Tag: Illinois Fighting Illini
Which teams can realistically win the NCAA Tournament? Why these 12 stand a cut above
We don’t have many rules of thumb —what with only four total thumbs between us — for picking an NCAA Tournament bracket. But there’s one we believe in wholeheartedly: Don’t overthink it.
To that end, there’s something simple to keep in mind (yet again) when choosing your Final Four and national champion. After Connecticut won it all last year, 18 of the last 21 champs ranked among the top six at KenPom.com before the NCAA Tournament. (Tell us again why
The Joker Effect: How playmaking centers have revolutionized college basketball
When Fred Hoiberg left a front-office job with the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2010 to coach Iowa State, he was ahead of his time chasing transfers to build a roster. Hoiberg was also ahead of the curve when he landed his biggest transfer prize: Royce White.
White was built like an NFL tight end — 6-foot-8, 250 pounds — but he thought the game like a point guard. Back then, transfers had to sit out a season, and during that sit-out
2024 NCAA Tournament bracket picks: Why CJ Moore has UConn winning the title
(Editor’s note: This is part of the Bracket Central Series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.)
Since Florida repeated as national champs in 2007, no defending champion has advanced past the Sweet 16. That ends this year.
Connecticut is the most complete team in college basketball, and it’s going to end that streak and repeat as national champions. That was my pre-bracket prediction and