The last big Saturday of nonconference action is upon us, and it brings one final opportunity for several marquee teams to make a statement before league play ramps up after Christmas. Among them are four brand-name programs who will be featured in the CBS Sports Classic.
Tipping first from State Farm Arena in Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. ET Saturday will be No. 6 seed St. John’s vs. No. 7 seed Kentucky. The game marks a reunion between UK coach Mark Pope and St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, who coached Pope as part of the Wildcats’ 1996 national championship team.
Between their connection and some early-season struggles for both teams, the game will be dripping with intrigue. The second game of the CBS Sports Classic pits No. 3 seed North Carolina against Ohio State as the Tar Heels look to continue a strong start that has lifted them to No. 12 in the AP Top 25 rankings. Finally, a marquee tripleheader on CBS will conclude with No. 4 seed Houston and No. 5 seed Arkansas squaring off at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
Mark Pope details Kentucky’s ‘unlimited potential,’ bond with Rick Pitino ahead of St. John’s clash
Isaac Trotter
Between those three games, all five high-major conferences will be featured on CBS throughout a blockbuster wave of action. Heading into the day, here’s how our CBS Sports Bracketology is shaping up, courtesy of our model developed by Sportsline’s Jacob Fetner.
Bracketology top seeds
On the bubble
Last four in
First four out
Bracketology takeaways
Projecting conference tournament winners
With most of college basketball’s nonconference data compiled, the CBS Sports Bracketology model has developed a read on how every league race is likely to play out. Here are the three most-likely conference tournament winners from each of the high-major leagues.
ACC
Duke: 29.9%
Louisville: 29.2%
Virginia: 14.7%
Big 12
Iowa State: 27.2%
Arizona: 21.0%
BYU: 14.8%
Big East
UConn: 40.6%
St. John’s: 23.7%
Villanova: 14.6%
Big Ten
Purdue: 24.8%
Michigan: 21.5%
Illinois: 14.6%
SEC
Alabama: 23.2%
Florida: 16.0%
Tennessee: 13.4%
Accounting for major injuries
If not for an injury to leading scorer Markus Burton, Notre Dame would be in the CBS Sports Bracketology field as a No. 11 seed. But with the star junior guard expected to miss extended time due to an ankle surgery, the outlook has changed for the Fighting Irish. It’s a tough blow, especially considering Burton missed seven games last season due to a knee injury. The Fighting Irish went 1-4 against high-major foes without Burton a year ago, and their outlook is similar without him this season.
Similarly, a season-ending shoulder injury for star USC guard Rodney Rice has changed the calculus on the Trojans. With a 5-1 mark across Quads 1-2, the CBS Sports Bracketology model has the Trojans as a No. 5 seed based on their resume. But with Rice out, they landed as a No. 8. Over the long haul, our model projects the Trojans will land as a No. 11 seed.
Making sense of Boise State
Boise State’s resume is a tricky one for the CBS Sports Bracketology model to evaluate, and it could prove tricky for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee as well. The Broncos lost to Division II Hawaii Pacific to open the season, which is a cataclysmic loss. However, since the game wasn’t against a Division I opponent, it’s not factored into Boise State’s NET ranking. So, at first glance the Broncos are a pristine 5-0 outside of Quad 1 with a respectable 2-2 mark inside Quad 1. However, that doesn’t mean the Broncos get a pass for their season-opening loss. Victories over Butler and Saint Mary’s this month have revived the Broncos’ at-large hopes, but for now we have them on the wrong side of the bubble.
