Ready For The Season's Biggest Day Yet
ESPN.com
Editor's note: Rece Davis is host of "College GameDay," which makes its road season debut Saturday (11 a.m. ET, ESPN) at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, site of Gonzaga-Butler.
College basketball needs a big opening day. A day when the sporting public's attention is largely focused on our game. Several have advocated pushing the season back until after championship week in college football. I'm on board with that idea. But because that's still in the probably-will-never-happen stage, I give you midseason mania. A Super Saturday that might not start the season but could command more attention than any other non-March day in the regular season.
Five games match ranked teams. Two more involve a ranked team against a dangerous conference foe boasting two or fewer losses and ranked in the top 28 of the Basketball Power Index. Where to start? With "College GameDay" at Hinkle Fieldhouse, of course.
Butler and Gonzaga are now more than inspiring underdog stories. They are legitimate Final Four contenders. Every year we say the tournament is wide open, and, to a degree, it is. Just notice the highly ranked teams toppling with regularity to realize that there are a lot of good teams out there, but no dominant team like Kentucky was last season. I had coaches tell me last season that they could narrow the field of eventual national champions to a handful of teams. This season, most say they have no idea.
Should it really surprise us if Saturday's prime-time clash in Indy is a Final Four preview? Only if you've given up on Gonzaga in the postseason. For all of their success, the Zags haven't been past the Sweet 16 this century. By making two national championship games, Butler has assumed the throne previously owned by Gonzaga as the pre-eminent mid-major team. A January win by Mark Few's team wouldn't change that, but losing to Butler, which will be without Rotnei Clarke, would give skeptics more ammunition.
Doubters beware. The Zags are in the top five in offensive efficiency largely because Kelly Olynyk looks like a different guy after sitting out last season. OK, his hair looks a lot different. Maybe it's the flowing locks putting the flow in his game. He's more efficient. He can step out and make shots, but he doesn't just settle for 3s as he once did. Olynyk is scoring 18 points per night and has combined with Elias Harris to form one of the most imposing front lines in the country. By the way, take a look at Ken Pomeroy's stat profile for Harris. His efficiency stats compare favorably to Tyler Hansbrough's in 2008-09 and Matt Howard's in 2010-11. Both of those guys led their teams to the Final Four.
Butler is expected to be without leading scorer Clarke, which is too bad. He might be the nation's best shooter and had just busted out of a mini-slump with a six-3s, 28-point performance against St. Joe's when he took the nasty spill against Dayton that will keep him out against the Zags. Ingrained in the Butler Way is a next-man-up philosophy. As much as Clarke contributes as a shooter, the way he's run the team from the point might be the biggest revelation in his game so far. Brad Stevens' team might be a little outmanned without him Saturday night, but we know better than to be fooled by that right now. It's a big stage. While the Bulldogs look like an underdog, they probably have the Zags right where they want them.
Meanwhile, No. 1 Louisville jumps with Syracuse in the marquee game of the day. The Cardinals are emerging as the top defensive team in the country. They lead the nation in defensive efficiency rankings and are second in turnover percentage, forcing opponents to cough it up on nearly 29 percent of their possessions. Russ Smith even got a handmade sign from my Big Monday partner Jay Williams touting him as a Wooden Award guy. If anyone knows how to solve the Cards' D, it would be Syracuse, but the Orange are minus a big offensive weapon in the suspended James Southerland. Jim Boeheim says Southerland's issue could be resolved at some point. That point would not appear to be Saturday. Getting points from the perimeter without him is also an issue that needs resolution.
Syracuse is a salty lot on defense, too. The Orange lead the nation in block percentage. They're fourth in defensive efficiency. They steal the ball at a rate close to Louisville. How each attacks the other's zone will be key. As my other Big Monday running mate, Seth Greenberg, points out, pay attention to where Louisville gets its points. If it's from Chane Behanan & Co. inside, the press can be much more disruptive. The pressure after made jumpers is more passive. If Syracuse breaks the press, Southerland is great making spot up 3s in transition. Can the Orange find someone to pick up that slack?
Cuse won both meetings last season. Neither game got out of the 50s. We'll hope for a little more offense Saturday, but all points are likely to be hard-earned.
How did Ohio State and Michigan State avoid top billing? The Buckeyes should be brimming with confidence after beating the Wolverines. Sparty hopes to show some fight with the opponent after Adriean Payne and Branden Dawson scuffled at the team hotel and dented a wall. Now we'll see whether they can put a dent in the Buckeyes.
All of the praise the SEC has earned during football season is matched by equally well-earned criticism so far in basketball. Florida and...