We are now one-fifth of the way through the 2016-17 college basketball season, and some very revealing data has been compiled by the head-scratching pencil-pushers and sideline social media purveyors of the game. However, the most important and most reliable data and judgments have been compiled by the educated eyes and high-functioning, super-powered gray matter of The Bilastrator. From that magnificent, hairless cranium, you are treated to The Bilas Index, the most reliable measure of basketball ability and achievement on the planet.
The Bilas Index is the most dependable gauge of aptitude, skill, competence and capability for growth of the 68 best and brightest college basketball teams. The judgments made herein by The Bilastrator are unimpeachable and based upon examination of analytics and the most powerful basketball apparatus in the game, the limitless brilliance of The Bilastrator himself. The rapid-firing neurons of The Bilastrator's brain, combined with his hardwood experience and data compiled by his lackeys, are assembled here specifically for you, the unwashed masses, to co-opt The Bilastrator's basketball virtuosity to educate yourselves on the beautiful game. It is, indeed, a selfless act for The Bilastrator to compile this magnificent Index, and he is doing it for you. You're welcome.
1. Villanova Wildcats
Jay Wright has it going on the Main Line. Villanova does not have it all figured out yet and will continue to get better, which is a bit scary for opponents. The Wildcats have new pieces at the point and the pivot, but the results are the same. Josh Hart is an absolute stud and has been this season's Buddy Hield or Denzel Valentine. His performance against Notre Dame was epic, with 37 points and 11 rebounds, and he made every big play in the second half. Villanova is not the most talented team, but it is the best team (right now ... see: Duke).
2. Duke Blue Devils
Holy smokes, this roster is talented. Jayson Tatum is now in uniform and oozes talent. Marques Bolden, who was a preseason starter before injury, gives Mike Krzyzewski an NBA lottery center while his other NBA lottery forward, Harry Giles, completes his rehab to get on the court by the holidays. Wow, Coach K gets to "add" an early Wooden Award candidate. Add Luke Kennard and a healthy-toed Grayson Allen (34 points against UNLV), and you have the Duke juggernaut that was predicted by The Opus. While we all fawn over the freshmen (and we should), nobody has been better than Amile Jefferson. Villanova is the best team right now, but Duke has the best potential for greatness in March. Both should be in the Elite Eight at least.
3. UCLA Bruins
The two most fun teams to watch are UCLA and Indiana. The Bruins have six starters, all averaging double figures, and Steve Alford's freshmen are ready for prime-time players. UCLA shoots 47 percent from deep (leading the nation) and 62 percent from inside the arc (leading the nation). When UCLA's defense matures -- and it should -- this team can beat anybody. It is fun to watch a team get up and down the floor and move the ball. In fact, it's awesome.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels
Before Joel Berry II went down with an ankle injury against Radford, the Tar Heels were the nation's best team. Nobody played better in November. But without Berry, the Heels are leaderless on the floor and a lesser version of themselves. When Berry returns, Carolina will again be an older, stable and balanced bunch that is Final Four good. Whether the Heels can get significantly better over time is the issue. The return of Theo Pinson in January will help. But this team is plenty good now.
5. Kansas Jayhawks
Bill Self continues to win and win with every conceivable lineup, including playing small. The dude has more toes than losses in Allen Fieldhouse. Ridiculous. Frank Mason III is having an All-American season, and no guard has played better. He is tough as nails and as wickedly persistent as ivy -- you cannot kill it. Kansas needs two things: better productivity from its frontcourt and better free throw shooting. The Jayhawks' early free throw percentage is a scandal.
6. Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats have all the pieces to be in the Final Four at the end of the season, but this young group is still figuring it out. The freshman backcourt is the best I have ever seen, dating back to "Rocket" Rod Foster and Michael Holton at UCLA in 1980. Malik Monk is an elite pull-up jump-shooter, but others have to be able to make shots. Right now, that is a challenge. Defense is where this team can set itself apart and where it will find the most success.
7. Baylor Bears
The Bears have the best early résumé of any team, with wins over Oregon, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier and VCU. Baylor is good defensively and solid on the glass but not spectacular in any area. Perimeter shooting is a question mark. Can the Bears make shots?
8. Indiana Hoosiers
Damn, this is a fun team to watch, and it has to be a fun team to play with. Tom Crean has done a great job with this team. When healthy, Indiana has significant offensive firepower, ability from multiple positions and very good balance. Of course, having OG Anunoby back from injury is a must. Another must is taking better care of the ball. The Hoosiers turn the ball over at a 22 percent clip, which is in the bottom third of Division I. You cannot defend turnovers and offensive rebounds.
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs
This is not Mark Few's best team. It is not his most talented team. It is his most balanced team. Gonzaga plays eight guys: four perimeter and four post players. Nobody is going to average 20 points per game, but six of the eight could score more than 20 in a given game. The freshmen big men, Killian Tillie and Zach Collins, are special. Having Nigel Williams-Goss and Josh Perkins playing together gives the Zags stability and risk-taking playmaking combined. Plus, Mark Few has Przemek Karnowski (pronounced Bob Jones) back and healthy.
10. West Virginia Mountaineers
Bob Huggins will have 800 wins by the time you read this magnificent compilation of basketball knowledge. That dude can coach his tail off. He has proved it yet again. West Virginia is continuing to press and force turnovers, but the Mountaineers have reduced fouls too. Huggins has adjusted to the freedom-of-movement initiative in officiating. His team is still forcing more turnovers than any in the nation, causing an opponent miscue on 35 percent of possessions. Plus, West Virginia gets 42 percent of its own misses off the glass.
11. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers are excellent on the offensive glass (grabbing almost 40 percent of their misses), and have three All-Big-Ten-caliber performers in Ethan Happ, Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes. Since Maui, Hayes has been more versatile, less inclined to try to show his skills and more inclined to do what makes him a great college player. As a result, he has been better, and Wisconsin has been better. Happ has Kevin McHale's feet, so defenders had better stay on theirs.
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Mike Brey wants to get older and stay older. His team is older, solid and fearless. The Irish can score and have a very good point guard in Matt Farrell, arguably the most improved player in the country. With Steve Vasturia, a ridiculously stable force on both ends of the floor, and Bonzie Colson, Brey has offense. The Irish are good defensively but not great. You have to take the Irish off the bounce to beat them and hope you can slow the green-light scorers.
13. Louisville Cardinals
If Louisville shoots better, the Cardinals will be scary. But the Cardinals are shooting a 48 percent effective field goal percentage, which stands at 249th in the nation. That is not good. Louisville has so far been an equal-opportunity poor shooting team. Rick Pitino's team is shooting 32 percent from deep, 48 percent from inside the arc and 68 percent from the free throw line. Those numbers are with a 40 percent offensive rebounding rate, which usually leads to high-percentage second shots. Guess how Louisville wins? Defense, in which this team is No. 1 in the nation.
14. Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is good and exceptional on the defensive end. Tony Bennett has a program, not just a team. While the numbers are stellar and portend another outstanding team that can reach the Elite Eight, The Bilastrator's eyes and massive brain tell you otherwise. Virginia relies upon London Perrantes a ton, and that is fine against the slate to date. Against more powerful teams, Virginia will have to put up more points on the offensive end. Still, only two teams have scored more than 53 points against Virginia: Ohio State and West Virginia. No team has cracked 70. That's impressive.
15. Creighton Bluejays
The reason the Big East is making the basketball cognoscenti say "Power 6" is because Creighton is the real deal. With Maurice Watson and Marcus Foster, Greg McDermott has a backcourt that can play with anyone. Freshman big man Justin Patton is a terrific prospect. Creighton is an outstanding offensive team that can really pass and move but needs to be better on the defensive end.
The Bilas Index is the most dependable gauge of aptitude, skill, competence and capability for growth of the 68 best and brightest college basketball teams. The judgments made herein by The Bilastrator are unimpeachable and based upon examination of analytics and the most powerful basketball apparatus in the game, the limitless brilliance of The Bilastrator himself. The rapid-firing neurons of The Bilastrator's brain, combined with his hardwood experience and data compiled by his lackeys, are assembled here specifically for you, the unwashed masses, to co-opt The Bilastrator's basketball virtuosity to educate yourselves on the beautiful game. It is, indeed, a selfless act for The Bilastrator to compile this magnificent Index, and he is doing it for you. You're welcome.
1. Villanova Wildcats
Jay Wright has it going on the Main Line. Villanova does not have it all figured out yet and will continue to get better, which is a bit scary for opponents. The Wildcats have new pieces at the point and the pivot, but the results are the same. Josh Hart is an absolute stud and has been this season's Buddy Hield or Denzel Valentine. His performance against Notre Dame was epic, with 37 points and 11 rebounds, and he made every big play in the second half. Villanova is not the most talented team, but it is the best team (right now ... see: Duke).
2. Duke Blue Devils
Holy smokes, this roster is talented. Jayson Tatum is now in uniform and oozes talent. Marques Bolden, who was a preseason starter before injury, gives Mike Krzyzewski an NBA lottery center while his other NBA lottery forward, Harry Giles, completes his rehab to get on the court by the holidays. Wow, Coach K gets to "add" an early Wooden Award candidate. Add Luke Kennard and a healthy-toed Grayson Allen (34 points against UNLV), and you have the Duke juggernaut that was predicted by The Opus. While we all fawn over the freshmen (and we should), nobody has been better than Amile Jefferson. Villanova is the best team right now, but Duke has the best potential for greatness in March. Both should be in the Elite Eight at least.
3. UCLA Bruins
The two most fun teams to watch are UCLA and Indiana. The Bruins have six starters, all averaging double figures, and Steve Alford's freshmen are ready for prime-time players. UCLA shoots 47 percent from deep (leading the nation) and 62 percent from inside the arc (leading the nation). When UCLA's defense matures -- and it should -- this team can beat anybody. It is fun to watch a team get up and down the floor and move the ball. In fact, it's awesome.
4. North Carolina Tar Heels
Before Joel Berry II went down with an ankle injury against Radford, the Tar Heels were the nation's best team. Nobody played better in November. But without Berry, the Heels are leaderless on the floor and a lesser version of themselves. When Berry returns, Carolina will again be an older, stable and balanced bunch that is Final Four good. Whether the Heels can get significantly better over time is the issue. The return of Theo Pinson in January will help. But this team is plenty good now.
5. Kansas Jayhawks
Bill Self continues to win and win with every conceivable lineup, including playing small. The dude has more toes than losses in Allen Fieldhouse. Ridiculous. Frank Mason III is having an All-American season, and no guard has played better. He is tough as nails and as wickedly persistent as ivy -- you cannot kill it. Kansas needs two things: better productivity from its frontcourt and better free throw shooting. The Jayhawks' early free throw percentage is a scandal.
6. Kentucky Wildcats
The Wildcats have all the pieces to be in the Final Four at the end of the season, but this young group is still figuring it out. The freshman backcourt is the best I have ever seen, dating back to "Rocket" Rod Foster and Michael Holton at UCLA in 1980. Malik Monk is an elite pull-up jump-shooter, but others have to be able to make shots. Right now, that is a challenge. Defense is where this team can set itself apart and where it will find the most success.
7. Baylor Bears
The Bears have the best early résumé of any team, with wins over Oregon, Michigan State, Louisville, Xavier and VCU. Baylor is good defensively and solid on the glass but not spectacular in any area. Perimeter shooting is a question mark. Can the Bears make shots?
8. Indiana Hoosiers
Damn, this is a fun team to watch, and it has to be a fun team to play with. Tom Crean has done a great job with this team. When healthy, Indiana has significant offensive firepower, ability from multiple positions and very good balance. Of course, having OG Anunoby back from injury is a must. Another must is taking better care of the ball. The Hoosiers turn the ball over at a 22 percent clip, which is in the bottom third of Division I. You cannot defend turnovers and offensive rebounds.
9. Gonzaga Bulldogs
This is not Mark Few's best team. It is not his most talented team. It is his most balanced team. Gonzaga plays eight guys: four perimeter and four post players. Nobody is going to average 20 points per game, but six of the eight could score more than 20 in a given game. The freshmen big men, Killian Tillie and Zach Collins, are special. Having Nigel Williams-Goss and Josh Perkins playing together gives the Zags stability and risk-taking playmaking combined. Plus, Mark Few has Przemek Karnowski (pronounced Bob Jones) back and healthy.
10. West Virginia Mountaineers
Bob Huggins will have 800 wins by the time you read this magnificent compilation of basketball knowledge. That dude can coach his tail off. He has proved it yet again. West Virginia is continuing to press and force turnovers, but the Mountaineers have reduced fouls too. Huggins has adjusted to the freedom-of-movement initiative in officiating. His team is still forcing more turnovers than any in the nation, causing an opponent miscue on 35 percent of possessions. Plus, West Virginia gets 42 percent of its own misses off the glass.
11. Wisconsin Badgers
The Badgers are excellent on the offensive glass (grabbing almost 40 percent of their misses), and have three All-Big-Ten-caliber performers in Ethan Happ, Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes. Since Maui, Hayes has been more versatile, less inclined to try to show his skills and more inclined to do what makes him a great college player. As a result, he has been better, and Wisconsin has been better. Happ has Kevin McHale's feet, so defenders had better stay on theirs.
12. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Mike Brey wants to get older and stay older. His team is older, solid and fearless. The Irish can score and have a very good point guard in Matt Farrell, arguably the most improved player in the country. With Steve Vasturia, a ridiculously stable force on both ends of the floor, and Bonzie Colson, Brey has offense. The Irish are good defensively but not great. You have to take the Irish off the bounce to beat them and hope you can slow the green-light scorers.
13. Louisville Cardinals
If Louisville shoots better, the Cardinals will be scary. But the Cardinals are shooting a 48 percent effective field goal percentage, which stands at 249th in the nation. That is not good. Louisville has so far been an equal-opportunity poor shooting team. Rick Pitino's team is shooting 32 percent from deep, 48 percent from inside the arc and 68 percent from the free throw line. Those numbers are with a 40 percent offensive rebounding rate, which usually leads to high-percentage second shots. Guess how Louisville wins? Defense, in which this team is No. 1 in the nation.
14. Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia is good and exceptional on the defensive end. Tony Bennett has a program, not just a team. While the numbers are stellar and portend another outstanding team that can reach the Elite Eight, The Bilastrator's eyes and massive brain tell you otherwise. Virginia relies upon London Perrantes a ton, and that is fine against the slate to date. Against more powerful teams, Virginia will have to put up more points on the offensive end. Still, only two teams have scored more than 53 points against Virginia: Ohio State and West Virginia. No team has cracked 70. That's impressive.
15. Creighton Bluejays
The reason the Big East is making the basketball cognoscenti say "Power 6" is because Creighton is the real deal. With Maurice Watson and Marcus Foster, Greg McDermott has a backcourt that can play with anyone. Freshman big man Justin Patton is a terrific prospect. Creighton is an outstanding offensive team that can really pass and move but needs to be better on the defensive end.
