Ranking men’s basketball Coach of the Year candidates: Barnes, Scheyer lead top 15

There are a number of forms of candidates to contemplate when contemplating a midseason Coach of the Yr rating.

There are the coaches who’ve exceeded expectations — those who did not get a lot respect within the preseason, ranked low within the preseason convention polls or AP Prime 25. There are additionally the coaches who wanted to rebuild rosters after shedding expertise to the NBA, switch portal or commencement. Then there are the coaches who’ve achieved essentially the most with the least — they did not convey a extremely touted switch group or recruiting class, nor have they got a crew crammed with NBA draft prospects.

And eventually, we now have the coaches on the very best groups. There’s nonetheless one thing to be stated for getting a proficient crew to reside as much as expectations, purchase in and win video games.

After all, a number of coaches match into a number of buckets — these are the fellows you will discover all through this rating. And we’ll watch two of them go head-to-head in Saturday’s Sonic Blockbuster recreation between Auburn and Tennessee (8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf every submitted their high 20 names, then mixed and debated them to craft a consensus high 15 heading into the ultimate two months of the season. Let’s dive in.

Of their first two-plus video games with out Johni Broome — the Wood Award favourite earlier than he suffered an ankle damage that has sidelined him indefinitely — the Auburn Tigers had a chance to break down. As a substitute, they performed top-35 protection (per barttorvik.com), made 41% of their 3-point makes an attempt and gained all three video games, together with a 22-point victory over Mississippi State.

Pearl has weathered an damage to one of many high gamers within the nation and off-court drama (there was an FAA incident in November … severely) all whereas competing in the very best league within the nation. And but, his crew stays No. 1. Therefore why he is No. 1 on this listing, too. — Medcalf

One take a look at how Rutgers’ season has unfolded will inform you it isn’t straightforward to construct a winner round younger expertise within the switch portal period. However Duke is a nationwide title contender as a result of Scheyer has created a crew as an astute basic supervisor and chief of a Blue Devils squad that boasts the brand new front-runner for Nationwide Participant of the Yr (Cooper Flagg), owns the one victory within the nation over No. 1 Auburn and includes a defensive unit ranked second in adjusted effectivity.

The Blue Devils have extra difference-making freshmen in Kon Knueppel, a 38% shooter from the 3-point line and double-figure scorer, and Khaman Maluach, who has a pair of double-doubles over the past three video games. Scheyer additionally added toughness with Maliq Brown, Sion James and Mason Gillis from the switch portal.

The results of Scheyer’s team-building? If the season ended at this time, Duke would have the best web score on KenPom (plus-36.80) because it gained the nationwide championship in 2001. Yeah, the Duke preseason hype was immense, and Scheyer one way or the other has lived as much as it. — Medcalf

After main Drake to back-to-back NCAA event appearances, DeVries moved east to Morgantown to take over a program that had gone via a tumultuous 12 months following the departure of Bob Huggins. It wasn’t anticipated to be straightforward. The Mountaineers had been picked thirteenth within the preseason Large 12 ballot — and a 24-point loss to Pitt within the third recreation of the season wasn’t an enormous shock. However DeVries has now guided the Mountaineers into the highest 25 with wins over Iowa State, Kansas, Gonzaga and Arizona. And he is doing it with out his son, star wing Tucker DeVries, who has been out since early December with a shoulder damage. All-America guard Javon Small has been one of many elite transfers within the nation. — Borzello

On the courtroom, Golden and the Gators are a nationwide championship contender. They opened the season with 13 straight wins, then pummeled a then-undefeated and top-ranked Tennessee by 30 factors in early January. They had been ranked No. 21 within the preseason AP ballot, however Golden supplemented 5 key returnees with Florida Atlantic switch Alijah Martin.

We might be remiss to not acknowledge that, off the courtroom, Golden is the topic of a Title IX investigation spurred by a number of allegations of sexual harassment and stalking that turned public in early November. He has acknowledged the inquiry, saying he has been collaborating, whereas additionally consulting with an legal professional about bringing on defamation claims. However there is no timetable for the investigation to be resolved.

(A second Title IX complaint was filed in opposition to a member of Florida’s teaching employees, Taurean Inexperienced, in January.) — Borzello

Final season’s difficulties for Missouri seem like an anomaly now with Gates a critical contender for SEC and nationwide coach of the 12 months awards.

Over a 96-day stretch in 2023-24, Gates’ squad gained a single recreation and ended the 12 months on a 19-game shedding streak that drew main considerations about his future. Throughout that turbulent run, nevertheless, Gates preached about his program’s potential. Quick ahead to Dec. 8: Missouri beat then-No. 1 Kansas to match final season’s whole of eight wins, signaling one of many nation’s most spectacular turnarounds.

Duke switch Mark Mitchell (13.4 factors per recreation) leads a Tigers squad with 4 gamers averaging double figures. And a bunch that completed 145th on KenPom a 12 months in the past is now high 30 and comfortably within the NCAA event area. — Medcalf

Only a few months in the past, there was speak about whether or not Izzo was prepared to adapt to the brand new world of school basketball with a purpose to construct a nationwide championship contender once more. The Spartans hadn’t gained greater than 11 Large Ten video games since 2020, ending sixth or decrease thrice over that stretch. They weren’t within the preseason Prime 25, both. And but, Izzo has Michigan State ranked within the high 10 in late January, unbeaten in Large Ten play and using an 11-game successful streak.

Izzo has discovered methods to have a professional 10-man rotation, and his choice to maneuver Tre Holloman into the beginning lineup in November jump-started their season. — Borzello

Kelsey is the proper coach for a program that wanted each a pacesetter and a promoter — he is spent the previous few months working round Louisville’s campus to compel followers to return to the KFC Yum! Middle following final season’s 8-24 marketing campaign beneath former head coach Kenny Payne.

Kelsey has the persona for that grandstanding, nevertheless it’s additionally clear he can coach. His crew has gained 9 video games in a row and could possibly be Duke’s largest menace within the ACC title race regardless of shedding South Florida switch Kasean Pryor (12.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG) to an ACL tear earlier this season.

Kelsey’s best feat? Touchdown Chucky Hepburn, who performed under his potential a 12 months in the past at Wisconsin however found new life because the catalyst in a Louisville system that is top-20 in adjusted offensive effectivity. — Medcalf

Each crew within the switch portal has endured turnover, however Underwood misplaced each key participant — together with all-Large Ten first-team choices Terrence Shannon and Marcus Domask — from an Illinois crew that reached the Elite Eight a 12 months in the past.

This 12 months, Underwood has managed to place collectively an much more balanced crew that sits close to the highest of Large Ten standings — that reboot has been led by freshman Kasaparas Jacucionis, who anchors an Illini crew that performs top-10 protection, scores effectively contained in the arc and competes as one among quickest in tempo within the nation. Underwood’s teaching prowess has allowed him to rebuild a crew and put a freshman — a projected lottery decide — in the very best place to steer this crew. That is not straightforward to do, particularly contemplating every bit he misplaced from final season’s squad. — Medcalf

It is merely outstanding what Otzelberger has achieved since arriving in Ames in 2021 — so possibly this should not be a shock. He is led the Cyclones to 2 Candy 16 appearances in three seasons, together with final 12 months’s 29-win marketing campaign. And this season options his finest crew but, a bunch that has an actual probability to go to this system’s first Closing 4 since 1944 and win its first Large 12 regular-season title since 2001. The Cyclones had been ranked within the high 5 within the preseason, however have stored tempo with Auburn and Duke on the high of the rankings via the primary three months of the marketing campaign regardless of not having a projected NBA draft decide. — Borzello

When he was introduced as the brand new head coach, many Kentucky followers booed the rent. However Pope — a former captain on the varsity’s 1996 nationwide title crew — has rapidly transformed the fan base with a team-first strategy and a set of wins (Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville, Florida) which have positioned the Wildcats to safe a top-four seed on Choice Sunday.

That is Pope’s crew now. He has six gamers — Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Otega Oweh, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams — who can all be the crew’s largest star on any given night time. And he employs a video-game-like, free-flowing type that has produced a minimum of 90 factors in 9 video games.

With the highlight on him and his program, Pope hasn’t flinched in his debut marketing campaign. — Medcalf

Jans took Mississippi State to back-to-back NCAA tournaments in his first two seasons in Starkville, the primary time the Bulldogs went to consecutive tournaments since 2008 and 2009 beneath Rick Stansbury. Even with their latest historical past, they had been picked simply tenth within the preseason SEC ballot. And but, regardless of Tuesday’s loss at Tennessee, Jans has Mississippi State ranked within the high 15 and monitoring towards this system’s finest NCAA event seed since 2019. The Bulldogs opened the season with 14 wins of their first 15 video games, together with a street victory at Memphis and likewise beat in-state rival Ole Miss final weekend. — Borzello

After final season’s collapse, Hardaway and the Tigers entered this 12 months with minimal expectations. Coming off a season during which they went from the highest 10 in January to lacking the postseason solely — shedding eight of their ultimate 15 video games — their complete roster departed, leaving only one returnee. After which Hardaway fired three assistant coaches and a fourth employees member two months earlier than the season.

There was appreciable scorching seat chatter surrounding Hardaway. The Tigers weren’t even picked to win a depleted AAC. However now he and his rebuilt roster have Memphis within the Prime 25 with an elite assortment of wins — Michigan State, Ole Miss, Missouri, UConn and Clemson — and the Tigers are the overwhelming favorites to win the AAC and get their finest NCAA event seed of the Hardaway period. — Borzello

Regardless of shedding Tyler Kolek (Knicks) and Oso Ighodaro (Suns) to the NBA draft, Sensible’s squad remains to be each high 25 in adjusted offensive and defensive effectivity. And whereas All-America contender Kam Jones shouldn’t be the 3-point shooter he was a 12 months in the past, he’s a greater playmaker (2.4 assists per recreation in 2023-24 to six.5 APG in 2024-25), which has allowed the gamers round him to blossom, too.

The Golden Eagles had been picked to complete fourth within the Large East behind UConn, Xavier and Creighton, however they enter their Friday matchup in opposition to Villanova in a tie with St. John’s for first place. The second-half of their league slate consists of matchups in opposition to UConn (twice), St. John’s (twice) and Creighton (on the street), so their hardest assessments are forward. However Sensible has been glorious after shedding a pair of gamers who helped his crew safe a 2-seed within the NCAA event in back-to-back seasons. — Medcalf

Had we achieved this three weeks in the past, Barnes may need been No. 1. The Volunteers had been the nation’s ultimate unbeaten crew, successful their first 14 video games earlier than shedding by 30 at Florida on Jan. 7. They’ve bounced again, although, successful three of their previous 4 video games getting into this Saturday’s recreation at Auburn. All Barnes did was substitute the nation’s finest switch of final season in Dalton Knecht with maybe the nation’s finest switch of this season in Chaz Lanier, all whereas sustaining the Vols’ typical elite protection and carrying over their offensive enhancements from final season.

Now the query is: After falling one recreation quick final season, can Barnes lead Tennessee to this system’s first Closing 4? — Borzello

All it is advisable to find out about Could’s spot on this listing is that Danny Wolf is a 7-footer who’s enjoying level guard in a pick-and-roll scheme with 7-toot-1 Vlad Goldin — and Michigan is high 25 in adjusted offensive and defensive effectivity because of this. The scheme was so daring each Goldin and Wolf rejected the thought when Could first offered it. Now, it could possibly be the rationale that the Wolverines seize the Large Ten title and Wolf makes hundreds of thousands within the NBA (he is a projected first-round decide in ESPN’s newest 2025 mock draft) in Could’s first season after his run at Florida Atlantic that included a 2023 Closing 4 journey.

Could shouldn’t be the primary coach to reach his debut season at a brand new job, however he took an enormous danger when he put a pair of 7-footers collectively and requested them to run his crew. What number of coaches would even try that transfer in Yr 1? — Medcalf

Additionally thought-about: Dana Altman, Oregon Ducks; Mike White, Georgia Bulldogs; Jerrod Calhoun, Utah State Aggies; Rick Pitino, St. John’s Purple Storm; Mark Byington, Vanderbilt Commodores; Chris Beard, Ole Miss Rebels; Grant McCasland, Texas Tech Red Raiders; Buzz Williams, Texas A&M Aggies; Ben McCollum, Drake Bulldogs