One of the best parts of the college basketball season arrives this week, starting with the Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden tonight. The early season tournaments give us a chance to see many of the nation’s top teams face each other with titles on the line. The Champions Classic is not technically a tournament, but it still deserves some attention because it kicks off a stretch of juicy matchups.
The showcase loses a little shine with the announcement that Kansas star freshman Darryn Peterson will miss tonight’s game against Duke, which pretty much assures that Duke handles Kansas easily. Kentucky and Michigan State should still provide plenty of entertainment. Kentucky is the more talented roster, but Michigan State’s toughness and rebounding gives them a chance to hang around.
Wednesday brings an even better set of matchups, with Arizona traveling to UCONN and Alabama heading to Illinois. UCONN looks like a championship contender on both ends again. Arizona has the talent to join that group, but they are not as consistent night to night. UCONN has more weapons and a far better defense, and I expect them to take care of business at home. If you want a smart futures angle, UCONN at +115 to win the Big East feels like free money.
Alabama is coming off a troubling home loss to Purdue, a game in which they were dominated physically and completely exposed defensively. Their schedule does them no favors, with a trip to Illinois next. Even though Purdue is ranked number one in the AP poll, I actually see Illinois as the better team when they are fully healthy. Even if Illinois is without star center Tomislav Ivisic, I still like the Illini to do what Purdue just did and hand Alabama another loss.
Tournament season really kicks off on Thursday with the Baha Mar Championship in the Bahamas, featuring Purdue, Memphis, Texas Tech, and Wake Forest. This is one of the most interesting tournaments of the early season, with three of the four teams having a real shot to win the title. Memphis is the clear outlier. Purdue should have no trouble getting to the final, where they will meet either Texas Tech or Wake Forest.
Purdue will have its usual size and strength advantage, but Texas Tech features the best post player in the field with JT Toppin, and Wake Forest is coming off a one-point overtime loss at Michigan with the kind of athleticism to hang with anybody. Fan turnout could swing this one, but all three teams have already played well on the road, so anything can happen.
Gonzaga Moves Into My Top Spot
After several impressive early performances, Gonzaga now sits at the top of my personal rankings. The Bulldogs are overdue for a National Championship, and even though they are ranked thirteenth in the AP poll, this team has the depth, balance, and versatility to make a run. At +2500, this is likely the best price you will get on Gonzaga winning the title in Indianapolis. A bet on the Zags to make the Final Four at +500 is also extremely appealing.
While going undefeated is rare and always unlikely, there is another under-the-radar team that I think has a legitimate chance to do it. The Saint Louis Billikens are unranked and not well known nationally, but they are extremely fast, athletic, skilled, and well coached. And the key is their coach.
Josh Schertz is a name most fans do not recognize yet, but I do not think that will be the case for long. I first noticed him while living in Charlotte when his Lincoln Memorial teams would play Queens University every year. They were always tough, disciplined, and well prepared. He carried that success to Indiana State and now to Saint Louis. I currently have the Billikens ranked sixth in my poll. Their schedule is very weak, and they should be favored in every single game. Betting them at +400 to win the A-10 feels like a near lock.
My CBB Rankings AS Of Nov 18th
Tier 1
- Gonzaga
- Illinois
- UCONN
- Houston
Tier 2
5. Texas Tech
6. Saint Louis
7. BYU
8. Auburn
9. UNC
10. Louisville
11. Kentucky
12. Arizona
13. Purdue
14. Duke
15. Florida
16. Florida State
17. Kansas
18. NC State
19. Alabama
20. St. John’s
21. Michigan
22. Arkansas
23. UCLA
24. Iowa State
25. Virginia Tech
26. Michigan State
27. Wake Forest
28. Georgia
29. Miami
30. Tennessee
31. Baylor
32. Washington
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