Male’s college hoops check-in: What picks are we waiting

Kansas to win everything?

Creighton in the Last Four?Would be good to take those choices back, right?That’s what this piece is all about. Reviewing our preseason predictions– and making changes progressing. We’re practically midway through the routine season; nonconference play has been left in 2024; and it’s now a sprint to Choice Sunday.Editor’s Picks

2 Associated Much has actually altered given that we

initially made our picks on Nov. 4. Tennessee is the only group without a loss; Auburn has been arguably the most dominant team in America. Transfers have actually underwhelmed; freshmen have actually been spectacular. Kansas does not rather look like a title competitor– North Carolina hardly appears like an NCAA tournament team.But what do the next 2 months have in store? ESPN college basketball writers Jeff Borzello, Joe Lunardi– the only one with Auburn in the Last Four in the preseason– and Myron Medcalf have a look back at their preseason predictions and make modified choices for the greatest stories to view down the stretch of the 2024-25 college basketball season.The most intriguing group Borzello’s preseason choice: Indiana Hoosiers Borzello’s midseason pick: Kansas Jayhawks Kansas was ranked No.

1 in the preseason, asserted heavily on the idea that transfers AJ
Storr and Rylan Griffen would massively upgrade the

Jayhawks’ability to make shots and develop offense. That hasn’t quite took place. Storr and Griffen have struggled, and Kansas has lost to Creighton, to Missouri and at home to West Virginia. But this is still a team that beat Duke on a neutral court in Las Vegas and beat Michigan State in Atlanta. The Jayhawks still have national champions Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams and All-American Hunter Dickinson. Transfer guard Zeke Mayo has been terrific recently. If Costs Self can coax a return to form out of Storr and/or Griffen, I’m not composing this group off yet.Lunardi’s preseason pick: Alabama Crimson Tide Lunardi’s midseason choice: Florida Gators It’s difficult being the second-best undefeated team in your own league, but that was Florida’s story before its impressive SEC opener at Kentucky

. Tennessee gets to carry on with a best record, however
the Gators– in spite of that 106-100 loss in Lexington– stay very much in the mix for a deep March run. The Gators have experience and scoring in the backcourt, size and skill up front, and the kind of explosive attack that will provide every opponent headaches. And we won’t need to wait wish for another epic: Florida’s No. 3 offense hosts Tennessee’s No. 1 defense Tuesday.Medcalf’s preseason choice: Memphis Tigers Medcalf’s midseason choice: St. John’s Red Storm Memphis is still appealing, however over the weekend, Rick Pitino stated his New Year’s resolution to give up alcohol had actually lasted just a couple of days due to the fact that of the stress his team had triggered him. This development came weeks after he had actually promised to end his group’s participation in postgame handshake lines– since of his fear that they may result in a fight

. Remember, Pitino started the season by donning a blue sweater during Kentucky’s Big Blue Insanity preseason event. That’s probably enough to earn”the most intriguing “title, however St. John’s is likewise going versus the grain and refusing to buy into the 3-point explosion that has altered college basketball (just 30.5% of the Red Storm’s shots are 3-point attempts, which ranks 350th in the nation ). Pitino likewise just recently told a press reporter he’s tired of questions about his group’s design. Plus, RJ Luis & Co. have lost just 3 games(all outside their home arena )this season by 5 points combined. Could John Calipari’s Razorbacks suffer a first-round exit in the NCAA tournament? Brett Rojo-Imagn Images The very first top-25 team to leave the NCAA tournament Borzello’s preseason pick: Florida Borzello’s midseason choice: Oklahoma Sooners I still have issues about Florida’s defense, as I did in the preseason– and quiting 106 points to Kentucky over the weekend does n’t assist– however the Gators’offense must be more than enough to win a number of games in March. There’s another SEC team, however, that might encounter some issues. Oklahoma winning

its first 13 games of the season is amazing, and Porter Moser is worthy of to be in the conversation for Coach of the Year at this point, however there are a number of difficulty spots. The Sooners rely really heavily on freshman point player Jeremiah Worries, and they really have a hard time to rebound and defend at the rim.Lunardi’s preseason pick: Kentucky Wildcats Lunardi’s midseason choice: Memphis When the Tigers are great, they are excellent. However when they aren’t– typically from turning the ball over at an unsustainable frequency or quiting too many second-chance points– they lose at home to Arkansas State. Memphis probably can’t prevent an ostentatious record in the American

, so rankings will rise, but the Tigers played their final leading 100 challenger(North Texas)on Sunday. That might not bode well getting in the NCAA tournament.Medcalf’s preseason choice: Rutgers Scarlet Knights Medcalf’s midseason choice: Arkansas Razorbacks I would have chosen Rutgers once again here, however they’re ranked 76th on KenPom and are not even on the NCAA competition bubble. Arkansas, ranked 23rd in the latest poll, entered its 76-52 loss at No. 1 Tennessee as a group facing a multitude of concerns. But that loss, which might cost it a top-25 slot, was a pivotal moment for a squad searching for an identity. It begins with John Calipari, who said after

the Tennessee loss that he wanted he had gone forward with a team shootaround before the game, a customary pregame workout for a lot of teams. He said numerous players were “no-shows “as a result. The Razorbacks have skill and are strong on both sides of the ball, but they have actually lost most of their games against the groups they’ll have to beat to advance in the NCAA tournament. Calipari suffered multiple first-round exits at Kentucky with groups just like this one. That could happen again in March.A non-power-conference school we must all root for Borzello’s preseason choice: Grand Canyon Antelopes Borzello’s midseason pick: UC San Diego Tritons Tennessee, then UC San Diego. Those are the teams you’ll see when you take a look at the country’s longest active winning streaks. The Tritons own a road win at Utah State and likewise beat capable mid-majors UC Santa Barbara, James Madison and Toledo away from home. It’s UC San Diego’s first season to be eligible for the NCAA competition after reclassifying from Department II in 2020. Head coach Eric Olen has never ever coached anywhere else, ending up being an assistant at UCSD in 2004 and taking over the top area in 2013. Lunardi’s preseason choice: Dayton Flyers Lunardi’s midseason pick: Utah State Aggies The Aggies have actually been so good that they’re on track for a third straight NCAA bid for the very first time given that Stew Morrill turned the technique from 2009 to 2011. The difference? This time Utah State will have done it with 3 different coaches. Ryan Odom went 26-9 in 2022-23 before going back east to VCU. Danny Sprinkle went 28-7 last season, including an NCAA tourney win over TCU, before taking Terrific Osobor with him to Washington. And now Jerrod Calhoun has actually been available in from Youngstown State and gone 14-1 with a completely brand-new cast of characters. Include 3 Quad 1 wins already plus another three in Quad 2 and the Aggies could have even more momentum this March.Medcalf’s preseason choice: Grambling Tigers Medcalf’s midseason pick: Bradley Braves You need to still root for Grambling, but America ought to likewise get behind Bradley. The Braves are 4-0 in Missouri Valley play; they’re America’s leading 3-point shooting group (43.1 percent); and they’re led by among fastest point player in the country. Duke Deen is a 5-foot-8 giant who might be the greatest player in the nation, pound for pound. He’s balancing 15.1 PPG and 4.1 APG. Plus, he has also linked on 42 %of his shots from beyond the arc this season. Be familiar with Deen and Bradley now before they threaten to bust brackets in March.The player everyone should be paying a lot more attention to Borzello’s preseason pick: Markus Burton, Notre Dame Battling Irish Borzello’s midseason pick: Javon Small, West Virginia Mountaineers I’m not off the Burton bandwagon by any stretch– after missing seven games with a knee injury, he made his return this previous weekend, scoring 23 points off the bench. But we need to talk more about West Virginia’s Little. The former Oklahoma State and East Carolina transfer is having the best season of his college career, and he has carried the Mountaineers to an unexpected 11-2 start and possible top-25 spot. Little is averaging 19.2 points and 4.9 assists– consisting of 31 in a win over Gonzaga and the game-winning complimentary throw against Kansas.Lunardi’s preseason pick: Johni Broome

, Auburn Tigers Lunardi’s midseason pick: Walter Clayton Jr., Florida Auburn’s Broome, Alabama’s Mark Sears and the Tennessee guards get all the attention, however the most important player in the SEC might be Florida’s Clayton. The 6-3 senior, in his 2nd year considering that leaving Iona and Rick Pitino, has winning numbers throughout the board. He shoots 1-pointers(.848 FT ), 1-pointers(.629 2PT)and 3-pointers(.384 3PT)all remarkably well. He also leads the Gators in helps and minutes. All informed, Clayton’s across-the-board enhancement is the leading reason– amongst lots of– that the Gators can challenge Auburn, Tennessee and the rest of a crammed SEC.Medcalf’s preseason pick: Kam Jones, Marquette Golden Eagles Medcalf’s midseason pick: Ian Jackson, North Carolina Tar Heels North Carolina has actually been a rough program all season.

The Tar Heels, thus far, have actually disappointed preseason expectations(not a newbie occurrence for Hubert Davis).

But if Saturday’s thrilling win over Notre Dame after Elliot Cadeau’s four-point play may have saved their season, Jackson, a 6-4 freshman, could be the driver for a potential North Carolina resurgence. Because he was moved into the beginning lineup on Dec. 29, he has actually balanced 25.3 PPG over the previous three games. The Tar Heels are still trying to find a rhythm, however Jackson’s increase might change their fortunes. Memphis’ PJ Haggerty, balancing nearly 22 points per game, should have to be in the conversation for Wood Award dark horses. Wesley Hale-Imagn Images A player with an outdoors shot to win the Wooden Award Borzello’s preseason choice: Kam Jones, Marquette, and Braden Smith, Purdue Boilermakers Borzello’s midseason pick: PJ Haggerty, Memphis My preseason dark horse choices were pretty elite, to be fair. I think Broome is the clear favorite to win it at this point, but if we needed to dig a little deeper for a sleeper choice, Memphis’Haggerty should have to be in the conversation. He’s balancing almost 22 points and shooting 41%from 3 for a top-20 Memphis group that shouldn’t lose more than once or twice the remainder of the season. He had 22 against UConn, 27 against Auburn, 25 versus Missouri. If Memphis is in the top 10 at 27-4 come mid-March, Haggerty could get some votes if he keeps

this up.Lunardi’s preseason pick: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas Lunardi’s midseason choice: Hunter Dickinson, Kansas I’m going to stick with Dickinson, specifically if Kansas winning by

51 points at UCF on Sunday signifies things to come for the Jayhawks. Dickinson played just 23 minutes in the historic blowout, but he put up his first”Dickinsonian”line
of the season: 27 points, 12-of-16 2-point shooting, 9 rebounds(4 offensive ), 3 blocks and only 1 individual foul. That type of performance is a nice way to get rid of losing 3 of 5 games being available in. If the real Kansas is back, the genuine Hunter Dickinson will be in line for some hardware.Medcalf’s preseason pick: L.J. Cryer, Houston Cougars Medcalf’s midseason choice: Eric Dixon, Villanova Wildcats The Wooden Award is generally given to a great player on an excellent group. That could harm Dixon’s case, with Villanova’s 3-4 start to the season. But he also has helped this group win 7 of its previous 8 games.

And his numbers are outrageous: 25.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG
, 49%from the 3-point line. I get it. Villanova is a squad that’s battling to earn a spot in the NCAA competition field. Dixon’s production, however, equals the output of any player in America right now. He is worthy of that recognition.2024-25 Last Four choices(* shows nationwide champ )Borzello’s preseason picks: Kansas *, Alabama, Duke, Baylor Borzello’s midseason choices: Auburn *, Duke, Iowa State, Illinois Lunardi’s preseason picks: Kansas *, Duke, Auburn, Creighton Lunardi’s midseason choices: Auburn *, Duke, Kansas, Florida Medcalf’s preseason choices: Alabama *, Duke, Kansas, Houston Medcalf’s midseason picks: Tennessee *, Auburn, Duke, Kentucky