It’s the beginning of the year and a lot of things are already on my mind.

Here are five things that are on my mind:

1. Cooper Flagg could be the first freshman to win the Naismith Award since 2019, when fellow Duke senior Zion Williamson won the award. The list of freshman winners is small, with Anthony Davis (2012) of Kentucky and Kevin Durant (2007) of Texas also winning the award. Hopefully Auburn’s Johni Broome won’t be out long with an ankle injury. The two could have a great race for the award in the final month of the season. Flagg lived up to the hype, which is rare. Not only does he score and rebound, but he also does a great job leading, defending and getting the offense going. Flagg has a 19.1/8.3 average but is the No. 1 scout and continues to shine despite the attention.

2. In conferences, the strength lies in the number of participants. The Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC prove that, and it will pay off in NCAA Tournament bids. That’s why I want the new Pac-12 and Mountain West to come together and form one conference. Men’s basketball in the Mountain West has been sensational in recent years and continues this season. Sure, Utah State and Boise State, who played a great late possession game on Saturday night, will continue to play each other. But New Mexico and San Diego State won’t do that. The Lobos and Aztecs consistently delivered high-quality games in Viejas and the Pit. I’m not naive. These leagues are formed from a football perspective, although the new Pac-12 adds Gonzaga for basketball. But if they had formed a league – the current Mountain West – with the additions of Gonzaga (Pac-12), Oregon State (Pac-12), Washington State (Pac-12), Hawaii, UTEP and Grand Canyon (all 3). Accession in 2026) – would have ensured a super conference in the West. UC Davis also joins in and men’s basketball has made progress. Instead, the MWC and Pac-12 could have years where they have a low of 2 bids (and only one in a bad year) instead of having the potential to be a league where they could be 5-6 . It’s a shame none of the league commissioners could see this and come together for a super league.

3. Kudos to Bryant coach Phil Martelli Jr. The Bulldogs were beaten 116-66 at Grand Canyon. And all Martelli Jr. did with Bryant was turn around a week later and beat Maine and league favorite Vermont back-to-back to open the America East 2-0. Great job erasing a poor non-conference performance and not letting it affect the start of conference play.

4. A healthy Saint Louis is at the top of the A-10. Two of the Billikens’ top scorers came from Indiana State with Josh Schertz: Isaiah Swope and Robbie Avila. Gibson Jimerson leads the team in scoring and was a returnee at Saint Louis. The Billikens defeated two of the A-10 favorites, Saint Joseph’s and St. Bonaventure, at home.

5. The SEC is brutal. Consider this: Oklahoma was 13-0 and is now 0-3 in the SEC. The Sooners started the league with two of three away games at Alabama and Georgia, with Texas A&M in between. Oklahoma, Arkansas, LSU, Texas and South Carolina all started 0-3 in the SEC, but any of them could play in some sort of postseason event. All 16 SEC schools are at least four games over .500 combined.

RANKING: AP Top 25 Poll | NET rankings

The Power 37 for January 13th:

1. Auburn (Previous 1, 15-1): Auburn beat South Carolina in Columbia despite Johni Broome missing early in the game with an ankle injury.
2. Iowa State (Previous 3, 14-1): The Cyclones prove they can win in the Big 12 after a thrilling overtime comeback win at Texas Tech at the hands of Ames.
3. Duke (Previous 4, 14-2): The Blue Devils continue to cause division in the ACC.
4. Alabama (Previous 5, 14-2): The Tide had a huge road win at Texas A&M.
5. Florida (Previous 7, 15-1): The Gators had a great week (see Team of the Week) by beating Tennessee and winning at Arkansas.
6. Tennessee (Previous 2, 15-1): The Vols were the last team to lose this season, but bounced back to beat Texas.
7. Marquette (Previous 9, 14-2): The Golden Eagles are 5-0 in the Big East and look to be another potential Final Four team.
8. Memphis (Previous 14, 13-3): The Tigers are the class of the Americans.
9. Michigan State (Previous 15, 14-2): The Spartans dominated the Big Ten and annihilated the competition, including Northwestern, on the road on Sunday.
10. UConn (Previous 8, 13-4): The Huskies bounced back from the Villanova loss with a convincing win at Georgetown.
11. Kentucky (Previous 6, 13-3): Georgia beat Kentucky in Athens, but then the Wildcats got a huge win at Mississippi State.
12. Michigan (Previous 23, 13-3): The Wolverines won convincingly at UCLA and then against Washington.
13. Houston (Previous 16, 12-3): The Cougars have flipped the narrative of the season and are getting rolling.
14. Texas A&M (Previous 11, 13-3): The Aggies won at Oklahoma before losing to Alabama.
15. Purdue (Previous 18, 13-4): The Boilermakers have broken through in the Big Ten, outpacing the competition home and away.
16. Kansas (Previous 20, 12-3): The Jayhawks are starting to trim down the rotation and will still be in the thick of the Big 12 title game.
17. Utah State (Previous 21, 16-1): The Aggies had a crazy home win on their last possession against Boise State and remained undefeated in the MWC.
18. New Mexico (Previous 32, 14-3): The Lobos are 6-0 in the MWC after a comeback win at Wyoming and a win over San Diego State in the Pit.
19. Arizona (Previous NR, 10-5): Guess who’s 4-0 in the Big 12 after a slow non-conference start? Yes, the Wildcats.
20. West Virginia (Previous 19, 12-3): The Mountaineers may have lost to Arizona, but that’s the Big 12’s only flaw.
21. Illinois (Previous 10, 12-4): The Illini beat Penn State without Kasparas Jakucionis, but couldn’t beat USC because he was still sidelined.
22. Gonzaga (Previous 22, 14-4): The Zags beat back Washington State in the Cougars’ first WCC game against their rival.
23. Mississippi State (Previous 12, 14-2): The Bulldogs lost at home to Kentucky, but are still a major force in the SEC.
24. Oregon (Previous 26, 15-2): The Ducks celebrated their first Eastern road swing in the Big Ten with wins at Ohio State and Penn State.
25. Wisconsin (Previous 28, 13-3): The Badgers won at Rutgers and then soundly defeated Minnesota.
26. Louisville (Previous NR, 12-5): The Cardinals are 5-1 in the ACC and are on pace to be the No. 2 seed in the league.
27. Clemson (Previous 17, 13-4): The Tigers lost to Louisville but beat Florida State to stay tied for second place.
28. Ole Miss (Previous NR, 14-2): The Rebels are off to a 3-0 start in the SEC.
29. Maryland (Previous 29, 12-4): The Terps bounced back from a tough road trip through the Northwest by attacking UCLA.
30. St. John’s (Previous 31, 14-3): The Red Storm got a great win over Villanova and became one of the top three Big East teams.
31. Baylor (Previous 34, 11-4): The Bears will find a way to compete for a spot in the top three of the Big 12.
32. Missouri (Previous 33, 13-3): The Tigers aren’t going anywhere in the SEC. This is an NCAA Tournament team that went winless in the SEC last season.
33. Georgia (Previous NR, 14-2): The Bulldogs had a great week, defeating Kentucky and Oklahoma.
34. Saint Louis (Previous NR, 10-6): SLU is healthy and the youngest team to reach the top of the A-10.
35. Wake Forest (Previous NR, 12-4): The Demon Deacons have won three straight and are poised to stay in the race for second place in the ACC.
36. North Carolina (Previous NR, 11-6): The Tar Heels continue to struggle with losses, but have found a way to stay in the race for second place at 4-1 in the ACC.
37. Iowa (Previous NR, 12-4): The Hawkeyes continued to pour in the points and controlled Indiana.

Dropped out: Oklahoma (13), Nebraska (24), UCLA (25), San Diego State (27), Pitt (30), Arkansas (35), Vanderbilt (36), St. Bonaventure (37).

Considered: UC Irvine, Saint Mary’s.

March Madness National Team of the Week

Florida: The Gators were one of the biggest surprises and at times one of the most dominant teams in the country. The Gators beat previously unbeaten Tennessee 73-43 in Gainesville and then went on the road and beat Arkansas by nine. Florida starts the week at 15-1, 2-1 in the SEC and has a good chance to be 19-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC heading into the rematch on February 1st in Knoxville.

March Madness National Player of the Week

Cooper Flagg, Duke: The country’s best freshman, projected No. 1 draft pick in June, is now one of the top two candidates for national player of the year. Flagg is in second gear in the ACC. He scored 42 points with seven assists, six rebounds and 16 of 17 at the free throw line in an 86-78 win over Notre Dame. Flagg scored 19 points with 10 boards and five assists in a 76-47 win over Pitt. Flagg has scored double-digit points in six straight games and eight of the last nine games.

March Madness: The 10 Best Games to Watch

Illinois at Michigan State, Sunday: Big Ten schedulers got this right by arranging for two likely conference title contenders to play twice this season. The key for the Illini will be whether Kasparas Jakucionis plays or not.

Kansas at Iowa State, Wednesday: The Big 12 runs through Ames this season. If the Jayhawks want to take their usual spot at the top of the league, a win at Iowa State would undoubtedly help the cause.

Alabama at Kentucky, Saturday: The Tide got a monster road win at Texas A&M. Winning in Rupp gives the Tide an advantage in the battle to stay at Auburn, Tennessee and Florida.

Purdue at Oregon, Saturday: The Ducks are playing from behind after losing two games at home. The Boilermakers look like Big Ten title contenders again. This game could show where they will be in the race.

Ole Miss at Alabama, Tuesday: The Rebels have proven they can win on the road in the SEC. This is a big task, but will still be a barometer for them.

Texas A&M at Kentucky, Tuesday: When healthy, the Aggies are one of the best teams in the SEC. This should be another big test for Kentucky.

Auburn at Georgia, Saturday: The Bulldogs look like an NCAA tournament team after beating Kentucky and Oklahoma at home. Take out Auburn and the Bulldogs could also be an SEC title contender.

IIllinois at Indiana, Tuesday: The Illini are having a pretty challenging week on the road, especially without KJ. Indiana is in desperation mode. The Hoosiers need to win this home game after suffering a loss at Iowa.

Baylor at Arizona, Tuesday: The Wildcats are back in contention for the NCAA Tournament bid after a shaky non-conference campaign. Arizona starts the week 4-0 in the Big 12, while Baylor is just behind the Wildcats at 3-1.

Clemson at Pitt, Saturday: The battle for the second-best team in the ACC is on, and Clemson and Pitt are in the thick of the race for Louisville, North Carolina and possibly Wake Forest. This result could have an impact on who gets the second seed.