Summer is an optimistic season for college basketball. And when the weather gets colder and official practice begins, everyone tends to be happy with their team when they haven’t lost a game yet. I can’t spend it. Which teams will struggle to replicate their recent success?Whether it’s due to changes in coaching or the loss of top talent, these five teams are among those whose new season will begin in November 2021. You shouldn’t expect a repeat of 22 years.
auburn
Don’t expect a big drop from the Tigers. After all, he has one of college basketball’s best coaches, Bruce Pearl, still roaming the sidelines, and he’s got a lot of talent. But last year he replaced what was likely the most talented frontcourt player in the country. Jabari Smith Jr. Walker Kessler is auburn.
Both Smith and Kessler were incredibly sophisticated, low-maintenance players. Kessler blocked shots at the elite level. Smith was one of the best shotmakers in the sport. Overall, the duo covered erratic play from the Tigers’ backcourt and helped Auburn win his SEC title and No. 2 seed in his NCAA Tournament. Top recruit Johan Traoré and acclaimed transfer Johnny Bloom (Morehead State) should help fill that void, but the likes of KD Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. are more consistent this season. There is still considerable pressure to stay competitive. So I wouldn’t be surprised if this team is still in the top 25, but you shouldn’t expect the Tigers to do the same in the SEC.
Repeating as the SEC’s regular season champions will be tough after Pearl’s team leaves.
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Wisconsin
The Badgers were one of the country’s big surprises last season. The appearance of Johnny Davis Share of the Big Ten title and No. 3 seed in Big Dance. But now that Davis has left for the pros, there should be some regression.
Simply put, WisconsinNo one else on the roster comes close to Davis in terms of ability to generate offense. Sophomore point guard Chucky Hepburn’s jump was outstanding as a freshman, but a freshman-to-sophomore jump like Davis’s is unrealistic. The move of McGee (Green Bay) shows more of a role player profile than a high-level Big Ten starter.
Badgers are experienced, disciplined and well coached. That should be enough to keep them in the NCAA Tournament picture. But even with the wide-open Big Ten, it’s hard to see Wisconsin contending for the conference title again.
wake forest
Steve Forbes has done an incredible job in his second year with Wake, skillfully using the transfer portal to build a roster that was contested in the NCAA Tournament until Selection Sunday. But that success won’t be easy to replicate without ACC Player of the Year Arons Williams and his NBA first-round pick Jake Lavia.
No one expected Forbes and Demon Deacons to pick up the mileage earned last year from Williams and LaRavia. Marist’s Zhao Itsuka was one of his top-scoring freshmen in the nation last season, and Delaware’s Andrew Carr was a key member of his team in the NCAA Tournament. But neither is profiled as an all-conference-level production on the main stage, and replacing Williams and Larrabia productions is a big undertaking.
It’s easy to believe Forbes is on track wake forest, especially after last season’s stunning success. But from 2022 to 2023, it looks like he’ll have to take a step back.
San Francisco
It may be a while before someone can replicate what Todd Golden and Dons did in 2021-22 and win public bids for the program’s first trip to Big Dance since 1998. I can’t. Success for the University of Florida Principalship: Earning a college degree at Gonzaga, St. Mary’s School, or any of her WCC schools other than BYU has been essentially impossible for the past two decades.
Chris Gaerufsen has his program on the right track so far, acquiring talented guards Marcus Williams (Texas A&M) and Tyrell Roberts (Washington) through the transfer portal this spring, but he’s back to dancing. is very difficult. Ranked in KenPom’s Top 25 San Francisco‘s resources are incredible, and with Golden and star point guard Jamalie Bouillah moving forward, that success won’t be easy to replicate.
LSUs
Given how things turned out after this offseason’s massive exodus from Baton Rouge, LSUs The program actually seems to be in great shape. Still, a return is expected this year in the first season under the Matt McMahon era, as the program restructures following the dismissal of Will Wade. He brought incredible talent to the program during his time as a coach. For McMahon, who won big at Murray State, it will take a while to get his roster back to that level of talent.
The Tigers have built their roster this offseason, drawing players from virtually every road. But between potential chemistry issues and the open question of whether the Tigers could face a postseason ban, this makes Button feel like a year of transition in his Rouge.
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