Cyber Monday Specials: Who should you buy on special?

In order to help you maximize your online shopping on this Cyber Monday, we at CollegeBasketballTalk ahve provided you with a guide on who to buy, who to buy lots of, and who to stay away from after the first three weeks of the season.

Who are you buying on sale?:

Raphielle Johnson: Miami. I think some had their doubts when the Hurricanes lost at Florida Gulf Coast to begin the season, even with Durand Scott out of the lineup. With him back the perimeter play is much better, and they’re coming off of a solid win over Detroit. Get them cheap.

Dan Martin: Connecticut. Kevin Ollie has his team playing with house money, having been banned from postseason play this year. They caught the nation’s eye with a win over Michigan State to start the season and I’ll take them at 35% off.

Troy Machir: Maryland. Tight on funds but looking to surprise a fan of conference realignment? The trio of Len, Faust and Howard should bring a smile to any downtrodden ACC fan outside of the Tobacco Road Triangle.

Rob Dauster: VCU. The Rams are 3-3 right now, after dropping decisions to both Duke and Missouri in the Battle 4 Atlantis. You can get this team on the cheap right now, and it will pay dividends when they run through March.

Eric Angevine: I’ll buy some cheap North Carolina. Roy’s teams always hit some speed bumps in the early going, but a loss to a very good Butler team is nothing to hang your head about. This team always rounds into shape for ACC play. I’d buy Ohio cheap, but they aren’t really on sale. They’ll be overlooked all season until March, when everyone realizes how good this team really is. Always in the bargain bin, but they don’t belong there.

David Harten: Colorado. As far as most pundits were concerned entering the season, it was Andre Roberson and the rest of the Buffaloes. They’ve proven they’re not one-dimensional with a prolific scorer in Askia Booker and have received a boost from freshman Josh Scott.

Who are you buying three of on sale to resell on Craigslist for profit?:

Eric Angevine: I’ll buy three of Minnesota on sale, and try to resell for a profit. I’ll admit that I’m shorting them, because I think the team is good enough to win 20 games, but will be cut down to size in the Big Ten. They ain’t that good.

Rob Dauster: Missouri. I had the Tigers top five in the preseason. No one else did, and everyone else’s opinion of them went down when Mizzou got run out of the Dance Hall by Louisville in the Bahamas. But the Tigers are playing without their two best wing-scorers in Mike Dixon and Jabari Brown. Get them now.

Dan Martin: Pittsburgh is under the radar at this point, so I’ll gladly grab three of them and sell high later in the season. James Robinson and Tray Woodall make up a very solid backcourt.

Raphielle Johnson: Montana. The Grizzlies moved to 3-1 with a one-point win over San Diego and they’ve got a trip to BYU on Wednesday night. But this is all happening with Will Cherry out of the lineup. When he returns in December Montana will be the team expected by many to not only win the Big Sky but possibly scare someone in the Big Dance.

David Harten: Drexel. Bruiser Flint returned a ton of talent from last season’s team, but is currently sitting at 2-4 after losses to Xavier, St. Mary’s, Kent State and Illinois State, three of which have legitimate shots at the NCAA Tournament. On paper, some sucker would take this bargain, though in the end it might be a good one.

Troy Machir: Davidson. A relatively cheap gift considering their 3-3 record, but with close losses to Gonzaga and New Mexico along with a few more high-profile, non-conference opponents still remaining, the Wildcats could be a very desirable commodity for bracket enthusiasts come March. De’Mon Brooks is safe for children 12 and up.

Who are you avoiding, even at a 50% discount?:

Troy Machir: The A-10. It looks like a great gift now, but after a month of non-conference play, how confident are you with the over-priced investment you are likely to make now? Hold off until the President’s Day sale.

Dan Martin: Memphis. The Tigers came into the Battle 4 Atlantis ranked in the Top 20 and leave with two losses and a narrow win over Northern Iowa.

Rob Dauster: I’ll give you two: Baylor and UNLV. The Bears lost at home to Charleston and have, once again, failed to play up to their talent level. UNLV’s roster concerns are beginning to manifest themselves. Stay away from both.

David Harten: UCLA. The Bruins just tanked a game against Cal Poly. Before that, it took overtime to beat UC-Irvine and they squeaked past a Georgia team that got owned at home by Youngstown State. Maybe this is too knee-jerk, but there was a warning label attached to this team from the beginning. And it’s starting to show why.

Eric Angevine: UCLA obviously. So the non-obvious answer is Memphis. Great talent as usual, but not gelling as a team.

Raphielle Johnson: UCLA. That front court. Don’t even know what to say after their loss to Cal Poly, in which they were outscored by the Mustangs 28-16 in the paint. There’s talent on the perimeter but teams that get to the Final Four have dependable interior options. Bruins don’t have those right now.