College basketball season is back today, and there’s no better way to get back to it than me giving some quick predictions for conference champs.
ACC: Duke Blue Devils
I know this is the chalk pick, but Duke is stacked this year. Kyle Filipowski, Tyrese Proctor, and Jeremy Roach are all back, and their freshman class is loaded again. In Jon Scheyer’s second year, this team has higher aspirations than winning the ACC; the goal is a national championship.
Big 12: Kansas Jayhawks
Again, another chalk pick but Kansas returns Dajuan Harris and Kevin McCullar, two guys I don’t love talent-wise but I can’t deny their impact. Getting Hunter Dickinson in the portal gives this team a needed scoring presence, and I’m not betting against Bill Self and this coaching staff. Kansas is another squad that’s looking to get back to the stage they were on two years ago.
Big East: Creighton Bluejays
The Big East is going to be a ton of fun to watch this year. Choosing between Creighton, Marquette, and UConn was difficult, but give me the Bluejays. The team is returning Ryan Kalkbrenner, Baylor Scheierman, and Trey Alexander, so I’m trying not to overthink this. With three clear scoring threats, I don’t see how this team won’t be top 5 in offensive efficiency. Georgetown with Ed Cooley, St. John’s with Rick Pitino, and a healthy Villanova squad make the Big East must-see TV this year.
Big Ten: Michigan State Spartans
I love Michigan State this year. This team is my pick to win it all in preseason, and for good reason. The Spartans get back their entire starting 5, and add an elite group of freshmen to an already loaded roster. Sparty’s got the best backcourt in college hoops, and Tom Izzo is Mr. March. Another team I think will perform well is Ohio State. A bit of a homer pick here, but I think Jamison Battle is a high-impact transfer, and I expect Roddy Gayle to take a huge leap. Also, I’m a big fan of the freshman class, and think Devin Royal is an All-B1G Freshman Team kind of guy. Give me MSU though.
Pac-12: Arizona Wildcats
After last year’s collapse to Princeton, I think Arizona will be back. I first need to mention that it is quite sad that this is the last season for the Pac-12, but give me Tommy Lloyd’s squad to be the last conference champs. They have the best player in the conference in Oumar Ballo, add Caleb Love from the portal, and get Kylan Boswell with a year of experience under him. This conference is a real question mark for me; I don’t know what to expect from UCLA. Mick Cronin always has a good group of guys, but there’s too much inexperience on that roster. USC’s frontcourt is very questionable too, but they obviously have talent to make up for it at guard. Give me the Cats.
SEC: Tennessee Volunteers
Rick Barnes kept his core from last year intact (minus Olivier Nkamhoua who killed Duke last March) and it looks great. The backcourt of Zeigler, Vescovi, and Mashack remains solid, and the addition of Dalton Knecht will pay dividends offensively. The X-factor for this team however is Jonas Aidoo; the Vols’ success will depend on him. But if there’s one thing a Rick Barnes squad will do, it’s defend, which makes me confident in Tennessee to win the SEC.
Here are some more picks of mine from some conferences that I care about:
ASUN: Eastern Kentucky Colonels
American: Florida Atlantic Owls
A10: Dayton Flyers
Coastal (previously CAA): Charleston Cougars
MAAC: Canisius Golden Griffins (this is the year)
MAC: Akron Zips
Mountain West: New Mexico Lobos
WAC: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks (Axe ‘Em + Tune in to ESPN+ at 12:30 PM today to watch the Jacks take on NAIA powerhouse North American)
WCC: St. Mary’s Gaels
