2021-22 College Sports Madness Top 144 Countdown

[WuShock Reaper]

Memphis Tigers
#35 Memphis Men's Basketball 2021-2022 Preview
2021-2022 Overall Rank: #35
Conference Rank: #2 American

Memphis has won at least 20 games in each of Coach Penny Hardaway’s three seasons. Last season they fell on the wrong side of the bubble in part due to a 76-74 loss to Houston in the American Athletic Conference tournament. However, the Tigers made the most out of their trip to the NIT, beating Dayton, Boise State, Colorado State and Mississippi State on their way to winning the NIT title. With the return of three starters, four transfers and a great crop of incoming freshmen, Coach Hardaway’s team has a lot of hype heading into the 2021-2022 campaign.

Projection:
Landers Nolley II led the Tigers with 13.1 points per game last season and is back to lead the way again. He is a prolific three-point shooter and connected on a team high 65 attempts from beyond the arc. Lester Quinones will rejoin Nolley in the backcourt after averaging 9.5 points per game. Alex Lomax dished out a team high 4.2 assists off the bench. DeAndre Williams is a great passer for a 6-9 forward. He dished out 3.4 assists on top of his 11.7 points and 5.8 rebounds. Tyler Harris returns to Memphis after a brief stint at Iowa State. His best season came as a freshman in 2018-2019 when he averaged 10.8 points per game. Earl Timberlake played in just seven games at Miami, but did average 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Chandler Lawson, a transfer from Oregon, is the experienced newcomer in the frontcourt. However, it is the recruiting class that has Memphis fans the most excited. Emoni Bates is a 6-9 forward who can play anywhere on the floor and Coach Hardaway does plan on having him run the point this season. Bates is really young, even for a freshman, so the expectations should not be too crazy, but he is a great talent. The recruiting class also includes top 150 recruits John Camden, Sam Ayomide, Johnathan Lawson and Josh Minott.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

[WuShock Reaper]

Oklahoma State Cowboys
#31 Oklahoma State Men's Basketball 2021-2022 Preview
2021-2022 Overall Rank: #31
Conference Rank: #5 Big 12

Oklahoma State finally won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2009. They beat Liberty before being upset by Oregon State. It was a step in the right direction for Coach Mike Boynton and company, but now the goal is to keep it going. However, that will be easier said than done without first overall pick in the NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham. The Cowboys do return just about everybody else and bring in plenty of transfers ready to make an impact.

Projection:
Cunningham may have overshadowed his teammates last season, but the rest of the roster did their part too. And they are ready to do more now that Cunningham is gone. Avery Anderson III was the only other double-digit scorer last season, averaging 12.2 points per game. But there are a whole slew of scoring threats in the backcourt. Isaac Likekele dished out 3.6 assists per game on top of his 9.1 points and 6.6 rebounds. Rondel Walker and Bryce Williams were the most prolific outside shooters after Cunningham last year and will look for more shots in 2021-2022. Kalib Boone is an athletic big man who is poised for a huge junior campaign. He averaged 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and was often the second-best player on the Cowboys after Cunningham. Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe is another athletic forward who can get up and down the floor. The frontcourt will get an influx of depth with the addition of Moussa Cisse and Tyreek Smith. Cisse will join Boone at the five spot after transferring in from Memphis. Smith comes from Texas Tech where he saw limited playing time with the Red Raiders. Add Woody Newton from Syracuse and Bryce Thompson from Kansas and this is suddenly a very deep Oklahoma State team. With all of those options, Coach Boynton will have to work out his rotation, but once he does the Cowboys could be nearly as good as they were last season.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

[WuShock Reaper]

Arizona Wildcats
#30 Arizona Men's Basketball 2021-2022 Preview
2021-2022 Overall Rank: #30
Conference Rank: #4 Pac-12

Arizona needed a change. After a few rough years, Arizona went out and grabbed long time Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd to lead the program. It is his first time being a head coach, but Lloyd has a talented roster and plenty of options. That should result in a fresh look for the Wildcats and a return to the NCAA Tournament.

Projection:
This is a young team. Four sophomores saw significant playing time last season and will now look to play an even larger role. Azuolas Tubelis ranked second on the team with 12.2 points and led the squad with 7.1 rebounds. The offense can run through the 6-11 forward. Tubelis will team up with 7-1 center Christian Koloko. He started 19 games last season and averaged 5.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. Like Tubelis, Bennedict Mathurin was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team a season ago. The 6-6 wing is a great overall shooter and is capable of some huge games. He will get more opportunities this year. Dalen Terry had an up and down freshman campaign, but he has the talent and a year of experience under his belt should help with consistency. Kerr Kriisa only played in eight games as a freshman, but Arizona will need the point guard to develop into a consistent passer. Transfers Justin Kier and Pelle Larsson will help out at the point. Oumar Ballo spent most of his freshman season at Gonzaga on the bench and the seven-footer will be looking to make a larger impact this year. The late addition of 6-7 wing Kim Aiken Jr. will add another dynamic to the Wildcats. Aiken spent three seasons at Eastern Washington and averaged 11.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.l0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.3 steals in 2020-2021. Aiken’s versatility and defensive prowess should help turn Arizona into a very good defensive team with more than enough offensive firepower to make some noise in the Pac-12 and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

[swellafelon]

CBS's Matt Norlander ranks all 358 D1 teams. Wichita State comes in at an impressive #47.

To find Loyola Chicago (as I'm sure you're dying to) just keep scrolling and scrolling
and scrolling upward toward #1. You'll get there eventually..

https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...

[Mr. Pickle]

CBS's Matt Norlander ranks all 358 D1 teams. Wichita State comes in at an impressive #47.

To find Loyola Chicago (as I'm sure you're dying to) just keep scrolling and scrolling
and scrolling upward toward #1. You'll get there eventually..

https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...

I can't figure out why, but guessing if Loyola finishes 4th in the valley this year and makes the CBI, you will be nowhere to be found on this board.

[swellafelon]

I can't figure out why, but guessing if Loyola finishes 4th in the valley this year and makes the CBI, you will be nowhere to be found on this board.

You're right. I'd be harder to find than IQ points on MikeKennedyRulZ!

[ShockerFever]

CBS's Matt Norlander ranks all 358 D1 teams. Wichita State comes in at an impressive #47.

To find Loyola Chicago (as I'm sure you're dying to) just keep scrolling and scrolling
and scrolling upward toward #1. You'll get there eventually..

https://www.cbssports.com/college-ba...

Only a mid major fan would come here bragging about being higher on a random blogger’s preseason poll.

[swellafelon]

Admit it Fev, I got you to scroll!

[WuShock Reaper]

Houston Cougars
#14 Houston Men's Basketball 2021-2022 Preview
2021-2022 Overall Rank: #14
Conference Rank: #1 American

Obviously, Houston had an amazing 2020-2021 season. The Cougars went to the Final Four for the first time in 37 years and Coach Kelvin Sampson says that they will be back. The bar has been raised. Heading into the 2021-2022 season, Houston needs to replace four starters, but there is a lot of younger talent ready to play a larger role and a few transfers who can fill the bigger holes on the roster

Projection:
Marcus Sasser is the lone returning starter. He averaged 13.7 points, 2.2 assists and 1.4 steals. Tramon Mark is one of those younger players who will play a much larger role in 2021-2022. As a freshman last year Mark averaged 7.8 points per game, but he will need to develop a more consistent outside shot if he is going to emerge as one of Houston’s top scoring threats. The outside shooting will be boosted by the addition of Kyler Edwards from Texas Tech. He shot 41.8 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 10.1 points per game with the Red Raiders last year. Taze Moore comes from Bakersfield where he had a very successful career, culminating with a 12.2 point, 4.0 rebound and 2.7 assist season in 2020-2021. Fabian White is back to lead the frontcourt after missing much of last season with an injury. The 6-8 senior was a starter the previous two years and averaged 9.3 points and 5.5 rebounds back in 2019-2020. If Coach Sampson wants to run a bigger lineup, he will need Reggie Chaney to take a step up. He started 13 games last season and averaged 4.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in just over 14 minutes per game. Josh Carlton could step into that role at the five spot as well after averaging 9.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks back in 2018-2019 during his best season with Connecticut. Getting another trip to the Final Four might be too much to ask, but this group has the talent and depth to win another American Athletic Conference title and keep the program moving in the right direction.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA

[WuShock Reaper]

Michigan Wolverines

https://www.collegesportsmadness.com/article/19971

2021-2022 Overall Rank: #5
Conference Rank: #1 Big Ten

In just his second season as a head coach, Juwan Howard led Michigan to a Big Ten title and a #1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That success has led to an amazing recruiting class that will help the Wolverines continue their success for years to come. For now though, Michigan must replace five of their top seven scorers. But with the talent coming in, do not expect the Wolverines to slide down the Big Ten standings at all.

Projection:
Hunter Dickinson is poised for a Big Ten Player of the Year type of season. It is not a big jump from his First-Team All-Big Ten accolades, All-American honors and Freshman of the Year award from last season. The 7-1 center led the team with 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks. Senior Brandon Johns Jr. got a taste of starting beside Dickinson late last season after the departed Isaiah Livers got injured. He played very well in those final five games and averaged 4.9 points and 2.3 rebounds on the year. Sophomore Terrance Williams II did not see much action as a freshman, but he is a good talent that play inside and out. The frontcourt also welcomes in five-star recruit Moussa Diabate who should slot right behind Dickinson this season. Eli Brooks will slot back into the shooting guard position after averaging 9.5 points per game a season ago. Incoming freshman Caleb Houstan will likely start beside him on the wing. Houstan should be one of the team’s better shooters from day one. Isaiah Barnes, Kobe Bufkin and Frankie Collins are freshmen that normally would have the talent to make a huge impact right away, but with this group Coach Howard has the luxury of using them off the bench as necessary. The point guard spot will be manned by Coastal Carolina transfer DeVante Jones. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals during his latest season with the Chanticleers and now the pressure will be on the 6-1 senior to use his quickness to be a leader for Michigan. He needed to score a lot last season, but Jones is more than capable of being a pass first point guard. If Jones can fit in and find the scorers, this is a Michigan team that has the potential to win the Big Ten again and make a push towards the Final Four.

Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA