College Basketball Roundup

Michigan+State+guard+Denzel+Valentine+celebrates+after+making+a+3-pointer+in+the+first+half+of+against+Louisville.+Photo+from+MLive.com

Michigan State guard Denzel Valentine celebrates after making a 3-pointer in the first half of against Louisville. Photo from MLive.com

This weekend will wrap up yet another interesting week of college basketball. So far, there is no distinct dominant team this year that controls the season like Kentucky last year. This will set up for an exciting month of March for fans. Here is my recap of the crazy college basketball season so far…

Recap: Number one ranked Michigan State has remained undefeated, led by national player of the year candidate Denzel Valentine. He has been outstanding this year; already has accumulated two triple-doubles. Kentucky is ranked number four in the country, although this year’s team may not be as strong as the teams from years past due to their lack of veteran experience. Buddy Hield has lead Oklahoma to a perfect record (7-0) this season. Duke’s Grayson Allen and Brandon Ingram have been lighting it up in recent weeks, as evidenced by their combined 44 points against Georgia Southern. These two will be a dangerous duo all season. Ben Simmons, the Aussie who was last year’s top recruit, has been playing like a man amongst boys this season. However, his team has struggled mightily and has fallen out of the top 25.

Bye, Bye, Bo: In a surprising turn of events, Bo Ryan, Wisconsin’s head coach for the past 15 years, announced his retirement, effective immediately. Ryan had announced this would be his last year, but not many expected a mid-season retirement. Bo Ryan rejuvenated Wisconsin Basketball, leading them to two Final Fours along the way. His longtime assistant, Greg Gard, will take over for the rest of the season.

Recruiting: Duke has once again hit the jackpot with recruiting, landing the two best high school players in the country: Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles. Kentucky is not far behind, getting commitments from more players, including three in the top ten according to ESPN.