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INDIANAPOLIS – For more than a decade, for reasons that did not even make sense, the college basketball season began each Friday with a handful of captivating games and lots of trash.
It was so silly.
There was no popular music before the opening day as the opening day was the eve of a weekend during which college and professional football had dominated the ## 147 ## # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 39; news. By the time week-end talk shows came back the following Monday, on radio and television, everything that had happened in college basketball on Friday was a distant memory eclipsed by the likes of Nick Saban and Tom Brady.
The smartest option always started on Tuesday.
I would like to congratulate the NCAA decision makers who finally listened and adjusted. Because, for the first time in a long time, university basketball will launch its season so that it becomes the focal point of sports discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The only competition is a MAC football match and four NBA competitions that do not involve the Warriors nor LeBron. So, who cares? And, even better, this season begins with a bang via the Champions Classic always very starred.
So here at Bankers Life Fieldhouse we have four of the top ten teams led by four Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame coaches, who have combined eight NCAA championships, five of which belong to Duke's Mike Krzyzewski. Eight of the top 15 prospects of the 2018 promotion, according to the 247Sports composite standings, will be on display – namely number 1 RJ Barrett (Duke), number 2 Cam Reddish (Duke) and number 5 Zion Williamson (Duke), n ° 9 EJ Montgomery (Kentucky), No. 10 Quintin Grimes (Kansas), No. 12 Ashton Hagans (Kentucky), No. 14 Keldon Johnson (Kentucky) and No. 15 Tre Jones (Duke). And, according to Jonathan Givony's latest mock-up project, we'll be watching five of the top eight players selected for the NBA Draft next June – Barrett, Williamson, Reddish, Grimes and Johnson.
Fort. Fort. Fort.
Here are some thoughts on each team and forecasts for both games.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 10 Michigan State
Point: 7 pm ET
Line: Kansas -5
On Kansas: I'm really looking forward to the debut of Dedric Lawson, the former Memphis veteran who, along with his brother (KJ Lawson), was transferred to Kansas after the former Memphis coach, Tubby Smith, demoted his father (Keelon Lawson) into an administrative position. a few weeks after getting the job in April 2016. The brothers are absent last season under the normal NCAA transfer rules. But both are eligible now. And Dedric Lawson just posted an average of 24.5 points and 10.5 rebounds in the two Jayhawks shows, which does not make us stupid to say that we named him the first team in the United States. CBS Sports Preseason. The best part? Lawson scored 6 out of 8 points on 3 points in both shows – which is encouraging because even though the 6-foot-9 striker always shot comfortably at 3 points, while in Memphis, for whatever reason, he never made a good percentage. In the past year, however, it has been said that his rider has improved and improved and improved. And if what Lawson did in the shows is an indication of what's going to happen, it's going to be a nightmare for Michigan State and just about everyone in Kansas is playing this season while attempting to win a Big 12 title consecutive.
On the state of Michigan: The Spartans lost two lottery selections (Jaren Jackson and Miles Bridges), were not among the top 15 rookies and still have a pre-season top-10 squad that was again chosen to win the title of the Big Ten regular season. It's a testimony of Tom Izzo – plus the fact that four of the top six markers, including three-digit double-digit markers, are back from a team of 30 wins. My favorite is Cassius Winston, who shot 50.7% of the field, 49.7% of the 3-point range and 90.0% of the free throw line last season, averaging 12.6 points and 6.9 assists. If you are looking for a candidate for the Big Ten Player of the Year, who could replace Carsen Edwards of Purdue as a favorite, go with Winston. But if Michigan State wants to upset the country's top-ranked team, it will have to be better with the ball than it was last season when it made a turnaround on 19, 2% of his possessions. This ranked 236th nationally. But the good news, or at least the possible The good news is that 28.1% of these numbers belonged to Jackson and Bridges, both of which are in the NBA. So, perhaps, in a strange way, at least on this singular question, their departures could prove to be additions by subtraction.
Prediction: Kansas 75, Michigan 73
Kentucky No. 2 vs No. 4 Duke
Point: 21:30. AND
Line: Kentucky -1
On Kentucky: I have the Wildcats ranked # 1 in the Top 25 and one – not because of their first year students, but because of their no-freshmen. I've already explained it many times and I've repeated it at Eye On College basketball podcast on Sunday night, but when John Calipari has a new meaning, his Kentucky teams are almost always great. from beginning to end. Reid Travis, PJ Washington and Quade Green, who already have at least 9.0 points per game average in Division I, already have three players. The only other time Calipari entered a season in Kentucky with this was 2011-12. The result was a national championship. And if you think that Travis, Washington and / or Green will be one of the top three British scorers this season and they will all be among the top six British scorers this season, it will be Calipari's fifth team in Kentucky not -freshmen in these roles. Now, check this out: the first time was in 2010. This team started 19-0, finished 35-1 and won the NCAA Tournament first place. The second time, it was in 2012. This team started 32-1, 38-2, won the first place of the NCAA tournament and won the national title. The third time was in 2015. This team started 38-0, 38-1, won first place at the NCAA Tournament and ranked first at KenPom. And the fourth time, it was in 2016. This team started 7-0, finished 27-9 and placed 4th at the NCAA tournament. (Note: although the 2016 season has always been successful with a normal measuring stick, it would have been much more successful if the UK had obtained something substantial from its best rookie, Skal Labissiere. But Kentucky was always good because Kentucky had a good balance. Bottom line, when Calipari has at least three non-freshmen in important roles, he is dynamite. And that's why, this season, I think the Wildcats will always be awesome and will mostly avoid the ups and downs that some British teams have suffered.
On the duke: Duke is the penultimate ranked in the polls. But everyone recognizes that the Blue Devils have more talent than anyone in the country. It's just a very, very young talent. Duke's not a single returning player who averaged more than 3.9 points per game, or captured more than 3.6 rebounds per game last season. And no team in the history of college basketball has ever won a national title with so little backtracking. However, no team in the history of college basketball has ever had three top-five picks in the same draft NBA – and Duke could do it next June thanks to the presence of RJ Barrett, Zion Williamson and Cam Reddish. So these Blue Devils are super intriguing. And believe me, even if Kentucky could – I repeat, could – Be the best team in the evening, according to the experience of the Wildcats, the stars will be in the entourage of coach K. The show RJ / Zion starts Tuesday night. This should make a fantastic ride.
Prediction: Kentucky 74, Duke 71
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