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Click here for part one, here for part two, here for part three, and here for part four. Teams 10 through 6: 10. Houston Deep Dive: **all analytics/metrics come from Bart Torvik, unless otherwise noted** Have you ever noticed how often in life you have to do the things that you don’t want to do to do the things that you do want to do? Like going to grad school or climbing the corporate ladder to get your dream job. Or eating all your vegetables so you can have dessert. Or finishing your studying before you go have fun with your friends. I believe the Steve Miller Band has a lyric from their hit "Jet Airliner" that creates poetry out of this truth: “Ridin’ high, I got tears in my eyes / You know you got to go through hell before you get to heaven.” I hope all my old man readers (i.e. my dad) enjoyed that reference. But I think no squad represents this notion more than the Houston Cougars. As a team, they consistently pay attention to detail and take care of the dirty work on the court. For proof, check their top-30 finish in offensive rebounding rate and their top-20 finish in adjusted defensive efficiency in each of the last three seasons. Crashing the glass and hounding their opponents make up the bedrock of the program. Once those are taken care of, the fun begins on offense. Houston seems to have a never-ending supply of guards who can score from all over the court. Last year, it took some time for head coach Kelvin Sampson to figure out how to best utilize these pieces, as evidenced by some head-scratching losses; and yet, he still found a way to win 23 games and an AAC title in the process. I think the Coogs build upon their conference title by establishing themselves as a national presence this season. So what makes the Houston defense so special? Well, first, they can switch 1 through 5 on ball screens. Sampson has done an incredible job of building a team of athletes who all have the lateral quickness to guard on the perimeter and the frame to hold their own in the post. Because of their roster makeup, the Coogs can minimize their opponents’ ability to target mismatches. Second, they simultaneously excel at protecting the paint and taking away the three-point line. Sampson implements some gap-defense principles, as help defenders often swarm the ballhandler when he enters the lane. But the entire roster has the length, quickness, and alertness to rotate out to the three-point line if the ballhandler kicks out. Houston held their opponents to the 7th lowest three-point percentage in the country in '19-'20. Third, the Cougars possess continuity from last season (67% of minutes returning). In an interview withthe Marching to Madness podcast, the head coach stressed the importance of practice reps in understanding and executing his defense. Their defensive efficiency from November through December (112th nationally) compared to that from January through April (6th nationally) underlines just how vital it is for every player to acclimate to the scheme. Regarding the offensive rebounding, Sampson sends three guys at the basket to get the board, and they all outwork their challengers. Not sure that it’s much more complicated than that. Now, the more glamorous part: on offense, all of their rotation guards bring complementary skillsets to the table. In redshirt-senior DeJon Jarreau, Houston has a pass-first point guard who does everything well but shoot. He displays excellent vision in setting up his teammates, uses his length to clean the glass, and maintains unyielding energy on defense. Jarreau also once took a bite out of an opponent’s leg, so you know he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win (definitely a violation of today's COVID protocol though). Sophomore Marcus Sasser will get the nod alongside Jarreau in the nominal backcourt, and he is overflowing with breakout potential. A catch-and-shoot dynamo, Sasser hit an impressive 35% of his long-range shots as a freshman. It’s not out of the question for that percentage to rise to 38-40% this year. Also, he’s only 6’1”, but he’s a STRONG 200+ pounds, so his bulk allows him to match up with multiple positions on defense. There’s a good chance that he frustrates AAC foes a thousand more times with plays like this throughout his career: Junior Quentin Grimes completes the starting perimeter unit; in moments last season, the 6’5” guard showcased the scintillating upside that made him a McDonald’s All-American many moons ago. With a well-rounded game, he absorbs contact on the dribble-drive and brandishes a silky jumper from long range. His trey ball looks a lot better than the percentages suggest (32% last season, 33% for his career)--if he can just maintain a little more consistency, an all-conference team will be within reach. Finally, the Cougars will bring a flamethrower off the bench in Caleb Mills. The lanky redshirt-sophomore out of Arden, NC, had one job last season: shoot. Sampson gave him one of the greenest lights in the country, and he responded by leading the team in scoring. Mills mainly gets his baskets out of iso, but he also buries threes off the catch. His high arcing moonball leaves defenders visibly vexed. Idaho transfer Cameron Tyson and freshman Tramon Mark add depth to the guard spots, with Mark receiving more buzz during the preseason. The top-80 recruit has an uncanny resemblance to Jarreau in both physique and style of play. He’ll have a chance to earn some backup point guard minutes, but he can also slide off-ball. In the frontcourt, the Coogs will turn to the gritty trio of Brison Gresham, Justin Gorham, and Arkansas transfer Reggie Chaney. They will all set crushing screens, play aggressive defense, and snare rebounds with tempestuous force. However, Gresham stands a tick above the other two. He’s an explosive vertical athlete who never stops pursuing loose balls. Though his responsibilities seem nondescript, they are no less indispensable--and Gresham will fulfill his role with dedication and selflessness. It’s tough to not marvel at what’s going on in the southeastern corner of the Lone Star State. Because it’s not the booster money of the University of Texas that’s built an up-and-coming powerhouse. Nor is it the private school funds of SMU and TCU. And it’s certainly not the engineering nerds over at Rice. It’s simply the brilliance of a coach who has found both a system that works and the parts that make it hum. TLDR: Projected starters: G - DeJon Jarreau (RSr.), G - Marcus Sasser (So.), G - Quentin Grimes (Jr.), F - Justin Gorham (RSr.), F - Brison Gresham (RSr.) Projected bench: G - Caleb Mills (RSo.), F - Reggie Chaney (Jr.), G - Tramon Mark (Fr.), G - Cameron Tyson (RSo.) Strengths: defense, offensive rebounding, guard depth Weaknesses: fouling, no clear cut alpha, shot selection at times Best player: good question...see the “no clear cut alpha” above Breakout player: Grimes, Sasser, or both 9. Virginia Deep Dive: If you ever doubted the steamroller that is the Virginia defense, look no further than last season for reassurance. Even after losing their three best players from the 2019 National Championship team, Tony Bennett still coached the best defense in the country (by both KenPom and Bart Torvik’s numbers). His pack-line staple operates with a robotic efficiency that gives the Cavaliers a high floor, even if the pieces don’t seem all that special. This year, yet again, the defense will shine for the Wahoo collective. But a gargantuan “Z”-sized question mark still stamps Virginia: “Hoos” gonna score? Last season, Bennett’s boys ranked 234th in adjusted offensive efficiency, per KenPom. Here’s a list of a few teams that finished higher than them in that same metric:
In 2020, Virginia played offense the way that the casual fan thinks they play. Of course, us big brain college basketball folks know that Bennett’s teams usually run a highly-productive offense at a ridiculously slow pace. However, for the second straight season, Virginia lacks prolific scorers that can match the output of players like Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy. Undoubtedly, they will put the ball in the basket more frequently and more successfully than last year (I do have them ranked in the Top 10, after all). But too many unknowns on the offensive end keep me from locking them in as a surefire top-5 contender. One player hoping to remedy the offensive ills is Marquette transfer, Sam Hauser. The redshirt-senior forward has garnered hype throughout the preseason, earning a spot on the Julius Erving Award watch list and the preseason All-ACC First Team. Rob Dauster of The Rebound wrote an excellent analysis of how Bennett will deploy Hauser in both his blocker-mover offense and his continuity ball-screen action. I’m not quite ready to side with Dauster and call him an All-American, but he fits perfectly into his coach's scheme and meets Virginia's most pressing need with his long-range shooting. For his career at Marquette, Hauser made 246 threes at a 44.5% clip. But can any of the guards make life easier on the newcomer? While point guard Kihei Clark throws entrancing passes out of pick-and-roll, defects pepper his scoring ability. The 5’9” junior faces extreme difficulties getting to the cup; he made a grotesque 42% of his shots at the rim (the 4th-worst percentage in the ACC) and hit just 37.5% of his 2-point shots in '19-'20. Then, there’s senior Tomas Woldetensae. The former JuCo standout exhibited lights-out shooting in a few contests last year, but his shot selection remains a major concern (only thirteen made 2-point field goals in '19-'20). Woldetensae bricks way too many Kobe-fadeaways, and he should really just operate as a spot-up three-point specialist. Reprieve along the perimeter may come from a sophomore breakout candidate and/or two heralded freshmen. That sophomore is 6’3” guard Casey Morsell, a former top-60 recruit. High school ranking notwithstanding, Morsell struggled MIGHTILY last season. Looking at his shooting percentages probably brings a queasy feeling to Virginia fans’ stomachs--27.7% from the field and 17.6% from beyond the arc (85.7% from the foul line though!). However, his pedigree prevents me from writing him off after just one season. Morsell doesn't have ideal height for his position, but he can use his brawny build to muscle through defenders around the basket. And he shows off some bunnies in the lane. In four-star prospects Jabri Adur-Rahim (37th in 247Sports Recruiting Composite) and Reece Beekman (66th in 247Sports Recruiting Composite), the Hoos have two frosh who will strive to contribute immediately. Jabri, the son of the third overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, excites the fanbase on his bloodline alone. But he’s more than just an NBA legacy--the 6’6” forward lit up Nike’s EYBL circuit, averaging over 25 points per game. He shines as a slasher, even though he’s not especially explosive, and he could develop into a consistent three-point threat in time. While Abdur-Rahim likely doesn’t crack the starting rotation in year one, he will vastly improve the Hoos’ second unit. Beekman, on the other hand, could be starting by the time March rolls around, despite his lower ranking. The 6’3” guard boasts slick change-of-direction speed and sublime vision; he can both create his own shot and execute live-dribble passes. Although he mainly ran the point in high school, I wouldn’t worry too much about his pairing with Clark (who logged plenty of minutes playing off-ball in 2019). Beekman’s two-way upside could be too much for Bennett to keep him on the bench--if he puts on some muscle, he will flourish in iso and team defensive concepts. (Also, don’t count out sophomore forward Justin McKoy as an impact player. Carolina recruited him, he ultimately chose Virginia, and I just kinda have the feeling he’s gonna be the next "Bennett guy" to come out of nowhere and be awesome). Circling back to the frontcourt, Virginia will trust in redshirt-senior Jay Huff as their security blanket on both offense and defense. The Durham native thrives as a roll-man with a splash of bounce, a scrap of handles, and a smidgen of shooting touch. On the other end, he deters foes from the paint on a nightly basis. As one of the best rim protectors in the country, he'll prop up the interior defense, even after the departure of Mamadi Diakite. Ya know, it’s fun to speculate on Virginia--if their offense returns to form, if Hauser can live up to expectations, if Huff can block 10 shots versus Duke again, etc--but it almost feels like a futile task. In the year of the unprecedented, when oddities mar just about every occurrence, one thing should remain constant: the Virginia Cavaliers will either win the ACC outright or tie for first place. Happens every year, no pandemic can stop that. TLDR: Projected starters: G - Kihei Clark (Jr.), G - Reece Beekman (Fr.), G - Casey Morsell (So.), F - Sam Hauser (RSr.), F/C - Jay Huff (RSr.) Projected bench: G - Tomas Woldetensae (Sr.), F - Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Fr.), F - Kody Stattmann (Jr.), F/C - Kadin Shedrick (RFr.), F - Justin McKoy (So.) Strengths: defense, ball security, controlling tempo, luring opponents into thinking they have a chance Weaknesses: guard play, shot creation, shooting Best player: Hauser (barely over Huff) Breakout player: Morsell 8. Duke Deep Dive: If you just finished reading the Virginia deep dive, you may feel a little confused as to why I ranked Duke higher, since I called the Hoos to win the ACC. That is...unless you follow ACC basketball, then it makes perfect sense. Just about every season, Duke wields the conference's most talented roster on paper. But while real business is done on paper, basketball is not. Thus, year in, year out, the Blue Devils suffer a couple of head-scratching hiccups in ACC play, as they build chemistry. Virginia, on the other hand, stands as a beacon of consistency, marching to victory while Duke irons out the wrinkles. However, I don’t think Blue Devil fans care too much about their bizarre regular-season ACC title drought--because when the postseason arrives, they’re usually playing their best ball. This year will be no different--and though I have some concerns about roster fit, the unrivaled amount of talent pencils them in as a top-10 team. But first, let's look at some of those structural issues. One main fault: their best shooters are their worst defenders and their best defenders are their worst shooters. Take sophomore Matthew Hurt, for example. A rare five-star who returns to Durham for a second season, the 6’9” big man entices audiences with his pure (albeit unorthodox) shooting stroke. Hurt scores most of his points by either spotting up in the corner or leaking out on pick-and-pops--he’s especially money at home, where canned 41.5% of his three-pointers a season ago. But on defense, he got played off the floor in many an ACC contest. Opponents exposed his flat feet and tight hips in ball-screens, repeatedly targeting him in late-game situations: Perhaps most worrisome will be any minutes where Coach K tasks him with playing the “5.” Due to Duke’s bevy of highly-touted forwards, the burden of guarding centers may fall on him, and he simply lacks the size and athleticism to do that. Sophomore Wendell Moore serves as a counterpart to Hurt. A rare five-stars who returns--oh wait, already said that… Anyway, Moore brims with lockdown defender potential, which he flashed in spurts last season. With his length and agility, he can vex guards and wings alike, whether they’re out on the perimeter or attempting to get to the hoop. In iso defense, he takes good angles to cut off driving lanes, and he makes swift rotations in help defense. But last season, he was a virtual zero on the other side of the ball. While handling the rock, he dribbles too high, and he drives into traffic without much of a plan. Compounding matters, he shot 4 for 19 (21%) from beyond the arc as a freshman. Now...I must say, after a year of adjusting to the ACC, his frazzled possessions could become a thing of the past, as he will surely feel more comfortable on offense. But pity both Hurt and Moore if they ever get to thinking they’re irreplaceable... ...Because, as you may expect, Duke ushers in the nation’s third-ranked recruiting class. Jalen Johnson, a 6’8” forward, headlines the freshmen group. He will immediately step into the “playmaking 4” role that guys like Justise Winslow, Brandon Ingram, and Jayson Tatum made famous under Krzyzewski. A scientist with the ball in his hands, Johnson dissects defenses with pinpoint passes that you seldom see a guy his size make. He’ll find cutters from the top of the key and throw dimes nearly the length of the floor when he leads the break. And he also showcases nsane vertical pop when he skies for a dunk in traffic. However, in keeping with Duke's shooting concerns, he lacks a refined three-point jumper. But that’s his only glaring weakness. Regarding the rest of the class, five-star point guard Jeremy Roach and four-star wing Jaemyn Brakefield will also log big minutes. Known as a bulldog on defense, Roach steps in as the heir to Tre Jones and seeks to replicate the annoyance that was Mr. Jones’s on-ball pressure. Brakefield made my “Five Recruits Who Will Outplay Their Ranking” list from early summer, and I am bullish on his athleticism and shot creation. He boasts a versatile scoring package and could exude some Diet RJ Barrett-Zion Williamson vibes alongside Johnson in transition. Then, there’s fringe five-star guard DJ Steward--but he actually scares me the most out of the bunch! In his high school tape, he looks like the kind of guy who could hit 7 threes on Carolina in the Dean Dome. In fact, Steward’s energy, shooting off the bounce, ballhandling, and hair all remind me of...Coby White *ducks* Five-star Mark Williams (7’1”) and four-star Henry Coleman (6’6” but built like a Mack truck) round out the new class and will provide depth to the frontcourt. Williams, in particular, has a chance to earn a starting spot, as a scrapper who provides some much-needed height. And finally, senior Jordan Goldwire, junior Joey Baker, and grad transfer Patrick Tape all fit the “Duke guy” archetype (i.e. not particularly skilled but they play hard). When Coach K lashes into the young guys, they'll boost morale with their leadership and other intangibles. This could be the deepest roster of Duke's one-and-done era. They’ll ratchet up the pace and outscore most of their challengers. But against more formidable opponents, when crunch time hits, how will Coach K arrange his battalion? Again, questions about the roster's cohesiveness block the Blue Devils from entering my top 5; but even I must admit that the ol’ coach has made a custom of successfully retooling year after year. TLDR: Projected starters: G - Jeremy Roach (Fr.), G - DJ Steward (Fr.), G/F - Wendell Moore (So.), F - Jalen Johnson (Fr.), F - Matthew Hurt (So.) Projected bench: G - Jordan Goldwire (Sr.), F - Jaemyn Brakefield (Fr.), C - Mark Williams (Fr.), F - Henry Coleman (Fr.), G - Joey Baker (Jr.), F/C - Patrick Tape (Sr.) Strengths: transition offense, crazy depth on the perimeter, enough shooters to compensate for the non-shooters Weaknesses: questionable roster fit, post depth Best player: Johnson Breakout player: Steward 7. Kentucky Deep Dive: **all analytics/metrics come from Bart Torvik, unless otherwise noted** It’s funny--with all the hoopers John Calipari has sent to the Association, he has never had a dominant point-forward through whom the offense runs. In fact, when you think about wings who played for Cal, Tyler Herro is more of the exception than the rule. Hamidou Diallo, Kevin Knox, and Khalil Whitney all underachieved during their lone season in Lexington, while productive players like Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and James Young flamed out in the NBA. Usually, the head coach finds more success leaning on lightning-quick lead guards and hyper-athletic big men. But this year, Cal welcomes in the two most talented perimeter players of his coaching career: BJ Boston and Terrence Clarke. Both stand at 6’7”. Both could be top 5 picks in next year’s NBA draft. And both have that coveted point-forward upside. You may remember Boston as “Not LeBron’s son” from the high school powerhouse Sierra Canyon. Although he isn’t the offspring of the King, he still established himself as the best player for the Trailblazers (had to look that mascot up) a season ago. Boston is an otherworldly scorer who can get to any spot on the floor with his immaculate footwork--even if you guard him closely, he will find a way to create separation. The Georgia product stays balanced as he drains stepbacks, and he uses a deceptive handle to snatch ankles from his adversaries. While skeptics may look at his skin-and-bones frame and question how he’ll fare against the larger, stronger, and more tenured hoopers in the SEC, his tape reveals a surprising effectiveness around the rim. And with a 6’10” wingspan, it’s not like he struggles to dunk the ball, despite lacking top-notch verticality. Like Boston, the rangy Clarke shines with the ball in hands. He furiously rumbles to the basket before elevating above the rim for a dazzling finish. His explosive bounce, his penchant for hawking offensive rebounds, and his soft shooting touch all captivate viewers, fans, and scouts alike. But perhaps his most impressive attribute is his playmaking. It’s rare for freshmen with his length/athleticism combo to have such an advanced feel for the game, yet Clarke displays excellent court vision that distinguishes him from his peers. He commands so much attention on dribble-penetration, which frees up his teammates for easy layups. Unlike the aforementioned Diallo and Whitney (two comparable athletes), he actually knows how to play basketball. While Boston and Clarke will undertake the main scoring responsibilities, their new floor general will serve as the perfect complementary piece. Devin Askew, a 6’3” freshman out of California, exhibits the tight handle and accurate passing needed out of a primary initiator. He flashes both of those traits in transition, out of pick-and-roll, and when he’s freelancing. Askew also appears to be the best shooter Kentucky has seen at the point guard spot since Tyler Ulis was firing missiles for the ‘Cats. While he confidently shoots off the bounce, Cal may use him more as a catch-and-shoot threat, since both Boston and Clarke find more success on-ball. Only twice in his time at Kentucky has Calipari ramped up his squad to a top-50 tempo (2010, 2017); but he’d be a fool not to unleash the Askew-Boston-Clarke triumvirate on the fast break. Let them run, run, run, and dare challengers to keep up. Turning to the frontcourt, you’ll find the one returnee from last year’s rotation in 6’8” hybrid forward Keion Brooks. The sophomore will aspire to build off of an inconsistent freshmen season where he played just 15 minutes per game. With an offensive skillset based more on finesse than power, Brooks looks best popping out to drill a fifteen footer. However, he does play with enough physicality to help control the glass when he’s on the floor. It’s odd to view a former five-star recruit as a “glue guy” rather than an essential player, but Cal mostly needs Brooks to make hustle plays and defend. His offensive role will be reduced due to the stars on the perimeter and the big transfer who lines up next to him. This offseason, former Wake Forest center Olivier Sarr fought tooth-and-nail against the SEC to gain immediate eligibility. After a breakout season where he finished top 15 in the ACC in both offensive rating and usage rate, Sarr bolted for the Bluegrass State upon the firing of Wake coach Danny Manning. Although he’s not an elite pro prospect like Kentucky big men of the past, he can still bully his defender in the paint and score out of isolation in the mid-post. Top-40 freshmen Isaiah Jackson and Lance Ware will supply bench minutes for a sneakily deep frontcourt. Jackson, in particular, has compelled coaches and spectators to marvel at his shot-blocking and overall defensive aptitude. Speaking of defense, no one coaches up freshmen on that side of the ball better than Calipari. And with a stable of menacing, multi-positional defenders at his disposal, his job gets a little bit easier. TLDR: Projected starters: G - Devin Askew (Fr.), G - Terrence Clarke (Fr.), G/F - BJ Boston (Fr.), F - Keion Brooks (So.), C - Olivier Sarr (Sr.) Projected bench: G - Davion Mintz (RSr.), G - Dontaie Allen (So.), G/F - Cam’Ron Fletcher (Fr.), F - Isaiah Jackson (Fr.), F - Lance Ware (Fr.) Strengths: rebounding, having two potential top-5 picks on the roster Weaknesses: inexperience, point guard depth Best player: B’Jerrence Clarkeston Breakout player: Askew 6. West Virginia Deep Dive: It's no secret that the game of basketball has drifted away from the post and towards the perimeter. Initially, the “pace and space” obsession only pervaded the NBA, but in recent years, more and more college coaches--even ones who cut their teeth on inside-out ball--have adopted smaller, speedier three-point oriented attacks. Bill Self moved away from two traditional bigs back in 2016; Roy Williams played without a true “5” in both 2018 and 2019; Mark Few even played the 6’7” three-point maestro Corey Kispert at the “4” in some lineups last season. As the sport evolves, a temptation to disregard the importance of post players surfaces in the heart of every hoops junkie. But fear not. There's a certain pullover-clad chap in Morgantown ready to combat that notion. Bob Huggins will ask more out of his big men than almost any other coach in the country. And in sophomore Oscar Tshiebwe and junior Derek Culver, Huggs has two hulks capable of carrying the load. The two mountains for the Mountaineers define the team’s identity with their rebounding and defense. On the glass, Tshiebwe and Culver cover all the bases: And their presence in the paint serve as the lynchpin for a top 3 defense nationally, per KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric. When facing ball-screen action, both bigs can hedge on the ballhandler then recover super quickly on their man if he rolls to the hoop. This tactic snuffs out any opportunity at the rim for their opponents. Also, Tshiebwe and Culver display a propensity for creating splash plays on defense. Observe the play below, where Tshiebwe flaunts his relentless motor, impeccable timing, and freakish acceleration: Lastly, the two big men posted impressive block percentages in the Big 12 last year, coming in at 6th and 11th, respectively. With their imposing stature and Samson-like strength, they make most athletes who step to them look like this kid: The rest of the team seems to follow their lead. The Mountaineers trot out two perimeter defenders who specialize in making wings uncomfortable in junior Emmitt Matthews and senior Taz Sherman. And sophomore guard Miles “Deuce” McBride emerged as defensive deviant last season; he torments opposing guards for 94 feet and disrupts offensive flow with his quick hands. While West Virginia’s defense and rebounding cover a multitude of issues, the ‘Eers must repair their cracks on offense if they want to contend for a national title. Tshiebwe will again factor heavily into this reconstruction, as he furthers his development. Last season, he certified himself as one of the most athletic bigs in the country, galloping down the floor for transition buckets. But I would love to see him add some diversity to his halfcourt game, instead of relying too much on catch-and-dunks. Though his shooting touch can be inconsistent, he did make 26 two-point jumpers last season (per hoop-math.com), indicating some unearthed aptness from mid-range. However, West Virginia's three-point shooting remains their most blatant problem. Last season, the Mountaineers acted as brick masons, canning just 28.6% of their long-range attempts, ranking a dismal 338th in the country. No player made more than 29 threes and no one shot higher than 33% from behind the arc. Poor court awareness augments the heinous shooting numbers, further hampering spacing. But a few reinforcements could alleviate these headaches. First, Huggins welcomes in the 3rd ranked JuCo prospect in 6’4” guard Kedrian Johnson. Three Man Weave’s Matt Cox (one of like three Duke fans that I like) wrote a thorough profile on Johnson in his WVU preview, highlighting his scoring virtuosity and his explosive first step. Second, the Mountaineers’ best shooter, Sean McNeill, now has a year of experience in Huggins’ system. Another former JuCo stud (just look at this resume!), McNeill never found his footing during his first year of major conference ball--he made those previously mentioned 29 threes, but only at a pedestrian 33% clip. However, per an interview with 247Sports, both McNeill and his coach expressed faith that a bounce back season looms: “I thought about it way too much,” McNeill said, “It’s why they recruited me and what they were telling me to come in and do. They wanted to be able to space the floor for Derek and Oscar, and I was just so panicked about it...I was thinking about it almost too much last year. ‘Got to make shots.’ For shooters, that’s just something that you can’t do. You can’t think about it. Once you start thinking, the chances are more than not that you’re going to end up missing." Huggins also adds redshirt-freshman Jalen Bridges, a 6’7” sniper, to the rotation. Bridges’ rapid-fire release will be like a flowing spring to the prolonged shooting droughts that wrought pestilence on the offense a season ago. As a bonafide triggerman off the catch, Bridges will receive plenty of open looks off of all the gravity the big men command. And finally, the aforementioned Deuce McBride is my favorite sophomore breakout contender in the country. Despite a sub-300 high school ranking, the 6’2” guard finished third on the team in scoring and made the Big 12 All-Freshman team in ‘19-’20. His shooting off the bounce meets a need that no other ‘Eer comes close to providing; Deuce shows off a crafty handle and deceptive head fakes, and he transitions into his shooting motion so quickly. McBride’s two-way promise gives off some serious Jevon Carter 2.0 vibes. The dude is gonna be a terror to play against this year. Regardless of whether or not the offensive woes subside, West Virginia will sledgehammer teams with their rugged defense every single game. Their expertise on that end of the ball will keep them in the upper-echelon of the ridiculously top-heavy Big 12. If the new faces gel and the shooting percentage creeps up to the national average, Huggy Bear could reach the Final Four for the first time since 2010. TLDR: Projected starters: G - Miles McBride (So.), G - Sean McNeill (RJr.), F - Emmitt Matthews (Jr.), F - Oscar Tshiebwe (So.), F - Derek Culver (Jr.) Projected bench: G - Kedrian Johnson (Jr.), G - Taz Sherman (Sr.), G/F - Jalen Bridges (RFr.), G - Jordan McCabe (Jr.), F - Isaiah Cottrell (Fr.), F - Gabe Osabuohien (Sr.) Strengths: defense (potentially the best in the country), forcing turnovers, offensive rebounding, depth Weaknesses: passing, shooting, smart offensive play Best player: Tshiebwe Breakout player: McBride
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June 2021
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