AJ Hoops

By Aidan Joly

The Big Ten is the best conference in college basketball right now. But just how many teams can it send to the 2021 NCAA Tournament?

Signs point to a lot. The conference is great from top to near-bottom and no game across the league is easy, except for games against Nebraska (sorry, Fred Hoiberg) and maybe Penn State. Other than that, there are no games that any team can pinpoint on their calendar as a win.

As of Monday, the league boasts four teams in the KenPom top 10 and six in the top 20. That’s the most of any league in the country. Add two more in the 21-25 range. For reference, the Big 12 is second with five teams in the top 20.

Michigan is at the top of the league as it stands at 4-0, the only undefeated team in the conference. They also sit at 9-0 and were rewarded this week by cracking the top 10 in the AP Poll. The Wolverines, who have been led by star freshman Hunter Dickinson, are one of three teams currently ranked in just the top 10 and overall have seven ranked teams, six of them in the top 16.

The league topped out at nine ranked teams last week.

Iowa, who ranks fifth in both the AP and KenPom, has who is probably the best player in the country in Luka Garza, a near-30 PPG scorer and have another pair of double-digit scorers in Joe Wieskamp (14.5 PPG) and CJ Fredrick (10.9 PPG). That makes for a big three that rivals any other in the league.

The Hawkeyes are not even the top KenPom team. Wisconsin, a team that doesn’t have a true superstar but has a ton of depth, sits one spot above Iowa. D’Mitrik Trice currently leads the Badgers in scoring at 14.5 points per contest. Both the Hawkeyes and Badgers will be in the conversation for a No. 1 seed come March.

In the second tier of the league, which isn’t even really a second tier by most standards, has Rutgers, Minnesota and Michigan State, all top 15 to 20 teams. Rutgers came out of seemingly nowhere last season to be a great team and have continued that this season. Ron Harper Jr. has become a household name this season with over 22 points per game. Jacob Young has taken a huge step up this year at 15.7 PPG. Montez Mathis and Geo Baker are also double-digit scorers for Steve Pikiell’s squad. Myles Johnson is a double-double threat every night.

Michigan State is not as good as most years and they’ve stumbled out of the gate to a 1-3 start to league play but still has a win against Duke to its name in non-conference play.

Minnesota, along with Northwestern, have been two of the biggest surprises in college basketball this year. The Golden Gophers have flown out to a 10-2 start with three ranked wins against Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State. Their two losses, to Illinois and Wisconsin, are forgivable. Arguably, this is Richard Pitino’s best team in his eighth year at the helm, even better than the 2016-17 squad that earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament that was ultimately upset by Middle Tennessee State in the first round.

Northwestern, not a ranked team currently but still good, looks to be in good position so far to make the tournament for just the second time in program history. Outside of two expected losses to Iowa and Michigan, this group’s only stumble was a one-point loss to Pittsburgh on December 9. The foursome of Miller Kopp, Chase Audige, Pete Nance and Boo Buie has been great for the Wildcats.

In a lower tier but teams that still have a very good chance are Ohio State, Purdue, Indiana and to a lesser extent, Maryland. All three of those teams have struggled a bit out of the gate in league play but still have overall records of above .500.

Now, how many teams can they send?

The Big Ten has 14 teams. The record for most sent in one year is 11, from the Big East in 2011 when it was a 16-team league.

My own opinion is that at most they will tie that record. When it comes time for the conference tournament in Chicago, it’s not out of the realm to think that there will be 9-10 teams solidly in and 2-3 more with work to do and not all of them get in. Penn State and Nebraska seem to be out of the conversation already, but it’s probable that one of the teams that I talked about having a chance does not make it.

That could be changed by one extra at-large bid opened up by the Ivy League not having a season, but it seems like the Big Ten tying the record of 11 is in the cards.

By Aidan Joly

The Saint Louis Billikens are off to as good a start as anybody in college basketball and they are looking to get even better as the season continues.

They have kicked off the season by going 6-0 and just picked up its second win over a Power Six school with an 80-69 win over NC State on Thursday night.

Now, the question is, how good can this team get?

Having them being in the Atlantic 10, your mind might immediately go to a team like last year’s Dayton squad, that went 29-2, undefeated in league play and well on its way to a deep tournament run before COVID-19 canceled the postseason.

That level of success might just be realistic. And it surely helps that they are in the same conference.

Dayton did it with Obi Toppin, an explosive athlete that threw down highlight-reel dunks and had the ability to take over games more or less at will. This Billikens team does it behind the three-point line, where they sit sixth in the country, making them at a clip of 44.6%. Three of the teams ahead of them; Monmouth, Colorado State and Tennessee-Martin, have played two games or less, so there is not much sample size there. There’s a much larger one for Saint Louis.

They also sit seventh in the country in effective field goal percentage, making them one of the smartest shooting teams in the country.

The guy leading the way for this group is JaVonte Perkins, who averages 19.5 points per game and makes his threes at a mind-boggling 58.3% rate. It’s highly unlikely he will be looked at by NBA teams in the same way they looked at Toppin, who left Dayton last year after his sophomore season. Perkins is a senior, but don’t be surprised if he moves up draft boards through the season.

Similar to how Dayton was last year, Saint Louis has a ton of depth that can provide perks on offense as well. Jordan Goodwin, who has averaged 15.2 points per game, is kind of the Jalen Crutcher of this team, an above-average second go-to guy.

Billikens like Gibson Jimerson, Hasahn French, Yuri Collins and bench piece Demarius Jacobs provide a similar punch to Trey Landers, Ryan Mikesell, Rodney Chatman and Ibi Watson off the bench did for last year’s Flyers.

Now, for the comparisons. Through its first six games of the year last year, Dayton was 5-1, its only loss being in the Maui Invitational final against Kansas, one of the best games of the year that they dropped 90-84 in overtime. It was one of the two losses on the season, in which they didn’t lose in regulation all year. They ranked 23^rd in KenPom at that time and got as high as fourth during the year.

As mentioned before, Saint Louis is 6-0 and currently sit at 28^th in KenPom after Thursday’s win against KenPom 43^rd-ranked NC State, its second win against a top-50 opponent. LSU was the other, 32^nd on November 28. At that time last year, Dayton had none.

They have yet to crack the top 25, but they just might do so if they are to beat a better-than-expected Minnesota team, who they face on Sunday night at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. If they are to do that, it’ll be its third win against a top-60 opponent (Minnesota ranks 55^th as of Friday). Two games later, they kick off Atlantic 10 play.

It’s easy to tell how good this Saint Louis team is, and it looks like they have quite the ceiling moving forward.

By Aidan Joly

This season there are 357 Division I basketball teams across the country, including the ones that opted out of the season for COVID concerns. On a nightly basis on our TV’s, we only see the ones in the top conferences. In early March, fans scramble to find the next Cinderella’s that could pull off an opening-round upset.

Here’s an early look at eight mid-and low major schools from one-bid leagues that could be the ones that do just that.

Liberty, ASUN

The Flames are off to a 7-3 start that includes wins over a pair of SEC schools in Mississippi State and South Carolina. Two of its three losses came to power conference schools but kept it within 10 against both with a 56-52 loss to TCU on November 29 and 69-60 loss to Missouri on December 9. Ritchie McKay’s squad boasts a pair of double-digit scorers in Darius McGhee and Elijah Cuffee, while being one of the smartest offensive teams in the league with the 22^nd-best effective field goal percentage and 67^th-best turnover percentage in the country, per KenPom. Things should continue to look up as they move into conference play.

Wright State, Horizon League

The Raiders reached the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and have continued to do well since. On Thursday, they sit at No. 103 in KenPom, best in its league. They are off to a 2-1 start with wins over Miami (OH) and Bowling Green, both blowouts. This is a team that does well on offense and defense with five double-digit scorers. 6’8” senior Loudon Love has averaged 13 rebounds per game through the first three contests. They are also a top-100 defensive team in the nation. They kick off league play on Saturday against Detroit Mercy.

Georgia State, Sun Belt

The Panthers and second-year head coach Rob Lanier kicked off the season in a big way back on November 25 with a quadruple-overtime, 123-120 win over Georgia Tech, putting them on the radar of fans for the year. Including that win they are off to a 4-1 start which included a split against non-conference foe Mercer, who we will talk about a little later. Justin Roberts and Corey Allen average 15.8 and 15.6 points per game respectively. Eliel Nsoseme is a threat on both sides of the ball, with 13.8 points and 11 rebounds per game. They are one of the cleanest teams in the country, 14^th in turnover percentage.

Abilene Christian, Southland

The Wildcats, who have only been Division I since 2013-14, has a good chance of already picking up its second NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after making its first one in 2019. So far, this year’s team is better than the 2018-19 team, currently about 30 spots higher in KenPom from their finishing position in 2019. They are off to a 7-1 start with wins over some of the biggest names at the mid-major level, including a 70-47 drubbing of East Tennessee State and a good win over Austin Peay, one of the contenders in the Ohio Valley. They don’t have any double-digit scorers, but they have a ton of depth which may allow them to be a team to watch.

Chattanooga, SoCon

The Mocs still have not lost a game, sitting at 7-0. They boast two of the best players in the country at the mid-major level in David Jean-Baptiste, currently averaging 18 points per game and Malachi Smith, at 15.6 PPG. They also just got KC Hankton, a former Saint Louis Billiken who scored 16 points in 22 minutes in his team debut on Wednesday after some eligibility issues kept him off the floor. Don’t forget about Stefan Kenic and Trey Doomes either, two great depth pieces. Furman is the team to beat in the Southern Conference but if they get knocked off at some point, this may be the team to do it.

Murray State, Ohio Valley

Two years after Ja Morant’s departure, the Racers are still a very quality team, nearly top 100 in KenPom. They beat Illinois State but the more impressive win was against Austin Peay, where it was expected to be a dogfight the Racers won by 30 in the conference opener that had a lot of hype from the diehards. Tevin Brown and KJ Williams are the guys for this team but watch out for Chico Carter Jr., who can make a big impact off the bench. Now imagine how good they would be if Morant was still around in what would have been his senior season.

UC-Riverside, Big West

The Highlanders are probably the second-best team in the Big West behind UC-Santa Barbara. They had a season-opening loss to Pacific on November 25 but have picked up three wins since that against Washington on a neutral floor and true road games against Denver and Northern Arizona, all three by at least 15 points. A pair of forwards, Arinze Chidom and Jock Perry, lead this group and are a big reason why they are one of the best shooting percentage teams in the country. Guards Wil Tattersall and Zyon Pullin are also talented. Another reason to root for this bunch is they are led by first-year head coach Mike Magpayo, the first head coach of Asian descent in Division I history.

South Dakota State, Summit League

The Jackrabbits currently sit at 5-3, but they are a top-100 KenPom team. In their second game of the year, they gave a beatdown to Utah State on a neutral floor and have also picked up a win against Iowa State. One of the better offensive teams in the nation, the star here is Noah Freidel, who averages 17.5 points per game and shoots over 40% from three-point range. Baylor Scheierman averages 14.5 points, an even 50% from three, and 8.1 rebounds per game. They are two of four double-digit scorers on the team. However, we don’t get to see them for a while as they are not scheduled to play until January 8, kicking off league play against Western Illinois.

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.