Men's College Basketball Prediction Thread 2017/2018

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I think (hope) we get over 20 wins


*Fingers crossed

Oregon in the PK80 is a HUGE game. Win that game and we are off the deck at least temporarily with some of the bad vibes surrounding the program after a losing season. I just think that is such a big game early in the season from a confidence perspective.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

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.

Duke will struggle from the perimeter (shooting). I don't see them winning it all.

Zona is stacked on paper. PG depth is an issue though.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

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

I put my best perimeter defender on Evans. Cane Broome is going to struggle making shots 18 feet out. Other than Evans who can you depend on to make perimeter shots? Cincinnati may struggle vs decent zones.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

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.

I think Broome will feast on lesser competition. That lineup is legit. Not sure Cane gets them into the top 10 range. Put Jalen Adams on that team (minus Broome) and they make the FF.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Duke Arizona and Cinci are the three best teams.

That Cinci lineup is scary.

 

[Huskyforlife]

I put my best perimeter defender on Evans. Cane Broome is going to struggle making shots 18 feet out. Other than Evans who can you depend on to make perimeter shots? Cincinnati may struggle vs decent zones.

Washington

 

[kobe]

I put my best perimeter defender on Evans. Cane Broome is going to struggle making shots 18 feet out. Other than Evans who can you depend on to make perimeter shots? Cincinnati may struggle vs decent zones.

Cumberland may be that guy. He's been known since his AAU days to be a "big game" player. Also we (finally?) recruited a supposed pure shooter inTrevor Moore but not sure if he'll be ready this season for steady minutes. Not having to rely on a backcourt of Caupain and Johnson (both were under 33% on three with a high volume of attempts) is going to be a welcomed change.

 

[TheDude]

Duke Arizona and Cinci are the three best teams.

That Cinci lineup is scary.

Not as scary as Larrier, Onourah, Vital, Adams and Gilbert

 

[Mr. French]

I really do love our top couple guys.

I don't see too many guys individually able to stop Adams.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Cumberland may be that guy. He's been known since his AAU days to be a "big game" player. Also we (finally?) recruited a supposed pure shooter inTrevor Moore but not sure if he'll be ready this season for steady minutes. Not having to rely on a backcourt of Caupain and Johnson (both were under 33% on three with a high volume of attempts) is going to be a welcomed change.

What are your thoughts on Temple? I predict Temple could be a pretty big surprise. They have the guards to get hot (underrated back court) and put together an unexpected run in the AAC. Temple coming in at 1000/1 (UConn cumulatively 100/1'ish odds to win the title @lvs) is interesting (Temple beat Florida State and West Virginia last year without starting PG).

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Duke Arizona and Cinci are the three best teams.

That Cinci lineup is scary.

Any thoughts on Texas A&M?

Also it is put up or shut up time for some Providence fans. If you can't make the 2nd weekend of the Tournament and finish top 3 in the BE with 4 solid Senior starters (and a serviceable bench) its time to go under a rock.

 

[Huskyforlife]

Any thoughts on Texas A&M?

Also it is put up or shut up time for some Providence fans. If you can't make the 2nd weekend of the Tournament and finish top 3 in the BE with 4 solid Senior starters (and a serviceable bench) its time to go under a rock.

Good NBA prospects, but I'm not sure they can do much when it counts. Williams will blow up.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Good NBA prospects, but I'm not sure they can do much when it counts. Williams will blow up.

I watched Tyler Davis in the FIBA AMERICUP last week and couldn't believe the transformation to his body. He dropped weight and is looking incredible. Tony Trocha played for Columbia. So they have these two plus Williams and a healthy DJ Hogg. Add a very talented Savion Flagg (ESPN #81) and this front court is arguably the best in the country. Then they add top 100 PG JJ Caldwell after he was forced to sit out last year. The SEC will be strong this year. I could see A & M anywhere from 1st to 3rd place (and a deep run barring injury/second weekend). Just depends if Kennedy can coach this year. That is very questionable.

 

[champs99and04]

Duke Arizona and Cinci are the three best teams.

That Cinci lineup is scary.

Cincy? Nah. They're not in the same orbit as Duke and Arizona talent wise. Clark is a stud who doesn't get the respect he deserves, but he also struggles big time with length. Evans shot 41% last year in conference play. He and Washington are borderline top 100 kids who are good players but maybe not talented enough for Cincinnati to make a leap to top 10 status. I'm not sold on Cane Broome as a starting point guard on a top 25 team. He's essentially a 6'0 two guard who can fill it up but isn't a great shooter and has trouble creating for others. His defensive metrics at Sacred Heart were really bad.

Cumberland is the one guy that could change the ceiling for them. He's got kind of an old-man's game and won't be appearing on many mock drafts, but I was really impressed last year. His composure and savvy with the ball in his hands was unusual for a college player, much less a freshman.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Cincy? Nah. They're not in the same orbit as Duke and Arizona talent wise. Clark is a stud who doesn't get the respect he deserves, but he also struggles big time with length. Evans shot 41% last year in conference play. He and Washington are borderline top 100 kids who are good players but maybe not talented enough for Cincinnati to make a leap to top 10 status. I'm not sold on Cane Broome as a starting point guard on a top 25 team. He's essentially a 6'0 two guard who can fill it up but isn't a great shooter and has trouble creating for others. His defensive metrics at Sacred Heart were really bad.

Cumberland is the one guy that could change the ceiling for them. He's got kind of an old-man's game and won't be appearing on many mock drafts, but I was really impressed last year. His composure and savvy with the ball in his hands was unusual for a college player, much less a freshman.

Keep an eye out for Texas Tech this year. Tech's final Kenpom rank was #41. Better than Miami, Middle Tennessee, Maryland, VCU, Virginia Tech, Seton Hall, USC, Nevada and Providence. All these teams made the tournament. Tech didn't. They probably will start 5 Seniors with Brandon Francis and Davide Moretti coming off the bench. They could go solid 9 deep. Rhode Island and Texas Tech could meet up @ Mohegan in November if not mistaken. I think you would appreciate and enjoy that game Champs. Two solid under the radar teams. Although RI may have a serious target on their back come to think of it.

Also last year was Tech's first year implementing the Motion Offense under Chris Beard who is a Bob Knight disciple. Everything screams under the radar surprise team with TT. Champs what are your thoughts on the Motion Offense? How many teams are running it in college hoops? This morning I did some reading on it. Pros and cons ect...

I predict Tech will be VERY dangerous.

 

[kobe]

What are your thoughts on Temple? I predict Temple could be a pretty big surprise. They have the guards to get hot (underrated back court) and put together an unexpected run in the AAC. Temple coming in at 1000/1 (UConn cumulatively 100/1'ish odds to win the title @lvs) is interesting (Temple beat Florida State and West Virginia last year without starting PG).

I think the media consensus is that Wichita and Cincinnati are the top two teams in the league but I agree that Temple easily could be in the mix for the 3rd place spot. I actually think this league is going to be 5 deep with the three mentioned plus SMU and UCF. A lot of question marks for your Huskies but I'd never count them out to grab the autobid. Should be a decent year for the American.

 

[mauconnfan]

Cincy is good and no disrespect to kobe here, but you guys have your panties all bunched up about them. I mean Broome? Can we see him against others teams than SCSU and QU before we have him the 2nd team all AAC? I mean they will be solid but anyone who can play physical with them and play them in the interior will give them trouble from what I can see. Cumberland is a real nice player, tough matchup but many others are just good players. Need to prove a lot to me to think Top 15 never mind 10.

 

[mauconnfan]

I think the media consensus is that Wichita and Cincinnati are the top two teams in the league but I agree that Temple easily could be in the mix for the 3rd place spot. I actually think this league is going to be 5 deep with the three mentioned plus SMU and UCF. A lot of question marks for your Huskies but I'd never count them out to grab the autobid. Should be a decent year for the American.

Not enough respect for the Huskies here. UCF and Temple weren't too tough without anyone healthy for us last year and UCF lost their best shooter, one of the best in the conference. I like it like this though people and media thinking we're a 5th - 7th place team that's a good thing.

 

[Mr. French]

We have arguably 2-3 top 5-10 players in the league, and there's a chance we also have #1.

In a league like this, it would be foolish to count out UConn.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Kevin Ollie will be Rothsteins guest this week. Easy to catch the interview off Bleacher Report App for college hoops. I predict a good interview.

 

[bearcatmax]

Cincy? Nah. They're not in the same orbit as Duke and Arizona talent wise. Clark is a stud who doesn't get the respect he deserves, but he also struggles big time with length. Evans shot 41% last year in conference play. He and Washington are borderline top 100 kids who are good players but maybe not talented enough for Cincinnati to make a leap to top 10 status. I'm not sold on Cane Broome as a starting point guard on a top 25 team. He's essentially a 6'0 two guard who can fill it up but isn't a great shooter and has trouble creating for others. His defensive metrics at Sacred Heart were really bad.

Cumberland is the one guy that could change the ceiling for them. He's got kind of an old-man's game and won't be appearing on many mock drafts, but I was really impressed last year. His composure and savvy with the ball in his hands was unusual for a college player, much less a freshman.

I 100% agree UC isn't close to the same level as Duke & Zona but disagree with a lot else in your post.

Clark does not struggle with length and that's very surprising coming from a UConn fan considering it seemed Clark took Brimah into the post and scored on him at will these past few years. Clark is a great player (as you mentioned) but kind of is what he is at this point. If he was more aggressive offensively he'd be a conference player of the year type, but he just doesn't seem to have that in his DNA. Still he's an exceptional player that does everything well and should have another great year.

You're right about Evans shooting 41% in conference play (regular season) but those #s don't include the conference tournament when he was very good. It is interesting to note that many on this board think Jalen Adams is a potential All American yet fail to recognize he shot 38% from the field, had below average offensive (98.5) and defensive ratings (103.4) in conference play. I love Adams' talent but I'd say at this point his reputation exceeds his production.

Washington is a solid player that seemed to hurt UC a lot in big games (UCLA, SMU, etc.). I expect Brooks to eat into his minutes this year.

It is fair to have questions about Broome, as none of us have seen him play at this level but word around the program is he is the best player on the team. I'm just really excited to see how his speed changes the team after watching Caupain walk the ball of the court and throw up bricks from 3 for 4 straight years.

Cumberland is going to be really good and a massive improvement over Kevin Johnson.

I expect a top 12-15 team next year as I think this will easily be Mick's best team. Hopefully success extends beyond the regular season though for the first time in a while.

 

[bearcatmax]

I put my best perimeter defender on Evans. Cane Broome is going to struggle making shots 18 feet out. Other than Evans who can you depend on to make perimeter shots? Cincinnati may struggle vs decent zones.

I have no idea how well Broome will shoot from the outside but it's not like he'll be replacing a sniper. Caupain and Johnson were both bad shooters on high volume. Don't see UC shooting worse from three than they did last year (when they were pretty average at 35%).

 

[jibsey]

I really do love our top couple guys.

I don't see too many guys individually able to stop Adams.

There is no disrespect here, and I believe that Adams is a terrific player, but there are parts of his game that have a ways to go. Breaking down his defender getting to the rim, and perimeter shooting. Saw him shut down on drives plenty last year and he went to the assist, but I don't know if he's a physically dominant type of guard that can always get his shot off. To be fair until his 3rd year Kemba did not emerge in those 2 areas and that is a pretty high mountain to climb.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I 100% agree UC isn't close to the same level as Duke & Zona but disagree with a lot else in your post.

Clark does not struggle with length and that's very surprising coming from a UConn fan considering it seemed Clark took Brimah into the post and scored on him at will these past few years. Clark is a great player (as you mentioned) but kind of is what he is at this point. If he was more aggressive offensively he'd be a conference player of the year type, but he just doesn't seem to have that in his DNA. Still he's an exceptional player that does everything well and should have another great year.

You're right about Evans shooting 41% in conference play (regular season) but those #s don't include the conference tournament when he was very good. It is interesting to note that many on this board think Jalen Adams is a potential All American yet fail to recognize he shot 38% from the field, had below average offensive (98.5) and defensive ratings (103.4) in conference play. I love Adams' talent but I'd say at this point his reputation exceeds his production.

Washington is a solid player that seemed to hurt UC a lot in big games (UCLA, SMU, etc.). I expect Brooks to eat into his minutes this year.

It is fair to have questions about Broome, as none of us have seen him play at this level but word around the program is he is the best player on the team. I'm just really excited to see how his speed changes the team after watching Caupain walk the ball of the court and throw up bricks from 3 for 4 straight years.

Cumberland is going to be really good and a massive improvement over Kevin Johnson.

I expect a top 12-15 team next year as I think this will easily be Mick's best team. Hopefully success extends beyond the regular season though for the first time in a while.

I have seen Broome play quite a bit. If he is the best player on Cincinnati welcome to a first round exit in the tourney. He will play like a volatile stock. His dribble drive is not lethal but clearly very good (his obvious strength). His outside shot is average on a good day. He does not possess a true Alpha Dog personality for a PG. That could develop but I don't see it year 1. Broome has a collection of talent around him that if utilized correctly could get you to the Sweet16. I think that is the ceiling. Saying it "will easily be Mick's best team..." after the regular season you had last year is bold. Caupain was a very good player with experience (he made pressure/big shots). I think he will be missed more than you think.

I don't disagree with you on Adam's either. It is time for him in his 3rd year to put it all together. If JA doesn't have a monster year the NIT could be looming.

 

[bearcatmax]

I have seen Broome play quite a bit. If he is the best player on Cincinnati welcome to a first round exit in the tourney. He will play like a volatile stock. His dribble drive is not lethal but clearly very good (his obvious strength). His outside shot is average on a good day. He does not possess a true Alpha Dog personality for a PG. That could develop but I don't see it year 1. Broome has a collection of talent around him that if utilized correctly could get you to the Sweet16. I think that is the ceiling. Saying it "will easily be Mick's best team..." after the regular season you had last year is bold. Caupain was a very good player with experience (he made pressure/big shots). I think he will be missed more than you think.

I don't disagree with you on Adam's either. It is time for him in his 3rd year to put it all together. If JA doesn't have a monster year the NIT could be looming.

I appreciate the insight but you do realize Broome sat out as a transfer, right? So you saw him play two years ago unless you count a summer league performance or two....

You all know how good Clark, Evans, etc. are.... To say Broome is better than all of them (and that has been a common refrain around the program) speaks more to how good than anything about the rest of the roster. I'm not saying he's going to come in and win conference player of the year or be an all american, but I think he'll be a very good player.

Caupain was a solid/steady player for 4 years but never a difference maker (although you are correct that he did hit some clutch shots). Great rebounder for a guard, took care of the ball, solid defender, but couldn't shoot (under 40% from the field last two years) and rarely got a piece of the paint off the dribble. Kevin Johnson was much of the same way. Neither had star potential and I think that severely limited UC's ceiling these past few years, particularly in the tournament when you run into guys like Lonzo Ball. To take the next step I think UC needed dynamic guards and I see a ton of potential for that this coming year with Cumberland and Broome (obviously I have more questions with Broome until I see him play)