People who know me know that I get excited for every single NCAA basketball season for a variety of reasons. Those reasons include my love for betting, love for the game of basketball, and love for the excitement of tight finishes that happen every year. It takes a specific person to get excited each year for NCAA basketball because most people find it slower (stupid 35 second shot clock), and most people find that teams play a specific way that limits individual talent. This is of course true, but this year I am not alone in my circle of friends, nor is any college basketball fanatic for that matter because since the days that Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul were playing their college ball, the 2013-2014 NCAA basketball season could equal or surpass any previous season. The freshman class this year is top notch, teams are more well rounded and with some minor rule changes by the NCAA (finally) you will see these freshman superstars ability to shine through every week as we did on opening night last night.
The top 3 ranked freshman did not hesitate to show off their ability last night as they all had outstanding games. We will start in Kansas where the most talked about freshman made his debut for the Jayhawks and did not disappoint. Andrew Wiggins poured in 16 points and added 3 steals in his college basketball debut. The most compelling stat line for Wiggins was that he scored his 16 points on just 5 of 9 shooting. Although, he looked passive at times which has been much talked about leading up to the opener, Wiggins still looked extremely explosive, blowing by guys off the bounce like he was back in high school. If Wiggins can be more aggressive you will see him average 20 points per game easily.
Next, we will go to my favorite team in the Duke Blue Devils and Jabari Parker. Parker was an absolute machine, showing off his low post game, outside shooting, and hops throughout last nights game. Parker finished with 22 points and 6 rebounds in a dominating Blue Devils performance. Duke will possibly be the most exciting team to watch this season with a style of play that any basketball fan would love. Parker looked unstoppable on the court showing why he should be a top 5 pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
Finally, the most dominating performance out of the 3 goes to Julius Randle of Kentucky, who poured in 23 points and 15 boards as the young Wildcats demolished UNC-Asheville. Kentucky easily has most talented team in the country, Randle stood out above them all. He has a bright bright future and will contend with Wiggins for the #1 pick in the upcoming draft.
If game #1 was any indication of how this NCAA basketball season will go you better buckle your seat belt. There are too many good teams in all conferences and I didn't even mention half of the quality players. Although, neither team will have a true test in the first part of their season, expect Kansas, Duke, and Kentucky to make deep runs into March with Wiggins, Parker, and Randle capturing all of the headlines.
Written by:
Garrett Daly
Written by:
Garrett Daly
