With chalks full of talented clubs in the season, it is surprising that we have reached home stretches in almost numerous Haimajor conference races.
The Big Ten is the only high major league with a real plot. Four teams entered the weekend with championship aspirations. That list was cut in half after Wisconsin and Purdue fell out of the race after losing to Oregon and Indiana, respectively. It took less than two weeks to go to the regular season. It’s dual within the state of the crown Between Michigan and Michigan. The regular season finale on March 9th is for all marble.
With March coming, CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter and Cameron Salerno will start with Ole Spartans and dive into a variety of sports topics to buy or sell.
1. Buy and sell: Is Michigan good enough to win the national championship?
Michigan’s new reality: After an impressive victory at rival Michigan, it’s Jace Richardson’s team
Matt Nolander
Trotter: For sale. Michigan has a special brewing, but only a few bridges have won the national championship in the attacks of half-courts, ranked 11th in the Big Ten. I think Michigan has clearly proven that some of the winnings in March on the string. He couldn’t shake this volatile half-court attack, especially as he unleashed great freshman Jace Richardson in the end and armed him in over 30 minutes. I’m going to go back to the wrong time and haunt MSU.
Salerno: Buy. As I entered the season, I was personally low in Michigan. Instead of doubling preseason forecasts, it’s time to admit that the Spartans can win six consecutive games in the NCAA tournament. As Matt Nolander wrote last weekend, this is Jace Richardson’s team. If you haven’t seen Cohen Kerr yet, he is one of the best high flyers in the sport. Not many college basketball coaches will promote their teams in March, as Tom Izzo does in Michigan. After Michigan records a victory in the statement on the roads against Michigan, I officially buy out the hype.
2. Buy and sell: Will Wake Forest reach the NCAA Tournament?
Trotter: For sale. That’s a shame as Hunter Saris and Cam Hillless are bucket-gaining duo that anyone can go to toe and forward Trevon Spiller is one of the ACC’s elite role players. But Wake Forest can only blame itself if it doesn’t get good news about its Sunday choice. The devastating home loss to Florida will remain for a long time if Wake Forest gets on the wrong side of the cut line when he leads by 16 points to go to 8:22.
Salerno: Sale. As of today, Wake Forest is the 11th seed in the NCAA Tournament. According to Jerry Palm, an expert at CBS sports brackets. The Demon’s Butler lost 85-73 on the road to NC’s bad national team less than two weeks after blew a double-digit lead to Florida. With schedules with Virginia, Notre Dame, Duke and Georgia Tech ending the regular season, there are few opportunities to bolster your resume. Beating Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium is huge, but it seems very unlikely because of how well the Blue Devils are playing. Wake Forest is currently ranked 62nd in the online rankings, and there are several teams in the Bubble that can significantly improve your resume between now and Selection Sunday. With a NC-like run at the ACC Tournament last spring, Wake Forest may be looking out.
Bracket Tetology Bubble Watch: Arkansas, BYU, VCU boost their NCAA Tournament resume with big wins
Jerry Palm
3. Buy and sell: 3 or more teams from Mountain West create NCAA tournaments
Trotter: Buy. But that would be really close. Utah and New Mexico are ready to dance. It really comes down to San Diego State. San Diego cannot afford to cause volatile losses and can stay in a short hand without Magone Gwass, the big star freshman who suffered a scary leg injury in Saturday’s defeat to Utah. Gwath is not San Diego’s best player, but he is one of the most important hoopers. The Aztec defense is over 11 points per 100 possessions without an intimidating shot blocker. If he’s out like time, it could be hairy for San Diego State.
Salerno: Buy. Two teams from Mountain West (except for the insanity over the next three weeks) should be safely carried out on the scene in Utah and New Mexico. San Diego state then had a strong case, and Boise was able to sneak into the field by closing the season (now one of the last four). He also did not talk about the potential theft of a potential bid at the Mountain West Tournament. If Mountain West doesn’t get at least three teams on the field, I’d be shocked. There are also four potential cases.
4. Buy and sell: Will one of this big brand batch of seeds number 8 or number 9 arrive at Sweet 16?
Trotter: Buy. Preseason top 10 teams like UConn, Gonzaga and Baylor are beginning to be seeded either No. 8 or No. 9. That’s insane. Even after the rough house loss to St. Mary’s, Gonzaga is still in 11th place at Kenpom. The last time the top 10 Kenpom team got the No. 9 seed was in 2021, with Porter Moser’s Loyola Chicago club upsetting Illinois’ one seed. This group of No. 1 seeds is very good, but one or two of them 32 game rounds aren’t easy at all. Are you really looking forward to becoming a 4-point favorite with the Gonzaga team, who has been incredibly unlucky in the late game scenario this season? Are you really fired for watching Dan Harley on the opposite sideline with 16 berths sweet to the line? Are you really fired for what you have to protect to protect Baylor’s cavalry, a really good guard? me too.
Salerno: Buy. During last season’s fifth time, I reached Sweet 16 for every 1 and 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament. It’s amazing to see that trend repeat itself. Is UConn as good as last season? It’s definitely not. Can Kansas still win a national title? Probably not. But can any of these teams “upset” the No. 1 or 2 seed in the second round? absolutely.
5. Buy/Sell: Duke or Auburn cuts down San Antonio nets
Trotter: Buy. Mathematically speaking, I think it makes sense to choose a field instead of Duke or Auburn. However, Duke and Auburn have been my top two teams for several months, with the least flaws in each. Both have national players this year. Both have an Elite Trim defense that has become almost essential to winning titles. Both have a lot of depth and elite role players. My only booking may be in Florida. These gators have everything they want for title contenders as well. But I rock with Auburn or Duke.
Salerno: Sale. What are your options for choosing two teams (obviously the best team in the country) or 66 other teams on the field? No, Auburn and Duke won’t shock me if the last two teams stand. Also, if this is a title game matchup, I wouldn’t be surprised. But this is a friend’s NCAA tournament. Madness and strange things happen. That’s its beauty. Well, who do I choose to win the national title now outside of these teams? I don’t know. But I know my odds are good with 66 teams instead of two.
6. Buy and sell: Indiana should follow Rick Pitino’s advice and hire Chris Beard as his next coach
Trotter: Buy…but there are a few conditions. If Clayton’s Greg McDermott doesn’t want a job, pivots to Chris Beard make much more sense than hiring the Brad Browns or the World’s Buzz Williams. It’s difficult to overlook your luggage. Beard was arrested and fired from Texas after being accused of strangulation. By his fiancee, Randy True. Police reports from the night were in the way. The felony charges were later removed.
The whiskers will accept a bowl of fish that could become Indiana basketball and will be (complex) connective tissue back to Bob Knight, where Beard worked at Texas Tech. Armed with elite resources, the whiskers were prepared to put together a list of the vy hopeful rosters of numerous Big Ten rivals. It is also difficult to find recruits who don’t resonate quickly with their beards. If the only thing that matters is big for IU, and everything else off the court is not important, the beard brings that jetpack to the top of the college basketball mountain where Hoosier is faster than other realistic targets. It can help you go.
Salerno: Sale. Chris Beard is a great coach, but Indiana can do better. He helped Ole Miss get a hot start with a non-conference play last season and has a program on cusp for his first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019. . Brad Stephens already says no It may be dusty in Michigan, but I might sign an extension Stay at school. This is two candidates from the board (probably unrealistic for the first time). Baylor coach Scott Drew said no to Kentucky’s job last season, so who knows if he’s making calls this offseason. If I were Indiana, that would be my first call.
