Old Spice Classic Men’s Basketball Breakdown
This grouping of the Old Spice Classic may not be the best ever, but it does have some interesting teams. Indiana State made the NCAA Tournament last year. Minnesota had a very disappointing season last year, but returns a very good frontcourt that could make a run in the Big Ten. Dayton and Wake Forest are looking to get back into the national picture. And then there is Fairfield, a team with more experience than any other squad in this tournament.
Texas Tech vs. Indiana State
The Red Raiders are in rebuilding mode with the loss of just about every impact player from a year ago and Coach Billy Gillispie has his work cut out for him in his first year in Lubbock. Junior college transfer Ty Nurse can explode on any given day, but it will take some time before the Red Raiders are nationally relevant. Indiana State has much more talent returning, but this is a team that needs to find some more players in the frontcourt besides Myles Walker. However, the undersized lineup worked last season and year two under Coach Greg Lansing should at least be more consistent.
Minnesota vs. DePaul
To many, the Golden Gophers are the favorite to win the Old Spice Classic. They do have a superstar in Trevor Mbakwe and a couple more frontcourt players in Ralph Sampson III and Rodney Williams who will continue to be productive. However, Minnesota needs to find consistency in the backcourt or this year may not end up much better than last year. But Coach Tubby Smith and company should be able to get to the finals of this tournament. And it is possible for Coach Smith to play against Coach Gillispie in the second round, pitting two former Kentucky coaches against each other.
Dayton vs. Wake Forest
The concern for Dayton is finding a new point guard. Josh Parker, a former backup, seems to have stepped up his game and is ready to take over. With big men Josh Benson and Matt Kavanaugh manning the paint and Chris Johnson and Paul Williams doing the scoring, this team could be very good during Coach Archie Miller’s first season. At Wake Forest, Jeff Bzdelik is still working on rebuilding the program. The Demon Deacons return some good players and are bringing in more and more talent, but they are at least a year away from forgetting about their 8-24 2010-2011 campaign.
Fairfield vs. Arizona State
Fairfield has a great team led by guard Derek Needham and Boston College transfer Rakim Sanders. Those two will lead the Stags to big things this year, but there are plenty of other options for new head coach Sydney Johnson. Breaking in the new coach, and Iona, are the only things standing between Fairfield and an NCAA Tournament berth. Arizona State is rebuilding in the Pac-12 and the depth and experience of Fairfield should be able to win this game and maybe even a couple more.
Men’s Basketball Games of the Week and Tournament Breakdowns
