NCAA Basketball: 2022-23 Christmas wishlist for each top 25 team

6. Virginia Cavaliers – Finding the offense from the Continental Tire event

One of the biggest surprises in NCAA Basketball is Virginia, who has been ranked in the top 6 for most of the season after beating both Baylor and Illinois in the Continental Tire Main Event MTE. They scored 86 and 70 points respectively and showed vast offensive improvement compared to a year ago when they missed out on the NCAA Tournament.

Since then, the Cavaliers’ offense has struggled, scoring 64 points or fewer against Florida State, Houston, and Miami, with the ladder two being losses. There’s balance with six players averaging between 8.1-11.5 ppg but Armaan Franklin’s recent struggles have taken away a potential go-to option. If the scoring doesn’t improve for he and the rest of the team, Virginia will be vulnerable in ACC play.

5. Arizona Wildcats – Kerr Kriisa to become more consistent

When it comes to the best duos in NCAA Basketball, the frontcourt pair of Oumar Ballo and  Azuolas Tubelis has been on top, combining to average around 40 ppg and 20 rpg in the non-conference. The guards have overall been good, with the other three starters in double figures. That includes point guard Kerr Kriisa, third on the team with 11.4 ppg, along with 6.1 apg. He’s been more efficient from the field but in the team’s lone loss of the season at Utah, the junior went 1/9 from the field.

With how consistently great the frontcourt has been, Arizona just needs the guards to be average and they can beat just about anyone. But that’s been a struggle for Kriisa, who seems to be either excellent or bad at times. When he is “excellent”, there might not be a team that can beat the Wildcats but honestly, they just need “good enough” to make a deep run in March.