Conference Darwinism.
It’s what happens when there are no more cupcakes on the schedule.
It’s when college basketball finds out exactly who has earned the right to be considered contenders.
It’s why the Big 12 and Big East schedule-makers didn’t hesitate to front-load league play with marquee games for its ranked teams.
It’s how a team like Butler can go from a top-10 team to barely mentioned at all.
It's one of the reasons to embrace the New Year.
Your weekly campus tour into what is and what was in college hoops begins now: