Smacktalk/Backtalk: College Basketball

Smacktalk/Backtalk: College Basketball

March Madness is approaching quickly, and this year I predict the NCAA tournament will have more upsets than ever. The key to winning it all will be experience. Although the amount of production from freshmen is tremendous this year, the teams that will go far will have upperclassmen leading the way.

The number one seeds in the tournament will be Kansas, Gonzaga, Baylor, and Villanova. Kansas is the most complete team, and is led by senior guard Frank Mason III, who is complimented greatly by highly regarded freshman Josh Jackson. Villanova won the National Championship last year, and did not lose much talent. Wooden Award candidate Josh Hart is one of the most complete players in college basketball and looks to lead the Wildcats to a second straight title. Gonzaga is undefeated so far, (22-0), and have key wins against Florida, Iowa State, Arizona, and Saint Mary’s. Baylor only has one loss this season, (21-1) and that was against the West Virginia Mountaineers. Led by forward Johnathon Motley, the Bears are one of the most versatile teams in college.

The Wooden Award winner (best player) will go to Villanova’s Hart. So far, Hart has averaged 19 points per game, 6 assists per game, and 3 assists per game. Hart could have declared for the NBA Draft last season but decided to come back to Villanova to work on his game. This Silver Spring native is the definition of consistency as he has scored double-digit points in every game this year. The best freshman this year is UCLA’s Ball, a 6’6” point guard who can shoot, pass, and rebound. NBA scouts have compared him to Jason Kidd, one of the most versatile point guards to ever play the game. Ball is averaging over 14 points per game, 5 rebounds per game, and 8 assists per game. The best starting five that can be made in all of college basketball would be Kansas’ Mason III, UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, Kentucky’s Malik Monk, Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan, and Baylor’s Johnathan Motley.

One of the most disappointing teams this year is Indiana. Earlier in the season, they beat North Carolina and Kansas. However, despite those impressive wins, they lost to Fort Wayne, a team that had never beaten a ranked team before that win. Thus far in league play, the Hoosiers are 4-5 in the mediocre Big Ten. One team to watch out for come March is Michigan State, a team that can be a bracket buster, a potential 10 seed to go far in the tournament. The two main assets a team needs to go far in the tournament are good coaching and leadership. Without a doubt, Tom Izzo is one of the best coaches in the business. The Spartans dealt with the injury of freshman phenom Miles Bridges earlier in the season, but they also have upperclassmen such as Lourawls Nairn Jr. and Eron Harris who have stepped up and taken on the role of leaders on this team.

Out of the local teams, I believe UVA has the best chance of going far in the tournament. However, Maryland is right on their heels, as they recently cracked the top 25 with a 17-2 record. Virginia Tech will be a bubble team, but I see them struggling later in the season against teams in the powerful ACC conference. Georgetown has been a disappointment this year, with a 10-10 overall record and a 1-6 record in the Big East. Now for the winners of each conference that will get automatic bids to the NCAA tournament. In the ACC, I have North Carolina winning. Maryland will win the Big Ten. Kentucky will get the automatic bid out of the SEC. Baylor will win the Big 12. The Pac-12 is interesting, but I believe that UCLA will come out on top. Villanova will take the automatic bid in the Big East. There will be buzzer-beaters, drama, and nail-biters this March. So buckle up and enjoy the ride.