Insider trading

How teams will fare the rest of the season

Now that a thrilling Super Bowl is over, the sports world can start training its sights on college basketball as the hoops season heads into its stretch run. So as a public service to prospecting hoopheads everywhere, I herewith provide my third-quarter "stock ratings." These ratings don't necessarily indicate where teams stand now, but rather they reflect where each team's stock is trending based on where it has been and where I think it's going. So if we may roll the ticker ...

Alabama: SELL. Even casual e-traders could figure out that it's time to dump this stock. Was this really the No. 1-ranked team in the country just one month ago? Bottom line: The Tide can't score from the perimeter, which has allowed opponents to double-team Erwin Dudley with impunity. Game over.

Arizona: BUY. It's hard to imagine this team's price could rise any higher, but it will. The Wildcats are only just now coming together on offense, and their toughness and depth will create an even greater separation from the field in the postseason.

Connecticut: SELL. The Huskies still are not getting what they need at the point from Taliek Brown, which means they're searching for things that should have been found weeks ago. I don't see them making the late surge that I had envisioned earlier.

Creighton: HOLD. The Bluejays are headed for bubble territory (that's a stock bubble, not the NCAA tournament bubble), simply because they're dominating their league while top-ranked teams are losing. This is a good team that could make the Sweet 16, but if the Bluejays crack the top five, it's time to SELL.

Duke: HOLD. I was tempted to rate this a "sell," but the Blue Devils' stock, which was in an inflated bubble two weeks ago, has self-corrected, and I don't think it will go any lower. Keep your eye on freshman forward Shelden Williams. He had his best game of the year against Georgia Tech, but if he regresses, then call your broker lickety-split.

Florida: BUY. Danish stud Christian Drejer has not made any impact and Brett Nelson has been abysmal, yet the Gators have kept on winning. They have even more intangibles than talent, which is saying a lot.

Georgia: BUY. Most of the nation is still sleeping on these Dawgs, but the rest of the SEC knows how good they are. Any team that has three talented veteran perimeter players like Jarvis Hayes, Rashad Wright and Ezra Williams is worth owning.

Illinois: SELL. The Illini have the Big Ten's best player in Brian Cook, but as hard as it has been for them to win league games with three freshman starters, it will be even harder in the NCAAs.

Kansas: HOLD. I still think this could be a Final Four team, but only if Wayne Simien returns -- and is effective. The Arizona game showed there's only so far you can go with five players.

Kentucky: BUY. My goodness, these 'Cats are playing some serious defense! All props to Tubby Smith for getting them to adopt that identity, because they still can't shoot a lick.

Maryland: BUY. OK, I admit it: I was wrong about the Terps. I had lobbied the braintrust at Sports Illustrated to leave Maryland out of the magazine's preseason Top 20, and the Terps have proven themselves to be a tough team that is still getting better. However, I did write back in November that the key to their season was going to be whether Drew Nicholas emerged as their primary offensive threat, and that's exactly what has happened. So I'm not a total schmo.

Missouri: SELL. Ricky Clemons is a talented player who has no clue how to run an offense, and Rickey Paulding has been one of the real disappointments in college basketball this season.

Oklahoma: BUY. The Sooners begin a brutal stretch of their schedule next week, but they've improved consistently since the start of the season. And don't look now, but freshman forward Kevin Bookout is really coming on strong.

Oklahoma State: BUY. This team is truly sizzling, and it's not a fluke. The Cowboys are as fast and athletic as any team in the country, which gives them advantages over their more rugged brethren in the Big 12.

Pittsburgh: SELL. Don't get me wrong: This is a gritty team that could do damage in the tourney. But the Panthers are ranked second in this week's AP poll, so they have nowhere to go but down. I also think their suspect shooting will be their undoing.

Saint Joseph's: BUY. The Hawks are 14-2 and just waxed a very good Penn team by 18 points. How is it possible they're still not ranked?

Syracuse: BUY. The Orangemen finally cracked the AP Top 25 this week, and get Pitt at the Carrier Dome on Saturday. Perfect time to jump on this bandwagon.

Texas: BUY. You heard it here first: The Longhorns are going to the Final Four.

Mail Call

Finally, since the Final Four will be held this year in the world's greatest city, New Orleans, I will give preferential treatment to readers who reveal their favorite song by The Radiators, the legendary band from the bayou that is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. So fire away!

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