Andy Katz top 50 teams (1-50) A few teams to take note of: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">40. North Carolina Credentials: It would be easy to put the Tar Heels in the Top 25 since they won the national title ... or decide they're not worthy of any mentions since they lost their top seven scorers. Well, we think ultimately they'll fall somewhere in the middle. The Tar Heels will be one of those teams the local fans fall in love with from the outset. Tar Heel Nation will get a kick out of watching this team develop into an NCAA team throughout the season. The freshmen, led by Tyler Hansbrough, are all impact players. Hansbrough will be a double-figure scorer and should collect his fair share of boards, too. Danny Green, Bobby Frasor and Marcus Ginyard are all players who will contribute. The returnees, like David Noel, Reyshawn Terry and Quentin Thomas, just need a chance to play more minutes. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">38. Wisconsin Credentials: Bo Ryan. That could be enough for the Badgers. Somehow Ryan is able to maximize the abilities of his players. The Badgers lost a lot -- namely, Mike Wilkinson, Sharif Chambliss, Zach Morley, Clayton Hanson and Andreas Helmigk -- but there is at least one stud returning in Alando Tucker and once again plenty of role players like Kammron Taylor, Ray Nixon, Michael Flowers, Jason Chappell, Greg Stiemsma and Brian Butch. The Kohl Center is also good for a few wins, considering Wisconsin held a 38-game home-court winning streak before Illinois snapped it last season. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">34. Oklahoma State Credentials: This is another team we could be way off on, but it's hard to push the Cowboys too high after they lost so much. The only significant returnee is JamesOn Curry. The rest of the Cowboys' big names will be newcomers like Byron Eaton at point, Kenny Cooper and Mario Boggan inside, Keith Brumbaugh on the wing and Terrel Harris, Roderick Flemings and Torre Johnson coming in off the bench. Oh, and they still have Eddie Sutton saddled on the bench. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">31. Temple Credentials: John Chaney knew what he was doing in coming back for at least one more season. The Owls have a great chance to get back to the NCAAs. The Owls finished 11-5 in the Atlantic 10 last season and return Mardy Collins, one of the top lead guards in the country. Collins wasn't given much of a chance to make the U-21 team in Dallas in July, but he did because of his versatility. The rest of the team, with the exception of center Keith Butler, also returns. Mark Tyndale and Dustin Salisbery were underrated in the A-10 last season. </div> Link (1-10) Link (11-20) Link (21-30) Link (31-40) Link (41-50) Interesting. The rest of the ranking will be coming your way just as Andy Katz makes them. North Carolina I believe will prove that they are a top 40 team this season with Quentin Thomas getting his much deserved playing time. Your thoughts on Andy Katz's 31-50 teams.
Temple is low cuz they play in a kinda weak conference, and Mardy Collins is a all american type guy. They should be in the top 25 Arkansas is also probably low. Brewer is the same type of one man gang that Collins is and I bet he leads them into the tourney. UNC is so young this year, and they're starting over. They have a ton of talent but they might be reduced to something unheard of...the NIT
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Paul Bunyan:</div><div class="quote_post">Temple is low cuz they play in a kinda weak conference, and Mardy Collins is a all american type guy. They should be in the top 25 Arkansas is also probably low. Brewer is the same type of one man gang that Collins is and I bet he leads them into the tourney. UNC is so young this year, and they're starting over. They have a ton of talent but they might be reduced to something unheard of...the NIT </div> Actually I do believe UNC has a chance to make the NCAA's but not as a big contender. I am a fan of the young lineup we are going to bring in that includes Danny Green, Quentin Thomas, and Marcus Ginyard all three I think are destined for big years. But will they even come close to what they did last year? Not a chance. The only big name they bring back is Roy Williams and I don't care how good a coach is, without talent he can't coach to the best of his abilities. But yes I can see UNC making the tourny as a 7th or 8th seed. You hit the nail right on the head though with Brewer and Collins. They are one man shows, NBA bound, that should alone make the teams in the top 30.
21-30 A couple teams to take not of: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">30. Michigan Credentials: The Wolverines should be one of the top teams in the Big Ten. We underscore should. The talent, if healthy, is in place with the return of Lester Abram, Dion Harris and Daniel Horton in the backcourt and a frontcourt of Chris Hunter, Brent Petway, Graham Brown and Courtney Sims. There really is no excuse for the Wolverines, if healthy again, to not be a factor all season. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">29. Miami Credentials: Frank Haith had a terrific first year, coming within a sniff of the NCAA Tournament. The Hurricanes return one of the top backcourts in the ACC in Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite. Anthony Harris adds another solid option. The newcomer class, led by Adrian Thomas, Jimmy Graham and Brian Asbury, also is getting solid pub. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">25. Illinois Credentials: Dee Brown, Big Ten player of the year; James Augustine, a developing post presence; Bruce Weber, one of the top rising coaches in the game; confidence that they can't be beaten in the Big Ten; an awesome home court that ranks with the best in the country; Orange, plenty of orange, to blind opponents. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">23. Wake Forest Credentials: Shooting guard Justin Gray; power forward Eric Williams; swing forward Trent Strickland and meaty inside presence Chris Ellis; Skip Prosser's intelligence; overall confidence that this team can continue to win. </div> Link(21-30) Nice seeing Wake Forest slip into the top 25 after losing Paul, I do think a lot of people are underrating Justin Gray in this situation. A lot of people are over looking that they do return their two top scorers from last season in Eric Williams and Justin Gray. But will they be the same team as last year? Not a chance. You might see them go past the second round this year but talent wise they don't match up to last years squad. I am excited to see Katz's top ten I don't really disagree with anything thus far.
Syracuse at #21? Wow, that's bold. But the worst thing I see there is Kansas at #26. That's just stupid. Yeah, yeah, they have incredibly talented freshman. Congrats to them. They play in one of the toughest conferences in the country, a conference that will send 6 or more teams to the NCAA Tournament, a conference in which there are many teams who are more experienced and ready to fight for a tourney spot than Kansas. I don't trust freshman potential enough to say that they'll be the #26 team in the country. There are so many other teams in the way, and Kansas is starting over. I think that's just a bad pick.
1-20 Again a couple to take note of: <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">20. UCLA Credentials: One of the top backcourts in the West, as well as the country. Point guard Jordan Farmar and Arron Afflalo can hang with any other pair. Wing Josh Shipp isn't too shabby as a third option, either. The Bruins picked up a solid recruiting class with depth at shooting guard, point guard and power forward, with Scout.com ranking four of the five as four-star players (Alfred Aboya, Mike Roll, Ryan Wright and Darren Collison). </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">18. Indiana Credentials: The Hoosiers could have one of the top frontcourts in the country with Auburn transfer Marco Killingsworth, D.J. White and Robert Vaden, with Ben Allen coming off the bench. The guard play could be solid, albeit without a star. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">14. Kentucky Credentials: The shooting of Patrick Sparks; the defense of point guard Rajon Rondo; the coaching of Tubby Smith; the role play of Ramel Bradley, Bobby Perry and Joe Crawford; the aura that envelops Rupp Arena at every home game; the Wildcats' dominance in the SEC. </div> Link (11-20) <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">10. Memphis Credentials: PG Darius Washington. SF Rodney Carney. PF Joey Dorsey. A stellar recruiting class led by Shawne Williams, Robert Dozier, Chris Douglas-Roberts and Kareem Cooper. No Sean Banks as a distraction. A weak Conference USA to dominate. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">3. Villanova Credentials: How about returning the top nine scorers from last season? The Wildcats gave national champ North Carolina a serious sweat in the Sweet 16. Handling the perimeter punch of Allan Ray, Randy Foye, Mike Nardi and Kyle Lowry, along with Curtis Sumpter's face-up game, is a dizzying experience for the opposing defense. </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">2. Texas Credentials: Nation's best point guard (Daniel Gibson); return of SF P.J. Tucker (academics); healthy C LaMarcus Aldridge (hip injury limited to 16 games); experienced PF Brad Buckman; underrated coach (Rick Barnes). </div> <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">1. Duke Credentials: Nation's best shooter (J.J. Redick); one of the top forwards (Shelden Williams); one of the best coaches (Mike Krzyzewski); one of the top newcomer classes (PF Josh McRoberts, PG Greg Paulus, PF Jamal Boykin, C Eric Boateng, SG Martynas Pocius); one of the top home courts (Cameron). </div> Link (1-10) Top three are as expected if you ask me. Villanova, Texas, and Duke are in for some big things this season. It's good to see Memphis get some love as well, they have a lot of potential on that squad with Darius Washington and Rodney Carney. On an off note, I am sure jagman would have loved to see the Credentials so high.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting C.K.:</div><div class="quote_post"> Top three are as expected if you ask me. Villanova, Texas, and Duke are in for some big things this season. It's good to see Memphis get some love as well, they have a lot of potential on that squad with Darius Washington and Rodney Carney. On an off note, I am sure jagman would have loved to see the Credentials so high.</div> If you ask me, you're putting too much importance on the fact that Memphis has Rodney Carney. He's basically an athlete first and a basketball player second. I don't want to make it sound like he has no positive attributes outside of his athleticism, but he is definitely too dependant on it, if that makes any sense. It'd be nice to see him develop a better passing game, improve his shot selection, or learn how to create his own shot. He puts up the high scoring numbers and gets on the highlight reels with dunks, but if you've sat down and watched him play every game these past few years, you'd really see that he's nowhere near the star he's made out to be. Sure, he'll probably be a first round pick because scouts drool over athleticism and size, two things that Carney possesses. He's not going to make them a top ten team though. I know that Darius Washington, Jr. is probably one of the five best Point Guards in the NCAA, but he's still not a pass-first Point Guard, and that's never a plus on a team full of other shoot-first players. If you need an example, just look at Sean Banks last season. I'm not saying that Washington, Jr. won't be a factor, and I'm sure he won't be a liability. He's not important enough to guide this team to anything special in the offseason though with the only other serious option on his team being Rodney Carney. You want to put a lot of stock into Shawne Williams as well, but have you stopped to think about the transition that either he or Carney will have to make from the Shooting Guard position? Are you even sure that Shawne Williams will start or play a significant role next season? This is a team that is notoriously stocked with misfits and dolts. It seems like every season, someone isn't eligible to play academically, someone is getting arrested, someone is feuding with the coaching staff, someone is feuding with their other teammates, or someone gets inconveniently injured. What makes you think that Shawne Williams will get through the season problem free? He was not able to graduate from one of the easiest High Schools in the city of Memphis, he has flirted with the NBA many a time so you know his heart is not with college basketball, and there is a lot of talk about possible involvement in gangs. To me, that list of troubles sounds worse than the ones Sean Banks brought in as a Freshman. They have almost no frontcourt, so I know it's not their frontcourt that impresses you and everyone else. What is it? This team is shallow as hell, has a bad coach, no frontcourt, and is prone to inner-chaos. I don't see it. I may begin to fathom that they'll be a top ten team, but that's simply because of Conference USA's weakness and Memphis' likely weak non-conference schedule. Just remember that before the season started, I said that this team will have little or no post season success. As for Andy Katz's rankings, there are a lot of things that I disagree with. After not being able to reel in C.J. Miles, I don't think Texas should be considered #2, or even #3 in the nation. I just don't see how you can put them over Villanova, Michigan State, or Connecticut. In fact, Connecticut should be #2, and Texas should be #5, just so long as Marcus Williams and A.J. Price don't get suspended or jailed for too long. They're overrated as hell every year though, so it's nice to see someone from ESPN actually rank them lower than expected. Aside from Memphis, Texas, and Connecticut, I'd probably switch Syracuse and Michigan. With Syracuse you have a team that's losing two of it's three best players, including Warrick who has been their main option since Anthony left. On the other hand, Michigan brings back every single player from last season, including their two best players and starting Center who were injured all last season. It's risky to pick them high because they had a 13-18 season last year, but as Andy Katz said, imagine if Illinois played last season without their two main options. That's how Michigan played last season without Horton and Abrahm, not to mention their big man, Graham Brown. I could really go on about his rankings for days, but those are some things that have been on my mind through reading the article. I'll probably share some more thoughts on the matter later.
Wow, UCLA all the way down at #20? That seems really low. I think they're more like 10-12 in the nation.
