There will be no shortage of talent on the floor when the 2013 Puerto Rico Tip-Off begins Nov. 21. Last year's national runner-up, the Michigan Wolverines, headline the half of the bracket in which all four teams have reached the NCAA Tournament within the past two years. On the other side, Georgetown appears to be a lock to reach at least the title game, as the Hoyas look to build off their Big East title from last year.
Puerto Rico Tip-Off features Michigan, VCU and Georgetown
A deep field heads to Puerto Rico with hopes of picking up a couple early season resumé boosters. Michigan and VCU are considered the favorites.
USA TODAY Sports
Teams, Bracket: Charlotte, Florida St., Georgetown, Kansas St., Long Beach St., Michigan, Northeastern, VCU
The full tournament bracket can be found here.
The Favorite: VCU
Five of seven ESPN analysts picked the Rams to knock off the likes of Georgetown and Kansas State in the title game to pick up a couple of big non-conference wins for Shaka Smart’s program. VCU will face a difficult path to the championship, potentially squaring off with Florida St. and Michigan in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
The Rams are always a very difficult team to match-up with given their depth and Havoc defense, and if they're able to slow down the likes of Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III, they'll have as good a chance as anyone in the field.
Key Storyline: How does Michigan look?
The Wolverines came up just short of a national championship last April. They lost star point-guard Trey Burke and sharp-shooter Tim Hardaway Jr. to the NBA, but have plenty of returning talent with McGary and Robinson III back. No one is really sure just how good Michigan will be next year in what should be another very deep Big Ten conference; a couple of early-season tests in Puerto Rico will tell us a lot about John Beilein's squad.
Potential Upset: Northeastern over Georgetown
The Hoyas lost star forward Otto Porter to the NBA over the summer, and recently had Greg Whittington tear his ACL, making him unlikely to play in November. Northeastern returns all but two players from a team that won 20 games last season while reaching the NIT. The Huskies will really have to play disciplined against Georgetown's methodical offensive attack, but they have the talent to pull the early season upset.
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