NCAA Basketball: Evaluating bold predictions from 2019-20 season
By Brian Rauf
SEC
1) Auburn & Tennessee struggle, end up as bubble teams
Did Tennessee struggle? Yes, though those largely came after Lamonte Turner was lost for the season with a shoulder injury in December. They would not have made the NCAA Tournament without winning the SEC Tournament first.
Auburn, though, certainly did not struggle (although they were 3-4 in their last seven games) and was firmly in the tournament thanks to the play of Samir Doughty, J’Von McCormick, and the quick rise of Isaac Okoro. You can try to discredit Auburn all you want because of their strength of schedule, but they still went 12-6 in the SEC and undefeated in non-conference play.
2) South Carolina finishes fourth
The Gamecocks finished sixth, but all they had to do was beat Vanderbilt in their regular-season finale and they would’ve finished in a tie for fourth. Instead, they lost and eliminated the Gamecocks from any real NCAA Tournament at-large consideration.
It was a disappointing end of the season for the Gamecocks, yet this is a group that should return almost all of their key contributors. They have the potential to be a breakout team in 2020-21.
Next. Results of simulated 2020 NCAA Tournament. dark
3) Florida wins the SEC and the national championship
I’m counting this as a no-contest because there was no NCAA Tournament but, let’s be real – Florida wasn’t winning the national championship. I jumped off this bandwagon roughly two weeks into the season. The talent was certainly there for them to make a run, but the Gators just couldn’t put it together.
1-3 with one no contest, as I’m splitting the Tennessee/Auburn prediction.