By Riley Saxon
2021 Conference Outlooks
Conference play is underway, and the non-conference results have given us a clearer picture of what to expect. College Hoops Breakdown takes a look at the top half of each of the top conferences this year.
American (11)
- Memphis
- Wichita St.
- Houston
- Cincinnati
- UCF
- SMU
Outlook: Penny and Memphis will figure it out, they just can’t sleepwalk through the “easier” games. Houston’s big losses of Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark will take its toll during the conference season. Wichita St already lost big to Memphis, so they’ve got an uphill climb to the top.
ACC
- Duke
- UNC
- Louisville
- Florida State
- Virginia
- Syracuse
- Wake Forest
- Miami
Outlook: Aside from Duke, it’s a down year for everyone in the ACC. Expect UNC, FSU and Virginia to figure it out. Louisville is already 3-0 and Syracuse should only improve as the season goes on. Wake Forest, who some pegged as the third best team, hasn’t shown that so far.
Big 12
- Baylor
- Kansas
- Texas
- Iowa State
- Oklahoma
Outlook: Baylor and Kansas could tie for the regular season crown. Iowa St will be nipping at Texas’ heels in that second tier of teams.
Big East
- Villanova
- Providence
- Xavier
- Connecticut
- St. John’s
- Marquette
Outlook: At one point, it did feel as if the conference title was up for grabs, but we’re sticking with Nova until proven otherwise. Providence has been a revelation this year, and even though Marquette is an 0-3 hole, their young roster should only get better.
Big Ten
- Purdue
- Michigan St
- Illinois
- Ohio St
- Michigan
- Wisconsin
- Indiana
Outlook: At the start of the season, the Big 10 was expected to be a three team race between Purdue, Michigan and Illinois. As the conference season comes into full swing now, however, it feels like the three team race is for second place. Purdue is the clear best team in the conference. Michigan State has looked the part for a while now, and Illinois and Ohio State have found their groove… something Michigan fans are hoping the Wolverines can do, soon.
PAC 12
- Arizona
- UCLA
- USC
- Oregon
- Washington State
- Colorado
Outlook: The Covid pauses will be enough to force the LA schools to start off on the wrong foot. And, with the margins so small between the top 3 schools, that will be the difference. Oregon will bounce back enough, as will Washington State.
SEC
- Auburn
- Kentucky
- Tennessee
- Alabama
- LSU
- Arkansas
- Mississippi St
Outlook: The SEC is going to be the most exciting conference, as any of the top 6 can lay a strong claim as to why they should be the favorite. Auburn’s talent and defense pushes them to the top.
WCC
- Gonzaga
- BYU
- San Francisco
- St. Mary’s
- Santa Clara
Outlook: The WCC had one of their strongest non-conference performances in recent history, but the top of the conference should look normal with the Zags and BYU duking it out on top. It’s not unreasonable to expect the Zags to be undefeated again, despite the improvements made by every team. San Francisco and St. Mary’s will still be in the thick of the at-large race, but they’ll have to avoid bad losses in WCC play.
Bruin Bias
The Bruins are back! Yesterday it was announced that the next week and a half will have an updated feel:
- Arizona State, originally scheduled for January 1, will now be played Wednesday, January 5.
- Stanford, originally scheduled for January 6, is now postponed because of Covid protocols at Stanford
- California, originally schedule for January 8, is still schedule for January 8
- Arizona, originally scheduled for December 30, is now tentatively scheduled for January 11.
Overall, it probably works out well for the Bruins: Arizona State has struggled mightily this season, so the post-covid pause Bruins can (hopefully) shake the rust off in the Wednesday tilt. The competition steps up slightly in the next game with a road game at Cal, who is off to a stronger than expected start to conference play. Then, potentially, the big one comes on January 11. This gives the Bruins about a week in post-covid to get ready for the biggest game of the year.
College Hoops Breakdown appears twice a month at JoeTorosian.com
Riley Saxon can be reached at:
Email: rileymsaxon@gmail.com
Twitter: @CHoopsBreakdown
