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NCAA Basketball: 8 bold predictions for the 2018-19 season

By Brian Rauf

GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels mascot celebrates in the confetti after defeatin ghte Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ - APRIL 03: The North Carolina Tar Heels mascot celebrates in the confetti after defeatin ghte Gonzaga Bulldogs during the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four National Championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium on April 3, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Tar Heels defeated the Bulldogs 71-65. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils attempts a shot defended by Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NE – MARCH 25: Grayson Allen #3 of the Duke Blue Devils attempts a shot defended by Udoka Azubuike #35 of the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Midwest Regional at CenturyLink Center on March 25, 2018 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /

NCAA Basketball never goes according to script. What craziness might ensure during the 2018-19 season? Here are eight bold predictions.

Welcome to the first Rauf Report of the season! For those who are unfamiliar, this is a weekly column where we’ll go through the biggest takeaways of the past week in college basketball and touch on some noteworthy stories.

Obviously, the season doesn’t start for a few more days, so for the first column of the year, we’re going to get into some bold predictions for the new year.

The beautiful thing about the start of a new season is that every team has hope. High expectations haven’t been unexpectedly dashed and, even if your team is projected to be…well, bad…there’s still that voice in the back of your head thinking maybe we surprise everyone this year.

Of course, all of us think we know what’s going to happen – and all of us know the season isn’t going to go that way.

Last year, six of the preseason top 10 teams didn’t make the Sweet 16 and one missed the NCAA Tournament altogether. In fact, seven teams that started last season ranked in the top 25 failed to make the Big Dance. Other perceived long shots (looking at you, Auburn and Tennessee) took their place. The same thing is bound to happen this year.

The talented Lukas Harkins has given a full slate of awards predictions for 2018-19, so I’m only giving my preseason pick for National Player of the Year. Everything else will be team-centric.

So, what craziness will the 2018-19 college basketball season bring? Here are eight bold predictions for the new year.

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