NCAA Basketball: Takeaways from 2020 Jimmy V Classic participants

What are some key takeaways from each NCAA Basketball program in the Jimmy V Classic?

The Jimmy V Classic has become an annual staple for NCAA Basketball. With its tremendous impact on fundraising and awareness for Cancel research, there’s a major impact this has off the court for many who have been affected by this disease.

It’s also become a major headliner on the court, with some of the biggest names getting involved to set up some massive matchups. This was a unique scenario considering the ongoing pandemic and the scheduling issues that rose during the process. The date came right after the Champions Classic but still featured four elite programs with Final Four and beyond aspirations.

In a way, the Jimmy V Classic was actually the better event if we focused on rankings. No. 1 Gonzaga and No. 2 Baylor headlined their respective games. No. 5 Illinois faced off against the Bears, while No. 11 West Virginia joined at the last minute, replacing Tennessee after they had to pause team activities due to positive tests.

It looked as if No. 1 Gonzaga was going to go down last night, especially after star freshman guard Jalen Suggs went down with what looked to be a serious injury. However, his backup Andrew Nembhard played great when he was out, and Suggs was able to return to help the Bulldogs come back for an 87-82 win.

The game between Illinois and Baylor was fairly close in the first 30 minutes, with both top-5 teams trading punches. However, the favorite Bears turned out to be too much for the Illini, bursting out with a big run to win the game late, 82-69.

At times, all four of these top-tier NCAA Basketball teams looked like national title threats, but each still showed some flaws that will need to be taken care of going forward. Here are my biggest overall takeaways from the 2020 Jimmy V Classic.