Author: Aidan Joly

By Aidan Joly

It’s only mid-December but it’s never too early to talk about bracketology and how the NCAA Tournament might shake out. Here, I have three teams that have helped their status as winners, and three that have been hurt by some recent losses.

Winner: Missouri

The Tigers came into this year with not much fanfare, but they have produced so far, going 5-0 with a pair of ranked wins, against then-No. 21 Oregon and then-No. 6 Illinois this past Saturday, the program’s first win against a top-ten opponent since 2013. They also have another pair of solid wins against Liberty and a true road win versus Wichita State. Dru Smith and Xavier Pinson have been the two key contributors for Cuonzo Martin’s group, as has Javon Pickett off the bench. They are now ranked No. 16 in the country with a pair of tune-up games before SEC play starts.

Winner: Clemson

Another team that came into this year cold, and Brad Brownell entered the season on a bit of a hot seat. All they have done is go 5-0 to start the year with four wins against Power 5 opponents and grabbing two wins over Mississippi State and Purdue on back-to-back days in Florida. They don’t have a true star player but they have about seven guys who can contribute in a big way. Saturday night’s win against Alabama (ha, not a football game) propelled them into the Top 25 for the first time this year on Monday. Now, a top-four ACC finish is not inconceivable.

Winner: Xavier

The Musketeers are winners in multiple ways. First, they have already played seven games, over halfway to the NCAA’s minimum of 13 to be tournament-eligible. Second, they’ve won all of them, too. The first five games were against inferior competition but they backed it up in their latest two games, a win against Cincinnati in the Crosstown Shootout and an impressive 22-point win against Oklahoma on Saturday. Behind a core of Zach Freemantle, Nate Johnson, Paul Scruggs and KyKy Tandy, this is a team that should be making noise in the Big East.

Loser: Kentucky

Wow. Things don’t look good in Lexington. The Wildcats are off to a 1-4 start, the worst for the program since 1984 after losses to Richmond, Kansas, Georgia Tech and Notre Dame. It’s still early, but this team has a real shot to be John Calipari’s worst Kentucky team. Brandon Boston and Devin Askew have not been as advertised and now they are forced to rely on Terrence Clark, which is not ideal. They play next on Saturday on a neutral floor against UCLA before a date with Louisville the day after Christmas. If they lose to UCLA and are 1-5, you have to go back to the 1920s to find a season where they started like that. Losing both is realistic and with that, tournament hopes slipping away. The Wildcats have not missed since 2013.

Loser: Wichita State

After the fall that the Shockers had that led to Gregg Marshall’s resignation, it shouldn’t be shocking (pun intended, maybe) that they are struggling. They are now 1-2 with the aforementioned loss to Missouri on top of a loss to Oklahoma State. Tyson Etienne and Alterique Gilbert is a halfway-decent one-two punch but they need more than that to compete in the American, where there will be a lot of bubble teams and nearly every game will be big. They kick off league play with a tilt against Tulsa on Tuesday.

Loser: Memphis

Memphis, like Xavier, has played seven games. But they are 4-3. Although down this year, the season-opening win against St. Mary’s is good, but not good enough to tilt the scales too much in their direction. The three losses are to Western Kentucky, VCU and a bad Auburn team. All three of those will be seen as “bad” losses. Only one of them, Western Kentucky, has a real shot to make the NCAA Tournament. Similar to Wichita State, in a league like the American where only Houston should feel good about its tournament chances, every game for the Tigers for the time being is big.

By Aidan Joly

The first week(ish) of college basketball season is done. We’ve learned a lot about the teams and how things are going to look as a whole. Here’s five things that have become clear through the first handful of days of the season.

Gonzaga seems unstoppable

It’s hard to argue that any other team in the country has the talent that Mark Few’s squad does. They have averaged 93 points per game over the first three games of the season, a 3-0 start with wins over Kansas, Auburn and West Virginia. The win against the Mountaineers came despite the team not playing its best and an injury scare from Jalen Suggs that held him out most of the night. They have five star players in Suggs, Joel Ayayi, Corey Kispert, Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard, all capable of taking over a game. I’d say they are my early pick to win the national title. The game against Baylor on Saturday will be a ton of fun.

Kentucky looks inexperienced

What’s going on in Lexington? The Wildcats are off to a 1-2 start that included a home loss to Richmond. The only two players that have been consistent so far are BJ Boston and Olivier Sarr, but that’s about it. Terrence Clark has shown flashes but was flat-out not good against Kansas on Tuesday night. Worth mentioning that they are 3-31 from three over their past two games. Yikes.

Texas might be back?

A 4-0 start to the season and winning Maui Invitational of Asheville looks great. Matt Coleman III and Courtney Ramey both scored in double digits in each of those three tournament games, with Coleman III hitting the tournament-winning shot against North Carolina on Wednesday. With Shaka Smart’s job in peril the middle of last year, they look to have done a good job recovering.

There’s no such thing as home-court advantage

With no fans in the stands at (most) gyms across the country, there isn’t much of a home-court advantage. The gap between high-major schools and low-and mid-major schools has been getting smaller all year, and it’s even smaller this year. Expect lots of close games and upsets.

It’s going to be weird

With games being called off because of the virus left and right, it’s left teams scrambling to find games to make them up with at the last minute. The lack of preparation has been noticeable: San Francisco finalized a game with then-No. 4 Virginia at Mohegan Sun’s Bubbleville four days before the game and then beat them. An even tighter window, Virginia Tech scheduled a game with then-No. 3 Villanova at 1:45 a.m. on Friday morning for 8 p.m. on Saturday night at Bubbleville, and then the Hokies pulled off the upset. Those kinds of things are going to be happening at least for the rest of non-conference play. Just roll with it. It’s going to be a fun season.

By Aidan Joly

The college basketball season is now less than 24 hours away. Even though we had a good amount of games postponed or canceled for positive COVID-19 tests, there’s still a good number of good matchups on tap for opening day tomorrow. Here’s 10 to watch throughout the day on Wednesday, in the order of start time.

Memphis vs St. Mary’s, 2 p.m., ESPN2

The first of four games in the Crossover Classic at the Sanford Pentagon on Wednesday, both teams have a lot of talent. Even without James Wiseman, Memphis still has plenty of talent with Boogie Ellis, Lester Quinones, Landers Nolley II and DeAndre Williams, who is hoping to get a last-minute waiver. St. Mary’s isn’t as talented as some previous years but are still pretty good.

Illinois State @ No. 23 Ohio State, 2 p.m., ESPN

Ohio State isn’t 100% at full strength yet, Seth Towns is still limited and doesn’t have a timetable for a return and Musa Jallow will be a game-time decision according to CBS Sports, but this game is still worth watching to check out CJ Watson, Bucknell transfer Jimmy Sotos, California transfer Justice Sueing, as well as Kyle Young and EJ Liddell. DJ Horne is a fun watch for the Redbirds.

Oklahoma State @ UT-Arlington, 4 p.m., ESPN

Oklahoma State isn’t eligible for the postseason this year, but they still have freshman superstar Cade Cunningham, who is making his collegiate debut. Junior Isaac Likekele is a fun watch as well, a double-digit scorer. UT-Arlington, led by David Azore and Sam Griffin, were picked to finish fourth in the Sun Belt.

UNC Central @ No. 5 Iowa, 4 p.m., Big Ten Network

Every game involving Luka Garza is must-watch. He’s one of the best players in the country as Iowa looks to be a national title contender. Joe Wieskamp is a very solid sidekick for him as well. CJ Fredick had a good freshman year there too. Meanwhile, UNC Central, led by one of the best low major coaches in the country in LeVelle Moton, is always one of the best teams in the MEAC and this year should be no different. CJ Keyser is great for the Eagles, keep an eye on him.

Western Kentucky vs Northern Iowa, 4:30 p.m., ESPNU

A high-level mid-major matchup, both of these teams could be on your bracket come March. Western Kentucky, led by former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury, was picked to win the Conference USA this year. Northern Iowa was picked to win the Missouri Valley. This will be a fun one for the die-hards. This is the second of four at Sanford Wednesday.

No. 18 Arizona State vs Rhode Island, 7 p.m., ESPN

This may be the best game of the day, at the Mohegan Sun bubble in Connecticut. This will be a great battle between starting point guards with ASU’s Remy Martin and URI’s Fatts Russell. Arizona State also boasts freshman Josh Christopher and Ohio State transfer Luther Muhammad. Still, don’t be surprised if the Rams pull off the upset here.

No. 15 West Virginia vs South Dakota State, 7 p.m., ESPN2

The third game at Sanford. West Virginia has a team that has a shot at winning the Big 12 with Miles McBride, Oscar Tshiebwe and Derek Culver all playing big roles. Meanwhile, South Dakota State tends to be one of the premier programs in the Summit League, led by junior Douglas Wilson, who averaged nearly 20 PPG last year. Matt Detlinger and Tray Buchanan are also good players for the Jackrabbits.

Clemson vs Mississippi State, 8:30 p.m., CBS Sports

Mississippi State was likely to play in the NCAA Tournament last year and bring in a top-100 recruit in point guard Deivon Smith. Clemson brings in PJ Hall, the top recruit out of the state of South Carolina. He will play along Aamir Simms, who led the Tigers in just about every major stat las year. This game is being played in Melbourne, Fla.

Utah State vs VCU, 9:30 p.m., ESPN2

The last game of the day at Sanford, this one will be a lot of fun. Sam Merrill is gone for the Aggies, but that just means Neemias Queta will have a much larger role and will be a star. They were picked to finish third in the Mountain West. As for VCU, they are young but have possibly the most underrated transfer in the nation in Coppin State transfer Brendan Medley-Bacon, who is ready for the big stage. Nah’Shon Hyland had a great freshman year for the Rams and will likely have a larger role this time around.

No. 22 UCLA @ San Diego State, 10:30 p.m., CBS Sports

Two of the best programs on the west coast face off. UCLA is one of the best teams in the Pac-12 and have a chance to win that league. Senior Chris Smith is one of the best players in the league. As for San Diego State they won’t be as good as last year, but they are incredibly deep. Most notably they return Matt Mitchell, Jordan Schakel and Nathan Mensah, and they bring in CSU-Northridge grad transfer Terrell Gomez, who averaged nearly 20 PPG for the Matadors last year.

It’s Draft Day! Here’s my mock draft for all 60 picks in Wednesday night’s draft.

First Round

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: LaMelo Ball, PG, Australia
2. Golden State Warriors: James Wiseman, C, Memphis
3. Charlotte Hornets: Anthony Edwards, PG, Georgia
4. Chicago Bulls: Deni Avdija, SF, Israel
5. Cleveland Cavaliers: Obi Toppin, PF, Dayton
6. Atlanta Hawks: Tyrese Haliburton, SG, Iowa State
7. Detroit Pistons: Onyeka Okungwu, C, USC
8. New York Knicks: Killian Hayes, PG, France
9. Washington Wizards: Devin Vassell, SG, Florida State
10. Phoenix Suns, Isaac Okoro, SF, Auburn
11. San Antonio Spurs: RJ Hampton, SG, New Zealand
12. Sacramento Kings: Aaron Nesmith, SF, Vanderbilt
13. New Orleans Pelicans: Patrick Williams, PF, Florida State
14. Boston Celtics: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
15. Orlando Magic: Precious Achiuwa, PF, Memphis
16. Portland Trail Blazers: Desmond Bane, SF, TCU
17. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jalen Smith, C, Maryland
18. Dallas Mavericks: Tyrese Maxey, SG, Kentucky
19. Brooklyn Nets: Saddiq Bey, SF, Villanova
20. Miami Heat: Zeke Nnaji, PF, Arizona
21. Philadelphia 76ers: Isaiah Stewart, C, Washington
22. Denver Nuggets: Tre Jones, PG, Duke
23. New York Knicks: Josh Green, SG, Arizona
24. Milwaukee Bucks: Cole Anthony, PG, North Carolina
25. Oklahoma City Thunder: Aleksej Pokusevski, PF, Serbia
26. Boston Celtics: Jaden McDaniels, SF, Washington
27. Utah Jazz: Tyrell Terry, SG, Stanford
28. Los Angeles Lakers: Malachi Flynn, PG, San Diego State
29. Toronto Raptors: Leandro Bolmaro, SF, Argentina
30. Boston Celtics: Xavier Tillman, PF, Michigan State

Second Round

31. Dallas Mavericks: Isaiah Joe, SG, Arkansas

32. Charlotte Hornets: Tyler Bey, SF, Colorado

33. Minnesota Timberwolves: Robert Woodard II, Mississippi State

34. Oklahoma City Thunder: Nico Mannion, PG, Arizona

35. Sacramento Kings: Jahmi’us Ramsey, SG, Texas Tech

36. Philadelphia 76ers: Theo Maledon, PG, France

37. Washington Wizards: Jordan Nwora, SF, Louisville

38. New York Knicks: Cassius Winston, SG, Michigan State

39. New Orleans Pelicans: Daniel Oturu, C, Minnesota

40. Memphis Grizzlies: Grant Riller, PG, College of Charleston

41. San Antonio Spurs: Udoka Azubuike, C, Kansas

42. New Orleans Pelicans: Cassius Stanley, SG, Duke

43. Sacramento Kings: Vernon Carey, C, Duke

44. Chicago Bulls: Devon Dotson, PG, Kansas

45. Orlando Magic: Killian Tillie, PF, Gonzaga

46. Portland Trail Blazers: Payton Pritchard, PG, Oregon

47. Boston Celtics: Elijah Hughes, PG, Syracuse

48. Golden State Warriors: Immanuel Quickley, SG, Kentucky

49. Philadelphia 76ers: Yam Madar, PG, Israel

50. Atlanta Hawks: Skylar Mays, PG, LSU

51. Golden State Warriors: Markus Howard, PG, Marquette

52. Sacramento Kings: Reggie Perry, PF, Mississippi State

53. Oklahoma City Thunder: Naji Marshall, SF, Xavier

54. Indiana Pacers: Paul Reed, SF, DePaul

55. Brooklyn Nets: Jay Scrubb, SG, John A. Logan (JUCO)

56. Charlotte Hornets: Sam Merrill, SG, Utah State

57. Los Angeles Clippers: CJ Elleby, SG, Washington State

58. Philadelphia 76ers: Ty-Shon Alexander, SG, Creighton

59. Toronto Raptors: Myles Powell, PG, Seton Hall

60. New Orleans Pelicans: Nate Hinton, SG, Houston

By Aidan Joly

The Texas program is a strange one. With the resources they have they should be competing year in and year out, but they don’t. However, many key returners and an incoming star should make this season a good one for Shaka Smart and co. as the program tries to make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018.

The guard positions are a huge part of why Texas can succeed. Matt Coleman really stepped up at point guard last year in their first season without Kerwin Roach, averaging 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. A senior, he will have a huge role and be crucial to their potential wins. He had one of their biggest moments last year too, with a game-winning buzzer-beater to knock off Oklahoma in what was a must-win game.

The other guard position is occupied by Courtney Ramey. He was a major breakout player, especially down the stretch. He ended up with 10.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, including three 20+ point games in February. He is also a reliable option from three, where he shot 31.3% last year, but that was a drop from his freshman year that saw him make them at a 38.6% clip.

Off the bench is Andrew Jones, a former top-30 prospect. He came back last season after missing nearly two full seasons due to Leukemia, averaging 11.5 PPG as the sixth man in Austin, regaining his top-30 form. He will start occasionally, but expect him to have a similar role from last year.

The frontcourt is where it gets busy. Jase Febres had some injuries last year which allowed him to play in just 23 games but in that time he averaged 9.3 PPG in 30.5 minutes in a shoot-first role. He does that well, making them at 37.4% last year.

The second forward position is the one with the incoming star. They got a major prospect in five-star Greg Brown, the #9 prospect in the nation according to 247 Sports, perhaps Texas’ biggest get since some guy named Kevin Durant. The 6-9 forward will have an immediate starting role and play a lot of minutes, with a high level of skill on both sides of the ball. By the time the conference schedule begins, he should be on the floor most of the game.

The man in the middle is Jericho Sims. The 6-10 center averaged 9.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last year in just over 27 minutes before going down with a season-ending injury in February. He explored the potential of going to the NBA, but is back for his final season. He should have a larger role as he improves his game on offense and continues his reputation as a great defender. He is a great “glue guy” for the Longhorns.

The bench is where you see a ton of depth. As for forwards you have Gerald Liddell, who played just over 18 minutes per contest over 15 games and had 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds in that time. Kai Jones had a good freshman season that saw him average 3.6 PPG in just under 17 minutes per game, including a 20-point game in the team’s season finale against Oklahoma State, and senior Royce Hamm Jr. is expected to have a similar role to last year, a depth piece. Brock Cunningham and Donovan Williams had minimal playing time last year, but that may increase. Finally, Will Baker will spend this year being groomed to take over the role of starting center after having a small role as a freshman, averaging two points in eight minutes over 23 games. Expect him to have a larger role as he adjusts to playing more minutes.

Overall, the depth of this team, especially at the forward position, is the strong suit. Smart’s biggest challenge may be finding playing time for all of them. In a league dominated by Kansas, this is a team that has the pieces to compete for a Big 12 title and get to the NCAA Tournament.

By Aidan Joly

The 2019-20 season was a year of highs and lows for Providence. They started out 6-6 with losses to Northwestern, Charleston, Penn, Long Beach State and a 32-point loss to Florida. Usually, that’s a shattered resume.

However, Ed Cooley’s group was able to rise from the dead and get hot, finishing with a 12-6 record in Big East play, beating each opponent at least once and finished 19-12 overall with a likely NCAA Tournament bid, where they could have made noise after finishing the season on a six-game winning streak, including a 93-55 blowout win over DePaul on Senior Night to close out the year before COVID ended it early.

They look to carry that momentum into this season. They lose key scorers Alpha Diallo, Luwane Pipkens and Maliek White and have holes to fill. However, the returners and two key transfers come in to help shore that up.

Starting in the backcourt, the player to watch is David Duke. The junior will be starting for a second straight season after averaging 14.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last year. He led the team in assists and was second in scoring behind Diallo. His three-point shooting too big strides last year as he went up from 29.7% his freshman year to 42.0% last year, a massive jump, but struggles a bit with consistency, which he will have to improve on. He is also great defensively, having 1.5 steals per game last year and increased that number towards the end of the year with a combined eight in the Friars’ last two games.

Another guard, AJ Reeves, is looking for a bounce-back season. He averaged 9.8 points per game as a freshman two years ago but that number dipped to 7.4 PPG last year and dropped from 42.3% to 37.4% shooting. His shooting is a big key. Providence went 8-1 when his shooting percentage was above 50%, but went 4-5 when it was below 30%. If he progresses and is better again, he will be crucial.

The third guard is Jared Bynum who is now eligible after sitting out last season after transferring in from St. Joseph’s. In 2018-19, Bynum started 31 games for St. Joe’s, averaging 11.3 points and 4.5 assists per game. He is a great passer and a tough defender, but doesn’t get called for fouls. He will be an interesting guy to watch for the Friars.

Off the bench they have Syracuse transfer Brycen Goodine, who received a waiver and is eligible. He played just 8.7 minutes per game for the Orange last year, but will probably have more opportunities to play this year. The second guard off the bench is freshman Alyn Breed, a three-star recruit from IMG Academy in Florida, where he averaged 16 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. He is more of a future piece but will probably get some playing time.

In the frontcourt, the first player to discuss is Noah Horchler. Horchler played two seasons at North Florida and sat out last season and can now play. He averaged 16 points and 9.3 rebounds for the Ospreys two seasons ago, shooting 53.8% and led the ASUN in rebounds. He is also excellent in blocking shots. This guy was a hidden gem that Cooley found and he projects to become a star.

The last starter is senior center Nate Watson. He had a limited role last year but did well in that role, averaging 9.0 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 19 minutes and just 13 starts. He was better in his sophomore season that saw him score 11.2 points and grab 5.2 rebounds per game while shooting 59%. At 6-10, he will need to develop more as an inside player on both sides of the ball. He also needs to not get in foul trouble as much, which was a contributing factor to his limited minutes. If he can improve, he will be critical to Friar success.

Off the bench, former four-star recruit Greg Gantt returns for his sophomore season after seeing just 12.5 minutes per game as a freshman, but should have a larger role. Jimmy Nichols Jr. is back after missing much of last season due to injury. He has started 19 of his 35 career games and will look to improve off the bench. Finally, three-star freshman Jyare Davis averaged 17 points and 7.1 rebounds per game last year at the Sanford School in Delaware and will contribute early on.

Providence is a team that got hot last season in a deep league with a lot of good teams. They will miss Diallo and the other departures, but they are in capable hands with Duke, Watson and Reeves. If they do well, expect Providence to be mid-pack in the Big East and hear its name called on Selection Sunday.

By Aidan Joly

The theme of Jerod Haase’s four-year tenure at Stanford so far has been chipping away and becoming more successful year by year. Behind great returners and a top recruit entering, the Cardinal seem ready to turn the corner in 2020-21 after a pedestrian 2019-20 that saw them go 20-12, 9-9 in league play.

The recruit coming and is one that is sure to bring a lot of attention to the program is Ziaire Williams. He is the No. 6 recruit in the country according to 247 Sports coming out of the famed Southern California high school, Sierra Canyon.

Williams oozes with talent and potential and should be an immediate star in Palo Alto. However, he struggles to have a killer instinct and be extra aggressive. That might not necessarily be a bad thing though. The fact that he doesn’t need to be the guy might help him alongside the other star of the frontcourt, Oscar da Silva.

da Silva exploded into stardom last year, averaging 15.7 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a junior last season. He is very smart as well, a good passer and effective moves on the court make him a guy that the offense can run through, even without Williams. It sounds weird to diminish the potential role of a top-ten recruit, but that’s a testament to how well da Silva’s development went last season and the fact that that role can become bigger.

The last piece in the frontcourt is Spencer Jones. He had a solid freshman year where he averaged 8.8 PPG, but his value comes on the defensive end of the floor, where he thrives.

The two starting guards, Bryce Wills and Daejon Davis, also excel on the defensive end. Wills was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive team last season and had made a name for himself as a star on defense. Both have their limitations on offense but make up for it as being lockdown in the corners as well as their ability to shut down an opposing team’s best offensive player as well as another dynamic scorer at the same time and it almost doesn’t matter who the opponent is. They just do it.

Jaiden DeLaire, another forward, does that as well and has some skill on offense too. He averaged 6.1 points and 2.4 rebounds per game last year as a sophomore and may have a larger role this year, especially against big teams with great frontcourts such as Arizona and UCLA. However, he has competition in freshman Max Murrell.

Murrell, a four-star prospect out of Omaha, is very skilled and versatile. He is fast and can get down on the block and is one of the better athletes on this Cardinal team. Simply put, he is too good to keep off the floor year one.

Other pieces of depth include junior Lukas Kisunas, who played 11 minutes per game last year, sophomore James Keefe who played sparingly in his freshman year and three incoming freshmen: Noah Taitz, Brandon Angel and Michael O’Connell.

During Haase’s tenure in Palo Alto, he has seen his fair share of criticism. However, a breakthrough will not happen without a decent amount of progression, which he has done year to year since he arrived in 2016. If things fall into place, this may just be the year for that breakthrough to happen.

By Aidan Joly

Wichita State is now expected to make the move that all of the college basketball world expected them to make in parting ways with Gregg Marshall after allegations of physical and verbal assault against players, including allegations he punched a player during a practice in 2015.

The Shockers have not yet named an interim coach, but will be the second high-level coaching job to open up in the past month after Pat Chambers resigned at Penn State on October 21 after allegations into how he treated players and coaches, including accusations of racist behavior.

The opening in Wichita should attract quality names, despite the fact they are in the AAC. Marshall was the 15^th highest-paid head coach in the country according to USA Today Sports at $3.5 million annually. So, the expectations are high and winning games is a must.

That said, here are eight potential names to replace Marshall, in no particular order.

1. Chris Jans, New Mexico State head coach

Jans spent from 2007-2014 on staff under Marshall at Wichita State, and has been the head coach at New Mexico State since 2017. He is a proven winner at the lower levels, having gone 82-17 in three years at New Mexico State, including a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and what was likely to be a third this past March. However, the question here is if the administration will want someone in Marshall’s coaching tree, but some of the big money donors in Wichita backed Marshall, and they may back Jans as well.

• Earl Grant, College of Charleston head coach

Another former Marshall assistant, both at Winthrop and Wichita State spanning from 2004-2010. Grant has been at Charleston since 2014 and is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks. He has gone 118-79 in six years in Charleston with an NCAA Tournament appearance. The same issue and potential solution as Jans appears here as well.

• John Beilein, former Michigan and Cleveland Cavaliers head coach

Obligatory. Beilein’s resume and squeaky-clean reputation speaks for itself. He has been linked to every high-profile opening since unceremoniously resigning from the Cavaliers last February and that is sure to continue until he is picked up. This looks like an easy hire on the surface. However, there are other factors. Beilein is 67 years old and how long he has left in coaching should be considered. Another is if he wants to hold out for a bigger job, especially since he is seen as the favorite at Texas should they fire Shaka Smart. Beilein will be successful wherever he goes, and Wichita has the financial power to make this happen if Beilein wants it.

• Thad Matta, former Ohio State head coach

Matta seems to be the guy that the administration wants, according to multiple reports, but if he wants to come back for this job this late will be the question. He has been out of coaching since 2017 after resigning from Ohio State for health reasons but has since expressed interest in returning. However, 247 Sports has said he does not want the job immediately since there’s two weeks until the season starts, so an interim for a season and then hire Matta might be the move here. He is only 53, so he still has a good amount of coaching left in him. He has spent basically all his career in the Midwest and had great success at Butler and Xavier before they became big names. He has a high profile in college basketball circles and might be the guy they go with.

• Kyle Keller, Stephen F. Austin head coach

Keller has been everywhere in the Midwest, with assistant coach jobs at Oklahoma State, Kansas and Texas A&M before becoming the head coach at SFA in 2016. He has led the Lumberjacks to a pair of 28-win seasons with an NCAA Tournament appearance and looked good to get a second one before the tournament was canceled this year. Oh yeah, and he beat Duke. He just signed an extension at SFA, but it’s only a matter of time before he moves up in the ranks.

• Kyle Linstead, Minnesota assistant

Another Marshall disciple, he was at Wichita from 2015-2018 and has been an assistant under Richard Pitino at Minnesota since. Before that, he spent 15 years at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas, turning it into one of the best prep programs in the country and a great recruiting pipeline. He has a ton of ties to the region and it would be surprising if he doesn’t at least get a call.

• Adrian Griffin, Toronto Raptors assistant

A Wichita native, Griffin has expressed strong interest in this job in the past 24 hours. Griffin spent 10 years in the NBA and has coached in the NBA since 2008. He won a title with the Raptors in 2018. He was reported as a candidate for the Oklahoma City Thunder opening earlier this fall and this might be his chance to get a head coaching job.

• Ben McCollum, Northwest Missouri State head coach

I’ll admit, this one is a big dark horse. McCollum has been the head coach at Northwest Missouri State since 2009 and has won a pair of Division II national titles in that time with a 272-76 record. He has strong regional ties to the area as well. It’s unlikely, but if Wichita wants to get weird, he’s the guy to do it for.

By Aidan Joly

When Ohio State beat Kentucky during non-conference season last year, John Calipari declared the Buckeyes as “a top, 1, 2, 3 team” in the country. 11-1 at the time, we had a right to think so. They had blowout wins over Villanova, North Carolina (before the implosion) and Penn State, plus another win against Cincinnati.

But then, the Buckeyes lost four in a row and six of eight to start 2-6 in Big Ten play. However, it did even out as OSU finished 21-10 and would have gotten an easy tournament nod. This year, Chris Holtmann’s squad will look to be more consistently good.

Though Ohio State loses two great players in Kaleb Wesson and Luther Muhammad and another solid role guy in DJ Carton, they will still be very solid.

Starting in the backcourt, CJ Watson is a great all-around player, having averaged 8.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists this past year, having gotten a larger role after Carton took a leave of absence and later transferred. On the other side, shooting guard Duane Washington is one of the top sharpshooters in the league, a 39.3% three-point percentage en route to averaging 11.5 points per game. He is a multi-level shooter who brings a lot of value to the team.

Off the bench comes the big name in Seth Towns. He enters the Ohio State program as a grad transfer from Harvard. He has had multiple injuries that has not allowed him to play since the 2017-18 season, but he was on as a sophomore, averaging 16.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, winning the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2018. If he is healthy, he can be a very good player for the Buckeyes, with the ability to play both as a guard and a forward. As for the other transfer, former Bucknell guard Jimmy Sotos recently received a waiver from the NCAA and is eligible this year, considering Abel Porter will not be available this year. He averaged 11.5 PPG to go along with a three-point percentage of 37.1% last year. Lastly, freshman Eugene Brown III will add depth on the bench and defensive specialist Musa Jallow will help in a smaller role.

The frontcourt is missing Wesson and his paint-clogging abilities. As for replacing him, the main piece is Justice Sueing, who transferred in from California. The question with him is the health as well, since he underwent foot surgery, so sat out entirely instead of practicing with the team. If he is good to go can play multiple positions but will see the most time at small forward, where he averaged 14.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game two seasons ago. Kyle Young and EJ Liddell will be the other two starters, with both having an ability to be positive contributors on both ends of the floor. Young in particular is an extremely physical player and great rebounder, and a glue guy for them. The Buckeyes’ January slump directly coincided with Young missing time due to an ankle injury. Liddell is a great shot blocker, having averaged almost one per game, ninth in the Big Ten in block rate in his freshman season.

There isn’t a ton of frontcourt depth, but it’s there.  Freshman Zed Key will add to it as an underrated big man. He fits the team mold as a strong inside scorer. He probably won’t have a huge role immediately, but his minutes will probably depend on how he does at the beginning of the year. Lastly, sophomore Ibrahima Diallo is raw, but he’s the only true center on the roster at 6-10. Because of that, he’ll be given chances to play but if he struggles Holtmann may prefer to utilize other players in this deep group.

The ceiling for this team is high. They have talent inside and out. The Big Ten is very deep. If Towns and Sueing are healthy and they do a little bit of developing overall, this should be a very good team. A second weekend run in the NCAA Tournament feels like it’s a realistic outcome here and one that they should be happy with.

By Aidan Joly

It can be slow. It can be ugly. It can be boring. But, it’s good. Tony Bennett has built Virginia into one of the best programs in the country with that defensive philosophy that propels them to success. And don’t forget, they’re the defending champions heading into the 2020-21 season.

The 2019-20 version of the team, however, was different from the 2018-19 team that led them to a title. The defense last year led the country for the third straight year in scoring while being one of the worst offenses in the country. In 2018-19, the offense led by Kyle Guy, D’Andre Hunter and Ty Jerome was the fourth-best in the country. The scoring just wasn’t there in 2019-20, but this year’s squad more resembles the 2018-19 team, despite the departures of Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key from last year, but probably the best sit-out transfer from last year joins and a highly-touted freshman class makes them scary.

Let’s start with the frontcourt. Like I just said, Sam Hauser was probably the best sit-out transfer after coming in from Marquette. He averaged 14.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Golden Eagles two years ago as they were one of the best teams in the Big East. He is dangerous from three-point range, a type of piece that the Cavaliers just didn’t have last year. He’ll be the guy at the four.

The top freshman coming in will start at the three, Jabri Abdur-Rahim. Abdur-Rahim in the No. 37 ranked prospect according to 247 Sports after averaging 32 points per game last year at Blair Academy in New Jersey. He is also a great defender, so despite the fact that Bennett doesn’t like to put freshmen in the starting lineup, he is the best option here.

The man in the middle will once again be Jay Huff, the 7-1 center who averaged 8.5 points and 6.2 rebounds per game in just under 25 minutes per game last year. With the departure of Diakite, Huff is sure to have a larger role. On top of his good shooting, where he shot 35.8% from three last year, he is also a great shot blocker, where he averaged a pair of blocks per game, fourth in the ACC. He will be one of the leaders on defense.

Four guys will get playing time off the bench. Kody Stattman is back after averaging 3.6 PPG, as well as Francisco Caffaro and Justin McKoy after they had very limited roles last year, but may have larger ones. The last is a freshman, Kadin Shedrick.

In the backcourt, Kihei Clark will start at point guard. He averaged 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game last year, one of the best point guards in the league. However, they relied on him too much with 37 minutes per game. It showed as he would get tired during games and his stats would show that. His turnovers per game skyrocketed from one to 3.8 per game. As a floor leader, however, Clark is as good as it gets. A year older, he can be a guy who is a primary focus point. This is why freshman Reece Beekman, the No. 66 ranked prospect from 247, is probably the most important for Bennett. If he plays like he’s supposed to, he can give Clark breathers and allow Bennett to have two ball-handlers on the floor at the same time.

In the other guard spot, look at Casey Morsell again. He was a major get for Bennett in the 2019 class but he hasn’t played up to his potential yet, averaging just 4.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game last year and had a dreadful 27.7% field goal percentage, by far the worst of the key contributors. He showed flashes of competency last year but will be carrying a load of minutes this year. He is a guy they have to rely on to improve. If not, his minutes will slip.

If Morsell doesn’t work out, they have options. Senior Thomas Woldetensae is solid, averaging 6.6 PPG last year, as well as freshman Carson McCorkle, a top 150 prospect, may see some minutes. We will have to see how he looks coming off of foot surgery, though. However, he is a great shooter, almost 55% in high school. As mentioned before, Beekman could get some minutes at the two as well.

If the expected offensive transformation works out, this team will look very similar to the 18-19 team. They won’t be as talented as that team was, but it’s realistic to say they will make a deep tournament run and compete to be college basketball’s first repeat champion since Florida in 2006 and 2007.