NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways from 2020 Crossover Classic Tournament
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2nd place)
Having Charles Bassey back and healthy has been great to watch and he held his own against the likes of Moussa Cisse and Oscar Tshiebwe/Derek Culver in this event. Star guard Tavieon Hollingsworth continues to be the leader, averaging nearly 20 ppg in three games. The supporting cast, including emerging freshman guard Dayvion McKnight, looks solid as well.
This is a roster that is top-25 good and even though they fell to West Virginia, still looked impressive. They have another big matchup up soon with Lousiville, one that would be a resume builder. With the Cardinals banged up, don’t be surprised if the Conference USA favorite gets that win.
West Virginia Mountaineers (1st place)
As the lone ranked team and favorite to win, West Virginia handled business. But it was “how” they did it that was most impressive. Derek Culver had a tremendous second game of the season (23 points and 17 rebounds), while Oscar Tshiebwe has been a premier defender and rebounder when not in foule trouble.
The best news for the Mountaineers was the stellar play from its key guards, Miles McBride and Sean McNeil. Between McBride becoming a genuine go-to offensive player and McNeil providing that needed three-point shooting, that’ll give more breathing room for Culver to operate below.
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The defense remains highly-touted but with the offense already looking better than last season, this raises the ceiling for the team come March. Their ability to play both ends of the court will be tested, with a battle against Gonzaga in the Jimmy V Classic on December 2.