We're a little more than halfway into the 2022-2023 NCAA basketball season and the madness is already well underway  Whether it be two teams who made the preseason rankings top 5 who aren't in the top 25 at the moment or monumental upsets, we have seen it all thus far. What we can expect in March is anyone's guess, but here's what we know so far.

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#1 Houston (18-2)

Houston was happy to get star guard Marcus Sasser back this year, after losing him after 12 games last season to an injury. This year, Sasser and the Cougars are better than ever–through 19 games this season, Sasser is averaging 16.9 PPG and since dropping a tightly contested battle against Alabama, then ranked #8, Houston has won nine straight games. They lead college basketball in least points allowed per game, highlighting a stout defense which has been recognized for years now and to top it all off, in spite of their hiccup loss to Temple yesterday, they are riding high right now with tons of confidence.

  #13 Kansas State (17-2)

Senior forward Keyontae Johnson, who transferred from Florida, hadn't played basketball since collapsing mid-game in December 2020. His basketball career was at stake, and more importantly, his life was put on hold, as he was in a medically induced coma. Flash forward more than a year and now he's back not just living, but dominating the sport he loves. 

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What Johnson has done is more than remarkable–it's inspiring. Johnson and co. are heating up at the right moment having won their last 10 of 11 games, including a thrilling overtime victory over #2 ranked nemesis Kansas, where Johnson scored 24 points. He and his teammates are playing to their highest of their abilities, with victories over Kansas, Baylor, Texas, and West Virginia. On the year, Johnson is averaging 18.7 PPG and 7.2 rebounds per game, which begs an important question moving forward: Who can stop the Wildcats?

#23 Florida Atlantic (19-1)

Critics would probably complain about FAU's status in the top 25, due to the Owls's “lighter” strength of schedule–but getting to 17-1 is no easy task and Conference USA is a severely underrated midmajor conference with teams that knock on the door each postseason. On top of that, FAU has some quality wins, including victories over Florida and UAB, the latter of which score the 3rd most points per game in the nation. FAU has also won 18 in a row, and averages 77.5 points per game, which puts them right next to powerhouse Kansas. The Owls are playing great right now, coming up clutch in moments at the end of the game. As time goes on this season, we will get to see more and more and learn if they are for real.

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#15 Connecticut (16-5)

UConn started strong, winning 14 in a row early in the season, which pushed them to the #2 seed in the nation at their 2022-23 peak. Then on New Year's Eve, they suffered their first loss to then-ranked #22 Xavier. The Huskies would go on to lose four of their next five games, eventually pushing them out of the top 10. Hopefully it's just a midseason slump and the team can get back on track, but for now, the Huskies do not look like the team they did prior to New Year's Eve.

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#25 Arkansas (12-6)

About a month ago Arkansas was looking great sitting at 11-1 and ranked within the top ten teams in the nation. However, they wound up dropping 5 of their next 6, including a heartbreaker to TCU. The team has since dropped 15 spots in the college basketball rankings and is in jeopardy of falling out of the top 25. Only time will tell if the Hogs can surge and go back to their winning ways before the postseason

Wisconsin (12-5)

Wisconsin got off to a great start this season, much like Uconn and Arkansas as the Badgers won 11 of their first 13 games, with their two losses coming to Kansas and Wake Forest, by a combined 4 points. As such, they were ranked appropriately at 14 in the nation. However, a trio of losses knocked the Badgers out of the top 25, as they fell to Big Ten foes Illinois, Michigan State and Indiana. While they weren't favored in any of those three games, the three consecutive losses were enough to move them out of the touted Top 25 after a promising start to the season.

As you can imagine, it has been an extremely exciting season thus far, featuring new teams in the top 25 each week. The next month and a half will be critical in college basketball as teams will fight for seeding positions and participation in the annual March Madness Tournament. Keep an eye on these six teams, who knows what they can become in March.

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* Originally published on January 23, 2023, by Nicholas Nathanson