It is time once again for the Sunday Mailbag, where questions from readers are answered by a writer at Busting Brackets. The first two weeks covered a variety of topics. In the first edition, I went all in on the eligibility questions plaguing NCAA Basketball as it relates to the transfer portal and adding players who were drafted into the NBA. Everyone knows the story by now, so I don’t need to get into that again.
The second edition of the Sunday Mailbag focused on the Nebraska Cornhuskers and why so many people think of them as frauds. It also focused on the Mississippi State Bulldogs and whether or not they could turn it around this year. It doesn’t look promising for Mississippi State at this point in the season. Last week, we also touched on a few coaches who are rumored not be at their respective schools next year.
It is now time to dive into the Sunday Mailbag for this week. This week, we are going to go deeper into a resume of an undefeated team that isn’t ranked, and many think should be. Look at some bracketology and talk about all of the potential one seeds. Then, finally, let's head to the SEC to look at a team that many had pegged as the winners of the league, but are they frauds? Only three questions this week, but three great questions.
Why are the Miami Ohio Redhawks getting no love?
It has been the elephant in the room for a while: what to do with the Redhawks. Miami Ohio is currently undefeated and honestly nowhere close to the top 25 rankings, and that is the way it should be at this point. Miami Ohio heads into Sunday at 19-0 and is the only currently undefeated team not ranked. The Redhawks and their 19 wins are the most by any team not to crack the rankings since the 1976 season.
So why are they not ranked? Well, they have one of the worst strength of schedules in the country, and the Redhawks are ranked 94th in KenPom, which is one of the lowest rankings for any undefeated team ever. Head coach Travis Steele claims that no one would play the Redhawks, which is why their schedule was so weak. I say that is ridiculous. No coach in the country is going to say they didn’t want to play a 24-9 team from the previous season. Miami didn’t even win the MAC. The bottom line is that Coach Steele didn’t schedule well, and now it is costing him a shot at the top 25 rankings.
The Redhawks are a good team. They shoot the ball well from deep and have a roster with a ton of continuity, which is helping them win games. The issue is that the schedule has been so weak that Miami has left itself zero wiggle room. Miami is going to have to essentially go undefeated to get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. The good news for the Redhawks is that if they do make the tournament, they will be one of those teams many people pick to make a deep run because of their ability to stretch the floor and make shots. Miami may be a long way from the rankings, and their metrics don’t like the fact that the schedule was poor, but if they keep winning, the rankings and everything else will take care of themselves. I don’t think the Redhawks are frauds; they may be one of the best mid-majors, just not one of the 25 best teams in the country, and that's okay.
Who are the potential one seeds in the NCAA Tournament?
In under two months, there will be an NCAA Tournament bracket, and if that doesn’t make you excited, then are you truly a college basketball fan? I get asked a lot who I think the potential one seeds in the NCAA Tournament will be. Obviously, no one knows who will have their name on the one line when the seed lists come out, but we can all speculate with some pretty good accuracy at this point.
Arizona is the current number 1 team, stands at 18-0, and is ranked number 2 on KenPom.The Wildcats have the best resume in the sport and will likely be the overall number 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if it were seeded today. The win at UConn at Gampel is one of the best wins in the country. Michigan is the current number 1 team in KenPom and has blasted teams this year. However, over the last week, the Wolverines have looked human and suffered a loss to Wisconsin. The Wolverines still have the blowout wins over Gonzaga, USC, San Diego State, Auburn, and Villanova on the resume. The metrics love Michigan, and that will likely earn them a top seed. Those are the two obvious ones.
The other seeds are going to the Duke Blue Devils, who are running away with the ACC again. Duke likely has the National Freshman of the Year in Cameron Boozer. Duke is the number 3 team in KenPom and is only projected to lose one more game the rest of the season to Michigan in February. The Blue Devils should see their name on the one-seed line again. That brings us to the final one-seed, which no one expected heading into the season.
Right now, the final one seed is going to go to none other than the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Nebraska is currently 18-0 and, despite what some will tell you, is the furthest thing from a fraud. The Huskers stand at 10-0 in the first two quadrants, are 4-0 in quad 1A, and have 4 road wins. The schedule plays in the Huskers' favor, giving them a chance to beat Purdue and Illinois twice. If the Huskers can win the Big Ten outright and have the wins over Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin. That will be enough to get them the one seed. Now, will Nebraska still get the one seed when the tournament is seeded? That remains to be seen, but they are going to get a higher seed with a fantastic shot at a top seed. Enjoy it, Husker fans.
What do I make of Vanderbilt?
I was waiting for this question. Vanderbilt is another one of the best stories in the sport, but it has been overshadowed by what Nebraska has done this year. Do not take anything away from the team, which is likely going to finish near the top of the SEC. The Commodores had a rough week, losing to Texas and Florida, but that doesn’t take away from anything the team has already done.
The Commodores have one of the game's most prolific offenses, the fourth-most efficient, according to KenPom. Vanderbilt gets to the rim and finishes at a high rate, and it is one of the elite shooting teams in the country. The defense took a hit this week, but it is still elite. Vanderbilt runs teams off the three-point line, protects the rim, and rebounds well, which allows them to get out in transition for easy baskets.
The one thing that everyone should know about Vanderbilt is that the Commodores have one of the best guard combinations in the country. Duke Miles is a guard who has been around but has had success everywhere he has played. He was a huge part of Oklahoma's run to the tournament last season. Then the Comoros have one of the best players in the entire country. Tyler Tanner is going to be a first-team All-American, win the SEC Player of the Year, and likely get a lot of votes for the Naismith Player of the Year.
Tanner and Miles make Vanderbilt what it is: one of the best teams in the country. The Commodores are going to be a protected seed and have the backcourt to make a deep run into March. Even if they don’t win the SEC, the Commodores will make a lot of noise in the NCAA Tournament. Head coach Mark Byington has brought Vanderbilt all the way back.