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Updated College Basketball Title Predictions and Picks (November 14th)
Duke: There’s really not many ways to say this, but the Blue Devils are absolutely loaded that it almost feels unfair that Duke will be competing in the NCAAB and not the NBA. From a formidable starting five to a deep bench that can play as a starting five for any top-25 unit in the country, Mike Krzyzewski’s boys have it all. The only question is whether or not the Blue Devils will get complacent and cede powers in the East side of the Bracket where they should be a hot pick to take the No. 1 seed before running the NCAA Tournament table to the title game. Kentucky: The like of Georgia, Florida and Texas A&M will take shots at Kentucky, buy y’all should know better than to doubt the king in John Calipari. UK is oozing with talent, led by a darn good freshman class that includes the highly-regarded Malik Monk. Replacing the NBA talents of Tyler Uli and Jamal Murray will take a bit of some time, but with Calipari offering the ever-so- trusted guiding hand to his players, UK should do just fine as a favorite in the SEC and the South Region. Villanova: The defending national champs began their season in style with an 88-48 romp over Lafayette this weekend, featuring strong performances from the usual suspects in Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson and national championship hero Kris Jenkins. The Wildcats are as stacked up as can be on both sides of the ball and looked primed to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West if they can focus on their team-oriented balance that saw them hoist the national title last year. That said, no team has repeated as an NCAAB champ since the Florida squad of 2006-07, so it’s not going to be any easy job for the Cats. Kansas: Yes, the Jayhawks suffered a 103-99 OT loss at Indiana in their first game of the season. But you’d really be a fool if you jumped on the panic button right now. The Hoosiers have, for a long time, been a formidable home unit, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that they used their home court advantage accordingly. Kansas, which has an on-going nation-leading home winning streak of 40 victories, should be more than capable of making up for the loss to Indiana. And in case you’ve forgotten already, the Jayhawks have won 12 straight Big 12 titles, including last year when they started the season shakily. You can therefore be rest-assured that Kansas will get back on top of things and make good value of being a solid No.1-seed candidate in the Midwest region.Indiana No. 6 in the new AP college basketball poll. #iubb https://t.co/BASTetveeu pic.twitter.com/quFe7QrhuJ
— Jeff Rabjohns (@JeffRabjohns) November 14, 2016
Best of the Rest: College Basketball Title Sleepers and Longshots
North Carolina… (Plus Virginia and Louisville)
Actually, the Tar Heels should have been placed in the above tier, but we had limited slots up there so they UNC should fit right here as the best of the rest. The Heels have started the season 2-0 on the back of a strong performance from last year’s superstars in Joel Berry II and Isaiah Hicks, and it’s certainly going to be a heck of a season if they can maintain their focus. But as has been the problem for the past many seasons, UNC will be playing in the same conference with Duke, and it’s hard to pick the Heels over Coach K’s near-perfect super-team. Meanwhile, be on the lookout for a strong challenge from Virginia and Louisville and Virginia in regards to contending for conference supremacy over the favored duo of Duke and UNC.Big Ten Heavyweights: Michigan, Maryland and Co.
From the ever-competitive Michigan State to the fast-start Indiana, to the Melo Trimble-led Maryland, to the dangerous Badgers from Wisconsin to the bubbling Boilermakers of Purdue; the Big 12 is going to be a head-scratcher as it has been over the past couple of season. But on the positive side, whoever comes out of it should be battle-tested enough to make noise all the way to the Final Four, or even beyond.Oregon, UCLA and the Loaded West Coast
Yes, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will make plenty of noise in the West, same as Ivan Rabb’s Cal, same as Oregon, with Saint Mary’s and Washington’s also figuring into the mix. But it is the Bruins, who we feel have a chance of surprising many as a strong NCAA title longhshot in the West Coast. The returning backcourt combination of Both Isaac Hamilton and Bryce Alford means guaranteed production to lead the rest of the team. And then there is the balance in the UCLA team, as was highlighted by seven Bruins scoring in double figures in the 102-87 win against CS Northridge over the weekend. It’s a long way to go, especially with the Pac-12 looking as tough as ever, but the Bruins should definitely fancy their chances, especially if they can clean up their act defensively. Other longshots worthy of your consideration as of now should include Xavier, Florida State, Seton Hall and Connecticut.Conclusion and College Basketball Title Predictions
It’s too early for me to go all in on one team right now, but if I am hard-pressed for my college basketball title picks, I’d go as follows:- Best College Basketball Title Favorite Picks: Duke/Villanova
- Best College Basketball Title Sleeper Picks: North Carolina/Oregon
- Best College Basketball Title Longshot Picks: Xavier/UCLA
