The Mystery of the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament 2020 (Part 1)
When it became known that March Madness was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, I had the same reaction that I believe many others did. I’m very sad that the tournament has been canceled, but in the end, I know it has to be done.
After watching old league games throughout March, I was wondering who would win this year’s tournament if it was played. This past college basketball season was unbelievable. There was no real dominant team during the entire season
Teams like Kansas, Baylor, and Dayton look like great powers throughout the year, but every team shows it can be beaten. That is what will make this year’s tournament so interesting. Instead, we all wonder what could have been.
However, I have decided to give my top picks of who will be the champions at the end of the season. Below I will name four teams and one team, which I believe will have the best shot at cutting the net.
The state of Michigan ended the season with a five-match winning streak and placed ninth in the final polls. Like Kansas, Michigan has a great balance as a NCAA basketball team.
According to KenPom, Spartans are 7th in terms of amplitude adjusted effect and are ranked in the top 15 in terms of both attack efficiency (10th) and defensive efficiency (13th). When it comes to March, playing guard is key, and the State of Michigan has one of the best in the country. Cassius Winston averaged 18.6 points and 5.9 assists per game last season. The senior guard has the talent and experience of the basketball players to help lead Michigan to the national championship.
This didn’t come as a surprise. Jayhawks finished the season as the number one ranked team in the country, and are on a streak of 16 wins. Kansas lost only three games a year (Duke, Villanova, Baylor), and only one of those losses was more than two points (Baylor). Kansas also has the balance as a team.
According to KenPom, Jayhawks is the only team in the country to finish in the top 10 in terms of both adjusted attack efficiency (8th) and adjusted defensive effectiveness (2nd). Along with a superb balance of attack and defense, Kansas also has a Naismith Prize finalist at Udoka Azubuike. The superstar has averaged 13.7 points at 74.8% with 10.5 rebounds per game. Put all of these together and you have a favorite team to win them all.
Michigan Spartans
The state of Michigan ended the season with a five-match winning streak and placed ninth in the final polls. Like Kansas, Michigan has a great balance as a NCAA basketball team.
According to KenPom, Spartans are 7th in terms of amplitude adjusted effect and are ranked in the top 15 in terms of both attack efficiency (10th) and defensive efficiency (13th). When it comes to March, playing guard is key, and the State of Michigan has one of the best in the country. Cassius Winston averaged 18.6 points and 5.9 assists per game last season. The senior guard has the talent and experience of the basketball players to help lead Michigan to the national championship.
Kansas Jayhawks
This didn’t come as a surprise. Jayhawks finished the season as the number one ranked team in the country, and are on a streak of 16 wins. Kansas lost only three games a year (Duke, Villanova, Baylor), and only one of those losses was more than two points (Baylor). Kansas also has the balance as a team.
According to KenPom, Jayhawks is the only team in the country to finish in the top 10 in terms of both adjusted attack efficiency (8th) and adjusted defensive effectiveness (2nd). Along with a superb balance of attack and defense, Kansas also has a Naismith Prize finalist at Udoka Azubuike. The superstar has averaged 13.7 points at 74.8% with 10.5 rebounds per game. Put all of these together and you have a favorite team to win them all.