A top-25 without North Carolina? No, I'm not talking about football. Basketball? That's right " for the first time since the 1990-91 season the Tar Heels have fallen out of the Associated Press Top-25 poll.
As we pass the midpoint of our journey from Midnight Madness to the Final Four, North Carolina's demise is just one of many interesting stories to fill college basketball headlines.
In fact, a number of players, teams, and coaches have performed uniquely enough to earn special recognition.
Earning recognition as the Most Disappointing Team at the season's midway point is none other than North Carolina. Many preseason prognosticators figured that the Tar Heels had the goods to contend for the national title, but they have simply been outplayed and have shown little desire to improve. Some Tar Heel faithful are beginning to call for the removal of head coach Bill Guthridge, who has been unable to take advantage of an abundance of talent on his roster.
Leading the way for North Carolina is the nation's Most Disappointing Player is center Brendan Haywood. Despite bursting at the seams with potential, Haywood has been nothing more than adequate.
More disturbing than his pedestrian statistics " 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game " is Haywood's habit of becoming a non-factor when he is needed most. He was the reason for the Heels' first-round tournament loss to Weber State last year, and could lead them down the same road again this year.
While North Carolina has disappointed, Indiana has been nothing less than the Most Surprising Team. Few expected the Hoosiers, who are currently ranked 14th, to do much damage this year, but coach Bob Knight has molded a group of overachievers into an outside contender for the Big Ten title.
The primary reason for Indiana's success, however, is guard A.J. Guyton, who is doubly recognized as the Most Surprising and Most Valuable Player so far this season. Simply put, no one has done more for his team than Guyton, who averages more than 20 points per game for the Hoosiers. Always a solid player, he has developed into a superstar and has carried his team on his back into the top-25.
Another pleasant surprise at this point in the season is the emergence of Arizona as a potential national title contender. One of the key reasons for the Wildcats' success is point guard Jason Gardner, the Best Freshman in the country. As well as being an important on court leader, Gardner leads his team in assists and is third in scoring. With Gardner and fellow freshman Gilbert Arenas, the Wildcats have one of the best young backcourts in college basketball.
The Most Overrated Player so far this season is another freshman guard " SirValiant Brown of George Washington. Brown is second in the nation in scoring at 24.9 points per game, yet shoots a paltry 31 percent from the field and 25 percent from three point range. It's hard to believe that his team can't find a more efficient manner to score 25 points.
Someone who deserves all the hype that he gets is Cincinnati's Kenyon Martin, the Best Player in the country. While no one has been more valuable to their team than Indiana's Guyton, Martin has dominated nearly every one of his games. Martin has been nearly unstoppable on the offensive end of the court, averaging 17.2 points and 9.2 rebounds per game on a team loaded with offensive weapons. He's just as good on the defensive end, where he averages 3.4 blocks per game and alters countless more shots.
Martin is only one of the reasons, however, that Cincinnati is the Best Team in the country. Six-foot-nine freshman guard Dermarr Johnson and forward Pete Mickeal give the Bearcats an outside presence to counter inside dominance of Martin. Cincinnati's deep bench will become an even greater advantage as the season wears on.
This Cincinnati team appears to be ready to give coach Bob Huggins his first national title. If they can remain healthy, look for the Bearcats to erase the memory of three consecutive second round NCAA tournament defeats by advancing to the Final Four and perhaps taking home the trophy.
