One star means if these teams get that far, it's time to set the entire bracket on fire because this is more rare than a lightning strike.Įither way, we're not culpable for your bracket failures.

(Check last year's bracket to see that it's not impossible, though.)

Two stars means you must be a gambler if you pick this team to get to Houston because that would be one of the greatest surprises in college basketball history.

Three stars means a team is talented but must play the best basketball of its season - and get lucky.

Four stars means a team hasn't always been consistent, but if it gets rolling, it has a reasonable shot.

Five stars means a team has it all, and we wouldn't be surprised if it made a run to Houston.

Hunter knocked down five 3-pointers and also chipped in three steals. Tyrese Hunter, Texas: Hunter had struggled offensively for a couple games, but he got back on track in a big way with 29 points in the loss to Kansas State. Joiner splashed five 3-pointers, dished out nine dimes and ripped down six rebounds in the 84-60 laugher.Įmoni Bates, Eastern Michigan: The ballyhooed Bates drained eight 3-pointers on his way to 36 points in EMU's 74-64 loss to South Carolina. Burns dropped 18 points and four blocks in just 16 minutes off the bench. Jarkel Joiner and DJ Burns, NC State: Joiner and Burns combined for 39 points in NC State's huge win over Duke. Umoja Gibson, DePaul: The Oklahoma transfer gave Georgetown fits on both ends with 31 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals.

Pitt looks like a real threat in the ACC thanks to Hinson's remarkable resurgence. The South Carolina transfer racked up four blocks and five steals.īlake Hinson, Pitt: Hinson delivered back-to-back, 16-point outings to help the upstart Panthers upset North Carolina and Virginia. McNeil needed just eight shots to score 15 points in a big road win over pesky Northwestern.ĭevin Carter, Providence: Carter totaled 22 points in Providence's 15-point win over DePaul, but it was his defense that demands attention. Sean McNeil, Ohio State: The Buckeyes are rolling thanks to McNeil's recent surge. We don’t win the game in the second half without Ricky’s isolations at the top of the key.' It was great for Ricky, too, to see the team come out and play in the second half. Defensively, (Pinion) walled up and did a really good job.

I walked into the locker room and made the decision without discussing it with anyone. I’m sure there’s a better word than that, but I can't find it right now. 'Somebody’s got to be there to – I don’t know what word to use – but there’s a threat for somebody to come in and take your minutes. ' I think with any basketball team, if guys are playing large minutes, you can’t take that for granted,' Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said after inserting freshman Joseph Pinion into Council's spot in the starting lineup for the second half. Council completely bullied Mizzou in the second half and finished with 25 points and drew a billion fouls because of his relentless effort. When he checked back in, Council balled out. Eric Musselman benched Council after halftime, but he didn't sulk or pout. Council was having a dreadful first half in Arkansas' Wednesday showdown against Missouri. Ricky Council IV showed just how tough he is. We also included some of the top individual performances from transfers across the college basketball landscape:

We updated our weekly power rankings of the most impactful transfers so far this season, and some reshuffling was necessary after a few monster performances. Subscribe to 247Sports YouTube for the latest college football, basketball and recruiting news including live college commitments. He was the best player on the court today, and I don't think it was very close.' The early bodies did not come the way that we wanted to and try to force him to facilitate playmaking.

We did let him get to his right hand way too much. 'He's an NBA player, I mean wooh,' UConn coach Dan Hurley said of Hopkins. Hopkins illustrated that with Wednesday's 27-point demolition of UConn. The prized transfer landed at Providence, and to no one's surprise, he's transformed into one of college basketball's best players. To no one's surprise, Hopkins entered the transfer portal after the season. He played just seven minutes combined in the next six games, including none in Kentucky's upset loss to Saint Peter's in the NCAA Tournament. John Calipari preached often that he needed to find a way to get Hopkins in the game, and the freshman wing delivered a 13-point showing to help the 'Cats knock off LSU in late February. Bryce Hopkins playing time, or lack thereof, was a big storyline surrounding Kentucky basketball last season.

Bryce johnson block against providence