Who are going to be the most improved teams this college basketball season?
Well I (@joeryan1621 on twitter) interviewed Tony Patelis (@collegehoopnews on twitter) and talked about 7 teams that should take a step forward this season.
Tony is an absolute beast when it comes to College Basketball knowledge. You have to follow him on twitter if you don’t already. He’s knowledge is undeniable. Tony does periscopes on twitter every Wednesday and Sunday night during the season and Tony is launching his own podcast for this upcoming season, so keep an eye on that when it is about to be released.
So here are the questions I formulated and Tony did a phenomenal job answering them.
So what teams are going to improve next year and how are they going to do it?
Here we go….
1. Chris Mullins is still rebuilding at St. John’s, what about their team has you intrigued for the next season? The Red Storm should have a step forward next year, no?
St John’s is absolutely headed in the right direction. The Redstorm have one of the top backcourts in the country in Shamorie Ponds, Marcus LoVett, and Bashir Ahmed. Then you add in transfer Justin Simon (Zona). The frontcourt is a different story. Big man Kassoum Yakwe returns along with transfer Marvin Clark(Mich St). Clark will be a solid player but more of a role player. I think a good goal for the Johnnies is 20 wins. I still think 2018-19 is the year they really turn the corner. The roster isn’t a finished product but definitely getting better.
2. The BIG 10 hasn’t been as strong as past years. Solid at the top but the depth is not great, what does Iowa have to do to contend for a top ranking in the BIG 10?
Iowa needs to find out how to adjust without Peter Jok. Good news is they have a guy in Tyler Cook that I think can fill that role. Cook is an absolute beast. The Hawkeyes had one of the better freshman classes last year that not many people talked about. Cook was joined by Jordan Bohannon, Isaiah Moss, and Cordell Pemsl. Experience is everything so I think this group will be even better this year. Add junior Nick Baer into the picture and you have a pretty solid group. I think the Hawkeyes could legitimately finish top 5 in the BigTen. Cook is special in my opinion.
3. Oklahoma was so young last year and still very young this year. However, they got top point guard recruit Trae Young. How do you see him impacting them? And how does Lon Kuger get a young team back in the tournament?
Like Iowa Oklahoma was super young last year. Especially after losing point guard Jordan Woodard (ACL). Those freshmen are now sophomores and have plenty of experience under their belt. Kam McGusty and Kristian Doolittle both played really well in year one. The Sooners return six of their seven top scorers from last year. Junior Rashard Odomes and senior Khadeem Lattin also are back. Lon Kruger is one of the best coaches in the country so I definitely see the Sooners turning things around this year. Losing Jordan Woodard last year was huge and I think that’s why they struggled so much. They lacked leadership. This year I think they have it. Even though Kristian Doolittle is suspended for the first semester, it will hurt the Sooners, but they should have enough depth and talent to make up for the loss.
4. Mississippi State simply just hasn’t been good in the last few years. How do they turn in around in the 2017-2018 season? Can they hang with the top teams in the SEC?
5. Stanford has had a rough couple years, more of a rebuilding stage. But now they have some experience. Do you expect them to make the tournament? If so, can they get to the second weekend?
6. Robert Williams is returning to Texas A&M for his Sophomore year. We all know he was a beast his freshman year. Can he carry A&M in the SEC?
7. Temple is coming off a .500 season but have key players returning. I expect them finish in the top 4 of the AAC. Is this a feasible prediction? What’s your thoughts on this Owls team?