanesh had missed that wide open three-pointer? Imagine Kansas grabbing the board, holding for the last shot and Sherron Collins knifing his way to the hoop for a last second, acrobatic lay-in?

I'm just saying. 

Not saying, too.

Farokhmanesh the visionary? The oracle?

How about Farokhmanesh, the merciless?

He held America for ransom for about three seconds. Closing off windpipes. Chopping down brain cells. Massacring hearts everywhere.

You play to win the game, right?

Just following the rules. The rules are applicable everywhere. Rule 76, a favorite amongst those carpe diem enthusiasts turned out peaches for the minuscule sharp-shooting son of an Iranian immigrant and former volleyball star. 

While on the subject, March 20th of every year is the first day of spring.

It is also the first day of the Iranian new year. Nowruz, as it's referred to. 

We don't know if Harvey Weinstein is behind this script, but it's most certainly a possibility. 

The diminutive, scrapping, dead-eye half-Persian providing the consummate shush gesture to all of college basketball—on Persian New Year's, no less.

Farokhmanesh saw nobody in front of him and decided to take fate into his own hands and apply a slow and steady chokehold until his perfect three-point shot fell immaculately through the net in Oklahoma City. 

You can't go through life in fear of failure.

This reality goes double for athletes, goes triple for collegiate athletes and goes quadruple for professional athletes. And it goes septuple for guys that try their hand in March Madness.

So, now what? 

We've got some T.S. Eliot, a Wedding Crashers correlation, and an audacious chance taken by an undaunted basketball player. 

Rule 76: No excuses, play like a champion.

If the shoe fits. 

And to you, Ali Farokhmanesh: Congratulations, kid. 

You're the belle of the ball.

Oh, and Happy New Year. 

Eideh Shoma Mobarak.

Welcome to March Teaseness.

It happens every year when the underdog from a small conference shocks the college basketball world and upsets a traditional power from a major conference in the early rounds of the NCAA Tournament to wear Cinderella's coveted glass slipper.

St Mary's and Northern Iowa are this year's darlings after taking out Villanova and Kansas, respectively, in the round of 32 Saturday. My bracket is busted. Your bracket is busted.

Heck, President Barack Obama's bracket sure is busted after he penciled in Kansas to win national championship. I think it would be wise for him to use an executive order and request a brand new one.

I know, a few giants falling at the hands of the little engines that could is great, right? That is why the twelve-five upset has become the new black. That is why we love March Madness.

Wrong. That is why we should not buy into the fairy tales when it comes to the three- week tournament.

The first two days of the tournament we get excited about the prospect of upsets. We marvel at the bands, cheerleaders and the camera shots of crying underclassmen after a tough defeat, and the youthful exuberance of victory after a buzzer-beater.

It's binge drinking at its finest college basketball style.

Then we wake up Monday morning with a splitting headache, and teams from the Ivy League and the Missouri Valley laying next us, all the while wondering what the hell happened.  

Crazy weekends can provide uncertainty and regret. I've been there.

St. Mary's and Northern Iowa contingents should know the ending has already been written. It is not a happy one.

Time and time again the unlikely teams have given us a little shoulder by besting No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 seeds. Yet, they always seem to take a little back.

Gonzaga, the defacto father of the modern Cinderella squads to make deep runs in the tournament, upset Florida, Minnesota, and Stanford before falling in the Elite Eight in the 1999 NCAA Tournament.

The 2002 NCAA Tournament saw Southern Illinois get by Texas Tech and Georgia. The  unexpected run died in the Sweet 16.

In 2003, Butler shocked SEC power Miss. State and Big East foe Louisville when their dreams of a national title ended in the Sweet 16.

University of Alabama-Birmingham took out Pac-10 representative Washington and No. 1 seed Kentucky in 2004 on their way to the Sweet 16. The following year saw UW-Milwaukee out-play Alabama and Boston College. Again, the little guy could not get past the not so Sweet 16.

A breakthrough appeared to be happening in 2006, as Bradley and George Mason made memorable runs in the NCAA Tournament. The Braves knocked off Kansas and Pittsburgh in an impressive bolt to the regional semis.

However, George Mason gave the country a thrill it had not seen. The 11th seeded Patriots toppled tournament veterans Michigan State, North Carolina, and UConn to the Final Four. No seed that low had ever walked on college basketball's biggest stage since the field expanded to 64 teams.

Although George Mason was dismantled in the national semifinals by eventual champion Florida Gators, it gave those in the A10, Southland, SWAC, MEAC, Horizon League, and CAA hope that a national championship banner was possible.

Considering that the 1985 Villanova Wildcats, an eighth seed, are still the lowest seed to win it all, those lofty possibilities are nothing more than a mirage.

I'm tired of being teased. I'm tired of all the foreplay with nothing in return. A mid-major has to win the national championship for all of these yearly tournament upsets to mean something, and expanding the tournament to possibly 96 teams won't get smaller conferences closer, either. It will only water down the product, not make it better.

St. Mary's, Cornell, and Northern Iowa are not going to win the national title.

The NCAA should allow those teams to cut down the nets, receive a plaque, and then send them on their merry way to make room for the real teams.

Sooner or later a BCS school is going to knock their blocks off in the later rounds and take what has been rightfully theirs since the NCAA Tournament began in 1939.

That is how the story always ends. As it will again.

Every analyst had the same things to say: Kansas and Kentucky were the class of the field, great guard-play would lead teams to victory, and don't expect much from most of the lower-seeded teams.

What a difference two rounds has made.

The first day saw buzzer-beaters and huge upsets: Murray State upsetting Vanderbilt in a game that Murray State controlled throughout, Washington defeating a hot Marquette team, St. Mary's mauling Richmond, Ohio beating up Georgetown, Old Dominion downing Notre Dame.

Day Two brought Cornell, Missouri, and Georgia Tech all pulling out victories over higher-seeded foes, but more of a less chaotic day than the first.

Then came Day Three.

The landscape of the tournament has changed in one day. Suddenly, the entire remaining field now has a chance to win this tournament. The competitive level of this tournament has been turned up a couple of notches.

Analysts who said that great guard play will win the tournament must now re-think their ideas, as two mid-majors proved today.

First, St. Mary's toppled Villanova by riding on the back of Omar Samhan. Samhan had 32 points and seven boards in the Gael's 75-68 victory over the Wildcats. By the way, Samhan is the team center.

Then, in the most shocking upset of the tournament so far (which is saying something), Northern Iowa defeated overall  No. 1 seed Kansas, 69-67. While UNI had great three-point shooting, it was the effort of seven-foot center Jordan Eglseder to shut down Cole Aldrich that led to the Panther's victory.

Butler was threatened by Murray State, but was helped by fabulous work from seniors Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard, both physical presences in the paint.

The point is: Teams with great guard play (Villanova, Kansas, Murray State) lost to teams who had established post presences.

Big posts have been key to wins, as the ability to not only score inside but also to open up the perimeter game has been proven by three teams with great posts. As I write, Kentucky, whose physical posts of Patrick Patterson and Demarcus Cousins have been dominant this year, is taking Wake Forest to the woodshed.

The trend should continue on Day Four.

Georgia Tech could be in a great position to defeat Ohio State, if they get freshman phenom Derrick Favors involved early. Ohio State has great post play of their own, as Evan Turner could be on his way to a Player of the Year award. Whoever establishes better post play early will move on to the Sweet 16.

Perhaps the most interesting matchup of Day Four will be Syracuse and Gonzaga. Syracuse is going to be missing the physical play of Arinze Onuaku against Gonzaga's Robert Sacre. Gonzaga is more than ready to get Sacre involved early, and as seen in today's upsets, Sacre could be the key to this game.

Now, there have been exceptions to the rule so far (Washington, Missouri, Maryland). But the general rule has been to exploit the paint early, pounding it inside with the big uglies down low. This could prove to be a problem to some higher-seeded teams, as it has today.

I would expect one more one-seed to fall in the second round, and the most likely will be Syracuse. I just don't know if they have the physical presence to deal with the skilled Robert Sacre. Gonzaga does a great job getting him the ball, and as we've seen, the post play has opened up guys like UNI's Ali Farokhmanesh to shoot open threes.

If the pattern holds through the rest of this tournament, it is not a far-fetched idea that one of these scrappy, physical mid-majors could pull into the Final Four. At this point, it isn't even out of the question to see two or three of these teams dancing past the Elite Eight.

The question that needs to be answered is this: what effect does this have on the future of college basketball? Could it be that the mid-majors are finally catching up to the big names like Kansas, Kentucky, and Duke?

The answer to this point is a resounding yes.

Mid-majors have found new places to recruit players, with good results. St. Mary's has the Australian connection, and so far they have found diamonds-in-the-rough on the international market.

Butler is benefiting from the collapse of Indiana in the home state, which helps them gobble up better recruits.

A healthy number of transfer students and overlooked gems help these mid-majors fill out rosters with quality talent.

The result is the rise of small programs like these into national prominence.

I now believe that Kentucky is the favorite to win this tournament. Their balance and athleticism is unlike anything other teams have. But a scrappy, slower-paced Cornell team could, if the stars align, beat Kentucky on a given night.

And why couldn't Cornell appear in the Elite Eight, fighting to get to the Final Four with the likes of West Virginia, or even a red-hot Washington?

Stranger things have happened.

When Northern Iowa's Ali Farokhmanesh nailed a three—point shot with 35 seconds left in the game, the vein in Bill Self's forehead nearly exploded.

With a one—point lead and 32 seconds left on the shot clock, Farokhmanesh really had no business spotting up for a three—point shot.

Most coaches would say he should have held on to the ball, waited for the team to catch up and run out the time left on the shot clock.

But why run out the clock when there's a wide open look at a basket he has made almost 150 hundred times in his career?

"You can't be serious with that shot," shouted CBS broadcaster Dan Bonner after the ball hit nothing but net.

He was and he made it look easy. Some say it might be the gutsiest shot ever.

"I was open on the corner again and they kind of stepped back," he told reporters after the game. "I just shot it. It was actually an out of body experience. I don't remember it going in. I just remember seeing it go through the net and that was it."

The basket ensured that the entire world of college basketball needs to learn how to say the name Farokhmanesh before the Sweet Sixteen starts. The 69-67 win over No. 1 overall seed Kansas ensured No. 9 seed Northern Iowa their biggest win in the history of the program.

The senior went a perfect 3—for—3 from behind the arc in the first half, but cooled off a bit for much of the second half. He heated up when he needed to and finished the game with 16 points.

The son of an Iranian Olympic volleyball player, Farokhmanesh started his UNI career last season after transferring from Indian Hills Community College. In his first season as a Panther, he managed to finish with the second highest number of three—point baskets in a season in school history (75).

Farokhmanesh is definitely comfortable shooting the pressure shot, as it is the second time in as many games that his basket has guaranteed a victory.

With seven seconds remaining on the clock, the fearless guard nailed a deep three—pointer against UNLV to give the Panthers a 69—66 edge over the Rebels.

Maybe he should think about changing his name to Swishmanesh .

Try saying Ali Farokhmanesh three times as fast as you can.

It's almost impossible—and it nearly killed two CBS announcers assigned to call the first- round NCAA tournament match-up between the Northern Iowa Panthers and the UNLV Rebels.

With seven seconds remaining on the clock, Farokhmanesh, a senior guard for Northern Iowa, nailed a deep three-point shot to give the Panthers a 69-66 edge over the Rebels.

The game was an intense, back-and-forth defensive battle until the very end. UNLV's full-court-pressure defense broke down in the final seconds of the game, leaving Farokhmanesh open for what would prove to be the game-winning basket.

A local Iowa paper predicted the outcome of the game the morning before tip-off.  "Farokhmanesh might be the man to push the Panthers over their NCAA tournament hump," wrote the Waterloo Courier 's Kelly Beaton.

Prior to the win, the Panthers had lost their last four NCAA tournament games.

UNI head coach Ben Jacobson agreed with the reporter.

"Regardless of what happens in a game," Jacobson told Beaton, "his presence makes us a much more efficient, much more dangerous team."

Farokhmanesh is definitely one of the reasons remaining tournament teams should be worried about the Panthers advancing. Jordan Eglseder and Kwadzo Ahelegbe are a few more reasons for teams to worry.

Ahelegbe contributed 13 points and four assists to the win. Eglseder, who stands 7 feet tall and weighs 290 pounds, scored nine points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

With the win, Northern Iowa advances to the second round for the first time in five tries.

Hopefully, the announcers of the Panthers' next game practice up on the name Ali Farokhmanesh.

The University of Northern Iowa men's basketball team finished the regular season 28-4, winning both the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title and tournament title.

They were rewarded with a No. 9 seed in the Midwest Region of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, the highest seed ever for the Panthers. Northern Iowa will face the No. 8 seeded UNLV Rebels in Oklahoma City on Thursday.

This is the second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament for the Panthers. Last year, they lost to the Purdue Boilermakers in the opening round.

With eight juniors and seniors, UNI is a very deep and experienced team that should do well. Team member Adam Koch won MVC Player of the Year and the 7-foot center Jordan Eglseder is a shot blocking machine.

"They'll win at least one, if not two games, in the NCAA tournament," said coach Gregg Marshall after Northern Iowa beat Wichita State, 67-52, in the conference championship.

ESPN's Pat Forde also predicts them to do well in the tournament, pointing out that UNI is "skilled in the art of strangulation defense."

One of the reasons Forde love the Panthers is head coach Ben Jacobson, who recently won the MVC Coach of the Year award.

The team will have their work cut out for them if they beat UNLV in the opening round. The Panthers were placed in the same region as Kansas and Ohio State, and would likely face the Jayhawks in the second round of the tournament.

Northern Iowa will be making their fifth tournament appearance in seven years, and will be riding a lot of momentum into this year's opening-round match-up.

The 28-4 Northern Iowa Panthers are coming off their second straight Missouri Valley Conference title and a Missouri Valley tournament championship after dropping the 25-9 Wichita State Shockers 67-52 on Sunday afternoon.

The Panthers have the nation's second-ranked defense and put it on display Sunday.

Both teams changed leads multiple times before the stingy Panther defense stepped it up to a whole new level. They held the Shockers without a field goal for more than 12 minutes in the second half during a 23-3 run that put the game away.

For the sixth time in school history, Northern Iowa is headed to the big dance. The Panthers made the tournament last season as a 12 seed. Northern Iowa came close to pulling the famous 12 over 5 upset in the first round but ended up losing to a very talented Purdue team 61-56.

Last season, just making the tournament was a success, but expectations for this season's team were set much higher. With every player returning for the Panthers from last year's tournament team and the addition of a few talented freshmen, just making the tournament was no longer the goal.

The Panthers have lived up to every expectation so far this season. Besides winning the conference title for a second straight year and the conference tournament title, they also set a school record for wins at 28 and a record for conference wins at 15.

Northern Iowa is coached by Ben Jacobson, who was named Missouri Valley Coach of the Year for the second year in a row. It is just the fifth time in the history of the conference that a coach has won the award in back-to-back years. Jacobson lead the Panthers to their highest ever national ranking, 18th, and kept them in the top 25 for six straight weeks.

The Panthers are the ultimate example of a team, and it doesn't just show on the defensive end. Senior forward Adam Koch was named the Larry Bird Missouri Valley Player of the Year this season. Koch did not score a single point in Northern Iowa's 15-point tournament championship win. The Panthers like to roll 10 deep during games, and Coach Jacobson has complete confidence in every one of them.

Koch isn't the only Panther to receive awards this season. For the second straight year, UNI's Lucas O'Rear received the "Sixth Man Award." Seven-foot senior center Jordan Eglseder was named to the Missouri Valley Conference all-second team. Honorable mentions included starting guards Ali Farokhmanesh and Kwadzo Ahelegbe.

Ahelegbe, a junior, led the Panthers in their victory over the Shockers Sunday, when he scored a game-high 24 points. He was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

The Panthers are a veteran team that has been challenged all season long. For the most part they have overcome every challenge they have faced. Eight of the 10 players that play have NCAA tournament experience. The team has shown poise and discipline all season long.

Behind loads of experience, tremendous depth, talent, and an extremely unselfish style of play, this is one team you do not want to see come tournament time. Watch for the Panthers to prowl their way to the Sweet 16.

1. Northern Iowa Panthers (1)

Record: 21-2, 12-1 MVC

RPI: 15

Northern Iowa got their revenge with a win over Wichita State, and then late heroics by Adam Koch gave the Panthers a win over Southern Illinois.

Key Wins: Boston College (Neutral), Siena (Home), Wichita State (Home)

Key Losses: Depaul (Neutral)

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (2)

Record: 19-4, 7-1 WCC

RPI: 27

Gonzaga played well after losing to San Francisco. The Bulldogs beat Portland, and then two days later won at Memphis.

Key Wins: Cincinnati (Neutral), Wisconsin (Neutral), Illinois (Road) St. Mary's (Road), Memphis (Road)

Key Losses: Wake Forest (Home), San Francisco (Road)

3. Butler Bulldogs (3)

Record: 20-4, 13-0 Horizon

RPI: 17

Butler beat Wright State on Saturday to clinch at least a share of the Horizon League regular season title.

Key Wins: Northwestern (Road), Ohio State (Home), Xavier (Home)

Key Losses: Minnesota (Neutral)

4. Siena Saints (4)

Record: 20-4, 13-0 MAAC

RPI: 30

Siena has the longest winning streak in the nation at 15. The Saints destroyed Iona on Friday, moving their magic number for a regular season conference title to one.

Key Wins: Northeastern (Home), Fairfield (Road), Iona (Road)

Key Losses: Northern Iowa (Road)

5. St. Mary's Gaels (5)

Record: 21-3, 8-1 WCC

RPI: 37

St. Mary's has won six straight games since losing to Gonzaga. The Gaels play Gonzaga again on Feb. 5 in what could be a game for first place in the WCC.

Key Wins: Utah State (Road), San Diego State (Home)

Key Losses: Vanderbilt (Road)

6. Cornell Big Red (7)

Record: 20-3, 6-0 Ivy

RPI: 45

Cornell had some struggles in the first half with Brown, but in the end, the Big Red won 74-60.

Key Wins: Alabama (Road), Harvard (Home)

Key Losses: None

7. Murray State Racers (8)

Record: 22-3, 13-0 OVC

RPI: 97

Murray State beat Austin Peay on a buzzer beater on Saturday night to keep their undefeated record in the OVC.

Key Wins: Eastern Kentucky (Home), Morehead State (Home)

Key Losses: Louisiana Tech (Road)

8. Old Dominion Monarchs (6)

Record: 18-7, 10-3 CAA

RPI: 36

Old Dominion lost at VCU on Saturday. The Monarchs have now lost two out of their last three.

Key Wins: Marshall (Home), Georgetown (Road), William & Mary (Road)

Key Losses: Richmond (Road), George Mason (Road)

9. Virginia Commonwealth Rams (10)

Record: 17-5, 9-4 CAA

RPI: 57

Virginia Commonwealth beat Old Dominion for their fourth straight win.

Key Wins: Oklahoma (Road), Richmond (Home), William & Mary (Home), ODU (Home)

Key Losses: Western Michigan (Road), Drexel (Road)

10. Wichita State Shockers (11)

Record: 20-5, 9-4 MVC

RPI: 46

Wichita State came from behind to beat Indiana State and avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Key Wins: Texas Tech (Home), Illinois State (Home), Northern Iowa (Home)

Key Losses: Creighton (Home), Drake (Road)

11. Northeastern Huskies (14) 

Record: 16-8, 11-2 CAA

RPI: 55

Northeastern won their third game in a row in a 75-55 rout of Hofstra. The Huskies have a one game lead in the CAA.

Key Wins: Wright State (Home), VCU (Road), GMU (Home), ODU (Home)

Key Losses: Boston U (Road), Drexel (Road), Western Michigan (Neutral), Drexel (Home)

12. George Mason Patriots (9)

Record: 15-9, 10-3 CAA

RPI: 120

George Mason has lost two games in a row. With these losses, the Patriots dropped into a tie for second place in the CAA.

Key Wins: Indiana (Neutral), ODU (Home)

Key Losses: Tulane (Road), Radford (Road), Georgia State (Road)

13. Harvard Crimson (12)

Record: 15-5, 4-2 Ivy

RPI: 89

Harvard struggled against Princeton on Friday, losing 56-53. The Crimson rebounded from their two game slide with a win over Penn.

Key Wins: William & Mary (Home), Boston College (Road)

Key Losses: Army (Road), Princeton (Home)

14. Portland Pilots 

Record: 14-8, 5-3 WCC

RPI: 91

Key Wins: Minnesota (Neutral), UCLA (Neutral)

Key Losses: Portland State (Home), Idaho (Road)

15. Morgan State Bears (18)

Record: 16-7, 8-0 MEAC

RPI: 127

Morgan State remains undefeated in the MEAC.

Key Wins: Arkansas (Road)

Key Losses: Appalachian State (Road), Loyola Maryland (Road)

16. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (16)

Record: 19-4, 7-2 WAC

RPI: 69

Louisiana Tech has had some recent struggles, losing two out of their last four.

Key Wins: Murray State (Home), Houston (Road)

Key Losses: Arizona (Road), San Jose State (Road), New Mexico State (Home)

17. Northern Colorado Bears (17)

Record: 18-5, 7-3 Big Sky

RPI: 100

Northern Colorado has won three of their last four as they try to make a run for a conference championship.

Key Wins: Montana (Road), Weber State (Home)

Key Losses: Portland State (Road)

18. Iona Gaels (Not Ranked)

Record: 17-7, 9-4 MAAC

RPI: 78

Iona had an eight game winning streak snapped at Siena. The Gaels were picked to finish in the bottom of the MAAC, but they are looking like the second best team in the conference.

Key Wins: Creighton (Neutral), Providence (Road), Fairfield (Home)

Key Losses: Canisius (Road)

19. Oakland Golden Grizzlies (24)

Record: 18-8, 12-1 Summit

RPI: 74

Oakland has won three straight games since losing to IUPUI.

Key Wins: Green Bay (Home), IUPUI (Home)

Key Losses: Eastern Michigan (Home)

20. College of Charleston Cougars (21)

Record: 16-8, 11-2 SoCon

RPI: 87

Charleston has won three straight games. The Bears still have a one and a half game lead on Wofford in the SoCon.

Key Wins: UNC (Home), Wofford (Road)

Key Losses: East Tennessee State (Road), Hawaii (Road)

21. Sam Houston State Bearkats (Not Ranked)

Record: 16-5, 8-0 Southland

RPI: 71

Sam Houston State has won all eight of their games in the Southland. The Bearkats have a rematch with second place Texas A&M-CC this coming week.

Key Wins: Rider (Neutral), Auburn (Road)

Key Losses: Cleveland State (Road), Western Michigan (Road)

22. Kent State (Not Ranked)

Record: 17-7, 8-2 MAC

RPI: 70

Kent State has won seven straight games to take a one game lead in the MAC.

Key Wins: UAB (Home), Morehead State (Road), Wofford (Neutral), Akron (Home)

Key Losses: Green Bay (Home), Bowling Green (Home)

23. Morehead State Eagles (Not Ranked)

Record: 17-7, 11-2 OVC

RPI: 110

Morehead State is still two games behind Murray State in the OVC. The Eagles have a two game road trip this week.

Key Wins: East Tennessee State (Home), Austin Peay (Home)

Key Losses: Austin Peay (Road)

24. Green Bay Phoenix (23)

Record: 16-9, 8-5 Horizon

RPI: 131

Green Bay ended a two game slide with a win over Milwaukee. 

Key Wins: Wisconsin (Home), Wright State (Home), Detroit (Home)

Key Losses:Milwaukee (Road), Cleveland State (Road), Valporaiso (Home)

25. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (Not Ranked)

Record: 21-4, 11-2 Big South

RPI: 150

Coastal Carolina rebounded from their loss to Winthrop with wins over Gardner-Webb and UNC Ashville to find their way back into the top 25.

Key Wins: Charleston (Home), Indiana State (Neutral)

Key Losses: Cal State Northridge (Neutral), Radford (Home), Winthrop (Road)

Conference Breakdown:

CAA: 4

WCC: 3

Horizon: 2

Ivy: 2

MAAC: 2

MVC: 2

OVC: 2

Big Sky: 1

Big South: 1

MAC: 1

MEAC: 1

SoCon: 1

Southland: 1

Summit: 1

WAC: 1

Added (Alphabetically):  Coastal Carolina, Iona, Kent State, Morehead State, Sam Houston State

Dropped: Illinois State, Missouri State, Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, William & Mary

Considered: Drexel, Illinois State, IUPUI, Montana, Princeton, Stephen F Austin, Utah State, Weber State, William & Mary, Wofford, Wright State

Rank. Team (Previous Rank)

1. Northern Iowa Panthers (2)

Record: 19-2, 10-1 MVC

RPI: 20

Northern Iowa has won three straight since losing to Wichita State. The Panthers have a rematch with Wichita State in their next game on February 3.

Key Wins: Boston College (Neutral), Siena (Home), Missouri State (Road)

Key Losses: Depaul (Neutral)

2. Gonzaga Bulldogs (1)

Record: 17-4, 6-1 WCC

RPI: 24

Gonzaga had a nine-game winning streak snapped at San Francisco in overtime.

Key Wins: Cincinnati (Neutral), Wisconsin (Neutral), Illinois (Road), St. Mary's (Road)

Key Losses: Wake Forest (Home), San Francisco (Road)

3. Butler Bulldogs (3)

Record: 17-4, 10-0 Horizon

RPI: 22

Butler has won nine straight games. The Bulldogs are still undefeated in the Horizon League.

Key Wins: Northwestern (Road), Ohio State (Home), Xavier (Home)

Key Losses: Minnesota (Neutral)

4. Siena Saints (4)

Record: 19-4, 12-0 MAAC

RPI: 31

Siena has the longest active win streak, and the second longest active home win streak. The Saints continue to dominate the MAAC at 12-0. Rider is now getting hot again, and the Saints need to be careful of them to protect their MAAC title.

Key Wins: Northeastern (Home), Fairfield (Road), Iona (Road)

Key Losses: Northern Iowa (Road)

5. St. Mary's Gaels (6)

Record: 19-3, 6-1 WCC

RPI: 37

St. Mary's moved into a tie for first place with Gonzaga's loss. The Gaels are on the bottom side of the tiebreaker with a loss to Gonzaga. The Gaels have won their last four games.

Key Wins: Utah State (Road), San Diego State (Home)

Key Losses: Vanderbilt (Road)

6. Old Dominion Monarchs (5)

Record: 17-6, 9-2 CAA

RPI: 41

Old Dominion had an eight-game winning streak ended by Northeastern. With that loss, they dropped to third place in the CAA.

Key Wins: Marshall (Home), Georgetown (Road), William & Mary (Road)

Key Losses: Richmond (Road), George Mason (Road)

7. Cornell Big Red (8)

Record: 18-3, 4-0 Ivy

RPI: 45

Cornell has dominated the Ivy League. The Big Red beat Harvard by 36, eliminating much of the doubt that Harvard could give them any trouble for a title. The Big Red's average margin of victory in the Ivy League is over 29 points.

Key Wins: Alabama (Road), Harvard (Home)

Key Losses: None

8. Murray State Racers (7)

Record: 20-3, 11-0 OVC

RPI: 83

Murray State is still undefeated in the OVC. They have dominated every game in conference play.

Key Wins: Eastern Kentucky (Home), Morehead State (Home)

Key Losses: Louisiana Tech (Road)

9. George Mason Patriots (16)

Record: 15-7, 10-1 CAA

RPI: 101

George Mason is in sole possession of first place in the CAA. Their one conference loss came to Northeastern.

Key Wins: Indiana (Neutral), ODU (Home), 

Key Losses: Tulane (Road), Radford (Road)

10. Virginia Commonwealth Rams (9)

Record: 15-5, 6-4 CAA

RPI: 55

VCU has won five out of their last six, with the loss to Northeastern. 

Key Wins: Oklahoma (Road), Richmond (Home), William & Mary (Home)

Key Losses: Western Michigan (Road), Drexel (Road)

11. Wichita State Shockers (11)

Record: 18-4, 7-3 MVC

RPI: 49

Wichita State's win over Illinois State put them in second place in the MVC.

Key Wins: Texas Tech (Home), Missouri State (Road), Illinois State (Home)

Key Losses: Creighton (Home), Drake (Road)

12. Harvard Crimson (10)

Record: 14-4, 3-1 Ivy

RPI: 61

Harvard got destroyed by Cornell on Saturday, 86-50. Jeremy Lin had eight turnovers.

Key Wins: William & Mary (Home), Boston College (Road)

Key Losses: Army (Road)

13. Portland Pilots (13)

Record: 14-7, 5-2 WCC

RPI: 92

Portland has won four straight games and are in third place in the WCC.

Key Wins: Minnesota (Neutral), UCLA (Neutral)

Key Losses: Portland State (Home), Idaho (Road)

14. Northeastern Huskies (22)

Record: 14-8, 9-2 CAA

RPI: 66

Northeastern moved into second place in the CAA with a win over ODU on Saturday.

Key Wins: Wright State (Home), VCU (Road), GMU (Home), ODU (Home)

Key Losses: Boston U (Road), Drexel (Road), Western Michigan (Neutral), Drexel (Home)

15. Illinois State Redbirds (15)

Record: 15-7, 6-5 MVC

RPI: 121

Illinois State ended a two game slide with a win over Bradley. The Redbirds are in a tie for third place in the MVC.

Key Wins: Wichita State (Home), Creighton (Home)

Key Losses: Ohio (Road), Southern Illinois (Road)

16. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (14)

Record: 18-4, 6-2 WAC

RPI: 58

Louisiana Tech won their first five WAC games, but have now lost two of their last three games.

Key Wins: Murray State (Home), Houston (Road)

Key Losses: Arizona (Road), San Jose State (Road), New Mexico State (Home)

17. Northern Colorado Bears (12)

Record: 17-5, 6-3 Big Sky

RPI: 104

Northern Colorado has managed to stay in second place in the Big Sky, despite a loss to Montana this week.

Key Wins: Montana (Road)

Key Losses: Portland State (Road)

18. Morgan State Bears (21)

Record: 14-7, 6-0 MEAC

RPI: 133

Morgan State is still undefeated in conference play and have dominated the MEAC.

Key Wins: Arkansas (Road)

Key Losses: Appalachian State (Road), Loyola Maryland (Road), Robert Morris (Road)

19. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (19)

Record: 12-10, 5-5 Sun Belt

RPI: 146

Western Kentucky snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over New Orleans on Saturday.

Key Wins: Murray State (Home), Mississippi State (Home)

Key Losses: Indiana State (Home), Denver (Road), Troy (Road), North Texas (Home)

20. Missouri State Bears (17)

Record: 15-7, 5-6 MVC

RPI: 81

Missouri State stands one game below .500 in conference play. The Bears only lost by one point to Northern Iowa on Saturday.

Key Wins: Auburn (Home), Tulsa (Home), Illinois State (Home)

Key Losses: Arkansas (Road), Drake (Road), Bradley (Road)

21. College of Charleston Bears (24)

Record: 14-8, 9-2 SoCon

RPI: 93

Charleston snapped a two-game slide with a win at Georgia Southern.

Key Wins: UNC (Home), Wofford (Home)

Key Losses: East Tennessee State (Road), Hawaii (Road)

22. Western Carolina Catamounts (18)

Record: 17-5, 5-3 SoCon

RPI: 73

Western Carolina has played great on their home floor, not losing once, but they have struggled on the road in conference play. The Catamounts have a big win over Charleston.

Key Wins: Louisville (Road), Charleston (Home)

Key Losses: Georgia Southern (Road), Appalachian State (Road), Chattanooga (Road)

23. Green Bay Phoenix (25)

Record: 15-8, 7-4 Horizon

RPI: 113

Green Bay is in second place in the Horizon League.

Key Wins: Wisconsin (Home), Wright State (Home), Detroit (Home)

Key Losses: Oakland (Road), Milwaukee (Road), Cleveland State (Road)

24. Oakland Golden Grizzlies (Not Ranked)

Record: 16-8, 10-1 Summit

RPI: 62

Oakland makes their first appearance in the Top 25 this week. The Golden Grizzlies have a half-game lead on IUPUI for first place in the Summit. They had a nine game winning streak snapped by IUPUI this week, but rebounded with a win over Western Illinois on Saturday.

Key Wins: Green Bay (Home), IUPUI (Home)

Key Losses: Eastern Michigan (Home), IUPUI (Road)

25. William & Mary Tribe (20)

Record: 14-6, 6-4 CAA

RPI: 51

William & Mary has lost three straight games to VCU, ODU, and James Madison. A William & Mary team that was once at the top of the mid-majors is now dangerously close to dropping out of the Top 25.

Key Wins: Wake Forest (Road), VCU (Home), Maryland (Road)

Key Losses: UNC Wilmington (Home), James Madison (Road)

Conference Breakdown:

CAA: 5

MVC: 4

WCC: 3

Horizon: 2

Ivy: 2

SoCon: 2

Big Sky: 1

MAAC: 1

MEAC: 1

OVC: 1

Summit: 1

Sun Belt: 1

WAC: 1

Added: Oakland

Dropped: Coastal Carolina

Considered (Alphabetically): Iona, IUPUI, Morehead State, Sam Houston State, Stephen F Austin, Weber State, Wright State

Mid-Major Player To Watch: Rico Pickett, Manhattan Jaspers

Rico Pickett averaged 24 points per game in January. In conference games, Pickett is averaging 23 points per game. Pickett scored 28 points in the first half against Rider on Thursday night. Pickett goes through stretches where he scores at will and can hit just about any shot. Pickett is in his first year at Manhattan after playing his freshman year at Alabama and his sophomore year at Miami Dade Junior College. Pickett is averaging 17.9 points per game on the year. 

Everybody is starting to talk about the brackets, probably even the committee in charge of the task.

Personally, I think it is far too early to start making these judgements. Too much happens game to game to alter our opinions. One thing is for certain - this may be the most wide-open year in recent memory.

If it started today, the tournament's number one seeds would likely be Kentucky, Kansas, Texas, and Syracuse, in no particular order. Number two seeds might include Villanova, Duke, Kansas State, West Virginia, Purdue, Michigan State ... should I continue?

The truth is, there is too much basketball left to be played to figure this out right now. Yes, it's fun and all but there are some things that need to be sorted out before March rolls around. And, I still have a few questions.

1. How good is the Atlantic 10?

Are they going to get four or five bids, like many seem to be suggesting? Temple, Dayton and Xavier seem to be heading to the tourney but bigger decisions lay ahead with Richmond and Rhode Island. Richmond played a tough non-conference schedule and won against some good teams. But they also have some bad losses as well. Rhode Island has a good record and beat Oklahoma State (at home) but overall had a relatively soft non-conference sked.

2. How bad is the PAC 10?

Wow - California will likely emerge by default. Washington is about as inconsistent as a team could be and the rest...throw a dart. If they get two teams in it will be an accomplishment. Anything more than that is wishful thinking. None of the teams established any type of resume before the conference began and they are taking turns beating each other in the league.

3. Will the Mountain West get any at-large bids?

There is always talk about this conference but when it comes down to it, they rarely receive more than 1 at-large bid - if they get any at all. Four teams - Brigham Young, New Mexico, UNLV and San Diego State - are all solid but again, have not had the "signature" wins that the committee so desperately seeks.

4. Does Butler get in if they don't win...

Their "signature" win was against Ohio State, minus Evan Turner, at home. Some think that this is not enough should the Bulldogs fail in their conference tourney.

5. Do any other non-Big 6 conferences deserve multiple bids?

The two that come to mind are the Missouri Valley and the Colonial. I think that Northern Iowa is a lock regardless but some consideration might be given to Wichita State. Creighton played a tough schedule but didn't win any of those games. The Colonial is one of the most competitive conferences and they have some solid teams as well. George Mason is a bit of a surprise (should I still be saying that) while Old Dominion and Northeastern have been strong. William and Mary has two huge road wins against quality ACC opponents and can use a solid conference record to help its chances.

I like thinking about potential March matchups as much as the next person but this year's version is just too tough to call right now. Perhaps things will begin to clear up in the coming weeks or maybe it will just get murkier. Either way, I think I'm going to be watching.