Well, school is back in session, and you know what that means: college basketball. And while it can be difficult to predict which teams we will see winning late in the season, The Machine Picks is here to give you our best college basketball predictions.
In the summer months, there were a few upsets that required our experts to re-jigger their rankings. Virginia, Iowa State, and Indiana have made some changes, but they’ve got drawbacks. The Virginia Cavaliers were riding on Justin Anderson, but his NBA dreams have taken them out of the mix. The Cyclones lost Coach Hoiberg—a move that could be devastating for Iowa State. And the Hoosiers just haven’t done enough to keep up with the pack. Any of these three teams could be a contender when March rolls around, but these are not The Machine Picks top predictions for the 2015-16 NCAA season.
Instead, we look to some fresh faces and old rivalries. Here are our top four teams in the coming season.
The Wichita State Shockers have a terrific lineup. Their two senior elites VanVleet and Baker have made waves in the past. With the acquisition of ConnerFrankcamp from Kansas and an awesome new coach, Gregg Marshall, the team is elevated to our fourth best.
Kentucky didn’t quite get what it wanted in recruiting sessions, but it doesn’t matter. The Wildcats have one of the best rosters already, so they come in third.
And—would you believe it? Our top two teams are tied for the best. North Carolina and Duke have what it takes to go all the way. Again. Duke’s still got it: with a solid core coming back in Allen and Jefferson, who cares about recruiting attrition? And with NC’s ridiculous gallery of Top-10 players playing again this year (save for J.P. Tokoto), we can expect to see Roy Williams riding this pony into the sunset.
Be sure to check out all of our NCAA Basketball predictions and see what we have to say about who will win and loose this year.