The top ten teams in college basketball are not a surprise to people who follow the game, and the most powerful teams in the sport tend to sit at the top for long periods of time. The current power rankings show the teams that are worth watching, and there is an interesting mix of teams with little talent, a lot of talent and scandal hanging over their heads. This article explores how these powerful teams are faring early in the season and where you should focus when betting on college basketball.
Kansas, Michigan State and North Carolina
These three teams could make the Final Four at any time, and no one would be surprised to see them all in the same Final Four. Kansas sits at the top of the sport after starting well, Michigan State is getting by with scrappy talent and North Carolina is making a run at Duke again this year. Michigan State seems to be in the best condition because of its age, but Kansas starts may McDonald’s All-Americans who make the team dangerous.
Maryland And Xavier
Xavier has never been ranked higher in the AP poll than it has been this season, and Maryland is an ACC powerhouse that is finding its way back to prominence. Gary William’s’ retirement several years ago set the team back quite a bit, but Maryland has recovered in recent years with gobs of talent. Xavier has been a solid program for the last 25 years even though it has been used a springboard job, but this team has never been better than it is now. Xavier could be competing for a number one seed in the tournament come March and is a great chance to make some money with college basketball bets.
Butler And Providence
Butler and Providence are two of the mid-major sweethearts who have been on the fringes of the game for some time. Providence rises and falls when it has a good coach, and Butler has been good ever since Brad Stevens rebuilt the program. Butler has maintained it excellence since going to two straight NCAA championship games, losing its head coach and graduate several seniors at the same time. These are teams that anyone can pull for.
The best part of college basketball is parity. There are major teams that will always be at the top, but smaller schools like Providence and Butler have good chances in their own right. Keeping an eye on each of these teams will make the college basketball season more interesting.