College Basketball Power Rankings

Mason Plumlee

1. Indiana
2. Duke
3. Miami
4. Gonzaga
5. Michigan
6. Kansas
7. Florida
8. Michigan State
9. Georgetown
10. Arizona
11. Syracuse
12. Louisville
13. Kansas State
14. New Mexico
15. Ohio State
16. Oklahoma State
17. Memphis
18. Wisconsin

Otto Porter

19. Saint Louis
20. Butler
21. Marquette
22. Oregon
23. Notre Dame
24. Pittsburgh
25. VCU

Others Considering:
Louisiana Tech
Akron
Colorado State
Saint Mary's
Wichita State

Havoc Defense

Head coach Shaka Smart

With March Madness right around the corner it's time to take a look at VCU's Havoc Defense as they suit up for another deep tournament run:


Havoc Setup

Havoc Defense

Havoc is a 1-2-1-1 press nicknamed Diamond. It uses incredible speed, precise timing and a lot of energy pouncing on point guards deep in their backcourts. Shaka Smart, head coach at VCU, stole the Diamond press at his time at Clemson under current DePaul coach Oliver Purnell. Smart loves to use the Diamond press with a small, guard-oriented four-man front with guys like Briante Weber, Darius Theus and Treveon Graham running like madman by the other team's basket.

Why is Havoc so Dangerous?
Many have run full-court, aggressive presses like the Rams' run. But, the Diamond allows players to be at the exact right spot at the same time. The Diamond does a fantastic job of destroying the point guard's composure pressuring him to make tough plays and beat athletic, long defenders. One of the most important elements of Havoc is the surprise. The Rams spring the trap at times you least expect it, even if you have watched film of it. Then it wears you down, possession by possession until the turnovers add up to the 20's.

The Players
You can't run Havoc effectively without the right players. Every player on the Rams' roster has speed, size, agility and a great basketball I.Q. Weber, a sophomore averages nearly three steals a game thanks to his location and ability to time when players are trying to get rid of the ball. Graham and Theus can run wild and Rob Brandenburg has spent enough time in the system to run it like an old pro.

How Good are the Rams?
Havoc has helped VCU go 22-6 overall and climb to second inside the Atlantic 10 in just their first year in the league after dominating the Colonial for years. Headed by Graham, who is just as dangerous on offense as on defense the Rams can score as well. If we see a Cinderella, it will likely be VCU who have already shown how dangerous Havoc can be in the tournament. The bottom line is, nobody is going to want to play the Rams in the Big Dance this year.

Clips of Havoc Defense click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovdKAAEIxc8

Big Ten Power Rankings

1. Indiana
The Hoosiers may be the best player in the nation, not just the Big Ten. They have a dominant scorer in transition in Cody Zeller and maybe the best defender in the country in speedy Victor Oladipo. Though they need more consistent point guard play from Yogi Ferrell in order to keep their spot above Michigan and surging Michigan State.
2. Michigan
Michigan is 9-4 inside the Big Ten but they still need to prove they can win big games. Coming off a 23 point loss to Michigan State we need more consistency from sometimes erratic point guard Trey Burke and a more dominant low post presence than Jordan Morgan. But, if they find those things they could still have a shot at knocking off Indiana.

The Spartans are on fire

3. Michigan State
Earlier in the season Michigan State did not look like a realistic contender. But, right now the Spartans are playing like a Final Four team. They have found consistent scoring threats in Keith Appling and Gary Harris. Gigantic center Derrick Nix could help the Spartans beat teams down inside. The game against Indiana this Tuesday could go a long way in proving just how good this team could be.
4. Ohio State
The talent is there for the Buckeyes. Aaron Craft is one of the best overall players in the conference and Deshaun Thomas can score everytime he touches the ball. Though, they haven't quite been able to translate this into too much success inside the nation's toughest conference. If they can figure out how to close out games they could still finish the season strong.
5. Wisconsin
Big Ten play is usually not kind to most teams. But, it has been great for the Badgers who seem to be playing better despite tougher games. Led by a stingy defense and a scrappy roster the Badgers have climbed to 3rd inside the conference. With Jared Berggren playing like a beast down low Wisconsin should keep on playing the way they are.
6. Illinois
At one point John Groce's Fighting Illini were undefeated and in the Top Ten but they have struggled mightily inside the Big Ten. Though maybe wins against Indiana and Purdue can propel Illinois back to the way they were playing earlier this year.
7. Iowa
Nobody is really paying attention to the Hawkeyes but they aren't out of the race to the tournament yet. They have a dangerous scoring threat in junior Roy Devyn Marble and play unselfish basketball, as they are 19th in the nation in assists per game. The talent is there to make a run they just need their upperclassmen to be smart.
8. Minnesota
The hype is over for Minnesota and the only hope now is that they somehow manage to start building momentum for a postseason run. When on their game Andre and Austin Hollins can form one of the best backcourts in the Big Ten but they have played terrible through much of the Big Ten schedule. The Gophers need a big win or else their season could be drawing to a close if it hasn't already.
9. Northwestern
The Wildcats aren't a postseason team by any measure but they could still end the season strong thanks to great guard play from Dave Sobolewski and Reggie Hearn as they look forward to next year.
10. Purdue
Coming off a beatdown from Indiana the Boilermakers are trying to look toward next year were they will get star center A.J. Hammons back.
11. Nebraska
Tim Miles' squad has fought hard this season but even with Dylan Talley scoring in bunches the Cornhuskers just don't have enough talent to contend in the Big Ten right now.
12. Penn State
The Nittany Lions are 0-13 inside the Big Ten and looking at their schedule they not win a conference game this whole season.

Is Miami Legit?

Miami Defense

The Miami Hurricanes are undefeated inside the ACC and ranked number three in the nation. No, this is not the football team I'm talking about. The 'Canes basketball team is on fire this season reaching a 20-3 record and 11-0 inside a tough conference. And, it hasn't been because of weak scheduling. Miami, led by star sophomore guard Shane Larkin, has destroyed Duke by 27, UNC by 26 and managed to escape with a victory over NC State. All that could help this squad emerge as a number one seed on Selection Sunday. But, are the Hurricanes a legit title threat? Larkin is the best player on their roster averaging 13.4 points per game and leading the team in assists. He is sometimes automatic from deep and has the ability to drive and finish. As fantastic of a player as Larkin is, the inexperienced guard could cost the team games due to the fact he can turn the ball over at an incredible rate. He's hit 5 or more turnovers twice this season. Miami has an advantage over many times though. They have a senior oriented roster led by Kenny Kadji, Reggie Johnson and Durand Scott that will play well in difficult situations and keep the time focused as we near the end of the season. Johnson is their most reliable big man, leading the team in rebounds and blocks. The 'Canes have their work cut out for them if they want to win the national title. They still play Duke once more (not to mention if they meet in the ACC tournament) but if they win that one they could realistically go undefeated inside the ACC this year. But, they could steal wipe out early in the tournament like Duke did last year due to some key issues.They have experienced shaky guard play at times and must finish the season without any key injuries in order to fulfill their potential.

Durand Scott and Shane Larkin

Miami Resume:
+ 20-3 overall record
+ 11-0 ACC record
+ Wins against Duke, UNC
-  Bad losses to FGCU, Indiana State

Ole Miss Signing Day

Robert Nkemdiche



Laquon Treadwell

The Ole Miss Rebels are widing a huge wave of momentum. They improved their win total from two to seven and won a bowl game a season ago. Then, signing day. Through the whole offseason we knew the Rebels might have a shot at the number one prize, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche who decommited from Clemson. The 6 foot, 5 inch, 265 pound Nkemdiche is explosive off the side and could start immediately even with experience returning on the Rebels' defensive line. Nkemdiche would have made a great signing day for Hugh Freeze's staff. Then Laremy Tunsil, the number one overall offensive tackle announced he would play for Ole Miss next season. The huge, nearly 300 pound Tunsil will join another tackle Austin Golson up front, who was a steal from the state of Alabama. And, that wasn't where it stopped for the Rebels. Four-star safety Antonio Conner announced he was heading to Oxford and Illinois product Laquon Treadwell will also be on the team next year. So what does all this add up to? The Rebels ended up with the fifth best class in the nation, not bad for a team that won two games two seasons ago. Especially considering the four above them were traditional powers Notre Dame, Alabama, Florida and Ohio State. What should we expect from Ole Miss in 2013? As beastly as Robert Nkemdiche is, he will still need time to develope and be productive against the fantastic offensive linement that the SEC provides. Tunsil will also have his work cut out for him as he has to go up against 300 pound men rushing in from the defensive side. The Rebels will have a ton back, so this class doesn't have to do everything. Quarterback Bo Wallace, speedy back Jeff Scott, wide out Ja-Mes Logan and Robert's brother Denzel should help this team have a shot at 10 wins.

Florida vs. Ole Miss Game Preview

4 Florida vs. 16 Ole Miss, Stephen C. O'Connell Center, 7 PM ET


Marshall Henderson



Scottie Wilbekin

Before the season even began, we knew that Billy Donovan had a championship caliber team in Gainesville. But, Andy Kennedy's Ole Miss squad has been one of the biggest surprises in the nation. The Rebels (17-3, 6-1 SEC) have used controversial star Marshall Henderson, the leader in the SEC in points per game to get off to their hot start. Meanwhile, the Gators are undefeated inside the conference using their incredibly annoying defense to get off to their hot start. Florida's defense has been so good that they have held 15 of their 19 matchups to under 60 points, including three under 40. One of those teams was the lowly South Carolina Gamecocks who the Gators forced to score just 36 this Wednesday. On the offensive side Donovan possesses a number of players who are lethal on the perimeter including Kenny Boynton, the team's leading scorer and quick Scottie Wilbekin, a junior. Wilbekin averages 2 steals a game and must help these Gators shut down Henderson. He has already proven he can shut down All-SEC talent as he forced Missouri's Phil Pressey to turn the ball over 10 times and held Georgia Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to just 11 points. As good as Henderson is, he is not the only option for the Rebels' offense. They also have Murphy Holloway, Reginald Buckner, Ladarius White and assist leader Jarvis Summers, that have helped them score 80 a game to this point. The Rebels last loss was earlier this week to Kentucky in which Nerlens Noel swatted everything in sight. Patric Young could do much the same to Ole Miss as he averages nearly two a game already. If this turns into Florida's defensive game, then Henderson and the Rebels have no shot at stopping Florida's win streak at nine. The Gators are 10-0 at home this season and should ride their crowd, and their tight defense to win this one.
Florida, 71 Ole Miss, 60