College Basketball PreSeason Top 5
Sure it is a little early but practice does start in a few days and I’m really looking forward to it. I researched some squads out there and I came up with a pretty good top 5 coming into this season.
#5…UCLA Bruins- They are led by one of the best coaches in the country in Ben Howland and one of my personal favorite assistant coaches in Donny Daniels. I had to give Donny some pub there. UCLA lost Aaron Afflalo but returns nearly everyone else. They have also picked up one of the top recruits in the country in Kevin Love. They play in a very tough conference and will lose some games, but try to avoid them in March.
#4…Kansas Jayhawks- Kansas lost some great players again but the cupboard is far from bare. They return nearly all the points they may have lost when Julian Wright became a lottery pick when they signed stud recruit Cole Aldrich. Any lineup with Sherron Collins, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur is amazing. This team will win a lot of games but they only have 1 ball to go around. Coach Bill Self likes to use a solid high low type offense and has the strength and depth inside to do it. Kansas is scary.
#3…Georgetown Hoyas- These guys don’t have the talent that Kansas has but i think they have a better coach who really plays to his teams strength. They lost Jeff Green to the NBA draft but Roy Hibbert decided to stay for his senior season and that had to make John Thompson III very happy. They were able to get some solid recruits in that will make an immediate difference in Austin Freeman. This team will go inside often and if Hibbert stays out of foul trouble they will be very good in the Big East.
#2…Memphis Tigers- This one pains me. Memphis plays in a horrible conference and just kills teams. They have a marginal schedule and it is all very reminiscent of when Calipari coached UMASS in years past. I had to rate them this high because the guy can get players in and for once his team didn’t desert him for the NBA. Oh and did I mention that they signed Derrick Rose to help at guard. He could be the conference player of the year as a freshman and get some all american looks. He is that good and will get every chance to prove it. Despite their questionable schedule, Memphis has made the elite 8 the past two years and I see them their again.
#1…North Carolina Tarheels- This is one of the easiest top teams I have been involved with. They have nearly everyone coming back including Hansbrough, Lawson and the rest of the gang. They have depth at all positions and will run teams into the ground. Teams will need to get Hansbrough in foul trouble and to play a physical game with them. If they are on at all they will pound teams. The loss of Brendan Wright does hurt a little bit but I really don’t see this team struggling. The only team talent wise who is their equal is Kansas but Roy Williams is a better coach than Bill Self.
October 8th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
Memphis probably plays as tough an overall schedule as most “BCS” conference teams. The Tigers will play 7 or so top 25 teams in 2007-2008.
October 26th, 2007 at 10:30 am
Non conference they do…but in their conference c’mon. They are today’s version of the UNLV teams when they were in the PCAA. It doesn’t mean they aren’t good. I have them as a great team this season, but their conference scheduled is incredibly weak and I know they can’t help it.