College basketball is finally back! It took a lot of work to get here, but this season looks to be a special one. Though it is still only December, it is never too early to see which teams we should be paying attention to when March comes around. Some teams have started the year looking extremely strong, but some others have not. March Madness, the best event on the sports calendar, is going to be very interesting this year especially since it is expected that all games will be played in the Indianapolis area to restrict travel. Overall, there is going to be a lot to look out for as teams are beginning conference play.
Contenders
These are some of the teams that have already proven to be the best of the bunch this year, and many of them are expected to do big things in the tournament. Some honorable mentions for this category include West Virginia, Tennessee, Houston, and Wisconsin.
Gonzaga (6-0)
The Bulldogs have been the best team in college basketball so far, and it has not been close. Jalen Suggs has proven to be one of the best guards in the country averaging 15.8 points shooting 54.7% from the field along with 6.0 assists and 2.2 steals. Corey Kispert (21.4 ppg) and Drew Timme (19.4 ppg) have been giving teams nightmares on offense, and Gonzaga’s competition has been elite. With wins against #6 Kansas, #11 West Virginia, and #3 Iowa, they have arguably had the best non-conference schedule in the nation (too bad that Baylor game was canceled), which is great for a team that does not get too many good games in conference play. Without a doubt, Gonzaga has been the top dogs in college this season going into 2021, and a title could be in their future.
Baylor (6-0)
The Bears have the best backcourt in the country. Jared Butler is a Wooden Award candidate who is crucial to this team's success. MaCio Teague and Adam Flagler (both average 15.3 ppg) are great scorers, especially from range, and Davion Mitchell has been a key on defense averaging 2.3 steals per game so far. Overall, Baylor has been shooting nearly 47% from behind the arc. Though their non-conference schedule was not as strong as Gonzaga's, they did have a strong win against #5 Illinois, and unlike the Bulldogs, their schedule gets better as they enter Big 12 play. Their games against Kansas, West Virginia, and Texas should be thrillers, and fans can’t wait to see what this veteran team can do in March.
Villanova (7-1)
Gonzaga, Baylor, and Villanova are the big three in the NCAA this year. The Wildcats are the most fundamentally sound team in the country, and they do not make many mistakes. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (16.6 ppg and 7.6 rebounds) has been dominant in his sophomore year, and Collin Gillespie has led this team well as he shows why many consider him to be one of the best guards in the country. Justin Moore and Caleb Daniels have also been crucial to the team’s success. As usual, Jay Wright’s team relies on the three for much of their scoring, and they do not turn the ball over. This is shown in their wins against #18 Arizona State and #17 Texas. They will continue to get tested in Big East play, which is always competitive, and the Wildcats will need to continue to play efficient and smart basketball if they want to win their third title in five years.
Iowa (7-1)
Luka Garza is the best player in the country, and there is no question about it. The obvious favorite to win the Wooden Award is averaging 29.3 ppg and 9.1 rebounds in his senior year. Like Villanova, the Hawkeyes also tend to depend on much of their points coming from the three, but Garza is able to balance it out with his dominance in the paint. The only big question mark for the Hawkeyes is their defense, which has been streaky, but their offense has been able to make up for it with 3 of their 7 games going into the triple-digits. Excluding the loss to Gonzaga, Iowa has not had a significantly close game yet with their best victory coming against #16 North Carolina. They will need to continue to have success on the offensive side if they want to win the extremely competitive Big Ten conference this year.
Kansas (8-1)
Kansas is the last of the main contenders. The Jayhawks are different this year since they do not have a definite #1 player, but there are many that can do the job. Ochai Agbaji (15.3 ppg) and Marcus Garrett (8.8 ppg and 1.5 steals) have led the team well as upperclassmen, and Ryan Braun has been able to provide some needed shooting. I do think that we need to see more from David McCormack, who has taken the role as the big man for the Jayhawks this year, though. Jalen Wilson (14.3 ppg and 8.0 rebounds) has had a stellar freshman season so far, and he is going to be very important if Bill Self’s team wants to make another Final Four run in the tournament.
Pretenders
These teams are not as good as some may think. They all have talent, but they each have a long way to go and more to prove if they want to change people's minds.
Kentucky (1-5)
Yikes! The Wildcats have had the worst start to a season for their program since the 1926-27 season, and they have been truly terrible. Kentucky was expected to be a top-10 team by many this year, but they were wrong. Though they have plenty of talent, many of the Wildcats’ freshmen, such as Brandan Boston, play like they are still in AAU tournaments, which will not work in college. John Calipari is going to need to work some magic to get this team going, or they might be NIT bound.
Duke (3-2)
Even though they have been much better than Kentucky, the Blue Devils have also been disappointing to start off the season. Though their two losses each came to teams ranked in the top-10 (Michigan State and Illinois), they did not show too much promise. Jalen Johnson and DJ Steward have been great in their freshmen seasons, and Matthew Hurt (18.8 ppg) has had a great rebound year as a sophomore. The main issue could come down to inexperience, but they could look to right the ship as they enter ACC play as one of the favorites to win the conference.
Illinois (5-3)
Ayo Dosunmu (22.6 ppg, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists) and Kofi Cockburn (16.8 ppg and 9.8 rebounds) are excellent players, but the Fighting Illini as a whole have come off as a tad overrated for many. Their losses were against strong opponents (Baylor, Missouri, and Rutgers), but wins such as the 2 point victory against Ohio have not inspired much confidence. The Illini have plenty of talent, but they could be playing much better. They have a great chance to prove themselves in Big Ten play, which will see them against plenty of ranked opponents.
Michigan State (6-1)
This one may surprise some people but hear me out. Rocket Watts (11.7 ppg), Aaron Henry (12.0), and Joey Hauser (12.1 ppg) are very good players, but the hype for this team has gone a little overboard. Their schedule has been fairly weak with only one win/game against a ranked team (Duke), and some of their wins have been unimpressive, such as the close games against Detroit Mercy and Oakland. Their 79-65 loss to Northwestern last Sunday sealed it. This can be a very good team, but they will need better guard play on offense. Without this, they could be an early exit in March.
Dark Horses
These are the teams that have gone under the radar so far, but they could make noise in March if the top teams are not careful.
Missouri (6-0)
Mizzou’s wins against #6 Illinois and #21 Oregon were very impressive. Mark Smith (14.8 ppg), Dru Smith (14.6 ppg), and Xavier Pinson (14.2 ppg) have all had great seasons so far, and I cannot wait to see this team battle Tennessee for the SEC title.
Texas (7-1)
Some may say that the Longhorns are ranked too high on the AP Poll (#10) to be underrated, but I disagree. Matt Coleman III (13.9 ppg and 1.5 steals) and Greg Brown (12.5 ppg and 7.5 rebounds) are elite players, and the team’s only loss came to #12 Villanova. They even won the Maui Invitational after defeating #14 North Carolina. Overall, the Longhorns could cause problems for Baylor and Kansas in the Big 12, and it would not be surprising if they were in contention for a Final Four spot in March.
Xavier (8-0)
With Villanova and Creighton playing well early in the season, many have looked over the Musketeers in the Big East. Xavier has been fantastic on offense this year led by Zach Freemantle (17.5 ppg) and Paul Scruggs (16.4 ppg), and the team has shot nearly 42% from three. Though their schedule has been weak so far, the Musketeers get a chance to prove themselves in the upcoming days, since their next two matchups are against the Blue Jays and Wildcats.
Rutgers (6-0)
It has been a while since the Scarlet Knights have been good in basketball, but they finally have a team this year. Ron Harper Jr. (24.0 ppg and 7.3 rebounds) is a superstar, and both Jacob Young (16.5 ppg) and Montex Mathis (14.0 ppg) are right there with him. Rutgers moved up to #11 in the polls this week after beating #13 Illinois, which was well deserved. With 4 out of their 5 upcoming opponents being ranked currently, the Scarlet Knights have a chance to move into the top-10, and their expectations are high.
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