Our next guest is my north star when it comes to trying to understand the landscape of college hoops. He's good enough to come in studio from time to time. Over the phone today on a Friday, is Ken Pomeroy Ken. Happy Valentine's Day, Man, how are we doing?
We're doing great, s Bence, a thrill to spend my Valentine's Day with you for a few minutes.
I can CeNSE your sarcasm.
Have you been married long enough where your efforts are just their futile doesn't matter?
Are you still under pressure to perform tonight?
I've been married zero years, Ben, so I'm zero pressure to perform.
That was a weird way of me asking that question.
I just realized I probably should have had a different approach.
Let's move on rapidly.
Ken Auburn Alabama number one, verse number two. But this is not a football game. It is a basketball game. What do you make of the top two teams in the country doing battle tomorrow? What's at steak here?
The basketball Iron Bowl as it were? Yeah, what's at stake? There's not like, actually that much at stake other than extreme bragging rights here. I mean, it should be just a really super fun game to watch, tremendously high scoring. This is one of those games where if you're a you know, an NBA snob and yeah, look down on college basketball. This is a game that I can promise you you will be entertained if you if you tune into you'll you'll see up and down action. You won't
see you know, Hickory High school type ball here. This is a you know, game with future pros in the court. And uh yeah, there's not much, not necessarily much at stake because both of these teams are kind of trending towards a one seed. Especially was a little bit more at stake for Alabama. The resume might be slightly weaker, but it's just mostly mostly bragging rights here and mostly who will be the number one team in the A people will come Monday.
I will stand for no Hickory High slander.
Four passes before you shoot ken, that's how you're supposed to play basketball.
Yeah, I mean there's definitely, ah yeah, definitely a group of college basketball fans that believe that, and we'll hold true to that and think that, you know, the thirty second shot clock is yeah, it's it's not appropriate for basketball it should be much higher or not exist at all. But I am not in that club spence. I'd like to see up and down action. I don't like to see people holding the ball. I like to see athleticism and creativity, and this game will feature all of that and more.
And I'm with you, of course, I was being facetious that we talked about this when you're in studio a couple of weeks ago.
I want to see that shotcock slash.
I want a twenty four second shot clock in college basketball.
What's your preferred number.
I'm with you, I'm with you. Yeah. The constant, constant fight against the college troops establishment on some of these you know, legacy rules that they have in place. You know, we've seen it, you know, going back to the three point line, they were you know, pretty late to install that, and then the shot clock they were really late to
and saw that initially. I guess in more modern times you can think about a charge circle, where I think they were about fifteen years after the NBA and you know, thinking about a charge circle, and their initial attempts were a really tiny charge circle, and then they eventually, you know, gave into the rest of the world and had a regular, regular sized charge circle with modern charging rules, and they
finally got there. But yeah, college basketball is just super slow to kind of adopt modern rules, and so someday we will get to twenty four seconds. I would say the over under is probably, I don't know, eight years from now.
Let's say now, according to your model, Auburn is the best team in the country, but you have Alabama at six. But since Auburn is the number one team in the country in your model and then also rank number one, is it pretty clear that Bruce Pearl has the best team in college basketball as of right now, and who is.
On their heels?
I would say, uh, I don't know if it's clearly the best team in college basketball. It's certainly the argument right now I think is between Duke and Auburn. And you know, you might get a little bit of interest for Houston as well. We'll start with Houston. They're, you know, kind of the typical Coven Sanston team. They know, they're you know, they're not loaded with you know, elite NBA talent, a team that relies on a bunch of guys on the court that have tremendous motor And we'll give maximum
effort at all times. And then you know, not to disrespect their their basketball skill either, but you know, more reliant on the defensive end the offensive end, although they have a very good offensive year. They're one of the best three point shooting teams in the country, which makes them especially scary because in the past they've just been great defense, okay, offense, not great shootings. They get a bunch of offensive rebounds, but now they can shoot, so
so they're a little scary. But I do think like maybe a half step behind Duke and Auburn. And I think people are fairly familiar with Duke. I mean, obviously led by Cooper's flag, but he's surrounded by other elite freshmen Continent bull and come on Malawatch, and also some experienced players as well, some experience transfers they brought over, in particular Mason Gillis from Purdue. So that's a very
very good team as well. And then Auburn has been outstanding, you know, rolling through one of the toughest conferences that we've seen in the history of college basketball. Was just
one loss so far. I think people sleep a little bit on Auburn because you know, they're not the traditional brand of some of these other teams, but they have put together an outstanding season so far, and so we just have three, like I think uniquely good teams in another years would be clearly the best team in the country. But they all exist in the same season this year, so there's you know, plenty of room for debate on who truly is the best team.
Four of your top six teams in basketball are in the SEC, and then you also have A and M, Kentucky, MISSOO, and Mississippi in.
The top twenty.
What was it expected that the SEC would be the best team or excuse me, the best conference in college basketball this year because I think a lot of people just assumed it would be the Big Twelve. And the Big twelve is very good. But is this SEC college basketball dominant something you expected to start the year?
Yeah, in my preseason ratings, I actually did have the SEC as the best league, slightly over the Big Twelve. But you know, there's something with room for debate. I mean, for you know, the past decade or so, you could use magic marker and write and you know that the Big twelve would be the best going into the season, and they've been the best conference in my ratings, I think nine of the last ten years, so a really long run for them. Expansion has taking its toll to
some extent on the league. I mean, most of the teams that have been at in the last couple of years have hurt the league overall, Proud and they lost Texas Oklahoma as well, so that that hurt a little bit. They did add Arizona and Houston, which you know, there are obviously no slashes that have helped the brands to
some extent. But the surprising part is just that how good the SEC has been, Like it's not surprising if they're the best league, but you know, you look over the last thirty years and they're non conference play, they had the best winning percentage of any league in history. They had the best margin of victory in those games in any league in history. Particularly impressed of giving how big the conference is. I mean, that's part of the secret here, is like at the top the conference is great,
it's better than any other league. In the middle it's better than any other league. But also at the bottom it's better than any other league. And that's how you end up with people talking about them getting you know,
thirteen or even fourteen other teams in the tournament. How you end up with a team like Oklahoma who is currently three and eight in common play, and yet I think in every single brack of projection that I've seen right now, So it's just pretty absurd what the SEC is doing, and that level of dominance really was was not something that we could have seen coming before the season.
All right, let's go get over to some local storylines and we'll start with the bad and then move over to the good. And the bad unfortunately is the youth. Since you and I last spoke, they've lost three or four. They got Colorado at home, after a rough start, they pulled away. Colorado's probably the worst team in the conference. You know, they're owing thirteen, so that would indicate as much. And then Morgantown's a tough place to play, bringing me on, gota win there.
We'll get to BYU Cincinnati.
They were tied at seventy two and then Cincinnati went on that eleven zero run. But again, they've lost three or four. If you kind of pan back, they've now lost five of seven. They found themselves in five and eight in conference play, thirteen and eleven overall, can just give me the latest thoughts as you're watching this Utah team struggle to make their way through Big twelve play.
Great, I mean, not much has changed since we last talked. You know, they don't have that person that can bailed them out at the end of a shot clock when they need a bucket. You know, last year, they you know, they had dave On Smith. You know, uh he was you know, pretty awesome to had that and and you kind of, you know, had this sick feeling in your stomach that he wasn't going to be back with the
youths again this season. You know, they also had Brandon Carlson, who was, in a different sort of way, a guy that could get you a bucket late in the shock clock and face the floor is a kind of a unique big So uh, they just have nothing like that on this roster and that really causes them problems in Big twelve play. You know, you're going against quality defenses and you're gonna face that situation a lot, and uh, yeah, unfortunately, you just don't have an answer for that. And that's
gonna be a problem tomorrow against Kansas Early. You know another you know, really just elite defense. One of the best defenses in the country. So yeah, it's uh, you know, I don't know what the optimistic viewpoint is here for
the youths right now. I mean they yet they're just you know, again, as we discussed last time, this is not like a terrible team, but uh, in the Big Twelve, you know, they're looking up at almost every single opponent they have to play, and so that's why they have the record that they have.
What do they do well?
I mean when when the Knights they're actually able to compete and get wins, you know, I know, the assist numbers to start the year were really good. I know they have size, but where do they struggle most ken and what do they do well?
Yeah, I would say in terms of what they do well, you know that size is useful. Defensively, they do have a really nice two point defense. They're holding opponents to forty six percent on twos, which is twenty fifth best in the country, and even in conference play that goes up to forty nine percent. But that still fits in the Big twelve. So really respectable from that standpoint, not terribly respectable in much else. I mean, they really struggled
shooting the basketball. They struggled just generating easy shots, so you know, it all just kind of funnels down. I think in the fact that they don't have much perimeter shooting that makes it difficult to get anything easy in the paint because they're just not great spacing and that, you know, as you mentioned, create some problems on the offensive end. So yeah, they just don't have that, like, I don't know, that burst that that other teams have on offense where they can you know, reel off a
twelve to two run or something like that. It's just a it seems like, you know, in the half court of the offense, it's just really a struggle.
Give us a little preview tomorrow night.
As you referenced, excuse me, the Jayhawks roll into town, Utah is only an eight point five point underdog. I thought it would be worse than that. And I'm not a moral victory guy. I think people are listening to the show know that. But what would I mean outside of actually an upset, which everybody would love, But what would a successful night look like Tomorrow night for Craig's team against this Kansas team, and tell us about them?
What makes them tick?
Yeah, I mean, just you know, just a good competitive game would would be a rushing to see. This is not like a vintage Kansas team. You know, this is the team that pre season was the consensus number one team in the land, but they really haven't played that. This is not a team that has you know, a ton of offensive skill, which is not unusual, but for a Bill Sell team, he's normally you know, the architect
of great defenses. To the other defense ranked fifth in the country, so it's still you know, a really solid defense and that'll be you know, a big challenge on that end of the floor for the youths. But offensively, they suffer from some of the same things that youth suffer from. They don't have shooting. Uh. They also do not get it to freeze their lives. This is the team that generates a very high percentage of its points
off of two point buckets. And you know, you can imagine in the modern game, when you're limited to scoring two points at a time, you know your offense is only going to be so effective. So I think there are signs of hope, signs of hope here. You know, if the youth can can play at the top of their game, uh, they can hang in there with Kansas because because Kansas and does not have a much like the youth does not have a very explosive offense, bringing me.
Young five and two. In their last seven they got trounced by Cincinnati. They lost Arizona at home. Prior to that, they ran off four straight wins and then they went to Morgantown and got a good win. I think that was quad one from what I remember on the road to West Virginia. So before we preview Case State, who, man, they've been on fire as of late. Just give me your thoughts on the recent run of play, which has been more good than bad for Kevin Young and b Yu.
Right, Yeah, I mean they too experiencing life in the Big twelve. You know, a lot of ups and downs. But yeah, I win at West Virginia quad one. Fact, West Virginia, in my home court model rank is the number one home court in the country, so not an easy place to win. There's a lot of places in the Big twelve like that, but West Virginia the most
extreme in that sense. And yeah, so that really right at the ship for the coolers and the other back kind of like looks like right up that cut line for forgetting that large bit, so that closing stretch is vital, and certainly the games against the Kansas teams this week
is going to be vital as well. And you mentioned Kansas State, they are the hottest team in college basketball, really left for dead, you know, just like three weeks ago, you know, nobody was talking about them making the tournament. And since then, you know, they enjoy the the fruits of the Big Twelve. They go on a fick in winning streak, you know, beating the likes of you know,
Iowa State on the road. I mean, for those four of those ones were at home, but if you get a road winningainst Iowa State, be Kansas at home, beat Arizona at home. I mean, they're doing what they have to do. And so now they're you know, back on the fringes of the tournament discussion and heading into provo
with a chance to continue that. But you know, the game by US favored in, they should win that game, and they're gonna have a great chance against Kansas and that's gonna be a pretty raucous atmosphere on Tuesday night, I believe, and a game that I have as a coin flip. So you know, as you mentioned, you know, b Yu up and down playing a little better. They
kind of are who they are at this point. You know, we keep hoping for Yegor into kind of break through and become an outside shooter, but shot hasn't really fallen for him yet. Still a bit of a turnover machine. What overall, there is enough experience around him and enough talent around him that you know, this is a functional team that you know has legitimate tournament aspirations and really they can just hold serve at home down the stretch. I think they will get a bit.
You reference BYU being the favorite Tomorrow night, seven o'clock in provo, Case State rolls in. But tell me what KSE State has figured out. They started conference, I mean they were horrible. They beat Cincinnati, then they lost sixth straight. But they have won six straight games, including wins over West Virginia, on the road at Iowa State by nineteen, home against Kansas, and then home against Arizona. So four of these six wins have come against ranked teams. Ken,
what what is Case State figured out? And what sort of issues could they they posed for BYU tomorrow night?
Yeah, particularly impressive here Spans they beat Arizona while going one of nineteen on threes, right, Yeah, it's wild, yeah, very very difficult to do that against any opponent, but obviously in Arizona, you would not have expected them to win that game, and yet they were able to pull that out. I mean, you know, it's been just spontaneous
combustion for the most part. They struggled so badly early in Big Twelve play and just about every category, and since then they flipped the switch, Like offensively, they've come around a bit, and they've been able to go play some pretty good defense as well. I be part of the secrets that Arizona win was at Arizona also shot poorly from three point land, which you know, may have been some of Kansas State defense. It may have been
just a little bit of good fortune as well. But you know, this is a team that has a tremendous amount of experience. You know, Doug McDaniel's their point guard, well traveled point guard, originally at Michigan, coming over to Kansas State this year and finally starting to find his role. He's not like a very efficient point guard, but on nights where he can just kind of avoid, you know, chucking up a bunch of shots and turning the ball
over a bunch. They have a chance because they have other experienced guys at the other four positions that can provide them with some scoring. It's a team that doesn't really necessarily have stars. It's, you know, just a team with a lot of good role players that on any given night can maybe expand their role and produce something positive.
So if you look at the roster and it's not a roster necessarily scares, you can kind of see why they had trouble early in Big Twelve play, But clearly they're also capable of raising their level of play to the point where they can, you know, reel awt some quality wins.
Who in your mind is the biggest threat to Houston to win the Big Twelve? I mean Arizona second the standings, but I have your rankings pulled up.
You have Arizona at fourteen.
So Houston, by any metric that I'm looking at, is the best team in this conference. Who's the biggest threat to beat them potentially and win the Big Twelve?
Well, you know you mentioned the Alabama Auburn game tomorrow, with the second biggest game tomorrow is Houston Arizona. That'll go a long way towards deciding the Big twelve title. That game in Tucston, So you know, a huge, huge challenge for Houston. But if Houston does win that game, then it's you know, they haven't clinched anything, but you know they'll be in the driver's a big time for the title. Those are the you know, two of the best teams in the league. Clearly Texas Tack kind of
lurking people. You know, they weren't preseason top twenty five and the Ape Pole that we will say Spence, they were preseason top twenty five in my ratings. That I want to pat myself in the back. Ye love yeah, so so. But they've been really consistent this year and you know JT Top and coming off a forty plus point game in a double overtime winningas there is in a state the other night. It's been their kind of
best player. He's been healthy. So they're another team Iowa State. Uh, you know, they've more or less been a top ten team all year. Struggled a bit of a late a little more up and down last couple of weeks, but that's a team that's very experienced and much like Houston, kind of a team driven and more on an identity of just playing hard. You know, obviously you have to
have good players, but really playing hard. Not necessarily you know, loaded with professional talent, but just a team that really plays hard and plays together and values every possession in a way that few teams other than Houston do nationally. So I think that's your kind of your breakdown of the upper echelon of the Big twelve and those the team you can kind of look for in the tournament to possibly make deep runs.
All right, Ken, Before I said you lose, big one for Utah State on Sunday, they're at New Mexico. But big picture, Utah State twenty two and three in conference, or excuse me, twenty two and three overall, twelve and two in conference. It just is amazing that these coaches are able to do this without a lot of returning players.
I believe you have them as a top fifty ish team. You to stated fifty one.
So your thoughts on the Aggies, what you think they can do the rest of the way before I say you loose on this Friday, Yeah.
I mean, you don't hear any talk about Jared Calhoun being coach of the Year. I don't know if people nationally just like I think it's a Utah State program thing or whatever. You can just step in and you know, coach a team do a twenty two and three record, you know, in your first year, but definitely deserve some consideration for that. It's been an outstanding season there. They won all the games they should win. They don't win
by dominating margins. And I think this team does have some weaknesses, especially on the defensive end, that will you know, really make it hard for them to go deep in the NCAA tournament. But yeah, a huge game at New Mexico, a really tough place to play. Obviously, not a game that Utah State needs to you know, make the NCAA tournament. But if they were to go down to the pit and pull off an upset and they would start feeling really comfortable heading into the last five games after that.
So yeah, really fun year in Logan and you know, Utah State looking get to the tournament. Still hasn't do a little bit of work. I mean, the Mountain West bill down this year, so you know, so they're gonna have to do some work somewhere. I don't think they need that win at the pit so badly, but if they can perform well there, that will be extremely impressive.
Ken, March is two weeks away. Man, Where can people go get all your work?
The head over to kenpom dot com. You can purchase a twelve month subscription for all all the great data I have available. So you purchased that for twenty four to ninety five right now, and you will get it not just for the end of the season, but for most of next season as well, because I said it does last for twelve months.
Have you had a girlfriend for a long time? Is that why I'm confused.
I've had a girlfriend, but not for a long time.
You know what, Let's just go ahead and pivot out of this because I already made it awkward at the start by asking you a really, really weird question with the way I phrased it, Ken, So happy Valentine's Day, my friend.
Thank you for the time.
I appreciate it, sense, I appreciate the awkwardness of our interviews.
Are enjoy my goodness?
Thank you, Ken, Ken palm orright Ken kenpom dot com. I asked him if he needed to perform tonight for Valentine's Day.
I don't know I don't know who's thinking. It's been a long week, it's Friday. I'm tired.
It's a lot of radio, but we appreciate Ken traversing on from the awkward start of the conversation for some good college basketball on a Friday