The Super Bowl is dead, eulogized and buried. Opening Day in the major leagues is still more than a month away, and the Stanley Cup and NBA playoffs aren’t yet visible on the horizon. So, being the sports fan that you are, one who can’t be sustained by anything but sports, you turn your lonely eyes to college hoops. If you’re like most casual fans, you don’t think much about college basketball until right about now. The problem, of course, is that much in the world of collegiate hoops has already happened. Plots are thickening, stories are unfolding. So in order to get your basketball mind in fighting shape, here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know to pretend you’ve been paying attention the whole time.
— Dayn Perry

Although Kentucky and Syracuse sit 1-2 in the polls at the moment, the nation’s top team might just hail from Columbus. The Buckeyes, despite playing a brutal Big Ten schedule, lead the nation in scoring margin and are ranked No. 1 in most computer rankings. Their resume includes nonconference victories over Duke and Florida, and their road loss to Kansas came with All-America forward Jared Sullinger out because of back spasms. If the Buckeyes can survive a (predictably) brutal home stretch, then the top overall seed could be theirs.

Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, Kentucky’s Anthony Davis and Vanderbilt’s John Jenkins are among those in the discussion, but Kansas’ Thomas Robinson might have the strongest body of work. The junior forward is averaging 18 points and 11.8 rebounds per game (good for second in the nation), and he has authored those numbers against one of the toughest schedules around.

Recent Final Four history has been notable for the rise of mid-major. George Mason struck the first blow in 2006 (as a record-low-tying 11 seed), and more recently Butler made back-to-back championship games, including a win over fellow-mid-major Virginia Commonwealth in last year’s semis. Who’s this year’s best bet to waylay our assumptions? Undefeated and Top-10 Murray State is, of course, the standard-bearer at this moment, but other realistic hopefuls include Creighton, Wichita State, Saint Mary’s, New Mexico and . . . Harvard? Yes, Harvard.

To the extent that it’s possible to overlook such a flagship program, North Carolina — consensus preseason No. 1 — seems a bit forgotten these days. Still, the Tar Heels’ body of work includes victories over Michigan State and Wisconsin, a place among the Atlantic Coast Conference leaders and a one-point road loss to top-ranked Kentucky. The Tar Heels' stretch run started Wednesday with a disappointing home loss at the buzzer to Duke, but UNC still has another chance against its archrival. The Heels also have a trip to Virginia and the ACC tournament. In other words, a No. 1 seed is still within reach.

. . . Creighton’s Doug McDermott. Unless you’ve heard of him, of course. McDermott, who’s the son of Creighton head coach Greg McDermott, is the nation’s third-leading scorer. And when it comes to scoring, Doug McDermott can best be classified as ruthlessly efficient: 61.6 percent from the field, 83.7 percent from the line and 50 percent from 3-point territory (as of Feb. 7). He’s the major reason that Creighton is one of the top teams in the country.

Ohio State might be the best team in the country. Wisconsin might have the best defense in the country, Michigan State remains a Final Four threat. The Big Ten, at week’s end, boasted five teams in the Associated Press Top 25 and led the major conferences in nonconference winning percentage. It’s possible the conference will net seven or even eight NCAA tournament bids. Not even the stalwart ACC boasts such depth.

Missouri, preseason 25th in both major polls, is contending for the Big 12 title and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A big reason the Tigers are exceeding expectations is Ricardo Ratliffe. Most notably, Ratliffe, who’s pitching in almost 15 points per game, is on pace to set the all-time season record for field-goal percentage — the record that Oregon State’s Steve Johnson set back in 1981. Presently, Ratliffe is shooting 75.5 percent from the field, through games of Feb. 6. Johnson’s record mark is 74.6 percent. Of course, Ratliffe is probably more concerned with leading Mizzou to its first Final Four.

The Murray State Racers — yes, the other other team from Kentucky — are the last undefeated squad standing. No, it hasn’t been the most rigorous of schedules — their signature win is probably at Memphis — but, on another level, undefeated in February is undefeated in February. So can Murray State enter the Big Dance without a blemish? The big test comes against a ranked Saint Mary’s team on Feb. 18. Not since St. Joe’s in 2004 has a team run the table in the regular season, and not since UNLV in 1991 has a team entered the NCAA tournament with an undefeated record. (St. Joe’s lost in its conference tournament.)

Shield your eyes, Pac-12 hoops fans. It’s not pretty out West. In terms of nonconference winning percentage, the Pac-12 ranks 11th (behind the likes of the Conference USA and the West Coast Conference). Although it’s conceivable that the Pac-12 will garner five or possibly even six NCAA bids, no team profiles as anything higher than a No. 4 seed. Needless to say, the league of UCLA and Arizona isn’t accustomed to such mediocrity.

Although the reasons are uncertain, scoring is down in 2011-12. This season, teams are averaging 68.35 points per game, which is the lowest mark since 1984. But wait, it gets worse (better?): Teams are shooting a paltry 40.1 percent from the field, which is the lowest mark since . . . 1960(!). In a related matter, Wisconsin — master practitioner of the suffocating defense — is giving up fewer than 50 points per game.