CBB: Way-Too-Early Top-10
- Chas Post
- Apr 5, 2017
- 7 min read
March Madness, the Final Four, and the 2016-17 college basketball season is now fully under wraps, and because of that, we are going to attempt to look forward to next season and predict who the top teams, players, freshman, transfers, and more will be.
Although, before we get to that, we are going to release one last top-25 rankings for the 2016-17 season, who I believe deserved to win the Most Outstanding Player award, and how our predictions fared in the NCAA Tournament and for the season as a whole.
Final Rankings:
1. North Carolina (33-7)
2. Gonzaga (37-2)
3. Oregon (32-6)
4. South Carolina (26-11)
5. Arizona (32-5)
6. Kansas (31-5)
7. UCLA (31-5)
8. Kentucky (32-6)
9. Baylor (27-8)
10. Purdue (27-8)
11. West Virginia (28-9)
12. Florida (27-9)
13. Butler (25-9)
14. Wisconsin (27-10)
15. Michigan (26-12)
16. Xavier (24-14)
17. Villanova (32-4)
18. SMU (30-5)
19. Wichita State (30-5)
20. St. Mary's (29-5)
21. Cincinnati (30-6)
22. Duke (28-9)
23. Florida State (26-9)
24. Louisville (25-9)
25. TCU (24-15)
Most Outstanding Player Rankings:
1. Justin Jackson (North Carolina SF)
2. Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga PG)
3. Frank Mason III (Kansas PG)
4. Sindarius Thornwell (South Carolina SF)
5. Dillon Brooks (Oregon SF)
Tournament Record: 47-16.
Overall Record: 180-71 (71.7%).
Tournament Record: 42-21.
Overall Record: 74-37 (66.7%).
Tournament Record: 48-15.
Overall Record: 126-57 (68.8%).
North Carolina began their season with a victory over Wisconsin in the Maui Invitational championship game, and then navigated through the ACC regular season with wins over Duke, Florida State, Louisville, Virginia, and more, led by ACC Player of the Year, Justin Jackson. Even with two losses to their rival Blue Devils, the Tar Heels earned the No. 1 seed in the South Region. Victories over (16) Texas Southern, (8) Arkansas, (4) Butler, and (2) Kentucky on a Luke Maye buzzer-beater, landed Roy Williams' team in the Final Four. Kennedy Meeks recorded a double-double with 25 points in the defeat over (3) Oregon, 77-76, before North Carolina earned revenge in the national title game with a 71-65 win over (1) Gonzaga, in part because of Joel Berry II's 22 points. This season capped Williams' third championship since 2005, all with the Tar Heels.
Gonzaga was one of the top ranked teams all season long, including earning our No. 1 spot for over a month, mainly because of big time victories over Arizona, Florida, Iowa State, and St. Mary's. However, a late season loss to BYU dashed the dreams of a potential undefeated season. Mark Few did not let that slip-up impact his team going forward. Gonzaga won the WCC Tournament and earned the No. 1 seed in the West Region. They defeated (16) South Dakota State, (8) Northwestern, (4) West Virginia, and (11) Xavier to reach their first ever Final Four. Few finally got the dreaded money off of his back in 2016-17, and the Bulldogs kept that momentum going. Nigel Williams-Goss' 23 points and Zach Collins' 14 points and 13 rebounds in the Final Four led the Zags over (7) South Carolina, 77-73, to advance to the title game, where they were unable to upset North Carolina. Despite the frustrating loss to end the year, Gonzaga experienced the greatest season in school history.
As did the Oregon Ducks, who had not been to the Final Four since 1939, finally broke that lengthy streak. During the regular season, Dillon Brooks gave us a pair of thrilling finishes with game winners against UCLA and California. In 2017, the Ducks returned to the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year with victories over (14) Iona, (11) Rhode Island, and (7) Michigan. However, this time they were able to take the next step, and clinch a berth in the Round of 4, with a surprising stomping of (1) Kansas behind another 20-point performance from Tyler Dorsey. Although Dana Altman's team couldn't defeat North Carolina in the national semifinals, they had an extremely successful season, winning the Pac-12 and advancing to the Final Four.
The last piece of the Final Four puzzle was the most shocking: South Carolina. With 10 losses between the regular season and the SEC Tournament, the Gamecocks only earned a No. 7 seed. They were not expected to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, but behind Sindarius Thornwell, South Carolina blew by (10) Marquette, upset (2) Duke, ran over (3) Baylor, and slipped past (4) Florida to fly into the Final Four. It was an incredible run for the Gamecocks, who reached the Sweet Sixteen and beyond for the first time ever. Led by head coach Frank Martin, the Gamecocks treated us to one heck of a ride. And with P.J. Dozier heading into his junior season, South Carolina is in pretty good shape.
Each Final Four participant: North Carolina, Gonzaga, Oregon, and South Carolina, had different versions of successful seasons, but they weren't the only stories in the 2016-17 college basketball season. We also witnessed Kansas winning their 13th consecutive Big 12 title behind Frank Mason III's 20.9 points and 5.2 assists per game. We watched the Lonzo Ball show, as he led UCLA back to national prominence with road victories over Kentucky and Arizona en route to the Sweet Sixteen.
We saw De'Aaron Fox put 39 points on the Bruins and Malik Monk drop 47 points on the Tar Heels as Kentucky had yet another dominant season. We looked on as Florida's Chris Chiozza drill a three-pointer at the buzzer to sink Wisconsin in overtime. We witnessed Michigan's miracle run of six straight victories following a minor plane accident on the way to the Big Ten Tournament.
And lastly, we watched some of our favorite players take the court in their final games in college. Guys like North Carolina's Isaiah Hicks and Meeks, Oregon's Chris Boucher, South Carolina's Thornwell, Kansas' Mason, Florida's Kasey Hill, Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes, Michigan's Derrick Walton Jr., Villanova's Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins, and many more.
Now, let's take a look at the 2017-18 season.
2017 Transfers Rankings:
1. Malik Newman (Mississippi State to Kansas)
2. Derryck Thornton (Duke to USC)
3. Charles Matthews (Kentucky yo Michigan)
4. Jalen Hudson (Virginia Tech to Florida)
5. Duane Wilson Jr. (Marquette to Texas A&M)
6. Dylan Osetkowski (Tulane to Texas)
7. Marcus Lee (Kentucky to California)
8. Aubrey Dawkins (Michigan to Central Florida)
9. Greg McClinton (Wake Forest to Old Dominion)
10. Daniel Giddens (Ohio State to Alabama)
Way-Too-Early Top-10:
1. Kansas: The Jayhawks are returning the likes of Carlton Bragg Jr., Udoka Azubuike, and LeGerald Vick, as well as incoming transfer Newman and freshman Billy Preston. However, the destiny of this team will fall on if Devonte Graham returns for his senior season. If he does, Kansas should open as title favorites.
2. Gonzaga: Mark Few's team made it to the national title game and if Nigel Williams-Goss comes back for another go around, the Bulldogs may get there again. Josh Perkins, Johnathan Williams, and Killian Tillie are also key returners. And if Zach Collins spurns the NBA Draft, Gonzaga will be in an even better position.
3. Kentucky: The Wildcats are up to their old ways. Out go freshman De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and Bam Adebayo. In come freshman Quade Green, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Nicholas Richards. This team is going to be really good again and if Isaiah Briscoe comes backs, they'll have some experience to go along with all of the young talent.
4. Louisville: Rick Pitino may have his best Louisville team yet next season, and that's including his 2013 national championship squad. Quentin Snider and Jaylen Johnson will be senior starters, while Deng Adel and V.J. King add some perimeter scoring. But Donovan Mitchell's decision is what every Cardinals fan needs to keep an eye on.
5. Villanova: The Wildcats won it all in 2016, but exited the NCAA Tournament a little too early for their liking in 2017. What will happen in 2018? Jay Wright's team will be ready to go again, even with the losses of Josh Hart and Kris Jenkins. Jalen Brunson, Donte DeVinchinzo, and Mikal Bridges will be atop the Big East once again.
6. North Carolina: Roy Williams' crew will be coming off of the national championship victory, but departures by Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks will mean an adjustment period for Tony Bradley Jr. and Luke Maye, who will be getting more playing time. But if Justin Jackson returns alongside Joel Berry II, the Heels will be just fine.
7. Duke: The Blue Devils had a disappointing season for their standards, only winning 28 games and not being able to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, but Coach K will have his team ready for a run in 2017-18. Frank Jackson will be back. Grayson Allen and Luke Kennard may return. And Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Trent Jr. are incoming freshman.
8. Arizona: Sean Miller was unable to reach the elusive Final Four again, but the Wildcats won't let that slow them down heading into next year. Allonzo Trier and Co. will have their eyes set on being the best team in the nation. With guys like Kobi Simmons, Rawlie Alkins, Deandre Ayton, and Parker Jackson-Cartwright, the Wildcats will be really good.
9. Florida: The Gators are losing seniors Kasey Hill and Justin Leon, but with Kevaughn Allen and Devin Robinson coming back, Mike White will have a team ready to compete to in the SEC. Jalen Hudson, transferring in from Virginia Tech, and John Egbunu, returning from injury, will also be players to watch out for.
10. Oregon: Dana Altman's team could possibly be really good if the right pieces fall into place. Those pieces are Tyler Dorsey, Dillon Brooks, and Jordan Bell deciding to come back or not. If all three do, they'll play alongside talented guard Payton Pritchard, incoming 5-star freshman Tony Brown Jr., and senior leader Casey Benson.
Players to Watch: Devonte Graham (Kansas) could have the kind of senior season that Frank Mason III had for Kansas if he decides to return for his fourth year. Nigel Williams-Goss (Gonzaga) was the top transfer in the entire country last season and he'll be a candidate for Player of the Year. Quade Green (Kentucky) is going to be a lot of fun to watch in a Wildcats jersey because of his electric style and he'll lead Kentucky to a ton of wins. Joel Berry II (North Carolina) showed just how good he can be in the national title game, going for 22 points, and if he stays healthy during his senior campaign, Berry will be scoring a lot of baskets. Allonzo Trier (Arizona) was suspended for the first couple of months this past season, but if he is able to play the whole year, we'll be treated to one of the smoothest scorers in the country.
Final Four Hopefuls: The ACC champion will have the inside track on the Final Four whether it is Louisville, North Carolina, Duke, or someone else. The Big 12 winner, who is most likely going to be Kansas, will earn a No. 1 seed, and will have a shot at the Round of 4. Both SEC teams, Kentucky and Florida, will have a chance, but the Wildcats will have the better chance simply because of their influx of pure talent. And a West Coast team should find themselves in the Final Four again, whether it is Gonzaga and Oregon returning or Arizona finally getting there. Lastly, Villanova, will hope to get back to the Final Four after a one-year hiatus.
Photo Credit: ACC Sports.
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