BMOC on Basketball... NCAA Mail Bag Volume 3: 16 DAYS AWAY!

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So I have a pretty action packed two weeks. I'm moving to a new row home two blocks from the stadiums in South Philly and college hoops is just over two weeks away. We also have the busy stretch in college football and the NFL and the NBA draft is next week. 

Let's continue with your questions as we ferociously prepare for college hoops. I can't fucking wait. As always weekly, I will ask for a different set of questions for the mailbag and all I need from you is to respond. Lets get it into it. 

Well first of all, you should listen to every podcast you enjoy. Nonsense to only listen to one. There are so many great shows at Barstool and they all deserve your ears. As far as a show with Stu: I fully plan to involve Stu with what I'm doing with college hoops. I'm working on creating something that will be all encompassing on basketball. From overviews to trends and things I've seen to betting to NBA to college. Basketball city. I will feature great guests and it's something you can expect weekly. So stay tuned. I only hope when I bring Stu on, we can do it live. 

This is going to be quite the battle at the top. Loyola Chicago and Northern Iowa both return a plethora. I'm going with Sister Jean and Loyola though. The return of Cameron Krutwig is gigantic for Porter Moser. He is one of the most skilled players in the country down low and adds a passing acumen that many big men don't have. He's truly impossible to guard one on one due to his rangy tools as a big. They return a wealth of shooters and an elite ball handler in Marquise Kennedy. One big thing to keep an eye on throughout the season is the health of Lucas Williamson. He is fine but missed time last season and in years before and they suffered. He's the glue guy and an elite defender. I also loved getting a kid like Braden Norris, a transfer from Oakland. He's a dead eye shooter and adds to an already good shooting team. Not a lot to not like about the Ramblers. This could be another special group from Loyola. 

Of course. Let me first say the ACC will run through Virginia, Duke, Carolina or Florida State. I would be blown away if it's anyone other than those 4. But a sleeper I like… one is Miami Florida. Obviously Danny Boy Cane will love this answer! It's all about staying injury free, something Miami has struggled with the last few seasons. The Hurricanes are interesting. Chris Lykes is a do it all water bug guard with a ton of heart. Kameron McGuisty was a really good scoring 3 for them and the transfer of Nysier Brooks is big news for a frontcourt that needed it. Brooks at Cincy was a bruising kid that will fight for everything and give them a much needed defensive rim protector. Keep in mind, Brooks is 7 foot, 240. He will this team considerably on the glass. They ranked as one of the 25 worst rebounding teams in the country last season. They also have a capable bench and a good group of shooters that can defend and have experience which is something every good team needs. This season, Miami will have one of the best minute continuities in the country. Most of the contributors are seniors and that's huge especially this season. You want players that have played together and or have a lot of college experience for down the stretch. 20/1 on a flyer to win the conference? Not a bad punt for a couple of dollars. 

I thought overall they were pretty disappointing last year. But luckily that season didn't mean much. The first thing that worries me with Florida is the concern at PG. I'm not saying Tre Mann can't be the guy, but when Nembhard was off the court they struggled terribly and he's now gone completely. Mann or new transfer Tyree Appelby will have to pick it up and one will have to win the job. Appelby played well last year at Cleveland State, but this is a new ball game. Your point reigns supreme… if Lewis can be what we think he can be, the sky's the limit. He wasn't used much last year but has the potential to be an elite SEC player. Paired up with Keyonate Johnson, they will be a terror on the wings and in the front court. Johnson is really good and one of the best players in the conference. Big Omar Payne was brilliant last year at time and Florida could have a wildly good front court with him and Jason Jitoboh, a 7 foot 300 lb beast down low. Also don't forgot Michigan transfer Colin Castleton will offer an interesting matchup for them too. A 6'11 kid that can move around and shoot, sign Mike White up. Florida should play fast and throw plenty of different looks out there. One other guy that could be a glue guy is LA Tech transfer Anthony Duruji. He's a tough kid with a ton of hops and can block a shot on one end and give you a spot up 3 on the other. They have the ability if they figure the PG position out to win this league and be Final 4 good. 

I love Bob Huggins and he said this talking on the Jon Rothstein podcast last week: 

"This is the best roster we've had since 2010, there's absolutely no doubt," Huggins said. "We got more guys that can make shots, we've got athleticism, we've got size, this as good of a group as we've had since 2010.

Quite a lofty thing to say, but I can't say I don't agree with him. His teams recently have been tough, hard nosed, great on defense and good rebounders, but watching them try to score has been painful. That may change considerably with the additions they made this year to go a long with McBride, Matthews and McCabe. JUCO transfer Kedrian Johnson can score from anywhere on the court will help the offense a lot. He has a ton of athleticism and just gets buckets. He will add to a good ball hawking group of guards. All WVU has to do is get markedly better offensively because defensively they are among the best in the country. They didn't press as much as much last year but were still top 30 in turnovers forced. The front court of Derek Culver and Oscar Tshiebew is among the best in country and very few can match it. Just pound the rock play bully ball, hit the glass and defend, that's what they do. One thing to keep in mind betting on this team, they year after year aren't good at the line. Need that to get better before I consider involving them a lot with wagering. Johnson I think will make a big impact, McBride will have them shooting better this offense may get the improvements they need. The problem is this conference is stacked at the top. I have them 3rd preseason in conference. If they can do this night and night out not a lot of teams will beat them. This was them at their best last season: 

More mailbag next week. Thanks for reading. NCAAB is almost here!