Even though each nationally-ranked NCAA basketball team has played well to earn their spot, there are always holes that could be filled with a holiday gift.
The holiday season has arrived and families around the country are gathering to spend time together and potentially exchange gifts as well. Even though very few NCAA basketball games are played at this time of the year, that doesn’t mean there aren’t still topics to discuss. In the spirit of the holiday season, this article will take my top-25 power rankings from this week (you can find the whole breakdown here) and analyze what each team could use as a holiday gift to add to their team for the remainder of the season.
Even the top-rated teams in the country have weaknesses and each is looking to improve with every game that they play. This is especially true considering the lack of true powerhouse teams this season. No. 1-ranked teams have been falling like snowflakes so far this season and it’s reasonable to think that this could be a year ripe with parity.
So, with the holiday season in full swing, here are my holiday needs for each team in my Top 25 Power Rankings for Week 8.
25. Saint Mary’s Gaels
Holiday Need: An interior stopper.
Saint Mary’s is finally starting to look like a top-25 team in the nation after beginning the year a bit slow with a home loss to Winthrop. In the past three weeks, though, the Gaels have been quite impressive while coming away with victories over Utah State, Arizona State, and Nevada. Even though they lost a game during this stretch, nobody should be too upset with falling to Dayton at a neutral site. Looking ahead at the rest of the schedule, developing a strong interior stopper would be a great addition to this Saint Mary’s team.
To this point in the year, opponents are shooting a relatively efficient 48.3% on 2-point shots against the Gaels. Additionally, considering Saint Mary’s shuts off open 3-point looks at a high rate, the majority of opposing shots are coming inside the arc. Saint Mary’s ranks just 228th in block rate so far this season and adding a true defensive anchor inside could take them to the next level. Matthias Tass was holding his own in this category but was recently ruled out for the season with a torn ACL.