The First Week of Hoops...

The feeling of waking up knowing you will be able to watch a college basketball game that night is very refreshing for all the diehard fans like myself. Even at this early point of the season, there is a good game to watch almost every night. Last night was Syracuse-Kansas with the Orange pulling out the W in overtime. The night before it was Ohio State over Bowling Green by only four points and Syracuse pulling out another victory (this time over Florida). That same night Stephen Curry had 39 points in a win over Florida Atlantic, which brings me to my first point.

Steph Curry is held to zero points for the first time in recent memory. Loyola had the "genius" idea of double-teaming Curry the entire game. No matter where he went, they went with him. Davidson, therefore, was essentially playing 4-on-3. The Wildcats won 78-48, and Stephen is still averaging a blistering 29.2 points and 7 assists per game. Not so genius after all.

Blake Griffin is the early favorite to win the National Player of the Year Award. His averages of 26 points, 20 rebounds, and 3 steals are remarkable for a 6-10 sophomore. In all four of his games, he's pulled down at least 18 boards and scored at least 20 points. It also helps that his team beat the other very-early frontrunner for the award (Curry and Davidson) and that Tyler Hansbrough hasn't been playing very much as of late.

Is it the Year of the Mid-Major? Four mid-majors (Memphis, Davidson, Xavier, and Gonzaga) are ranked in the AP Top 25 and five more received at least a dozen votes (Saint Mary's, UNLV, Siena, BYU, and UAB). There have been many big upsets and almost-upsets as well. VMI defeated Kentucky 111-106 on the road. Saint Louis upset Boston College 53-50, and Northeastern took down the Providence Friars. Both Iona and Vermont took Wisconsin and Maryland, respectively, to overtime, and the mighty Duke Blue Devils defeated Rhode Island by only three after trailing for parts of the game.

Does this mean that there is an equaling of the major and the mid-major? No, but it does mean that the gap isn't so wide as it was five years ago. Never before could Kentucky lose two straight home-openers to two unknowns. Never before could Duke be knocked out over the tournament by VCU one year and then almost get upset by Belmont the next. Let me be the first to say that there will be at least five mid-majors in the Sweet 16 and two in the Elite Eight come March.

The debate for the best point guard in the nation begins. Ty Lawson are undoubtedly the two that come to mind when the topic of college point guards is discussed. One must, however, look much deeper than that. Eric Maynor, the man made somewhat-famous by his team's win over Duke two years ago, is averaging 25 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. Although Jeremy Pargo has had a rough shooting start to his season, he is dishing out nine assists and is pulling down six rebounds per game.

Not to be outdone, Jonny Flynn is averaging 21 points and 5 assists and is fresh off leading his team to two big wins over Florida and Kansas in the CBE Classic. Levance Fields is possibly the most underrated point guard in all of college, and he plays in the Big East! His averages of 14 points, 8 assists, and 3 rebounds tell only a small part of the story. Pitt's success depends largely on him and how efficient his is in running their offense.Currently, Fields is shooting 53% on threes, 53% on field goals, and 82% on free throws. He boasts an unbelievable 7.6 assist-to-turnover ratio as well.

Patty Mills of Saint Mary's plays a huge role in this discussion, too. He is the only college point guard in America that can say he scored 20 points and the gold-medal United States Senior Men's National Team. This season, he's putting up 20 and 5 numbers for the 3-0 Gaels. His ability to get to the rim and either score or set up a teammate for an easy shot is uncanny.

Lastly, Scottie Reynolds (13 and 5), Sherron Collins (20 and 3), and AJ Price (9, 4, 5, and 2 steals) all deserve mention for their play this season. They have kept their team in the top 25, and Collins is having to do this after losing practically everyone from last year's title team.

The Big East is as good as advertised. The conference that received so much hype coming into the season is living up to it...for now. Currently, they have eight teams in the AP Top 25, four in the top 8, and three in the top 4. It is also easy to say that Syracuse will be in the upcoming week's top 25 after their impressive run out in Kansas. West Virginia and Seton Hall are also playing well. It's not so crazy to think that they could get nine, or even ten, bids this season.

North Carolina is still the favorite to cut down the nets in April. The Heels are 5-0 with three of those games being playing without the reigning National Player of the Year, Tyler Hansbrough. Last night they beat up on Oregon, who "attempted" to do the unthinkable and run with North Carolina in an uptempo game. Individually, Danny Green and Deon Thompson (the team's top two scorers so far) have stepped up, and the true freshman Larry Drew II proves that the Heels now have three solid point guards to go along with Bobby Frasor and Lawson. Roy Williams is smiling somewhere in Maui.

A three-guard lineup is now the norm. According to Sports Illustrated, 59.2% of Division I programs are planning to start three guards this season. It isn't too surprising either. The three-point line was moved back which means teams want more shooters on the floor. Gone are the days where Roy Hibbert can spot up and nail a game-winning three. #1 North Carolina, shoots 40% from deep, scores 92 points per game, and features the 6-9 Hansbrough as their starting center. Even their 6-6 starting small forward is listed as a Guard/Forward.

So that's it. Enjoy the action from Maui and Florida and New York and every place else hosting an early-season tournament. Enjoy watching the talented group of mid-major teams and the uniqueness of players like Curry or Griffin. Enjoy that college basketball is finally back.

To contact this writer, you can email him at marchmadness14@gmail.com.