Well Kansas is a freaking lock for preseason #1...

[dukedevilz]

Look at the top 5 for Jeff Borzello's way-too early top 25. This was before Hunter Dickinson announced he was returning, FWIW.

1. Houston
2. Kansas
3. Iowa State
4. Gonzaga
5. Baylor

4 of the top 5 from the Big 12 lol. So as good as KU's preseason roster is, winning the Big 12 won't be a cakewalk. A team like Houston or Kansas could very well finish 4th in league play.

 

[Kevin Bryan]

I just assumed Dickinson would be back. Were people surprised by that announcement? Kansas will be stacked.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Look at the top 5 for Jeff Borzello's way-too early top 25. This was before Hunter Dickinson announced he was returning, FWIW.

1. Houston
2. Kansas
3. Iowa State
4. Gonzaga
5. Baylor

4 of the top 5 from the Big 12 lol. So as good as KU's preseason roster is, winning the Big 12 won't be a cakewalk. A team like Houston or Kansas could very well finish 4th in league play.

Not sure how deep the Big 12's going to be this year, but the top will be tough. Baylor's probably got some work to do before they're a legit top 5 team though. Really talented guards, but not much in the frontcourt. I think they're expecting to land Aidoo.

 

[ExitFlagger]

I just assumed Dickinson would be back. Were people surprised by that announcement? Kansas will be stacked.

Nobody was surprised, but I think some were getting antsy because he hadn't made it official.

 

[bignish]

I like KU's roster to start but I think I prefer Duke's roster once March rolls around due the major upside we have.

Duke has 5 major outs:

1) Tyrese Proctor becomes an All-American like he was supposed to as a Soph. There’s flop lag and he achieves that as a Junior.

2) Caleb Foster take the classic Duke 5 star sophomore guard leap and becomes an All-American just like Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard and Tre Jones.

3) Cooper Flagg lives up to his generational recruit billing and is as good as KD, Wall, Melo, Zion, AD and DRose were as freshmen.

4) Darren Harris, Kon or Isaiah Evans outplay their recruiting rankings and are as good as Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham or Jared McCain as freshmen. Is this likely? No but we’ve got 3 talented top 30 frosh 5 stars and we only need 1 of them to significantly exceed expectations.

5) Khaman Maluach ends up as good as end of freshman year Derek Lively, end of freshman year Joel Embiid at KU or soph year Mark Williams.

Its extremely unlikely that none of these things happen or all of these things happen but the likeliest outcome is that 2 of these things happen.

If 3 or 4 of the upside scenarios happen then I think Duke is clearly the team to beat. If only 1 of those scenarios comes to fruition, Duke will be behind KU, Iowa St, Houston, etc.

 

[KUhawks34]

I understood the pre season 1 stuff last year with Morris. The thought was Timberlake would be legit too.

This year is different though. The depth is there. The proven talent is there.

Storr and Griffen are not Morris and Timberlake. Kugel does have academic stuff but it sounds like it will get worked out.

The roster construction this year is perfect. No guarantee’s they win the title but they will be elite.

Flory is fine with coming off the bench. His camp knows he has a lot of work to do on his game and is planning for two years

 

[dukedevilz]

Not sure how deep the Big 12's going to be this year, but the top will be tough. Baylor's probably got some work to do before they're a legit top 5 team though. Really talented guards, but not much in the frontcourt. I think they're expecting to land Aidoo.

I expect Aidoo will be at Baylor. But, the longer this drags on, you start to wonder. He would probably put them in top 5 consideration. So, there's Kansas-Houston-Baylor-Iowa State - and now Arizona is in the mix, too. All 5 of those schools could be in the preseason top 10.

Outside of those 5 schools, you could have a bunch of so-so teams. Cincinnati could be a team on the rise, though. They bring back a lot of talent.

 

[winin11]

He gone.

No he not

 

[della]

No he not

Sears is a great player that has declared for the draft. There is no reason to believe that he won't get a good grade and a high placement.

 

[thebasketballreasons]

KU looks formidable, though they have always managed to somehow underperform in March in the past, before or with Bill Self. There’s something about this team lacking championship DNA, and it’s already a miracle Bill Self managed 2 national titles for KU. Imagine what he could’ve done in a school with championship DNA like UConn, Duke, Kentucky and UNC.

 

[ExitFlagger]

KU looks formidable, though they have always managed to somehow underperform in March in the past, before or with Bill Self. There’s something about this team lacking championship DNA, and it’s already a miracle Bill Self managed 2 national titles for KU. Imagine what he could’ve done in a school with championship DNA like UConn, Duke, Kentucky and UNC.

0/10

1 more title with twice as many NBA dudes = “championship DNA.” 😆

 

[thebasketballreasons]

0/10

1 more title with twice as many NBA dudes = “championship DNA.” 😆

Well let’s not pretend KU were that much better in March even when you had NBA talents, it’s not just Bill Self’s KU that choked in NCAA tournaments. To think KU had only 2 titles before Bill Self is quite a shocking revelation, they couldn’t win with Roy Williams who’s been a great tournament coach with UNC.

 

[Football1240]

Grant Nelson is coming back for another year at Alabama.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Well let’s not pretend KU were that much better in March even when you had NBA talents, it’s not just Bill Self’s KU that choked in NCAA tournaments.

Wasn’t just talking about the last few years, killer. Duke’s had far and away more NBA talent for decades.

To think KU had only 2 titles before Bill Self is quite a shocking revelation, they couldn’t win with Roy Williams who’s been a great tournament coach with UNC.

Hope you’re sitting down for this. Duke had just won their 3rd two years before Self was hired. UConn had 1. Guess UConn didn’t get the memo that they had championship DNA til their 99th season. 😂

 

[ExitFlagger]

Grant Nelson is coming back for another year at Alabama.

Alabama just might rule the SEC for awhile…

 

[Kevin Bryan]

Alabama just might rule the SEC for awhile…

 

[Football1240]

Looking at the last 4 years, who has been better than Alabama in the SEC?

 

[ExitFlagger]

Looking at the last 4 years, who has been better than Alabama in the SEC?

Kevin:

 

[winin11]

Sears is a great player that has declared for the draft. There is no reason to believe that he won't get a good grade and a high placement.

he is also 6’1” and the NBA stays away fro the shorter guards. I hope he makes it, but don’t expect him to.

 

[Kevin Bryan]

Looking at the last 4 years, who has been better than Alabama in the SEC?

Why you dwelling on the past, bro?

 

[ExitFlagger]

Why you dwelling on the past, bro?

You got a crystal ball or something, bro?

 

[Football1240]

Men's Basketball SEC Champions

SCHOOL YEAR​

REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPION​

TOURNAMENT CHAMPION​

2020-21	Alabama	Alabama
2021-22	Auburn	Tennessee
2022-23	Alabama	Alabama
2023-24	Tennessee	Auburn

Alabama NCAA Tournament Results

SCHOOL YEAR​

School​

NCAA Tournament Results​

2020-21	Alabama	Sweet 16
2021-22	Alabama	Round 64
2022-23	Alabama	Sweet 16
2023-24	Alabama	Final 4

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

PG: Dajuan Harris jr
SG: Zeke Mayo
SF: AJ Storr
PF: KJ Adams
C: Hunter Dickinson

Bench:
Rylan Griffen SF
Riley Kugel SG
Rekease Passamore F
Flory Bidunga C

This is the deepest and best team Self has had in a while. Lot of experience as well

That's what happens when "paying players is no longer illegal".

They can still cheat, just out in the open now, and under the guise of NIL/transfer portal.............

 

[Kevin Bryan]

You got a crystal ball or something, bro?

i would rather have the future version of this.

 

[Kevin Bryan]

Men's Basketball SEC Champions

SCHOOL YEAR​

REGULAR-SEASON CHAMPION​

TOURNAMENT CHAMPION​

2020-21	Alabama	Alabama
2021-22	Auburn	Tennessee
2022-23	Alabama	Alabama
2023-24	Tennessee	Auburn

Alabama NCAA Tournament Results

SCHOOL YEAR​

School​

NCAA Tournament Results​

2020-21	Alabama	Sweet 16
2021-22	Alabama	Round 64
2022-23	Alabama	Sweet 16
2023-24	Alabama	Final 4

Past success does not guarantee future success.

 

[Five Nattys]

Wasn’t just talking about the last few years, killer. Duke’s had far and away more NBA talent for decades.



Hope you’re sitting down for this. Duke had just won their 3rd two years before Self was hired. UConn had 1. Guess UConn didn’t get the memo that they had championship DNA til their 99th season. 😂

6>4

 

[ExitFlagger]

6>4

Quite the math skills you have.

 

[ExitFlagger]

That's what happens when "paying players is no longer illegal".

They can still cheat, just out in the open now, and under the guise of NIL/transfer portal.............

I know you want this to be true, but it’s a reach. Making cheating legal wouldn’t give the cheaters an extra advantage. It levels the playing field for the rest.

 

[Football1240]

Past success does not guarantee future success.

So what criteria would you use to predict the SEC? I was thinking current head coach, current roster, and recent success which is a result of coaching ability. Who has the better combination of that than Alabama in the SEC?

 

[Kevin Bryan]

So what criteria would you use to predict the SEC? I was thinking current head coach, current roster, and recent success which is a result of coaching ability. Who has the better combination of that than Alabama in the SEC?

I don't see anyone dominating the SEC going forward. It has become a much deeper league in recent years and this crazy world of NIL/free agency leading to drastic roster turnover every year is going to largely dismantle continuity. That goes for any league though. I think the days of conference domination are over.

 

[Random UK Fan]

Past success does not guarantee future success.

by J. Calipari

Forword by Danny Hurley

 

[AWilli6995]

KU looks formidable, though they have always managed to somehow underperform in March in the past, before or with Bill Self. There’s something about this team lacking championship DNA, and it’s already a miracle Bill Self managed 2 national titles for KU. Imagine what he could’ve done in a school with championship DNA like UConn, Duke, Kentucky and UNC.

You really need to sit this one out.

 

[hailtoyourvictor]

Don’t care if they are # 1 all season long. They won’t be at the end of it.

Taking the field against a single team in April is brave

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

I know you want this to be true, but it’s a reach. Making cheating legal wouldn’t give the cheaters an extra advantage. It levels the playing field for the rest.

Nah, it just exposes the ones who weren't cheating.....................

 

[thebasketballreasons]

Joe Lunardi has updated his bracketology for next year, KU looks like a clear favorite for overall top seed. They should be very good in regular season, though when it comes to March…

Men's Bracketology: Gonzaga is a 1-seed again ... as you were

It's been one day of 2024-25 play and we already have a new 1-seed. The Zags aren't new to the top line, though.

www.espn.com

 

[ExitFlagger]

Joe Lunardi has updated his bracketology for next year, KU looks like a clear favorite for overall top seed. They should be very good in regular season, though when it comes to March…

Men's Bracketology: Gonzaga is a 1-seed again ... as you were

It's been one day of 2024-25 play and we already have a new 1-seed. The Zags aren't new to the top line, though.

www.espn.com

Yeah, good call. It's been such a long time since KU won anything in March. 😂

 

[ExitFlagger]

Nah, it just exposes the ones who weren't cheating.....................

If what you're saying is true, then KU should no longer have any advantage over any school with willing donors. Yet their recruiting is on a major uptick. Hm...

 

[JVDBeak'em]

When you combine depth and talent, it's probably the best team they've had since at least 2011.
The #1 overall seed rarely wins it all, and with the portal, there's more competition than ever.
They have as good of a shot as anyone, but anything can happen on March.
Will be interesting to see how fast they can gel together. A lot of new faces takes awhile to adjust, no matter how talented they are.

 

[EvilMonkeyInTheCloset]

If what you're saying is true, then KU should no longer have any advantage over any school with willing donors. Yet their recruiting is on a major uptick. Hm...

Here's what's true..............Kansas cheats.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Here's what's true..............Kansas cheats.

Here's what's true...practically every major conference program (and several midmajors) were named in the FBI probe. So how do you determine the biggest cheaters?

Adidas helped funnel some players to KU, yes. Just as Nike funneled top players to their top schools. Why do you think they didn't funnel players to Iowa? Was it because Iowa's brand didn't warrant it, or because Iowa turned them away due to their superior morals? 🤣

After the FBI probe, KU's recruiting was on par with middling programs for years due to negative recruiting. Yet Self won a nat'l title with a bunch of local players who weren't coveted by any top programs, and also finished #1 in the Covid year. Harris's RSCI ranking was 334. Agbaji 190. Braun 129. They had one top 40 player on the title team.

So yeah, Bill had some help from his shoe company (like every other decent program), but he doesn't need it to win. Unlike Iowa.