Tag: Andy Katz

Andy Katz has a sleeper to be top four in the Big Ten: Rutgers basketball

Rutgers basketball can make another run according to Big Ten Network’s Andy Katz.

Andy Katz unveiled his top three teams in the Big Ten for next season, with the Big Ten Network insider thinking that Rutgers has a chance to finish near the top of the conference.

He says this, even with Rutgers losing stars Ron Harper Jr. and Geo Baker this offseason. The duo led Rutgers in scoring with Harper invited to the NBA combine this week.

Katz had Michigan as his top team in the Big Ten followed by Michigan State and Indiana. Purdue and Illinois could vie to be that fourth team in the Big Ten but Katz has a sleeper to crack the top four.

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He’s back on the bus. Katz thinks Rutgers could make a run again in the Big Ten and potentially be a top-four team yet again.

“I’m gonna give you a potential sleeper again of driving the bus – Rutgers,” Katz said on the Big Ten Network on Thursday.

“So Caleb McConnell still could come back, was not invited to the combine. Defensive Player of the Year for the Big Ten – just got his trophy actually tonight. I will not be shocked if he returns. And I love Cliff Omoruyi and Paul Mulcahy…and I love who they’re recruiting.

“And I talked to Steve Pikiell, who’s not a guy that’s gonna go out and say how good they’re gonna be, but he thinks they’re going to be really good. And I think Cliff Omoruyi is going to be a first-team all-Big Ten player and Mulcahy and if they get McConnell – it’s gonna be another great year in the league to be watching.”

Rutgers lost in the NCAA Tournament to Notre Dame, 89-87 in overtime. They finished the season 18-14 (12-8 Big Ten) and fourth in the conference.

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WATCH: Joey Hauser talks with Andy Katz about his return to Michigan State basketball

WATCH: Joey Hauser talks with Andy Katz about his decision to return to Michigan State for one more season

Joey Hauser is running it back. The Spartans’ power forward decided to return to Michigan State basketball for one more season, and he recently spoke with Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network about why he made the decision, his relationship with Tom Izzo and more.

Check it out below:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Andrew Brewster on Twitter @IAmBrewster.

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See where Wisconsin basketball lands in Andy Katz’ Power 36

See where Wisconsin basketball lands in Andy Katz’ Power 36:

Despite the college basketball season ending just a few weeks ago, NCAA March Madness reporter Andy Katz dropped his weekly Power 36 on Monday afternoon.

Greg Gard and the Wisconsin Badgers just barely cracked Katz’ list, coming in at No. 34. 

This seems like a fair assessment considering UW needs to replace the Big Ten Player of the Year, the school’s all-time leader in three-pointers, and their top three reserves.

Thankfully, Wisconsin returns Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl, Steven Crowl, and has three scholarships available to plug in some experienced players from the transfer portal. 

Overall, Katz had eight Big Ten programs listed in his power 36 – Michigan (5), Michigan State (11), Purdue (13), Indiana (19), Illinois (29), Ohio State (36), Wisconsin (34), and Rutgers (36).

Here is a look at Katz’ full Power 36 along with a small explanation for each team:

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

WATCH: Andy Katz lists MSU basketball near top of ‘way-too-early’ Big Ten power rankings

See where Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network has Michigan State in his “way-too-early” Big Ten power rankings

Michigan State basketball will contend for yet another Big Ten title next season, according to Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network.

Katz released his “way-too-early” Big Ten power rankings for next year on Wednesday, which saw the Spartans near the top of the league. Katz has Michigan State as the No. 2 team in his rankings behind only rival Michigan.

Hear what Katz has to say about the Spartans and the rest of the Big Ten by watching the video clip below:

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Michigan State cracks top 10 of CBB analyst Andy Katz’ power rankings

See how high college basketball analyst Andy Katz has the Spartans in his latest batch of power rankings

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Michigan State is one of the 10 best teams in the country, according to college basketball analyst Andy Katz.

Katz — who writes for NCAA.com and does television work for the Big Ten Network — released an updated batch of power rankings on Monday, with the Spartans cracking the top 10 for the first time this year. Katz moved Michigan State up six spots to No. 7 in his newest rankings.

Check out the complete rankings by clicking on the tweet below:

Michigan State is 12-2 on the season and has won seven straight games, with their last loss coming to the top-ranked Baylor Bears in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship game. The Spartans are a perfect 3-0 in Big Ten play as well.

Like Katz, I have the Spartans as the second-highest Big Ten team in our weekly power rankings behind only Purdue. Check out my Big Ten power rankings by clicking on the link below:

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How to watch: Wisconsin basketball vs. Purdue

How to watch, listen and stream Wisconsin basketball against the Purdue Boilermakers:

On Monday night, the Wisconsin Badgers will match up one of their toughest tests of the season as they face off against the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers on the road.

Related: Greg Gard has his young Badgers team limiting turnovers

Wisconsin will need a phenomenal team effort to beat a very talented and physical Purdue team, including from guard Jonathan Davis, who will likely be lined up on the Boilermakers’ leading scorer, Jaden Ivey. Badgers’ forward Steven Crowl will also be vital coming off his career-high scoring night, to stop one of the best backcourts in the country of Trevion Williams and Zach Edey

It should be another great game to watch, as the Badgers will try to upset one of the top teams in not only the Big Ten but in the country.

How to watch:

Matchup: Wisconsin Badgers at Purdue Boilermakers

Where: Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

When: Monday, Jan. 3, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST

Where to watch: BTN

  • Announcers:
    • Play-by-Play: Brandon Gaudin
    • Analyst: Robbie Hummel
    • Reporter: Andy Katz

Where to stream: Fox Sports App or foxsports.com

Where to listen: Badger Sports Network on the iHeartRadio app or Sirius Satellite Radio XM 195

  • Announcers:
    • Play-by-Play: Matt Lepay
    • Analyst: Mike Lucas

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

Rutgers men’s basketball checks in on Andy Katz’s ‘Power 36’

Andy Katz likes Rutgers men’s basketball this year, with the Scarlet Knights part of his ‘Power 36’ preseason rankings.

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Andy Katz likes what Rutgers men’s basketball is doing, the college basketball guru all in on the team’s leadership getting them back to the postseason this year.

Rutgers is one of seven Big Ten programs represented in Katz’s ‘Power 36’ rankings released this week. According to Katz’s rankings, the Scarlet Knights are firmly in a position to return to the NCAA Tournament.

Katz has Rutgers checking in at No. 32 on the ‘Power 36.’ They are the seventh and last of the Big Ten teams but the ranking certainly shows Rutgers as making the field of 64 teams for the NCAA Tournament and perhaps be ranked in the top half of the bracket.

In assessing the Scarlet Knights, Katz wrote that “Geo Baker and Ron Harper Jr., are great ambassadors for the Scarlet Knights but they’re also high-level players.”

Last year, Rutgers made the tournament for the first time in three decades. This year, they are looking to make consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances since 1975-76. They are led by the duo of returning seniors in Baker and Harper (who recently made the Julius Erving watchlist for the nation’s top small forwards).

Katz has a top-five (in order) of UCLA, Gonzaga, Texas, Kansas, and Villanova. Three Big Ten teams are in his top 10 (No. 6 Purdue, No. 7 Michigan, and No. 8 Illinois).

BTN’s Andy Katz lists Gabe Brown as a top 20 player in Big Ten

Michigan State’s Gabe Brown is one of the top 20 players in the Big Ten, according to Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network

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Michigan State’s Gabe Brown is one of the top 20 players in the Big Ten, according to Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network.

Katz is listing out the top 20 players in the Big Ten heading into the 2021-22 season, and pegged Brown as the No. 20 player in the league. Katz states “Brown might end up being one of the more important players to Tom Izzo in recent memory.”

See all of what Katz had to say about Brown by watching the video below:

Brown is a captain on this year’s squad and is one of the returning leading scorers for the Spartans. Brown averaged 7.2 points per game last season and is expected to be one of the top players on Michigan State this year.

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Andy Katz ranks Texas basketball as a top-five team for 2021-22

The Longhorns now have a top-five roster in the country according to many basketball analysts.

With the addition of six talented transfers from all over the country, and a solid core of players returning, the Longhorns are expected to be one of the best teams in college basketball this season.

Texas head coach Chris Beard made it clear in his introductory press conference that he did not see this as a rebuilding year. Every move he has made since has proven he wants to win right away.

Although Texas lost four players to the NBA, it is returning its leading scorer, Andrew Jones, and added the Pac-12 player of the year, Timmy Allen, from Utah. The Longhorns have the potential to have a starting five that  averaged double-digit points the year prio, and will have a lot more spacing with Dylan Dishu out of Vanderbilt and Tre Mitchell out of UMass.

College basketball analyst Andy Katz is extremely high on Beard’s squad this season and has them ranked No. 3 in the “Power 36.” 

As the roster looks right now, Texas has the potential to contend for a title throughout Beard’s first year on the Forty Acres.

The Longhorns still have a chance to acquire more depth with the top transfer in the nation, Marcus Carr. If Beard is able to add Carr, it would very well give them the best roster on paper in the country.

Michigan State basketball misses top-5 in Andy Katz’s latest Big Ten Power Rankings

Michigan State basketball misses top-5 in Andy Katz’s latest Big Ten Power Rankings

The 2021 NCAA basketball rosters are all but set-in-stone now that the deadline has passed to withdraw from the NBA draft. Teams like Purdue, Michigan, Ohio State and Maryland will all have players returning who were recently in the draft process, and that was reflected in Andy Katz’s latest Big Ten power rankings, where the Spartans missed the top-5.

You can see his rankings below:

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