The Seminoles lose multiple underclassmen to the NBA Draft, but Leonard Hamilton has moved the Florida State program into the “perennial contender” category, meaning the ‘Noles aren’t going anywhere…
Read more#24 Indiana 2020-21 Preview
An extremely important fourth year looms for Archie Miller, and the return of Trayce Jackson-Davis plus the addition of 5-star freshman Khristian Lander have raised expectations in Bloomington. The Hoosiers are one of many contenders in the Big Ten - can they find a way to elevate above the pack?
Read more#25 Ohio State 2020-21 Preview
After reaching #1 in the polls early last season, Ohio State then experienced a couple tumultuous months en route to a semi-disappointing 11-9 Big Ten record. Kaleb Wesson left for the professional ranks, and some ins and outs in the transfer market leave several question marks in Columbus, but Chris Holtmann should be able to stabilize things into a formidable squad…
Read more#27 Purdue 2020-21 Preview
The Boilers floated around .500 last year, but predictive analytics valued them far higher than the record might indicate. Can Purdue win a few more games late without the departed Matt Haarms and Nojel Eastern?
Read more#29 Rutgers 2020-21 Preview
After the program’s best season in 15+ years, can Rutgers put on an encore performance worthy of the team’s first real NCAA Tournament bid since 1991? With plenty of production back and Steve Pikiell at the helm, it seems likely…
Read more#30 Michigan 2020-21 Preview
Two staples of the Michigan program (Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske) are gone, and now Juwan Howard may need to redesign his team’s approach, particularly on offense. Are there enough weapons here for the Wolverines to maintain the momentum Howard started in his first year?
Read moreZonal Shift - Part 2
Here’s Part 2 of Jim’s exploration of the decline in zone usage in college hoops. What goes into the decision to play zone? And how does level of play/conference affiliation factor in?
Read moreZonal Shift - Part 1
Over the past seven years of college hoops, zone usage throughout the sport has been on a steady decline. For a sport that thrives on stylistic differences, why has the zone defense been fading from view?
Read moreDeadly From Deep: Top Shooting Teams in 20-21
Who will be the deadliest perimeter shooting teams in the country next season? Jim sought out the squads who will live most comfortably beyond the three-point arc in 2020-21…
Read moreFrom Fringe to Featured: 15 Breakout Boys
Combing the college hoops landscape for breakout candidates is a time-honored offseason tradition. I joined the hunt, identifying 15 players who could make the leap from sub-5.0ppg to double-digits in 2020-21.
Read moreIn Support of Transfers
One of several hot offseason topics in the college basketball world, the pending “one-time waiver” for every undergraduate athlete has plenty of supporters and detractors on each side. Jim is decidedly pro that change, and here’s why…
Read moreFun with Finances: Basketball Budgets
In the doldrums of the offseason, we pivoted off the basketball court to open up the accounting ledger. Using the most recent Department of Higher Education numbers, here’s a quick look at each team’s spending situation.
Read moreMovement to Man: Five Teams Who Found Success Switching Defenses
At 3MW, we celebrate coaches that successfully tailor their styles to particular rosters each year, shifting strategy to match personnel. We took a look at five teams that found massive defensive success in switching from zone-heavy looks to more man-to-man.
Read moreConference USA Tournament Preview 2020
The Frisco Disco meets again in Texas, as the Conference USA Tournament gets underway on Wednesday. The tradition of playing two simultaneous games in the same facility continues, and that strange quirk is just one of many reasons that this event could get wild.
Read moreBig 12 Tournament Preview 2020
As the only two teams to finish over .500 in league play, Kansas and Baylor dominated the Big 12 this season, and a third meeting in the tournament championship is the dream matchup here. But West Virginia, Texas Tech, and others can quickly derail that train.
Read moreSEC Tournament Preview 2020
Kentucky won the regular season by three games and is the favorite in Nashville, but a glut of desperate bubble teams could turn the SEC Tournament upside down…
Read moreFord v The Ferrari: The WCC Final
In a tale of two halves, the tremendous Gonzaga offense ultimately wore down a game St. Mary’s squad. Jordan Ford and Malik Fitts put on a show before halftime, but the Bulldogs’ balance was too much to overcome in front of a decidedly pro-Zags crowd.
Read moreMEAC Tournament Preview 2020
The North Carolina schools (Central and A&T) reside atop the standings, but plenty of heated competition is waiting in Norfolk. And that includes the local Spartans…
Read moreTillie Wows, Ford Closes: A Wild Night in the WCC Semis
A wild night at the Orleans Arena brought two uniquely fascinating games, and while one game was “prettier” than the other, all that matters is the stage that is now set for Tuesday night…
Read moreSoCon Tournament Preview 2020
East Tennessee State is on the cusp of an at-large bid, but the Bucs would love to make that a moot point and take home the tournament title, as well. Furman and UNCG won’t go quietly, and the SoCon’s depth means there are landmines everywhere.
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