2011-2012 College Basketball Preview

Teams on the rise: Mizzou, Xavier, Cincy

Mizzou has veteran guards Kim English and Marcus Demmon, who will light it up from beyond the arc. Losing PF Laurence Bowers is something that can't be overlooked. Xavier has the best mid major player and All American Tu Holloway to lead an always solid team lead by Coach Mack. Brad Releford coming back from injury will be a huge life to to Xavier, and Kenny Frease in the middle will bring down his fair share of boards. Cincy hasn't be talked about at all this offseason, and they will definitely surprise people in the Big East this year. Yancy Gates is a scorer down low, and the Bearcats return their entire back court.

Mid Majors to watch: Harvard, Creighton, Gonzaga

Keith Wright is an absolute monster. Tommy Amaker has done a terrific job rebuilding this program. He is also recruiting nationally, making this program better for the future. Creighton has Doug Mcdermont, a shooting forward who can light it up on any given night. The Missouri Valley Conference will have multiple teams competing for bids. Zaga has always produced solid teams. Veterans Harris and Sacre have a chance to go far with all their guards and shooters spotting up, while they're down low.

All Frosh team

Rivers, Duke

Davis, UK

Beal, Florida

Nash, OKST

Drummond, Uconn

3 to watch: Hood Mississippi St, Dawson MSU, Pangos, Zaga

8 players to breakout

Wright, Harvard

Paul, ILL

Snaer, FSU

Smith, UCLA

Behanan, Louisville

Brown, Texas

Mbakwe, Minnesota

W Barton, Memphis

All Americans

Davis, Uk

Sullinger, OHST

Jones, UK

Barnes, UNC

Holloway, XU

Freshman Under the Radar

We all know that Anthony Davis and Austin Rivers will be impact players this season, but what about other top Freshman that are getting over looked?

Adonis Thomas Memphis- Now Thomas was ranked in the top 10 for his class, but he is not even close to receiving as much hype as other guys in the top 10. Adonis is a great wing player with great speed and leaping ability to go along with just a decent jumper. He is going to fit in great with a veteran Tigers team that should find themselves in the top 20 for most of the year.

Amir Williams Ohio St- The Big Man on Campus is Sullinger and always will be Sullinger this year, but he is going to have a great front court teammate with him this year in Williams. Amir is just another big body opponents will have to worry about. His low post scoring and free throw shooting isn't there yet, but the Buckeyes will be fine as long as he grabs his fair share of boards with Sully.

Chasson Randle Stanford- Randle went with Stanford instead of staying in state and playing for U of I. He has a chance to be the Cardinal's starting point, as he brings a lot to the table. Chasson has a great body for a point guard and plays hard defensively. He runs the break well and can finish with both hands.

And the correct answer is

The deadline for underclassmen to make the final decision to stay or enter the draft and forgo their eligibility has passed, and there might be a few players who might regret their decisions in June.

Terrence Jones- Jones's decision was factored by the possibly lockout, but with that said, he has to like 4 top freshman coming to Lexington to join him, Darius Miller, and Doron Lamb to be a top 3 pre-season team in every poll.

Shelvin Mack- Butler takes a huge step back in losing Mack and Howard this year. Mack is a second round pick, and he must of thought his stock could have fallen if he had came back for his senior year.

Ashton Gibbs- Gibbs would be making a huge mistake if he stayed. Now that he's back, Pitt will have another top 25 team and compete for the title in the Big East once again, as Jamie Dixon always seems to have veteran and tough built teams.

Tristan Thompson and Corey Joesph- Prime to be national contenders and Big 12 favorites, UT took a major step back as they lose these two and also Jordan Hamilton.

2011 NCAAB Early Rankings

Still hungover from Final Four fever? A quick dose of the way too early top 8 to help ease your pain.

1. Kentucky- Coach Cal's class coming in next year is his best so far, with 4 of the top 15 freshman in the country heading to Lexington. Add in upperclassmen Liggins, Vargas, and Darius Miller, plus the possibility Brandon Knight and Terrence Jones returning and this team has all the pieces to be a national contender.

2. UNC- Zeller and Henson have announced they will return, and now the key player is Barnes, who has hinted he will stay. If UNC returns all starters and with plenty of guard talent off the bench, we'll be looking at the ACC favorites. Also look for the talented freshmen PJ Hariston and James McAdoo to look nice in the tar heel blue jerseys.

3. Duke- I got the Devils right behind their rivals. Rivers, Dawkins and Curry will be the best 3 guard rotation in the country and all the Plumlees will be a force down low. Coach K will also get some solid contributions from 2nd year players Hariston and Thornton.

4. Texas- Depending on if Tristian Thompson and Cory Joesph declare for the association, the Horns will be the favorites in the "new" Big 12. Still, Myck Kabongo has all the hype to join past great Texas PGs like DJ Augustin and TJ Ford. A back court with Kabongo, Joesph and Hamilton shooting and penetrating on the perimeter plus Thompson down low is a hard team to match up with.

5. OSU- Aaron Craft will get a lot more credit with John "Threebler" now gone. Buford steps into the go to sharpshooter and keep an eye on freshman Amir Williams down low next to a guy named Jared Sullinger, who should be the pre season favorite for the Naismith award.

6. Syracuse- Another strong recruiting class by Coach Boeheim, who is a top 5 coach for recruiting, specifically for fitting into his 2-3 zone and shooters on the perimeter. The only loss on this team is Rick Jackson, who leaves big feet to fill. Can this be the year the Orange finally get back to the Final Four?

7. Kansas- They always seem to be a top 15 team year in and year out. Morris brothers are gone but Thomas Robinson is ready to burst out. Taylor and Elijah Johnson should have big years, but the big piece is whether Josh Selby comes back next year. I think he can be a top 5 PG in the country with the right attitude and commitment to workouts in the summer.

8. Lousville- The Card's lose Preston Knowles 15 ppg, but Peyton Siva and Terrence Jennings really excite me. Siva showed loads of poise against Big East foes last year, and with freshman Wayne Blackshear and Kyle Kuric with him on the perimeter, Siva now has 3 options: Lob to Jennings, pass it to Kuric for the 3, or drive and take it himself.

Teams to watch

Mizzou- If Kim English and Laurence Bowers return for their senior years, the Tigers will have 2 scorers in Enlgligh and Denmon to go with an all senior starting lineup to run, "the fastest 40 minutes in basketball."

Xavier-Tu Holloway is back to take the A-10 by storm again. He has pieces around him also and it wouldn't surprise me if they climb into the top 10.

Butler Part III?

Butler gave us a thrilling ride once again, even without top play maker Gordon Hayward, who left for the NBA after last year's run. This year's team once again showed the toughness and mentality Butler brings and shows going into every tournament game: We can play with and beat anyone. Even though coming up a win short in two straight tournaments has to be unbearable to the B-Town players, they will be back, rest assure. But back how far? Losing key players like Senior leaders Matt Howard, Vanzant, Hahn, and possibly Shelvin Mack will hurt Butler for next year. The youth, however, on this team has to excite any fan dreaming of another Butler run in a couple of years. We saw Andrew Smith step up and show he can rebound against some of the country's elite. Khyle Marshall and Chrishawn Hopkins really have loads of potential. Marshall was an offensive rebounding machine while Hopkins provided tons of energy off the bench. You will hear their names in the tourney down the road, guaranteed. Returning role players like Stigall and Nored give the Bulldogs still that hard nosed personality heading into next year. Plus, the future looks promising with recruiting. Brad Stevens has built Butler into a program that can now take away in state recruits from IU, Purdue and ND. Next year Butler doesn't haven't the talent to go as far as this year, but a future with Hopkins and Marshall, plus pipeline recruits coming in equals an underdog powerhouse growing in B-Town. But hey, every March Madness needs some Bulldog Fever.

Staying or Going?

With the NCAA tourney coming to a close, the NBA draft now comes into the picture. Underclassmen now make the decision whether to throw their name into the draft or stay in college for at least one more year.

Sullinger-He already said that he will be back for one more year, but will the lure of all those zeros make him back out of his comments? I think he sticks by his comments, and even with the loss of Deibler and Lighty, another top 10 recruiting class comes in to make OSU the early favorite in the Big 10

Barnes- He said before the start of this year he would likely stay 3 years, but his stock in the second half of the season has jumped higher than Rebecca Black and Mac Miller's popularity combined. If he comes out he's a lock for top 5.

Knight and Jones- The scary and ironic thing about this is Calipari will probably encourage them to go this year, just to make room for the #1 recruiting class in the nation. Now that they've reached the Final Four, Knight and Jones are lottery bound.

Same Butler, New Bulldogs

Butler launched onto the scene last year, become America's darling with a young coach and players who hustled and fought on every possession. This year's team may not have as many offensive threats with the loss of Gordon Hayward and Avery Jukes, but key roles players like Mack, Howard, and Nored have kept the Bulldog toughness intact. This years team focuses more on defense, especially helping on the weak side and switching on pick and roles. Coach Stevens has really elevated the communication on both sides of the floor, especially when it comes to defense. On the other side of the ball, Matt Howard is still a presence is the post, except he isn't usually found there alot. Now, with the development of a 3 point shot, Howard gives another long range shooter to go with Shelvin Mack and Zach Hahn. Sophomore Andrew Smith has shown significant improvement down low, which means Howard can play outside in the 4 -out offense. Smith and Howard will have their hands full with Florida's bigs, but the key to me is if Vanzant and Mack manage to slow the break of the Florida guards.

Teams on Upset watch in March

As the tourney approaches, the teams on the bubble are pushing hard to earn those last spots. But what about those teams who are probably safe for their spot in March? Here's 3 teams who could go down in the first round.

Arizona- Zona is a very solid team, don't get me wrong. But they haven't beaten a single ranked team all year. D. Williams is a top 10 player in the nation, but is he enough to carry the wildcats? If he gets in foul trouble, I wonder if Fogg and Horne will have what it takes to step up and show upperclassmen leadership.

UConn- Another team with a star and not much supporting cast. Kemba is Kemba, doing what he does. But the emergence of Lamb and Oriakhi will determine if this team can really compete with the nation's best in the tourney, as Kemba can't score every point.

Louisville- Another Big East team that has some faults. Leadership has done the disappearing act and then reappearing occasionally. Knowles and Siva are 2 of the better guards in the Big East, but toughness will be a deciding factor come March.

"Jimmers" to Look For

We all know the new Stephen Curry re-incarnated by now: Jimmer. But you may want to know these names as well, as they are all capable of taking over games and leading their teams to upsets, possible in March.

Rat McCallum-PG-Detroit- The Freshman is only averaging 14.5 ppg, but this former top 20 nationally ranked recruit has deep range from three and great ball skills. Detroit could make a lot of noise in the Horizon tournament.

Charles Jenkins-PG-Hofstra- If this guy was on a power conference team, he would be getting as much love as Kemba and Fredette. Hofstra is still in the race for their conference title, and they are definitely an upset pick in March as long as he's on the team.

Klay Thompson-SG-Wash St- Thompson is one of the most underrated players in the NCAA. This kid can do it all. What makes him scary is that his scoring skills added to his big body makes him an impossible matchup for opponents.

Tu Holloway-PG-Xavier- Tu bursted onto the scene when him and former teammate Jordan Crawford almost upset KSU last year in the tourney. He's back this year, and his 3 point shot is something opposing teams have to contain.

CBB Surprises and Dissapoitnments

As all the holiday tournaments and non-conference games come to a close, we take a look at some of the highlights and downfalls.

Most Surprising team-UConn- The emergence of Kemba Walker as one of the top ballers in the country has made the Huskies legit, with wins over Kentucky and Michigan St.

Disappointing teams- Gonzaga and VT- The Zags played a brutal non-conference schedule, but could only manage 3 quality wins. The Hokies were a top 20 team coming into this season, but 3 straight losses has dropped them considerably.

All Americans so far-

Jimmer Fredette

Kyrie Irving

Jared Sullinger

Marcus Morris

Kemba Walker

All Dud team-

Harrison Barnes

Malcom Delaney

Mike Tisdale

Enes Kanter

Curtis Kelley

2011 NBA Draft

Even with chilly December just beginning, it's never too early to check out some players who might be in the June draft.

1. Jared Sullinger-Ohio St.-PF- This super frosh has Buckeye fans thinking he could be the next Greg Oden or better. He resembles almost like a Kevin Love, but its doubtful that he is one and done this year.
2. Kyrie Irving-Duke-PG- Irving has taken the country by storm, and it is quite possible he bolts for the Association. Since the NBA is a point guard league, he would be projected to be a top 5 pick right now, if not better.
3. Perry Jones-Baylor-PF- A huge kid with crazy hops, Jones has the chance to go top 3. He reminds me of Tyrus Thomas, which may not be the comparison he wants.
4. Kemba Walker-UConn-PG- The junior really lit it up in Maui, and he also helped his stock. Walker is the highest rated upperclassmen in this draft.
5. Enes Kanter-C- Formerly Kentucky- Kanter was ruled ineligible by the NCAA in the fall. That won't stop Kanter from going high in the draft. Think Demarcus Cousins with a mid range jumper.
6. Terrence Jones-PF-Kentucky- Jones has really stepped in with the absence of Kanter, and he has also really improved his stock. He could be top ten or early Lottery.
7. Harrisn Barnes-SF-UNC- Barnes's stock has plummeted from the beginning of the season. But with an NBA built body and still plenty of season to go, he is projected top 5.
8. Chris Singleton-PF-FSU- The Seminole blocked shots like crazy against Ohio St with NBA scouts in the stands. He has been compared to Al Harrington.

NCAAB Holiday Tournaments

Here's a couple of thoughts after the Holiday tourneys:

• Kemba Walker has the lead for the Naismith Award right now. The junior guard led Uconn in impressive wins over ranked opponents Washington and Kentucky, who have plenty of talent. Walker also averaged 30.3 points in Maui, as Uconn now has a legit star player in the making and potential to grab the Big East by storm.
• Duke is still Duke. Even #4 Kansas St. couldn't rattle the Devils, as #1 won by 14. KSU even had virtual home court, with the tournament being played in Kansas City, and still didn't make it close.
• North Carolina and it's star Freshman are starting off slow. Harrison Barnes went 0-12 vs Minnesota and then a loss to lowly Vandy in the 3rd place game spells trouble for UNC. Minnesota highlighted the tourney, as a win over WVU in the championship really boosted their ranking.
• The NIT final is a game I'm sure to watch, even with plenty of good NCAAF on. An athletic Tennessee team goes against a strong and talented guard trio in Villanova. This game is a great way to end the Holiday tournaments.

Under the Radar players NCAAB

Here's a look at my Terrific 13 players who's names you will know come March-

1. Klay Thompson-PG-WSU- A guard in a forward's body, Klay has every intangible to get the Cougars back on track this year after some lowly years in the recent past.

2. Derrick Williams-PF-Arizona- In a rebuilding year for the Wildcats, this kid really stands out. He could be the player of the conference this year, and only as a Soph. If he stays next year, the 'Cats will be conference favorites with a great class coming in.

3. Jimmer Fredette-SG-BYU- If you don't know this guy's name already, LEARN IT! He could possibly be the next Steph Curry in the tourney this year, as no one wants to face BYU in the first round this year as long as a guy named Jimmer is on the roster.

4. Demetri Goodson-PG-Gonzaga- Goodson isn't the most talented player on Zaga's roster. but he might be the most important. He really needs to distribute and run the team well in order for Zaga's Final Four dreams to come true.

5. Kawhi Leonard-SF-San Diego St- The super sophomore leads the Aztecs, who have their best team in years.

6. Mickey McConnell-SG-St Mary's- The senior, who is a three point specialist, will try and fill the veteran leadership role left vacant by Omar Samhan.

7. Will Barton-SG-Memphis- One of many talented freshman who will lead this Tigers team. He will be their main play maker down the stretch as his young coach will rely on him.

8. David Lighty-PF-Ohio St- The fifth year senior will be the leader or this team, as talented youth surround him ,who seem ready to compete with Michigan St.

9. John Leuer-PF-WIS- The most underrated player in the Big Ten, John will be key in Bo Ryan's Badgers run to March.

10. Quincy Acy-PF-Baylor- Forget Dunn and Perry Jones. Well maybe not Dunn, but Acy is a guy who plays above the rim and he will be throwing it down on the Kansas teams.

11. Travis Lesile-SG-Georgia- A dark horse for the SEC crown, Georgia has Lesile and Trey Thompkins to lead the dogs against rivals Tennessee and Kentucky.

12. Jimmy Butler-SG-Marquette- Buzz Williams squad has plenty of upper classmen leadership, and Jimmy will need to be on top of his game in the always competitive Big East.

13. Scotty Hopson-SG-Tenn- Bruce Pearl lost a ton of talent from last year, but Hopson as well as Freshman Tobias Harris will be a strong duo for the Vols, who i expect to be kinda of a sleeper this year.

NCAA Big Ten Basketball Preview

The season is finally among us and here's a look at the Big Ten Conference, which has been called the best conference in college basketball this year.

Projected Conference finish

*- makes NCAA Tourney

1. Michigan St*- Key players-Green/Lucas/Summers- Izzo's squad has the veteran leadership and experience to make it back to the Final Four once again.

2. Ohio St*- Lighty/Buford/ Sullinger- The Buckeyes need their young, talented freshmen to blend well with the upperclassmen in order to make a run this March.

3. Illinois*- Davis/Mccamey/Tisdale- Illinois's most talented squad since 05-06, but will need the three seniors to step up and lead this team.

4. Purdue*- Jackson/Johnson/Moore- When Hummel went down, so did the Boilermakers dreams of a Final Four. This team can still make some noise in the tourney however.

5. Wisconsin*- Gasser/Leuer/Taylor- Even with losing some major play makers from last year's team, Bo Ryan's team can never be counted out.

6. Northwestern*- Thompson/Crawford/Shurna- I think NW finally gets their ticket punched, as Shurna and Thompson will lead the Wildcats.

7. Minnesota- Sampson/Joesph/Nolen- The Golden Gophers will be on the border the entire season and we'll have to see how Tuby manages them.

8. Michigan- Douglass/Novak/Hardaway Jr/- Losing Manny Harris and Deshawn Sims hurts badly, but a solid Freshmen class will be something to look forward to.

9. Indiana- Creek/Jones/Pritchard- Tom Crean's third year is still a rebuilding one, but Hoosier nation is heading the right way.

10. Penn St- Battle/Brooks/Frazier- Taylor Battle is a flat out stud, and is at least 10 wins to the Lions alone.

11. Iowa- Payne/May/Cole- Bringing in Coach McCaffrey was a great move for this program, but the former Siena Saint still needs time to recruit and get his players.

All Freshman Team

Jared Sullinger OSU

DeShaun Thomas OSU

Jereme Richmond ILL

Keith Appling MSU

Tim Hardaway Jr MICH

1st team Big Ten

John Leuer Wis

Kalin Lucas MSU

Taylor Battle Penn St

Jared Sullinger OSU

JaJuan Johnson PUR

NCAA Basketball preview

This season has everything to make sure it is action packed this year. Lets take a look at a couple of things:

My Preseason top 15

*-denotes predicted conference winner

1 Duke*-key players- Kyle Singler/ Kyle Irving

2 Michigan St*- Draymond Green/ Kalin Lucas

3 Ohio st- John Diebler/ Jared Sullinger

4 Pitt*-Ashton Gibbs/ Brad Wanamaker

5 Kansas St*- Jacob Pullen/ Jamar Samuels

6 UNC- John Henson/ Harrison Barnes

7 Nova- Corey Stokes/ Corey Fisher

8 Kentucky*- Brandon Knight/ Enes Kanter

9 Kansas-Josh Selby/ Markieff Morris

10 Syracuse- Rick Jackson/ Scoop Jardine

11 Florida- Kenny Boyton/ Chandler Parsons

12 Illinois- Mike Davis/ Demetri Mccamey

13 Virginia Tech- Malcom Delaney/ Jeff Allen

14 Gonzaga- Steven Gray/ Demetri Goodson

15 Baylor- LaceDarius Dunn/ Perry Jones

Pac 10 champ- Washington- Isiah Thomas/ Venoy Overton

4 big match ups to watch:

Feb 15- Ohio St at Michigan St- Only meeting between the top 2 teams in the Big Ten.

Dec 4- Butler vs Duke- Shelvin Mack vs Kyle Irving should be fun to watch, as rematch of the championship will be a rocking one in New Jersey.

Jan 29- Kansas St at Kansas- Fear the Beard! Pullen and co. go marching into Jayhawk territory to show they're no fluke

Nov 30- UNC at ILL- A rematch of the '06 championship and also rematch of freshman Barnes and Richmond in an ACC-Big Ten showdown.

My Preseason All Americans-

G- Kalin Lucas-Michigan St

G-Jimmer Fredette-BYU

G- Malcom Delaney-VT

F-Kyle Singler-Duke

F-JaJuan Johnson-Purdue

14 Fab Freshmen- These names you will all know by season's end.

1 Brandon Knight-Kentucky

2 Enes Kanter-Kentucky

3 Terrence Jones- Kentucky

4 Josh Selby- Kansas

5 Perry Jones- Baylor

6 Jared Sullinger- OSU

7 Jereme Richmond- ILL

8 Kyle Irving- Duke

9 Harrison Barnes- UNC

10 Fab Melo- Cuse

11 Will Barton- Memphis

12 C.J. Leslie- NC State

13 Tobias Harris- Tenn

14 Patric Young- FLA

RS- Seth Curry- Duke

3 Cinderella Teams

San Diego St- Defending MWC champs return 5 starters and look for best finish in school history.

Gonzaga- Has eerie, similar talent to Butler's team last year. We all know what they did last year.

Dayton- Even while losing 7 seniors, the Flyers return tons of toughness and athleticism in the always tough A-10

My Early Final Four Picks:

Duke, Nova, Tenn, and Baylor

My big ten conference preview will also be out this week. Sorry for the long article, but i'm pumped for this season.

2011 NCAAB Freshman to Watch

John Wall who? Forget Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Derrick Favors. This year's class of talented freshman will leaving you drooling for more. Here are my Super Seven Frosh:

1. Enes Kanter-C-Kentucky: Is a projected top 3 pick and he will make Kentucky fans forget that guy named Cousins.
2. Harrison Barnes-SF-North Carolina: Top recruit of 2010, and has the talent to start in the NBA right now.
3. Perry Jones-PF-Baylor: Ferocious rebounder and definitely a lottery pick next year.
4. Brandon Knight-PG-Kentucky: Another fab freshman on the Calipari squad, and was Gatorade High School Player of the Year.
5. Kyle Irving-PG-Duke: Regarded as the top guard of the class and will be key part of Duke's chances to repeat.
6. Jereme Richmond-SF-Illinois: Mr. Basketball of ILL and he will help take this team to March and beyond.
7. Josh Selby-PG-Kansas: Bill Self says Josh is a great rebounding guard and will be a tremendous distributor to the shooters on KU.