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SGA@UK (photo, Catsillustrated) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1595872483725-78YQ2UI6N9GBC5FWPA43/andrew-wiggins-kansas.jpg Articles - NCAA-NBA Connection: Which College Teams Are Best? https://www.jlmedia.org/articles/top-10-teams-for-march monthly 0.5 2021-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612378997059-IDJQG1KIP5YSFREQNNCW/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 10. texas tech Just two years removed from losing the National Championship game, the Red Raiders have a chance to get back there. Tech is led by Georgetown transfer Mac McClung. While McClung is known by many for his viral highlight reel, he is much more than that. He has proven to be one of the nation’s clutchest players with a game winner at Texas and a late-game surge to beat LSU. Future lottery pick Terrance Shannon Jr. and big man Marcus Santos-Silva are solid robins for a team that looks to make another deep run. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612378943151-WHK9304LP3P3A8ZTDPVY/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 9. houston Quentin Grimes is this Cougars’ teams most important players. When healthy, Grimes has proven to be one of the premier point guards in the country. However, he has trouble staying on the court. So far, Houston has coasted through a fairly light American Athletic Conference with their defense leading the way. They have held 13 of their 16 opponents to 60 points or less. Currently ranked as the 5th best team according to the AP, it will be interesting to see how the Cougars fair against major conference opponents. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379114312-EQ88RFEMHD6L22JE0AK4/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 8. alabama 2021 might just be the year of the Crimson Tide. After claiming the first NCAA title of 2020, the Tide look to claim another. Just like football, Bama presents a run-and-gun offense on the hardwood. Led by John Petty, Herb Jones, and Jaden Shackelford, this team loves to shoot the 3 ball. They are Top 5 in all of college basketball averaging over 10 made triples per game. People forget that John Petty was the 1A to Colin Sexton a few years back, and he has the ability to take over in March. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379181557-WZFPN3KMVOHL4RV08EU5/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 7. illinois With three straight wins, the Fighting Illini are finally finding their groove. Illinois presents one of the most talented teams in a Big Ten Conference that is absolutely loaded. Ayo Dosunmu is averaging over 21 points per game and senior guard Trent Frazier is playing his best basketball at the right time. They also present the Big Ten’s best rim protector down low in Kofi Cockburn. While Brad Underwood’s squad has fallen a few times at home, they have proven they can beat anyone with wins over Iowa and Purdue. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379243080-C9J16USX8N8TBUQS6AH3/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 6. villanova Jay Wright has turned this program into a perennial powerhouse and this season is no different. Other than Virginia Tech, the Wildcats only competition has been COVID-19. They have had 10 games either cancelled or postponed due to the pandemic. Even so, they sit 11-1 and undefeated in the Big East. Guard play is huge in March, and senior leader Collin Gillespie displays an assists-turnover ratio of 4.7-1. The Cats will look to get back to their Championship ways as they aim for their 3rd title in their last 5 tries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379308887-O1QN78HU0ZRIE063YSP4/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 5. michigan Last season, the Juwan Howard era got off to a very lackluster start as Big Blue went just 19-12 with a .500 record in Big Ten play. However, the Wolverines won their first 11 games to start this season. With 6 players averaging at least 8 points per game, Michigan has a different hero every night. Senior transfers Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown have gelled perfectly with youngsters like Isaiah Livers, Hunter Dickinson, and Eli Brooks. Sitting atop the Big Ten, the Maize and Blue look to make another push towards the Final Four. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379354467-ERREOJ30MTF7VKI55J4I/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 4. texas With a coach that has been there before and three experienced guards, Texas has one of the most talented rosters in the country. Shaka Smart proved his worth after making a run to the Final Four with VCU, and now he has his best team yet. Matt Coleman, Courtney Ramey, and Andruw Jones lead the nation’s best back court. Each guy could go for 20 on any given night. Pair those 3 with 3 athletic big men and Texas is a scary looking team. Kai Jones, Jericho Sims, and freshman phenom Greg Brown are all athletes that can jump out the gym. This Longhorns team isn’t just going to go far, they might win the whole thing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379418332-2YVXLTBQQRV5Z7UV699A/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 3. iowa The 3rd and final Big Ten team on this list is the Iowa Hawkeyes. Obviously, having the best player in the country on your team will always give you a good shot in March. 6’11” Luka Garza leads the country in scoring averaging 26.5 points per game. He is also one of the nation’s best rebounders and rim protectors. However, the Hawkeyes are much more than just one player. It is an offense that is nearly impossible to stop simply because they surround Garza with shooters everywhere. Jordan Bohannon, Joe Wieskamp, and CJ Fredrick will all make the opposing team play if they opt to put a double team on Garza down low. This Iowa team went toe-to-toe with Gonzaga early in the season and is a team no one wants to see late in March. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379497271-IF2U24OOTFS4HPEGZNFT/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - 2. baylor The gap between 1 and 2 on this list is razor thin. The Bears are 17-0 on the season and have won all but two games by double digits. Ranked opponents such as Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, and Texas Tech had no chance against this defense. All five of those teams can score, yet none reached 70 points in their matchup with Baylor. Baylor had their best season in school history last season, but this year’s team is even better. Jared Butler has taken a step forward as one of the nation’s best players and a true Wooden Award candidate. The Bears only go 8 guys deep, but each guy would likely be a starter on any other team in the country. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1612379598333-VUMXQAWUFW3T55ZDRN6E/image.png Articles - Top 10 Teams for March - gonzaga When the Madness begins, the Zags will look to be the 7th preseason #1 team to win the National Championship. Their #1 ranking has never wavered as Gonzaga has won their 17 games by an average margin of victory of 20.1 points. Although not in a power conference, they have proven that they can beat the big boys already knocking off Iowa, Kansas, Virginia, and West Virginia. Corey Kispert, Jalen Suggs, and Drew Timme give Mark Few multiple scorers as he looks to win his first championship. https://www.jlmedia.org/articles/mlb-trade-deadline-winners monthly 0.5 2021-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1628186110307-BK84LFF0JXRH8E0JUXTF/image-asset.jpeg Articles - MLB Trade Deadline Winners https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1628185242479-X8VXYRNBJER5Y72NLMLM/image.jpeg Articles - MLB Trade Deadline Winners - 5. Oakland A’s The A’s have been stuck in the second wild card spot for quite some time now. GM David Forst struck early when Oakland sent left-hander Jesus Luzardo to Miami for outfielder Starling Marte. Marte was the biggest name that the A’s traded for, however, they added other pieces to amplify their playoff push. The ball club added left-handed reliever Andrew Chafin from the Cubs, and two solid bench players from Washington. Josh Harrison can play all over the diamond and Yan Gomes is a reliable veteran backstop who knows how to handle a pitching staff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1628185194629-XSCOXWG087DABUDL6DQ2/image.jpeg Articles - MLB Trade Deadline Winners - 4. Chicago White Sox The White Sox have their best team in years and have proved that they will not let this opportunity go to waste. They acquired Craig Kimbrel on deadline day, their second trade with their crosstown rivals. After adding Ryan Tepera earlier, the White Sox bolstered their formidable bullpen with Kimbrel. The 8-time all star joins Liam Hendriks at the backend of the pen, allowing Tony La Russa to shorten games. With young sensation Nick Madrigal out for the season (and also now traded to the north side of Chicago), the White Sox went and got Cesar Hernandez from Cleveland to take his place. Now having equally scary Big 3’s in the rotation and the ‘pen, Chicago will be tough to beat come October. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1628185161694-9TIUBQBSATRKFUKR3MBS/image.jpeg Articles - MLB Trade Deadline Winners - 3. Atlanta Braves The Braves are one of the teams that could have gone either direction at the deadline. While a trade of Freddie Freeman was unrealistic, they certainly could have parted with Charlie Morton for some prospects and no one would have batted an eye. Much to the joy of Atlanta fans, GM Alex Anthopolous decided to go the other direction. With Ronald Acuña Jr. out for the season, the Braves added FOUR new outfielders. Joc Pederson was traded early in the deadline as part of the Cubs overhaul, while Adam Duvall, Jorge Soler, and Eddie Rosario all came towards the end. Stephen Vogt brings veteran leadership behind the dish and relief pitcher Richard Rodriguez was the best trade of them all. Rodriguez sported a 2.82 ERA this season while appearing in 37 games for the Pirates. Atlanta needed bullpen help, and Anthopolous made sure that they got that and much more. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1628185110746-52ZV677DLG4ZZQPX6ZAY/image.jpeg Articles - MLB Trade Deadline Winners - 2. New York Yankees The Bombers were another team that could have gone either way at the deadline. Although owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman both agreed that this team would buy, their place in the standings had some fans thinking otherwise. A normal Yankee lineup this season consisted of 8 right hand hitters. Cashman went out and changed that fast. He acquired left-handed sluggers Anthony Rizzo and Joey Gallo to balance out the lineup. Two proven lefties that are sure to have success with the short porch in the Bronx. Those were not the only moves though, as the Yankees also added pitchers Andrew Heaney, Clay Holmes, and Joely Rodriguez. The most amazing stat about all of these trades - the Yankees are paying little to none of any of these five players’ salaries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1628185393036-6MG91VTQ9D7FB5SY7PIG/image.jpeg Articles - MLB Trade Deadline Winners - 1. LA Dodgers When the Dodgers added Billy McKinney and Danny Duffy early on in the deadline, no one would have been surprised if those were the only moves they made. McKinney provides solid outfield depth and a left-handed bat, while Duffy slides right into the rotation behind Buehler and Kershaw. However, they chose to get greedy. GM Andrew Friedman parted ways with his top two prospects to go chase another ring. The Dodgers reward - how about superstars Max Scherzer and Trea Turner? Many see Scherzer as the big fish here and rightfully so. Mad Max has won 3 Cy Young awards and has a career postseason ERA in the low 3.00’s. However, Trea Turner is a very special player. He provides a speed and power combination that is rare in today’s game. Turner is clearly in his prime, as he is on pace for the first 30/30 season of his career. While the Giants and Padres have been perfectly good adversaries in the NL West this season, this blockbuster deal certainly makes the Dodgers World Series favorites yet again. https://www.jlmedia.org/articles/last-place-teams-to-look-out-for monthly 0.5 2021-09-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1631726759826-M7RNBAOET49LRM875W0G/image.png Articles - Last place Teams to Look Out For - Cincinnati Bengals The Bengals finished 4-11-1 last season and did not even sniff the playoffs thanks to a midseason stretch in which they lost 8 out of 9 games. Although the start was not ideal for Joe Burrow, the rookie showed some promise in his 10 starts. The LSU standout had at least 300 yards passing in half of his games, including 406 yards in a close loss to the Browns in late October. The tail end of the season was ravaged by injuries, but before that Cincinnati was a very competitive team. 4 of Burrow’s 7 losses were by 4 points or fewer, including both games against Cleveland. The Bengals front office made sure to add some veteran studs on both sides of the line of scrimmage to help this team close late. Former Lion and Viking Riley Reiff will help to protect his young quarterback’s blind side. On the defensive side, Cincinnati added Trey Hendrickson who was tied with Aaron Donald’s 13.5 sacks, good enough for second in the league a season ago. While many recognize the Browns offense as one of the best in the game, the Bengals roster is no joke. Skill players Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd provide a full armada of weapons at Burrow’s disposal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1631726835325-4VUGDY85UD57KJ5Z35M7/image.png Articles - Last place Teams to Look Out For - houston rockets The NBA was the toughest league to find a last place team that could truly compete next season. The Raptors were probably the easiest choice, but the loss of Kyle Lowry and question marks around Pascal Siakam lead me to believe that they will not perform well in an increasingly stronger eastern conference. So, I did not just choose a last place team, I chose the team with the worst record in the entire NBA last season, the Houston Rockets. Injuries hit them hard, so 17-55 was definitely not the ceiling for last season’s squad, but they were bad, really bad. Early in the season, Houston started 10-9 in large part due to emerging superstar, Christian Wood. However, Wood had a hard time staying healthy and the Rockets suffered a 20-game losing streak, which included a 49-point home loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Whether John Wall is part of the team’s plans for 2021-22 is still up in the air, but even without him this team has the ability to make a run at the playoffs. The Rockets won this year’s draft as they selected Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, and Josh Christopher with their 3 first round picks. As the #2 pick, Green is the superstar of the bunch. He averaged 20.3 points per game in the summer league on a 50/50/90 split. Sengun may turn out to be the sleeper of the draft as he averaged a double-double in the summer league, compiling 14.5 points and 11 rebounds per contest. These three kids, Kevin Porter Jr., Kenyon Martin Jr., and the aforementioned Wood form a young, yet exciting core down in Houston that could surprise some people across the NBA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1631727519233-WO1JPQQRSD7BKG5OZLYI/image.jpeg Articles - Last place Teams to Look Out For - Miami marlins I know the Marlins are not technically in last place in the NL East anymore, but they would be if the Nationals did not sell their entire team. This 2021 season has marred the success that the Fish had in the season prior, as they took down the Cubs in a playoff series. The Marlins have a starting rotation that many teams envy, the only problem is that it feels like all 5 of them have been on the injured list at some point in the season. Rookie Trevor Rogers was a first time all-star, with a sub 3 era. Sandy Alcantara throws 100 mph and is top 5 in the National League in innings. Pablo Lopez and Elieser Hernandez are finally back from injury and pitching well and rookie Zach Thompson has been a spark plug. All of this is without Sixto Sanchez, a rookie phenom from last season who shut out the Cubs thru 5 sparkling innings en route to a postseason victory. The young bats are also coming around for Miami. Jazz Chislom Jr. is a franchise player and future superstar. Miami traded pitcher Yimi Garcia for Bryan De La Cruz at this year’s deadline and the young outfielder is already proving that he can play. De La Cruz is hitting over .300 and recently hit his first big league grand slam. Lewis Brinson is hitting .50 points higher since the all-star break and has driven in 20 runners in just 30 games. Not only does Miami have the personnel, but they have the right people in the front office to anchor this turnaround. If I was a betting man, I would never bet against the combination of Derek Jeter and Kim Ng. https://www.jlmedia.org/articles/under-the-radar-cfp-teams monthly 0.5 2021-10-14 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1634234730811-4OZ5LH6YK974BFDS7FNK/image.png Articles - Under the Radar CFP Teams - (18) Arizona State The Sun Devils have definitively proven to be the 2nd best team in the Conference of Champions behind Oregon. Jayden Daniels leads an offensive attack that hung 42 points in Pasadena over then 20th-ranked UCLA just a few weeks ago. It also helps to have a former NFL coach at the helm. Herm Edwards has this team trending in the right direction, leading them to a 5-1 start. His team’s lone loss came at BYU, which means they are still undefeated in league play. Their toughest test before the Pac-12 championship likely comes this weekend in Salt Lake City. Sadly, the West Coast has been accustomed to teams underperforming and State hopes that USC and Washington continue to fall well below preseason expectations. If the Sun Devils win out they will be sitting at 12-1, with a conference title win over Oregon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1634235032586-SKFC3Y4O6M6C6TNH20JV/image.jpeg Articles - Under the Radar CFP Teams - (16) Wake forest Unsurprisingly, heading into Week 7 of the season the ACC only has one undefeated team. Very surprisingly, that team is Wake Forest and not Clemson. The Deacs are yet to play a ranked team, but if they finish the season unblemished the committee would put them in over Cincinnati without hesitation. After a soft opening schedule, Wake barely survived the last two weeks as they beat both Louisville and Syracuse by a field goal. Their last 4 games are the toughest, as they finish up with UNC, NC State, Clemson, and Boston College. Mathematically speaking, it is still possibly for Wake Forest to go 12-0, however, 8-4 is not out of the realm of possibilities. While perfection is unlikely, they certainly have a path towards the playoff. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1634235406802-C8EB2JMQ74Z1ZLJAPO0H/image.png Articles - Under the Radar CFP Teams - (11) Kentucky The Wildcats are the first of back-to-back SEC teams that appear on this list. Unlike Wake, Kentucky has truly earned their 6-0 record. They beat Florida by a touchdown and beat the brakes off of LSU last weekend, as they rushed for 330 yards. Penn State transfer Will Levis eats bananas with the peel on, but has proven to be a leader of this team. Chris Rodriguez Jr. and Kavosiey Smoke lead a potent rushing attacked behind what some have deemed as the best offensive line in college football. That O-Line will be put to the test this weekend as the Cats travel to Athens to try to dethrone the #1 team in the country. It might be a long shot, and I surely hope it doesn’t happen, but if Kentucky wins this weekend, they might just have a date with Alabama in the SEC Championship. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1634235709948-7NRE4T0RATBECR3GX5CG/image.png Articles - Under the Radar CFP Teams - (13) Ole miss Even after their disappointing performance in Tuscaloosa, the fighting Lane Kiffin’s still have a path to glory. Alabama’s loss this past weekend slightly opened the door for Kiffin and Heisman contender Matt Corral. Other than the Alabama game, Ole Miss’ low for points in a game this season is 43. They beat Arkansas in a shootout last weekend 52-51 and can score with anybody (except Alabama seemingly). The will play an SEC West gauntlet the rest of the way, so winning out won’t be easy, but they also need Alabama to lose one more time. Bama finishes the regular season with games against Arkansas and Auburn, so if the Tide slip up in either of those, Ole Miss will be more than happy to take their spot in the SEC Title Game. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1634236454408-IZHZKIP97QISSD9COSOT/image.jpeg Articles - Under the Radar CFP Teams - (12) Oklahoma state An undefeated Big 12 team will get into the Playoff 100/100 times. Oklahoma State’s advantage is that they can probably still get in with 1 loss. At 6-0 they are sitting pretty. The Pokes have Oklahoma at home this year. Even if they lose that game, they will likely get a rematch the week after in the Big 12 championship in what would basically be a playoff game. This year’s OK-State team is different than most. Spencer Sanders is still there at QB, but after losing Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace to the NFL, the Cowboys strength is their defense. Thus far, they have held all 5 of their opponents under 24 points and 125 rushing yards. Their biggest test to date comes this weekend as they travel to Austin to face a disparaged Texas team. If Oklahoma State can stay unbeaten going into their matchup with OU, they may have two cracks at them to get into the playoff. https://www.jlmedia.org/articles/longshots-that-can-with-their-conference monthly 0.5 2022-03-09 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/1881b5cb-57d3-45b2-bfa3-f60e5475e6be/Screen+Shot+2022-03-09+at+8.37.19+AM.png Articles - Long shots that can win their Conference Tourney - wyoming (+600) Champ week is do or die for the Cowboys as they are currently in Joe Lunardi’s Last 4 In. Just 3 weeks ago, Wyoming entered the AP Poll at #22 and seemed to be a shoo-in for the tournament. However, they have gone 3-4 since that ranking and find themselves solidly on the bubble. If they get past UNLV on Thursday, the most likely path to glory is through Boise State and #23 Colorado State. Wyoming has already beaten both of them and, if they can do it again, the impressive Mountain West will send four teams into the field of 64. Senior Hunter Maldonado leads the Poked averaging nearly 19 points per game, and would be a name to watch if they do get in. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/7c06f732-b7ab-440b-90a2-3993f4640779/Screen+Shot+2022-03-09+at+8.48.01+AM.png Articles - Long shots that can win their Conference Tourney - Oregon (+1500) Another team that has been plummeting lately, the Ducks are forced to win the Pac 12 to get back into the big dance. In 2018-19 they found themselves in the exact same position and were able to pull through. That team kept playing all the way to the Sweet 16. Maybe there’s just something about Dana Altman’s back against the wall. Without Will Richardson, Oregon will rely heavily on a triplet of transfers: Jacob Young (Rutgers), De’Vion Harman (Oklahoma), and Quincy Guerrier (Syracuse). As the only team in the Conference of Champions to sweep UCLA, the Ducks have what it takes to make another run. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/7c3bcca1-beed-4eb8-a661-d64cbe1ce7f3/Screen+Shot+2022-03-09+at+8.53.23+AM.png Articles - Long shots that can win their Conference Tourney - Seton hall (+1600) Seton Hall is the only school mentioned in this article that sits as a lock for the NCAA Tournament. Even though the Pirates are the 6-seed in the Big East, they have an essential 1st round bye as they play 0-19 Georgetown on Wednesday night. With a win, they would take on #20 Connecticut. It makes no sense that Kevin Willard’s team sits at 16-1 to win the conference. They come in winning 5 in a row, including 2 impressive road wins at Xavier and at Creighton. Seton Hall has 8 wins away from home this year and should have no problem continuing that success in Madison Square Garden. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/85fc54e0-2f06-4400-ab9a-eaa6dee8afbf/Screen+Shot+2022-03-09+at+9.00.21+AM.png Articles - Long shots that can win their Conference Tourney - Wichita State (+2000) The last two teams that I’ll mention are no where near the projected field. The Shockers head into the American Conference tournament at 15-12, and just 6-9 in conference play. They open with Tulsa on Thursday and would face a desperate SMU team if the advance. This isn’t a bad draw as they would avoid playing Memphis or Houston until the semi-finals. While they have lost to plenty of bad teams, Wichita State has also shown the ability to hang with the big boys. In conference play, they have already beat SMU once (by 15), and just a few weeks ago they took #18 Houston to double overtime. Let’s not forget about way back in November when, in just their 4th game of the season, this Wichita team took #2 Arizona to overtime in Vegas. Yes, close losses don’t count for anything, but if you’re looking for a deep sleeper Wichita State might be your team. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f18df72f5fc914b2560ecc5/f9f6c30d-7c5d-4c60-a6d3-bcd77ec978cb/Screen+Shot+2022-03-09+at+9.13.26+AM.png Articles - Long shots that can win their Conference Tourney - Nebraska (+40000) Don’t look now but here come the Huskers! Just 2 weeks ago, Fred Hoiberg’s team sat at 1-16 in the Big Ten and could not wait for the season to end. After 3 straight road wins (Penn State, Ohio State, Wisconsin), Nebraska feels like they have a real shot to win the Big Ten and get into the big dance. The long shot of all long shots, at 400-1 they might be worth a sprinkle. Star freshman Bryce McGowens is questionable for Game 1 and, even though they beat Wisconsin without him, winning 5 games in 5 days without their best player would be tough. Currently sitting at 10-21, Nebraska would be one hell of a story if they can pull this off.