Biggest Surprises

[tornado]

Here are what I would list as the five biggest surprises so far in all of college basketball this season...


Followed by the 5 biggest surprises thus far in the Missouri Valley

5 Biggest Surprises in all of college basketball
-I guess everyone knew Kentucky & John Wall would be good, but they are way better than I would have expected
-We all knew the ACC & Big 12 would be the two best conference, but I am surprised the Pac-10 is so bad - every team has bad losses
-Specifically UCLA (and Arizona right behind) is the worst team in the Pac-10, who'da thunk it?
-Syracuse wasn't in anyone's top 10 but they really are one of the best teams anywhere - still undefeated (13-0) - and only one game under double digits
-BYU, New Mexico, and even Western Carolina are surprisingly good and could be heard from later!


5 Biggest Surprises in the MVC
--MSU and WSU off to such good starts
--Creighton off to such a poor start
--Taylor Brown among the leaders in the Valley in both scoring and rebounding
--not a real big surprise, but P'Allen is NOT among the Top 10 in the Valley in any statistic whatsoever
--here's one that didn't catch me by surprise, but almost every preseason preview of the Valley totally ignored Andrew Warren and discounted any chance that he'd have much impact....it's looking like they were wrong



anyone else with a thought?

[MacabreMob]

5 Biggest Surprises in the MVC
--MSU and WSU off to such good starts
--Creighton off to such a poor start
--Taylor Brown among the leaders in the Valley in both scoring and rebounding
--not a real big surprise, but P'Allen is NOT among the Top 10 in the Valley in any statistic whatsoever
--here's one that didn't catch me by surprise, but almost every preseason preview of the Valley totally ignored Andrew Warren and discounted any chance that he'd have much impact....it's looking like they were wrong



anyone else with a thought?

Too early for me to make such claims. I wanna wait to see more games played in the MVC before I say anything about leaders in the MVC or disappointments in the conference.

[Bravesfan]

Here are what I would list as the five biggest surprises so far in all of college basketball this season...


Followed by the 5 biggest surprises thus far in the Missouri Valley

5 Biggest Surprises in all of college basketball
-I guess everyone knew Kentucky & John Wall would be good, but they are way better than I would have expected
-We all knew the ACC & Big 12 would be the two best conference, but I am surprised the Pac-10 is so bad - every team has bad losses
-Specifically UCLA (and Arizona right behind) is the worst team in the Pac-10, who'da thunk it?
-Syracuse wasn't in anyone's top 10 but they really are one of the best teams anywhere - still undefeated (13-0) - and only one game under double digits
-BYU, New Mexico, and even Western Carolina are surprisingly good and could be heard from later!


5 Biggest Surprises in the MVC
--MSU and WSU off to such good starts
--Creighton off to such a poor start
--Taylor Brown among the leaders in the Valley in both scoring and rebounding
--not a real big surprise, but P'Allen is NOT among the Top 10 in the Valley in any statistic whatsoever
--here's one that didn't catch me by surprise, but almost every preseason preview of the Valley totally ignored Andrew Warren and discounted any chance that he'd have much impact....it's looking like they were wrong



anyone else with a thought?

I would also put the early season "struggles" of Butler and Siena on that list. They aren't doing bad, but could be doing a lot better, especially with the non-conference schedules both played. Portland's great early season run is a big surprise too, though they have cooled off a bit and now need a great run in the WCC to get back on the radar.

And I'll second the Pac-10. What a god awful conference this year, though a couple of good wins to finish off the non-con schedule of late, but not enough IMO to warrant more than two NCAA teams. Having said that though, they will get three in for sure!

And I will finish by saying that Creighton's struggles should be moved into the top 5 college basketball list as well. What a meltdown this team is having this year! And quite a shame considering how bad they are hurting the Valley this year.

[tornado]

Portland's great early season run ... though they have cooled off a bit....

"a bit"?? Portland is a real enigma, that's for sure....Since hitting the #25 spot in the polls, they are 2-5 with only home wins over two 120+ RPI teams.
Interesting to show how inconsistent they have been...one of those two wins is a 30 point win over Idaho, but just a couple weeks earlier, Portland lost AT Idaho 68-48!

[MacabreMob]

Interesting to show how inconsistent they (Portland) have been...one of those two wins is a 30 point win over Idaho, but just a couple weeks earlier, Portland lost AT Idaho 68-48!

Sounds like Molinari is coaching Portland.

[Braves4Life]

Sounds like Molinari is coaching Portland.

Wow! It is cold in P-Town

[patrick_o'brian]

I'm not sure that Taylor Brown is a surprise. I called him and AW First Team All-Valley in the beginning of the year.

-Missouri State and Wichita are PLEASANT surprises for Valley fans and Wish them the best up until Jan. 3rd, Jan 9th, Jan 16th and Feb 24th.

-I agree with the meltdown of Creighton being a huge surprise. It is unexpected to see that program so down, and players attacking fans (verbally)

-another one from this year is that Bobby Knight actually "attacking" John Calipari. The coaching fraternity is one of the most close knit around and for Coach Knight to put him out like that is very weird. The tricks of the trade are well-known throughout the fraternity, but I've never seen one member attack another in the media like that!

[tornado]

Knight has never cared to be part of any such fraternity..
he has attacked and criticized other coaches, refs, the press, etc... his entire career
Personally I have never heard him say anything complimentary about any other D-I head coach or program except his own son.
His entire persona is to put himself alone on a giant pedestal as the greatest coach ever, and everyone else is down at the base of the pedestal as puny wannabe's.

[ChewaBrave]

I'm not sure that Taylor Brown is a surprise. I called him and AW First Team All-Valley in the beginning of the year.

-Missouri State and Wichita are PLEASANT surprises for Valley fans and Wish them the best up until Jan. 3rd, Jan 9th, Jan 16th and Feb 24th.

-I agree with the meltdown of Creighton being a huge surprise. It is unexpected to see that program so down, and players attacking fans (verbally)

-another one from this year is that Bobby Knight actually "attacking" John Calipari. The coaching fraternity is one of the most close knit around and for Coach Knight to put him out like that is very weird. The tricks of the trade are well-known throughout the fraternity, but I've never seen one member attack another in the media like that!

It should also be noted, that Calipari is at UK now which makes it easier. Its a power program, and by length of term, and ferocity - one of the great rivalries in that area Indiana - Kentucky. Far exceeding UK-UL

[sycamorefan]

I only do MVC because all the other conferences are full of punks lol jk

1. P'allen stinnett and how he has no idea how to be the best player on a team.....he takes some of the most dumb shots I have ever seen....
2. Missouri State is still not a battle-tested in my mind and neither is WSU....I am more interested in a UNI or others.......
3. Dwayne Lathan- the kid is the most exciting player I have seen all season on any level....and may hold the record for most alley oops in a 1 minute stretch lol..
4. Illinois State- The complete question mark in the MVC is the other ISU Illinois State....I think I may have started for half the teams they played....
5. The Indiana State Sycamores- While not a suprise to me...I think this team has finally turned it around...I mean we have several solid victories over very good teams...All we need is some R-E-S-P-E-C-T......and better referees lol

[tornado]

5 Biggest Surprises in all of college basketball
-I guess everyone knew Kentucky & John Wall would be good, but they are way better than I would have expected
-We all knew the ACC & Big 12 would be the two best conference, but I am surprised the Pac-10 is so bad - every team has bad losses
-Specifically UCLA (and Arizona right behind) is the worst team in the Pac-10, who'da thunk it?
-Syracuse wasn't in anyone's top 10 but they really are one of the best teams anywhere - still undefeated (13-0) - and only one game under double digits
-BYU, New Mexico, and even Western Carolina are surprisingly good and could be heard from later!..

Surprises - revisited....
I guess I am all the more surprised that not only has UCLA started bad in 2009-2010, they are seemingly even sliding further...

Recall, this is a team that almost everyone picked in the Top 40 preseason...
CHN picked them #29

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/preview/2009/26to40.htm

But UCLA is now 7-10 and 2-3 (last place tie) in the Pac-10 with the tougher part of their schedule yet to play.
(I saw one column from LA saying UCLA Coach Ben Howland had a roster of "no-names" - but here's the facts..
Honeycutt and Morgan are 5-Stars, Moser, Stover, Lane, Gordon, Lee, Anderson, and Nelson are 4-Stars -
that's two 5-Star and seven 4-Star players in the past 2-3 years they've landed!)

BYU and Western Carolina have continued to surprise, but New Mexico has now lost a few games they shouldn't have.

[Garland 22]

Stars are like your mother and law - they lie to you.

[tornado]

maybe so...but the kids that have the 4 and 5-Star ratings never seem to be at a loss for BCS offers...

[Braveman]

Biggest Surprises to date...

MSU was predicted near bottom of league and is middle of pack- although early success is fading a bit...
Creighton is struggling, but only 1 game out of second in MVC...
WSU was predicted 5th and is in 2nd- They have gelled well
Drake was also thought to be a bottom dweller and has improved as of late...

[Samd2]

Here are what I would list as the five biggest surprises so far in all of college basketball this season...


5 Biggest Surprises in the MVC
--MSU and WSU off to such good starts
--Creighton off to such a poor start
--Taylor Brown among the leaders in the Valley in both scoring and rebounding
--not a real big surprise, but P'Allen is NOT among the Top 10 in the Valley in any statistic whatsoever
--here's one that didn't catch me by surprise, but almost every preseason preview of the Valley totally ignored Andrew Warren and discounted any chance that he'd have much impact....it's looking like they were wrong



anyone else with a thought?

WSU should not be a surpise, well coached with some new talent that took them to where they are now.
MSU, schedule that soft and we could look good also.

Taylor Brown, I thought last year he would be a huge impact player in the valley before he left, he is doing it a year earlier than I thought he would. lets hope the off court drama is done because he could be Valley player of the year before he leaves.

Andrew Warren is doing well, but I expected more of a take charge leadership role that we have only seen short glimses of and I feel that when he does that the team will change in a big way.