College Basketball Pressure Index: Teams, coaches looking for big results

The college basketball season is at full force and that means fanbases across the country are locked in with every result, good and bad. The added pressure which comes with the homestretch of the regular season is mounting for coaches, players and teams across the country for various reasons.

Each year there are new storylines which pop up surrounding various teams, coaches and players which will determine how fans view the pressure of the season. Some will overachieve, others will underperform.

This article focuses on those who have either underperformed to this point or look dangerously close to joining that category. Some might be on the hot seat, others just have a reputation to uphold.

Check out which teams and coaches are currently under the most pressure to have a big month to finish the regular season and potential clinch an NCAA Tournament berth.

John Calipari

Perhaps no one in college basketball is under the consistent pressure John Calipari faces as Kentucky head coach. Expectations are sky-high each season and the fanbase shows no mercy when the results turn sour. After a string of underperforming years, industry experts would all tell you 2023-24 was crucial for the future of this coach-program relationship.

This got off to a good start and Big Blue Nation rallied behind the young team, but a recent skid saw Calipari make history as the only Kentucky coach to lose three consecutive games inside Rupp Arena. Pair that with slipping computer numbers and a clear weakness on defense, and the seat is heating up once more.

Calipari will need a strong run to close the season and a postseason performance worthy of praise to reset the clock and appease the Kentucky faithful, who he continues to clash with over a variety of issues.

Chris Holtmann

There have been several quality basketball players who have come through Ohio State in recent years, but Chris Holtmann and his staff have struggled to turn that into wins or conjure a deep NCAA Tournament run. The one-time Big Ten Coach of the Year is now 30-30 in his last two seasons and is clinging to life on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Despite the recruiting success stories and a run of NCAA Tournament appearances to start his tenure, all the positive points are quickly falling into the rear-view as fans grow frustrated over current results. With just two games left against Top 50 teams in the NET rankings, the Buckeyes need a clean month to restore hope.  

Jim Larranaga

Jim Larranaga has accomplished plenty in his career as a college basketball coach, finding success across generations of college basketball. However, just one year after taking Miami to the Final Four, he looks just about out of answers for this season’s squad. The Hurricanes have already lost more games than they did all of 2022-23 and have fallen almost entirely off the NCAA Tournament bubble.

At 74 years old, Larranaga is more likely to hang it up than be placed on the hot seat – especially given the success he has brought – but there is always pressure to maximize each season of your career. This one seems to be slipping away.

Dan Altman

Oregon has not made a trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2021. That fact seems hard to believe given the consistent success Dana Altman has brought to that program since taking over in 2010. However, he simply has not pressed the right buttons over recent years to take his talented-on-paper group off the bubble and into the field.

As the coach who delivered a Final Four run, he might not be on the hot seat yet, but it is hard to explain such disappointing results when you take a look at the recruiting rankings and transfer portal haul in these seasons. Another NIT run would be disappointing for all involved and raise questions about Altman’s ability to put the program back on track.

Texas A&M

Texas A&M came into the season as the darling of the SEC, picked by many to win the conference based on a late-season push and a bevy of returning players under Buzz Williams. Things have not gone to plan as the Aggies sit on the bubble again entering the final stretch. The same head-scratching losses which plagued them last year have popped back up and given the selection committee something to think about.

For Williams, the chance to string together back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances – something he has done as his past two schools – is important in building a program which can sustain success.

Colorado

Pressure is mounting for Colorado to capitalize on this rare opportunity. Not only do the Buffaloes feature NBA Draft prospects KJ Simpson and Tristan da Silva in an ideal pairing which will not last long, they also landed the No. 1 player in the 2023 On3 Rankings and five-star+ freshman Cody Williams.

With that trio here for one season only, Tad Boyle must make the most of a once-in-a-lifetime coaching chance to have the most talented team on the floor nearly every night. To this point they look the part of a bubble team but will leave more to be desired if they finish the season clinging to a spot before bowing out early. There is simply too much talent for this team not to succeed.

Mountain West

The Mountain West has posted a banner performance to this point, and really might become a six-bid league in the NCAA Tournament, so why the pressure? Exactly that. This is a rare chance for one of the top mid-major conferences to assert themselves as one of the best in the country by placing this many teams in the postseason with a real chance to impress.

In order to finish off the mission, the Mountain West contenders must dodge an obstacle course of results against each other which keep computer numbers high for those in the field, but also help the resume of those on the bubble. It is a delicate situation which is nearly unpredictable, but could determine how we view the 2023-24 season for this conference.

Juwan Howard (Again)

Juwan Howard is back on the Pressure Index, despite the best attempts to feature a fresh batch of faces, this list did not feel complete without this repeat appearance. Things have continued to go the wrong way for Michigan over the past month and show no signs of turning around.

Poor results, controversy and frustration from the fanbase are not a good combination for any coach looking to keep their job. Things have actually gotten to the point where one reporter recently asked Howard if he enjoys coaching.