KenPom released the preseason rankings.

1. Gonzaga
2. Michigan
3. Kansas
4. Baylor
5. Illinois
6. Purdue
7. UCLA
8. Ohio State
9. Villanova
10. Duke


The Champions classic opens up the college basketball season on November 9th. Duke vs Kentucky and Michigan State vs Kansas.


Last year, we saw the B1G have the greatest regular season in the history of the sport according to KenPom. In what can probably be chalked up to some lingering Covid weirdness, the tournament was a different story. Baylor and Gonzaga, the preseason #1 and #2, met in the championship game as Baylor ran Gonzaga off the court and reminded them they are still just the little mid major that could(nt).

Many of the all time greats really only need one name to be instantly recognized: Michael, Bird, Magic, Lebron, Kobe, Trae, Shaq, Wilt. This year, Gonzaga welcomes the arrival of the player who potentially could finally put them over the top:

CHET.




Penny Hardaway has loaded up with two elite reclassification 5 stars






All American centers Drew Timme(Gonzaga), Hunter Dickinson(Michigan), and Kofi Cockburn(Illinois) have all returned.

Jonny Juzang returns for UCLA, as does essentially the entire team from last season's surprise final four run.

UNC replaced a legend in Roy Williams and Duke is trotting out K for one last ride with stud freshman Paolo Banchero leading the way.







The sport is loaded with as much talent as weve seen in years. A large number of teams are true contenders to title this year in what looks like a wide open year. It's going to be a great season.

QFT. Lots of teams that project to be Final Four contenders.

and CHET.

Dookie V announces that he's battling lymphoma, going to try and work around chemo

two replies? but but but college basketball is better than the nba! nba is too slow. amirite?

Uhhh the season hasn't started yet. Unlike the NBA.

Can't say that I know anyone that thinks the NBA is too slow, given the 24 second shot clock. People do complain about the college clock.

I don't think Texas will ever pull it off, but Chris Beard is good grab. **** it +1800 can't be too bad.

So many teams with potential this year. I really think people underrated how good Suggs was last year, and I think Gonzaga will be a step down from last year even with CHET just because their guard play won't be as good.

Just going to give a fair warning to whom it may concern: Zach Edey is going to dominate. He has already surpassed Isaac Haas in 1on1 unguardability. Not sure what Painter is going to do since he can't really play Trevion Williams and Edey together but Edey should get all the minutes he can handle.

Kofi Cockburn and Hunter Dickinson will give him problems. But yeah good luck everyone else.

first come first serve I'm offering a ncaa championship bet that's pretty simple . even money. i pick a team to win it all, you pick a team to win it all, if they do, the winner gets $100. I'll take kansas.

how did duke not get this CHET guy? He looks like the exact kind of ahole guy they normally get.

UK is playing Kentucky Wesleyan on SEC Network right now. Dont think Grady or Frederick are playing so they have zero shooters again and just jacking a bunch of 3s anyways.

Gonzaga is the new Duke. Timme is prob a bigger ahole than anyone Duke ever had, and that's really saying something.

Poll options seem incomplete.

Frederick isn't playing. Grady is though. Between Grady Mintz and Tyty, I'm not saying three point shooting won't be an issue. But if we are looking for way too early worries from a single exhibition game...interior defense...

But as a side note. Massive respect for Kentucky Wesleyans radio guy going on his 61st(!!) year. Was cool for them to go into his radio call for a bit.

Once Frederick is healthy, he is going to open up the offense. He is awesome.

I know its against nobody, but Duke looks like a juggernaut.

Without looking, let me guess ... he doesn't play against Prairie View A&M, South Carolina Upstate and Eastern Illinois?

Not that I think he should get the hammer, but ... LOL NCAA.

Alabama is really overrated by oddsmakers and the media this year imo. Herb Jones masked a ton of their deficiencies. And they lost tons of guys. They need Davison to be the real deal from Day 1. I think theyÂ’re an underdog to finish in the top 5 of the SEC. The SEC has been reloading and is just incredibly deep right now both in coaches and talent.

This is more of a general observation and may be controversial, but I think the B1G gets hurt by officiating in the tournament. I go to a good number of both SEC and B1G games each year. The style of play—and how they are called by officials—between those two conferences couldn’t be more different imo despite pulling from the same referee pool. B1G is more of a plodding/strength style whereas the SEC is full boar pace and space and athletes beating each other to spots except for whatever it is that Cal coaches at Kentucky.

SEC had 4 of the top 19 in tempo last year, 3 of top 50 in 2019. B1G had 1 in the top 75 last year and 1 in top 50 2019 (Nebraska both times). When B1G gets to NCAA tournament, theyÂ’re not getting to spots fast enough and are playing their usual physical style but are now getting fouls called that theyÂ’re not used to. But those fouls are infuriatingly called all the time in SEC play. The 10th highest FTR in SEC was 32 vs 28 in B1G.

ThatÂ’s not saying the SEC is better than the B1G at all, just that the officiating in the tournament is called closer to an SEC game than a B1G game. It creates a natural disadvantage, and there are a couple easy fixes the NCAA could do for it. Eliminating help defender charge calls for one. Creating a more consistent foul standard for banging down low is another and the most realistic; this is something TV Teddy gets right actually. He almost always gives a warning to knock it off before calling his first foul for fighting for position down low.

I love Dickinson for Michigan. If he learned to shoot 3s, heÂ’s a major problem. His biggest problem is there are so many good spacing bigs this year, he may struggle defensively if he matches up with them.

SOON.jpg

Some college team called Miles is up 25-16 over UK.

Kansas opens -5 vs MSU on DraftKings. Duke only-1 vs UK.

Like KU and Dook at those numbers a lot.

LFG