Jump Around's Week 3 Rankings and Tidbits

The Heels learned a lot about themselves during Feast
Week, and the outlook is better than even we expected. 

    What a crazy Feast Week it was, for a multitude of reasons. Purdue has solidified themselves as the toast of the town, or the entire country as it were, with their showing at the top 10 heavy Maui Invitational. But even crazier- out of 24 teams in Jump Around's Week 2 top 25 that saw action last week, 12 came home with one loss or more. Three teams are out and three teams are in in this week's ranking shake up, which was the hardest to determine in all of our years analyzing teams nationwide.

    On the homefront, we all know what we saw in the Bahamas. The Heels, who saw 101 fouls called in 80 minutes of action on Thursday and Friday, were the best team in the tournament. If ever there was a game to be solely determined by the officials in 40 years of watching Carolina basketball, it came on Thanksgiving day against Villanova. That being said, the Villanova team the Heels saw is very good and not only did the Heels hold their own but were the better team on the court. They'll walk away with an asterisk loss to show for it but it's one that doesn't hurt them in the rankings, and in fact when hedged against their performance against then #20 Arkansas it advances them a spot in a week that saw so many other top 25 teams lose by double digits. 

    Meanwhile as the team down the road was closing out their Blue Devil Challenge cupcake homestand against probationary period of advancement D2 turned D1 1-5 Southern Indiana, Duke trailed by 4 at half and somehow only won by 18. We're not sure what's happening in Durham, but it's something we'll keep an eye on. 

    A multitude of other ACC teams went down this week as well which leaves the strength of the conference in question. Through three weeks we certainly see Carolina and Miami as the strongest top to bottom teams in the conference, with Duke at third and Clemson and FSU pushing. This week should tell a lot at the ACC/SEC challenge. 

    Week 3 Rankings: 

1. Purdue
2. Arizona
3. UConn
4. Marquette
5. Kansas
6. Carolina
7. Baylor
8. Houston
9. Miami
10. Gonzaga
11. Duke
12. Tennessee
13. Villanova
14. FAU
15. Texas A&M
16. Kentucky
17. Clemson
18. TCU
19. Creighton
20. San Diego State
21. Illinois
22. Texas
23. Colorado State
24. Memphis
25. Alabama

Dropped From Rankings: 

Arkansas, Drake, UVA

Just Out: 

UCLA, Florida State

Keep An Eye On Them

San Diego State, Auburn, Colorado, USC

Games of the Week:

Tuesday: 

#9 Miami @ #16 Kentucky, 7:30 PM, ESPN

#17 Clemson @ #25 Alabama, 9:30 PM, ESPN

Wednesday: 

#12 Tennessee @ #6 North Carolina, 7:15 PM, ESPN

#15 Texas A&M @ UVA, 7:15 PM, ESPN 2

Colorado @ #23 Colorado State, 9 PM, CBSSN

#11 Duke @ Arkansas, 9:15, ESPN

Friday: 

#3 UConn @ #5 Kansas, 9 PM, ESPN 2

Saturday: 

Florida State @ #6 North Carolina, 2 PM, ACCN

USC vs. #10 Gonzaga, 10 PM, ESPN

Jump Around's Week 2 Rankings & Tidbits

The high-flyin' Heels are perfect through 3, but see
their first real challenges this week in the Bahamas.

Two weeks down, and just like with week one, the madness isn't waiting for March. Five of Jump Around's top 25 went down in week two, including four to unranked teams. 

As with every season, the end of week two brings the beginning of Feast Week, and feast we will. High profile matchups are imminent this week with tourneys that could give us Kansas vs. Marquette, Tennessee vs. Purdue, and Carolina vs. Arkansas. 

While all of these top teams will be competing for tournament titles far and wide...don't worry. Duke has created their own tournament called the Blue Devil Challenge and has enlisted mighty La Salle and the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles to join Bucknell for a slate of home games in Cameron. 

Best of luck in that tourney, Devils. And congratulations on the continued "most arrogant program in America" award, being the only team in college basketball history to create their own tournament in their building. Scheyer is putting K to shame. 

I digress, here's this week's top 25. 

1. Kansas
2. Tennessee
3. Purdue
4. Zona
5. UConn
6. Marquette
7. Carolina
8. Creighton
9. Gonzaga
10. Baylor
11. Houston
12. Duke
13. Miami
14. Texas A&M
15. Alabama
16. Kentucky
17. Clemson
18. Virginia
19. TCU
20. Arkansas 
21. Memphis
22. Drake
23. FAU
24. Texas
25. Illinois

Just Out: 

Colorado, UCLA, Colorado State

Keep An Eye On Them:

San Diego State, Auburn

Games Of The Week:

(Note: for Feast Week, games of the week do not feature potential but as of yet hypothetical games predicated upon tournament advancement.) 

Unknown Games of the Week:

Maui Invitational Championship 

Battle For Atlantis Championship

ESPN Events Championship

Monday: 

#3 Purdue vs. #9 Gonzaga, Maui

#5 UConn vs. #24 Texas, Saavta Empire Classic, MSG

#6 Marquette vs. UCLA, Maui

Thursday:

#23 FAU vs. Butler, ESPN Events Invitational

#4 Arizona vs. Michigan State, Acrisure Classic

Friday:

#15 Alabama vs. Ohio State, Emerald Coast Classic

 

Armando Bacot is averaging a double double, with
23.5 PPG and 16.5 RPG on the season.

 A relatively quiet opening week, save for Caleb "Not Today Satan" Love rolling into Cameron and handing John "The Face" Scheyer his first Cameron loss, more than likely bookending his Coach K retirement party as he closes his college career against Duke. 

 And then there was MSU against JMU...at home. Look, we didn't want to rank MSU that highly. In fact, we didn't. Whereas every other ranking had MSU in the top 5 or close to it to start the season, we'd like to remind you that at Jump Around we had them on the outside of the top 10 looking in. And now...we have them outside of the top 25 altogether. 

Without further adieu, the week one results are in. 

Jump Around’s Week 1 Top 25

1. Kansas

2. Tennessee

3. Arkansas

4. Purdue

5. Arizona

        6.     UConn

        7.     Marquette

8. Carolina

        9.     Creighton

10. Gonzaga

        11.    Florida Atlantic

12. Baylor

        13.   Miami

14. Duke

15. Texas A&M

        16. Houston

17. Wisconsin

        18.    Alabama

19. Texas

20. Clemson

21. Illinois

22. USC

23. Drake

        24.   Virginia

        25.   TCU

Fell From Rankings

Michigan State, Maryland, San Diego State

Just Out

TCU, Memphis, Colorado, Colorado State

Not In The Discussion, Yet

St. John’s, Auburn, UCLA

Jump Around's 2024 Preseason Rankings

Reclass 5 Star Freshman Elliot Cadeau aims to
breathe life into the new look Heels this season.

A day late, but certainly not a dollar short. Here, we try (again) our hand at sustained rankings throughout the season, assuming this one doesn't go as off the rails as last year did. 

This is an in depth look at preseason expectations by Will, which will be updated this season weekly as a poll with weekly observations. Graham will jump in for his thoughts as well throughout.

Hopefully we'll find time to get to a podcast and an article or two, but we're 40 years old with a combined 6 kids and 3 dogs now...so this just isn't as easy as it used to be. 

Without further adieu...

 Jump Around’s Preseason Top 25

1. Kansas

2. Tennessee

3. Arkansas

4. UConn

5. Purdue

6. Duke

7. Creighton

        8.     Marquette

9. Carolina

10. Gonzaga

11. Michigan State

12. Baylor

13. Arizona

14. Texas A&M

15. Houston

16. Wisconsin

17. Miami

18. Alabama

19. Texas

20. San Diego State

21. Clemson

22. Maryland

23. Illinois

24. USC

25. Drake

Just Out

Memphis, Kentucky, Villanova, College of Charleston, Colorado, Kansas St. 

Not In The Discussion, Yet

SDSU, St. John’s, UVA, Auburn, TCU, UCLA

Preseason Thoughts

    If recent history tells us anything, it's that nothing is what it seems in college basketball. On paper there are 8-12 teams poised to make a run at the Natty this year, and when it's all said and done one or possibly two teams that were not mentioned at all will be in the Final Four. This is simply the new normal in the transfer portal era, and it would be unwise to bet against surprises. Let's not forget, last year featured a 2 seed, a 5 seed, and two 9 seeds in the Final Four. 

    There are some teams that are seemingly loaded but it's too early to call. Kansas and Duke are no strangers to the top of the polls, and both teams return important talent. They also have new faces, Kansas by way of transfer and freshman, Duke by way of freshman. But both of these teams were first round exits last season and anointing them king by name alone would likely be a mistake. They could be there in the end, but look no further than last year's Carolina team to know that a high ranking and returning starters could be a recipe for disaster. 

    It can also be a recipe for tremendous success, so I think it's a safe bet to pick one of them to land in Phoenix in April, 2024. 

    Then there's the bounce back grouping led by a resurging Carolina, along with Tennessee, Baylor, Alabama, Kentucky, and Purdue, looking to find their way back into the conversation off of let downs a season ago. Jump Around has not one, but two of these teams showing up in April. 

    And there are those looking to get over the hump and win it all like Gonzaga, Arkansas, Miami, Houston, and Creighton who have been close with no cigar to light under the "champion" marquee. 

    It's a new season and anything goes. Week to week, let's enjoy the ride and jump around. And with that, we'll leave you with the fool's errand of making preseason Final Four picks: 

Graham:

Arkansas | Carolina | Kansas | Baylor

Will:

Arkansas | Carolina | Kansas | Miami

Jump Around, ya'll.