Wiedmer: UNC hoops suddenly needs work

photo Kentucky's Darius Miller, left, and Arkansas' Mardracus Wade go after a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012. Kentucky is one of four teams most likely to reach the Final Four.

Hard as it is to believe, the college basketball season is more than half done for most schools.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, for instance, is 9-10 on the year heading into Thursday night's Southern Conference game at UNC Greensboro. If the Mocs won every game possible the rest of the season -- including the NCAA title game in New Orleans on April 2 -- they couldn't play more than 22 more times.

The University of Tennessee is 8-9 heading into tonight's Southeastern Conference contest at Georgia. If the Vols won every game possible the rest of the way they'd wind up with 22 more starts.

Of course, the more likely scenario would have both programs playing 16 or 17 more games, then heading to the beach for spring break.

But given the contests already completed and the 10 weeks or so still to come, allow your humble scribe to hand out a few awards at the somewhat halfway point of the 2011-2012 season.

Four most likely to reach Final Four: Syracuse, Kentucky, Ohio State and Connecticut.

Four most likely to upset them: North Carolina, Kansas, Baylor and Vanderbilt.

Four behind those elite eight: Duke, Missouri, Georgetown and Florida State.

A final four to reach Sweet 16: Michigan State, Marquette, Indiana and Mississippi State.

Best coaching job to date: Murray State coach Steve Prohm. Once a clerk at a Tuscaloosa, Ala., Blockbuster in order to make enough to take an unpaid coaching position at lowly Centenary College, Prohm currently has the Racers undefeated (18-0) and ranked No. 12 in the newest Associated Press poll.

But that's only half the story. The 37-year-old Prohm actually graduated from Northwest Whitfield High School after the family moved from Virginia. When he went to Centenary he hooked up with coach Billy Kennedy, who eventually took Prohm with him to Murray State in 2006. When Kennedy landed the Texas A&M job last spring, Prohm replaced him, though only two starters returned.

Yet the Racers aren't only undefeated and favored to stay that way until the NCAA Tournament, but are also in the top 30 in the latest RPI rankings, which could earn them a No. 4, 5 or 6 seed come tourney time.

Best player to date: Creighton sophomore Doug McDermott, who is averaging 24.3 points and 8.5 rebounds for his father, Greg, who is the head coach of the 16-2 Bluejays.

Biggest disappointment: North Carolina. It's not so much that the top-ranked team of the preseason now stands 15-3 on the season. It's that the prohibitive favorite to win it all just lost 90-57 at Florida State in the kind of game that hints of off-court unrest more than on-court shortcomings.

Biggest surprise: Murray State is the easy answer here, but despite currently owning a losing record, Tennessee's heart and hustle -- plus the HUGE addition of 6-8, 250-pound (or more) Jarnell Stokes just might make first-year coach Cuonzo Martin's Vols the team no one wants to play come March.

Second biggest surprise: Florida State. OK, the Seminoles did ring up that 50-19 halftime lead on Auburn a couple of weeks ago, but since when would a (hoops) victory over Auburn be mentioned in the same sentence with a hoops win over North Carolina (oops)?

Point is, FSU coach Leonard Hamilton has long turned out some of the best defensive teams in the sport, but if the 'Noles' usual hit-and-miss offense ever comes close to matching its relentless defense on a consistent basic, FSU just might reach the Final Four for the first time since 1972.

Otherwise, the half season looks pretty much like the preseason at the top with the exception of UNC. And whether or not the Tar Heels regroup quickly enough to regain a No. 1 seed, you can bet that none of the teams above them want to see the Baby Blues in their regional.

After all, Kentucky went 2-6 on the road in the SEC last year and reached the Final Four. UConn finished the Big East regular season 9-9 and won it all. Halfway along doesn't mean all the way done. It just means everyone hoping to finish No. 1 still has work to do; the Tar Heels having a wee bit more than they'd planned.

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