This is a very good post with many good points. As for three point shooting, it could be a little weaker this year, but last year was very good, and a counterbalancing plus is we should be at the foul line a-lot more this year. Also with next year's recruits and the "shooting class", Uconn should be right back near the top on 3pt shooting, so if that turns out to be a mild weakness it will be corrected next year.
As for the competition, the three top teams last year were significantly better than everyone else including us, so we have more than a little ground to make up. Oregon lost a ton, so they are not a problem, and I think we have pulled ourselves up to Baylor probably past them this year, and very likely to be better next year. Stanford might be an issue this year as well but presumably our 2021 class will elevate us over them next year, and I wouldn't be surprised if we are better this year.
South Carolina is the big issue. They were much better last year, and we had a big 2020 recruiting class, but did that make up all of the difference? I don't know. Then as optimistic as we are, and should be, about the 2021 class, South Carolina had a monster 2021 class too, and their huge 2019 class with Boston will still be around for two years after this one.
It is hard to tell this far in advance before we have seen these recruits play, but I think both of these teams will be right near the top this year, with a couple of others, but next year with the big recruiting classes and top returning players I expect SC and Uconn to separate themselves from the pack, and it will be those two on the top tier and then a big drop-off to everyone else.
