NCAA Basketball: Biggest takeaways midway through 2020-21 season

Where Duke and North Carolina go from here

I’ll start with North Carolina because it’s not as bad as the other two. For starters, they weren’t a good team last year. It is just unfamiliar territory to see the Tar Heels, not atop the rankings. Their guard play is their Achilles heel, no pun intended, but the three-headed attack in the frontcourt, led by ACC Preseason Player of the Year, Garrison Brooks, is as good as any team in the country.

Armando Bacot and Day’Ron Sharpe are the other two guys, and I have yet to see a savvier freshman big man than Sharpe. UNC is currently 9-5, so it is not all bad in Chapel Hill, but the way they’ve played has yet to be inspiring.

Down the road, Duke hasn’t been much better. Whether it be Coach K complaining about the climate of basketball this season, or Jalen Johnson being on the pine, this has been one of the worst Blue Devil teams in some time. It doesn’t look like anybody wants to be there, and with a team that has a bevy of recruits, it’s shocking nobody wants to seize the opportunity. They beat Boston College at home by one point. That’s all you need to know how it’s going for the ‘Crazies.’

I’d be remised if I weren’t even considering mentioning so many teams, conferences, and players. The field is so deep, the mid-majors have a flock of teams that could reach the Sweet Sixteen, and whether it be guys like Mac McClung flourishing at a new school, or somebody like Ayo Dosunmo terrorizing Big Ten defenders, NCAA Basketball has not lost a step. It has been good so far, but it will only get better.

I love everything and anything about College Basketball, so feel free to reach out about anything you have on your mind. I can be found @ellgell on Twitter.