Top 10 Surprise Teams in College Hoops

Every season the supposed highly qualified college basketball prognosticators try and predict which NCAA teams will be the favorites to, not only be ranked in the Top 25, but will have a legitimate shot at cutting down the nets during March Madness.

Check out our Top 10 Surprise NCAA teams at Mid-Season:

Big West Conference

14-6

Not Ranked

Led by the senior trio of Casper Ware, Larry Anderson, and T.J. Robinson, “The Beach” is running away from the rest of the field in the Big West Conference. They are a perfect 7-0, and having played a rough non-conference schedule including Pitt, San Diego St, Louisville, North Carolina, Kansas, Xavier, and Kansas State, the 49ers will be battle tested once March Madness comes around.

The 5‘10 Ware can be a highlight reel, game-changing player that has begun to pop up on NBA scouts’ radar, while Robinson provides the muscle inside, averaging a double-double. As long as they can keep a handle on conference rival UCSB, Long Beach State could be a real sleeper team in this year’s NCAA Tournament.

Mountain West Conference

18-2

#13 in Top 25

Fresh off 30 wins, a Sweet 16 Appearance, and losing Kawhi Leonard to the NBA last season, the Aztecs were supposed to take a step back in a rebuilding year. But behind another masterful coaching job by former University of Michigan head coach Steve Fisher, they are neck-and-neck with UNLV for the Mountain West crown.

Helped by balanced backcourt scoring from a bevy of underclassmen like Jamaal Franklin, Xavier Thames, and Chase Tapley, the Aztecs are once again firmly entrenched in the Top 25. With only one senior on the roster and an outstanding incoming freshman class on the way, in addition to St. John’s transfer Dwayne Polee Jr, San Diego State is building a perennial 30 win dynasty in the Mountain West.

Big 10 Conference

16-4

#16 in Top 25

Many questioned whether Tom Crean was the right hire to help the Hoosiers return to the NCAA promised land. But in his 4th season in Bloomington, and with the aid of 7 foot fabulous freshman Cody Zeller, Indiana is again among the elite teams in the Big Ten. Fresh off wins over then #1 Kentucky and #2 Ohio State in December, the Hoosiers are back where they belong, ranked among the Top 15 teams in the country.

As the Hoosiers’ leading scorer and rebounder, Zeller is the cornerstone of the franchise, with help from the ever improving Christian Watford, Jordan Hulls, and Victor Oladipo. Key to Indiana’s resurgence has been recruiting. Zeller, along with a Top 10 incoming class next season should make the Hoosiers a rising force over the next 3-4 years. Despite stumbling in early season Big Ten play, the Hoosiers remain one of the feel good stories of the 2011-2012 season.

Big East Conference

15-6

Not Ranked

Picked in the middle of the Big East in most pre-season predictions, Coach Huggins has done another masterful job in helping coach up a talented yet unheralded Mountaineer squad. Fresh off wins over Top 10 ranked Georgetown, Kansas State, and Cincinnati, the Mountaineers are a surprising 15-6 overall, and are 5-3 in Big East action, sitting in 4th place.

Key to their early season success has been the outstanding play of seniors Kevin Jones and Darryl “Truck” Bryant. Jones in particular has been remarkable, leading the conference in scoring and rebounding and is a bonafide POY candidate. Next season, talented youngsters like Aaron Brown, Gary Brown, Jabari Hinds, and Keaton Miles will be the heir apparents in “Huggy Bear’s” 3 point oriented offense.

Southeastern Conference

17-4

#18 in Top 25

Everyone around the SEC knew that the Bulldogs had a chance to be competitive if they got improved play out of continually maligned PF Reynardo Sidney and senior Dee Bost. What they didn’t expect is the double-double play of UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie along with highly touted freshman Rod Hood. Moultrie is a potential NBA prospect, while Hood has started 21 games and averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds.

For the most part, the uber talented Sidney has behaved himself, shifting his focus to the hardwood rather than off the court incidents. The Bulldogs already have key wins against then Top 25 ranked Arizona and Texas A&M, plus a 2 point loss to Baylor. Off to an early 4-2 mark in conference, Mississippi State still has key match-ups with Kentucky, Florida, and Alabama still on the schedule. If they can get at least one more key win or go deep in the SEC Tournament, they should be in the running for an at-large bid come March Madness.

Atlantic Coast Conference

15-3

#19 in Top 25

Prior to the season, many wondered who is the 3rd best team in the ACC behind North Carolina and Duke. At least in the early part of the season, the Cavaliers behind All American candidate Mike Scott, have assumed that roll. Although stumbling early(2-2) in ACC play, Coach Tony Bennett has gotten his players to buy into his vaunted “pack” defense, and have been a mainstay in the Top 25 all season.

As one of the best defensive teams in the country, the Cavs have gotten outstanding production from Sammy Zeglinski and Jontel Evans, who rank among the Top 10 in steals in ACC play. Joe Harris, Malcolm Brogdon, and K.T. Harrell have all played a supporting roll in helping the Cavaliers be one of the pleasant surprises of the season. Key to their continued success will be their play over the next 2 weeks as they face tough tests in NC State, North Carolina, and the suddenly surging Florida State.

Missouri Valley Conference

19-2

#15 in Top 25

Prior to this season, all that anyone knew of All American candidate Doug McDermott was that he was the lesser touted teammate of UNC guard Harrison Barnes at Ames HS in Iowa. But after starring for Team USA and now ranking among the country’s Top 5 scorers, McDermott has come into his own, helping keep the Blue Jays atop the Missouri Valley Conference and a Top 25 mainstay all season.

McDermott is this year’s version of Jimmer Fredette as a superstar playing at a mid-major school, dropping 30 and 40+ on opponents each and every night. Creighton’s only real competition on the Valley is from Wichita State, who are currently tied with the Blue Jays(9-1) atop the conference. With McDermott leading the way, could Creighton be this year’s Butler?

Mountain West Conference

19-3

#12 in Top 25

Blessed with senior leadership behind Oscar Bellfield, Chace Stanback, and Brice Massamba, the Rebels along with San Diego State are the class of the Mountain West. The Rebels have proved to the big boys that they can be a force in the NCAA Tournament by already knocking off former #1 North Carolina, Illinois, and losing close contests against Wisconsin and San Diego State. UNLV has gotten additional outstanding production from sophomore and future NBA pro Mike Moser, guard Anthony Marshall, and Justin Hawkins.

With an at-large bid pretty much sewn up already, many are predicting a possible Final Four cinderella run for this year’s Runnin Rebels. In addition, the future looks bright as former Pitt recruit Khem Birch will be eligible next season and top rated HS prospects like Shabazz Muhammed and Anthony Bennett are seriously considering playing in Vegas.

Big East Conference

16-3

#9 in Top 25

After losing longtime leading scorer Austin Freeman, along with PG Chris Wright and forward Julian Vaughn to graduation, not much was expected from this season’s Hoyas squad. but behind balanced production from senior Jason Clark and big men Hollis Thompson, Henry Sims, and Nate Lubick, Georgetown is a surprising 6-2 in the Big East, residing in 2nd place in conference.

Coach John Thompson III has also got key contributions from some talented freshmen including Otto Porter, Jabril Trawick, and Greg Wittington. The Hoyas already have 4 wins against Top 25 teams, not including a tightly contested 4 point loss to Kansas. They still have 3 top flight contests against UConn, Syracuse, and Marquette upcoming , before post-season play, but rest assured , coach Thompson always has the Hoyas ready to play. Is this the best Hoyas team since the ’07 Final Four squad?

Big 12 Conference

17-3

#5 in Top 25

Is there any doubting that coach Bill Self has been the best coach in America, getting the most out of his least talented roster in years? Behind the stellar play of POY candidate Thomas Robinson and senior leader Tyshawn Taylor, the Jayhawks refuse to relinquish control of the Big 12 Conference to the surging Missouri and Baylor.

They hold a commanding 2 game lead and are once again ranked among the Top 5 teams in the country. With the Morris twins and Josh Selby leaving early for the NBA, and most of Kansas’ freshman class ruled ineligible, the Jayhawks have gotten by with key contributions from role players like Jeff Withey, Travis Relaford, and Elijah Johnson. Is Kansas good enough to make their 4th Elite Eight run over the past 6 seasons?

Ohio Valley Conference

20-0

#11 in Top 25

As the only remaining unbeaten team in America, the Racers are finally beginning to get their due among the nation’s elite teams. Many point to some inferior competition in the Ohio Valley Conference but that would be a mistake as they have one of the best back-courts in the country led by POY candidate Isaiah Canaan, along with Donte Poole and Jewuan Long.

Canaan in particular, has been phenominal, notching several 30+ scoring nights on the season. The Racers already hold a commanding 2.5 game lead over SE Missouri State in conference and stand a fighting chance at becoming the first team since St. Joe’s in ’03-’04 to finish the regular season unblemished. Many think that this year’s Murray State team is on par with the Billy Kennedy coached team of 2 years ago that won 31 games and knocked off Vanderbilt, surprising everyone by reaching the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Is Murray State this year’s Cinderella?