McDonald's Nuggets: National camp, Duke's surge, WVU's big commit
In this week’s edition of McDonald’s Nuggets, analyst Dan McDonald boldly predicts that Michigan will win the national championship, names Duke as his Team of the Week and also unveils two Commits of the Week.
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FACT OR FICTION: Duke got better because Jalen Johnson left the team
FLORIDA MAN: Let Oklahoma State play
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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PREDICTION: Michigan will win the national championship
I’ve watched Michigan as much as I’ve watched any team in the country this season. I’ve watched plenty of Gonzaga, Baylor and every other top-level team in college basketball this season. I really believe Michigan is the best team and will win the national championship in April.
Let’s go through my reasons why I have the Wolverines cutting down the nets. I love teams with strong senior leadership. Michigan checks that box in a big way with Isaiah Livers, Eli Brooks and Mike Smith in the starting lineup, and they are combining for 32 points per game. You also have senior wing Chaundee Brown off the bench as a transfer from Wake Forest who is a capable scorer and an elite defender. That’s a lot of quality experience.
Between Livers, Hunter Dickinson and Franz Wagner the Wolverines have three guys capable of going for 20-plus on any given night. And along with that scoring prowess, they are unselfish and really strong passers to go along with the two senior guards in the backcourt. The ball always moves and leads to a lot of open shots.
Michigan doesn’t have a ton of depth, but the Wolverines have a really solid eight-man rotation that fills all the roles needed on a championship team. They have ball-handlers and good decision-makers. They have shot-makers. They defend. They have depth inside with Dickinson, Austin Davis and Brandon Johns. They do a great job on the boards, including the guards. And last but not least, Juwan Howard and his staff do a really good job coaching confidence into their guys and getting them to play at the highest level.
If the time comes when the Wolverines meet up with Gonzaga or Baylor, I think they have the goods to beat either one of them.
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TEAM OF THE WEEK: Duke
Everyone, including myself, was ready to write off the Blue Devils a couple weeks ago as an NCAA Tournament team. However, a four-game winning streak that includes wins over Virginia and Syracuse this week has Duke back in the conversation as a team that is trending toward earning a spot in the 68-team field on Selection Sunday.
The Blue Devils finish the regular season with a Saturday showdown versus Louisville at home, followed by road games at Georgia Tech and North Carolina. That gives Coach K’s team a shot at three more good wins before the ACC Tournament to earn a spot in March Madness.
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TRANSFER COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Matt Cross to Louisville
Back on Jan. 16, Matt Cross tied a season high with 16 points for Miami against Louisville and connected on four of his six three-point attempts. So, it should come as no surprise that Chris Mack’s staff saw enough to go after the 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward once he entered the transfer portal earlier this month.
Cross gave the Cardinals a verbal commitment on Thursday night. He provides much-needed perimeter shooting for Louisville as a 40% shooter from three-point range this season.
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2022 COMMIT OF THE WEEK: Josiah Davis to West Virginia
When you think of a Bob Huggins guard, you probably think of a tough, physical guard with good size that gets after it on the defensive end. That’s exactly what the Mountaineers are getting with the early commitment from in-state guard Josiah Davis.
The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Davis possesses those traits and is also a very gifted scorer. He’ll be a very solid floor general for West Virginia. Baylor, Cincinnati, Ole Miss, Purdue and Virginia Tech were among the other schools that showed interest in Davis before his commitment.