Top Half Previews
Connecticut (4-0)
Winner of the last two national championships, Connecticut enters a season with high expectations yet again. Many names are gone from those title teams, but Alex Karaban leads a hungry new crop of talent that should be a juggernaut again in the Big East. The Huskies are getting great run out of underclassmen like Solomon Ball and Liam McNeeley and just might have the talent for another memorable season.
What’s a little unfortunate is that Maui is the first real test for the Huskies, whose first four games have all come at home against really weak competition. The closest of those four contests was a 35-point win over East Texas A&M this past week, with both offense and defense doing enough during a hot start to the season. Can all of this talent shine in their first opportunity on the national stage? If it all comes together, the Huskies are likely the favorite in this event.
Memphis (4-0)
Things have never been easy for Penny Hardaway and this Memphis team in recent years, even with some of the nation’s top or most experienced talent. This year’s edition of the Tigers is again looking to make serious noise out of the AAC, leaning heavily on Tulsa transfer PJ Haggerty and a few other offseason additions. So far, everything is working is right, with offseason additions Dain Dainja, Tyrese Hunter, and Colby Rogers all averaging double-figures as well.
The Tigers haven’t faced ranked foes, but they’ve played and won against a relatively decent early schedule. They handled Missouri on opening night, played solidly in a road win at UNLV, blew out Ohio at home last week, and then survived a tough test against San Francisco this past Thursday. The Tigers are passing the early challenges and doing enough to win these games, though the level of difficulty will never be higher than during this trip in Hawaii.
Michigan State (4-1)
The Spartans haven’t lived up to expectations recently and this year’s edition isn’t even in the national rankings at the start of the season. Michigan State has potential with this roster, now led by Jaden Akins and Jaxon Kohler, though it’s clearly going to take some time for these pieces to gel together. Tom Izzo’s squad hasn’t looked bad by any means this season, but they’re still far from perfect.
After a pair of blowout wins to open the season, Michigan State hung tough in an 8-point loss against Kansas in the Champions Classic. This team won a pair of games after that defeat, though they haven’t exactly looked their best in the last week, with suspect defense against both Bowling Green and Samford. This team is going to need more on both ends of the court if they’re going to make serious noise in Maui, let alone compete in a tough Big 12 race.
Colorado (4-0)
Last season was pretty great at Colorado, as the Buffaloes advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in their final year in the Pac-12. A lot has changed this season, with new faces like Andrej Jakimovski and Elijah Malone playing major roles on the offense for the Buffaloes. Now a Big 12 team again, Colorado has their work cut out for them in the weeks and months ahead, but could this new-look team surprise people in Maui?
They’ve played just four times so far and all of those matchups came at home. Three of those games resulted in wins by at least 20 points, though Northern Colorado took this team to double overtime just two weeks ago. While the shots have started falling since that game, that doesn’t exactly exude confidence, especially when the opposition in Maui will be significantly tougher. We’ll have to see how the Buffaloes fare in their first experience away from home but this is a very new team that could struggle.