Who's this year's NCAA Champion?

[Hey Adrien!]

I know the odds favor Gonzaga, but I gotta go with Baylor.

NCAA Champions tend to always have the following:

• A bucket-getting guard
  • Jared Butler and MaCio Teague both average 15 ppg+.
• A balance between strong offense and defense
  • KenPom 3rd in O, 1st in D.
  • Mark Vital might be the best defensive player in the country who can legit guard 1-5.
  • Davion Mitchell might be the best defensive guard in the country.
• A veteran team, especially in the backcourt
  • Their starting lineup has two seniors, two juniors and a sophomore
  • Their three starting guards consist of two juniors and a senior.
• An ability to produce offense in the half court when the game slows down
  • Baylor's tempo is 152nd, so not a big adjustment needed in March.
• An X-Factor who isn't a leading scorer but has the ability to play up on any given night
  • Both shooting guard Adam Flagler and Tyler Polley-clone Matthew Mayer average under 10 ppg, but also shoot 43% from 3.

Why I'm NOT picking Gonzaga:

• I like Timme, but I'm not crazy about their frontcourt depth. Watson is good, but isn't a big and neither Ballo/Gregg/Zakharov are reliable (all under 9 mpg).
• I love Suggs, but I prefer my backcourt more battle tested, both in experience and SOS.
• How will Gonzaga respond to slower paced games? (7th in tempo).
• Their defense is Gonzaga good, but not elite (12th overall).

Would like to hear your thoughts on actual basketball teams (not covid, please).

 

[UC1995]

COVID might be the unfortunate winner taking down individual teams and the tournament if things progress as they have been.

 

[HeGotGame]

Zags and Baylor are head and shoulders above everyone else. Stinks their game got cancelled.

Can't wait for all the COVID responses. They are as fun as colonoscopy prep

 

[BoukofJames]

I’m holding a 50-1 bet slip on Alabama. They are a very boom-or-bust type of team but those odds keep looking better and better

 

[UC1995]

Zags and Baylor are head and shoulders above everyone else. Stinks their game got cancelled.

Can't wait for all the COVID responses. They are as fun as colonoscopy prep

It's not going away and there will be teams who won't make it because they will get a positive case. Imagine if that happens to a Gonzaga or Baylor or UConn again. Sucks but is reality!

 

[XLCenterFan]

I have tickets on Iowa, Illinois, Nova, Creighton, and UConn.

The Zags will have gotten used to playing bum teams and eventually lose to a team from a real conference, per usual. Baylor looks tough, but I’m hoping they falter somewhere along the road as well. That will open the door for any of the teams I have actions on - at big prices might I add.

 

[Austin316]

teams will bring covid to Indiana and it will be pushed back or cancelled.... if not I’ll take the field.

 

[John Greene]

2014 Deja Vu

UUUUUUUU
CCCCCCCCC
OOOOOOO
NNNNNNN
NNNNNNN

 

[husky429]

I have 100 bucks on UConn like I do every year. I'll be something like 2400 bucks richer if we win.

 

[Hungryhusky99]

I have tickets on Iowa, Illinois, Nova, Creighton, and UConn.

The Zags will have gotten used to playing bum teams and eventually lose to a team from a real conference, per usual. Baylor looks tough, but I’m hoping they falter somewhere along the road as well. That will open the door for any of the teams I have actions on - at big prices might I add.

Not a big fan of defense ?

 

[XLCenterFan]

@Hungryhusky99 Just a fan of undervalued teams that have larger prices on them than they should. May I add that since I placed these bets, the prices on all of these teams had dropped, in some cases cut in half. That’s valuetown!

 

[HeGotGame]

It's not going away and there will be teams who won't make it because they will get a positive case. Imagine if that happens to a Gonzaga or Baylor or UConn again. Sucks but is reality!

No there won't. The same people on this board say the same things over and over and over about COVID and things being cancelled or not happening. Yet MLB, CFB, NFL, NBA, MLS, WNBA, ect. all finished seasons and had no teams removed from championship contention for COVID. Just give it up, no need to insert the doom and gloom into every thread, its annoying, unneeded, and unsupported.

 

[bendm]

rooting for a gonzaga v. nova final. gonzaga wins its first

 

[auror]

I'm with you on Baylor. It's a whole team of 3 and D. (#1 defense and #1 3 point shooting team).

 

[MexicoHusky]

I'm hoping for chaos.... i.e. Bouk comes back, we catch lightning in a bottle, championship #5

 

[Waterbury]

connecticut

 

[geordi]

Anybody but Baylor. The Baylor women have an opportunity too. If both win, we won't be the only school with men's and women's championships in the same year. Just selfish.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Can't wait for all the COVID responses. They are as fun as colonoscopy prep

Hold out for the NYTimes column claiming Yale because they are the sole Connecticut D-1 BASKETBALL team to cancel its season, and thereby deserve to be paired with UCONN Football.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I love Suggs, but I prefer my backcourt more battle tested, both in experience and SOS.

Suggs isn't by himself back there. Ayayi, Nembhard, Cook + Kispert if you want to count him as backcourt is a deep, experienced, talented group.

 

[XLCenterFan]

I have 100 bucks on UConn like I do every year. I'll be something like 2400 bucks richer if we win.

24-1 is way off for a price. I have 70-1.

 

[XLCenterFan]

If I could bet the field here I'd be betting it with both fists. Especially if the price was even money (which I know it wouldn't be).

 

[McLovin]

Look at the DraftKings odds on UConn compared to the “Blue Bloods” Duke, UNC, Michigan State and Louisville.

The college basketball media may be sleeping on us, but the bettors sure aren’t!

 

[superjohn]

No there won't. The same people on this board say the same things over and over and over about COVID and things being cancelled or not happening. Yet MLB, CFB, NFL, NBA, MLS, WNBA, ect. all finished seasons and had no teams removed from championship contention for COVID. Just give it up, no need to insert the doom and gloom into every thread, its annoying, unneeded, and unsupported.

It's hilarious, they've been wrong every single time and still keep saying it.

 

[Kolumbo]

No there won't. The same people on this board say the same things over and over and over about COVID and things being cancelled or not happening. Yet MLB, CFB, NFL, NBA, MLS, WNBA, ect. all finished seasons and had no teams removed from championship contention for COVID. Just give it up, no need to insert the doom and gloom into every thread, its annoying, unneeded, and unsupported.

This is a lot different though and it may just come down to timing. Conferences are going to have tournaments and some teams are going to find out they need to quarantine. Right now UConn is in a modified quarantine because one official at a single game tested positive. 68 teams coming out of conference tournaments. Some teams are going to have to bail unless they significantly modify the protocols.

 

[ucp990411]

rooting for a gonzaga v. nova final. gonzaga wins its first

So you are not rooting for the good guys to reach the championship game and win it? What kind of fan are you? I suggest you give up your boneyard membership.