10 bold predictions for college basketball's second half

The second half of the men's college basketball season is in full swing. Conference races are heating up, and Zion Williamson remains the best — and most exciting — player in the country.

We know that Tennessee is really good and the ACC is the best league in the country. But there is plenty of intrigue left before Selection Sunday. Predicting how we think things will play out over the final several weeks of the regular season and into championship week can be a dicey game.

Nonetheless, here are 10 bold, perhaps head-scratching, predictions before the ball's tipped for the final time in 2018-19 regular season.

Tennessee won't lose before the SEC Tournament
Wow, going out on a limb here. After all, the top-ranked Vols have won a school-record 17 games in a row. But the SEC might be the strongest it's been in years. Tennessee had lofty expectations from the get-go, but the closing stretch is when we'll see what Rick Barnes' squad can do. Two games with No. 5 Kentucky await, as do road games with No. 21 LSU, Mississippi and Auburn. That's not an easy slate, but the Vols are experienced, deep and confident enough to come out unscathed.

Purdue wins the Big Ten regular-season title
No team is playing better within the league than the No. 15 Boilermakers, winners of seven in a row. They're more than Carsen Edwards (24.5 points per game) and have won three straight on the road. Also, Purdue seems to have the easiest remaining schedule among those seriously in the mix for the conference crown. Its biggest road tests appear to be at Maryland and Indiana this month, and it doesn't have to face Wisconsin, Michigan or Michigan State the rest of the way. The Wolverines and Spartans still meet up twice, while the Badgers face both.

Kansas will be unranked come the Big 12 Tournament
Not only will the Jayhawks' amazing run of 14 straight regular-season conference titles come to an end, but there's also a good chance they won't even be ranked when the league tournament starts. This is the same team that opened 2018-19 No. 1 in the nation. After losing at Kansas State on Tuesday, 13th-ranked Kansas is 6-4 and tied for fourth in the Big 12. The Jayhawks, who have averaged just 66.6 points while going 1-6 on the road this season, still must visit TCU, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. Plus a rematch with league-leading K-State and a visit from Baylor don't seem like guaranteed home victories.

North Carolina sweeps the regular-season series from Duke
Not totally a stretch, but consider the Tar Heels have not accomplished the feat since 2008-09. The Blue Devils have all the young talent and really look tough to beat at the moment, but Carolina is playing some of its best basketball of the campaign. Plus, the Tar Heels have experience in seniors Luke Maye and Cameron Johnson. That should matter, especially in big games and in hostile environments such as Cameron Indoor. Meanwhile, UNC freshman Nassir Little will have something to prove against the dominant Duke rookies.

Washington runs the table in the Pac-12
For the moment, the Huskies are the class of the worst of the Power 5 conferences. To most that's not saying much, but they have won an impressive 11 in a row and their first nine in the league by an average margin of 13.1 points. This week's Arizona road trip should be the biggest challenge Washington faces on its undefeated quest. Also, Jaylen Nowell is someone to keep an eye on the rest of the regular season and beyond.

Nevada won't win the Mountain West regular-season crown
The Wolf Pack have the look of a Final Four-caliber team but face some tough road tests within the conference in the final few weeks of the regular season. A trip to San Diego State on Feb. 20 could be daunting, and the March 2 visit to Utah State will be all about payback for the talented Aggies. Also, a home date against Fresno State could be tricky, as the Bulldogs have been a decent road team this season.

Gonzaga drops a West Coast Conference game
This might be the biggest stretch on the list. The Zags entered the week winners of 12 in row. They've held their eight WCC opponents to 57.4 points per contest and won those games by an average margin of 29.1. So how is a loss within this league even possible? Look ahead to March 2, Gonzaga's final regular-season contest at rival Saint Mary's. The tiny gym in the northern California hills is never an easy place to play, and one could think the Zags will have an off day at some point before the madness of March really kicks in. This could be that day.

Zion Williamson will shatter a backboard
It's somewhat surprising this has not happened by now. Sure, Duke's stud freshman wants to be known more for his overall game rather than his above-the-rim theatrics, but really, we can't get enough of those rim-rattling jams. We can only hope for another "send it in Jerome" Lane moment. If Williamson is able to go above and beyond to bring the backboard down, we need Bill Raftery there again on the call.

Villanova doesn't lose again until the Final Four
The reigning national champs are heating up with 11 straight victories heading into play this week. The Wildcats still must play Marquette twice, the first in Milwaukee this weekend and face a three-game road stretch later this month at St. John's, Georgetown and Xavier. But Jay Wright has his team playing well; it's found a rhythm and confidence. Squads like that are tough to beat, especially one that's claimed two of the last three national titles.

Bill Walton named UCLA head coach
Let's have some fun with this one. Walton returns to his alma mater, one of his happy places along with Maui and any concert featuring members of the Grateful Dead. If UCLA really wants to hark back to the glory days of college basketball's most storied program, what better way than to hire one of its favorite sons. Walton might be a little out there, but one can bet his teams will play hard, move well without the ball and learn to love the game more than themselves. Even better if Walton could wear a mic during games.