Basketball Newsletter #2 2024

 Basketball Newsletter #2

November 12, 2024

 

Only a few days after Newsletter #1 we have a few adjustments. While I still believe Alabama is the deepest and most talented team in the country, they obviously still have a few things to iron out, specifically problems with their lineups and who to play.

 

I’m sure it gets tricky when you have veteran guys who’ve been in the program for years, getting pushed by the young studs who are certain to be future NBA players.  While having such great depth is typically a good thing, right now it’s taking a toll on Alabama’s efficiency and continuity. They’ve had a few tough matchups against underrated teams in Arkansas State and McNeese, but at this point they don’t look like the best team.

 

Last year we were beating the drums for UCONN before the season even started, never wavering from that pick all season long. This year is different. There is no clear-cut best team, and while I think Alabama has the greatest potential, several other teams would have an edge if the tournament started today.

 

One of those teams unfortunately is Duke. As a UNC grad I can never advocate for the Blue Devils as the championship favorites, but an argument can certainly be made that they have looked the best so far.  They haven’t truly been challenged however, and their big game tonight against Kentucky should tell us a lot.  Both Duke and Kentucky are ranked in my top-five coming into this matchup, and it will be interesting to see how Duke’s freshman handle their first huge test.

 

Auburn and Houston played a thriller on Saturday in what could easily be a final four preview.  Both teams are certainly among the best teams in the country defensively, and the emergence of Tahaad Pettiford as the go-to guy late in games could boost Auburn into the championship conversation.

 

With lots of parity at the top, I can’t help but think about UCONN and their chances at the three-peat.  There’s no question that Dan Hurley seems to have the college game figured out, so I wouldn’t bet against them once the tournament gets underway.  Soloman Ball looks to have taken his game to the next level and is now one of the best point guards in the nation, and with the relatively easy schedule UCONN has this year, I actually expect them to enter the NCAA tournament as the #1 overall seed once again.

 

At this point North Florida looks to be the most underrated team in the country and a great team to bet on for the foreseeable future.  They’ve got one of the most efficient offenses and shoot lights out from the perimeter, but they’re also led by a future NBA player in Josh Harris that reminds me of Jeremy Sochan.  He does all the dirty work on both ends of the floor and has already lead them to two impressive road wins at South Carolina and Georgia Tech.  They try to make it three straight with another big matchup at Georgia tonight, and as 11.5 point underdogs they seem like a near lock to cover that number.

 

Here’s the updated team rankings and players to watch list…