The first week of the 2020-2021 college basketball season is in the books. Although this season is different than any other, Week 1 brought what college basketball is known for — madness. Upsets happened, favorites dominated and lots of teams made their mark during Week 1.
On this week's Andy Katz ranked 10 teams who impressed this past week in the world of college basketball. Katz, along with co-host Chad "March Chadness" Aycock, previewed some of the best games and made his predictions for the second week of college basketball. Katz also talked to Gonzaga's Jalen Suggs, Baylor head coach Scott Drew and Ohio guard Jason Preston.
Here are the teams that impressed the most during college basketball's first week of play, ranked by Katz:
10. San Francisco
San Francisco pulled off an upset in a game that wasn't even supposed to happen. The Dons swooped in and replaced Florida in what was supposed to be an ACC-SEC battle between Virginia and Florida, and just like that San Francisco shocked the college basketball world. Thanks to great perimeter defense (the Dons held the Cavs to only three made 3-pointers) and 19 points from Jamaree Bouyea, San Francisco notched the upset and added an impressive early-season win to their tournament resume.
9. Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky started the season 2-0 with impressive wins over Northern Iowa and Memphis. They then turned around and pushed No. 11 West Virginia to the brink only to lose by six points. The Hilltoppers are a team to keep an eye on while they compete for a Conference USA crown. They'll take a trip to Louisville on Dec. 1 to take on the Cardinals next.
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8. Clemson
Although Clemson didn't knock off any ranked opponents this week, they did beat Mississippi State, 53-42, and Purdue, 81-70. The Tigers are led by Aamir Simms who dropped 24 points against the Boilermakers. Katz thinks Simms will be an All-ACC player and Clemson might be a tougher out in the ACC than some people think.
7. San Diego State
San Diego State has started the season 2-0 and notched a couple of impressive wins. They knocked off a ranked UCLA squad when four of the Aztecs scored in double digits, and beat UC Irvine through an equally balanced scoring attack. The Aztecs have seven players averaging seven points or more a game. Katz thinks they're the team to beat in the Mountain West.
6. Virginia Tech
The Hokies are 3-0, and similar to San Francisco, notched an upset in a game they weren't even supposed to play. Less than 48 hours after agreeing to extend their stay at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut, Virginia Tech took down Villanova in overtime, 81-73. VT will hope to keep rolling this week when they face VMI on Dec. 3.
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5. Saint Louis
Katz thinks Saint Louis' win over LSU was a huge statement and emphasizes why they are one of the favorites to win the Atlantic 10. The Billikens were led by guard Javonte Perkins, who dropped 32 points against the Tigers. Saint Louis also notched a commanding win over SIU Edwardsville and is now 2-0. They'll play Arkansas-Pine Bluff next, on Dec. 5.
4. Richmond
Richmond got one of the most impressive wins this past week when it knocked off SEC favorite Kentucky in Lexington. The Spiders prevailed via their veteran lineup and had four players finish the game with 11 or more points. They also got a win over Morehead State last week and are No. 19 in the latest AP Poll.
3. Houston
Houston is the favorite to win the American and sure did look like it this past week. They knocked off Lamar, Boise State and a ranked Texas Tech squad all by double digits. The Cougars are led by a trio of guards in Tramon Mark, Quentin Grimes and Marcus Sasser. All average more than 14 points per game. Houston will face South Carolina on Dec. 5.
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2. Baylor
Although Baylor had to reschedule some games, the Bears were able to brush past the chaos that is scheduling in 2020 and start the season 2-0. The Bears beat both Louisiana and Washington by 30. They'll be tested this week though as they'll face off against No. 5 Illinois on Dec. 2 and No. 1 Gonzaga on Dec. 5.
1. Gonzaga
Speaking of the Zags, they lived up to their No. 1-ranking this week after a commanding win over a top-10 Kansas squad and a 23-point victory over Auburn. The Bulldogs have an offensive star in big man Drew Timme, who's averaged 26.5 points per game. Pair that with Corey Kispert's 24 points per game and freshman guard Jalen Suggs's 18 and the Zags' offense looks lethal. They'll be tested this week again when they battle No. 11 West Virginia on Dec. 2 and No. 2 Baylor on Dec. 5.
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