All right everyone, we have arrived at the quietest part of the NCAA basketball schedule. The pre-season tournaments are all complete, the inter-conference challenges are finished, and the student-athletes have to catch up on school work and prepare for exams.
So the truth is that there are slim pickings for big games the next couple weeks, but here is my pick for the best game of the week…
Game of the week– Illinois at Gonzaga, December 8
Illinois comes into the game undefeated (8-0) and ranked 13th in the country, however the record may be a bit inflated as they have only one quality win and that came against an unranked Butler squad. They are led by three seniors, including Brandon Paul who is a dynamic scoring guard.
Gonzaga also comes into this game undefeated (8-0) and ranked 10th in the AP poll. I find myself routing for Gonzaga every year, as they were the original upset special and because they always have prominent Canadians on their roster, including Kelly Olynyk and Pangos this year. Gonzaga is the real deal and could definitely make a run during March Madness. I’m gonna take Gonzaga as my pick to win this one.
The first week in January marks the start of conference play, where there will be a whole slew of games to pick from. Thought I would take this opportunity to spotlight some of the lesser known conferences out there before conference play begins.
Conference Spotlight: Mountain West Conference
The MWC has been a powerful mid-major conference for a number of years, and has provided us with many great March Madness moments in the last few years. This year the conference has at least three teams that will be in the NCAA tournament, and as many as five. The upper tier of teams are very talented and are definitely capable of beating virtually any team in the country on any given day, which makes them extremely dangerous during March Madness. Here are the teams listed in my predicted order of finish:
1. UNLV- love the make-up of this team. They are quick, talented, defensive-minded, aggressive, and have leadership. Expect big things from them during the Madness.
2. San Diego State- has become a staple in the tournament, but are not as good as last years team.
3. New Mexico- Solid in the backcourt, but lacking up front due to some injuries.
4. Wyoming- had a 20 win season last year, and returned ALL of their major players. A force to be reckoned with and should get into the tournament.
5. Boise State- this is my surprise pick in the conference, and could get into the tournament, although 5 teams from the MWC will be tough. 7 of there 8 rotation players are back.
6. Colorado State- some studs in the post, but the perimeter players just aren’t good enough.
7. Nevada- opposite to CSU, all guards no bigs.
8. Air Force- respect what these guys do, but not enough firepower for the Falcons.
9. Fresno State- moved over from the WAC, and will be a tough transition with all the good teams in this league.
