Title contenders
Title contenders are just a level below the front-runners but still, on paper, clearly possess the roster to win it all.
North Carolina
Current odds: 10-1
Breakdown: Fascinating case here. I'm surprised UNC's Vegas odds are so high at the moment. Without
Cole Anthony, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone recommending you lay down some cheddar on a Tar Heels futures bet. But Anthony does, or at least should, change a lot for Roy Williams' team in 2019-20. He's the CBS Sports Preseason Freshman of the Year, and was named so with the expectation he'll be a volume monster for a Tar Heels crew that needs his scoring, distributing, rebounding and vocal leadership while playing point guard.
As is, Williams has Carolina in contention for the Final Four almost annually. Since Williams took the job in 2003, UNC has been a No. 1, 2 or 3 seed 11 times. That's Final Four potential. This team can do similar, provided Anthony sees an immediate boost from freshman big man Armando Bacot, who will learn under the wings of bigs
Sterling Manley and
Garrison Brooks. I'd call UNC a title contender, but will probably wind up being the shallowest — as opposed to deepest — roster of any in its class.
Maryland
Current odds: 40-1
Breakdown: At 40-1, you'd best try to get a ticket on Maryland now if you can because that's a bargain. While it might seem like it's been 15 years since the Terrapins were this lauded in the preseason, let me remind you that in 2015 Maryland was the preseason No. 3 team in the AP Top 25. That Terps troupe had Melo Trimble, Diamond Stone, Jake Layman, Rasheed Sulaimon and Robert Carter. It finished 27-9 with a Sweet 16 loss to Kansas as a No. 5 seed.
I expect this year's team to be better. Potentially No. 2 seed material. The biggest reason why is a dual breakout season. Anthony Cowan has been flirting at the fringes of meaningful, consistent point guard play for three seasons. I'm all in on him unlocking his potential at the same time
Jalen Smith turns into one of the five or six best big men in college basketball. The Terps return four starters from a 23-win team that was good-or-better in almost every significant tempo-free statistical category except one: turning teams over. Maryland forced opponents into TOs only 14.1% of the time, second-worst in college hoops. I predict a huge jump there and expect Maryland to be in the mold of a Final Four team for most of the season.
Florida
Current odds: 16-1
Breakdown: Tasty team. I actually like Florida's chances to win the SEC, or at least finish atop the standings alongside Kentucky. The reason is not an unusual one. The Gators have a tremendous combination of size, athleticism, experience, NBA-level talent and a feeling of rejuvenation around that program that seems to be infectious. Mike White, now in his fifth season, knows he's got the best roster of his coaching career to date.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. picking Florida for his final season of eligibility is what vaults UF into the title-contenders echelon, but it's the expected second-year leap of point guard
Andrew Nembhard, who's got a soft-spoken game but an assuredness in his ability, that gives Florida a great shot to wind up with a No. 1 seed come March. Nembhard will have a pair of talented freshmen in the fold in
Tre Mann and
Scottie Lewis. No one's quite sure how good those two will be in UF's offense off the bat, but they should help the Gators round into form as a top-five defense in college basketball. This sure looks like the best UF team since the one that won a title in 2007. I like this roster more than the No. 1-seed in 2013-14 that went 36-3 and had Casey Prather, Patric Young, Scottie Wilbekin and
Dorian Finney-Smith. We shall see.
Louisville
Current odds: 14-1
Breakdown: I trust Louisville fans have taken the time to stop, smell the air and recognize just how fortunate they are to be in this position for 2019-20. This is only Chris Mack's second season in Louisville and he's managed to dodge what would have been a reasonable downturn in a tough situation. Instead of having the Cardinals positioned and predicted to be a middle-of-the-road ACC team, Mack has the Redbirds in the top 10 of almost every major preseason poll.
Jordan Nwora was voted CBS Sports ACC Preseason Player of the Year, but he won't be asked to be an all-on-me guy.
Lamarr Kimble, a transfer from Saint Joe's, will probably be a top-three transfer this season in the league and I love
Malik Williams' potential to pop as a junior in the frontcourt.
Another positive sign: Louisville's free-throw shooting. The Cards ranked eighth nationally last season with a 77.7% clip. Even if that dips down to 74 or 75, it'll still be good enough to be a contributing factor in U of L's push to an ACC title.
Duke
Current odds: 10-1
Breakdown: The odds are reasonable, and because they are so good I will respect Duke and its coach and its talent here. Overall, I'm a seller heading into the season on the Blue Devils. I want to see how
Tre Jones handles being the alpha here and whether he's transformed into a respectable shooter.
In comes the No. 2-ranked recruiting class, though. Vernon Carey is a wide-bodied hoss in the middle. Watching him and forward
Matthew Hurt play off each other will be one of the more interesting matchup issues for teams — if Duke gets going in a good way early. Other freshmen are
Cassius Stanley(not a lot of buzz on him yet, but I don't know, I sorta think he becomes Duke's best newbie) and small forward Wendell Moore. It's not a complete makeover for Duke. Returning players who I think will get good burn include
Jack White,
Alex O'Connell and
Javin DeLaurier.
Things will be markedly different for this team vs. how it was coached last season. The attention and spotlight also won't be as heavy due to Zion's departure. It feels like the championship aspirations of this team will be dependent on Jones' progression with the jump shot.