2017
2018
We asked a panel of “experts” to weigh in on the upcoming NCAA
men’s basketball season. Here’s what they said.
HOWIE LINDSEY
ZACH MCCRITE
KRD 790 Extol Sports Columnist
SURPRISE TEAM: Virginia Tech. I think they will be much tougher SURPRISE TEAM: I’ll go with the homer pick for me: Indiana.
Archie Miller went right to work in recruiting and, by all
national accounts, really did well. Combine that with a new
energy around Bloomington and why wouldn’t they return to
the NCAA Tournament in 2018?
than people realize and it wouldn’t shock me if they are a Sweet
16 team this season.
DISAPPOINTING TEAM: North Carolina. They seem to be a
preseason Top 10 team with a lot of question marks.
FINAL FOUR: Duke, Florida, West Virginia, Kansas
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Miles Bridges, Michigan State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Bob Huggins, West Virginia
JIM BIERY
Extol Sports Columnist
SURPRISE TEAM: Northwestern. First trip ever last year & majority
of team coming back.
MOST DISAPPOINTING TEAM: UK. Top returning scorer just 4.6 PPG.
FINAL FOUR: Arizona, Michigan St, Villanova, Duke
PLAYER OF YEAR: Ethan Happ (Wisconsin) complete game defense
& offense
COACH OF YEAR: Tom Izzo. Team is loaded and he is one of top
teachers of the game.
30 EXTOL SPORTS / NOVEMBER 2017
DISAPPOINTING TEAM: Louisville. With Rick Pitino not
roaming the sidelines, I can’t imagine the expectations for
this season being met. That’s no knock on new head coach
David Padgett, it’s just a testament to my respect for
Pitino as a coach.
FINAL FOUR: Shot in the dark: Kentucky, Kansas,
West Virginia and Florida.
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jalen Brunson – Villanova. That’s off
the board a little, but his effective field goal percentage
was 61.9 last season. That sounds like a number a seven-
footer would have. He’s a point guard!
COACH OF THE YEAR: Give me Bill Self. He’ll continue
to run the Big 12 and will do it with more ease than in
recent seasons.