Want To Get Into College Basketball But Need A Team? Barstool's Guide To Picking A College Hoops Team
So I’m stealing this idea from our soccer guy Sam’s Army, but it’s also something I’ve been asked. People want to get into college hoops or pick a college hoops team but don’t know where to start because there are so many damn teams. Maybe you didn’t go to college. Maybe you went to a non-D1 school. Maybe you went to Fordham and want to watch good hoops. Good news is I have you covered here with a selection of teams to choose from based on what you enjoy.
Now, I know college hoops is under a bunch of scrutiny right now. That’s what happens when you have an FBI trial and people start to argue about how the sport should be killed and things like that. But, no matter what happens we still have the games going on and big names still in college hoops.
But, here’s the thing. Watching your team make a surprise run in March is up there with one of the most fun experiences in sports. Everything turns into win or go home and while baseball has you on the edge of your seat perhaps more than any other sport in the playoffs, college basketball is the most fun.
Let’s not forget that once football is over in January/early Feb. you’re going to have college basketball in the main event. You’re going to have it all over TV and you’re going to want something to cheer for besides your bets. So with that in mind let’s get into it. I’m not going to spell out all 353 teams to choose from, because who is crazy enough to write about all 353 teams? Instead we’ll look at different categories, find yours and that’s your team. Let me know who you end up with.
Are you an NBA fan looking for the next star? – Duke
There’s no doubt that Duke is going to have the names that NBA fans are looking at this year. There’s three guys that are expected to go in the top-5 of the 2019 NBA Draft when you look at RJ Barrett, Cam Reddish and Zion Williamson. This is the team that NBA fans should be watching. They have the names. They’ll be on TV all the time. It also helps that Duke is a top-5 team in the preseason.
Do you want to watch fast pace offense? – Nevada, Auburn, Marshall
You have three teams to cheer from here and three that give you different looks. All three are fast pace offensive teams from last year and are expected to play fast again this year. You have a true mid-major in Marshall, led by Dan D’Antoni. You have the high, mid-major in Nevada. You have the big school in Auburn. Depending on what level of league you want to watch, pick your team from here. These are the three teams though that will get up and down the court.
Do you like defense? – Virginia, Cincinnati, Syracuse, West Virginia
Four teams that you can always count on being great defensively. Virginia runs the pack line, which is predicated on staying in the lane, forcing you to be patient and then settle for jumpers. Virginia also has the best rotations in all of the game. Cincinnati runs a more physical defense where you see some pressure and chucking guys in the lane. Syracuse runs a 2-3 zone, which I hate, but if you can get into a zone, Syracuse is for you. West Virginia is obviously Press Virginia where you see running around, traps, forcing turnovers. They want to turn defense into offense. All four teams are consistently in the top-10 defense so expect to see some ugly scores, but the defenses are beautiful.
Do you want to cheer for the biggest show in the sport? – Kentucky
There’s no doubt that Kentucky is the biggest show in the sport. You see them on TV all the time, they always have specials and Calipari has pushed new ideas all over the place – most notably the Pro Day, which was televised. Kentucky is arguably the biggest name in the sport, but you always have something to cheer for. They’ll end up being in the top-5 to start the season so you have expectations too.
The consistent mid-major? – Gonzaga
You can’t even really call Gonzaga a mid-major anymore. They don’t recruit like a mid-major. They don’t have talent like a mid-major. The only thing they do as a mid-major is play in the WCC. That said, if you’re a Gonzaga fan you’ll get to scream that you deserve more respect because it’s been years of disrespect. March is always a bit different as a Gonzaga fan because people like to say how you consistently choke and can’t play with the big boys.
Are you a front-runner? – UNC
There’s probably no team with more bandwagon fans than UNC. They have the color scheme. They have Jordan. They have the success. If you want to be a front-runner go ahead and join the UNC bandwagon. They are coming off a few years of trips to the title game and winning the title and this year will be a top-10 team. You’ll be called a front runner but you can scream about how they win titles. Good pick for Yankees fans.
Do you like a coach that everyone loves? – Michigan
There may not be a more beloved coach in the sport more than John Beilein. He’s often regarded as the cleanest coach in the game. He’s often regarded as the best guy in the sport. He’s someone who just seems to always make the right decision. Michigan is a team that’s always ready to compete and coming off of a trip to the title game. This a team that people won’t yell about bandwagon or anything like that and you get to cheer with Portnoy, who seems to be having a good time cheering for his sports team as well as success.
Do you love heartbreak? – Wisconsin, Arizona
These two schools just seem to always suffer heartbreak in March. Don’t get me wrong, they are successful programs but Arizona losing in the Elite Eight to Wisconsin twice. Losing to UConn late in the game. Then you have Wisconsin who lost to Kentucky at the buzzer in the Final Four. They lose to Florida on a Chris Chiozza buzzer beater. They lost to Duke after blowing a lead. You’ll be in for wins with these teams but just be ready for heartbreak.
Do you love history? – Kansas, Michigan State, UCLA
These three teams all have history behind them and should be competitive this year. You have a true national title contender in Kansas. You have a top-15 team in Michigan State. You have a team that should be in the top-25ish in UCLA. But, all teams have the history behind them. They have coaches that everyone knows. You’ll be able to watch them.
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Do you work for a Fortune 500 company? – Villanova
You know what they say? Villanova runs itself like a Fortune 500 company. So if you work for a Fortune 500 company, might as well cheer for the team associated with you. In all seriousness, Nova is a fun ass team to watch. I love its offense, even without Brunson there. But, the spread out offense. The motion. It’s beautiful.
Did you enjoy Trae Young? – LSU, Indiana, Purdue
Trae Young was one of the most fun players to watch in college basketball. His ability to just take over a game and take over a team was incredibly fun to watch. He was even more fun before people just wanted to pick him apart once football ended, so you’ll have a team invested in before football takes over. LSU has Tremont Waters, Indiana has Romeo Langford and Purdue has Carsen Edwards. All three guys can just dominate a game.
Want to yell at me that I hate your team? – Pick literally any team
I’m pretty sure I’ve been accused of hating every program in America. Pick a team, let’s fight and argue. It’ll be fun.