Andy Katz
College basketball analyst and writer
Raise your hand if you predicted that Purdue and UConn would be the top two teams in the country this holiday…anyone?
We are almost two months into the 2022-23 season. men’s college basketball season, and while the likes of Houston, Kansas and Arkansas have met preseason expectations, the same cannot be said for the others.
Last week, we took a look at which highly touted freshmen have done the best this season. Now I focus on the best performing teams in the country.
Here are the ranks of my college basketball team.
Purdue, UConn, Arizona and Houston lead Andy Katz’s college basketball levels.
Andy Katz shares his squad levels at this stage of the season. Purdue, UConn, Arizona and Houston could be the No. 1 seeds if the season ends this week.
Tier 1: Teams that could be the No. 1 seeds if the season ends this week
Purdue: The Boilermakers have risen to every challenge so far and have the best player in the country — or at least the most productive and hardest to match — at 7-foot-4, big man Zach Edey. He is averaging 22.6 points per game and leads the nation with 13.9 rebounds per game. The Boilermakers already have victories over Gonzaga and Duke, outscoring the two flagship college hoops programs by 18 and 19 points, respectively.
UConn: The Huskies weren’t supposed to be this good so soon, but they’re obviously one of the best teams in the country. It is very possible that Dan Hurley’s team could blow in the Great East with one or two faults at most. The only ranked team remaining on the Huskies’ schedule is No. 24 Marquette, who they will face twice.
Arizona: If you haven’t seen Arizona play yet this season, do yourself a favor and watch the big, athletic, long and active Wildcats. Every game is like a show. The double of Azuolas Tubelis and Oumar Ballo forms the best frontline duo in America. Both are averaging over 17 points and eight boards per game. This Arizona team is beatable, but it will be an event every night they speak.
Houston: The Cougars were cut at home by Alabama earlier this month, but Kelvin Sampson’s team turned around and won at Virginia a week later. This team is tough, led by senior jack-of-all-trades Marcus Sasser, who is scoring 16 points per game this season. The development of Jarace Walker will be key for this team to win a national title this season.
Level 2: Teams likely to claim the national title
Tennessee: The Vols beat Kansas at Atlantis but lost to Arizona last weekend in Tucson. No shame in that at all. Rick Barnes has a very balanced team this year with five players averaging between 10 and 12 points per game. They’re going to fight for the SEC title with the likes of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky and Auburn.
Kansas: The Jayhawks chased Phog Allen’s Indiana and are getting better every day. They don’t have the size, but they have the shooters and the defense to win again. Jalen Wilson is a bonafide star and Gradey Dick looks like one of the best freshmen in the country, playing his best in the biggest games.
UCLA: The Bruins are back in business after an east coast sweep from Maryland and Kentucky to College Park and New York, respectively. All eyes will be on the Pac-12 Bruins and Wildcats, and luckily they play each other twice. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyger Campbell and Jaylen Clark’s two-way play make the Bruins a title threat.
Level 3: Teams that have been battle tested
Gonzaga: Drew Timme is back in the conversation for National Player of the Year after three straight games of 26+ points and six or more rebounds. He had 29 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in the Zags’ win over Alabama in Birmingham, which was a wake-up call to remember this team.
Alabama: Wins over North Carolina, Houston and Memphis were three of the best for any team this season. Brandon Miller is arguably the best freshman in the nation, while junior guard Mark Sears was a welcome addition after transferring from Ohio. The SEC is loaded from top to bottom this season, but Nate Oats’ team has the talent to compete for a conference title.
Arkansas: The Hogs didn’t win the Maui Invitational, but the talent is there for Arkansas to win the SEC. Eric Musselman’s group has won seven straight and will have a next game on the road against a strong LSU team on Dec. 28. Freshman Nick Smith Jr. is out indefinitely with a knee injury, but this team will continue the season ahead.
Level 4: Teams that continue to climb in the rankings
Baylor: Baylor’s guard game is good enough to compete for a national title, but it’s still unclear if this team is elite. Scott Drew’s club notched a pair of impressive wins over UCLA and Gonzaga, but also lost by 26 to Marquette earlier this season.
Texas: The overtime loss to Illinois was a bit of a wake-up call after a dominating win over Gonzaga last month. Not having Chris Beard on the sidelines is always a disturbance. The Longhorns head coach was suspended due to domestic violence charge.
Miami: The Canes were in the Elite Eight last season, and they have the means to come back. Jim Larrañaga’s team proved it after an impressive 66-64 win over No. 6 Virginia. Junior guard Isaiah Wong is a star, averaging over 17 points and 4.8 assists per game.
Virginia: The Cavs have cooled down a bit after looking like a No. 1 seed earlier in the season. Kihei Clark is the leader of this team and is one of the ACC’s top floor generals. Virginia will be competing for a conference title because the defense will not rely on this team.
Duc: Injuries contributed to the defeat at Wake Forest and Purdue’s size bothered the Blue Devils inside. It’s a young group, but they still have a lot of time to improve. Kyle Filipowski looks like a star and Jeremy Roach is the perfect field general for this team.
North Carolina: The No. 1-ranked preseason team played the part in an overtime win over Ohio State with Armando Bacot, Caleb Love and RJ Davis playing to their full potential. North West transfer Pete Nance hitting an equalizer late in regulation was a positive sign.
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Andy Katz is a longtime college basketball writer, analyst, and broadcaster. He can be seen on the Big Ten Network, as well as March Madness and NCAA.com, and he hosts the “March Madness 365” podcast. Katz worked at ESPN for nearly two decades and, before that, at newspapers for nine years.
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