Checking In on Every Barstool Blogger's College Hoops Team, Rankings, Podcast with Trent

Alright, we’re roughly a third of the way through the regular season in college hoops and to say it’s been going as planned is a bold face lie. There aren’t any great teams yet like we saw last year with the likes of Kentucky, Duke, Wisconsin and Arizona.

As Scott Van Pelt says, everyone is from somewhere. Well, that is true here at Barstool. Every blogger is associated to a school and most of the time that school plays college basketball. Before the season I previewed the majority of the blogger’s teams and what to expect. So, let’s check in and see where every blogger’s school on the best damn site on the Internet sits early in the season as well as the official Barstool College Hoops Rankings. Follow me @barstoolreags for all your college hoops talk.

So, by what I believe is a rule. Let’s start off with the guy who runs this shit.

Michigan, 6-3 (Pres) – A year after the Wolverines season was ruined because of injury, we’re back to the injury bug again. This time (again) it’s point guard Derrick Walton Jr., who is suffering from a sprained ankle stemming from the NC State game. However, he should bounce back soon and Spike Albrecht will recover from offseason hip injury as well. The bright spot? Michigan has probably the best shooter in the country in Duncan Robinson and Caris LeVert is playing like the All-American everyone thought he was a year ago.

Florida State, 5-2 (Feits) – So, a team I was bullish on before the season is starting to look the part a little bit thanks to two freshmen. Malik Beasley and Dwayne Bacon are names you need to know, right now. The two are leading the Seminoles in scoring at 18.6 and 17.7 points per game. The loss to Hofstra isn’t as bad as people think because the Pride are a NCAA Tournament team. There’s still one more chance for a quality win at Florida before ACC play.

UMass, 5-3 (Dana) – I’ve been impressed with the Minutemen so far this season, frankly just because they have a winning record. The win at Harvard and beating Clemson on a neutral court were surprises I didn’t think would happen. They have three guys averaging over 16 points a game, but after that it’s a massive drop off. I still don’t see UMass contending in the A-10.

Fordham, 7-1 (KFC) – Yo, don’t look now, but Fordham is winning games, baby. After starting the season 0-1 after losing to UT-Arlington (who also beat Ohio State) the Rams have been winning the battle of New York. St. John’s? No problem. Manhattan, LIU-Brooklyn and Queens College? Ran through them too. Despite losing Eric Paschall to transfer, the Rams are getting scoring led by Mandell Thomas and 17.8 points per game. They will win some A-10 games.

Drexel, 1-6 (JJ) – Tough start to the season for the Dragons and JJ. Drexel dropped its first six games, losing to the likes of Alaska Anchorage. However, they rebounded and beat the shit out of local rival LaSalle. Sorry JJ, I don’t think the trip to Houston is happening. #DACPACK

Siena, 5-4 (Clem) – The newest full-time guy is having an up and down time watching his Saints. After starting the season with back-to-back games against Duke and Wisconsin (not wins), Siena won off four in a row. Marquis Wright is playing 38 minutes a game and scoring 18 a game. Shut him down, you beat Siena. Don’t be surprised to see the Saints finish in the top-3 in the MAAC.

Wisconsin, 6-3 (Big Cat, Charlie, Sam) – This isn’t last year’s Wisconsin team and that’s okay. It’s hard to imagine the Badgers as a Final Four team when Nigel Hayes is your No. 1 option. There was the ugly loss to Western Illinois to start the season and scoring 19 points against Oklahoma in a half. However, the last two games have been encouraging winning at Syracuse in overtime and then against Temple. This is a Bo Ryan team though. They’ll finish in the top 5in the Big 10 because that’s all that old bag of bones from Chester, Pennsylvania does.

Susquehanna, 7-0 (Smitty) – We have an undefeated team here at Barstool! Hey Smitty, don’t let the Philly teams get you down man, the Crusaders are undefeated. They are currently just sitting outside the D3 Top-25, but play No. 15 Trinity (Conn.) this Friday. Going to need Josh Miller and his 15 points per game to step up that game.

Ursinus, 1-4 (Jordie) – Rough start for the Bears that Jordie represents. I told you though, no teams left behind. Sorry, man. They suck. Maybe they’ll get Franklin & Marshall later in the season.

Maryland, 8-1 (Nate, Banks) – Maryland finally looked the part of a national title contending team with the win over UConn last night. This is because the team is finally gelling on the offensive side of the ball thanks to Diamond Stone coming off the bench. Moving Damonte Dodd to the starting spot allows a better start defensively and then Stone can come in and bring in the better offensive power. Has anyone seen Jake Layman though?

Towson, 7-3 (RDT) – Six consecutive wins, watch out for the Tigers. Who cares that one of those wins was over a deaf school?

Iowa, 7-2 (Trent) – We’re onto basketball season in Iowa City. The two losses on the season aren’t awful because it was Dayton and Notre Dame. There have been some nice wins over Marquette, Wichita State and Florida State. Jarrod Uthoff is looking like an All-Big 10 player, putting up 18 points and six rebounds a game. This is a NCAA Tournament team, the only question is what seed.

Emory, 6-3 (Kmarko) – Emory is off to a rough start based on preseason expectations, but the Eagles have had a strong nonconference schedule. Losses to teams like St. Thomas (No. 6), Maryville (receiving votes) and LaGrange.

USC, 7-2 (Spags) – Spags is an 8 on Lulu and USC is turning the corner in basketball. All things coming up, Spags! Andy Enfield has turned this program around this year thanks to a balanced scoring lineup, with 6 players scoring over 10 ppg. With the top teams in the Pac-12 taking a dip, USC can contend for a NCAA Tournament bid by getting in the top half of the conference.

Advertisement

Kentucky, 7-1 (Reags) – The loss to UCLA was not pretty as the Wildcats showed their youth. Skal Labissiere is going to take a little more time than most people thought to becoming the next great big guy for Kentucky, but he has the tools to do so thanks to his jumper. Kentucky really needs Tyler Ulis to get healthy after battling a hyperextended elbow.

UNC, 7-1 (Daddy Dixie) – Marcus Paige is back and let the entire world know by lighting up Maryland. Somewhere between that and what UNC looked like without him is where the Tar Heels actually are. The improvement of Kennedy Meeks year after year has turned this team around more than really anything.

Notre Dame, 6-2 (Bus Boy Ben) – The loss to Monmouth isn’t looking as bad now thanks to the bench mob and also beating UCLA and USC. Demetrius Jackson is having a helluva year going Jerian Grant and scoring 19 a game and dishing out 5 assists. I still like this team going forward to contend in the ACC.

Barstool Bloggers College Hoops Rankings

1. UNC
2. Kentucky
3. Maryland
4. Florida State
5. Michigan
6. Iowa
7. Notre Dame

8 USC

9. Wisconsin
10. Fordham
11. Siena
12. UMass
13. Towson
14. Drexel
15. Susquehanna
16. Emory
17. Ursinus

PS: The good man Trent sat down with me to talk Iowa hoops, the Iowa/Iowa State rivalry. Check it out here.