NCAA Basketball Previews
It’s that time of year again, with the championship classic starting off the college basketball season. An always exciting game in Madison Square Garden, the Kentucky Wildcats were able to beat Michigan State that would place them as the number one overall seed in college basketball. I believe the Wildcats are the best contender to win the National Championship in March. Freshman Tyrese Maxey played extremely well in the championship and I expect him to be a solid performer for the rest of the season (A Sea of Blue). The Wildcats competitive roster shows that anyone could be the team’s second overall scorer, but I am betting Nate Sestina (senior forward), has a chance of taking that spot. His presence in the paint to get boards and second-chance points is key.
Another team that I think has a chance at making it deep in the tournament are the Duke Blue Devils. With team stars Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett, and Cam Reddish leaving to play for mediocre NBA teams, Tre Jones will lead the team and most likely pursue the same route at the end of the season (ESPN). Cassius Stanley, a promising freshman guard, shows potential while junior guard Alex O’Connell can hopefully consistently nail the three-ball as the season goes on.
A team that I also want to mention is the Memphis Tigers. Coming into the season with five four-star recruits, then two five-star recruits, with one of them being James Wiseman, was surprising to say the least. With news declaring that James Wiseman is potentially no longer eligible, it is a huge blow to their young core and their high predictions for the season. I do believe that freshman forward Precious Achiuwa and freshmen guard Boogie Ellis can lead them to a comfortable seed in the March Madness tournament (247 Sports). At a strong 13th seed, I believe that they can possibly move up to the top ten and stay there for the rest of the season.
Liam Meyer - Contributing Writer
The college basketball season is officially upon us. Already one of my favorite sports to watch, I am particularly excited about watching the University of Illinois this year.
The Illini entered the season with numerous votes to be in the preseason AP top 25, but ended up just outside of it. Illinois took care of business in their first two games of the season. First, they captured an overtime win against Nichols State, and their frontcourt played very well. This dominance of the big guys continued in their second game against Grand Canyon. While the Illini lost by a huge 21 point margin to Arizona, the Wildcats are currently a top-25 team that always plays well at home.
While the season is looking bright, it must culminate in a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The Illini haven’t played in the tournament since 2013, and it is time for coach Brad Underwood’s team to take the next step. With a relatively weak non-conference schedule, it is imperative for Illinois to take care of business before Big Ten play begins. In fact, as long as they lose no more than two non-conference games, a .500 record in conference play would give Illinois a berth in the tournament with no worries. I believe this is possible, with Illinois needing to beat weak conference foes such as Rutgers, Northwestern, Penn State, and Iowa. If they can do this, the Illini will see their first tournament berth in seven years.
Riley Dulin - Sports Editor