THE LUTE OLSON AWARD

2019-20 College basketball preview: Preseason picks, ranking & Predictions

With the 2019/2020 college basketball scheduled to begin on Tuesday, Nov 5, it’s time to get Nevada sports betting apps to start making money when the games begin. As we continue with the countdown, we’re prepared to ensure that you’ve got a breakdown of the state of things in the national college basketball scene:

National Rankings

Only days before college basketball games bring the action and thrill to the fans, we can already tell the top five teams most likely to take away the national championship title. These teams include:

1.      Michigan State Spartans

Michigan State has all they need to make a good run for the national championship title. With an elite squad including point guard Cassius Winston, high-scoring wing Joshua Langford, and a Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo. The preseason No. 1 team will be playing more than three Quad One games before the Big Ten starts on Dec 8. That means the Spartans are well-poised for the No. 1 seed in the NCAA and a national title run.

2.      Kansas Jayhawks

Bill Self chose to remake his roster during the offseason, making surprising moves like clearing Silvio De Sousa, Quentin Grimes leaving, and flipping Isaiah Moss from Arkansas. Fortunately, he has all the pieces he needs to compete for the title.

3.      Kentucky Wildcats

John Calipari will be returning with only four players from last season, with the leading scorer for the Wildcats averaging 7.7 points. It’s nothing new for Kentucky or Calipari, though the Wildcats come with a loaded recruiting class that reinforces their roster. The players returning will be playing lead roles.

4.      Florida Gators

The season outlook for the Gators started changing when they signed Kerry Blackshear Jr. from Virginia Tech late in June. Blackshear has grown to be one of the best frontcourt players in the SEC and college basketball. The Gators also boast of other high-ranking players like Scottie
5.      Louisville Cardinals

Duke has an impressive roster all thanks to North Carolina for rebuilding their roster over the spring, though the Cardinals might be the best squad in the ACC. However, the Cardinals have lost some depth after the shoulder injury of David Johnson. Nonetheless, Chris Mack has what it takes to overcome the absence.

Conference Previews

With this being the 20th year since they claimed the national championship title, the Michigan Spartans have already assumed the role of the most hunted team nationally. The Spartans look ready for the challenge, but their biggest concern will be keeping their opponents off the offense and taking care of the ball.

Langford will be out for at least two months during the season, raising concerns over the Spartans’ ability to find a consistent score. Arguably, they had the most efficient teams on the offense, though one of the players in the group of Gabe Brown, Aaron Henry, and Ahrens will have to step up.

Big-time scorer Robert Watts had an impressive career in high-school, and he could give Cassius Winston several possessions over the ball or enjoy playing close to a Wooden Award favorite player. The story is also quite similar down below with Xavier Tillman, poised to have a breakout season.

The Lute Olson Award is presented annually to the nation's top Division I player.
 
The award is named in honor of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, who won 776 games in 34 seasons, 24 of which were spent at the University of Arizona. During that stretch he led the Wildcats to 11 Pac-10 Conference titles, 23 consecutive NCAA Tournaments, four Final Four appearances and a National Championship in 1997.
 
Olson is one of just 25 head coaches in NCAA history to win 700 or more games (all divisions) and ranks ninth on the Division I career victories list. He finished with a winning percentage of .731 and is the all-time winningest coach in Arizona history with 587-190 record (.755). He was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year seven times. Olson also guided Arizona to 20 consecutive 20-win seasons, and is one of only three coaches in NCAA history to record 29 or more 20-win seasons.
 
In 2002, Olson was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
 
The recipient of the 2023-24 award will be announced in April, in Phoenix, AZ site of the men's NCAA Basketball Championship.

The Lute Olson award is presented annually to the top division I player as voted on by the award committee. 
 
The 10-member voting committee consists of current and former head coaches, as well as two senior staff members of collegeinsider.com.
 
The award is presented annually at the site of the men's Division I NCAA basketball championship. 

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