The coaches (in the Big Ten) are phenomenal, and the game plans are phenomenal, especially this year. That is what I think wins out in the end, especially in the NCAA Tournament. I have to be honest, the Big Ten doesn't really wow me with their talent pool of players.
Wally Szczerbiak: The brackets have to break their way. They beat you with the meat and potatoes stuff and the fundamentals.ĬBS Local Sports: With the way Winston has been playing and some of the other weapons Coach Izzo has at his disposal, is Michigan State a contender in your mind come tournament time? That's how Ohio State wins, they don't overwhelm you with talent. If they can keep him under wraps and continue to execute their gameplan, with fundamentals being foremost for Ohio State, they have a chance. He is playing like one of the best guards in the country. The key for Ohio State is to control Cassius Winston. But it is hard to win on the road in conferences like that.įor this game, you have two teams that are really clashing at the right time, since both come in having righted the ship a little bit. That was a real head-scratcher, because Penn State is now just 2-11 in conference play.
We saw Michigan lose at Penn State on Tuesday night. That happens sometimes in a really good conference like the Big 10. They started the season really well and were ranked in the top 25 before they got into a tough stretch, where they lost six of seven games in conference. Wally Szczerbiak: The Buckeyes have been really up and down. What needs to happen this time around in order to change that result? Michigan State took the first matchup between the two teams. He is definitely a guy I will be keeping an eye on.ĬBS Local Sports: On CBS this Sunday there's a Big Ten battle in East Lansing between the Buckeyes and Spartans. It's fun watching those mid-major teams when they get into the tournament. He is definitely a guy who could make a run. They put a whipping on Ja Morant when he played against them, though he was a little banged up that night. You also have to watch out for a team like Belmont in the OVC that is really good. It's tough, depending on the seeds and matchups, and obviously he is going to be zeroed in on.
Photo Credit: Grant Halverson/Getty Images That is a team that, unfortunately they had that loss against LSU Tuesday night, but it's a team with a ton of talented guys. That is a very talented basketball team, as far as the players that they have. There are some other teams that are on the cusp, with Kentucky being one of them.
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To me, those teams, with the experience of teams like Virginia and Tennessee and then the pure talent and experience of Gonzaga, with the talent and pro prospects that Duke has, I feel like they got that right. I zero in on the players and the level of talent and who has the best players on their team. I don't look at resumes and Ken Pom numbers as much. To me, those are the best teams in the country, hands down. What did you think of the teams they had in the top four spots? In order to get some insight, we caught up with CBS Sports college basketball analyst Wally Szczerbiak.ĬBS Local Sports: The Selection Committee gave us a glimpse of their top teams this past weekend. Obviously, it doesn't, but that won't stop us from discussing as we get closer to the real thing in just a few weeks. That happened this past weekend, when the committee released seeding that showed Duke, Tennessee, Virginia and Gonzaga as the top seeds if the season were to end now.