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NCAA Basketball: 2018 Jerry Colangelo Classic Could Feature 3 Top-10 Teams Next Year

By Tristan Freeman

DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: Admiral Schofield #5 and Lamonte Turner #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate in the first half against the Loyola Ramblers during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - MARCH 17: Admiral Schofield #5 and Lamonte Turner #1 of the Tennessee Volunteers celebrate in the first half against the Loyola Ramblers during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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The field for the 2018 Jerry Colangelo Classic has been announced. A few of them could very well be Final Four contenders next season.

More and more non-conference tournaments and events are being created in the months of November and December in NCAA Basketball. One of the newest ones is the Jerry Colangelo Classic, which will be played in Phoenix, Arizona.

The date is December 9, and it’ll be between Nevada, Gonzaga, Tennessee, and Grand Canyon. There of them made the NCAA Tournament this past season, with both the Bulldogs and Wolf Pack making it to the Sweet Sixteen. Even the Antelopes managed to get 20+ wins themselves. It’ll be a doubleheader, with Tennessee facing Gonzaga and Nevada and Grand Canyon squaring off.

Here are the four teams and how they’re projected to do next season.

Grand Canyon Antelopes

2017-18 season record: 22-12 (9-5 in the WAC)

The Lopes has been solid as a program in their five years in Division-1 basketball, having one of the best home crowds in the sport. So although they’re clearly the outlier in terms of talent, the expected home court advantage in Phoenix could give them an unexpected edge.

They’ll have to replace graduating seniors Joshua Braun and Casey Benson, but rising sophomore and leading scorer Alessandro Lever could have a huge game to turn the tides, in front of a likely friendly crowd. Grand Canyon should once again compete near the top of the WAC alongside powerhouse New Mexico State.

Nevada Wolf Pack

2017-18 season record: 29-8 (15-3 in the Mountain West)

Once again, head coach Eric Musselman once again dominated the transfer market, getting quality instant impact players Ehab Amin and Trey Porter. He wasn’t done yet, with five-star class of 2018 forward Jordan Brown coming to the fold.

Right now, the Wolf Pack are a solid top-25 team coming into next year. However, if all three players (Cody Martin, Caleb Martin, and Jordan Caroline) return from the NBA Draft Combine for one more year, then Nevada all of a sudden becomes a Final Four threat and a preseason top-10 to even five.

Gonzaga Bulldogs

2017-18 season record: 32-5 (17-1 in the WCC)

Although the team loses their top scorer and rebounder in Johnathan Williams for next year, Gonzaga arguably will be an even better team. Almost as good as the one who fought for a national title a couple of years ago.

Both Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie already decided to come back, and along with Zach Norvell Jr. could be in store for huge seasons. Senior point guard Josh Perkins will be the leader, with 19 ppg scorer Brandon Clarke eligible to play after sitting out a year from San Jose State. This is a top-10 preseason team that should dominate the WCC in 2019.

Tennessee Vols

2017-18 season record: 26-9 (13-5 in the SEC)

Another team likely to start out next season in the top-10, Tennessee loses just about nothing from the team’s roster. SEC Player of the Year Grant Williams returns, as well as versatile forward Admiral Schofield.

One addition for the Vols is Khwan Fore, a grad transfer point guard from Richmond who averaged 11.0 ppg this past season. The hope is that the ball handler will shore up a potential weakness for the team.

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Early predictions would be that Nevada and Gonzaga squeak by in the December doubleheader. But the Vols could get a signature win and the Lopes could get a program-defining victory. It should be another great non-conference event for basketball fans.

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