NCAA Basketball: Key early-season tournament games for 2021-22 season
Tennessee, Purdue, North Carolina, and Villanova
Does it even matter what the match-ups are? Four games could have been discussed separately, but instead, they will be discussed for the price of one. These are four teams that if they are the final four teams remaining come April 2 in New Orleans, it would not be a total shock.
By the time this tournament rolls around the interest in Villanova will already be high. Not only are they favorite to win the Big East this season after winning it outright six of the past eight seasons, while getting of share of it two years ago, but the Wildcats will also have played UCLA two weeks earlier. With four starters returning, including co-Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie, every game that this potential National Champion plays is a must-watch.
Head Coach Rick Barnes brings an intriguing team to Connecticut. The Tennessee Volunteers are coming off a fourth-place finish in the SEC and a first-round loss to Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament. The 2021-22 season projects to be better despite the loss of their top two scorers; Jaden Springer (12.5 ppg) and Keon Johnson (11.3 ppg).
The No. 18 team in the AP Preseason Poll boasts the third-best freshman class with No. 23 Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, No. 39 Jonas Aidoo, and No.64 Jahmai Mashack, all of whom are not projected to begin the season in the starting line-up. The one freshman who is projected to start is the No. 6 ranked freshman and the top point guard in his class Kennedy Chandler.
The Boilermakers will have all five starters returning from the 2020-21 team that finished fourth in the Big Ten and ranked No.20 in the final AP Poll and were eventually upset in the first round of the National Tournament by North Texas. This year they begin the season at No. 7 in the AP Poll and how much they will rise will depend on how well Trevion Williams does.
Even as Jaden Ivey eclipses is 11 point average from last season, the focus will be on the center spot due to Williams and 7’4 Zach Edey. This tournament will be particularly interesting for Armando Bacot might be able to slow them down, but Villanova and Tennessee have nobody to do likewise.
Coming in at No. 19 in the preseason AP Poll, North Carolina is the lowest-ranked team among the four. After a first-round exit at the hands of Wisconsin and the retirement of head coach Roy Williams, the interest lies with the question, can a pair of top-60 freshmen and the transfer of Dawson Garcia from Marquette be enough to help new head coach Hubert Davis keep North Carolina competing in the ACC?
This tournament will be a great measuring stick, for if they can compete during this weekend they know they can compete versus Duke, Florida State, and Virginia all season.