NCAA Basketball: 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament preview
The field
No. 5 Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats are the highest-ranked team in the field. They’re also the only team with a loss so far, smarting from a close defeat at the hands of the UCLA Bruins. The close loss drew scrutiny of the team’s depth, but the program’s score is still enough to carry Villanova far.
Villanova will need to start making some strides on the defensive side, particularly in the rim protection area, where the Wildcats’ lack of size is most glaring. The team is averaging less than 30 rebounds per contest this season.
This Wildcats team flows through Justin Moore, who has taken the next step as a junior, averaging 19 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game.
No. 6 Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue came into the season with some of its highest expectations in program history. While it’s been an easy stretch, Matt Painter’s squad has shown no issue meeting those expectations.
The Boilermakers have taken on the look of an offensive juggernaut so far, averaging 94.7 points per game this season. Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey are both averaging more than 15 points per game to lead the way.
Trevion Williams is the X-factor for this team. Ostensibly the best player on the roster, Williams has actually been coming off the bench primarily this season, averaging 11.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee lost a lot from last year’s squad but hasn’t missed a beat in 2021-22. The biggest reason for that is the arrival of phenom Kennedy Chandler.
The freshman has lived up to the hype, averaging 18 points and five assists per game. He’s due for at least a small drop at some point, as it doesn’t seem likely he’ll keep up his 85.7 percent three-point shooting.
College basketball fans should watch out for Olivier Nkamhoua. After barely making an impact in his first two seasons, the Finnish big man is averaging 17 points and 11 rebounds per game in the first extended minutes of his career.
No. 18 North Carolina Tar Heels
Just like all of the other teams in this tournament, North Carolina is off to a strong start. There has been little issue transitioning from Hubert Davis to Roy Williams, although the competition level hasn’t been high.
The Tar Heels demolished Loyola-Maryland in its opener before facing a stiffer challenge in Brown, defeating the Ivy League school by just seven points. They also need to rally past the College of Charleston. Still, the offense is humming, averaging 90.3 points per game.
While the defense needs an overhaul, Caleb Love’s offense does not. The sophomore is averaging 19 points per game in the early going.