Top 5 Nonconference Individual Matchups

This Gonzaga vs Duke matchup will feature two of the best forwards and freshmen in college basketball. Now, the athleticism and physicality of Banchero will be very interesting against the less physical Holmgren on both ends. Additionally, what will be displayed is the skill level of both players with their ability to make plays with the basketball. Banchero’s ability to score the basketball off the bounce in the high post will be impactful. Now, with Holmgren, it will be his ability to attack from the perimeter. The battle of the boards will be vital in their matchup. Furthermore, they will both add to the defensive end whether it’s the shot-blocking of Holmgren or the movement and IQ of Banchero to protect the lane. Overall, this matchup will showcase versatility from forwards and two likely top 5 picks in the NBA draft.

To start, the matchup of UCLA and Villanova will be a high-level matchup of title contenders. Now, the starting point guard matchup of Collin Gillespie and Tyger Campbell will be very good. First off, the defensive ball pressure by Campbell against the ball security and play-making of Gillespie will be vital in this matchup. Next, the overall efficiency of Gillespie’s scoring will be key in this matchup to get the Villanova offense in rhythm. Also, on the other side for Campbell, his ability to be the guy for UCLA getting others involved will be integral towards UCLA’s offense. Along with, his efficiency as a scorer, being able to make shots with consistency. This matchup will be great and the defense of Campbell and Gillespie could dictate the game’s outcome.

The matchup between Alabama and Houston will feature two of the best guards in the country with Marcus Sasser and Jahvon Quinerly. Both of these guards get their offensive success differently and the style will make this matchup a great one. First off, Quinerly will be more ball-dominant with his want to get downhill and finish around the basket. As for Sasser, he is great off the basketball making shots and is also a player who is really effective in a half-court setting. Therefore, the pace of this matchup between these two players will be intriguing in how they’ll get their offense. Also, their identities fit with their team as well with Alabama’s uptempo and a more defensive-oriented team in Houston. The improvement of Sasser to make shots off the bounce and Quinerly to make shots from the perimeter will be vital in this matchup. This will be a very good matchup within the game versus Alabama and Houston.

The matchup of Texas and Gonzaga will highlight loaded rosters on both teams made of high-level recruits and transfers. The backcourt battle of Andrew Nembhard and Courtney Ramey will be very good with their ability to score and strengths being different. First off, Nembhard is more of a read-oriented player and will be more of a distributor for his offense than Ramey. Next, Ramey is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country. Therefore,  will look to cause havoc on the basketball against Nembhard. Therefore, the ability for Nembhard to get in rhythm within the Gonzaga offense will be key. Additionally, the scoring of Ramey on the perimeter will be key. He is a streaky shooter and could be vital for Texas in this game. The ability for Nembhard to dominate in ball screen usage getting Timme and Holmgren involved will be a key aspect of this game. This will be a very good matchup within this game of Andrew Nembhard and Courtney Ramey.

The Kentucky and Kansas matchup’s focus will be the physicality inside the paint with Oscar Tshiebwe and David McCormack. Furthermore, the post defense in this game will be important for Tshiebwe to have his shot-blocking ability. As well as, the physicality against the skill set of McCormack. Additionally, the rebounding battle between the two will be key on both ends. Next, the growth of Oscar Tshiebwe’s offense will be showcased in this game needing to provide an interior presence for Kentucky. The back and forth nature of this matchup will be a major part of the outcome of this matchup and foul trouble is always key with physical bigs. This will be a major test for David McCormack and Oscar Tshiebwe battling inside against each other.