Who are the teams shaping up to be contenders for the title at this point?
- Thread starter della
- Start date
Gonzaga
Baylor
Nova
Wisconsin
from what I’ve seen thus far, those are the best teams.
Baylor
Nova
Wisconsin
from what I’ve seen thus far, those are the best teams.
Kansas is better than Nova and Wisconsin.
Baylor and Gonzaga then Kansas until Kansas proves otherwise against Baylor.
People read way too much into KU’s game the first game of the season.
I would rank in tiers:
Baylor & Gonzaga
Kansas
Nova, Tennessee, Iowa, Creighton, Houston, WVU
Wisconsin and MSU are overrated.
I’d rank Iowa with Kansas but they play no defense and are a very one dimensional team.
I’ve only watched Kansas a couple times this year, one being the Kentucky game. Iowa looks good as you said offensively. Defense is decent. I’d still put Nova and Wisco ahead right now.
Hard to disagree at this point. I’m just not sold on the big ten teams. They definitely are in the mix in that third tier for sure.
I would say there are some promising teams that are untested like Tennessee. I think teams like that are still to be decided.
Teams like Kansas, Iowa and Gonzaga are already battle tested. IMO
Maryland is definitely shaping up to be a contender
for a first round exit in the CBI.
for a first round exit in the CBI.
Villanova as of right now is the toughest team to put out of the tournament
Nothing against Gonzaga and Baylor
But Villanova doesn't have any weaknesses.
Baylor isn't as strong on the interior. Gonzaga will have issues with teams who can muck up games
Villanova has the ability to be elite on the offensive end while mucking the game up.
Nothing against Gonzaga and Baylor
But Villanova doesn't have any weaknesses.
Baylor isn't as strong on the interior. Gonzaga will have issues with teams who can muck up games
Villanova has the ability to be elite on the offensive end while mucking the game up.
lol, y’all aren’t any better than Louisville. Stop with your homer posts, Creighton is just as good as you, just because y’all beat them by a point doesn’t mean they aren’t on your level. I don’t dislike Kansas, but just stop with the homerism.
Wisconsin is a team who I really have to watch as well.
They are another one who could cause issues.
I only watched a little bit of them against Marquette and Michigan State
But that team knows what to do on the court without the coach.
Similar to Villanova
They are another one who could cause issues.
I only watched a little bit of them against Marquette and Michigan State
But that team knows what to do on the court without the coach.
Similar to Villanova
Don't know about that.
Kansas has showed the ability to be elite on both ends of the floor.
But Garrett isn't Dotson on the offensive end yet.
Final 1-2 minutes of games is where I worry about KU because they lack a true point guard.
Their one point win over Creighton doesn’t put them on elite status, nor does the 3 point win over Kentucky. Other than a Big12 win against WVU, those are probably their best wins.
As of right now Kansas moves the ball as well as any team.
Up there with Villanova.
On the other end KU has the players to make it hard for teams to get their offense going
My issue with KU is end of game sets
The don't have what they had last year.
Up there with Villanova.
On the other end KU has the players to make it hard for teams to get their offense going
My issue with KU is end of game sets
The don't have what they had last year.
I would ask what does Louisville do that makes you think they are as good as Kansas?
Kansas has improved its defense tremendously since the first game. We gave up layup after layup and we never do that. Our offense has geared to shooting the 3 and our ball movement has improved tremendously. We are learning how to run our offense and forming an offensive identity all while McCormack and Garrett have struggled. They both are starting to figure it out.
In the Gonzaga game we played our entire roster. There was no flow and guys who shouldn’t be playing now got big minutes because self was trying to figure out his rotation.
We still have a lot to improve on but we’ve made major strides since that game. I’m sure you don’t watch every KU game but there is one thing that is 100% consistent in Bill Selfs tenure. His team improves from November/December to February/March more-so than any team in the country. Every year.
This team was a new team with so many people in new roles. We were terribly offensively and even worse defensively against Gonzaga. We were tied late in the game until Agbaji got his 4th foul. We still scored 90.
Am I say Kansas is better than Gonzaga and Baylor? No. Has anyone improved as much as we have? No. And there is still a lot to be done.
Bill Self has zero tolerance. It is his way or the highway. He expects perfection on the defensive end and playing within the offense. None of this free-lancing stuff. It takes teams time to get that down and understand what he wants. We’ve made major strides and the WVU is us just scratching the surface.
Is this some great Kansas team? No. But it is likely going to be just as good as any team besides maybe Baylor and Gonzaga. We likely will split Baylor and if we rematch with Gonzaga we will do things well that beat Gonzaga. That is playing defense and rebounding while be consistent on offense.
We have learned how to switch defensively. We have 2 elite on-ball defenders, we are learning to drive and kick instead of drive and get blocked (UK game).
KU is still nowhere near where it will be. I’ll say it again, no team improves like Kansas does over the course of a season.
I think that is fair but if you have good ball movement then you can lean on multiple
Guys to take that last shot as long as it is a good one.
Don’t forget Jalen Wilson has made multiple big shots under 2 minutes to win us a game. Agbaji made a big shot against TTU. These are new roles for literally every single player on our team.
Although Garrett and Agbaji are experienced they are in new roles and are starting to settle in. McCormack just might be realizing how to let the game come to him. He doesn’t have to be Thomas Robinson. He just needs to be Landen Lucas. Braun, Wilson and Harris are all in new roles. Still waiting for the light to come on for Bryce Thompson.
I’m honestly not that worried about who will take that last shot. Bill Self is better than any coach in America on in-bounds plays and out of timeouts.
Wilson and Agbaji have proven to hit pressure shots so far.
Garrett needs to keep learning and DaJuan Harris is a true Pg who continues to earn more and more trust.
I used Louisville just because of similar records and outcomes against Kentucky. I really don’t think Louisville is as good as Kansas right now. Again, I don’t dislike Kansas, but your delusional if you think teams like Wisconsin are below Kansas.
Similar records and outcomes against UK haha. Jesus dude you are embarrassing yourself. KU played UK a month ago. It isn’t delusional. I see improvement from KU. Not just random records and the transitive property from one game.
How am I embarrassing myself? You’re just a dumbass with your Kansas goggles on. Kansas is good, but not nearly what you think they are.
I watched the KU-Kentucky game and the KU-TTU game. My impression with Kansas coming away from those two games is that Kansas plays pretty good defense, but they weren’t a great shooting team from what I saw. Maybe those two games were flukes, and they had bad shooting nights..but I wasn’t overly impressed with their offense. They do crash the boards nicely though. The Baylor game should be a good one.
Kansas better than Nova? Not convinced... hopefully they see each other head to head.
Tennessee tried to set up a game with Nova, but they just couldn't make it come together. We scheduled St Joe's instead. Wish we could have played y'all.
I’d like that matchup. Nova is right there. I would actually put them at 4 behind KU if I had to rank them.
I like how you guys keep referencing the UK game from a month ago in the second game of the season with a brand new team.
Villanova is better than Kansas right now.
Not just because of Earl and Samuels on the inside
It is because of Gillespie.
Swider needs to improve on the defensive end. Even then the guy can flat out shoot.
Any time Texas had Villanova on its heels Gillespie would show up.
The chance that Villanova misses shots is very low and if they do they are comfortable enough on the defensive end to give you trouble
Not just because of Earl and Samuels on the inside
It is because of Gillespie.
Swider needs to improve on the defensive end. Even then the guy can flat out shoot.
Any time Texas had Villanova on its heels Gillespie would show up.
The chance that Villanova misses shots is very low and if they do they are comfortable enough on the defensive end to give you trouble
Tenn flying under radar they shoot FT well and looks like they have balance. I like the PG for sure. Guy like Pons is kind of unique he can do some things.
I mean, you and Villanova....The shit you give me about Gonzaga---But dude---I mean everythig is Villanova with you.
You say Nova HAS the ability to be elite(offensively). And I do not disagree. But Gonzaga is ELITE offensively, and currently rated better defensively than Nova.
With that being said---with Nova's defense rated 30th, why are they the toughest team in your opinion?
Because Villanova can turn it on and off.
A few of these games they have let teams hang with them.
What we have witnessed for the last 5 years.
When Villanova hits its shots they are unstoppable
When they don't they have the ability to grind things out most of the time.
See the same thing this year
Dude, when anybody hits shots, they are unstoppable....I mean that ain't exactly fukin rocket science. That goes for Gonzaga, Iowa, Wisconsin as well.....
Villanova is really good. Usually are. This yearr gonna be no different. BUT----their bench is thin. Interior defense can be frail...Gonna depend a ton on scoring from the perimeter. Though they have the weapons to do just that. I think a team like Baylor would give Nova fits with their guards, and the pressure they can apply.
I like Nova....But they aren't the juggernaut you are portaying them to be. Everything you say about them---I can say about Baylor, Gonzaga, Wisconsin---even Iowa(minus the defense).
I think when Lousivlle gets healthy, gets back Malik and Minlend, they'll have the potential to be really good.
