The most disappointing teams in college basketball

With COVID-19 wreaking havoc on schedules and programs, it has been a rough season for many college hoops teams. While some have navigated the rough waters, others have succumbed to the elements and had seasons to forget.

Join us now as we examine the five biggest disappointments of the 2020-21 college basketball season.

5. Northern Iowa (7-15)

The preseason pick to win the Missouri Valley Conference, Northern Iowa received votes in both the preseason AP and Coaches polls. The Panthers were also expected to be one of the better mid-major programs, coming off a 25-6 season.

Conference player of the year AJ Green returned after averaging nearly 20 points per game last season. However, they came out of the gates with three defeats to unranked teams. Then, Green went down with a season-ending hip injury and the wheels completely fell off.

They did not win their first game against a D-1 opponent until their seventh outing, and lost seven of their first nine. Of their seven wins, just two have come against D-1 teams with winning records. Their final two games will come against Illinois State, and if they don’t win them both they will finish the season tied for the Redbirds with the worst record in the conference.

4. Michigan State (12-9)

The Spartans are coming off a huge win over fifth-ranked Illinois, but the season on a whole has been a letdown. After opening the year with six consecutive wins, they moved from a top-15 opening ranking in both polls to a place in the top five.

Then Big Ten conference play began, and so too did their slide. The Spartans lost their first three matchups in-conference, and after a pair of victories they went on another four-game skid. They have since won four of six, but they sit at just 6-9 in conference play, and have just two victories in eight road games.

With five games remaining, the Spartans will face top-five teams Michigan and Ohio State a total of three times. They may need to win at least one, if not two, of those games to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament, but that still won’t be enough to satisfy their fans.

3. Arizona State (9-12)

The Sun Devils came into the season ranked in the top 20 in both polls, after making the NCAA tournament each of the past two seasons. Head coach Bobby Hurley brought in a top 10 recruiting class, and Remy Martin returned after scoring 19 points per game last season.

They started off decently, winning four of their first six games, with the two losses coming to ranked teams. However, a 13-point loss to UTEP on Dec. 16 was followed by a long stretch of postponed and cancelled games. Once they did resume play on Jan. 7, they proceeded to lose five straight conference games.

Of their six conference victories, just one has come against a team with a winning record. Two have come against a Cal team sitting at 3-15 in Pac-12 play, and the other two came this week as they swept a Washington team with a 5-18 record.

Arizona State can finish with a winning record if the Sun Devils win their final four games, but it will still be a huge letdown regardless of the final standings.

2. Duke (11-8)

Entering the season ranked in the top 10 of both polls, Duke had the third-best recruiting class in the nation and were expected to compete for the ACC title. They had numerous games cancelled or postponed early on, but began the season with a 5-2 record. However, just one of those victories came against a team with a winning record.

After a three-game win streak to start conference play, Duke lost their following three games in the ACC, all on the road. They would begin their conference slate with a 5-6 record and fell to 7-8 on the season.

Since then, they have won four straight games, including a one-point win over Virginia over the weekend. That may not be enough to offset terrible losses to Notre Dame, Miami, and Pitt, who hold a combined 14-30 record in ACC play. Either way, it has been a failure of a season in Durham.

1. Kentucky (8-13)

There was no doubt as to who would be ranked the biggest disappointment of the 2020-21 college hoops season. Ranked in the top 10 in both major polls, the Wildcats were expected to be a contender for the national championship after adding transfer Olivier Sarr to a roster featuring touted freshmen Terrence Clarke and BJ Boston.

After beating Morehead State in their season opener, they proceeded to lose their next six games, including a humiliating defeat to Georgia Tech. They have just two win streaks all season long, and they have a losing record at home. Sarr has been a disappointment, and Clarke played just seven games before shutting down with an ankle injury.

Kentucky is in the midst of a three-game win streak and has a very slight, outside chance at a double-bye in the SEC tournament. Even if John Calipari pulls a rabbit out of his hat and the Wildcats win the conference tournament, this season will be seen as nothing short of an utter disappointment.