Kai Stiansen, Junior
Last year's college basketball season ended in joy for Baylor as they won their first college basketball championship. But Gonzaga, UCLA, Duke, and Purdue look to rebound after disappointing losses last year. Fortunately, at this point in the season all of these teams are ranked in the top ten.
Baylor lost its top two players from last year's championship team. Guards Davion Mitchel and Jared Butler were drafted into the NBA by the Kings and the Jazz, respectively. But, replacing them in the starting lineup is five-star recruit Kendall Brown and 6th man on the team last year Adam Flagler. Baylor is ranked number 1 in the country right now and they look to win back to back championships.
Gonzaga looks to finish this year after their historic season last year. Gonzaga was undefeated all the way up until the national championship game last year. They were 27-0 before playing Baylor in the championship game and losing. They lost their top player from last year's team in Jalen Suggs. Suggs was drafted 5th overall by the Orlando Magic. But the Bulldogs brought in five-star freshman sensation Chet Holmgren. Chet was the top rated player in the 2021 class. He is a 7 foot 3 player who can handle the ball like a guard. Gonzaga also has Drew Timme who was a 3rd team All American last year. Gonzaga is my choice to win the championship this year. They will be motivated after what happened last year and they have a lot of talent on their team.
Duke has a lot of freshman talent coming into this year. Freshman Paolo Banchero was the number 2 player in the class of 2021, behind Chet Holmgren. Banchero is a big forward who is very physical and can shoot. Duke also added Trevor Keels, who is a 6 foot 6 combo guard, who is also very physical. Duke is ranked number 5 in the country right now and is due to the physical play of Banchero and Keels. I expect Duke to go far come tournament time.
UCLA might be the most experienced team in the country. UCLA returns all 5 of their starters from last year's team. Guard Johnny Juzang is a preseason All-American. Jamie Jaquez averaged 16 points per game last year and is one of the top forwards in the country. UCLA popped on to peoples radar last year after they made the final four and nearly knocked off Gonzaga. UCLA's team is expected to go far this year due to their veteran leadership.
Purdue is the most surprising team on this list. Purdue did not make it far in the tournament last year and has only a few players remaining from last year's team. Sophomore guard Jaden Ivey is the team's best player. Ivey led the team in scoring and assists as a freshman. Purdue is in the Big Ten, which is loaded with talent, but so far they are looking like the best team in the conference.
In conclusion, there are five teams that look to be the best so far: Baylor, Gonzaga, UCLA, Duke, and Purdue. In March—when the tournament starts—don't be surprised if these teams win.
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