Is Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk Making a Case for National Player of the Year?


Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Somebody cue up the ESPN “30 for 30″ music… What if I told you, a player on the No. 3 team in the country was averaging 18 points, 7 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, 0.8 steals, and shooting 65-percent from the field and almost 80-percent from the free-throw line? What if I also told you, he played [...]

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Indiana Hoosiers Guard Victor Oladipo Should Be The Naismith Player Of The Year


Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports

If you think that Cody Zeller is the best player on the Indiana Hoosiers, you need to watch a game. If you watch them play, you will see that Victor Oladipo is the actual big guy on that team. The Hoosiers had a big game against the Michigan State Spartans and Oladipo was the guy [...]

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Duke’s Mason Plumlee in the NCAA Player of the Year Conversation (Video)


Robert Mayer - USA TODAY Sports

Duke senior forward Mason Plumlee is still in the running for NCAA Player of the Year. Plumlee is a top-3 candidate with Michigan point guard Trey Burke, and Creighton forward Doug McDermitt. Plumlee is fourth in the country with 11.4 rebounds per game. He is also averaging 17.3 points and 1.7 blocks. As a 6’10” [...]

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Top 10 College Basketball Players of the Season


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Top 10 NCAA Basketball Players

Top Ten NCAA Basketball Players
USA TODAY Sports-Greg Bartram

Conference play has officially started in NCAA Basketball. March Madness and the ensuing NCAA Tournament is getting closer and closer. Teams are fighting for placement in their respective conferences and attempting to get a berth in the tournament. Many of the teams have one or two players that are the focal point to help their team win.

At the beginning of the year, this list would have looked a lot different. Cody Zeller, who was seen as the consensus player of the year, has fallen down analysts’ lists. My number one player was named as an honorable mention last year, but is finally beginning to see his share of praise, after sticking around for another season with his respective school.

Many of the players in the major conferences get mention on television and other media outlets for their efforts. Players in smaller conferences often get overlooked and don’t get listed in top ten lists. Here in my top ten, I attempt to split the list up between the players mentioned by analysts and also a couple of dark horse picks for National Player of the Year.

At the end of the year, five players will be named to All-American lists, while one player will be named the player of the year. Look for many of the top ten players in this list to be in the discussion for the annual awards and lists.

The players mentioned in this slideshow need to continue to be the leaders statistically and mentally on their team to help ensure a berth in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. Look for these players to put up stellar numbers going into February and March.

Agree or disagree with the picks, follow me on Twitter and share your opinion.

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10. Jeff Withey, Kansas

10. Jeff Withey, Kansas
USA TODAY Sports-Denny Medley

Jeff Withey, Kansas

13.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.7 blocks

Withey is turning into a solid contributor for the Kansas Jayhawks once again. The senior center is a large part of the reason that the Jayhawks have only lost one game. In that one loss, Withey had a season low eight points.

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9. Erick Green, Virginia Tech

9. Erick Green, Virginia Tech
USA Today Sports-Josh Weiss

Erick Green, Virginia Tech

24.0 points, 7.2 rebounds

Green leads the NCAA with 24 points per game. The junior has scored 20 points in all but once of the Hokies games in the 2012-2013 season. Green has Virginia Tech sitting with an 11-6 record and will need to continue to put up points to help his teem advance to the NCAA Tournament.

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8. Cody Zeller, Indiana

8. Cody Zeller, Indiana
USA TODAY Sports-Pat Lovell

Cody Zeller, Indiana

16.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists

Zeller entered the 2012-2013 season as the consensus National Player of the Year. The sophomore big man has increased his points and rebounds averages this season. Zeller is shooting at 64% from the field.

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7. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State

7. Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State
USA TODAY Sports-Greg Bartram

Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State

20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists

Thomas, a junior for the Buckeyes, is helping the team in the ultra competitive Big Ten Conference. Against the number two ranked Michigan Wolverines, Thomas had 20 points and helped pull the upset. Thoas is averaging over 33 minutes per game.

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6. Russ Smith, Louisville

6. Russ Smith, Louisville
USA TODAY Sports-Jamie Rhodes

Russ Smith, Louisville

18.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists

Smith has been a big part of the Louisville Cardinals move up to the top position in the Top 25 Poll. The junior guard, along with Peyton Siva, is part of one of the best backcourt duos in the NCAA.

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5. Jahii Carson, Arizona State

5. Jahii Carson, Arizona State
USA TODAY Sports-Rick Scuteri

Jahii Carson, Arizona State

17.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists

Carson, a freshman at Arizona State, is starting to gain national attention. The Sun Devils continue to play well in the Pac-12 Conference. Carson is a sleeper pick for National Player of the Year. Carson leads the team in points, assists and minutes played. Carson plays over 36 minutes per game.

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4. Ben McLemore, Kansas

4. Ben McLemore, Kansas
USA TODAY Sports-John Rieger

Ben McLemore, Kansas

16.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists

McLemore continues to be the best freshman in NCAA Basketball. The Kansas Jayhawks freshman plays over 30 minutes per game, ranking second on the team. McLemore leads the team in points and has led the team to a near perfect record. An earlier injury score to McLemore had Kansas fans worried, but Ben appears to be fine and will have his team playing well into March.

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3. Doug McDermott, Creighton

3. Doug McDermott, Creighton
USA TODAY Sports-Jeff Curry

Doug McDermott, Creighton

24.0 points, 7.2 rebounds

McDermott made the All-American list last year and is well on his way to a second straight appearance. The coach's son has Creighton out to a 17-1 record. McDermott is second in the nation in scoring per game. In 13 games, McDermott has scored 20 or more points. In five of Creighton's games, McDermott has hit the 30 point mark.

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2. Mason Plumlee, Duke

2. Mason Plumlee, Duke
USA TODAY Sports-Kevin Jairaj

Mason Plumlee, Duke

17.4 points, 11.5 rebounds

Plumlee is the leader on Duke's 2012-2013 season. A senior, Plumlee is averaging a double-double in the team's contests. Plumlee has 11 double-doubles during the season. Plumlee also ranks fifth in the NCAA in rebounds per game. With an injury to Ryan Kelly, Duke will be relying on Plumlee even more to make it deep into the NCAA Tournament.

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1. Trey Burke, Michigan

1. Trey Burke, Michigan
USA TODAY Sports-Don McPeak

Trey Burke, Michigan

18.0 points, 7.2 assists

Trey Burke continues to be the best player in the nation. He ranks ninth in assists in the NCAA. Michigan has a 17-1 record and 4-1 mark in the competitive Big Ten Conference. Burke, along with Tim Hardaway Jr., makes up the best backcourt in college basketball. Burke, a sophomore, returned to Michigan and has the team in good shape to win a NCAA Championship.

Trey Burke and Deshaun Thomas

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Michigan State’s Keith Appling Making Case For Big Ten Player of the Year


Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, it’s way too early too early to be thinking about any Player of the Year candidates. Well I’m here to tell you that it’s never too early for such a thing. Another person would probably agree with me, and that person is Michigan State‘s Keith Appling. The junior guard [...]

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Top 20 Naismith Award Canidates


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Top 20 Naismith Award Candidates

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Paul Abell-USA Today Sports

The Naismith Award is the top honor any college basketball player can receive. It is the award given to the best college basketball player for that season. The most valuable player in college basketball is given the Naismith Award and is what every player strives for other than being a national champion.

This season is off to an exciting starts with numerous players showing they are deserving of the award. To gain the honor of national player of the year, you need to be a special player. It isn’t the best scorer in the country, not the best rebounder, not the best defender, or not the best passer; it is the best overall player and most valuable player to their team.

Cody Zeller was the unanimous preseason player of the year, but you can’t win an award before the season starts. Every player throughout the country are busting there butt everyday to get better and make their team better. This means that there will be other players who come out and prove night after night that they deserve to be in the discussion for this prestigious award. Almost every team has that one go to player, but which one of those go to players makes the plays when their team needs them most. Which one of those players has their best game when their team needs them to? The most valuable player in the country is one who comes up clutch when their team needs them most.

Here is a breakdown of the top 20 Naismith Award candidates after the beginning of the season.

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20: Pierre Jackson

20
Kevin Jairaj-USA Today Sports

Pierre Jackson is one of the quickest, most elusive players in all of college basketball. Baylor’s senior guard can light it up from downtown, but can also beat his defender off the dribble with his quickness. Jackson can score, but he can also pass and that is what you need in your point guard. He averages just less than 20 points a game and 6.2 assists. He can also pick your pocket on the other end of the floor as he records about 2 takeaways a game. Pierre Jackson is an exciting player to much and he is a very good one.

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19: Anthony Bennett

19
Bob Stanton-USA Today Sports

Anthony Bennett might be the best freshman in college basketball so far this season. The UNLV Runnin’ Rebel is running all over his competition. The freshman forward is averaging a little over 20 points a game, 9 rebounds a game, and 2 blocks a game. Bennett is putting up outstanding numbers early on and he is only a freshman. He will only keep getting better and can turn out to be a fantastic college basketball

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18: Nate Wolters

18
Nelson Chenault-USA Today Sports

Nate Wolters is a player that deserves a lot more recognition than he gets. Wolters doesn’t get the attention because he plays for South Dakota State, but that doesn’t mean the kid can’t ball. Wolters is one of the purest scorers in the nation and his stats year after year prove it. This season he is averaging 20.4 points per game and also contributes with 6 rebounds and 6 assists. You don’t see many people who can put up 20+ points every night and are also able to dish out 6 assists at the same time. With Wolters, SDSU can pull off an upset later on this year.

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17: Alex Len

17
Anthony Gruppuso-USA Today Sports

Alex Len is an emerging star for Maryland. The 7 foot 1 inch center is a dominate presence in the paint. He averages 14 points and 9 rebounds to go along with 2.6 blocks a game. He is a player relied heavily on by his teammates to score down low and to grab rebounds. Len is only going to keep getting better as a sophomore and that is only going to keep improving his stock.

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16: Jeff Withey

16
Bob Donnan-USA Today Sports

Jeff Withey is a defensive machine for the Kansas Jayhawks. The 7 foot center can score, rebound, and yes, he can block shots. He averages just less than 14 points and 9 rebounds a game, which are solid numbers for a big man. The stat that jumps out at you is the block shots. He leads the nation in blocked shots with 5.6 a game! He almost blocks 6 shots a game that is an unreal stat. Withey is a force down low and stops teams from being able to finish at the basket and limits the other team scoring easy baskets. Withey is a defensive stud that can also score on the other end which makes him one of the best players in the country. You don’t want to be invited to his block party.

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15: Victor Oladipo

15
Brian Spurlock-USA Today Sports

Victor Oladipo is a player who doesn’t get the attention he deserves because he has to play along side Cody Zeller. The junior guard can score, pass, rebound, and defend, what else can you ask from a player. Oladipo puts up 12.7 points a game to go along with 5.6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2.6 steals. Oladipo is a player that every coach wants to have on their team and a player ever player wants to play with. Indiana seems to have a bunch of those players and Oladipo is right up their as one of the best.

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14: Deshaun Thomas

14
Greg Bartram-USA Today Sports

Where would Ohio State be without Deshaun Thomas? The Buckeye forward has carried his team in the early part of the season. The junior averages just less than 21 points a contest to go along with 6.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Thomas, even as a forward can light it up from downtown. He causes match up problems because of his ability to score from the outside with his size. Thomas will need to continue to lead the Buckeyes if they want to have a successful season.

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13: Isaiah Canaan

13
Brian Spurlock-USA Today Sports

Isaiah Canaan is a flat out scorer. The senior guard is the 8th best scorer in the country, averaging 21.4 points a game. He can beat you off the dribble, create his own shot and shoot from behind the arc. When he is on, he is un-guardable. Canaan chips in with 4 rebounds and 4 assists a game to try and help his team out when he isn’t scoring the basketball. Canaan is a top player in the country and has shown it so far this season.

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12: Russ Smith

12
Kevin Jairaj-USA Today Sports

Russ Smith has been a surprise player for the top 10 Louisville Cardinals. He averages 20.3 points per game to go along with 3 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Smith has been very effective on the offensive end of the court. He has put up double digit points ever single game this season and has a season high of 31. If he can continue to put up double figures night in and night out, Louisville can make a run for the national championship.

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11: Sean Kilpatrick

11
Don McPeak-USA Today Sports

Sean Kilpatrick is one of the best two guards in America. The Cincinnati Bearcats swingman is one of the best scorers in the country and has his team off to a great start. He averages 20 points a game which is good for 25th best in the country. He also records 6 rebounds per contest. Kilpatrick teams up with Cashmere Wright to provide a lethal scoring combo, but Kilpatrick is the teams go to player.

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10: C.J. McCollum

10
Kevin Jairaj-USA Today Sports

C.J. McCollum is one of the best players in the country without a doubt. He leads the nation in scoring with 25 points per game on over 50% shooting from the field. Last year, he led Lehigh to upset Duke in the second round of the tournament and this season McCollum is looking to lead the Mountain Hawks to another season to remember.

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9: Erick Green

9
Peter Casey-USA Today Sports

Erick Green is the second leading scorer in the nation, averaging 24.4 points a game for Virginia Tech. He also grabs 4 rebounds and dishes out 5 assists every game for the Hokies. Virginia Tech has been a surprise team so far this season and it is all because of Erick Green’s performance.

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8: Michael Carter-Williams

8
Rich Barnes-USA Today Sports

Who knew about Michael Carter-Williams before the season started? I sure didn’t, but know he is a name everyone knows in college basketball. Carter-Williams does it all for the undefeated Syracuse Orange. Carter-Williams average 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds for Syracuse as the point guard. He also leads the nation in assists with 10.4 a game and is second in the nation with 3.8 steals a game. Carter-Williams is putting up crazy numbers this season and if he keeps it up, Syracuse will have a successful season and he will defiantly be in the discussion for Player of the Year.

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7: Otto Porter

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Evan Habeeb-USA Today Sports

Georgetown is a team who has struggled to score recently, but that hasn’t stopped them from winning. Otto Porter is the reason why they continue to win. His numbers don’t jump off the page at you, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t the Hoyas most valuable player. Porter averages 13 points, 7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. He does it all for the defensive minded Hoyas and is a top player in the country.

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6: Trey Burke

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Rich Osentoski-USA Today Sports

Trey Burke hasn’t done anything this season that he wasn’t supposed to. Coming into the season, he was projected to be one of the best players in college basketball and that is exactly what he is. Burke is averaging 17 points a game, 3 rebounds a game, and just about 7 assists for the undefeated and NO. 3 ranked Michigan Wolverines. Burke has a great surrounding cast around him and he knows how to get them involved in the offense, while also getting up his fair share of shots. Burke is the leader of the Wolverines and will have to continue that role if they want to make a run for the national championship.

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5: Jamaal Franklin

5
Christopher Hanewickel-USA Today Sports

Most people don’t really know too much about San Diego State’s Jamaal Franklin. Franklin is one of the best players in the country and flies under the radar mostly because of who he plays for. Franklin is a junior guard for the Aztecs and he comes as close to averaging a double-double as you can. For the Aztecs, he averages 19 points and 9.9 rebounds a game to go along with 3.3 assists. Franklin does it all for San Diego State and is a big reason to why they will have a tremendous season in the Mountain West.

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4: Brandon Paul

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James Snook-USA Today Sports

Illinois has gotten off to a surprising undefeated start this season, but they wouldn’t have been able to do it without Brandon Paul. The senior guard does it all for the Illini. He is averaging 19 points, 4.7, 3.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Paul has risen into the player of the year conversation with the emergence of the Illinois team. He is the leader of the team and the best player on the team. For Illinois to continue their success, Paul will have to keep doing what his doing and maybe even have to put up even better numbers.

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3: Cody Zeller

3
Brian Spurlock-USA Today Sports

Cody Zeller came into the season as the unanimous preseason player of the year. He had dropped out of the top spot, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been performing. Zeller is averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds for the No. 1 ranked Indiana Hoosiers. Zeller’s numbers are incredible considering that everyone around him can play as well. Oladipo, who was 15th on this list has been outstanding, Jordan Hulls, Christian Watford, and Will Sheehey have all been flat out amazing this season. Zeller doesn’t need to carry his team; he just needs to come out to play every night because he has talent all around him. This hurts Zeller in the Player of the Year discussion, but I’m sure he would trade a National Championship for it.

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2: Doug McDermott

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Bob Donnan-USA Today Sports

Doug McDermott’s stock has been rising as the season moves on. McDermott is averaging just less than 23 points for the Creighton Bluejays. He is also averaging just under 7 rebounds a game. He shoots over 50% from both the field and the 3-point line. Without McDermott, Creighton is nowhere near as good as they are this season. McDermott would be the most valuable player on almost any team, but he means that much more to Creighton. McDermott has been a household name his whole career and this season he is looking to go out as the player of the year.

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1: Mason Plumlee

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Paul Abell-USA Today Sports

Mason Plumlee has easily been the most dominate player early in the college basketball season. Plumlee is the leader of an undefeated Duke team and continues to carry the Blue Devils. Plumlee is averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game. His numbers, as good as they are don’t even show how dominate he has been. He has had multiple 20+ points and 15+ rebound games this season and that is something you rarely see in college. If Plumlee continues to perform like he has been, there will be no player in the country who can beat him out as player of the year.

Paul Abell-USA Today Sports

Check out the top 25 College Basketball programs of all time. Watch for these 20 hot female athletes in 2013.

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10 Dark Horse College Basketball National Championship Contenders


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College Basketball: 10 Dark Horse National Championship Contenders

10 Dark Horse National Championship Contenders
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The only thing better than college basketball is college basketball come the month of March. Everyone filling out their brackets, looking for the not-so-elusive upset in the first round, and your jerk boss going chalk. We both know you're a college hoops die-hard and you already know what teams you will be keeping a close eye out for all season long. And while you can certainly impress your significant other with the obvious 12 beating a 2 seed come tourney time, he or she will be even more impressed when you tell them which 10 teams are top secretly contenders for the National Title.

Now "sleeper" teams(or dark horses) aren't a team you've never heard of but are ranked in the top fifteen in the country. Nor are they a big time program that's ranked 19th. No, they are teams nobody is taking the time to take a harder look at. Or in many cases, teams that get no pub on your local picture-box sports network. The key factor in being one of these sleeper teams is going widely unnoticed. While a team like the Kentucky Wildcats are now un-ranked, they don't qualify as a sleeper team because certain yahoos thought they were going to be good as the fifth ranked team in all the land. They have gone plenty noticed by everyone who follows college hoops.

The criteria are simple. If they're not getting major TV time but are continuously showing the "It" factor, you're favorite college hoops program has a chance to make our list of "Top 1o Dark Horse National Championship Contenders". These teams are in no particular order, I mean they are horses in the dark so they can't be in any specific order.

Joe covers the Big East(HERE) for Rant Sports and as well as some NBA(HERE). Follow Joe on that fancy Twitter device @JosephNardone

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Saint Mary's Gaels

Gaels
Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

You east coast biased fans, you haven't realized the Saint Mary's Gaels has been a pretty solid program for a while now. The Gaels are currently rocking a 5-2 overall record but have shown the yearly habit of getting stronger late in the season. While all big-time conference teams lineup their non-conference schedule with cupcakes the entire schedule of the Gaels has assorted flavors of yum-yums. Giving them plenty of time to get their act together and be ready to go dancing deep in March.

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Temple Owls

Owls
Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Remember when the Temple Owls were a lock for a run in the tournament? Well start to get excited, not to overly excited, the Owls have looked impressive in the start of their regular season and has a few telling games coming up. Temple has scheduled a couple games against elite competition in the hopes of benefiting from the experience come March.

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Maryland Terrapins

Terps
David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

While the Maryland Terrapins are making news for switching conferences people are missing out on a really solid start to their season. So far the Terps have compiled a 6-1 overall record with their only loss coming in their opener against, the then third ranked team in the country, Kentucky. Buy in the Terrapins hype now, because thanks to a slew of easy games, they will be ranked pretty high in about a month and every "expert" will be telling you how they saw it coming.

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Colorado State Rams

Ram Tough
Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

These aren't your Bradly Van Pelt Colorado State Rams. No sir, instead they are a team being carried on the back of senior big man Colton Iverson. The Rams aren't known as any kind of collegiate sports powerhouse, and getting an invitation to go dancing would be enough to satisfy most alum, however don't only expect them to put their slippers on but expect them to smash them against opponents faces all year-long.

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New Mexico Lobos

Lobos
Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

I don't know if we can still classify the New Mexico Lobos as a dark horse. As of this week they've been ranked in the top 25 for the first time since the last time. The Lobos haven't looked great in every game they have played but they have won them, so there's that. While their non-conference schedule wasn't loaded with BCS type schools they have played Tournament quality teams. Out west some other more "viable" teams have been getting a lot more pub than the Lobos but don't expect that to last much longer.

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Alabama Crimson Tide

Roll Tide
Kelly Lambert-USA TODAY Sports

Did you know the Alabama Crimson Tide had a basketball program, probably not. The Tide's only loss came against the Cincinnati Bearcats in what can actually be considered a moral victory. This is a 20 win team this season and has one of the more underrated players in the SEC on their roster in Rodney Cooper. Alabama also has room to improve as team, so for a program that's already 6-1 for the season, that scares the pudding cats out of other SEC schools.

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Oregon Ducks

Quack
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oregon Ducks are a program that gets a lot of nice funding thanks to its ties to Nike. Now both the football(for a few years now) and basketball programs are befitting from the extra cash. What seems to be a growing trend in this list, the Ducks only loss came at the hands of Cincinnati but has seven wins otherwise. They also have a super-freshman in Damyean Dotson who is playing some of the best basketball of any freshman in the country. Keep an eye out for both the Ducks and Dotson as the season continues.

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The Virginia Commonwealth Rams

VCU
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Virginia Commonwealth Rams are only 5-3 to start their season. But that's not because they're not good, it's because they loaded up their non-conference schedule in the hopes it provides a preparation for success come March. Also they have Shaka Smart. Don't EVER count out Smart.....EVER.

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St. John's Red Storm

Johnnies
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

The St. John's Red Storm were picked by many to finish near the bottom of the Big East. Chalk-full of players not old enough to go to a gentlemen's club, the Red Storm are going to get better every time they step foot on the hardwood. They're also led by possibly the most underrated player in the country, D'Angelo Harrison, who has the ability to put this team on his back and carry it to the promise land.

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Lehigh Mountain Hawks

Womp
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

The Lehigh Mountain Hawks shouldn't be considered a dark horse if folks had their brains remotely in the vicinity of their skull. Lehigh is led by, the now heavily, hyped C.J. McCollum. McCollum is a legit NBA Lottery pick who can put the bucket in the basket, a lot. He's also a sleeper pick for being the nation's best player. That's how good he is and how good he makes the team. Also, the team is nicknamed the Mountain Hawks. Are you betting against a Mountain Hawk? I know I'm not.

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