College Basketball Tip Off, Let the Fun Begin

A slight nip in the air, half way through football season already, and preseason exhibition games being played means one thing. The MADNESS of College Basketball is just around the corner and we cannot be more excited. College Basketball is such a unique sport, in that the smallest schools from the smallest towns can put together a strong, well coached, talented group that can compete with the big dawgs of the basketball world and make runs in the tournament. The parody is like no other sport which is why the post season literally has coined the term “March Madness”. With the season just around the corner here is a quick preview of top teams, conference, and some dark horses to look out for.

Top Team Previews, Does Kansas Deserve #1?

Preseason rankings have already been released and with 5 of the top 10 teams to include the #1 team in the country, the Big 12 is projected to be the strongest conference in basketball this season. Kansas pulled majority of the top votes coming in at #1 and with the history as well as the returning players such as their senior guard KJ Adams Jr, and what seems like 12th year senior center, Hunter Dickinson, I understand why the voters believe the Jayhawks should have a season for the ages…. I say the voters don’t know ball. Is Dickinson going to continue to be a selfish player who seems to bring teams down everywhere he goes? Will they struggle to play teams on the road again this year? Will they need help from the refs to get a clearly blocked dunk to be called a foul in order to get passed the first round of the tournament? Only time will tell, and we will get a preview of just how strong this team is within the first couple games as they play #9 UNC on 11/8 and #7 Duke on 11/26. I predict Kansas faces a lot of adversity through conference play, makes it to the tournament but is eliminated in Sweet 16 round.

Duke potentially has the best player in the country with Freshman phenom, Cooper Flagg, as he continues to look head and shoulders above anyone he plays on the court talent wise. Flagg has the ability to be a generational game changer for Duke and lead them to a championship if able to overcome the inexperience he has as a freshman which I believe he will do. Expect Duke to climb in the rankings and have a strong run through the tournament, I predict Final Four is a lock for the Blue Devils.

Would not be right of me if I did not mention the defending back to back National Champions, Uconn. I believe it is disrespectful to Dan Hurley and his Huskies basketball team to not be ranked #1…..or #2 in the country…. but be placed at #3 behind Kansas and Alabama. Dan Hurley has proved that no matter what players leave to the draft or graduate, he is able to bring in the top talent, out coach anyone, and more importantly get his players to buy in and out work every team they play throughout the season. Hurley is the type of coach any player would want to play for from his passion on the sideline, care for his players, and his knowledge of the game. Uconn has made the postseason look easy as they have coasted through the tournament two years in a row to a championship. Not just winning games, but blowing teams out by 20+ points. Anyone who has watched college basketball knows this is not normal especially in the tournament, it takes a special team to do this. Until I see otherwise, Uconn is #1 in my rankings and is a lock for the Final Four. Prove me wrong.

Dark Horses

Everyone loves a Cinderella team in March Madness. Those teams quickly become the talk of sports as they claw and fight their way through the big dance beating the blue blood teams on the way. It is always fun to cheer for the underdog. Well I will give you three teams to keep an eye on throughout the season, if the talent turns out to be as expected and the injury bug stays away, these teams can be special this year.

1. Boise State, as they were picked as the favorite to win the Mountain West conference this year and their senior forward Tyson Degenhart was selected as the preseason conference player of the year. The Broncos are led by an experienced head coach, Leon Rice, and they are coming off three straight 20-win seasons with NCAA appearances. Expect them to finally take that next step and win the Mountain West as well as get the win against whoever the lucky team to play them in the first round is. My prediction: Conference Champions, sweet 16 appearance.

2. Wisconsin, with their returning senior forward Steven Crowl, a big 7ft 248lb monster in the paint, and returning sophomore guard John Blackwell, a young but experienced and scrappy big bodied guard who is not afraid to takeover on offense. Coming off a first round exit last season and reloading key positions and role players in the portal this offseason expect the Badgers to surprise the Big 10 this season and make a strong run through the postseason. My prediction: Make it to conference championship game, and make a push to the Elite 8.

3. UCF Knights, with one of the top transfer portal classes this offseason the Knights are loaded with talent that should be able to compete with anyone in the country and shock some of the top rated Big 12 teams. Being a part of arguably the strongest conferences in the country the Knights definitely have an uphill battle, but it also benefits them if able to clip a few of the top ranked teams giving them top wins on their resume to get an at large bid for the tournament. With this being said, Jaylin Sellers, their returning star shooting guard was carted off the court in their exhibition game against FGCU with an apparent back injury. While this is a big loss and it is still unclear on his return, the Knights didn’t hold back picking up guards, giving star Mikey Williams, former 5 star recruit a second chance on a roster. In the portal this off season UCF picked up more guards to include Keyshawn Hall from George Mason, and quick speedy guard in Jordan Ivy-Curry from UTSA. These transfers along with returning senior guard Darius Johnson will help the defensively focused Johnny Dawkins led UCF knights. Expect the Knights to stun more than one top ranked Big 12 team this season as they are my dark horse pick to win the conference and crazy enough I believe they have a shot at the Natty. This Knights team can hang with anyone because of the defensive capabilities and fantastic guard play.