Shocking Championship Contenders?

This NCAA men’s basketball season has had all kinds of up-starts, such as Iowa State, Wichita State, Memphis, Arizona, and UMass. The Iowa State Cyclones are the number nine team in the nation and a strong contender for the NCAA Championship in Cowboys Stadium during March Madness. According to ESPN, this team has gone 14-1 during the first half of the season, and plays Kansas, their biggest challenge yet, on Monday, January 13 at Iowa State. They are led by Melvin Ejim, the senior forward from Toronto. He is averaging 18.0 points per game, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. Next up: Wichita State-- they aren’t called the Wichita State Shockers for nothing. They may not have the toughest schedule, but they are 17-0 in the Missouri Valley Conference, and number six in the nation. This team is coming off of a Final Four appearance last year as a number nine seed, and is making a statement. Cleanthony Early, a senior forward from New York, is averaging 16.6 PPG and 6.9 RPG. Memphis is also up; and they have made a big comeback. After being hit with many recruiting charges thanks to Coach John Calipari leaving right before this happened, they have become a ranked team. They are 10-3, and number 24 in the nation. Their stat leader is Joe Jackson, a senior guard and his hometown is Memphis. He averages 14.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 3.9 APG. Arizona is not a huge shocker this year, as they are always good. However, nobody expected them to be 17-0 and on top of the NCAA Top 25. Their stat leader is huge upstart Aaron Gordan, the freshman forward from San Jose, CA. He is averaging 12.2 PPG and 7.9 RPG, and is taking his team far. The biggest surprise of all is UMass being ranked. Yes, it is happening, as they are 12-1 and making a stand in the NCAA this year. Chaz Williams, the guard from Brooklyn, averages 15.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 7.5 APG this season. Will one of these teams win it all in Dallas, or will someone else take it? All we know for sure is that these teams are hot, and when an NCAA team gets hot, it’s hard to stop.

-Blake Holmes