I’ve been promising for a while now that things are about to go haywire in college hoops. Well, the hay is officially wired. Today is the first full Saturday of conference play. Sixteen of the AP’s Top 25 teams are in action. Seven are playing true on-campus road games and four of today’s games feature two ranked teams. It’s going to be this way for the next two-and-a-half months so be sure to pace yourselves, Hoopheads. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
I’m in the opinionating business, so I am saying this to myself as well as to all of you: Cool your takes. It will be tempting to overreact to results. Upsets will happen. The only thing we can predict is unpredictability. It is the nature of this sport, especially when we move into the Dog Days of February as March Madness seems a long way away for the best teams but every game is urgent for those bouncing on the bubble. So my best advice is to watch the games and soak in the chaos and not try to make too much sense of it all.
This also goes for the women’s game, which is more watchable – and unpredictable – than ever. The women’s game has trailed the men’s in terms of parity in the past, but we are quickly headed towards a time when the NCAA women’s tournament is as wacky and upset-filled as the men’s version. Eden Laase addresses that trend and a whole lot more in her New Year’s Resolutions column for women’s hoops. The calendar has turned to 2025 and fans of both games have lots to look forward to.
The action will be fast and furious, but your team at Hoops HQ is tireless. We live for this time of year. The holidays may be over, but the real festitivies are just beginning.
Have a great weekend and thanks for your continuing support of Hoops HQ.
—Seth
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