NCAA Basketball: 2023 Charleston Classic preview and predictions
By Joey Loose
Expectations
It’s not hard to take one look at this field and to expect Houston to come away with the tournament title without much issue. The Cougars have made a habit of feasting on lesser teams in nonconference play in recent years, though they certainly wouldn’t face the same lack of resistance as in their previous games this season. Not just are they the #6 team in the nation but they’re strong, talented, and worthy of that preseason adoration.
A recurring theme in this event is that several of these teams could really use a great performance in Charleston after rough starts to the season. Dayton was dealt a lousy card with injuries in recent years, but Holmes alone could make them a team to watch. Power conference squads like LSU and St. John’s were humiliated in their most recent outings, but how will they respond in this neutral-court event?
On the other side of the bracket we’ve got a pair of schools that could be dark horses, not just in Charleston but throughout the season. There’s a lot of talent at both Utah and Wake Forest and these teams are somewhat sneaking under the radar in their respective leagues. We’re not saying we expect them to win the Pac-12 and ACC respectively, but either could challenge Houston in the second round of this tournament.
We’re still less than two weeks into the college basketball season and a lot is going to change over time for all eight of these programs. One or two teams could really surprise us this weekend in either a good or bad way. Sometimes things can get pretty weird in these holiday tournaments, but do we really think someone can take down a Top 10 team in Houston?