As the end of the second full month of the 2002-2003 men's college basketball season draws near, it is becoming more and more clear that the one word that can describe college hoops this season is parity. The perennial powerhouses are still there in Duke, Arizona, Oklahoma, Kansas and Kentucky, but the dominance of any of these teams is yet to be established. Even though Arizona and Duke have been the only No. 1 ranked squads this season, the Top 25 teams continue to change rankings as lesser-recognized programs continue to pull off upsets across the board.??
Looking into the top teams thus far this season, it is important to keep in mind the length of the season and the fact that anything can happen down the stretch.??Teams will continue to knock each other off their pedestals in order to crack the Top 25 and reach the madness in March. The four following teams are well on their way this season and continue to raise their stock in considerations for number one seeds in the NCAA tournament.
Head Coach Lute Olsen's Arizona Wildcats began the season as the preseason No. 1 team, and after falling as low as No. 4, they have finally regained their championship form. Coming off a stellar win against No. 6 Kansas, the Wildcats have already won their 15th game of the season, and are running a streak of 10 victories in a row.
The epitome of a solid, deep team, the Wildcats are stacked from top to bottom with potential stars. The depth of Arizona is unlike any other in the nation as four players average double figures each game, led by senior guard Jason Gardner's 14.4 points per contest. Gardner's backcourt buddy, sophomore Salim Stoudamire, is also beginning to catch the attention of people with his lightning quick speed and his barrage of offensive skills.
However, offense only goes so far, as the real success of the Wildcats is attributable to the team's aggressiveness on defense and rebounding. In Pac-10 play, Arizona is plus 10 in rebounding and are 14-0 overall when they outrebound their opponent. Defensively, in each of the last four games, the Wildcats have held the opponent to less than 30 percent shooting in at least one half and in their last six games have held their opponents to a combined 39 percent shooting from the field.
Currently ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches polls, the Panthers are the leaders of the Big East conference and are well on their way to a No. 1 seed in this year's national tourney. As Pitt continues to emerge from the bruising Big East, the Panthers are beginning to become recognized as not only one of the most physical teams in the conference but also the entire nation.
Head Coach Ben Howland's squad is winning with their defense as they lead the Big East in scoring defense with 57.5 points per game. On top of that, the Panthers are also the best shooting team in the conference with a 52 percent field goal percentage. Paced by senior guard Brandin Knight and his six assists per game, the Panthers still need to prove they can beat the reigning Big East champion Connecticut Huskies.
This year's Duke team was not supposed to be as good as they have proven thus far this season.?? Starting off the season 12-0, the Blue Devils have lost two of their last three ACC games and now face questions about whether they have overachieved in the first half of the season. However, never doubt a team coached by Mike Krzyzewski.
Ranked No. 5 in the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, Duke is undergoing a rebounding year in which, as unusual as it sounds, no single player is considered a national player of the year candidate. With that in mind, Coach K has developed the depth of his squad as he has nine players averaging 10 or more minutes per game, including junior guard and team leader Chris Duhon with 34.7 minutes.??
The three-point shot has been a staple in the Coach 'K' offense for as long as he as been there and continues to be the savior of this year's team. Duke has made at least one three-point field goal in a school-record 462 consecutive games and is led by freshman sharpshooter J.J Redick's 17.0 points per game and 44 percent shooting from behind the arc.??
Perennial studs in men's college hoops, the Wildcats of Kentucky are back in the saddle again and atop of the SEC conference with a 5-0 division mark and a 15-3 overall record. Head Coach Tubby Smith's squad is positioning itself for a strong run at a No. 1 seed in March. However, they will be truly tested the last half of this season as they must face their conference foe, the No. 4 ranked Florida Gators, twice.??
The No. 7 Wildcats have slowly but surely moved themselves into the top 10 after starting off the season at No. 17. Winning games in large part due to their swarming, suffocating defense, Kentucky is led by senior guard Keith Bogans' 17.0 points per game. Kentucky seems to have found that killer mentality that separates the elite teams from the good ones, but more importantly, needs to continue to capitalize on turnovers and force opponents to make mistakes.??
