by Murray Kastner
contributor
It’s that time again and it is back in full force; I’m talking college basketball. Although this season is in its early stages, it has been nothing short of spectacular. This year’s freshman class has NBA general managers drooling because of the superstar talent across the board.
Lead by Andrew Wiggins at Kansas, Jabari Parker at Duke and Kentucky’s Julius Randle, this year’s college basketball season looks to be one for the ages. All three of these freshmen have shown signs of absolute stardom in the early going of the season and they don’t seem to be slowing down.
But don’t think that only freshmen rule college basketball this year. Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans are back with the talent and experience to go a long way in the tournament. Lead by veterans Adreian Payne, Gary Harris and Keith Appling these Spartans are a hard nose team that will get after you defensively and execute offensively. Not to mention, they already beat the diaper dandies at Kentucky who were talking about a 40-0 season before they even tipped off game number one.
All-American point guard Marcus Smart is back for his sophomore campaign and hopes to take a very athletic Oklahoma State team on a deep tournament run. Smart surprisingly chose to return to school after a freshman season that earned him top-5 draft pick status. An under the radar team to keep an eye on come tournament time is the Creighton Bluejays. They made a good run last year and have returned their All-American scoring machine, and coach’s son, Doug McDermott. Don’t be surprised if they create some madness in March.
My pick to win it all this year has got to be the Duke Blue Devils. They are one of the most athletic teams in the country and can put points up in a hurry. With Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzysewski on the bench and lead by Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker, this year’s Blue Devils are serious title contenders.
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