9/10 House Basketball Power Rankings

by Britton Barthold

February break is near but one thing stands in its way… the final 9/10 House Basketball regular season games. Wednesday night will hold some pivotal playoff positioning games that grasp some team’s fate in the palm of its hand. Literally, Wednesday Night is going to be awesome. But now, to keep you from waiting, here are the updated 9/10 House Basketball Power Rankings. (Brackets indicate previous ranking)

1. [2] Stanford (8-1)

Stanford barely regains their #1 spot in the rankings as Missouri made a great case for the spot. But in the end, Stanford gets it for beating a better opponent in Duke. Stanford founds its groove again after the loss against Washington last week. The Cardinal are also still proudly the #1 offense and #1 defense in the league and have regained control of their playoff destination. They still are a bit short of the #1 seed, due to the game that was cancelled a few weeks back, but still pose as an enormous threat. The Cardinal were able to stop sophomores Aidan Coyle and Jack Murray in the win, something teams struggled to do in the beginning of the season. The relentless press that teams have grown to hate is still in full-fledged action, so if no team is able to get past half-court, expect Stanford to continue to roll.

2. [1] Missouri (9-1)

Like I said before, it was a hard decision to remove them after only one week of being #1 but it is still safe to say this team is probably going to maintain the #1 seed heading into the playoffs. The team played Kansas (who may become their first round opponent) and soundly defeated the Jayhawks. Sophomore Timmy Graham’s debut season has been nothing short of extraordinary but garners great support from a team that will tear through the playoffs. Sophomore Bobby Osborne has begun to show up on the defensive side of the ball, adding even more depth to an already deeply talented team. The age and experience of this team is a lot to handle, and I have a hard time believing anyone will stop them.

3. [3] Georgetown (8-2)

The hyped Gregorich vs. Evanchick battle was cancelled this Sunday as both did not show up to the game, so hopefully we can get it in the playoffs. In addition to Evanchick not being in attendance, fellow sophomore stars Andrew Mathew and PK Brannigan were unable to attend. This allowed for the young stars of the Hoyas to step up, as freshman Ryan Jones came out of nowhere with a 13 point performance to push Georgetown to victory. Sophomore Connor Gonzalez-Falla also made up for the loss of the three stars along with sophomore dark horse Michael Parsley. With Evanchick returning Wednesday, expect Georgetown to continue to dominate down low while continuing to control the defensive side of the ball. This team will become a huge spoiler alert come playoff season, so don’t take them too lightly when you see them on your schedule.

4. [5] UConn (6-4)

It is safe to say these guys turned things around pretty quickly. After their two-game skid, they’ve been 4-1 and are controlling their playoff potential. Freshman sensation Charlie Sealy has been the X-factor for this team, as he is a major difference when on the court. Size, speed and overall skill is what makes Sealy so great, and is one of the main reasons they’ve turned it around. Sophomore Jack McCann played well, even with the doubt that he would play following an ankle injury earlier in the week. They won a thriller against Miami with a last-second shot that gave them the win, and are now on a two-game win streak after beating two well-rounded teams. UConn continues to have an up and down season, but at this point, it is safe to say that their season will end strongly at the current rate they are going at. The three-ball is finally starting to sink for these guys, and if Sealy continues to show up week after week, there will be no surprise if these guys go deep into the playoffs.

5. [4] North Carolina (5-5)

North Carolina played a six-man Washington squad this past Sunday, but unfortunately, Washington had their best four in that lineup. North Carolina players played well on the offense side, but got into foul trouble on the other end. A key component to the loss was the match-ups on the defensive side of the ball from a coaching standpoint. This team lacks a true motivator (outside of sophomore Brendan Seiler) and needs to figure out a legitimate defensive strategy that doesn’t have their big men playing up on the point. In the end though, North Carolina had a solid game and one of the best they’ve played this year, despite the loss. The offense attack was better than ever and was complemented by the complete shutdown defense of sophomore Jack Kniffin, when he was actually put on Jamie Schofield. Ball movement was finally evident and shots fell. This was the perfect game for the Tarheels to see what they need, and was easily one of their best played against a solid team. North Carolina has a great team, but needs help with a defensive strategy that allows for better matchups.

6. [9] Washington (4-6)

So I got a first-hand account of how good Washington is, and I’ll say it now, they are going to make a dent come playoffs. Washington only had six players Sunday against UNC, but to their luck, they had four of their best in attendance. This played a huge advantage for this team, as sophomore star Jamie Schofield remained on the court until 5 seconds left in the game, and there was always a Burke brother on the court to keep points going. Washington took advantage of the Tarheels’ defensive mistakes, being able to drive easily against players not meant to play defense against point guards. Now the catch about this team is this: they’re good when only the best show. Washington’s nine players aren’t the best, as about 4 of the 9 are top talent. The key to the win was the powerful play of Schofield, as he dominated all 40 minutes of the game. Washington has the talent to make a playoff run, but needs to have Schofield in at all times along with one Burke brother to make things happen.

7. [6] Syracuse (4-6)

Short-handed Syracuse lost another game, this one to equally short-handed Georgetown. There were no giants on the court Sunday, which opened up a shootout between the two teams. This loss gives Syracuse their second straight loss after being on a three-game win streak. Not to worry however, as sophomore Dolan Gregorich still plays the key to this team’s success if he attends. This week, Gregorich had a valid excuse (being sick), but should be ready for Wednesday Night’s season finale. Sophomore Chris Drake—yes, I finally figured out the difference between the two—continues to make three-balls part of the forecast while his equally-talented twin Matt Drake adds the ground and pound of driving to the basket. The equal attack of this squad can be too much, as we saw in the three-game streak they had, but attendance plays a key role in it all. Gregorich can easily dominate every aspect of the game, so watch out.

8. [7] Duke (4-5)

Duke continues to struggle as they lost their third straight game to Stanford this weekend. The Blue Devils started the season strong, posting a 4-2 record before falling like a rock in the standings. It is hard to pinpoint the exact problem, because when watching these guys, you see solid basketball. All I can look to blame is the ball movement, with too many Hail Mary passes down the court. They need to slow down and create opportunities to score on the offensive side of the ball. Along with that, it’s hard to blame the defense, but it is what makes this team struggle. Sophomore Aidan Coyle remains the only big man option this team has, and when he is out, it leaves the paint wide open for opposing teams to just drive into. Sophomore Jack Murray is also the only speed option, as sophomores Gianni Filippone and Kevin Pidgeon remain only deep ball shooters. Coyle is still very hopeful for the future, saying “if you count us out, you’re making a big mistake”. All in all, Duke needs to find what their form from the beginning of the season to make a playoff push.

9. [10] Kentucky (4-6)

The Wildcats finally ended their four-game losing streak after putting down Georgia Tech on Sunday. Sophomore twin stars Bobby and Christian Trifone finally found it in their game, and led this young Kentucky team to victory. Sophomore Lee Gardella has started to get into his house ball form, as the Gardella from a few years back is showing up, which for is a pretty good thing for this squad. The Wildcats are out to prove size doesn’t matter, and with undeniable speed in the backcourt, they can prove that. Kentucky grabbed a much-needed win, and don’t be surprised if they win this week’s battle. All in all, speed will prevail if they keep moving fast.

10. [8] Miami (3-6)

Miami finally was handed a loss after surprising the league with two straight wins. They fell this week in what freshman Peter Marren says was a “controversial loss.” Controversial or not, they battled with UConn in a close one, but ultimately fell in the end. Sophomore Connor Mulliken continues to be the team’s go-to guy, and there is no reason why he shouldn’t be, as his MVP season continues to scare opposing teams. Sophomore Colin Corcoran remains a viable option, as he dominated the paint in this week’s game, but the team also got support out of Marren’s shooting game. Miami began to show potential, but the loss has done nothing to that. The Hurricanes can easily become a top threat come playoffs, if they continue to play like they have the past three weeks. With a group of players that can perform, watch out for these guys.

11. [11] Georgia Tech (2-8)

Georgia Tech lost another (yes, another) game this week after hoping to rebound against a struggling Kentucky team. Kentucky did nothing but not struggle that game, which caught Tech by surprise and eventually led to another loss. The freshmen of this team continue to struggle to find ways to win, but don’t have trouble scoring, as freshman Cord Fox can shoot from anywhere, along with the deep ball of fellow freshman Ben Bidell. Georgia Tech just needs to play better defense and not allow opposing teams to take advantage of their small size by forcing them to shoot from outside the arc. No real blocking threat is on Georgia Tech, so their only hope is to remove any path to the basket and hope that the opposing team can’t make a jumper. In the end however, the Yellow Jackets aren’t as threatening as they were in the first few weeks.  

12. [12] Kansas (1-8)

The woes of Kansas continue, even after the grand acquisition of legendary sophomore sports star Matt Sealy. Sealy adds fire to the game, with the speed-size combo only a few possess. Kansas also is one of the biggest teams out there, which ultimately leads to a bunch of rebounders and a few legitimate shooters. Defense is fine for now, but when the shooting game isn’t there, it’s hard to support your defense. So for this year, defense does not win championships. Hopefully, Kansas can grab a win this week, as they’ve played in many close games; ultimately, it won’t be surprising if they finally get a second win before playoffs start. They have the physicality to win, so all they have to do is use it in order to grab a win to end the season. They end against Georgia Tech, so look for them to get out of last place and grab some momentum in the playoffs.

**Wednesday Night Predictions**

North Carolina 45, Duke 37

Lack of depth and a legit backup for Aidan Coyle will allow for the Tarheels to drive to the basket and score.

Missouri 41, UConn 39

Charlie Sealy will get a challenge, but will continue to lead this team’s scoring attack. In the end, Missouri wins it with relentless scoring.

Kansas 48, Georgia Tech 43

Kansas will finally grab a much-needed win against a smaller Georgia Tech crew. Watch out for these two to battle to get out of last place.

Washington 39, Kentucky 34

Kentucky’s defense will be a lot for Schofield, but the lack of a second defender for the 2^nd Burke brother will be too much for Kentucky to handle.

Syracuse 44, Miami 41

If Dolan Gregorich attends, it will allow for other opportunities for the Drake twins that will eventually lead to a key win.

*Game of the Week* Georgetown 52, Stanford 49

The overall size of Georgetown will be a lot for Stanford, and if Evanchick can get going, which he will, Georgetown will grab a huge win heading into the playoffs.