Amidst trial and tribulation, college basketball season has finally arrived. Fans across the nation nervously watch as their respective teams play on through the coronavirus pandemic that has taken the world by storm. Bracketology, team predictions, RPI, and Top 25 rankings start to gain interest as we crack into this early December schedule. In an effort to bring a sense of normalcy to the college basketball landscape, let’s take a look at the Power 6 conferences and rank them as we dive into this 2020-21 season.
1. Big 10
The Big 10 had a plethora of teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2019, and even with the departure of some solid players at the top of the conference, the drop-off in overall production should not decrease. That being said, all-time Big 10 assists leader Cassius Winston graduated, as did Maryland’s Anthony Cowan Jr., along with Michigan’s Zavier Simpson. Not to mention the Wesson Brothers, who combined for nearly 2,000 points during their time at Ohio State.
Iowa star Luka Garza averaged 23.9 points per game last season and is currently sustaining an average of 30 points per game during his senior year with the Hawkeyes. Wisconsin’s starting five all return as seniors. The Badgers are looking to have a special year under coach Greg Gard after finishing in a three way tie for 1st place with Michigan State and Maryland. Illinois, who just beat Duke by double digits on the road, returns a nice blend of youth and veteran talent from a squad that exceeded all expectations and finished in the Top 25 for the first time since 2006. Indiana and Rutgers are on the rise after posting 20 win seasons. The conference is off to a very hot start, and should lead the country in teams selected for the NCAA Tournament.
Winner: Iowa
Sleeper: Ohio State
2. Big 12
Unlike their football counterpart, the Big 12 was arguably one of if not the best defensive conference from a statistical standpoint in 2019-20. They led the Power 6 with an average of 64.5 points allowed per game. The emergence of Baylor as a national powerhouse was a pleasant surprise in a rather tumultuous season where no team in the Top 25 was safe from an upset. The Bears struggled mightily down the stretch, however, after starting the season 24-1 with impressive wins over Villanova, Butler, and Kansas.
The Jayhawks, who return a lot of length from that 2019 squad, finished the regular season ranked no.1 and almost completed a perfect sweep of the Big 12 with the lone blemish being the aforementioned loss at home to Baylor. West Virginia, one of the most consistent programs in the Big 12, is expected to be a top 15 team once again. Texas Tech and Oklahoma State both grabbed solid additions in the offseason, with the Red Raiders picking up Georgetown transfer Mac McClung, and the Cowboys adding Cade Cunningham, former McDonald’s All-American and no.1 overall recruit in the 2020 cycle. Baylor already has a Top 5 win over Illinois and looks every part of a national title contender. The Big 12 boasts four Top 15 teams, and could make the argument that seven of the ten teams should be ranked… This is not a top heavy conference.
Winner: Kansas
Sleeper: Texas Tech
3. ACC
The ACC had a terrible down year in 2019. North Carolina finished dead last in the conference (14-19, 6-14) after posting a 29-7 record just one season prior. Duke was solid in its first year post-Zion Williamson, but did not look as flashy as past Blue Devil teams and struggled to win road games down the stretch. Louisville looked like a Final Four team up until mid-February when the wheels fell off the bus offensively.
This season, expect a turnaround. Virginia is rising back to national prominence after posting what was considered a subpar 2019 campaign (Yes, Cavalier fans, we believe the loss to San Francisco was a fluke). Kihei Clark and Marquette transfer Sam Hauser are the anchors. North Carolina, Duke, and NC State all boast strong freshman classes. Florida State lost some solid pieces off of their conference title winning squad a year ago, but they did pick up Scottie Barnes, one of the most valued recruits in the country. Georgia Tech appears to be on the rise after finishing 5th in the conference. Never count Jim Boheim and Syracuse out.
Winner: Duke
Sleeper: Clemson
4. Pac 12
Late in the season the Pac 12 showed significant progress as a conference and made big strides towards being much better as a whole in 2020. The fight for the top spot heading into the postseason was a thrill to watch, with UCLA winning 9 of their last 12 and finishing 2nd in the standings. Oregon and Payton Pritchard continued to find ways to win with USC, Arizona, and Arizona State right at their heels and eventually clinched the regular season title.
Arizona State loses Romello White but retains point guard Remy Martin and brings in a top 10 recruiting class. Stanford, a 20 win program last season, picked up a commitment from prized freshman Zaire Williams. Top 3 recruit Evan Mobley committed to USC. Mick Cronin’s Bruins return a lot of talent from a team that finished the year strong. Arizona lost a pair of talented freshmen in Nico Mannion and Josh Green, but they bring in the no.5 class in the country that includes highly touted 4 star Dalen Terry. Expect more steps towards consistency this season from the Pac 12.
Winner: Oregon/Arizona State
Sleeper: Stanford
5. SEC
The Southeastern Conference has had a very successful stretch over the past couple of years. Kentucky has been Kentucky. Tennessee has emerged as a force to be reckoned with under Rick Barnes. Auburn has come out of the woodworks and is tied with Kentucky for the most wins over the last three years (Both programs are a collective 81-24 over the past three seasons). Once again, the SEC looks to reload and win. Coach John Calipari should have his Wildcats ready to rebound after another mass exodus in Lexington.
The conference as a whole loses a lot of star power, including but not limited to SEC Player of the Year Immanuel Quickley, the conference’s leading scorer Mason Jones, LSU talent Skylar Mays, and lottery picks Anthony Edwards and Isaac Okoro. Kentucky has not been able to buy a bucket and has lost three straight after winning their season opener. Alabama lost by 18 to Stanford. Auburn was crushed by Gonzaga in Fort Meyers. Without a true leader, the conference could be a sloppy mess this season. What the conference does bring to the table is one of the most stellar offseasons in its history. The SEC had 5 of the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation according to 247 Sports. Alabama could have one of the best offenses in the country under Nate Oats despite laying an egg against the Cardinal. Florida brings back Scottie Lewis and Keyontae Johnson. Arkansas is trending in the right direction after a top 10 recruiting class. Missouri is one of the few SEC teams to not look completely incompetent this year.
While the conference as a whole has had some recent success, there may be a halt in progress this year until the recruiting classes can develop. The conference looks young and inexperienced. Auburn lost their starting five, as did Kentucky. The depth of the SEC is comparatively better than some of the other conferences on this list, but we may be looking at a 2021 resurgence from the top tier teams.
Winner: Tennessee…?
Sleeper: Anyone except Vanderbilt
6. Big East
There was a lot of firepower in the Big East in 2019.
NBA talents such as Markus Howard, the nation’s leading scorer and two time consensus All-American. Myles Powell, a Seton Hall legend that was primed to take the Pirates deep into the NCAA Tournament. Ty-Shon Alexander, an elite scorer who helped Creighton finish in the top 10. There are so many names that could be listed. The Big East was on top of the college basketball world in 2019.
In 2020, however, all of that firepower is gone.
Villanova, the preseason no. 3 team in the AP poll, lost its leading scorer in Saddiq Bey. The positive for the Wildcats is that they bring back everyone else from a team that tied for 1st place with Seton Hall and Creighton, while adding Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels, who is expected to assert himself offensively (16.9 points per game in 2019). As previously mentioned, Marquette and Seton Hall lose household names at their shooting guard positions. Georgetown lost a young star in Mac McClung to Texas Tech. Alpha Diallo graduated from Providence. St John’s lost any hope at reaching the NCAA Tourney last season after losing Mustapha Heron to injury and leading scorer LJ Figueroa to the transfer portal. The Big East has only 2 teams in the Top 25 Recruiting Rankings, the least in the Power 6.
There are shoes to fill in the Big East. Villanova seems to be the overwhelming favorite. Xavier, Marquette, and Creighton do return promising pieces, but not enough to take down Jay Wright’s Wildcats. The lack of overall conference depth is detrimental to the Big East’s tournament hopes.
Winner: Villanova/Creighton
Sleeper: Marquette
