While I could see his shooting regressing somewhat, I still believe Mark Sears will have a great year and play on the best team. He will also likely face the toughest strength of schedule in the nation again, giving him many opportunities to make an impression. After Edey, there may be some who want to give the award to a guard as well.
I don’t think Houston is as good as they were last year or as strong as Alabama. However, they are due for a deep run, and their style of play—focused on rebounding and defense—supports that possibility. In contrast, Alabama’s reliance on shooting could falter if they have an off night, which might be enough to end their run.
We’ve seen a Villanova team shoot their way to a championship before, but with many great bigs staying in school longer now, I think it’s a tougher task today, especially as teams continue to increase their three-point attempts.
Houston keeps giving themselves chances year in and year out with top-five teams. At some point, those programs usually break through, and after Sheed’s untimely injury last year, they are due for some good luck from the basketball gods.
