College Basketball Pre-Season Top 25

#1 - Florida Gators (SEC) - Billy Donovan must have felt like he was dreaming when the star trio of Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Joakim Noah all decided to return to Gainesville. The Gators do face a fairly strong SEC this year though, with LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas and Kentucky all looking like potential tournament teams.

#2 - Kansas Jayhawks (Big XII) - After getting upset in the first round last year, I expect Bill Self and his young Jayhawks to come out flying this season. They bring back a loaded lineup led by Brandon Rush, Julian Wright, Sasha Kaun, Mario Chalmers and C.J Giles, along with a super recruiting class made up of Darrell Arthur and Sherron Collins. I expect to hear “Rock Chalk Jayhawks” chants all the way to Atlanta.

#3 - North Carolina Tar Heels (ACC) - The Tar Heels were a major surprise last season and now, after adding a top recruiting class, Roy Williams will have North Carolina back on top of the ACC. Tyler Hansbrough looks to continue his dominant play after a tremendous freshman season. The Tar Heels run to the top of the ACC with the help of an incredible recruiting class of Brandan Wright, Wayne Ellington and Tywon Lawson. If these young guns mesh with the returning roster, then we could see Carolina back in the Final Four.

#4 - Georgetown Hoyas (Big East) - The Hoyas are finally back in the upper tier of college basketball. With studs Roy Hibbert and Jeff Green leading the way, I expect coach John Thompson III to bring dominating basketball back to the D.C. area . He landed one of their biggest recruiting hits in years with super smooth athlete DaJuan Summers and big man Vernon Macklin. You can expect a long run in March for the Hoyas.

#5 - Wisconsin Badgers (Big Ten) - Wisconsin might be the most overlooked contender in the country. Bo Ryan has brought the Badgers to the top of the Big Ten on a yearly basis and this year looks no different. Wisconsin brings back Alando Tucker who is the leading contender for Conference Player of the Year. Between Tucker and big men Brian Butch and Kammron Taylor, along with the unique offensive system, Ryan has in place Wisconsin fans can expect at least an Elite Eight experience.

#6 - Pittsburgh Panthers (Big East) - The Panthers got a pleasant surprise when big man Aaron Gray decided to return for his senior year. Pittsburgh was expected to be strong without Gray, but now a Final Four berth looks like a possibility. Coach Dixon, who is coming off the tragic loss of his sister, has his Panthers locked and loaded for a huge run. Word around the Big East is that Sam Young and Levon Kendall are on the verge of becoming stars this season. The one major obstacle will be the loss of their captain Carl Krauser.

#7 - UCLA Bruins (Pac-10) - The Bruins are loaded this year. After a surprising run to the championship game last year, this team looks poised for a repeat performance. Point guard Jordan Farmar left early for the pros but Arron Affalo made the correct decision in coming back. He could be the leading scorer in the Pac-10 this year. Josh Shipp returns after missing 35 games last season to a hip injury, and Coach Ben Howland expects huge contributions from him. The combination of Affalo and Shipp along with Pac-10 Freshman of the Year Luc Richard Mbah a Moute means another long year for Pac-10 opponents.

#8 - Louisiana State Tigers (SEC) - Glen “Big Baby” Davis has slimmed down in order to improve his NBA stock, but the payoff could mean an even more dominant performance by the Tigers. The only starter not returning to the bayou is Tyrus Thomas, and the Tigers expect Magnum Rolle to replace his shot blocking contributions. I expect the Tigers to challenge Florida for the SEC crown.

#9 - Texas A&M Aggies (Big XII) - Who would have ever expected Texas A&M to be ranked ahead of their interstate rival Texas Longhorns? The Aggies bring back two dominant scorers in Acie Law and Joseph Jones, with Jones expected to compete for Big 12 Player of the Year. The Aggies also bring in a highly regarded recruiting class led by Bryan Davis and sharp shooter Donald Sloan.

#10 - Ohio State Buckeyes (Big Ten) - No team has benefited from the NBA age restrictions more than the Ohio State Buckeyes. Coach Thad Matta has brought in arguably the top recruiting class in the history of Ohio State basketball. Greg Oden, who is considered the best center prospect since Tim Duncan, leads a stellar class of shooting stud Daequan Cook and a top point guard prospect in Mike Conley. Combine these prospects with the returning upperclassmen and the U looks like they could be in for a huge season. This early ranking will probably fall with Oden out until the Big Ten regular season starts, but March is all that really matters anyways.

#11 - Marquette Golden Eagles (Big East) - After a surprising season last year, Marquette will not be sneaking up on anyone in the Big East this season. Coach Tom Crean wants to model his offense after the helter skelter style of Villanova from last season. The plan is to run a three guard offense lead by a superstar-in-the-making, point guard Dominic James, and his running mates Wesley Mathews and Jerel McNeal. As long as the Golden Eagles can adjust to life without dead-eye shooter and team leader Steve Novak, you should expect Marquette to be among the upper tier of the Big East.

#12 - Arizona Wildcats (Pac-10) - Arizona got great news when star wingman Marcus Williams decided to forgo the NBA for another year of college ball. Williams is considered the best returning NBA prospect throughout the Pac-10. When you combine Williams’ overall game with the veteran leadership of point guard Mustafa Shakur, the Cats have plenty of returning firepower. However, the big star in Arizona might be freshman stud forward Chase Budinger, who,according to coaches throughout the Pac-10, maybe the ConferenceFreshman of the Year. If Budinger is as good as advertised then Coach Lute Olsen may have the top team in the conference once again.

#13 - Duke Blue Devils (ACC) - Duke lost a lot of firepower when seniors J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams graduated and moved on to the NBA. However, they don’t rebuild in Cameron, they reload. With multi-talented sophomore forward Josh McRoberts and sophomore point guard Greg Paulus leading the way, Coach K should have the Devils up near the top of the ACC by the season’s end. As always, Duke hauled in a top notch recruiting class lead by Gerald Henderson, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek.

#14 - Villanova Wildcats (Big East) – The Wildcats may have to change their style of play this year in order to adapt it to the players on this roster. However, there is still a load of talent in Villanova. Potential Big East Player of the Year Curtis Sumpter is back after sitting out last season with a knee injury. Combining his talents with slasher Mike Nardi and freshman point guard Scottie Reynolds I expect the Cats to stay near the top of the always competitive Big East.

#15 - Boston College Eagles (ACC) - Al Skinner has the Eagles ready to contend in the ACC again this year. Losing Craig Smith will hamper the inside play of B.C., but there is still tons of talent to go around. Sean Williams may be the best defensive big man in college basketball this year. The Eagles also have the deadly outside touch of Tyrese Rice to go with star forward Jared Dudley. This threesome should cause plenty of problems for the rest of the ACC.

#16 - Alabama Crimson Tide (SEC) - The Tide are poised to have a monster season this year. According to sources throughout college basketball, Alabama could compete with Florida and LSU for the SEC crown. They bring back the best point guard in the nation in Ronald Steele and two other potential NBA first rounders in forwards Jermareo Davidson and Richard Hendrix. If the young ‘Bama bench can contribute at all this season, I would expect Mark Gottfried to have a dominant squad on his hands this season.

#17 - Oklahoma State Cowboys (Big XII) - The Cowboys should be back among the elite programs of the Big XII this season. Last year brought a lot of issues to this team, and the majority of the problems were associated with legendary coach Eddie Sutton. However, it looks like dad has left his son Sean with a great gift, a roster returning with loads of upperclassmen. The star of the Cowboys should be JamesOn Curry who should fill the basket on a regular basis this season. Other returning upperclassmen who should take a big step up are guards Byron Eaton and Terrel Harris and small forward Marcus Dove. The man distributing the ball to Curry and company is powerful yet explosive freshman guard Obi Muonelo who could be the difference between a solid season in Stillwater and a possible run at the Elite Eight.

#18 - Memphis Tigers (CUSA) - Coach John Calipari thinks that his roster this season maybe stronger than last year’s number one seed. That has to be the reason he would pass on the full court press that NC State placed on him following Herb Sendek’s departure for Arizona State. Calipari thinks these Baby Tigers will dominate the league even though they lost Darius Washington, Rodney Carney and Shawne Williams to the NBA Draft. Now while I may not believe the Tigers will start out as strong as last season, I do believe they will once again dominate Conference USA. Coach Cal continues to load up the roster with big time athletes such as potential star Willie Kemp and returning veterans Chris Douglas-Roberts, Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey. This roster would not be among the best in some of the top conferences, but CUSA is still struggling after the defections of Louisville, Cincy and Marquette.

#19 - Texas Longhorns (Big XII) -Texas has the chance to be like the Jayhawks or Tar Heels from 2005-2006. They lost a ton of talent to the NBA; but Coach Rick Barnes landed arguably the second best talent in the country behind Mr. Oden. Kevin Durant has a chance to be the best freshman player in the country (for a full season) since Carmelo Anthony lead the Syracuse Orangemen to the National Championship. He is joined by D. J. Augustin and Damion James in what is considered a phenomenal recruiting class. The Longhorns great run through the NCAA Tournament gave valuable experience to returning players such as point guard A. J. Abrams and forward Dion Dowell. By the season’s end you could see the Horns firmly placed in the top ten.

#20 - Washington Huskies (Pac-10) - The Huskies lost their leader for the second straight season as Brandon Roy departed for the NBA. However, Coach Lorenzo Romar has Washington in position to challenge UCLA and Arizona for the top spot in the Pac-10 once again. They bring back junior sharp shooter Ryan Appleby and sophomores Justin Dentmon and Jon Brockman. The key to another big season for Washington will be potential superstar big man Spencer Hawes. Hawes is going to dominate the paint like no big man in Huskies history, unless you count the immortal Todd MacCulloch.

#21 - Creighton Bluejays (MVC) - For those of you thinking the Missouri Valley Conference is full of just one year wonders, I have a big surprise for you. The Valley is coming back stronger then ever and leading the way is going to be Creighton. Stud guard Nate Funk is back to lead the Bluejays after playing in only six games last year due to injury. Funk is the leading candidate for Valley Player of the Year and he is not alone. He is joined by fellow injury returnee Josh Dotzler. When you combine these two guards with the rest of the returning squad, you can expect a great season at Creighton.

#22 - Gonzaga Bulldogs (WCC) - Anyone really think the Zags were going to disappear with the loss of Adam Morrison? If you did then you were greatly mistaken. Gonzaga is a powerhouse school which is at the point where it reloads instead of rebuilds. Coach Mark Few has his speedy point guard Derek Raivio back to lead the charge along with sharpshooters Jeremy Pargo and Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes. While the big men might not have the athletic ability of the monsters in the ACC, SEC and Big East, they know how to play and will get the job done.

#23 - Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (ACC) - The young Yellow Jackets took their lumps last year and now they are looking for revenge on the rest of the ACC. The upperclassmen are lead by Anthony Morrow and Ra’Sean Dickey, who both averaged more then 13 points per game last year. The Jackets bring back the majority of their roster from last season. However, these are not the reasons why Georgia Tech could make a run towards an Elite Eight appearance. Coach Paul Hewitt brought in two of the top freshmen in the country in Chris Bosh clone Thaddeus Young and the next stud point guard to join the long line of greats at the Tech in Javaris Crittenton. Crittenton has the potential to dominate the game like former Tech alumni Mark Price, Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury.

#24 - Wichita State Shockers (MVC) - The Shockers are back for revenge after losing in the Sweet Sixteen last season. They are lead by P.J. Couisnard, Sean Ogirri and Kyle Wilson, and it will be the job of these three to replace the leadership of senior Paul Miller. Losing Miller will hurt but apparently not enough to convince Coach Mark Turgeon to run for the big conferences. Instead of riding his credentials, he brought in potential newcomer of the year Gal Mekel who is expected to add a European style flavor to the Shockers.

#25 - Louisville Cardinals (Big East) - The Big East better beware of the Cardinals this season. You know Coach Pitino will be seeking revenge on all of the opponents who pummeled his boys last season. Captain Taquan Dean is gone but the Cards bring back plenty of talent in David Padgett and Juan Palacios. Padgett had a lot of injuries last year but has looked great this summer. The keys for Louisville could be big men Earl Clark and Derrick Caracter, freshmen who bring skills that most small forwards wish they could possess.


Just missing the Top 25 in no particular order:
Connecticut, Illinois, Southern Illinois, Tennessee, Stanford, California, Texas Tech