On Monday, the NET rankings were unveiled for the first time this season, based on games played through Sunday. There wasn’t the same buildup as there was a year ago, as the novelty has largely worn off. One place where history repeated itself is that there were some surprises, as can be expected this early as sample sizes are still relatively small.
Before we get to that, though, let’s talk about a few things that stand out.
- The Big Ten has had quite a run thus far, as they have 12 of the top 61 teams. Ohio State is at the top, which isn’t surprising even with their loss at Minnesota on Sunday. Maryland is just outside the top 10, with Penn State (18) and Michigan (21) a little further back. Where’s Michigan State, a fairly consensus preseason top team in the polls? No. 29. It’s been a tough start for the Spartans, but the veteran crew and Tom Izzo on the bench are reasons to think they will be better later on.
- The Pac-12 has bounced back. Okay, it’s early yet, but the conference is in a much better place than it was at this time last year. They have three teams in the top 17 and seven in the top 40.
- The ACC is not having a good start to the season. Louisville (8) and Duke (13) are up there, but no other team is in the top 25 and only three more are further down in the top 50. We sort of knew this, as Ted Sarandis and I talked about this in an earlier podcast.
- The Big 12 has been quietly very good. It’s getting overshadowed, but the conference has three teams in the top 12 and seven in the top 45.
- The Big East looks a little like a year ago. They have a top team – Butler is No. 4 – but no others in the top 20, while nine teams are in the top 75 (only Providence is out at No. 146).
- The Atlantic 10 is in a good place and should certainly be a multi-bid conference. They have three teams in the top 25 and seven in the top 75.
- Four teams are undefeated, and their ranking ranges from San Diego State at No. 3 down to Duquesne at No. 20.
Now for the surprises:
- Stanford at No. 9 might be the biggest one. The Cardinal are having a well-timed resurgence given that there has to be a little pressure on Jerod Haase to win more, but this was a surprise, as is the Cardinal being ahead of Oregon (No. 17).
- Arkansas at No. 23 is a mild surprise; the Razorbacks are 9-1 but against a light schedule. They are second in the SEC behind Auburn.
- Speaking of the SEC, where is Kentucky, you ask? No. 58. Save for their opening night win over Michigan State, the Wildcats have not knocked off a team that is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but they have chances coming up to change that. Georgia Tech is their best win other than the Spartans, and the Yellow Jackets are not in the top 100.
- Oklahoma at No. 37 is a mild surprise because the Sooners have knocked off a number of power conference opponents. Look closer, though, and not one is a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
Now that we have the NET rankings out, with frequent updates coming, they will be a point of much conversation. The way the season has played out thus far, bubble discussions are bound to be legendary.
Side Dishes
Texas Tech was the only team ranked in either poll in action on Monday night, and the Red Raiders got all they could handle from Southern Miss, trailing by eight at the half, before pulling out a 71-65 win over the Golden Eagles. The Red Raiders won despite shooting 37.5 percent from the field and allowing Southern Miss to shoot 47.3 percent, getting a solid all-around game from Chris Clarke (14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and no turnovers).
Other results of note: Charlotte got 27 points from Jordan Shepherd to get above .500 with a 67-57 win over Valparaiso; Delaware won the in-state battle over Delaware State 86-78 in Wilmington; Rider won the first MAAC game of the season by a 74-64 margin over visiting Marist; and Jacksonville State has had a tough start, but got a big 85-59 romp over visiting Evansville.
Bradley announced that leading scorer Elijah Childs will be out 3-6 weeks with an injury to his right hand suffered in Saturday night’s blowout win over Georgia Southern. The do-everything junior forward is also their leading rebounder and shot-blocker, and while this hurts now, the hope is that he doesn’t miss much of the Missouri Valley schedule. The Braves have won three in a row by 30 or more points.
Tonight’s Menu
A busier day of action is ahead, including a couple of earlier games.
- A tripleheader is on tap at the Barclays Center in the Air Force Reserve Hall of Fame Invitational, starting with Princeton taking on Iona (4:30), followed by Florida battling Providence (7 p.m.) and concluding with Miami taking on Temple (9:30 p.m.)
- Georgetown tries to keep their good run going as they host UMBC (6:30 p.m.)
- Ohio State tries to stay undefeated as they welcome Southeast Missouri State to town (7 p.m.)
- Florida State gets a good challenge as they welcome North Florida to Tallahassee (8:30 p.m.)
- There’s a good one on tap in Omaha as Oklahoma visits Creighton (8:30 p.m.)
- Purdue hits the road to visit Ohio University, while two nine-win teams will battle in the Bay Area as Stanford hosts San Francisco (9 p.m.)
- The last game of the night is a matchup of local rivals as Washington hosts Seattle (11 p.m.)
