2017-18 NCAA Men's NOT-ACC Basketball

[DukieInBrasil]

Use this thread to talk about non-Duke, and probably non-ACC, basketball for the season.

I just wanted to point out that Kentucky almost lost, at home, to Vermont 73-69. This is essentially the same team that almost beat Duke a few years ago. Many of the players are different, but there is a similar level of experience, cohesiveness, and understanding of its own strengths and weaknesses. This isn't to say Kentucky is overrated or that they'll be bad this year, although they are perhaps either or both. The Duke team that strugled with Vermont was also a pretty good team, won lots of games, had a pretty high ranking at various times thru that year, and ended up losing in the 1st Round of the NCAAT. That team didn't lose in the tourney b/c they were bad, but b/c of their youth they couldn't match the intensity and cohesive team nature that Mercer had. More than anything, i think it just shows that Kentucky's youth could snake-bite them this year.
I found Duke's blow-out wins satisfying, and while Duke is also similarly young this year, i didn't see much that made me think that this year's Duke squad's youth is lacking intensity or team cohesion.

As for the opening weekend: the only upset i saw was #25 TAMU over #11 WVa, which is a pretty mild upset at this point.
Congrats to Chris Collins and Nortwestern for winning their ranked-season debut at #19 (ESPN).

[Kedsy]

Use this thread to talk about non-Duke, and probably non-ACC, basketball for the season.

I just wanted to point out that Kentucky almost lost, at home, to Vermont 73-69. This is essentially the same team that almost beat Duke a few years ago. Many of the players are different, but there is a similar level of experience, cohesiveness, and understanding of its own strengths and weaknesses. This isn't to say Kentucky is overrated or that they'll be bad this year, although they are perhaps either or both. The Duke team that strugled with Vermont was also a pretty good team, won lots of games, had a pretty high ranking at various times thru that year, and ended up losing in the 1st Round of the NCAAT. That team didn't lose in the tourney b/c they were bad, but b/c of their youth they couldn't match the intensity and cohesive team nature that Mercer had. More than anything, i think it just shows that Kentucky's youth could snake-bite them this year.
I found Duke's blow-out wins satisfying, and while Duke is also similarly young this year, i didn't see much that made me think that this year's Duke squad's youth is lacking intensity or team cohesion.

As for the opening weekend: the only upset i saw was #25 TAMU over #11 WVa, which is a pretty mild upset at this point.
Congrats to Chris Collins and Nortwestern for winning their ranked-season debut at #19 (ESPN).

So, this is a thread about NOT-DUKE basketball in which we basically talk more about Duke than whatever the post purports to be about? Cool.

[DukieInBrasil]

So, this is a thread about NOT-DUKE basketball in which we basically talk more about Duke than whatever the post purports to be about? Cool.

I think we're free to weave Duke into any thread no matter the purported topic, but yeah, i mostly just wanted to take a jab at Kentucky and praise Duke.

Also interesting, at least on Friday night's games, there were very few non-blowout wins for the ranked teams. A lot of this is to be expected b/c "cupcakes". Northwestern and UCLA, in addition to Kentucky, were really the only non-blowout winners on Friday. My blowout margin was set at 15, which might not be the most stringent limit.

[FadedTackyShirt]

Derryck Thornton looked pretty good for USC. He’s the sixth man playing behind Jordan McLaughlin. USC’s a solid team.

[BD80]

Derryck Thornton looked pretty good for USC. He’s the sixth man playing behind Jordan McLaughlin. USC’s a solid team.

And he left Duke, and sat out a year, so he could have a BIGGER role? Good move.

[NSDukeFan]

And he left Duke, and sat out a year, so he could have a BIGGER role? Good move.

I was thinking the same. I hope he’s being used correctly in pick and rolls.

[OldPhiKap]

I wish Derryck well. Wish he had stayed, but everyone has to do what they think is best. Good luck.

[UrinalCake]

I just wanted to point out that Kentucky almost lost, at home, to Vermont 73-69. This is essentially the same team that almost beat Duke a few years ago.

I remember that near-loss, I believe Andre Dawkins hit a late three to stave them off. To me that game was more about our terrible defense than anything else. Our perimeter would get shredded and Vermont constantly hit back-door cuts for layups and dunks.

As for the opening weekend: the only upset i saw was #25 TAMU over #11 WVa, which is a pretty mild upset at this point.

I understand TAMU was playing without two of their starters, and they won by 23 at WVU, so I think that qualifies as a bona-fide upset. Missouri also played without Michael Porter Jr. (who was held out with a minor injury) and beat ISU, so there's that. I'm sure the other players were happy to prove they are not just a one-man team.

[ElSid]

Something I never thought I'd say: I'm excited to follow some Alabama basketball.

Collin Sexton is a OAD talent at point guard. 6'3" like Duvall, better shooter, similar athleticism. Extremely charismatic on and off the floor. They're tall. Donta Hall and transfer Daniel Giddens will block a lot of shots. Braxton Key is a good sophomore wing. I like them in an SEC that won't be dominated quite as handily by Kentucky. Dark horse to win SEC. Florida, Texas A&M and Kentucky will all be good. Florida sorta worth rooting for because Mike White is a good young coach with Duke ties.

Oklahoma is a dark horse in the Big12. We recruited Trae Young for a while. Local kid. Good returning talent that is better than last year's 11 wins suggests.

Really want to believe Iowa can be a dark horse in the Big10 but they'll have to overcome inconsistency, which has been a bugaboo of the Fran McCaffrey era from the start. Tyler Cook is a good big man, though, and Bohannon is a scrappy guard I like. Deep team that could run at people. I've seen them picked as low as 9th and I think that's too pessimistic.

Love me some college basketball!

[ChillinDuke]

Something interesting that I just checked out about Kentucky and their early season schedule. UK doesn't play a true road game, from what I can tell, until @LSU in early January.

UK struggled in both of its first two games: Utah Valley and Vermont. KenPom has those two teams at #162 and #70, respectively. Now it's only been two games, and we all know the KP data doesn't get totally relevant for a month or two. But if early season KenPom rankings aren't utterly absurd and you can at least glean some sort of directional strength from team-to-team (perhaps big ifs), then UK has an interesting few weeks ahead.

Starting on 12/16, UK has a three-pack of games against VA Tech, UCLA, and Loovul before they get into SEC play. Those will all be tough, obviously.

But between now and that three-pack, UK faces #4 Kansas, #119 East Tenn St, #149 Troy, #166 Fort Wayne, #157 Illinois-Chicago, #110 Harvard, and #159 Monmouth. Kansas aside for obvious reasons, none of those games are particular pushovers, especially in light of their struggles with Utah Valley and Vermont.

UK's scheduling strategy appears similar to what Duke had been doing for a while, scheduling mediocre teams to beat up on instead of bottom feeders in the high-200s or 300s. Presumably this helps pad your statistical rankings/RPI/etc. That said, seeing teams that are top-half-ish of D1 makes me think UK could drop a game early against a relative unknown (unknown at least to casual fans/media).

Anywho, just something that interested me to keep in mind during the non-con season.

- Chillin

[Bay Area Duke Fan]

Arizona looks great. Ayton and Trier rival Bagley and Allen as a top duo.

[English]

Something I never thought I'd say: I'm excited to follow some Alabama basketball.

Collin Sexton is a OAD talent at point guard. 6'3" like Duvall, better shooter, similar athleticism. Extremely charismatic on and off the floor. They're tall. Donta Hall and transfer Daniel Giddens will block a lot of shots. Braxton Key is a good sophomore wing. I like them in an SEC that won't be dominated quite as handily by Kentucky. Dark horse to win SEC. Florida, Texas A&M and Kentucky will all be good. Florida sorta worth rooting for because Mike White is a good young coach with Duke ties.

Oklahoma is a dark horse in the Big12. We recruited Trae Young for a while. Local kid. Good returning talent that is better than last year's 11 wins suggests.

Really want to believe Iowa can be a dark horse in the Big10 but they'll have to overcome inconsistency, which has been a bugaboo of the Fran McCaffrey era from the start. Tyler Cook is a good big man, though, and Bohannon is a scrappy guard I like. Deep team that could run at people. I've seen them picked as low as 9th and I think that's too pessimistic.

Love me some college basketball!

Collin Sexton's eligibility is in question, and he's out indefinitely until Avery Johnson gets a better grasp from the NCAA whether he'll be cleared. That's a major blow for Bama.

[ElSid]

Collin Sexton's eligibility is in question, and he's out indefinitely until Avery Johnson gets a better grasp from the NCAA whether he'll be cleared. That's a major blow for Bama.

I thought that got cleared up and he only had a 1 game suspension: https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...ut-on-tuesday/

[ElSid]

Arizona looks great. Ayton and Trier rival Bagley and Allen as a top duo.

Agree. I think if Rawle Alkins were healthy and there weren't a (light) cloud over the program with the FBI, they'd be a better choice for #1 than Duke. I've read quotes from GMs in the NBA would would take Ayton over Bagley. Level of talent in the front court across the NCAA is incredible this year.

[English]

I thought that got cleared up and he only had a 1 game suspension: https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...ut-on-tuesday/

Ah, I had not seen this--that's good news for college basketball fans, although perhaps not other SEC basketball fans. Sexton is an explosive player.

[UrinalCake]

I've read quotes from GMs in the NBA would would take Ayton over Bagley. Level of talent in the front court across the NCAA is incredible this year.

What I've read is that Ayton is a bit bigger than Bagley and has similar skill, but doesn't play hard all the time. Whereas Bagley as we've seen has a great motor. Both will be excellent pros, as will Michael Porter Jr. It kind of reminds me of 2015 when Okafor, Kaminski and Towns were all in that class. Okafor was the presumed #1 for most of the season, but Towns came on strong in the postseason and has obviously had by far the best pro career of the three.

[ElSid]

What I've read is that Ayton is a bit bigger than Bagley and has similar skill, but doesn't play hard all the time. Whereas Bagley as we've seen has a great motor. Both will be excellent pros, as will Michael Porter Jr. It kind of reminds me of 2015 when Okafor, Kaminski and Towns were all in that class. Okafor was the presumed #1 for most of the season, but Towns came on strong in the postseason and has obviously had by far the best pro career of the three.

Bagley's definitely got "the look" in his eye, whereas Ayton always looks somewhat surprised or confused. I don't put a ton of stock in facial expression, but sometimes guys just look more aggressive. I always said Brandon Ingram "looked" like a UNC player for that reason. Maybe remembering sleepy eyed Sam Perkins.

I'd take Bagley, but I'm extremely biased. Luka Doncic could very well go first, though. That top 4 or 5 is insane.

Towns has indeed had a good pro career, but for all the talk about how bad Jah is on D, and he's terrible so far, Towns is also one of the least efficient defensive players in the league. I'm sure he can get better, as can Jah, but you don't hear much about KAT's futility on that end.

Free Jah.

[ipatent]

Watching Virginia v. Austin Peay. The Huff kid looks like he's going to be good. They're supposed to be down this year I wouldn't bet against Bennett getting this team into the top 25.

[Tripping William]

I just wanted to point out that Kentucky almost lost, at home, to Vermont 73-69. ...

As for the opening weekend: the only upset i saw was #25 TAMU over #11 WVa, which is a pretty mild upset at this point.

This reminds me: Where’s Ultrarunner and the Not Gonna Jinx It thread, 2018 edition??

[BD80]

Watching Virginia v. Austin Peay. The Huff kid looks like he's going to be good. They're supposed to be down this year I wouldn't bet against Bennett getting this team into the top 25.

Bennett could coach a team of tarheels that actually attend real classes and get them into the top 25.