December 15, 2020
This season has been not very chaotic so far, but with conference play starting in just under a week big losses can be expected. This is my top ten list early in the college basketball season.
Gonzaga so far this season has looked flawless so far with big wins against Kansas and West Virginia. The balanced scoring attack of Gonzaga looks near unstoppable. They might be the most complete team in all of college basketball, because of their defensive versatility and offensive balance.
Baylor so far has hung their hat on their defense. The defense of the Bears has been stifling, and that combined with the offensive talents of Jared Butler has lead them to a smooth start to their season. Their size and length will be their biggest strength throughout the season and they will be tough to stop on most nights.
There is not much else to say other then Luka Garza. He has been the best player in college basketball averaging thirty points and eleven rebounds all while leading his team to dominant wins. The most dangerous thing about this team is not Garza, but is actually their depth. They are one of the deepest teams in college basketball, and you need elite level rim protection to stop this team.
Coming off a huge win over Creighton they look to keep locking up top players in the nation. Kansas and their amazing perimeter defenders made life tough for Marcus Zegarowski, holding him five of fourteen from the field. They barely got out of that game alive even with Creighton’s struggles. This team still has much to be worked on offensively but for now they are one of the top teams in basketball.
Illinois has looked like an offensive force early in this season. They just recently pulled off a big win over Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, and they have an elite combination of a top tier guard and big. Ayo Dosunmu has put on an offensive clinic so far this season, averaging twenty three points, eight rebounds and six assists. Kofi Cockburn has also been one of the elite players in basketball this far. His combination of elite size and skill around the basket has made him a matchup nightmare, but he will be tested later this season against Luka Garza and the Hawkeyes.
The Spartans have been a pleasant surprise this season. Most had them as a good team coming into the season but they have proven to be more then that. The transfer of Joey Hauser has proven to be one of the best things that could of happened to this team. He has been amazing so far this season, with a win over Duke on the road. They will be a big player in the Big 10 this season, but many are wondering if they can really hang in there with the likeness of Iowa and Illinois.
Creighton has one of the most potent offenses in college basketball, but their star point guard, Marcus Zegarowski, is yet to show up this season. Coming off of a meniscus tear late last season he has not been himself so far this year. If Creighton can reach their ceiling as a team then they are one of the favorites to win the whole thing.
Houston is one of the more interesting teams in college basketball. They are untested and obviously have potential to be a great team, or else they would not be ranked so high. The problem with them I they face no real competition this season, and because of that I view them as a March Madness upset waiting to happen. The best teams in March are the ones with veterans who lost during the regular season, and know how to deal with adversity. Not much of this can be said about Houston.
It feels like every year Jay Wright refuels his teams with smart basketball players and many upperclassmen. This year is just more of the same. The Wildcats are headed by their point guard Collin Gillespie. He is a high IQ point who knows what to do with the ball late in a game. He always makes the right pass and he leads them to big wins. He is not enough to carry Villanova through a tough Big East conference, but he can keep them afloat as a ranked team.
Bob Huggins creates some of the best defensive schemes in college basketball, and this year they are for real. The Mountaineers almost knocked off Gonzaga early in the season, displaying their elite level defense and shot creating ability as a team. West Virginia has some amazing two way players that could help them make a deep run in March, and help to maybe knock off some top ranked opponents in the Big 12.
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