NCAA Basketball: 8 bold predictions for conference play in 2019

By Brian Rauf | Dec 30, 2018

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - DECEMBER 08: Joey Hauser #22, Sam Hauser #10, and Markus Howard #0 of the Marquette Golden Eagles reacts in overtime against the Wisconsin Badgers at the Fiserv Forum on December 08, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 13: Head coach Steve Alford of the UCLA Bruins reacts to his team against the St. Bonaventure Bonnies during the first half of the First Four game in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 13, 2018 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

7) A coach will be fired before the end of the season

I don’t have any information in this regard but there is enough going on with the FBI investigation and struggling coaches that I believe we could actually see this rarity.

The FBI investigation is obviously the big one. Though it doesn’t appear that anything will be done in this regard until the offseason, news could break at any time that could change things like it almost did for Sean Miller and Arizona last year.

Even the schools that have already been linked may decide they need to go in a different direction should anything small come up.

There are also several coaches who appear to be lame ducks. If a program already knows they want to go in a different direction, I would not be surprised to see a coach get fired prior to their respective conference tournament in order to keep them from going on a Cinderella run that could save their job.

I expect that to happen with UCLA and Steve Alford, and Andy Enfield could meet the same fate with USC given their involvement in the FBI investigation.

There will be a lot of movement on the coaching carousel this offseason and I’d bet on someone trying to get a head start by firing their coach early.

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