Five Scalding Hot Takes For The 23-24 Season

Last year we posted some hot takes before the season started. Three out of four ain’t bad. Here are five scalding hot takes for the 23-24 college basketball season.

Three days to go. Here are some spicy meatball hot takes.

Syracuse’s Jesse Edwards will make an All-ACC team.

Houston’s Marcus Sasser will win National Player of the Year.

Penn State will make the NCAA Tournament.

North Carolina will NOT make it to the Final Four.

— Trilly Donovan (@trillydonovan) November 4, 2022

1. Clemson will make the Sweet 16.

The immortal Brad Brownell might have his best team yet. PJ Hall was selected to the Preseason First Team All-ACC and we believe he’s got ACC Player of the Year potential. Syracuse transfer Joe Girard joins Chase Hunter in the backcourt, giving Brownell plenty of options of the offensive side of the ball. Clemson will likely take a step back defensively, but the firepower on the other end will help Clemson finish top four in the ACC. We like the Tigers to make the tournament and better yet, make the second weekend.

2. Saint Mary’s will win the WCC by multiple games.

This is the year Randy Bennett ascends to superstardom. Saint Mary’s was picked to win the WCC by a narrow margin, but we think the Gaels have what it takes to run away with the league. Lead by the dynamic trio of Aidan Mahaney, Alex Ducas and Mitchell Saxen, Saint Mary’s has the goods to have a huge year. Gonzaga will be good as always, but they lost too much to stay within a game of the Gaels this season. Ryan Nembhard playing 40 minutes in a scrimmage tells us all we need to know about the Zags depth concerns.

3. Illinois will finish the season in the Top 10 of the AP Poll.

We are higher on Illinois than most this season. The Illini pass the airport test with size and length at every position on the floor. Terrance Shannon Jr. could unseat Zach Edey as Big Ten Player of the Year with another huge season. We love the additions of Quincy Guerrier and Marcus Domask, giving Brad Underwood plenty of weapons to work alongside Shannon. We’re all in on this Illinois squad, predicting they’ll finish the season ranked in the AP Top 10.

4. Georgia will make the NCAA Tournament.

Mike White is killing it on the recruiting trail and his work will show on the court this season. The SEC could see as many as nine teams make the NCAA tournament and we believe Georgia will be one of them for the first time since 2015. The Bulldogs turned the roster over, but they’ve got a ton of basketball experience. Sharpshooting Noah Thomasson and big man Russel Tchewa will lead the way for the Dawgs. A double dose of RJ (Melendez and Sunahara) will also play big roles on this team. Look for Georgia to make the dance this season.

5. Grand Canyon is this year’s Charleston/Florida Atlantic.

Bryce Drew’s squad is stacked. The Lopes return three double-digit scorers from last year’s 24-win team, including WAC Preseason Player of the Year Rayshon Harrison. Grand Canyon also brought in a ton of high-major transfers, including Tyon-Grant Foster from DePaul and Sydney Curry from Louisville. GCU’s schedule and homecourt advantage gives them an opportunity to win 30+ games this season. We like the Lopes to go to their third NCAA tournament in four seasons and take the country by storm with a massive year.

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