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Is It College Basketball Season Already?

by Trevor Freeman

I have but one piece of advice to pass along to all of you……..  

Beware the Bay Area natives in your NCAA Tournament pool this season.  For they are the ones that have been reading College Basketball preview magazines since mid-October and are already prepared for March Madness.  An October stumble in baseball and two NFL teams that have yet to leave the gate have reduced us already to March planning……..and plan I already have.  

It took some careful film study and consultation with my crack research staff but we are ready to unleash our preseason Top 25.  Words can’t describe the anticipation with which I am looking forward to the upcoming season of college hoops.  You know why NFL football and NCAA basketball are my two favorite sports to follow?  It is because both sports do it right in terms of how a season should be structured.  Both sports begin with drinks and light hors d’oeuvres (preseason NFL games and preseason tournaments).  Those are followed by a solid main course (regular seasons) which is then capped off with a sumptuous dessert and after dinner Scotch (NFL playoffs and NCAA Tournament).  With that let me order my first cocktail and begin our list with………..            
25.  Loyola Marymount

Without a doubt the biggest sleeper on the West Coast.  This is their best team since Hank Gathers and Bo Kimble were running circles around the nation.  The Lions return two All-Conference players in Brandon Worthy and Matthew Knight.  Worthy in particular is the best player in the WCC and probably one of the five best on the West Coast.  Knight averaged 16 and 10 last year and should only be better this season.  Their one-point loss to Gonzaga in the WCC Tournament Finals should serve as sufficient motivation for the Lions and I fully expect them to make noise in March.

24.  Bucknell

Buck Me?!?!?!  BUCK U!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The Bison have the necessary ingredients to make another Cinderella run as Pat Flannery’s crew returns three starters.  The leader of this team will be the 6’11” Chris McNaughton.  McNaughton is a load inside and is made doubly effective due to the presence of the sharp-shooting Jason Vegotsky.  Abe Badmus and Donald Brown are nice complimentary pieces for a Bison team that should return to the Dance.

23.  Connecticut

This ranking is basically a tip of the hat from me to Jim Calhoun.  I just cannot write a preseason Top 25 without including UConn.  While they lost four guys who became NBA first round picks and three others who were heavy contributors, UConn still has some guys who should keep the program afloat.  A.J. Price was a big-time player coming out of high school and should form an above-average backcourt with Craig Austrie.  Jeff Adrien will anchor a frontline that will need immediate contributions from freshmen Hasheen Thabeet and Jonathan Mandeldove.

22.  Villanova

Curtis Sumpter returns from a torn ACL which sidelined him for all of last season.  He will anchor a frontcourt that should be very strong as Will Sheridan and Dante Cunningham both return.  Mike Nardi returns in the backcourt and he will most likely be joined by freshman Scottie Reynolds.  The McDonald’s All-American can apparently score points in a hurry and already reminds people of Randy Foye.

21.  Syracuse

I reserve the right to revise this ranking if Paul Harris truly is the next Carmelo Anthony.  In fact, let me hold off on talking about this team until I see this kid compete because if he is that good then The Cuse could be dangerous as the complimentary pieces are already in place with Eric Devendorf, Demetris Nichols, Terrence Watkins, and Josh Wright.  

20.  Kentucky

I’ve heard the talk about Rajon Rondo being an NBA sleeper and trust me I am waiting for the other shoe to drop.  What all these NBA followers don’t know that college hoops aficionados do know is that Rajon Rondo is like the hot French girl who transferred to your high school.  On the surface she looks good, but once you get her naked you’ll find out that there is hair under those pits.  

Kentucky is a sleeper this year as Tubby Smith is one of those coaches who does better when he is coaching a team that isn’t very talented.  When that happens, Smith gets them to buy into slowing the game down and playing defense and that is when his teams are very good.  The best returning player for Kentucky is Randolph Morris.  Morris is now a junior and needs to become the surefire lottery pick we all thought he would be coming out of high school.  

(The first paragraph of our look at Kentucky paves the way for our first fun fact of this NCAA preview.  Rajon Rondo’s shooting percentages on three pointers last season was 27.3% and from the foul line was 57.1%.  What’s that phrase about throwing rocks in the ocean?)

19.  Gonzaga

Gonzaga having to play without Adam Morrison feels like the Beatles having to sing without John Lennon, “The Sopranos” having to continue without Tony, or Alvin & the Chipmunks having to forge along without Alvin.  No team in the country lost as much as Gonzaga did because in Morrison leaving, Gonzaga not only lost the best player in the country but they also lost the person most closely identified with their program.  His void is a big one and the slack will have to be picked up by everybody on the roster.  The backcourt should be solid as “Opie” Raivio, Jeremy Pargo, Pierre-Marie Altidor Cespedes and Larry Gurganious all return.  The frontcourt has loads of potential and the key will be for high talent guys like Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs, and David Burgess to begin the process of putting it together.  Sean Mallon and David Pendergraft are both effective complimentary players who will see plenty of minutes.  Keep an eye on freshman Matt Bouldin as he was Mr. Basketball last year in Colorado.

18.  Wichita State

Don’t give me that look.  Wichita State is returning four starters from a team that made the Sweet Sixteen and should probably be preseason ranked higher than eighteenth.  What makes the Shockers extremely dangerous is that they have a bunch of guys who can shoot it from anywhere on the court.  The strength is on the perimeter as P.J. Couisnard, Sean Ogirri, and Matt Braeuer all return.  Keep an eye on freshman Gal Mekel from Tel Aviv as he is apparently a big-time player.

17.  Boston College

Do you think Jared Dudley was banging on his chest when he left the womb?  Those bruises on his chest aren’t from the other team; they are from himself after a high-scoring game.  That all being said, Dudley is one of those players who probably won’t make it in the NBA but will be remembered as an outstanding college player.  He is your classic tweener who has success on this level.  Joining him in the frontcourt are two big nasties in Sean Williams and John Oates. The underrated player on this team is in the backcourt. Remember the name….Tyrese Rice.  Rice is an absolutely fearless player who wants to take big shots.  

16.  Nevada

Nick Fazekas is back for his senior season and it should be a special one for the Wooden Award candidate.  The multi-dimensional Fazekas is joined by the experienced perimeter trio of Marcellus Kemp, Kyle Shiloh, and Edgar Sessions.  Nevada ended last year on a disappointing note as they lost in the first round to Montana.  Look for them to atone for that and more in this year’s Dance.

15.  Xavier

I’m not sure why the Musketeers aren’t getting more national recognition because they have a team that could create major noise in March.  Xavier will be led by guard Stanley Burrell who can score from anywhere on the court.  Josh Duncan is as versatile a forward as you will find in America.  The junior forward is somebody that you just keep waiting to dominate a game because he has the talent to do so.  17th year senior Justin Doellman brings a ton of effort under the basket and has a nice touch when he steps out.  The key to this team will be Oklahoma transfer Drew Lavender.  Lavender was electric in his two seasons for the Sooners and is the player who could put Xavier over the top and into the Final Four.

14.  The…………..Ohio State University

I think some of the people who write these preseason publications need to take a step back for a second and just slooooowwwww down about how great the Buckeyes are going to be this year and how they will contend for the national title.  I’m sure Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook and David Lighty are fantastic basketball players, however they are still freshman.  There will be some ups and downs and there will be a bad nonconference loss (I’m circling November 20th against the University of San Francisco as to when that might happen).  The key to this season will be for upperclassmen Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis to take the pressure off of the frosh during the nonconference slate.

13.  Wisconsin

Bo Ryan has a ton of experience returning in Madison and his Badgers have to be considered the favorites in the Big 10 conference.  Alando Tucker leads this group and he is one of those players that does a little bit of everything.  Complementing him is Kammron Taylor and Brian Butch.  Taylor is a sharp-shooting guard who gets points on the board in bunches.  Brian Butch is a former McDonald’s All-American who started to live up to that potential last season.  

12.  Marquette

Marquette is the cute girl who always likes to wear a hat with the ponytail sticking out and jeans.  Constantly overlooked and underrated, yet always a factor.  Tom Crean may have his best team since this guy with the last name of Wade led them to the Final Four.  For my money, Dominic James is the best point guard in the nation.  James was an absolute revelation in his freshman season and in the NCAA Tournament.  He is joined out on the perimeter by fellow sophomores Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews.  Both of those guys can really put the ball in the bucket.  Their Final Four hopes hinge on getting production out of a variety of unproven big men.  

11.  Texas A&M

The over/under is 1.  That’s how many more years Billy Gillespie has at Texas A&M before he gets hired by a big-time basketball school.  The reclamation project he has done in College Station is quite possibly the best job I have seen done in college basketball in a very long time.  In two seasons he moved Texas A&M from laughingstock to Big 12 contender.  Gillespie’s third campaign should be his best though.  

The cupboard is full in College Station and it begins with point guard Acie Law IV.  There is not a more underrated lead guard in the nation as he is the straw that stirs the Aggie drink.  Joseph Jones is an absolute horse in the paint that should be even more effective this season if freshman Bryan Davis is as good as advertised.  Dominique Kirk, Josh Carter, Atanas Kavaliauskas are all nice complementary pieces.  

(Here is our second fun fact of this preview.  Sophomore Martellus Bennett is a two sport star as he currently has 24 catches for 284 yards on the season for the Aggies in football.  In four years he is the next Tony Gonzalez/Antonio Gates.  Just remember one thing…………..you heard it in this article first.)

10.  Kansas

Let’s put it this way, the only reason I have them in my top ten is because everybody else does and mine would lose all credibility if they were excluded.  That being said, I have a lot of problems with a team and staff that lost to Bucknell and Bradley in the first round of consecutive NCAA Tournaments.  And if you think I’m bitter because they had a nice hand in ruining one of my brackets….you’re right.  

9.  Arizona

If you could be a star college basketball player at any school in America……..wouldn’t Arizona be the one you choose.  You almost wonder if the admissions department makes prospective female applicants submit a picture instead of a writing sample.    

The Wildcats are loaded and should fight it out with UCLA all season long for the Pac 10 title.  They return Mustafa Shakur, Jawann McClellan and Marcus Williams.  All three of these guys can absolutely fly.  Chase Budinger is the newest highly touted frosh to enroll for the Wildcats.  While I think we all need to slow down on the Chase Budinger/Adam Morrison comparisons….Budinger is legit.  

(Here is our third fun fact of this NCAA preview.  That guy on the bench sitting a few seats from Lute Olson that looks like Miles Simon………..is indeed Miles Simon.)

8.  Alabama

The Crimson Tide have high hopes for this season, mainly because of the return of Ronald Steele.  There is no doubt that if Ronald Steele played for a basketball school that he would be more of a household name.  The point guard will contend for All-American honors.  Complimenting him is a strong frontcourt led by Jermareo Davidson and Richard Hendrix.  This is easily the best team Mark Gottfried has ever had in Tuscaloosa.

7.  UCLA

Let’s put it this way…….I had already written the e-mails patting myself on the back and had visions of spending my NCAA Tournament pool winnings last year.  Never did I think UCLA would get killed by Florida.  While Jordan Farmar, Ryan Hollins and Cedric Bozeman are gone, the vast majority of last year’s contributors return to contend for an NCAA title.  Arron Afflalo and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute are big-time players who will both be collecting an NBA paycheck someday.  The key to this team will be Darren Collison.  There were times in limited action that you thought he might be better than Farmar.  The key will be the adjustment in minutes.  Collison plays at a fast pace and it will be interesting to see if he can sustain that pace over the now 32-35 minutes he will now see.

6.  LSU

What do you think there is a better chance of?  Glen “Big Baby” Davis becoming an NBA superstar or Glen “Big Baby” Davis wearing a straw hat and playing the harmonica at some blues club in New Orleans.  I’m saying the latter and quite frankly I think the thought of Davis sitting on some stool and belting out classics would be utterly hysterical.

The Bayou Bengals have a great chance of repeating their Final Four run of last season.  Davis will key the frontcourt and commands a double team on every possession.  Tasmin Mitchell, Garrett Temple, Darnell Lazare, and Ben Voogd also return.  Keep an eye on Tack Minor who returns from a torn MCL and Marquette transfer Dameon Mason.  Mason was the 2004 Conference USA Freshman of the Year and he should really fill it up after a year off the court.

5.  Cobra Kai

Watching the Cobra Kai dojo compete for the first time without J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams will be a weird experience.  It’ll be like going into McDonald’s and finding out that they took the “Big Mac” off the menu.  A lot of experts doubt their chances at the All-Valley Karate Tournament this year.  Not me.  Coach K is at his dastardly best when he can play the underdog card.  Josh McRoberts and DeMarcus Nelson lead the returnees and Gerald Henderson highlights the newcomers.  

4.  Pittsburgh

There wouldn’t be a better story in basketball than Jamie Dixon cutting down the nets the year after his sister Maggie passed away.  Pittsburgh should have a shot at making this possible as Aaron Gray coming back to school for his senior season was huge.  His presence elevates the Panthers into the top five.  The key to this team will be for either Levance Fields or Ronald Ramon to step up and solidify the point guard position.  Keep an eye on transfer Mike Cook as well as he really filled it up in his freshman campaign at East Carolina.  

3.  Georgetown

I think the Hoyas are going to be a huge factor at the end of the season.  Mainly because I believe that strongly in the fact that Roy Hibbert will be a star.  Lost in all this talk about Greg Oden entering college as the best center in the country was the fact that Hibbert was blossoming in the NCAA Tournament.  The 7’2″ 285 pounder has great hands and seemed to develop a new post move every time I saw him.  It would not shock me if puts up a 15-11-4 season.  Jeff Green is also somebody who has been flying under the radar on all these preseason checklists.  He has a lot of variety in his game and is the Hoyas best scorer.  Patrick Ewing Jr. is eligible this season and should add even more post depth.  The key to this team will be the guards.  Do not be surprised if they look to freshman Jeremiah Rivers to solidify the backcourt.  Rivers is the son of Doc Rivers and we all know how effective a coach’s son can be at the point guard spot (see John Lucas Jr., Bryce Drew, etc.).

2.  North Carolina

A lot of people have been crowning the Wayne Ellington and Ty Lawson recruiting class as North Carolina’s best since the 1990 class that included Eric Montross, Derrick Phelps, and Brian Reese.  In the words of Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend”.  Last I checked the Sean May/Raymond Felton/Rashad McCants class was a pretty good one.  

That being said, North Carolina is loaded.  All-American Tyler Hansbrough leads a group of returnees that includes Reyshawn Terry, Bobby Frasor, Wes Miller and Quentin Thomas.  If the newcomers can blend in with the solid group of returnees then this North Carolina team has a chance to be special.

1.  Florida

Everybody seems ready to hand them the national championship and on paper this group is very imposing.  Joakim Noah passed up on being a top three pick in the NBA Draft.  Al Horford, Taurean Green and Corey Brewer are all future pros who will contend for All-Conference and All-America consideration.  However, we are all forgetting one thing.  What are the chances that every single one of these guys has been getting laid three times a day for the entire offseason and have gotten a little happy with themselves?  I’m saying even the walk-ons have one of those numbers dispensers they have at the bakery outside their dorm room.  Complacency could easily seep in here so unlike Denny Green I’m not ready to “crown their ass” just yet.    

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at [email protected].  

2 replies on “Is It College Basketball Season Already?”

Thank you Trevor… For helping to put an end to my Steelers-induced migraine headache. That game pissed me off so bad I wanted to go and eat drain cl….nevermind, I’m ranting…

Anyway, great preview, funny as always. Somehow, you mix alcohol (of course), Alvin of the Chipmunks and the Karate Kid Part I to get a pretty spot on piece of writing. Pitt (BTW, it’s PITT again and not Pittsburgh) will be interesting this year because they have almost everybody coming back. I’m not confident about the way Aaron Gray got pushed around by Patrick O’Bryant in the tourney last year. I like Lavance Fields at the point (Ramon will be a 2) better than Carl “I think I’ll just go ahead and chuck every fuckin’ shot up tonight” Krauser. We’ll be a better team with his ass in Turkey or whatever. Also, you didn’t mention him, but by the end of the year everyone will be mentioning Sam Young. The guy rebounds and defends better than most of us breathe.

Only five months til March Madness kids!!

Pitt Thank you!

I really, really like their chances of winning the Dance this year.  I definitely agree on Carl Krauser.  I think him being gone may actually make Pitt a better team.  He styled himself as somebody who can take big shots, however I always thought those shots might be better off in somebody else’s hands.  If Fields can be steady the Panthers can be very good.  Toss in the fact that you know the Sports Gods might be looking down and trying to help Jamie Dixon (who is a great coach) get to the Final Four and it could be a special season in Pittsburgh.

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