NCAA Basketball: “League Pass Rankings” for 2021-22 season

4. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Mark Few’s squad was No. 7 on this list last year, and just one game in it was obvious it was an underseed. Despite playing inferior competition in the  WCC, there was no team more fun when they were clicking than Gonzaga last year. Freshman highlight reel Jalen Suggs is gone. So is sharpshooter Corey Kispert and swiss-army-knife Joel Ayayi.

But the Zags should be nearly as fun. Incoming freshmen Chet Holmgren is one of the two most well-known freshmen in the country. The skinny Youtube sensation is an elite shot-blocker. He legitimately might have a 10-block game in conference play. I don’t like the term “unicorn” but Holmgren is the closest thing to a unicorn in the NCAA this season.

His pairing with National Player of the Year Drew Timme in the frontcourt is going to be havoc for teams. Timme is going to up and under his way to 20 points a night, proceed to point to his mustache, while fans wonder “how is he the best player in the country?”

None of their guards strike as particularly exciting, but the Zags will likely push the ball a ton and get out in transition. I’m intrigued to see if either freshman Hunter Sallis or Nolan Hickman can break out.

And for the “Gonzaga doesn’t play anybody” crowd? How’s this for a non-conference: No. 5 Texas (home), No. 2 UCLA (Neutral), No. 9 Duke (Neutral), No. 14 Alabama (Neutral), Texas Tech (neutral). There will be plenty of opportunities to see Gonzaga tested before 2022.

3. Alabama Crimson Tide

In Nate Oates’ first two seasons the Crimson Tide has ranked first and third in three-pointers attempted per game, and fourth and 13th in pace. Oates has had fun backcourts in Tuscaloosa, but this year’s grouping of senior sniper Jaden Shackleford, junior playmaker Jahvon Quinerly, and five-star freshman highlight machine J.D. Davison.

With those three in Oates’ system, the Crimson Tide will be back to their normal ways of playing fast, shooting threes, and letting their guards cook.

There will be a void left from John Petty, who never once saw a shot he didn’t think he could make, and Herb Jones who could guard every single player on the other team. But wings Keon Ellis and Keon Ambrose-Hylton should definitely have some moments. Alabama probably won’t be as good as their SEC championship team last season, but they might be more fun.