What we’ve learned from week 1 of college basketball
Week one’s college basketball slate has officially concluded, and with no shortage of marquee matchups, we’ve learned quite a bit about where top teams and players stand relative to preseason expectations. Here are three things I took away from an exciting first week of college hoops.
Duke is better than their preseason ranking
After a down 2020-21 season that saw a Blue Devils team devastated by Covid-19 miss the tournament, Mike Krzyzewski has reloaded this team for one final run. A preseason #9 ranking always seemed a bit low for this team given the talent level. The sheer amount of size and versatility of this team allows them to compete with anyone in the country. A 4-0 week including a Champion’s Classic win over a loaded Kentucky team further proved this. Junior Wendell Moore seems to have taken the leap that many anticipated he would last year as he’s playing with newfound confidence. In addition, Freshman Paolo Banchero and Trevor Keels look the part of one-and-done level talents as the duo completely took over against Kentucky. If fellow five-star freshman AJ Griffin can get healthy and play up to his potential, this team has shades of the 2018-19 team that starred Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, and Cam Reddish.
Drew Timme is the best player in the country.
A Second-Team All-American last season that led Gonzaga to the National Championship game, Drew Timme came into this season as the favorite to take home the Wooden Award as College Basketball’s best player. Three games into the season he’s done nothing but solidify that. His performance Saturday night against preseason #5 Texas was nothing short of remarkable as he completely dominated to the tune of 37 points on 15-19 shooting. The Junior’s ability to establish position in the post and array of moves in his arsenal makes him a matchup nightmare for opponents. With the entire 2020-21 1st Team All-American team, including Wooden Award winner Luka Garza moving on to the NBA, Timme is clearly the most dominant player in the country.
This Class of Freshman Big Men look Generational
Although early, a group of four freshmen big men have separated themselves into potential All-Americans as well as likely lottery picks. Chet Holmgren, Drew Timme’s running mate at Gonzaga, is a 7-0 unicorn with elite-level rim-protection skills as well as the ability to handle the ball and shoot it from deep. Paolo Banchero of Duke has an NBA-ready skill set and frame. His feel for the game and mid-range shooting will have him competing for ACC Player of the Year come winter. Jalen Duren may be flying slightly below the radar playing with childhood-prodigy Emoni Bates at Memphis, but his ability to anchor a defense and rebound makes him an extremely valuable player. Lastly, Jabari Smith is a 6-9 high level-athlete with defensive versatility and rim slashing ability. He looks to be the best player on an Auburn team with Final Four aspirations. Just freshmen, these four talents have separated themselves early on as dominant college players who will become household names as the season continues.