BY: Tony LiebertThis year NCCA Tournament started out slow, but it sure has heated up as of late. The Final Four terrific storylines, Michigan State is the team who is always in big games, Virginia is coming off of being the first one seed to get upset in the first round by a 16 seed. And Texas Tech and Auburn are two of the hottest teams in the country. April 6th, 2019 5:09 pm. CT #1 VIRGINIA (33-3) vs. #5 AUBURN (30-9) VIRGINIA CAVALIERS Virginia’s Previous tournament games: - (Round of 64) vs. #16 Gardner Webb: 71-56 - (Round of 32) vs. #9 Oklahoma: 63-51 - (Sweet 16) vs. #12 Oregon 53-49 - (Elite 8) vs. #3 Purdue 80-75 F/OT Virginia comes into the Final Four as the only one seed left in the tournament. Virginia has only lost three basketball games this season, two of them were against Duke, and the third was a tough loss against Florida State in the ACC tournament. The Cavaliers are led by three main players. Their “big-3” is junior guard Kyle Guy (15.2 PPG, 42.7 3P%), sophomore forward Deandre Hunter 14.9 PPG, 5 RPG), and junior point guard Ty Jerome (13.3 PPG, 5.4 APG). Virginia has always been known as one of the best defensive teams in the country, for as long as Tony Bennett has been their head coach. This year is no different, Virginia has held their teams to an average of 55.4 points per-game which is number one in the country. This year Virginia’s offense is much more complete than it ever has been. They still play at their normal “slow paced” level offense, but they have three offensive studs. Kyle Guy was recently named a 3rd team AP-All American. Guy may be the best 3-point shooter in the entire country, he has shot 42.7 percent from the arc this season which was 19th in the country. He had more 3 point attempts than any of the 19 players ahead of him so I’d consider him the most efficient 3 point shooter in the country. Ty Jerome is one of the most complete point guards in the entire country. This year Jerome is 6th in the country in turnover to assist ratio 3.24. Jerome is also very active on the defensive end averaging 1.5 steals a game. All of this has led to Jerome having a very good chance of being drafted in the first round next season. Jerome and Guy may be the best backcourt left in the tournament. DeAndre Hunter is the most talented player on Virginia. Hunter was recently named the NABC (national association of basketball coaches) defensive player of the year. Hunter is one of the most well rounded players in the country which will lead him to being a top 5 pick in next year’s draft. Pictured above: (left to right) Kyle Guy, DeAndre Hunter, Ty Jerome AUBURN TIGERS Auburn’s previous tournament games: (Round of 64) vs. #12 New Mexico State 78-77 (Round of 32) vs. #4 Kansas 89-75 (Sweet 16) vs. #1 North Carolina 97-80 (Elite 8) vs. #2 Kentucky 77-71 Auburn came into this year’s tournament as one of the hottest teams in the country which they turned into a final four run. Auburn was the 5th seed in their own conference tournament. They headed into the postseason 4 game win streak and a big win against 4th ranked Tennessee. In the SEC tournament Auburn started out by taking down Missouri, then South Carolina, then Florida, and lastly Tennessee in the championship. Auburn is known as one of the best offenses in the entire country. They’re the best 3 point shooting team in the country averaging 11.4 makes per game. Auburn played most of the season with talented trio, senior guard Bryce Brown (16 PPG, 1.1 SPG), junior point guard Jared Harper (15.4 PPG, 5.8 APG), and sophomore big man Chuma Okeke (12 PPG, 6.8 RPG). Unfortunately Chuma Okeke suffered a torn ACL against North Carolina, and will be out for the rest of the season. The backcourt duo of Jared Harper and Bryce Brown are one the most underrated in the entire country, which played a large part in Auburn making a run into the Final Four. Both Harper and Brown are incredibly quick and terrific at creating their own shot. Pictured above: (left to right): Bryce Brown, Jared Harper Prediction: Virginia and Auburn’s talented guards will both be able to put up points and play their own game against each other. The X-Factor on Virginia’s side will be DeAndre Hunter. If Hunter is on his game and making shots, I don’t see a way that Virginia loses this game. If Auburn wants to pull the upset in this game they will need to find offensive production after Harper and Brown. I expect Virginia’s defense will slow down Auburn’s prolific offense, Auburn’s insane 3-point shooting streak will finally end. and Virginia will advance to the championship game. SCORE: Virginia: 72 Auburn: 60 April 6th, 2019 7:49 pm. CT. #2 MICHIGAN STATE (32-6) vs. #3 TEXAS TECH (30-6) MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS Michigan State’s previous tournament games: - (Round of 64) vs. #15 Bradley 76-65 - (Round of 32) vs. #10 Minnesota 70-50 - (Sweet 16) vs. #3 LSU 80-63 - (Elite 8) vs. #1 Duke 68-67 This will be Michigan State’s head coach Tom Izzo’s 8th final four appearance during his time in East Lansing. As Michigan State always is, this season they’re a well rounded team led by mostly veteran players. They came into the tournament as winner of the Big 10 regular season and tournament titles. The Spartans have depth at almost every position and if anything their weakness would just be consistency. Junior guard Cassius Winston (18.9 PPG, 7.6 APG) has been the heart and soul of their team all year. They also have great front court depth led by junior Nick Ward (13.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG), sophomore Xavier Tillman (10.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG), and senior Kenny Goins (8.1 PPG, 9 RPG). Point guard Cassius Winston is one the best point guards and players in the entire country. Winston was the Big 10 player of the year, first team all-american, and Wooden Award (player of the year) finalist. Cassius has been tough to stop for opposing point guards all season. The strength of Michigan State’s team is their front court. They have terrific depth led by Nick Ward who has been battling a hand injury in the second half of the season, to go along with great rebounders Xavier Tillman and Kenny Goins. The Spartans are tied for fifth in blocked shots per game, and ninth in rebounds per game. Their front court has been one of the best in the country all season. Pictured above: Cassius Winston TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS Texas Tech’s previous tournament games: - (Round of 64) vs. #14 Northern Kentucky 72-57 - (Round of 32) vs. #6 Buffalo 78-58 - (Sweet 16) vs. #2 Michigan 63-44 - (Elite 8) vs. #1 Gonzaga 75-69 If Virginia is the best defensive team in the country Texas Tech is a close second. They have allowed 59 points per game this season, which is third in the country. They have had one of the best seasons in program history winning the Big 12 regular season title. Texas Tech is a guard led team, starting with sophomore Jarrett Culver (18.9 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3.7 APG), sophomore Davide Moretti (11.6 PPG, 46.3 3P%), and senior Matt Mooney (11 PPG, 3.4 APG). Texas Tech is 7th in the country in scoring margin, winning by an average of 13.9 points per game. The Red Raiders have had a very dominant path coming into the Final Four, only being challenged by Gonzaga in the Elite 8. Winning by 15+ every game before that. If Texas Tech can play at their pace they’re one of the toughest teams to beat in the entire country. The success of Texas Tech has came when their role players after Jarrett Culver have performed well. Davide Moretti is one of the best shooters in the country, Matt Mooney is classic hard-nosed college point guard, lastly Texas Tech’s paint is patrolled by Tariq Owens who has averaged 2.4 blocks per game which is 12th in the country. When this trio plays well Texas Tech has almost been unbeatable this season. Jarrett Culver has been one of the most improved players in the country this season. He was awarded Big 12 player of the year, and second team all-american. He increased his scoring from 11.2 per game last season to 18.9 this season. He has been one of the best shot creators in the country. Culver has played himself into being a probable top 10 pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Pictured above: Texas Tech celebrating after defeating Gonzaga in the West Regional final. Prediction: The matchup to watch in this game will be Michigan State’s Matt McQuaid vs. Texas Tech’s Jarrett Culver. I don’t think McQuaid will be able to slow down Culver which will be tough to come back from for the Spartans. On the other side I think Matt Mooney and Davide Moretti will be able to slow down Cassius Winston enough, for Culver to take over on the other side. Texas Tech’s dominant run will not be slowing down and they will carry it into a National Championship appearance. Score: Texas Tech: 67 Michigan State: 62 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Monday, April 8th, 2019 8:00 pm. CT #1 VIRGINIA vs. #3 TEXAS TECH Prediction: In this game I think Virginia’s high scoring knockdown shooting back court will be very tough to stop for Texas Tech, and too much for their sup-par back court to defend. Jarrett Culver will most likely be guarded by the countries best perimeter defender DeAndre Hunter, and it will take a lot for Culver to be successful. I think Texas Tech will struggle to find offense and Virginia will be cutting down the nets in Minneapolis. Score: Virginia 67 Texas Tech: 60 Pictured above: Virginia head coach Tony Bennett
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BY: Tony LiebertThis years College Basketball season has been nothing short of spectacular. Now it's time for the greatest postseason in all of sports... FIRST FOUR (March 19-20) #16 NC Central vs. #16 North Dakota State NC Central won the MEAC conference tournament, and NDSU won the Summit League. I think NC Central seems to have always been in the tournament, and I think their experience takes them over the Bison. Prediction: NC Central #11 Belmont vs. #11 Temple Belmont is one of the most talented mid majors in the country. They are led by NBA prospect Dylan Windler. Temple has been quite inconsistent this year but they are led by talented guard Shizz Alston Jr. I think Belmont takes down Temple in a close one. Prediction: Belmont Dylan Windler following a big win for Belmont. #16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. #16 Prairie View A&M Prairie View A&M started the year 0-11 and they are now 21-12, that insane streak makes me think they advance to the round of 64 Prediction: Prairie View A&M #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Saint John's Saint John's has one of the most exciting players in the country Shamorie Ponds. I think St. John's struggles on the defensive end which will lead to Arizona State and HC Bob Hurley taking home the win. Prediction: Arizona State Round 1 (Round of 64) East Region #1 Duke vs. #16 NC Central Duke loosing to NC Central would be the greatest upset in history of modern sport. Prediction: Duke #8 VCU vs. #9 UCF UCF has one of the most polarizing players in the country 7'7" Tacko Fall. But I think UCF's recent inconsistency will be too much to get over. VCU played very well against many tournament teams, and I think the Rams advance to the round of 32. Prediction: VCU #5 Mississippi State vs. #12 Liberty Mississippi State is led talented guards Quinndary Weatherspoon, and Lamar Peters. I think that one two combo will be too much to handle for a slow paced Liberty team. Prediction: Mississippi State #4 Virginia Tech vs. #13 Saint Louis Virginia Tech is led by great defense and three point shooting. They have two talented guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to go along with Justin Robinson who is returning from injury. The Hokies will be too much to handle for Saint Louis. Prediction: Virginia Tech #6 Maryland vs. #11 Belmont I think Dylan Windler and Belmont will be one the cinderella stories of this tournament. I think they will add another win against Maryland. Prediction: Belmont #3 LSU vs. #14 Yale LSU's head coach Will Wade is currently suspended for "reportedly" paying his players. I think Yale's NBA guard Miye Oni to along with LSU's controversy, will be too much to overcome and Yale will get the upset. Prediction: Yale Ivy League player of the year, guard Miye Oni #7 Louisville vs. #10 Minnesota Minnesota has been playing their best basketball of the season as of late with Jordan Murphy bullying opposing teams in the post, and I think head coach Richard Pitino will want to make his father proud defeating his old team. Prediction: Minnesota #2 Michigan State vs. #15 Bradley Bradley will be incredibly outmatched in this game and expect Michigan State to roll. Prediction: Michigan State Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 Duke vs. #8 VCU Although VCU is a very underrated team, they don't have enough fire power to slow down Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish. Prediction: Duke #4 Virginia Tech vs. #5 Mississippi State I think the combo of Alexander-Walker, and Justin Robinson, will be too much to handle for Lamar Stephens, and Quinndary Weatherspoon, and Virginia Tech will advance to the Sweet 16. Prediction: Virginia Tech #11 Belmont vs. #14 Yale Dylan Windler vs. Miye Oni would be and incredibly underrated matchup. Belmont's depth will lead them overtop of Yale. Prediction: Belmont #2 Michigan State vs. #10 Minnesota Minnesota's horrendous three point shooting will catch up to them, and Michigan State PG Cassius Winston will take advantage of Minnesota not having a true point guard. Prediction: Michigan State Cassius Winston, Michigan State point guard. Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 Duke vs. #4 Virginia Tech Duke is 333rd in the country in 3 point percentage... that is out of 351 teams. I think Duke's putrid shooting will lead to them getting upset, and Virginia Tech is the team to do it. They are great defensively and top 10 in 3 point shooting, while having two talented guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Justin Robinson to lean back on. Prediction: Virginia Tech Justin Robinson (left) Nickeil Alexander-Walker (right) Virginia Tech's star tandem of guards. #2 Michigan State vs. #11 Belmont I think Belmont's magic will run out. Cassius Winston is the best point guard in the country and I expect him to facilitate and find Belmonts weaknesses. Prediction: Michigan State Elite 8 (Round of 8) #2 Michigan State vs. #4 Virginia Tech Michigan State is a guard led team, Cassius Winston. To go along with big man Nick Ward. I think Virginia Tech big man can shut down Nick Ward, and like I've said Virginia Tech's guards are very talented. The Hokies and Buzz Williams will be my first team in the final four. Prediction: Virginia Tech Round 1 (Round of 64) West Region #1 Gonzaga vs. #16 Prairie View A&M Gonzaga may be the most talented team in the country behind Duke, I don't expect much of a competition in this one. Prediction: Gonzaga #8 Syracuse vs. #9 Baylor I never like to pick against Syracuse in the tournament, their "famous" 2-3 zone will be too much to handle for Baylor. Prediction: Syracuse #5 Marquette vs. #12 Murray State This might be the most exciting matchup of the first round. Ja Morant, Murray State guard vs. Markus Howard, Big East player of the year. I think Morant gets the best of Marquette and advances to the round of 32. Prediction: Murray State Ja Morant (left) Markus Howard (right). #4 Florida State vs. #13 Vermont Florida State is one of the deepest teams in the country, and is coming off a big ACC tournament performance which will lead to a victory over Vermont. Prediction: Florida State #6 Buffalo vs. #11 Arizona State Buffalo is one of the most talented mid majors in recent memory, and are led by multiple seniors. I think Buffalo's experience from last season taking down Arizona last March, and talented guard C.J. Massinburg will lead to another tournament run. Prediction: Buffalo #3 Texas Tech vs. #14 Northern Kentucky Texas Tech's Jarrett Culver, is one of the most talented players in the country. I think Texas Tech's intense defense will be too much to handle for Northern Kentucky. Prediction: Texas Tech #7 Nevada vs. #10 Florida Nevada is one of the most experienced teams in the country, with their starting lineup averaging an age of 23. I think Jordan Caroline, plus twins Caleb and Cody Martin will take down Florida. Prediction: Nevada #2 Michigan vs. #15 Montana Michigan point guard Zavier Simpson and his patented hook shot will be too much to handle for Montana. Prediction: Michigan Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 Gonzaga vs. #8 Syracuse Gonzaga is led by Japanese born forward Rui Hachimura, elite level shot blocker Brandon Clarke, and terrific point guard Josh Perkins. Gonzaga also just got back Killian Tillie from injury, who is an elite level three point shooter. Gonzaga's fire power will be too much for Syracuse's zone defense. Prediction: Gonzaga Rui Hachimura, Gonzaga forward. #4 Florida State vs. #12 Murray State Murray State's Ja Morant has been arguably the most exciting player in the country this season. Morant will most likely be a top 3 pick in this year's draft. Florida State may be deep, but they don't have a true PG to guard Morant. So I expect the Racers to move onto the sweet 16. Prediction: Murray State #3 Texas Tech vs. #6 Buffalo Buffalo's trio of CJ Massinburg, Nick Perkins, and Jeremy Harris will be to much to handle for Jarrett Culver, and Texas Tech's lack of depth. Prediction: Buffalo #2 Michigan vs. #7 Nevada Historically all four two seeds very rarely make it to the sweet 16 and I think this year will be no different. Nevada's big man Jared Caroline will be too much for Jon Teske or Iggy Brazdekis. I think Nevada will pull the upset here. Prediction: Nevada Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 Gonzaga vs. #12 Murray State I think Murray's State's lack of depth catches up with them and their run ends here. Gonzaga's front court of Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura, and Killian Tillie, is far superior to Murray State's. Prediction: Gonzaga #6 Buffalo vs. #7 Nevada This was a very tough matchup for me. But I think Nevada having a sweet 16 appearance last year and Buffalo not having a real post presence with lead to a Nevada win. Prediction: Nevada MAC player of the year C.J. Massinburg. Elite 8 (Round of 8) #1 Gonzaga vs. #7 Nevada Both teams have incredible talent and experience and both have a great chance to win. But at the end of the day Gonzaga plays in games like this year after year, and they will pull out a win in a close one. Killian Tillie would be the x-factor. Prediction: Gonzaga Nevada's twin guards Caleb and Cody Martin. Round 1 (Round of 64) South Region #1 Virginia vs. #16 Gardner-Webb Gardner-Webb is no UMBC and I think Virginia will be motivated to win by nearly 1 billion points. Prediction: Virginia #8 Ole Miss vs. #9 Oklahoma Both of these teams have been incredibly mediocre this year. I expect Oklahoma's three point shooting and guard Brady Manek to take them past Ole Miss. Prediction: Oklahoma #5 Wisconsin vs. #12 Oregon Wisconsin struggled mightily to score the ball this season. Oregon has won 10 games in a row, while winning the Pac 12 Championship. They has two talented guard Payton Pritchard, and Louis King, which will lead the Ducks past Wisconsin. Prediction: Oregon #4 Kansas State vs. #13 UC Irvine UC Irvine has been playing terrific, mowing through their conference tournament. When I look for an upset team I like the team to have a star they can lean on, when they begin to struggle. UC Irvine does not have that, so I expect K-State to squeeze by. Prediction: Kansas State #6 Villanova vs. #11 Saint Mary's Saint Mary's played a perfect game against Gonzaga to even get into the tournament. I think Villanova's experienced players Phil Booth, and Eric Paschall will be play themselves into the round of 32. Prediction: Villanova #3 Purdue vs. #14 Old Dominion Old Dominion is one of the feel good stories of the whole tournament. Their head coach Jeff Jones is currently battling prostate cancer, and I think Old Dominion will carry coach Jones into the next round. Prediction: Old Dominion Pictured above: Old Dominion head coach Jeff Jones #7 Cincinnati vs. #10 Iowa Cincinnati is one of the best defensive teams in the country, and they are led by AAC player of the year, guard Jaron Cumberland. Iowa has struggled as of late and I think their struggles will continue. Prediction: Cincinnati #2 Tennessee vs. #15 Colgate Tennessee will be incredibly motivated following a disappointing end to their regular season, so I expect them to roll. Prediction: Tennessee Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 Virginia vs. #9 Oklahoma Virginia's offensive fire power is arguably the best ever in the "Tony Bennet era." Kyle Guy is one of the best 3 point shooters in the country, DeAndre Hunter in one of the best defenders, and Ty Jerome is one of the best point guards. That trio will be way too much for Oklahoma. Prediction: Virginia #4 Kansas State vs. #12 Oregon Kansas State's best player, Dean Wade has struggled with injuries his whole career, and it may lead into the tournament. Oregon's Louis King will have no real competition on the wing and expect the Ducks to play themselves into the sweet 16. Prediction: Oregon Oregon celebrating a Pac 12 championship win, and a 10 game winning streak. #6 Villanova vs. #14 Old Dominion I think Old Dominion's lack of a top scorer, will prove to be too much to overcome. And Villanova will take advantage and advance into the next round. Prediction: Villanova #2 Tennessee vs. #7 Cincinnati The combination of veteran "all SEC level players" Admiral Schofield, Grant Williams, and Jordan Boone will not accept an upset, and they will get past Cincinnati. Prediction: Tennessee Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 Virginia vs. #12 Oregon Virginia's terrific defense, and depth will finally take advantage of Oregon's flaws, and the Ducks magical run will end here. Prediction: Virginia Virginia's star big 3 Kyle Guy (left), DeAndre Hunter (middle), Ty Jerome (right) #2 Tennessee vs. #6 Villanova This is quite an intriguing matchup. Villanova matches up well against Tennessee, Paschall v.s. Grant Williams, and Schofield vs. Booth. The x-factor in the game will be Jordan Boone vs. Colin Gillespie, and I trust Jordan Boone more than Gillespie. Prediction: Tennessee Elite 8 (Round of 8) #1 Virginia vs. #2 Tennessee Both Virginia and Tennessee are nearly identical teams. They again matchup very well. I think Virginia is tired of being the team that always "chokes." They will finally break through and make the final four. Prediction: Virginia Round 1 (Round of 64) Midwest Region #1 North Carolina vs. #16 Iona Iona is one of the weaker teams in the entire field, with a 17-15 record. UNC will dominate. Prediction: North Carolina #8 Utah State vs. #9 Washington Utah State is coming off a big Mountain West tournament championship and they are led by guard Sam Merrill. Washington has struggled tremendously the last few weeks, along with defensive star Matisse Thybulle, so I expect all of these trends to continue. Prediction: Utah State #5 Auburn vs. #12 New Mexico State New Mexico State may be a popular upset pick, but I think otherwise. Auburn's great run to the SEC tournament championship, and great three point shooting is too much to overlook. Jared Harper, and Bryce Brown will lead Auburn past New Mexico State. Prediction: Auburn #4 Kansas vs. #13 Northeastern Northeastern is another popular upset... but not so fast. Kansas has an all-american forward Dedric Lawson, and I think that he will help the Jayhawks avoid an upset. Prediction: Kansas #6 Iowa State vs. #11 Ohio State Iowa State looked terrific in their run to the Big 12 tournament championship. Mariol Shayok, and Lindell Wigginton will continue their hot streak past Ohio State. Prediction: Iowa State #3 Houston vs. #14 Georgia State Houston is another incredibly strong defensive team, who is led by all league forward Corey Davis Jr. Houston's combo of three point shooting and defense will lead them past Georgia State. Prediction: Houston #7 Wofford vs. #10 Seton Hall Wofford is led by guards Fletcher Magee, and Storm Murphy. This will be a great matchup against Seton Hall who has all Big East guard Myles Powell. Wofford was the only team that went undefeated in regular season conference play, I expect their depth to lead them past Seton Hall. Prediction: Wofford #2 Kentucky vs. #15 Abilene Christian Kentucky has one their most veteran teams in the "John Calipari era." I expect Kentucky to roll... but if I HAD to pick one 16 of 15 seed it would be Abilene Christian. Prediction: Kentucky Round 2 (Round of 32) #1 North Carolina vs. #8 Utah State I think Utah State's lack of depth after Sam Merrill will catch up to them. And UNC's big 3 of Coby White, Cameron Johnson, and Luke Maye will roll past Utah State Prediction: North Carolina #5 Auburn vs. #4 Kansas Kansas does not have a real identity of their team. I think Auburn having a great hot streak from behind the three point line will be lead them to the Sweet 16. Prediction: Auburn #3 Houston vs. #6 Iowa State Iowa State has too much fire power on offense to ignore. Iowa State's length and versatility will be too much for Kelvin Sampson's Houston squad. Prediction: Iowa State Iowa State's All-Big 12 forward Marial Shayok #2 Kentucky vs. #7 Wofford If Wofford were playing any other 2 seed I would pick them to win. But Kentucky's unbelievable depth to go along with experience is too important. Kentucky is led by Tyler Herro and P.J. Washington who have been elevating their play throughout the whole year and will lead Kentucky past Wofford. Prediction: Kentucky Sweet 16 (Round of 16) #1 North Carolina vs. #5 Auburn Auburn may have incredible three point shooting, but their defense lacks tremendously. I think Luke Maye will be big in this game and lead the Tar Heels past Auburn. Prediction: North Carolina #2 Kentucky vs. #6 Iowa State This games x-factor on Kentucky's side will be Keldon Johnson, and Iowa State's side Talen Horton-Tucker. Horton-Tucker has played more consistent as of late and I think he will lead Iowa State to the Elite 8. Prediction: Iowa State Elite 8 (Round of 8) #1 North Carolina vs. #6 Iowa State Iowa State and UNC are very similar teams. I think UNC is just a better version of Iowa State though. I think Coby White will dominate Lindell Wigginton, and lead UNC to another Final Four. Prediction: North Carolina Left to right: Coby White, Nassir Little, Cameron Johnson, Kenny Williams, Luke Maye FINAL FOUR #1 Gonzaga vs. #4 Virginia Tech Virginia Tech's front court depth is nothing close to what Gonzaga has and I think it will prove to be too much for Virginia Tech and Gonzaga gets back to the National Championship. Prediction: Gonzaga #1 Virginia vs. #1 North Carolina North Carolina and Virginia matchup very similarly. I would say North Carolina's big three of Maye, White, and Johnson is nearly just as good as Virginia's of Guy, Jerome, and Hunter. I like North Carolina's role players more than Virginia's therefore I think we see a rematch of Gonzaga UNC in the championship. Prediction: North Carolina NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP #1 Gonzaga vs. #1 North Carolina
Gonzaga has their most talented team of all time, so why not prove you're the best in the country by getting revenge over North Carolina on the biggest stage. And the Zags will be cutting down the nets in Minneapolis. Prediction: Gonzaga College Basketball 2018-2019 SZN This college basketball season has the potential to be one of the most entertaining in years. I will tell you about a few of my favorite storylines. ZION WILLIAMSON https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZSBK2yKeME First off if you have been living under a rock and don’t know who Zion is, watch the linked video and you will understand why this is my first story. Zion Williamson is an uberly talented freshman from Spartanburg, South Carolina. Zion is the second ranked player in the 2018 graduating class by ESPN. Zion is well known from his ferocious and god-like athleticism. As a senior in High School he averaged 36.4 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Now why I am so intrigued to see him play this season for Duke. Zion’s insane athleticism and skill makes him incredibly versatile, in an era of basketball where versatility is much needed. Zion’s has the ability to literally play and defend all five positions with his all world athleticism. Zion may be the only person in the world other than Giannis Antetokounmpo to do this. From his highlights for his High School and AAU team it looked at times that Zion was a man playing against children. I am curious if Zion will have the same success against much tougher opponents in the ACC for Duke. Zion has often been compared to the GOAT LeBron James, although I do think that Zion has the chance to be a great basketball player but his lack of a knockdown jumpshot, poor ball handling, and a lack of elite vision to be a great facilitator like LeBron are some of the reasons why he will not be in the same class as LeBron. Even though I did just state all of Zion’s negative characteristics, he still does have a great chance to improve in all of those aspects, and that is what makes Zion so intriguing. Zion has been the most talked about High School basketball player since the great LeBron and I am curious if he can live up to the hype and carry this on for the rest of his basketball career. THE NEVADA WOLFPACK The Nevada Wolfpack are the most intriguing basketball team in the country for the upcoming 2018-2019 season. The Wolf Pack finished the 2017-18 season 29–8, winning the mountain west regular season championship. Nevada entered the NCAA tournament as a 7 seed and ended up making a run to the sweet sixteen before losing to Loyola-Chicago. The Wolf Pack come into the season ranked 7th in the preseason AP poll. The reason that I am so intrigued by Nevada this season is because after such a successful season they only lost one player from there team last season, Elijah Foster who only averaged 6.5 minutes and 1.7 point per game last season. So that says they are returning a lot of talent. The highlights of their current roster starts with 6’7” Redshirt Senior forward Caleb Martin. Martin averaged 18.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game last season. Caleb comes into the season with many different preseason accolades including being a preseason AP all-american, preseason Mountain West player of the year, and also being on the Julius Erving award watch list (awarded to the best small forward) just to name a few. Caleb Martin will be a big part in Nevada’s success this season. Caleb also has a twin brother Cody Martin that had averaged 14 points per game last season will play a vital role on Nevada this season. Nevada’s second biggest weapon for this upcoming season is senior forward Jordan Caroline. Caroline averaged 17.7 points and 8.6 assists a game last season. Lastly Nevada has a talented four star freshman Jordan Brown coming in. Brown is a 6’10” center ranked 33rd on the ESPN top 100 and he looks to play a big role for the Wolfpack this upcoming season. I think that Eric Musselman’s style of modern positionless basketball will help this wolfpack squad which has the ability to compete for a Final Four run, if not a National Championship. Will someone other than Kansas win the BIG 12? No. I don’t think that anyone other than the Kansas Jayhawks will win the Big 12. If you did not know the Kansas Jayhawks have won 14 straight Big 12 regular season titles, Yes 14. For this season, Kansas will not have the tough competition in the Big 12 that they have had in the recent years. Their toughest competition that they will have are the Kansas State Wildcats. Although the Wildcats are an intriguing sleeper pick this season after coming of an Elite 8 run and not losing any players to the NBA draft. Not a single one. I do not think that they are anywhere near as talented as the Jayhawks, and Kansas State will not be deep enough to compete with Kansas for a title throughout the long Big 12 season. The Jayhawks only other tough competition will be West Virginia. Every year we seem to have the same conversation. Will this be the year West Virginia breaks through? No it will not after graduating Jevon Carter, West Virginia is not as talented or deep as the Jayhawks, Although I am intrigued by incoming ESPN top 100 freshman Jordan McCabe who I will tell you more about later, I do not think that the Jayhawks have to worry of their streak ending this season. The Jayhawks again are very talented returning talented players Udoka Azubuike and LaGerald Vick that played big roles on their team last season. They also picked up talented transfer from Memphis Dedric Lawson Jr who has the chance to compete at an All American level this season. Lastly they have a whopping 3 of the top 27 recruits in the incoming freshman class ranked in the ESPN top 100. The most intriguing of the group is the 8th ranked player Quentin Grimes. Grimes is a 6’4” guard with terrific athleticism and a smooth jump shot, who has the potential to be a lottery pick in the upcoming NBA draft, but he will look to win a Big 12 title first. Kansas is far more talented than any team in the Big 12 for the upcoming season, and I do not see them struggling to extend their streak to 15 consecutive Big 12 regular season titles. JELLY FAM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imHRLA96l3k Jelly Fam is a popular youth movement that has been created by Minnesota sophomore guard Isaiah Washington, for a great summary of the group you can watch the linked video. Jelly Fam has other members that involve Sid Wilson UConn Forward, Jahvon Quinerly Villanova freshman, Jordan Walker Seton Hall Guard, Milicia Reid Ole Miss women’s guard, Leondre Washington Robert Morris Guard, and Nazreon Reid LSU freshman. Jelly Fam is a group that has popularized the finger roll once again. The group calls their finger rolls “Jelly”, and this has created a social media storm. This movement is widely popular among basketball players of all levels across the country, and many have tried to imitate it. The group’s main leader is Isaiah Washington who sits at nearly 700,000 instagram followers. Washington struggled in his first season for the Gophers, but still had tremendous potential, and looks to have a bounce back season upcoming. Jahvon Quinerly is the second most popular player in the group that has nearly 500,000 followers, which shows you that this group is widely popular among basketball players across the country. Quinerly is the 26th ranked player in the ESPN top 100 rankings and comes in looking fill in the starting point guard role for Villanova that was left by Jalen Brunson who left for the NBA. Quinerly comes in as a McDonald’s All-American, and he has great potential that will be fun to see what he does with. I am very intrigued to see the future of “Jelly Fam”, and how successful these players will be on and off the court in the future. The Incoming 2018 freshman class Even though it seems that every season we say, “this class has the chance to be best class of all time.” This year I believe that it is the best. I will go through some of the most intriguing players R.J. Barrett R.J. Barrett is the number one overall ranked player in this years ESPN top 100 and is attending Duke. R.J. has often been referred to as the “left handed Kobe”, and I truly believe this comparison is an understatement. I think that Barrett is possibly the most complete player to ever come out of high school. I think if you put R.J. in the NBA right now he averages 20 points. There is no weakness in his game and he is the perfect modern wing player standing at 6’7” and having athleticism and ball handling skills of a point guard. I am looking forward to what R.J. brings to the talented Duke squad this season. Bol Bol Bol Bol is the son of former NBA player Manute Bol. Bol Bol is standing at a whopping 7’3” with a wingspan of 7’8”. Bol is ranked as the fourth best player in the ESPN top 100 and is attending Oregon. If R.J. Barrett is the most complete player, I think that Bol has the most potential. Bol is freaking 7 feet 3 inches tall. He shoots the three point shot well, handles the ball well, and is relatively athletic for his monstrous size. Bol has the chance to be something truly special this season at Oregon, and for the rest of his basketball career. Tyler Herro There are obviously players that are more talented Tyler Herro in this class but he is one of the most underrated. Tyler is the 30th ranked player in the top 100 and has committed to playing at Kentucky this season. Tyler is a talented 6’4” guard from Wisconsin that put up huge numbers in his senior season. He averaged 32.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists last season. The reason that I am such a fan of Tyler Herro is his combination of deceptive athleticism and NBA level shooting, he is much more talented than his ranking shows. In any other year I think that Tyler would be ranked much higher. This shows you how deep this year’s class is. #whiteBballsucess Jordan McCabe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ9LAZRikWc Although Jordan does not have as many stars or as high of a ranking as some players, he is a terrific basketball player. Jordan is 86th ranked player in the top 100 and will be attending West Virginia. McCabe is most famous for his incredibly ball handling skills as a 12 year old. McCabe is currently standing at 6’0” playing point guard. McCabe tremendous ball handling is what makes him so fun to watch. I think that McCabe’s tremendous ball handling and great finishing ability should help him be quite successful at West Virginia in Bob Huggins’ system this season. Other Interesting Players 3. Cam Reddish- 6’7” from Pennsylvania- Duke 6. Nassir Little- 6’7” from Florida- UNC 12. Nazreon Reid- 6’10” from New Jersey- LSU 17. Tre Jones- 6’2” from Minnesota- Duke 32. Shareef O’Neal- 6’10” from California- UCLA 40. Kevin Porter- 6’5” from Washington- USC 57. Daniel Oturu- 6’10” from Minnesota- Minnesota UNDRANKED. Mac McClung- 6’2”- from Virginia- Georgetown (definitely watch these dunk highlights) ****https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2NIZXzCviM**** My Predictions Lastly I will give you my predictions on how the the upcoming season will play out. Big Ten I think that the Big Ten is up for grabs this season. The Michigan State Spartans will be the popular pick, but there loss of most of their talent from last season will hurt. My pick would probably be John Beilein’s Michigan Wolverines led by veteran guard Charles Matthews. My dark horse pick would be the Minnesota Gophers led by Jordan Murphy are as talented as any team in this conference and if they stay healthy they will have some noise to make this season. SEC Kentucky will win the SEC this season. This maybe John Calipari's most complete basketball team he has had at Kentucky there is not the usually top end talent, but this team’s biggest strength is their depth even though the talent isn’t top heavy there is plenty of NBA level talent on this team. Kentucky’s biggest challenger will be a very experienced Tennessee team led by veteran forward Admiral Schofield. Big East I think that Villanova will again win the Big East this season. Even though they’re not as deep this season as they have been in the past. They still have enough talent to keep their dominant run in the Big East led by senior big man Eric Paschall, and incoming talented freshman Jahvon Quinerly. A dark horse team that I do like this season is Marquette led by veteran guard Markus Howard, I think that the Golden Eagles have a chance to make some noise so don’t be surprised if they shock some people. Big 12 I have previously said I expect a very talented Kansas team to be very successful this season. So my next favorite team in the conference is Kansas State. The wildcats return a very talented team coming off an Elite Eight run headlined by local product Dean Wade who will have the chance to play at an All-American level this season. The also have NBA level guard Barry Brown Jr that will look to play a large roll this season for the wildcats. ACC I think that the ACC will be just as deep as it is every year. I expect North Carolina’s road to be a little bumpy to a regular season title, but I think that their talent will be way to much for the rest of the league to overcome with experienced forward Luke Maye and incoming superstar freshman Nassir Little, there talent is too much to deny. There will also be the well oiled machine Virginia that will have something to say about that led by sharpshooter Kyle Guy. Along with the ultra talented Duke Blue Devils will make a lot of noise this season Pac 12 I think the Dana Altman’s Oregon team will win the Pac 12 this season. I think their talented recruiting class headlined by Bol Bol, and Louis King combined with their experienced veterans headlined by Payton Pritchard will be very intriguing to watch this season. Another team that will be interesting to watch this season is UCLA with many talented first and second year players but not much experience to help. Final Four My picks to make it to the Final Four this season are Nevada, Kentucky, Duke, and Gonzaga. Nevada’s wildly talented team returning from last season’s sweet sixteen run led by Caleb Martin is too good to ignore. Kentucky’s great recruiting that includes Keldon Johnson, EJ Montgomery, Immanuel Quickley, and Tyler Herro, paired with their great veterans that include Reid Travis, Nick Richards, and PJ Washington shows that the wildcats have the best depth in the country. Gonzaga has returned with a very talented roster once again this season. Their roster includes talented veterans Josh Perkins, Rui Hachimura, Zach Norvell, and Killian Tillie, also paired with incoming transfer Geno Crandall along with ESPN top 100 big man Filip Petrusev shows that if Kentucky is the most deep team in the country Gonzaga is a close second. Lastly the Duke blue devils top end talent that includes for five star recruits Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, and Tre Jones along with four star recruit Joey Baker shows that the blue devils have the most top end talent in the country that no other team can compete with. I think all four of these teams have a great combination of experiences, good recruiting classes, and great coaching. I think that Gonzaga will break through and win their first championship and defeat Kentucky in Minneapolis this season. Player of the Year I think that the senior forward from North Carolina Luke Maye will win player of the year this season. I think Maye will put up great numbers on a very good North Carolina team. Maye’s biggest competition will be Purdue guard Carsen Edward. And my dark horse pick will be St. John’s guard Shamorie Ponds who has the chance to put up huge numbers on a wildly underrated Saint John’s team. All-Americans 1st Team
Overall I think that this college basketball season will be one of the most entertaining seasons in recent memory, and there will be plenty of great storylines to follow throughout the season. |
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May 2020
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