The must-see (good and bad) teams in college basketball

— -- Over winter break, college students across the country will use their post-finals freedom to clear their DVRs and binge-watch shows accumulating in their streaming queues. And they'll also make room for the catchy viral videos we tend to consume when we have extra time.

Yeah, right. We'll watch those videos anytime, anywhere.

On YouTube, "Funny Kids Fails 2016" (32 million) has more views than the Notorious B.I.G.'s "Mo Money Mo Problems" video (30 million). (How, people? How?)

Our appetite for greatness equals -- or surpasses -- our desire to see someone or something on the verge of collapse, especially when the stakes are non-life threatening. College basketball in early December offers opportunities for rubbernecking. We can't take our eyes off certain squads. Sometimes it's a captivating program that plays with a style or grit we enjoy. Other times, a team we expected to rise enters the month hanging on the edge of the proverbial cliff, and we wonder if it will salvage its season or implode.

But it's too early to panic. And it's also too early to make any assumptions. The good teams may stumble once conference play begins, and the shaky teams may recover.

Ask the North Carolina squad that lost its season opener to Santa Clara before securing the 2005 national championship. Or the Wisconsin team that lost four of its first five Big Ten games last season before it reached the Sweet 16.

After UConn won the 2011 national championship only weeks after a rocky 4-7 stretch, former star Kemba Walker said, "Every time we play hard, great things always happen to us."

Bad things, too.

We're enamored with the possibilities.

Teams we can't stop watching

Baylor Bears
Midway through the first half of Baylor's win over Xavier on Saturday, Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. set a screen for Manu Lecomte at the top of the key. He then rolled to a spot above the free-throw line. Lecomte snaked a pass between two Musketeers and found the big man who missed the shot. That doesn't matter. That free-spirited play embodies the carefree style of a Baylor team that's competing with a weightless vibe right now. They're inventive and creative. They're fun. And they're winning. Yet, this would not entail a true Baylor season without a twist or two. Don't take your eyes off this squad.

NC State Wolfpack
In gyms around the world, recreational players will compete in pickup runs this weekend. And every court will feature a dude who is not there to win or boost his cardio. Nope. He has one mission: buckets. Don't ask him to play defense. He's allergic to it. That's NC State's roster. Dennis Smith Jr. (18.3 PPG) leads one of the nation's most talented offenses. Defense isn't a priority for a team, however, that surrendered 88 points to Illinois in a loss and scored 94, but gave up 112 in a loss to Creighton. The Wolfpack is not here to get stops. Buckets. That's why they're in the gym. You need to see this show.

Duke Blue Devils
Of course you're watching Duke, which possesses the top offense in America per KenPom.com. Yes, we get it. And we all know about the injuries Mike Krzyzewski's team endured last month. We're still waiting for the debut of Harry Giles. But how will this work when everyone is healthy? On Saturday, freshmen Marques Bolden (7 points) and Jayson Tatum (10 points) made their collegiate debuts. And Luke Kennard scored ... 35 points??!!! The Blue Devils have a Kardashian-level pool of stars. Everyone, however, can't be Kim. Someone has to be Rob, and someone has to be Tyga. So how will these lineups flow if and when Giles returns? Who accepts a reduced role? What happens with Kennard and young guard Frank Jackson? So many intriguing questions about a team seeking another national title.

Texas Longhorns

Maryland Terrapins
In the first half of his team's win over Oklahoma State on Saturday, Damonte Dodd had two choices after he grabbed an entry pass with three Cowboys defenders in front of the basket. Would he find one of his open teammates, or would he attempt to drive through three big bodies in the lane? Well, the Maryland way demanded he go with No. 2. He did. And he nearly lost the ball and failed to score. The Terps don't like the simple things. Remember the nine-point deficit the Terps overcame in the final three minutes of their win over Georgetown last month? That's not crazy in College Park. This is a squad that's won three games this season by one point, and a fourth -- against Richmond on Nov. 25 -- in overtime. If you invest in a 40-minute matchup that features the Terps, they won't disappoint. They promise to make things more difficult than they should be.

UCLA Bruins
Lonzo Ball doesn't say much, but when he speaks, it's obvious he's a confident young point guard who always anticipates success. "At the big moments," he said after his team's win over then-No. 1 Kentucky on Saturday in Lexington, "you know I'm gonna come through." This comes from a young man who finished 2-for-8 from the 3-point line and committed five turnovers in the first half. But he never hesitated. He made big plays in the second half that helped UCLA extend its lead. Steve Alford's team is stacked with playmakers, but Ball is the most exciting player in America on the most captivating team in the country. And yet, last year's reversal -- the Bruins beat Gonzaga and Kentucky but missed the NCAA tournament -- makes many hesitant to put all their chips on the table and bet on this success to continue in Westwood.

Saint Mary's Gaels
Eleven. That's how many passes led to Calvin Hermanson's first-half 3-pointer from the left wing in his team's recent win over Stanford. Saint Mary's just moved the ball until it found an open look. It's breathtaking basketball both purists and casual fans alike can appreciate. Randy Bennett's squad, led by multiple international players, is sixth in the country with assists on 68.2 percent of its field goals, per KenPom.com.

Indiana Hoosiers
Let's revisit the Fort Wayne loss. Not to poke Hoosiers fans, but to highlight the traits that make Indiana one of America's premier must-see squads. By the second half, any observer could see the Hoosiers were stuck in a rare offensive funk (7-for-24 from the 3-point line). Well, take the loss and go home, move on to the next game, right? No. That's not what the Hoosiers did. They switched to that 2-3 zone and pulled Fort Wayne into overtime, where James Blackmon Jr. (a Fort Wayne, Indiana, native) played with that I'll-never-hear-the-end-of-this-if-we-lose attitude. It wasn't enough. Indiana lost. Kudos, however, to a team that played a true road game and made Fort Wayne earn every bucket. That's why you set the DVR every time Indiana plays. The Hoosiers may fall again, but they'll throw left hooks and uppercuts until they hit the canvas.

South Carolina's off-court issues Frank Martin's greatest challenge

During SEC media day in October, No. 19 South Carolina star Sindarius Thornwell reflected on last year's turbulent season -- the Gamecocks began the year by winning their first 15 games but missed the NCAA tournament -- and how he expected the program to change in 2016-17.

"Take everything in, the good and the bad," Thornwell told ESPN.com then. "The good is what you expect and what you want to happen always. But the bad is something you can always take and learn from. So just always try to take and learn from the bad and make sure the bad don't become a problem. And handle it and learn from it."

Now his words seem prophetic. On Sunday, the team announced Thornwell's indefinite suspension without offering additional details. Thornwell (18.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.1 APG, 48 percent from the 3-point line), the best player on the undefeated South Carolina team, has led the resurgence of a program that's ranked seventh in adjusted defensive efficiency by KenPom.com, four years after finishing 230th in Martin's first season.

Late last year, five players were suspended and two ultimately left the program after a BB-gun incident on campus. Freshman Rakym Felder was suspended indefinitely before the 2016-17 season after he was arrested on assault and other charges in October. Now, Thornwell has been sidelined. The headlines for the Gamecocks right now should emphasize their early success and promise. Instead, it's only prudent to wonder if off-court drama will again affect this talented squad's future.

Bad losses abound

Within the last week, multiple Power 5 schools suffered puzzling losses that only magnified the doubts about their prospects. We all knew Iowa had lost the bulk of its nucleus from last year. But how did the Hawkeyes surrender 98 points in a home loss to Nebraska-Omaha on Saturday? Pitt followed its double-digit win over Maryland with a loss to Duquesne last week. New Orleans went on the road Saturday and defeated Washington State, as the woes continued for Ernie Kent's squad. And then, Shaka Smart's team suffered a loss to UT-Arlington in Austin. Rough stretch for these high-major squads.

Kyle Washington proves hard work pays off

As a junior at Benilde-St. Margaret's high school in St. Louis Park, Cincinnati's Kyle Washington was a lanky, unpolished player who averaged just 8.8 PPG and wasn't even a can't-miss prospect in the eyes of his hometown Minnesota program. As a freshman at NC State (4.8 PPG), he still looked the part of a raw talent desperate for a better body and more diverse skill set. Last week, the 6-foot-9 forward earned American Athletic Conference player-of-the-week honors after he led his Bearcats team to a road win at Iowa State. He's averaging 17.3 PPG (61 percent inside the arc) and 9.0 RPG, all proof of the growth a determined youngster can enjoy if he persists./p>

North Carolina Central's Pablo Rivas hates missed shots

Who is Pablo Rivas? He's just a junior from Phoenix, Arizona (born in Panama), who loves lasagna and despises bad shots. He's only missed five this season. Of his 26 attempts inside the arc, he's missed just three (88.5 percent, No. 1 in the nation per KenPom.com). And he's 5-for-7 from the 3-point line. The forward is averaging 10.8 PPG in 21.4 MPG for NCCU.