College Basketball 2020-2021

[bukie]

Since it's looking like there's definitely going to be at least some semblance of a season this year, it's time to start discussion on it. There are some caveats:

 

- The Ivy league has yet to announce it will play any games this year, the only conference thus far to not even lay out a potential schedule.

- The Patriot league has announced that it will play no non-conference games and will not board any planes to fly to games this year. Instead they will split the 10-team conference into regional matchups that will be played 4 times each, followed by additional games late in the year against the rest of the conference as conditions hope to get better. As a result, right now, Boston University and Holy Cross are scheduled to play each other 6 times.

 

Preseason AP poll:

1 Gonzaga (28)

2 Baylor (24)

3 Villanova (11)

4 Virginia (1)

5 Iowa

6 Kansas

7 Wisconsin

8 Illinois

9 Duke

10 Kentucky

11 Creighton

12 Tennessee

13 Michigan State

14 Texas Tech

15 West Virginia

16 North Carolina

17 Houston

18 Arizona State

19 Texas

20 Oregon

21 Florida State

22 UCLA

23 Ohio State

24 Rutgers

25 Michigan

[UMFan83]

Appreciate AP having Michigan 25. I don't think a lot of people have them in the top 25 (I think? havent looked too hard but I've seen a lot of projections that have them like 8th in the Big Ten)

 

Of course what I'm really looking forward to is 2021 with 2 5 stars and several 4 stars coming in :)

 

Really looking forward to seeing what Iowa and Illinois can do with year with the weight of high expectations. They should both be legit Final Four contenders.

Edited November 9, 2020 by UMFan83

[bukie]

Appreciate you having Michigan 25. I don't think a lot of people have them in the top 25 (I think? havent looked too hard but I've seen a lot of projections that have him like 8th in the Big Ten)

 

Of course what I'm really looking forward to is 2021 with 2 5 stars and several 4 stars coming in :)

 

Really looking forward to seeing what Iowa and Illinois can do with year with the weight of high expectations. They should both be legit Final Four contenders.

It could very well be the case that 8th in the Big Ten is 25th overall this season. Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, MSU, Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan, Indiana, Purdue, Maryland all should be good this year. Minnesota/PSU probably a step below (and maybe more than a step for PSU following the coach leaving), NW/Nebraska could be ugly again.

[SouthSideRyan]

I don't know what Maryland has coming in this year, but they lost their 2 best players, Ken Pomeroy has them at 51(11th in B10 behind 35th Minnesota)

[itisallpartoftheplan]

Iowa hasn’t been to the Sweet 16 since 98-99 and the last time before that was 87-88. That 88 to 99 gap was the reason Tom Davis was let go for Alford, who then quit(he was going to get fired) and led the the brutal Lickliter years.

 

Fran took 3 years to rebuild that mess and has gotten them to the tournament 5 of the last 7 seasons(yes, I’m counting last year as a tournament season). Despite having 2 of those teams reach the top 10 late season collapses( in those years have led to low seeds and and 3 second round matchups vs 2 seeds. (Other season they faded so bad into the play in game)

 

2 years ago it looked like Iowa would break the drought after a furious rally to force OT, but the eventually fell to Tennessee. I know the expectations are higher than this, but please make it to the Sweet 16 Iowa.

[SouthSideRyan]

That can't be right, didn't they go to the Sweet 16 in the 2000s they were a 3 seed?

[itisallpartoftheplan]

That can't be right, didn't they go to the Sweet 16 in the 2000s they were a 3 seed?

 

Nope. Got upset by 14th seeded Northwestern St on a last second 3. They were up 17 and blew it, had a chance to put away the game but Greg Brunner missed the front end of a 1 and 1.

[UMFan83]

Fran took 3 years to rebuild that mess and has gotten them to the tournament 5 of the last 7 seasons(yes, I’m counting last year as a tournament season).

 

That reminds me of one thing that annoyed me about the end of last season. They should have announced the bracket even though they weren't going to play the tournament. Not sure the harm in that, but sucks for schools like Rutgers.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

That can't be right, didn't they go to the Sweet 16 in the 2000s they were a 3 seed?

You son of a ....

[NOLA]

Arkansas has its best team since the 90’s and is a legit Sweet 16 team. Eric Musselman has been a great hire.

[bukie]

That can't be right, didn't they go to the Sweet 16 in the 2000s they were a 3 seed?

If I remember right they lost to Northwestern on a last second 3 or something.

[stitchface]

That can't be right, didn't they go to the Sweet 16 in the 2000s they were a 3 seed?

 

I think they were upset on last second 3 by Northwestern State. Deon Thomas smiled.

[NewUserName]

Appreciate AP having Michigan 25. I don't think a lot of people have them in the top 25 (I think? havent looked too hard but I've seen a lot of projections that have them like 8th in the Big Ten)

 

Of course what I'm really looking forward to is 2021 with 2 5 stars and several 4 stars coming in :)

 

Really looking forward to seeing what Iowa and Illinois can do with year with the weight of high expectations. They should both be legit Final Four contenders.

 

did Livers come back? If so I think Michigan will be pretty solid.

[UMFan83]

Appreciate AP having Michigan 25. I don't think a lot of people have them in the top 25 (I think? havent looked too hard but I've seen a lot of projections that have them like 8th in the Big Ten)

 

Of course what I'm really looking forward to is 2021 with 2 5 stars and several 4 stars coming in :)

 

Really looking forward to seeing what Iowa and Illinois can do with year with the weight of high expectations. They should both be legit Final Four contenders.

 

did Livers come back? If so I think Michigan will be pretty solid.

 

Yep - him and Franz Wagner and a couple of incoming 4 stars will lead the way. Next year they have the number 1 recruiting class in the country as of right now so they should be set up well for the future, assuming the 5 stars don't go to the G-League like the ones we had last year.

[Tryptamine]

Really looking forward to Illinois vs Duke at Cameron in the Big 10/ACC Challenge. Nothing to lose and could be a huge win.

[UMFan83]

Really looking forward to Illinois vs Duke at Cameron in the Big 10/ACC Challenge. Nothing to lose and could be a huge win.

 

And no fans a Cameron should have a big impact on home court advantage I would think.

[raw]

Big Ten is going to be a gauntlet. I saw IU ranked 18th in power rankings last week, and they don't even crack the top 7 of the conference.

[gflore34]

Big Ten is going to be a gauntlet. I saw IU ranked 18th in power rankings last week, and they don't even crack the top 7 of the conference.

 

No doubt however, I'm not sold on Wisconsin being a top ten team, that's not so say they won't be good. Because they will be very good, they did get some scheduling breaks last season which may have slightly inflated their conference record. Well see.

[jersey cubs fan]

ivy league cancelled season

[Andy]

Not terribly surprising news, but news nonetheless:

 

[SouthSideRyan]

Here we go

[Tryptamine]

Granted they aren't playing a particularly competitive team, but Illinois looks fantastic, Miller in particular.

[wekse]

Miller is a stud, Ayo can shoot, Kofi is Kofi, perimeter defense is in their ass...I have a good feeling about this Illini team.

[Tryptamine]

Adam Miller is a monster.

[SpongeWorthy]

The Illini are ranked 8th? I've been completely checked out on them for a couple years. Are they back, back or is this kind of getting lucky with graduations?