Christmas came early: College hoops are back
Mary Margaret Ellison, Staff Writer
Many questions are lurking through fans minds as the college basketball season is quickly approaching. How will the 2020-2021 season look? Who are the predicted top 10 teams? Which players are going to light up the court this season?
The season will definitely look a little different from last year because of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions.
CBS Sports Analyst Matt Norlander stated, “ We discussed the inherent challenges this season will bring, including the certainty—not likelihood—certainty—that college basketball will face a rash of delays and postponements just the way college football has.
The maximum number of games used to be 31 but has not been pushed back to 27 games. The minimum number of games allowed for eligibility for the NCAA is now 13. Will we see a team that plays 27 regular-season games? It isn’t likely, but teams could play close to 22 games without an outbreak.
Hayden Dillard, NGU alumnus, expressed how he thinks the college basketball season will look.
“Some locations have declined the bubble atmosphere, and some have not,” Dillard mentioned.
He also thinks that this season will be tough to operate on because there are fewer players on a basketball team, so the players will have to be separated on the bench and make sure they follow protocols.
Dillard made a statement that every college basketball fan can agree with; “I think the kids want to play. They have a lot of hope.”
There will not be a college football bubble, and there will be multi-team events such as the Maui Invitational which will take place in Asheville, N.C. instead of Hawaii. There will also be eight tournaments played at the same Disney venue where NBA teams played.
The ACC, SEC, Pac-12 and Big 12 are the only conferences that have released their conference and non-conference schedules as of right now.
Will there be fans in the stands? As of right now, college officials are deciding if fans are going to be allowed.
The AP Top 10 Preseason Poll was released on Nov. 11, and there are a couple of new teams in the mix.
Here is the Top 10:
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Gonzaga
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Baylor
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Villanova
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Virginia
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Iowa
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Kansas
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Wisconsin
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Illinois
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Duke
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Kentucky
Gonzaga will begin the college basketball season as No. 1 for the first time in school history. Baylor is right behind the Bulldogs along with Villanova which will be a cut-throat battle each week to secure the top spot.
A rare sight to see is Duke at No. 9, but they are rebuilding as well as No. 10 Kentucky. These teams could take some heat early the season but could make their way to the championship by March.
Where is North Carolina? Well, they are sitting at No. 16 in the preseason poll, but there is potential to make it into the Top 10 early.
Dillard, North Carolina fan, agrees that North Carolina will more than likely pull through.
“We have young pieces and some older guys coming back,” Dillard said, “It’s going to be an interesting team to watch.”
It may be too early to tell who will officially secure the No. 1 spot. This college basketball season will be full of surprises.
Who are the key players to look out for this upcoming season?
1. Luke Garza, Iowa (Sr.): The Hawkeyes’ 6-foot-11 center decided to return to play one last year. Garza averaged 23.9 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior last season.
2. Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State (Fr.): The freshman point guard could be the face of college basketball this season. Cunningham has the ability to make quick on-court decisions and knows how to dominate the court.
3. Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois (Jr.): After a Big Ten breakout last season, Dosunmu decided to come back to Illinois as a junior and put his NBA career on hold. He is to be one of the top scorers that have a chance to compete in a national championship.
4. Jared Butler, Baylor (Jr.): Butler also put his NBA career on pause to come back to play for the Bears. He averaged 16 points last season while leading Baylor to a 26-4 record. Can he lead the Bears to win a national championship?
5. Remy Martin, Arizona State (Sr.): The Sun Devils’ Martin is a strong competitor and will more than likely be the Pac-12 Player of the Year. Martin finished second in the conference with 19.1 points per game last season.
College basketball will be here before you know it, and hopefully will be here to stay.
