{"id":1965,"date":"2026-01-16T06:52:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T22:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/nine-mens-college-basketball-teams-need-to-turn-their-seasons-around-now\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T19:39:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T11:39:31","slug":"nine-mens-college-basketball-teams-need-to-turn-their-seasons-around-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/nine-mens-college-basketball-teams-need-to-turn-their-seasons-around-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Nine men&#8217;s college basketball teams need to turn their seasons around &#8212; now"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-meta\">\n<ul class=\"authors\">\n<li class=\"mugshot-shown\">\n<div class=\"author-img\"><\/div>\n<p>Myron Medcalf<span class=\"timestamp \">Jan 14, 2026, 08:00 AM ET<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"author-overlay\">Shut up<\/p>\n<ul>Myron Medcalf covers college basketball for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2011.<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<p>There are just under two months left in the 2025-26 men&#8217;s college basketball regular season &#8212; plenty of time for many teams to improve their NCAA tournament berths before Selection Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>In some programs, it will be enough to regain momentum that may have been lost after the opening stages. For some, the gap between preseason expectations and where they stand now may be too great to overcome. And if teams that fall under that latter category aren&#8217;t smart about turning things around, they could find themselves looking back on this season as a missed opportunity that cost them a successful campaign.<\/p>\n<p>Here are nine that need to shift gears sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n<p><em>Note: The groups are arranged alphabetically.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/i\/infographics\/20170710_nfl_fpr\/charts\/_end_rule.png\" width=\"100%\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/333.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record:<\/strong> 12-5<br \/><strong>SEC record:<\/strong> 2-2<\/p>\n<p>Alabama lost to Arizona (No. 1), Purdue (No. 5), Gonzaga (No. 9), Vanderbilt (No. 10) and Texas &#8212; and the common thread in each defeat was a poor defensive effort. This past Saturday, Alabama gave up 92 points (129 points out of 100 possessions) at home to a Texas team that lost to Arizona State and Mississippi State. Overall, the Tide have allowed 93.2 points per game in their five losses and rank 79th in defensive efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>Bright spot: Labaron Philon Jr. (21.3 PPG) and Aden Holloway (18.6 PPG) are the top two in the country and lead one of the best offensive units in America. Still, Alabama&#8217;s losses to Vanderbilt and Texas last week suggest that may not be enough.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/239.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record: <\/strong>11-5<br \/><strong>Big 12 record:<\/strong> 1-3<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline editorial float-r\" data-behavior=\"article_related\">\n<h2 class=\"editorial-title\">Editor&#8217;s Choice<\/h2>\n<p>2 Related<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The addition of James Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 NBA draft, has created a firestorm as coaches across the country have criticized the move. But Baylor coach Scott Drew added the 7-foot center because his team needed more size after Juslin Bodo Bodo suffered a season-ending injury. The Bears will need more than a former European pro to move the program in the right direction, though.<\/p>\n<p>Baylor, which owns a defense that has never ranked in the top 100 in efficiency, has lost its first three games in the Big 12. That stretch includes road losses to TCU and home losses to Houston and Iowa State. That is not an easy set of games for any team. Baylor faces an imbalance, however. Cameron Carr and Tounde Yessoufou, two starters in ESPN&#8217;s latest mock rankings, lead the top-20 offense. But the Bears must improve on the defensive end to survive the rest of their Big 12 schedule and secure a bid on Selection Sunday.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/96.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record:<\/strong> 10-6<br \/><strong>SEC record:<\/strong> 1-2<\/p>\n<p>Kentucky&#8217;s defense has been subpar since the loss to Dis. 2 in North Carolina, ranked 66th in adjusted defensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik. Its offensive production has gotten even worse, coming in at 91st in adjusted offensive efficiency. The Wildcats were also one of the worst three-point shooting teams in America during that stretch (32.1%).<\/p>\n<p>Now, Pitt transfer Jaland Lowe (8.0 PPG, 2.4 APG) is out for the season and expected NBA draft lottery pick Jayden Quaintance is dealing with a knee injury. Given those factors, the Wildcats could be a below-average team in the uniforms of a storied program. They don&#8217;t look like the Final Four contender we expected &#8212; or even the key team to make the NCAA tournament &#8212; despite reportedly spending $22 million on the current roster.<\/p>\n<p>If Mark Pope can&#8217;t turn things around quickly, he could enter the 2026-27 season on the hot seat.<\/p>\n<div data-behavior=\"video_scroll\" class=\"contentItem__content contentItem__content--media-card contentItem__content--fullWidth contentItem__content--inline\">\n<figure data-video=\"watch,640,360,47546957\" data-cerebro-id=\"695f384a964815500ca65c5a\" data-title=\"Highlight: Missouri defeats Kentucky to extend hot start in SEC play\" class=\"media-wrapper_image video\" data-source=\"espn\"><picture class=\"media-wrapper_image\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a3.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fmedia%2Fmotion%2F2026%2F0107%2Fdm_260107_SEC_NCB_Highlight_Kentucky_Missouri_highlight_260107%2Fdm_260107_SEC_NCB_Highlight_Kentucky_Missouri_highlight_260107.jpg&amp;w=640&amp;h=360&amp;cquality=80&amp;format=jpg\" media=\"(min-width: 376px)\"><source data-srcset=\"https:\/\/a3.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fmedia%2Fmotion%2F2026%2F0107%2Fdm_260107_SEC_NCB_Highlight_Kentucky_Missouri_highlight_260107%2Fdm_260107_SEC_NCB_Highlight_Kentucky_Missouri_highlight_260107.jpg&amp;w=335&amp;cquality=80, https:\/\/a3.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=%2Fmedia%2Fmotion%2F2026%2F0107%2Fdm_260107_SEC_NCB_Highlight_Kentucky_Missouri_highlight_260107%2Fdm_260107_SEC_NCB_Highlight_Kentucky_Missouri_highlight_260107.jpg&amp;w=670&amp;cquality=40&amp;format=jpg 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 375px)\"><img class=\" lazyload lazyload\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/picture><span class=\"video-play-button\" data-id=\"47546957\">play<\/span><figcaption class=\"media-caption\">\n<p>2:08<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"contentItem__contentWrapper\">\n<p>Highlight: Missouri beats Kentucky to extend hot start in SEC play<\/p>\n<p class=\"contentItem__subhead\">Mark Mitchell led the offense with 21 points as the Tigers beat the Wildcats 73-68, marking the first 2-0 SEC start in school history.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/97.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record:<\/strong> 12-5<br \/><strong>ACC Record:<\/strong> 2-3<\/p>\n<p>Last month, NBA draft lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. was ruled out with a back injury before Louisville&#8217;s loss to Tennessee. Coach Pat Kelsey seemed confident that Brown&#8217;s injury would not be a major problem for the Cardinals. He was wrong.<\/p>\n<p>Tuesday&#8217;s 79-70 home loss to Virginia was the seventh straight game Brown (16.6 PPG, 5.3 APG) has missed. The timing isn&#8217;t good for a Louisville team that will face Duke and SMU before the end of the month. The Cardinals, ranked 11th in the preseason AP Top 25, are 3-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC without Brown. They committed turnovers on about one-fifth of their possessions without him, too.<\/p>\n<p>Short of Brown&#8217;s imminent return or a strategic change without him, the end result of his absence could be a tough first-round game in the NCAA tournament.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/269.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record: <\/strong>6-12<br \/><strong>Big East record:<\/strong> 1-6<\/p>\n<p>Shaka Smart is a long way from his 2011 Final Four run with VCU. Marquette&#8217;s current slide, a team that began the season ranked 46th in KenPom, is in stark contrast to the success it has enjoyed.<\/p>\n<p>Picked to finish fifth in the Big East preseason poll, injuries and the sudden departure of Zaide Lowery (8.1 PPG) contributed to the Golden Eagles&#8217; slow start. But Smart&#8217;s team also failed to show professionalism on both sides of the court. Marquette is currently one of the top offensive (152nd in adjusted offense) and defensive (92nd in adjusted defense) teams in the country. And there are no signs of immediate improvement for the already money-losing program in Maryland and Georgetown. Marquette will need some kind of miracle to finish the season strong.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/235.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record: <\/strong>7-8<br \/><strong>American record:<\/strong> 2-1<\/p>\n<aside class=\"inline float-r inline-track\">\n<h2 class=\"img-title\">All ESPN. All in one place.<\/h2>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"imageLoaded\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/photo\/2025\/0813\/r1531432_1296x729_16-9.jpg\" width=\"100%\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Watch your favorite events in the newly improved ESPN app. Learn more about which program is right for you. <b>Register Now<\/b><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Penny Hardaway is coming off the best season of his tenure at his alma mater. PJ Haggerty and Tyrese Hunter were first-team All-American honorees on a Memphis team that won 29 games and reached the NCAA tournament, where it ended up losing its sixth game in the first round against Colorado State (mostly without Hunter). This season&#8217;s team lost their sixth game on December 17.<\/p>\n<p>Going 7-8 into the week, it&#8217;s the first time the Tigers have had a losing record under Hardaway since a 1-2 start to the 2020-21 season. Their ticket back to the NCAA tournament will have to come by winning the American Championship. A recent 89-78 loss at Florida Atlantic suggests that&#8217;s far from a guarantee, especially if Memphis&#8217; 20.5% turnover rate (337th nationally) continues.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/142.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record: <\/strong>12-4<br \/><strong>SEC record: <\/strong>2-1<\/p>\n<p>At best, Missouri could beat defending national champion Florida and Kentucky in back-to-back games. But losses to Kansas (20 points) and Illinois (43 points), along with further losses to Ole Miss and Notre Dame, show the Tigers&#8217; limitations.<\/p>\n<p>Since losing to the Fighting Irish on Dec. 2, the Tigers ranked 85th overall per Bart Torvik. Mark Mitchell (17.4 PPG) has been a consistent presence, but Anthony Robinson and others haven&#8217;t been the consistent contributors coach Dennis Gates needs. A tough SEC schedule could make or break a Missouri team that will finish the season with its toughest stretch heading into Selection Sunday, but a 76th NET ranking means the Tigers have a lot of work to do before even thinking about that.<\/p>\n<p><video3><hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/2483.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record:<\/strong> 8-9<br \/><strong>Big Ten record:<\/strong> 1-5<\/p>\n<p>Coming off back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances, Dana Altman looked capable of making it three in a row. Unfortunately, the campaign did not go as expected.<\/p>\n<p>After starting the year ranked 37th in KenPom, Oregon entered this week ranked 83rd. Loss on Jan. 5 overtime at Rutgers &#8212; the same team the Scarlet Knights lost to Central Connecticut (252nd in KenPom) &#8212; highlights how far the Ducks have fallen from preseason expectations that put them squarely in the NCAA tournament conversation.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson Shelstad (15.6 PPG) has been dealing with a hand injury and missed the first three games of 2026, but Altman&#8217;s team has had major challenges before that development. The Ducks now sit at 1-5 in Big Ten play and still have matchups against Michigan and Michigan State later this month. Having started the season with tumultuous results, the Ducks&#8217; season could continue to decline without immediate change.<\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"\" class=\"floatleft\" src=\"https:\/\/a.espncdn.com\/combiner\/i?img=\/i\/teamlogos\/ncaa\/500\/26.png&amp;w=110&amp;h=110\" width=\"30\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall record: <\/strong>11-5<br \/><strong>Big Ten record: <\/strong>3-2<\/p>\n<p>Reigning Mountain West Player of the Year Donovan Dent was a coveted transfer. When he signed with UCLA, he was expected to elevate his game in his hometown. He has yet to do that.<\/p>\n<p>Dent connected on just 9% of his 3-point attempts against Division I opponents this season (not a typo!) after making 40% last year. Part of Mick Cronin&#8217;s charge to turn UCLA into a Big Ten contender &#8212; the Bruins are off to a 3-2 start in conference play and ranked ninth in efficiency to open the week &#8212; will require Dent to tap into the same skill set that made him a star at New Mexico last season. A hamstring injury to Skyy Clark (13.5 PPG) could make that task difficult.<\/p>\n<p><\/video3><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Myron MedcalfJan 14, 2026, 08:00 AM ET Shut up Myron Medcalf covers college basketball for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2011. There are just under two months left in the 2025-26 men&#8217;s college basketball regular season &#8212; plenty of time for many teams to improve their NCAA tournament berths before Selection Sunday. In some programs, &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1966,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1965"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1967,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1965\/revisions\/1967"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}