NCAA Basketball Roundtable: ACC/Big Ten Challenge, early surprises of 2020-21
2. Which team has been the biggest pleasant surprise so far?
Burgess
I’ll say the biggest surprise for me has been Cuonzo Martin’s Missouri Tigers who have gotten off to a 3-0 start including wins over No. 21 Oregon and Wichita State. The Tigers were picked to finish 10th in the SEC’s preseason poll, but Martin has this team playing solid defense to begin the year, giving up 67 points per game, forcing 35 turnovers in three games, and allowing opponents to shoot just 34.6% from the field.
Offensively, Xavier Pinson leads four Tigers in double figures with 19.5 points while adding 3.5 rebounds and assists. The Tigers won’t be SEC title contenders, but early returns show them as more of a problem for opponents than some may have thought.
Zacker
Texas, Missouri, and Clemson all deserve consideration here, but the job Chris Mack has done with this Louisville squad might be his best coaching performance thus far. They are 4-0, playing without two of their best players – with a third having been out for the past two games – and own wins over Seton Hall and Western Kentucky. Friendly reminder, they were picked to finish fifth in the ACC – and they are even better than expected, even without so many important pieces.
Tineo
After losing their two best scorers from a season ago, Marquette has stood out as a pleasant surprise early on. After losing to a much respectable Oklahoma State, the Golden Eagles bounced back with a big win over #4 Wisconsin. The freshman front-court duo of Dawson Garcia and Justin Lewis has been playing very well and the team getting to the free throw line early and often bodes well for the rest of the season (Top 10 in free throws made and attempted).
Thedinga
Missouri. The Tigers have started 3-0 with quality wins against Oregon and Wichita State. I wasn’t too confident in Cuonzo Martin’s squad initially, but they’ve looked like a team that could be in the top-six conversation in the SEC. Mizzou has the most returning experience as anyone in the SEC, and so far that has paid dividends. Dru Smith is a joy to watch.
Zinkula
Virginia Tech. The Hokies are 4-0 with an 81-73 overtime victory over preseason No.3 Villanova. The team deserves plenty of credit for now, but it’s unclear whether this performance will be sustainable. Virginia Tech got hot (10-20 from three) in the Villanova victory and had some struggles in its most recent game against VMI.