College basketball: Mid-season standouts, shockers, and national predictions

New York, New York - With March Madness nearly two months away, college hoops is just getting started with surprising twists and turns on the court!

The Houston Cougars found the top spot on the leaderboard as the nation's best men's basketball program midway through the season.
The Houston Cougars found the top spot on the leaderboard as the nation's best men's basketball program midway through the season.  © RYAN M. KELLY / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

After the wild season of college football that concluded with the Georgia Bulldogs winning the College Football Playoff National Championships, it's now time to switch gears and focus on the hardwood!

If you're an avid college basketball fan and have been following the action this season, consider this a chance to refresh your brackets and expectations as we prepare for March Madness.

If you haven't followed much action on the hardwood floor, you're jumping in at the perfect time!

To catch you up on everything that has unfolded in men's college basketball, here are this season's standout teams and letdowns thus far.

Who are the standout men's college basketball teams this season?

The UConn Huskies (15-2) started the year off 14-0 for the first time since 1953-54, becoming a strong national champion contending team heading into March Madness.
The UConn Huskies (15-2) started the year off 14-0 for the first time since 1953-54, becoming a strong national champion contending team heading into March Madness.  © SOOBUM IM / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

First things first, every team in the country has a loss!

The Houston Cougars started the season off strong but fell to Alabama at home. UConn lost two games in a row after starting 14-0, and the last remaining unbeaten ranked team, Purdue, lost to Rutgers for the second straight year as a No. 1 program.

Now, there are no clear favorites on the court and sixteen of the top teams in the most recent AP top 25 rankings have suffered at least one loss in the past week.

With all this said, the revolving door at the top spot of the rankings and the ever-changing group of "championship favorites" has kept college basketball fans constantly adjusting their fantasy brackets.

Preseason favorites North Carolina, Gonzaga, and Kentucky have all fell short by the domination of Purdue, UConn, and a small handful of SEC teams like Alabama are all legitimate national championship contenders this year.

While the infrastructure of the sport is shifting dramatically, the on-court product remains to be a thrill. Every week, teams change our tournament brackets with shocking wins and unexpected losses that bring excitement to our TVs!

Surprisingly underperforming men's college basketball teams

The Kentucky Wildcats started the season as a top-five program, but the team has crumbled out of the top rankings after falling to 9-4 in the season.
The Kentucky Wildcats started the season as a top-five program, but the team has crumbled out of the top rankings after falling to 9-4 in the season.  © Brandon Sumrall / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP

So far in the season, the biggest letdowns on the court in terms of teams have been Kentucky and North Carolina!

The Kentucky Wildcats are shockingly struggling on the court with a heavy-hitting roster that includes the reigning Wooden Award winner Oscar Tshiebwe, projected lottery pick Cason Wallace, and notable veterans in Sahvir Wheeler and Jacob Toppin.

The Wildcats are halfway through the season and haven't beaten a single team that's projected to be in the NCAA tournament field.

Like Kentucky, UNC are also surprisingly struggling to win games after starting the season as the nation's best team.

The Tar Heels are no longer ranked with six losses thus far this season. Now, UNC runs the risk of jeopardizing their chance to compete for an ACC conference title and tournament run.

UNC will take to the court next on Saturday at 2 PM EST against Louisville on the road.

Cover photo: SOOBUM IM / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

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