NCAA Basketball: Ranking the 8 matchups for 2021 Gavitt Tip-off Games
4. St. John’s at Indiana
If star forward Julian Champagnie returns, the Red Storm has the chance to be a top-25 team next season. He has just point guard Posh Alexander returning, with several other transferring out. But I believe the overall roster got better, thanks to incoming transfers such as guard Montez Mathis from Rutgers, along with forwards Joel Soriano (Fordham) and Aaron Wheeler (Purdue).
Indiana has a confirmed star coming back in Trayce Jackson-Davis, joined by five-star freshman guad Tamar Bates, along with key transfers Miller Kopp (Northwestern) and Xavier Johnson (Pittsburgh). Race Thompson and South Florida transfer Michael Durr makes the frontcourt tough to beat, while former top-30 recruit Kristian Lander could be a breakout candidate.
From a talent perspective, these teams are fairly even, especially if Champagnie returns and cancels out Jackson-Davis. But the relatively brand new roster at St. John’s could take time to gel, and with this game coming early in the season, the Hoosiers may benefit since they’re at home.
Prediction: Indiana
3. Seton Hall at Michigan
Although Co-Big East Player of the Year forward Sandro Mamukelashvili is gone, the Pirates did a fairly good job in the transfer portal. 20 ppg transfer from American Jamir Harris provides backcourt production, while Alexis Yetna was a double-digit scorer when healthy at South Florida, while point/forward Kadary Richmond was an all-around talent at Syracuse that could be a star with the ball more in his hands.
Michigan will need All-American center Hunter Dickinson to come back from the NBA Draft but if he does, this will be a top-5 preseason team for next season. They have the No. 1 incoming recruiting class, led by five-star prospects, Caleb Houston and Moussa Diabate and brought in 20 ppg guard transfer Devante Jones to replace Mike Smith in the backcourt.
If the transfers mesh well, the Pirates have the chance to be really good. But we almost know that the Wolverines will be really good if Dickinson comes back. And it’ll be hard to beat them in Ann Arbor early in the season as Seton Hall looks to mesh its new teammates.