NCAA Basketball: CSU Northridge at UCLA
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Maryland and Michigan State each began their seasons on the Misery Meter as the Terrapins started 1-3 with losses to Davidson and UAB, while the Spartans opened with a home loss to James Madison amid a 4-5 beginning to a highly anticipated campaign. But as we prepare to flip the calendar to 2024, both are staging rallies that could help them salvage their seasons.

The Terrapins have won seven of their last eight and will likely be 9-4 when they welcome No. 1 Purdue to town on Tuesday. Michigan State has won three straight, highlighted by a shockingly dominant win over Baylor on Dec. 16 that suggested the Spartans may still extend their streak of 25 straight NCAA Tournament appearances to 26.

With these recent surges, both Big Ten clubs have played their way off the Misery Meter. Their turnarounds should provide a glimmer of optimism for those who are struggling. The onset of conference play brings new hope and the chance to recalibrate against familiar foes. Some are in particularly desperate need of a reset, including several who were in the NCAA Tournament last season or close to it.

Below are the teams registering the highest on college basketball's Misery Meter as we bid 2023 farewell.

1. UCLA

UCLA's roster features seven international players representing six different countries. Of the scholarship contingent, seven are freshmen. Thus, it should be no surprise that fifth-year coach Mick Cronin seems a little miserable. His team is ranked No. 172 in the NET as of Thursday and has dropped four straight, including a home loss to Cal State Northridge. Cronin was blessed with incredible continuity within an excellent nucleus -- much of which he inherited -- during his first four seasons. That generation of Bruins has now departed, and the rebuild is off to a horrible start. UCLA's misery registers even more significantly than Louisville's because of how unaccustomed the Bruins are to such painful struggles.

2. Louisville

Louisville is 22-54 (8-33 ACC) over the past three seasons and 9-35 (2-19) over the past two under Kenny Payne. That a 19-point home loss to rival Kentucky on Dec. 21 actually felt like a respectable effort tells you everything you need to know about where this program is entering the 2024 calendar year. There is no hope for a turnaround. The only hope is that the Cardinals can snag a rockstar replacement for Payne who will immediately work the transfer portal to make this team competitive in 2024-25.

3. Vanderbilt

The misery began in the offseason when Vanderbilt lost several key players to the portal from a team that won 12 of its final 15 games. Instead of capitalizing on that momentum, the Commodores lost it in the transfer market and didn't land adequate replacements. With losses in seven of its last eight games, Vanderbilt is going nowhere fast as SEC play approaches. This program made seven NCAA Tournaments between 2007 and 2017, but this season is going to end with the 'Dores missing a sixth straight Big Dance.

4. West Virginia

What a difference a few months can make. There was a time over the offseason when it appeared the Mountaineers were going to land the nation's best transfer class. But the unceremonious implosion of Bob Huggins, subsequent roster attrition and injuries have all combined to leave WVU in a nightmare. At 5-7, none of its wins are against top-100 KenPom teams, and the losses include Monmouth, UMass and Radford.

5. Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State is 0-3 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities and just 6-5 overall with losses to Abilene Christian, Southern Illinois and a horrendous Notre Dame team. The Cowboys were the first team left out of the 2023 NCAA Tournament field, but they won't even sniff the Big Dance this season unless there's a miraculous run through the nation's toughest conference.

6. Arizona State

Arizona State was 11-2 with a handful of good wins at this time last season and still barely made the NCAA Tournament as one of the last four in. This time around, the Sun Devils are 6-5 with four of their five losses coming by at least 15 points. ASU also has a loss to San Diego and was lucky to survive at home against UMass Lowell. This team will still win some games in a bad Pac-12, but the Sun Devils need to do some self-reflection before entering the Big 12 next season.

7. Alabama

Alabama is ranked No. 9 in the NET and No. 8 at KenPom, despite the fact that it is just 7-5 and has dropped four of its last six. The Crimson Tide's standing in those metrics is the ultimate endorsement for tough scheduling. Since the losses are all to highly rated foes, they simply aren't being punished by the algorithms and computers. But, come on. The point of playing games is to win them, and this team isn't getting it done against anyone legitimate.