Kentucky freshman John Wall
So with that in mind, here are nine teams that I think are the most overrated teams in college basketball at the moment:
Honorable Mention: Villanova (No. 3 ESPN/USA Poll, No. 3 AP Poll)
I’m not saying that Villanova isn’t a very good team. I’m not even saying that they aren’t the best team in the Big East and, by default, one of the top teams in the country. But I am saying that every year there are a couple Top 10-caliber teams that are just money-burners at the window. I think Nova could be just that. This team has certainly earned its current ranking (which isn’t the case with most of the other teams on this list). They won the San Juan Shootout by taking down three potential tournament teams (George Mason, Dayton and Ole Miss) and then came home and dominated perpetually underachieving, though somewhat talented, LaSalle. Those are all good wins. And this team should get better when Reggie Redding returns in mid-December. So they could, in theory, get even better. But beware: their Big East is really back loaded. This team will likely enter conference play as a Top 5 or Top 8 team and then be faced with significant double-digit spreads against improved teams. And even if they play well in those games then I think they will hit the wall late. This is a very good team and everyone knows that I absolutely love Scottie Reynolds. But they play better as a dog than a big favorite and over the course of a Big East season their lack of interior size is going to wear them down.
8. Georgia Tech (No. 23 ESPN, No. 27 AP)
The Yellowjackets are the team that I said, entering this season, where so underrated that they were overrated. They were in the Top 22 in both preseason polls and haven’t slid to the level where I feel they should have started. Everyone is ga-ga about this team as an ACC sleeper team. But I still don’t see it. They were 12-19 last year and have back essentially the same team, plus one good freshman. That’s a lot of ground to make up from being a bottom-feeder to being a Top 20, Sweet 16 threatening team. They still don’t have solid point guard play and even though Paul Hewitt is a helluva nice guy and a great recruiter he still only has one winning season over the past four years. This year their best wins are an eight-point victory over George Mason and an 11-point win over Mercer. What ever happened to earning your ranking?
7. Louisville (No. 18, No. 20)
I can’t say enough bad things about this team. Let’s just take all of the negative karma surrounding Dick Pitino and bend it over a table. (I’m sorry, did I say, “bend it over” I meant to say “put it on” the table. My bad, Dick.) Just focusing on what’s on the court I can say that I don’t really like much about this squad. Samardo Samuels is backing up the fact that he was one of the most overrated players out of high school last year. If anyone thinks the light is going to turn on for Edgar Sosa, they don’t know anything about basketball. And if Jerry Smith keeps shooting like he has been (19.2 percent from 3-point range) then these guys are in big trouble. They are deep, if you like mediocre, out-of-control perimeter players. And the guy that I like the best, Reginald Delk, is getting really inconsistent minutes. Don’t be fooled by their blowouts over Arkansas (who was, quite literally, relying on a dude off the tennis team on the inside) and Appalachian State. Both of those games were tight early in the second half, and those are teams that Louisville should handle from start to finish. That loss at UNLV was not an aberration; Louisville is probably the seventh or eighth best team in the Big East, not a Top 20 team in the country.
6. Georgetown (No. 14, No. 16)
This is a team living off reputation. Even though the reputation for this group of Hoyas should be a team that suffered a late season collapse last year and wasn’t good enough for the NCAA Tournament. So someone tell me what they’ve seen out of this soft, unproven, mediocre group so far this year that has them believing? Was it a 46-45 win over Temple? Blowouts over Savannah State and Lafayette? This team hasn’t played anyone and didn’t have a chance to be exposed in a marquee nonconference tournament. This team is shooting the ball well and they are a solid club, with better chemistry now that Dejuan Summers has moved on. But they aren’t even close to being a Top 10 team in the nation.
5. North Carolina (No. 11, No. 10)
They just aren’t that good. I’ve said it since the start of the season, I’ve been betting against them
since the start of the season, and I’ve been collecting against them since the start of the season. Now, Syracuse, the same team that absolutely manhandled UNC on a neutral court in a 16-point win, is just a couple spots ahead of UNC. How is that? Nevada almost beat the Tar Heels at home and in the four games where they failed to cover (Nevada, SU, Valpo and FIU) they have missed the number by an average of 14 points per outing. Their guards are weak and they aren’t going to get any better. This team might be tough in March, but right now they are just a bunch of young, overrated stiffs lumbering around, rebounding, turning the ball over and dunking. This is a No. 6 seed, not a No. 2. And I know that they beat Michigan State on Tuesday. But Michigan State was, quite literally, the 10th team on this list and I left them off. This UNC team is going to be all over the map, and just wait until they have to play true road games…
4. Connecticut (No. 13, No. 14)
Yes, they hammered an LSU team that might be in the CBE at the end of the year. Other than that they struggled to put away William & Mary and Hofstra in Storrs while only beating Colgate by 14. (For the record, Syracuse just beat Colgate by 34.) This team simply cannot shoot and even though their bigs look great getting off the bus they don’t look like they have a clue down in the paint. The Huskies are 1-4 ATS and haven’t looked good doing it. I think that this team will improve and there certainly is raw talent here. And, unlike teams like North Carolina and Louisville, I think that their guards will get better.
3. Butler (No. 20, No. 23)
Go to www.docsports.com and you can read about why I think that Butler – everyone’s mid-major darling – is one of the most overrated teams in the country.
2. Washington (No. 10, No. 12)
Just like North Carolina, I have said since the start of the year that I think that this Huskies team is garbage. In fact, a member of Strike Point Sports tried to tell me that UW is legit, to which I simply said, “They’re awful.” To this point, I think I’ve been right. But it’s early. Washington can’t shoot and they have absolutely no one on the roster that can replace what they lost with Jon Brockman’s graduation. The Pac-10 is pathetic this year and may be the No. 8 conference in the country. So Washington will stay overrated for awhile this year because they are apparently the only team out West that can walk and chew gum at the same time. So let’s see, they haven’t left home yet and they are already stumbling. They are 1-3 against the spread and have failed to cover their numbers by an average of about 13 points per game. That includes a five-point win over a Wright State team playing without two of its players and a four-point win over Montana in which the Huskies shot 8-for-33 in the first half and 20-for-65 (30.8 percent) against the Grizz zone. Don’t believe the hype – UW is not good.
1. Kentucky
And there’s no doubt about it.
Robert Ferringo is a professional handicapper and he has gained around +150 Units and $12,000 for his $100 bettors since mid-February in college basketball. You can purchase his college basketball picks here: www.docsports.com/cappers.
Filed under: Basketball, College Hoops | Tagged: butler, College Hoops, college hoops handicapper, connecticut, doc sports, georgetown, georgia tech, kentucky, louisville, north carolina tarheels, robert ferringo, washington
You’re Clueless on UNC. I’m as big a UNC hater as there is but, this is one of the most athletic teams in the country. Will that lead to a National Tital? Probably not but, at the same time, they will be a Top 10 Team all year.
You may have won some early season bets based off of a young team trying to put it together. That’s to be expected. UNC then turned around and, despite what the final score may have said, not only covered against a Big Ten Team (Most of the country is calling the Big Ten the Best Conference by the way) in Michigan State but absolutely embarrased them for most of the game.
The overrated teams in the ACC are Duke and MD. nobody in the know expected UNC to be anything more than a bunch of young talent this year and that’s what they’ve been. At the same time, they’ve looked pretty impressive at times and seem to be turning a corner.
Duke has seemingly 1 guy capable of creating his own shot, the most overrated player in the country in Sheyer and a team that looks about as athletic as an Over 30 Rec team at the YMCA. Maryland will be streaky at best.
From a betting standpoint, UNC will cover the majority of their home games this year…
3-4 ATS for UNC with a team of Freshman and Sophomores through the 1st Month isn’t half bad to be honest.
You expect a young team to start off slow. I wouldn’t lay too much action on this team but, I think you’re basically paying juice if you were to bet agains them all year because they’ll cover most home games from here on out and be up and down on the road.
They’ll be a .500 ATS team this year which isn’t worth anyones will when it comes to putting $$$ on them.
Robert – nice article…I really enjoyed your insight and one-liners, especially the ones about “Dick Pitino”. “How could you ask me questions about my affair on the day that Ted Kennedy died?!?!?!”
Tim – I have to agree that UMD was very overrated as the No. 22 team in the country (sorry Woodman). The announcers read my mind when they compared a stretch of the UMD v. Indian game to a bad high school basketball contest. Forget any trouble UMD has sinking the three, their bigger problem is finishing around the net, which seems to have hampered them for a couple years now. The Terps have also been slow starters the last couple years and I suspect this season will be the same story. Once Padgett and Williams get some ACC experience under their belts they’ll start heating up and will pull a couple upsets.
Yeah, I agree…UMD isn’t a bad team by any stretch but, they’ll be streaky. I think they’ll be a tourney team but, If I were still betting, I wouldn’t be confident in laying any $$$ on them this year. I would have more confidence in UNC and Miami (FL) believe it or not. I think the Canes will be an OK team but, one that fights and covers a ton of games…
Remember, Robert is focused on finding value with the bookmakers. He thinks carolina is a legit squad, but he doesn’t think the lines for their games provide winning opportunities for gamblers. The public loves Carolina so it is difficult to get any value. Relax with Maryland and over/underrated. They do not have a lot of dynamic players so it will take them a while to find their stride. The ceiling of potential for the Terps is limited to the Sweet 16 and being a top 4 team in the ACC. Terrence Ross & Mychal Parker are on the way to give MD some true marquee Div I talent next year.
Dude your a douche, basically your saying by your logic is that out of the top 25, only about 15 should be ranked, and leave the rest blank. Tell you what big boy, lay out your top 25. What a douche bag. I don’t care if this is a gambling web site, ranking the top 25 isn’t about who can cover a spread. You’ve been betting against UNC since the begining of the year and winning? Great, they are what 7-1? So they are ranked too high? Basically your logic says that the lines are wrong, idiot, not the ranking. It’s college sports jerk off, devlopment, and progression. Tag this article against oddsmakers, not the top 25 polls douche bag.
Juan, I believe the article was strictly being geared towards betting on/against teams…how does this make Robert a douche? He’s right that, so far, the teams listed have not been good ones to bet on…again, this is strictly being written from a betting angle, not win/loss. He writes for docsports, a book website…clearly you didn’t quite get what he was going for…
In fact, his opening paragraph state…”I judge teams based on my view of both public perception and oddsmakers lines. It’s about value, not about trying to predict whose going to win the national title.”
Maybe try to make a little bit more of an educated argument next before looking ignorant in print…
If oddsmakers are setting spreads correctly, most teams should end the year at about a .500 record ATS. I hate UNC, but 3-4 vs the spread is perfectly acceptable. BTW, I am a UK fan and I totally agree that we are overrated.
Couldn’t agree w/you more…I think from an ATS standpoint, UNC will be exactly where most oddsmakers thought they would be at years end which is around .500…they’ll struggle to cover on the road but will be fine at home.
I think Kentucky is going to surprise some people too…not sure if they’ll be a covering machine by any means but, they’re capable of blowing out just about anyone in the Top 25 on any given night. It’s going to come down to how disciplined their young guys play.
Dude your a douche, basically your saying by your logic is that out of the top 25, only about 15 should be ranked, and leave the rest blank. Tell you what big boy, lay out your top 25. What a douche bag. I dont care if this is a gambling web site, ranking the top 25 isnt about who can cover a spread. Youve been betting against UNC since the begining of the year and winning? Great, they are what 7-1? So they are ranked too high? Basically your logic says that the lines are wrong, idiot, not the ranking. Its college sports jerk off, devlopment, and progression. Tag this article against oddsmakers, not the top 25 polls douche bag.
Did you really just re-paste the same Juan complaint from before? Wow…this isn’t a power ranking article fellas…this is like talking to a brick wall…if you’re looking for where UNC should fall in the Top 25, go to the AP website or ESPN.com…what’s the point in arguing rankings to someone who isn’t writing an article that has anything remotely to do w/ranking teams?
Robert, is it OK if I argue Ovechkin’s style of hoceky play? That doesn’t have anything to do w/the article either but that’s OK right?
Off topic but, if Carey and Sebring want to chime in on this, what are the thoughts on Flozell Adams bush league penalty at the end of the 1st half against the G-Men yesterday?
What an absolute thug. In addition to seeming like a figurehead in Dallas, Wade Phillips has no control of Flozell…there is no reason the guy shouldn’t be suspended for 2 games after this latest incident of nailing Tuck from behind w/zero time left on the clock.
3rd time he’s cheapshotted Tuck or Umenyioura this year. Real class act…
I hate NFL football. The Dallas loss yesterday was so typical. We haven’t given up any big plays on defense or special teams in over 2 months. Glad we saved it all up for yesterday. As far as Flozell is concerned, trust me, all Cowboy fans are ready for a new LT in Dallas.
well, as they say you cant believe everything you read.
[...] جنيه من الهيئة القومية لمياه الشرب والصرف الصحي. Don’t Believe the Hype The Jack of All Sports Book Pick: Confessions of a Public [...]
woW…nice article. thanks for sharing..
Can’t blame you on Flozell…I haven’t seen anger management issues, with a player, like this since Haynesworth a few years back and that was really just one incident…how has Flozell not been suspended for some of his antics. I remember a play last year where he chopped Ashante Samuel at his knees about 10 seconds after a play was over…he’s gonna get someone seriously injured one of these days if the NFL doesn’t put their foot down and suspend him for multiple games. It’s one thing to play hard, it’s another thing to play dirty. He’s going to get his one of these days if he doesn’t wisen up.
Trust me when I say there are a lot of players in the league who would love to get a blind side shot in on him.
Фильм сумерки 2 видео