Men's College Basketball Prediction Thread 2017/2018

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

As we get closer to September I thought it would be interesting to hear what people have to say about the upcoming college hoops season from a national perspective which of course would also include UConn. This would include your Final4 predictions and this years potential SLEEPERS. I have been a UConn fan for 40 plus years which includes attending games as a season ticket holder with my dad for 30 years. I also just love college basketball. It is great learning more about the greatest game on earth from the greatest fans on earth! I love my new avatar! Thanks to the mods!

I will get it started:

Where does Marvin Bagley III end up? Duke, UCLA or USC. How much does it change the landscape of college hoops if he reclassifies to the 2017 class?

Best Always,
BDH

 

[mauconnfan]

Duke 2017-18 is my guess

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Duke 2017-18 is my guess

Duke goes from 12-1 to 3-1 to win the National Championship @ Westgate Superbook in Vegas on the Bagley news.

Duke now overvalued? I think so.

 

[Chelo]

I think Witchita State will represent the AAC well and make a push for the final four.

 

[gtcam]

I think Jim Calhoun will lead St Josephs to the Div III Final Four and will have Chief0 as his player recruitment and development guru. Of course all of this was done during the weekly dinner they share at JC's house on the beach in Madison

 

[SirHypeAlot]

I think Witchita State will represent the AAC well and make a push for the final four.

They'll need Shamet to bounce back from his surgery. He won't see the court til early November - hopefully he has no setbacks during his recovery

 

[kobe]

Cincinnati will win between 28 to 30 games and lose in the Round of 32.

 

[Mr. French]

Sorry thought you guys may have been too busy with the UConn bashing. Duly noted.

Literally ... Everyone here is so busy killing our own team that we forgot about all the teams we really hate.

 

[LStudfellow]

I think Jim Calhoun will lead St Josephs to the Div III Final Four and will have Chief0 as his player recruitment and development guru. Of course all of this was done during the weekly dinner they share at JC's house on the beach in Madison

No offense gtcam, but that would be impossible for 2017-2018, even as great as Jim Calhoun is as a coach - St. Joseph's is not scheduled to start playing games until 2018-2019.

 

[gtcam]

No offense gtcam, but that would be impossible for 2017-2018, even as great as Jim Calhoun is as a coach - St. Joseph's is not scheduled to start playing games until 2018-2019.

Thanks, LS - didn't know that - but I was just trying to add some levity to what has become a dour Boneyard
But there are some who think that JC would still lead a bunch without a team to the Final Four (and I am a huge JC fan)
While others are convinced KO would fail at anything

No offense taken whatsoever - I learned something

 

[gtcam]

Just think of the huge recruiting advantage they will have w Bunky back in the fold

That's right - maybe half of the Fordham team will transfer there - isn't that where the Bunkster has been holding court?

 

[80shusky]

Everybody is on Duke because of Bagley but I don't think they are a championship team. They should be good though, because they are Duke. How about Arizona? They seem stacked. I'm picking Monmouth to win the whole thing, because I'm delusional. Michigan State and Kansas should both be really good as well. Kentucky and Duke are both young but talented. Will depend how those players adapt to college play. Seems like it could be another interesting year with many teams in the hunt. Nova should be good. Gonzaga? I think Arizona, Mich St and Kansas are there all year.

 

[JimHurley]

I think Cincy can and will be a top 10, potentially top 5 team all year. Starting 5 of Broome, Evans, Cumberland, Clark, and Washington is really solid.

 

[Mr. French]

I always love Arizona and Miller, and I think they're the best/2nd right there with Duke this year.

Other than UConn that's who I'll root for this year.

I can't think of everything right now off the top of my head, but another noteworthy thing to watch is Bridges @ MSU. I think he's a monster.

Another one is Bennett/UVA -- I like him a lot and always like their teams. I'd love to see Virginia and Arizona both break through that hump this year.

 

[champs99and04]

Arizona is my preseason #1. The ACC and Big East both look very good. I think the PAC-12 and Big 12 take a step back.

But overall I'm a bit out of the loop. I need to start doing my homework.

 

[temery]

Reminder: This thread is for predictions. It will be locked the day before the season starts.

 

[AZHuskiePop]

Cincinnati will win between 28 to 30 games and lose in the Round of 32.

You are a true Boneyarder
That's defined by the the ability to turn what might be an optimistic post into a pessimistic one
I'm predicting Cinn.WSU, and UConn in the FF.

 

[lange10]

Uconn: 18-12ish and on the bubble

Sleepers (outside top 10): Cincy, Texas, Missouri, Seton Hall

Not as high on L'Ville + Kansas as the media. Same goes for Duke. They're loaded, but one of the youngest teams K has coached. Allen doesn't seem mature enough to be the guy that can (and has to) mesh it all together. If Duval is an absolute stud of a lead guard though, I think this is all a moot point and Duke is back in the FF.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Uconn: 18-12ish and on the bubble

Sleepers (outside top 10): Cincy, Texas, Missouri, Seton Hall

Not as high on L'Ville + Kansas as the media. Same goes for Duke. They're loaded, but one of the youngest teams K has coached. Allen doesn't seem mature enough to be the guy that can (and has to) mesh it all together. If Duval is an absolute stud of a lead guard though, I think this is all a moot point and Duke is back in the FF.

I like a team out of the Horizon League to be the big mid major surprise. To crack the top 25 and make the second weekend of the tourney. No natty of course but S16 good. Stevie Clarke I think is gone (left or dismissed) but a pretty loaded roster. Looking forward to MSU vs Oakland this year.

Oakland a sleeper.

 

[champs99and04]

One team I'll make a case for is West Virginia. Sweet sixteen team last year, really should have beaten Gonzaga, finished seventh in KenPom. They return like five of their top six and have depth matched by few. The wild card with them and their pressing, though, is that you never know when they'll run into an officiating crew that fouls them all out of the game. In any event, this should be Huggins' best team since the 2010 final four squad (I can't believe that was eight years ago).

There's also one team every season that is incredibly overrated just because people feel obligated to rank them after a great year. That team this season is Gonzaga.

 

[Kmba2Rmemba]

UConn wins the whole damn thing

#rare #uconnluv

 

[sammydabiz]

I think (hope) we get over 20 wins


*Fingers crossed

 

[NYC Mustang]

Nobody has mentioned USC. Minimum of elite 8, talent for final four.

AAC should be well represented in post season. Shockers and Bearcats are very deep and talented.

I see another frustrating year ahead for UCONN.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I liked Oakland but found out their center is no longer on the roster. Bucknell is probably the team to watch as a mid major. An incredibly tough schedule to start the season but I think they run the table in the Patriot. I agree on USC with Mustang but they finished last year 91 in adjD per KenPom. Not sure what they will do on the defensive end this year but the roster is second to none as far as talent in all of college hoops.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

One team I'll make a case for is West Virginia. Sweet sixteen team last year, really should have beaten Gonzaga, finished seventh in KenPom. They return like five of their top six and have depth matched by few. The wild card with them and their pressing, though, is that you never know when they'll run into an officiating crew that fouls them all out of the game. In any event, this should be Huggins' best team since the 2010 final four squad (I can't believe that was eight years ago).

There's also one team every season that is incredibly overrated just because people feel obligated to rank them after a great year. That team this season is Gonzaga.

I agree with you on the Zags. Keep an eye on Saint Mary's this year Champs. Finished the season 15 in KP last year. SM loses Rahon but add Neal. Everyone else is back. Elite 8 is within reach. SM schedule is such a joke though. We will see.

West Virginia opens with Texas A & M. Texas A & M will be VERY good this year with the addition of JJ Caldwell at PG. Kennedy is not a good coach but the talent is there. Tyler Davis playing solid minutes right now for Puerto Rico in FIBA Americup. Watched this evening some of the game vs. Mexico.