I know that the rankings will keep shifting continuously over the next few months. However, just for fun, who do you think will finish the year near the top? This doesn't have to do with how a team is playing now. Just name who you think will be the top six teams in college hoops by the time the tourney comes around. I'll start: 1) Connecticut 2) North Carolina 3) Kentucky 4) Arizona 5) Kansas 6) Duke
1)Connecticut - This is an easy pick. They could lose a game against the Sooners, but in Big East play I only see them losing one or two max. 2)Duke - There is enough bias to keep them in the top two for the next decade. Face it, ESPN, Duke Vital, and all other analysts are in love with the Blue Devils. 3)Arizona - The Pac-10 is a weaker conference than usual this year. Teams like USC and UCLA have already collapsed early on. Arizona State hasn't been much of a prize either. I see them losing two or three more games, tops. 4)Georgia Tech - You could easily put Duke here and Georgia Tech at the number two position. It all depends on the two game series during the regular season and the ACC Tournament. 5)Kentucky - Let's face it. They've got a powder-puff schedule for the rest of the way into the NCAA tournament. They'll lose a game here and there to teams like Florida or L.S.U., but nothing too severe. 6)Michigan State - This may sound like a rediculous pick to some, but I expect the Spartans to get back on their feet for Big Ten competition. If they can beat Syracuse, South Florida, and UCLA then I believe they'll reclaim their top twenty ranking. The most I see them losing in Big Ten play is one or two games. They've done so well against the toughest competition in the league thus far, and the Big Ten is not much of a challenge.
1) UConn- Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor are the dynamic duo. When Okafor gets healthy the team really will hit their stride. Villanueva is giving them a solid 15-17 points a game and Taliek Brown is a good point guard. 2) Kansas- Aaron Miles is one of the better point guards in the NCAA despite the fact that he doesn't score much. Simien is one of the best frontcourt players in the country, and Langford is a very good swingman. 3) Duke- Williams is getting better every game I see him. Their backcourt depth is really going to help them as the season goes along. Deng is also great to have, of course. 4) UNC- Felton, May, McCants, Williams. 'Nuff said. 5) Arizona- Their players know how to play big in big games. They are another team with good backcourt depth, but some of those backcourt players are forced to play in the frontcourt due to lack of depth anywhere else. Things should improve when Fox is healthy. 6) Gonzaga- I'm going for a longshot here. I was skeptical of them at first, but they really impressed me with their win over Missouri (regardless of how overrated Missouri is). Stepp is a premier guard in the NCAA and Turiaf is a nice enough asset to have in the frontcourt. I really want to reverse 'Zona and UNC, but I'm going to leave it as is for now. I was also tempted to Michigan State in there because I think they will recover, but I decided against it.
1) Uconn 2) Unc 3) Arizona 4) Kansas 5) Duke 6) Ga Tech I Have A Couple Honorable Mentions, Kentucky, Illinois, Texas, And Michigan St.
In no Order: Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, UConn, UNC. Others that could be very close, Texas, Pittsburg, Arizona, Purdue, Michigen state.
