Throughout the first semester of school at some of the nation’s most well known college campuses, things have stayed relatively quiet, except for an occasional home football game. But at schools such as Kansas, Duke, and North Carolina, every student, every alumnus, every fan, has been anticipating one date since April 1st. Soon Rupp Arena, Allen Fieldhouse, Cameroon Indoor arena and the Dean E. Smith Center, venues that that have stayed quiet for so long since last season, will be louder than over 100 decibels. Why? Because the ridiculous buzzer beaters are back, the jaw dropping dunks are coming, and the shocking upsets lurk on each team’s schedule. Cue the student sections, college basketball is back.
Last year the college basketball season, as usual, ended with an unpredictable NCAA tournament where the North Carolina Tar Heels topped the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the tournament title game. Following the championship, basketball fans went into an offseason depression, waiting for games to tip off on November 10. Now, with that day here, a lot has changed since the 2016-17 season ended. Teams such as Duke, Kansas and even the Missouri Tigers have added some key freshman talent, while Michigan State, Wisconsin and others having some returning studs that could make a case for the Wooden Award. There are so many teams that can make a case for a winning the national title. Listed below are the teams and conferences you need to watch in the 2017-18 season.
Think back to a Lake Forest Scouts basketball game a couple years ago against Stevenson. There was one 6’3’’ senior wearing the hated Stevenson green and gold who was drawing the attention of everyone at the game. That was Jalen Brunson, the same guy that won the NCAA title with the Villanova Wildcats just a few seasons ago. Now, in his Junior year as a wildcat, Brunson was recently ranked by ESPN as the 17th best player in the country. Ever since the Big East’s core group broke up in 2013 and added teams such as Butler, Xavier, and Creighton, Villanova has thrived in the conference. Brunson, along with junior Mikal Bridges will play the leadership roles for talented freshman Jermaine Samuels and even Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree. Jay Wright has another very talented roster, but there are plenty of improved teams in the Big East that will put the Wildcats’ championship hopes in severe jeopardy.
Last year the Xavier Musketeers became the tournament’s cinderella story after reaching the elite 8 as an 11 seed. This year, they are almost a lock to make the NCAA tournament and may be Villanova’s biggest threat for the Big East title. I caught up with LFHS alumnus and Xavier basketball team manager Avery Robbins to learn more about this star studded team.
The Big East, I believe, is one of the most underrated conferences in college basketball. Who do you believe will be the Musketeers biggest threat besides the Villanova Wildcats?
“You could say it is the most underrated, but it is also one of the best year in and year out. The conference believes in four year graduating seniors, and we have a lot of talented older guys opposed to conferences such as the ACC or the Big Ten. It is also right there with those leagues as the top in the country. Some other threats in our conference this year (other than Villanova) are Seton Hall, Providence, and St. John’s. A lot of other teams are potential NCAA tournament teams in our conference as well.”
Trevon Bluiett has been one of the most talked about players on the Musketeers. Besides him who is one player that will play the role as an X-factor, that could help especially help Xavier over the course of the season?
“I believe JP Macura holds the biggest role on our team. He’s probably the hardest worker in the whole NCAA. He’s a great leader, and plays very hard on the defensive end. He makes his teammates better. Also look out for freshman Elias Harden, Naji Marshall, and Paul Scruggs.”
What is the Musketeers strongest attribute that not to many know about?
“We are very hungry on defense, and we have a lot of great shooters.”
Trevon Bluiett, the senior from Indianapolis, will provide a leadership role for some of the team’s younger talent along with JP Macura, who is another player to watch for on this Xavier men’s basketball team. The Musketeers have a very talented roster managed by a fantastic head coach and will be among the teams to watch for in this 2017-18 season. Xavier is just one of the handful of teams in the Big East who have NCAA tournament potential.
The Seton Hall Pirates finally have a very good basketball team as well that is, believe it or not, a top 25 team according to the NCAA preseason poll. One of the main reasons that they earned this degree of recognition is because of their star senior Angel Delgado. Last year, Delgado averaged 13.1 rebounds for the Pirates accompanied by 15.2 PPG. Those numbers are only expected to rise this season. This is a team that could definitely shake up the Big East, but come tournament time, their lack of experience may affect them in a negative way.
Villanova, Xavier and Seton Hall all seem like locks to make the NCAA tournament, but the Big East does have some sleeper teams that college basketball fans need to keep an eye on.
Butler, Marquette, Providence, and Creighton were all tournament teams last year and could very well make a case for being tournament teams this year as well. Not to mention, St. Johns has improved significantly with a very dangerous backcourt consisting of Shamorie Ponds and Marcus LoVett, formerly of Morgan Park in Chicago, but the question that still remains is if they will be able to come out of the Big East with good enough records to make the tournament at the end of the season.
Sleeper Team: Butler Bulldogs
Out of all of these teams the biggest sleeper to watch for is the Butler Bulldogs. College basketball analysts have predicted the Bulldogs to not fare as well as the season prior, especially after losing former head coach Chris Holtmann to Ohio State, but I strongly believe that Lavall Jordan will keep Butler Basketball in good hands, while Kamar Baldwin and Kelan Martin will lead the Bulldogs to the tournament exceeding the expectations of many.
There has been one team that has dominated the Big 12 for quite some time. Over the past 13 years, the Kansas Jayhawks have at least won a share of the Big 12 title, and will look to earn their 14th straight this year, breaking the legendary 1966-1979 UCLA basketball conference title streak. Last year, the Jayhawks had Frank Mason III, who won the Wooden Award, along with Josh Jackson, who was a lottery draft pick. Both players are now playing professionally in the NBA. Thanks to head coach Bill Self’s recruiting skills, along with some veteran talent that decided last year not to declare for the draft, the Jayhawks maintain their position as being the favorite to win the Big 12. Senior guard Devonte Graham will provide the leadership role for some of the Jayhawks’ newer talent such as Malik Newman, the transfer from Mississippi State, and Billy Preston, the freshman from Virginia. It wouldn’t surprise me to see the Jayhawks get off to a rocky start, but gather themselves as the season goes on leading to their 14th consecutive Big 12 title including a 1 or 2 seed in the tournament.
As of now, the Jayhawks’ biggest threat will be the West Virginia Mountaineers. In the preseason rankings, the Mountaineers ranked 10th in the nation and for good reason. Senior Javon Carter will be one of many West Virginia players to watch for this season along with 6’8’’ forward Esa Ahmad. West Virginia has had the Jayhawks’ number at home for quite some time now and nearly beat the Jayhawks last year on the road in what turned out to be one of the most thrilling games of the year. In order to have a chance at winning the conference, they need to beat Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. If they can do that, as well as beat them at home, they could very well end the Jayhawks’ incredible streak.
The Big 12 has vastly improved in comparison to last year. TCU, Texas Tech, and Texas now all have tournament worthy teams while Baylor, who always seems to be among the best in conference, is improved as well. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi projected Wednesday that seven of the ten Big 12 teams would dance come March Madness. The Big 12 has all the makings of an impressive conference and consists of a group of teams that every college basketball fan needs to keep an eye on. This year may be the toughest year for the Jayhawks to repeat as conference champions.
Sleeper Team: TCU Horned Frogs
TCU has been awful at basketball for a while, but are starting to finally turn things around under Jamie Dixon. In fact, they nearly made the top 25 at the beginning of the season. After upsetting the Kansas Jayhawks in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament last season, the Horned Frogs stormed into the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) and won the championship by defeating Georgia Tech. This year they have the talent to shoot for an NCAA tournament berth along with battling amongst the best teams in the Big 12. Vladimir Brodziansky, who averaged 23.5 points last season, will lead TCU to what they hope is their first trip to the big dance since 1998.
The Big Ten has been one of the most unpredictable conferences in the country the past few seasons and nothing changes this season. With four teams ranked within the top 25 at the beginning of the year, it is safe to say that the Big Ten title is up for grabs.
Michigan State isn’t just the early favorite to win the Big Ten, but to also make the Final Four. The Spartans have a ton of players coming back from last season including early Wooden Award favorite Miles Bridges. Head Coach Tom Izzo’s squad will play a very tough schedule, which will only benefit them heading into the conference season. In their second matchup of the season, MSU will play Duke, then 14th ranked Notre Dame, and from there will play three games against currently ranked teams in the Big Ten. They certainly won’t go into the Big Dance undefeated, but the Spartans will have more experience than any other team in the tournament.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers basketball rebuild seems to be officially complete. Ranked as the number 15 team in the preseason poll, the Gophers have three returning guards that averaged over 11 points per game last season accompanied by a couple of freshman additions that could really help threaten the Spartans’ Big Ten champion aspirations. The biggest name to watch for will be Nate Mason. Last year, he averaged 15.2 points for the Gophers and will likely get more touches this year with the departure of Akeem Springs. Minnesota did a fantastic job of making themselves one of the top dogs in the Big Ten over the past four years. They definitely have a shot at winning the Big Ten along with making a big NCAA title run.
For what seemed like the first time ever last year, it could be said that the Northwestern Wildcats actually have a worthy basketball team to compete in the rugged Big Ten conference. For years, Chicago’s Big Ten team had been at the very bottom of the Big Ten standings, but in recent seasons, the Wildcats have been on a rise to the top. For the first time in school history, Northwestern made the NCAA tournament and is expecting to do much more this year, like making it past the sweet 16. In his final year as a Wildcat, Bryant McIntosh has become one of the faces of this Northwestern team, but of course can’t carry this team to the Big Dance on his own. That’s where players like Vic Law and Dererk Pardon come into play. Last year, Vic Law started all of Northwestern’s 36 games last year and managed to put up some big numbers, while Dererk Pardon will play the role of the big man for the Cats this year. Northwestern certainly has a shot at winning the Big Ten title this year, but with the talent that both Michigan State and Minnesota posses, I find it hard to see the Wildcats come out with the best record this year.
As of now, ESPN currently projects that half of the Big Ten will make the NCAA tournament. Other teams to watch for will be Purdue, Maryland, and Wisconsin. All three of these teams lost some incredible talent, ultimately relenting the trust of college basketball analysts. The Purdue Boilermakers are currently the final team ranked in the 25, and by the end of the season, I expect them to be out of the rankings and fighting for a five or six seed in the Big Dance. Teams such as Indiana, Ohio State and Michigan, who seemed to make an annual tournament appearance in the past, will work on rebuilding their struggling teams for tournaments in the future. The Big Ten will be a very interesting conference to watch, especially considering that some of these teams could be considered on the bubble come Selection Sunday.
Sleeper Team: Wisconsin Badgers
Look for the Wisconsin Badgers to fly under the radar this year in the Big Ten. Despite losing a lot of senior talent last year, the Badgers still have Ethan Happ and rising star D’Mitrik Trice. Wisconsin won’t do great in conference play, but will do good enough to be a 7-9 seed in the Big Dance at the end of the year. The Badgers have a reputation for being a dangerous tournament team no matter what seed they are. Just last year they took down the #1 overall team in the tournament, the Villanova Wildcats, in the round of 32. An elite 8 appearance may be a bit ambitious, but I would be surprised if this team doesn’t make it to the sweet 16.
The ACC last year was being praised as the greatest conference in college basketball; that is until eight of the nine teams they sent to the tournament didn’t make it past the round of 32, which was pretty pathetic considering their reputation and standards. But hey, at least the one team that did make it past the second round. They went on to win the national title.
The Duke Blue Devils are once again stacked with talent. Just to name a few of their headliners Grayson Allen, Marvin Bagley III, and Weldon Carter all ranked within the top 50 preseason players in the nation. The Blue Devils, who were awarded the #1 ranking to begin the season, will play a tough schedule. Not only will they play ACC competition, but they will also face off against Michigan State in their second game of the season. Duke, once again, has the potential to be a Final Four team, but that is contingent upon them not letting up in the first or second round like they have done in years prior. All jokes aside, Duke has another great team that could make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
After winning last year’s national title, the North Carolina Tar Heels have plenty of momentum coming into the season, but don’t expect them to repeat as champions this year. They lost a couple of key players and don’t have any big time recruits that are expected to ‘wow’ the NCAA community. Joel Berry will really need to carry this team into the tournament at the end of the season, and if he fails to exceed expectations, don’t be surprised to see the North Carolina Tar Heels get knocked out of the Big Dance in the second round.
In addition, Notre Dame isn’t just good at football. The Irish basketball team is looking mighty talented this season and may become Duke’s biggest competition. Bonzie Colson may very well be one of the finalists for the Wooden Award at the end of the year and Matt Farrell has developed into a very strong shooter. Needless to say, Mike Brey’s squad will make a case to be ACC champions and could be an unsuspected threat come tournament time.
The ACC will send a lot of the teams to the tournament again this year, and probably more than any other conference, but a lot of these teams are soft. Louisville’s recent off-season controversy that resulted in head coach Rick Pitino firing will only negatively affect them, and a team like Miami still does not impress me enough to think they could be a threat come tournament time. In conclusion, I’d say keep an eye on Duke and Notre Dame. Those are the two teams that I strongly believe could be final four candidates come April of next year.
Sleeper Team: Virginia Tech
According to 247Sports, The Virginia Tech Hokies have one of the best recruiting classes in school history this year. Players such as Justin Bibbs, Ahmed Hill, freshman Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Justin Robinson could all be some of the more underrated players in the conference. Just like any other ACC team, they will play a tough schedule that will prepare them for the Big Dance. After a devastating first round exit last year, expect them to bounce back and potentially make a sweet 16 run.
The Pacific-12 may not be the strongest basketball conference in the nation, but they certainly have a couple teams that should dominate the conference and potentially have big tournament runs. Per usual, Arizona headlines the Pac-12 along with UCLA, and for the first time in a while, USC, who ranked tenth in the preseason poll is high on people’s watch list. These three teams, along with my one sleeper, will ultimately decide this year’s Pac-12 conference champion.
Last year, Arizona’s title aspirations were cut short after being upset by the Xavier Musketeers in the sweet 16 in one of the most thrilling games of the Big Dance. This year, despite some players leaving the team due to graduation or the NBA draft, the Wildcats still are among the best teams in the NCAA. Junior guard Allonzo Trier already has people talking about him being Conference Player of the Year. Not to mention, Arizona’s new forward Deandre Ayton is the favorite to win freshman of the year. It’s tough to see any other team winning the Pac-12 this year other than the Wildcats.
The USC Trojans are likely the most happy to get the season under way after an FBI recruiting investigation over the offseason put a lot of scrutiny on the program. According to Steve Mims of The Register Guard, star player Jordan McLaughlin said “We are just trying to keep focused and control what we can control.” McLaughlin, along with Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright, are a big part of the reason why this team made the preseason top ten. If USC wants to have a chance at winning the conference, they need to beat Arizona both on the road and at home while maintaining a steady record. This team definitely has potential and will make the tournament as a high seed, but let’s be honest: this conference belongs to the Arizona Wildcats.
Other notable Pac-12 teams are the UCLA Bruins and Oregon Ducks. The Bruins, however, have been recently dealing with a tense situation oversees involving three freshman, including potential draft prospect LiAngelo Ball, who was among those accused of shoplifting in China and put on a 20 day house arrest. Despite the fact that these players will only miss a few games, it will affect UCLA in a very negative way. I am expecting the Bruins to underachieve this season, falling out of the top 25 and fighting for a 7-9 spot in the NCAA tournament at the end of the year.
Sleeper Team: Oregon Ducks
Despite losing Jordan Bell and Jordan Brooks to the NBA draft last year, the Oregon Ducks will be a team to watch for this season. They aren’t as talented as teams such as Arizona or USC, but their players will still have the same intensity that head coach Dana Altman always brings. Watch for them to have some big upset wins this season and make the tournament as an 8 or 9 seed.
The Kentucky Wildcats may actually not be a lock this season to win the SEC. Although the Wildcats may still be the favorite, there are plenty of improved teams that feature draft prospects and some senior leadership that may lead to the downfall of Kentucky.
The Texas A&M Aggies likely pose the biggest threat to the Wildcats. Robert Williams, who is in his second year, will be the focal point of this team as they look to surprise the basketball world.
With the addition of draft prospect Michael Porter Jr., the Missouri Tigers will likely make their way back to the NCAA tournament and fly under the radar in the SEC. Unless they can pick up some big wins this season along with maintaining a steady record, don’t expect them to be a top 25 team at the end of the year, but they could be a cinderella story in the big dance.
Ultimately, the Kentucky Wildcats will likely win the SEC, but will have much more competition than usual, which is definitely a good thing for their young team heading into the NCAA tournament. Not to mention, Kentucky will play the Kansas Jayhawks this upcoming Tuesday. Freshman Hamidou Diallo will be the centerpiece of this team and will need to exceed expectations to help get them to the final four.
Sleeper Team: Alabama Crimson Tide
Nobody seemed to care about the Crimson Tide’s basketball team a season ago. All of their athletic attention was directed to their football team, that is, until this year. Alabama barely made the cut for the RPI top 25 and almost made it into the AP poll. Freshman Collin Sexton will make a big splash in a very young SEC conference and will hope to lead Alabama to their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2012. The Crimson Tide have the ability to shake up the SEC making them one of the most interesting teams to watch this season.
Here we go. The new season is finally here and it will look nothing like last year. Some teams that may appear like national champions during the regular season will leave you shocked in March when they lose to a school that is not a traditional basketball power. Some teams that everyone thought would be on a down year will somehow claw their way into the NCAA tournament and could become this year’s cinderella story. That is the beauty of college basketball. This sport hard to predict, but the one thing that I can tell you now as a fact is that this year’s season will be incredible.
