It is hard to fathom when it is as hot as it has ever been outside, but the opening of the 2022-23 college basketball season is less than three months away. Last season it was the Kansas Jayhawks that cut down the nets at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, with the Jayhawks claiming their fourth National Title in their 10th championship game.
Here are three teams to watch for to make it to the NRG Stadium in Houston and win it all at the end of this season, including one pick which doesn’t feature among the favorites with the offshore sports betting sites at this stage.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Drew Timme will be playing his 25th year of college basketball season as the Bulldogs managed to retain their core of players that Mark Few must have been worried would bounce to the NBA. It says everything about the culture of Gonzaga that the likes of Timm, Rasir Bolton, and Julian Strawther all decided to return, but you can bet Few would have raided the transfer portal had his stars left.
As it is, the Zags go eight-deep without much of a drop in talent and level of play. Questions will always be asked about their ability to win the big one until it actually happens, and at this point, it is fairly obvious that their conference schedule does them no favors, but this is still a team that should be ranked in the top three preseason.
Duke Blue Devils
This one should be fascinating. With Coach K gone, it will be down to Jon Scheyer to navigate the post-Krzyzewski waters at Duke. How do you replace a coach that has been at a school for over 40 years? It is possible to follow a living legend? It is a story we will get to see play out in Durham all year long.
Scheyer has been smart to date. He has toned down the non-con schedule, understanding that he needs time to figure out how to coach in the spotlight. While it would have been nice for him to coach a veteran squad, he has the complete opposite. Three projected starters (including Dereck Lively, the No.1 player in the class per most recruiting services) will be freshmen. There is no doubt that the talent is there as all three were in the top 10 in the ESPN 100 recruiting rankings, but will that talent translate to the court?
Florida Gators
I really like Florida this season and they are my dark horse to watch as the year progresses. The key to winning college basketball games in 2022 is to have multiple players with the ability to kick it into gear and blow up for 20+ points on any given night. In players like Myreon Jones, Colin Castleton, and Kowacie Reeves, Florida has six or seven of those guys with proven college experience.
Relying on one player to consistently score enough points to win is hard. Relying on a group, and going with the hot hand, is a much more secure way of guaranteeing progression in the NCAA Tournament. Florida is a high floor/higher ceiling side that might start the season slowly, but that should be right in the mix by the time the SEC Tournament comes around.
