Knee-Jerk Reactions to the Start of the 2022-23 Men's College Basketball Season
The 2022-23 men's college basketball season is less than two weeks old. There are knee-jerk reactions to early surprises and upsets. Villanova has not gotten out to a great start. Cam Whitmore and Justin Moore are injured. The post-Jay Wright era in Philadelphia has gotten off to an unimpressive start, with a loss to Temple and a close game against Delaware State.
The early returns on the season are that things will be nuttier than usual. USC lost on opening night, Florida State lost at home to Stetson, Vanderbilt lost to Southern Miss, Wyoming lost as a 23-point favorite on Sunday, Boston College lost Monday, TCU went down to Northwestern State, and AP No. 14 TCU barely survived its opener against KenPom No 360 Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Villanova won by 10 against Delaware State.
Oscar Tshiebwe missed the first two games of the season after undergoing a minor surgical procedure on his right knee. He made his debut in the Champions Classic against Michigan State. T shie bwe scored 22 points, 18 rebounds and four blocks. He took 17 shots in regulation and overtime. Last season he was National Player of Year.
Louisville has lost three games in a row under Kenny Payne. The team is on its way to Hawai'i for the Maui Invitational. It's home games against Maryland and Miami before a road game against Florida State. If they don't win, they could finish the season with a single-digit win percentage for first time since 1941-42. Louisiana didn't have any wins from 2011 to 2015 after vacating 123 victories. They went 1-18 in 1939-40 and had several seasons with winning percentage below .200.
The Big Ten is 38-2 in the first 10 days of the regular season. The league was expected to be weaker than expected. However, the early results have been fantastic. The conference has a lot of young talent. Indiana was the only team that didn't lose multiple players who averaged at least nine points per game last season and was considered the favorite to win the league. Nebraska got drilled by St. John's and Michigan didn’t show against Arizona State. It's still a strong start for the Big League. it's not the best conference in America, but it has been better than anticipated.
TCU opened the 2022-23 season ranked 14th in the AP poll. They lost their first two games to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Northwestern State. Damion Baugh is suspended for six games. TCU might finish last in Big 12. The team is not as good as UNC. It is better than UNC, but it is worse than the Tar Heels.
In the Champions Classic against Duke, the Jayhawks started 6'8" Jalen Wilson as their de facto center. They shot 3-of-19 from three-point range and finished minus-11 on the glass, but seven Jayhawk combined to block 13 Blue Devils shots in a 69-64 victory. Freshmen Ernest Udeh Jr. (6'11), Zuby Ejiofor ( 6't9), and Gradey Dick (5'10) were the only players from the four-man recruiting class that ranked in the top 55 in NCAA's top 50.
Gonzaga is expected to do well in the West Coast Conference this season. Drew Timme is back for a 57th season, and he could come back in 2023-24 if he chooses. The team's backcourt has been a disaster since the season-opening victory over North Florida. They lost to Michigan State and Texas. Gonzaga could be in trouble if they don't improve. They play Kentucky on Sunday, could face Duke in Phil Knight Legacy tournament the following weekend and then get Baylor on Dec. 2.
The Houston Cougars are the favorite to win the 2023 NCAA tournament. They play in the AAC and have been winning their first four games by an average margin of 36.5 points. Houston plays at a low tempo and has a poor shooting percentage. The team could go undefeated if it stays healthy. The season starts on Thursday, November 17. It might go down in smoke at Oregon or Virginia. If the Big Dance started tomorrow, Houston would be my pick to won it all. iReport.com will share the stats. All statistics are current through the start of play on November, 17th.
