NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2020 Crossover Classic Tournament

The NCAA Basketball Crossover Classic turned out to be a success. What were the takeaways from the event?

The Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic has been the example of what NCAA Basketball will be going through all season. This eight-team tournament originally had the Memphis Tigers and West Virginia Mountaineers but there were six others, who in recent weeks, all had to drop out either due to Covid-12 concerns or actual positive tests.

Still, the Crossover Classic managed to find a number of quality replacements from the mid-major ranks. Preseason contenders from Conference USA, Atlantic 10, WCC, Summit League, Mountain West, and Missouri Valley all got invited, with major opportunities to build resumes for the NCAA Tournament, as well as getting valuable experience before entering league play.

West Virginia and Memphis were the favorites to make it to the finals, but the rest of the field had other plans. South Dakota State nearly upset the Mountaineers in the 1st round. The real upset occurred in the semifinals, when Western Kentucky defeated Memphis, sending them to the finals to take on the favorites.

West Virginia had to fight all 40 minutes against the Hilltoppers but in the end, they were able to win the Crossover Classic Tournament, with a 3-0 record to start off the season. Wins over South Dakota State, VCU, and Western Kentucky will all look good down the road, despite them being “mid-majors”.

There were plenty of both positives and negatives for the eight participants from this event. Here’s a closer look at the takeaways as these teams move forward with the rest of their non-conference schedules.