College Basketball Power Rankings

It's time for our first rankings of the season for College Hoops.

1.(Tie) Memphis & Kansas
It is still tough to tell who is the clear-cut number one. Both Memphis and KU are very similar in many ways. They both play the same type of game, fast paced and rely on their speed and athleticism. Both have some great wins with Memphis beating Georgetown, USC, Arizona, and Gonzaga and KU topping Arizona and USC. Memphis may have a few bigger wins but the Big XII schedule evens it out for Kansas. We may not know who is the "true" number one until one of these team loses or maybe not until they meet in the NCAA Tournament.

3. North Carolina
I'll take UNC over Duke even though the Heels lost to Maryland and Duke beat them. UNC is still one of the best teams in the country with one of the best point guards in Tywon Lawson. We may know more a little more about the depth and toughness of this team after a tough stretch with games vs. Boston College, at Florida St., and a February 6 showdown with Duke.

4. UCLA
UCLA does have two losses but they were both to two great teams in Texas and USC. The Bruins have been dealt with some injuries so I will give them the benefit of the doubt. Darren Collison finally seems to be 100% and Josh Shipp is one of the best players in the country. Once they're fully healed and everyone is back they will be poised to make a title run.

5. Duke
Duke is a great team but I am not really sure yet if they can hang with Memphis, Kansas, UNC, or UCLA. They don't have a dominating post presence and their guards are pretty weak. I don't know if Jon Scheyer and Greg Paulus can hang with the other top guards on those teams. But Duke has been very impressive with some good wins. They're a young team and if they can knock off UNC next week, they will definitely turn my head.

6. Georgetown
I probably shouldn't admit this, but it will only benefit you with my expertise, but I feel Georgetown will be another legit Final Four team. I was one of a few last year who thought they were a Final Four team at this point in time last season. I don't see any reason for that to change this year. They have the type of offense that can control the tempo of the game, a dominating inside presence with Roy Hibbert and other big men in Vernon Macklin, Pat Ewing Jr., and Dajuan Summers that will just wear you down physically and emotionally. They have some great wins thus far and they always seem to win the close ones.

7. Michigan St.
I really like MSU right now as well. They play great team defense and Drew Neitzel is one of the best and most experienced PG's in the land. Raymar Morgan has been a pretty big surprise so far as he leads the team with 16.6 PPG.

8. Tennessee
Except for the loss to Texas, the Vols have been great. They have balanced scoring with 4 players averaging double figures and 2 more averaging 8.9 PPG. As of right now I really like Tennessee to win the SEC and push for a 2 seed, maybe even a 1 seed with no other top teams being from the SEC this season.

9. Washington St.
WSU is a team that could push UCLA for the conference title. They lost a close one to the Bruins a few weeks back and they showed last year that they are the real deal. They play great defense and are a team that can really control the tempo. Also, they have some depth that will help them make a deep run in March,

10. Texas
Texas has had some tough losses lately, one of them was on a last second shot to Wisconsin. They've shown they can win the big games without Kevin Durant. They have one of the best back-courts in the nation in D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams. Their showdown with Kansas will be a good one!

Next Up:
Butler, Indiana, Wisconsin, Stanford, Drake, and Xavier,

2007-2008 College Basketball Pre-Season Rankings

Now that we know who's in and who's out of the NBA Draft, here's an early pre-season College Hoops Top 10 poll for the 2007-2008 season.

1. UNC Tar Heels- The top team for next season definitely has to be the Tar Heels. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, and Wayne Ellington all return. They have everybody returning but Reyshawn Terry and Brandan Wright. Wright will be missed greatly but they still have a lot of fire power. Look for UNC to be in the Final Four and possibly that national championship game.

2. Memphis Tigers- The 2007-2008 squad will return 5 of their top 6, plus the additions of recruits Derrick Rose and Jeff Robinson will help a lot. Especially the addition of Rose, he should be able to come in right away and help fill in for the lone loss in Jeremy Hunt. After back to back Elite 8 finishes the past two seasons, Memphis finally has what it takes to get over the hump and into the Final Four. They were the lone team that wasn't affected by the draft deadline date.

3. Kansas Jayhawks- The Jayhawks also have a great number of players returning and will be the top team in the Big 12. With the return of Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, freshmen sensation Darrell Arthur, Sherron Collins, Russell Robinson, Sasha Kaun, and Darnell Jackson, KU will barely miss a beat. The decision for Rush to stay is a huge sign of relief for KU and he will benefit from it a lot, unlike his brothers. KU also brings in quality recruit Cole Aldrich to help fill the loss of Julian Wright.

4. Georgetown Hoyas- Roy Hibbert is one of the "Big Two" to return. Jeff Green decided to stay in the draft at the last minute. If Green stays Georgetown is no doubt the top team. The Hoyas will return everyone excluding Green from a team that lost out in the Final Four. Those key returnees are Hibbert, Jon Wallace, DaJuan Summers, Jessie Sapp, Patrick Ewing Jr. and Vernon Macklin. Oh and how about a 5-star stud in Austin Freeman to add to the list.

5. UCLA Bruins- The Bruins will look to make another run at a Final Four berth with nearly everyone back. Their top scorer Aaron Afflalo jumped into the draft and will be missed dearly. But the Bruins return a solid nucleus with Josh Shipp, Darren Collison, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Lorenzo Mata, Michael Roll, and Alfred Aboya. UCLA lacked a premier post presence this past season, but the addition of 2007 recruit Kevin Love will help and should get immediate playing time. Look for the Bruins to be one of the top teams in the country again.

6. Louisville Cardinals- L'Ville returns 7 of their top 8 and should be one of the premier teams in the Big East. Terrence Williams, Edgar Sosa, David Padgett, Juan Palacios, and Derrick Caracter all return and should be one of the best starting five's in the land. Look for Rick Pitino's Cards to make a great run next season.

7. Washington St. Cougars- The Cougars return everyone but Ivory Clark and should benefit with all the experience returning. Last season was no fluke and the Cougars will show just that by competing for a Pac 10 title and possibly an Elite 8 or even a Final Four berth.

8. Tennessee Volunteers- Remember how the Vols nearly stunned the Buckeyes in the Big Dance? Well the Vols return everyone, including Chris Lofton. Because of Lofton's decision, Tennessee is my early favorite to win the SEC.

9. Indiana Hoosiers- IU should be the early favorite to win the Big Ten. D.J. White is back and should be better than ever. Armon Bassett, AJ Ratliff, Lance Stemler, and Mike White all return as well; you can also add Eric Gordon (inset) to that list, one of the top recruits in the country and he won't disappoint. Not to shabby for Kelvin Sampson's second year.

10. USC Trojans- The Pac-10 will be very tough again next season, which is why I have USC as low as 10 here. Also, the loss of Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt doesn't help either. But Taj Gibson is returning and I heard new signee OJ Mayo is pretty good.

Other teams to keep an eye on:

Marquette, Georgia Tech, Michigan St., Kansas St., Ohio St., Oregon, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Pittsburgh.

Georgetown top team for next year?

Green eyeing return

Big East player of the year Jeff Green said Tuesday there is a "70-30" chance he will return to Georgetown for his senior season.

Green and fellow teammate Roy Hibbert both declared for the draft last week, but neither hired an agent.

Both players are potential lottery picks, and both said they want to get a good indicator of what their NBA value is and what it might be if they stay in school another year.

Hibbert said it's worth the wait to get picked top 3 in 2008 instead of 8-14 this year. He also said he is about 50-50 on the decision.

I am sure losing in the final four is another factor on leaning towards returning to school. If both Green and Hibbert return, the Hoyas will easily be number one and the favorite to win it all next season.

While I believe Green is a more NBA ready player, both also clarified they wouldn't want to be playing from the end of the bench.

I think both will return, especially if Green does Hibbert most likely will too. With the 4 studs of Florida, Kevin Durant, Gren Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook, Aaron Afflalo, and Julian Wright all leaving early, Georgetown would definitely be the premier team in the nation with everybody returning.

After an interview with the Associated Press Green stated: "School is only going to be here four years. The NBA will be there forever. You can't just give up that. That's a big thought in this process. Either way, I'm going to come back and get my degree."

Final Four Breakdown

The Final Four is here and we have some great match ups ahead of us this Saturday and it should be a dandy. I am really looking forward to it. There are a handful of premier big men playing which should make it that much more exciting to watch. But anyways, here's some analysis and predictions on the games.

Ohio St. vs. Georgetown
Oden vs Hibbert
This is the match up I have been most anticipating. You have 7'0 Greg Oden vs 7'2 Roy Hibbert. Great match up overall. But this is where I give the advantage to Georgetown. I think Hibbert can control Oden down low and hold his own against him. Hibbert is the most physical post player in the country and I think he will out work and definitely out rebound Oden down low. Oden must stay out of foul trouble because they have no one else to guard Hibbert or even Patrick Ewing Jr. for that matter.

Also, OSU has no match for Jeff Green. They can definitely hold Hibbert down low. But who's going to stop Green? Green outmatches every other Buckeye. If they stick an undersized guard on him he will abuse him all over the court. If they put Ivan Harris or even Othello Hunter on him, he will be able to slash and take them to the rack all day. Georgetown's front court is going to provide some big problems for OSU, especially if Oden gets into foul trouble.

OSU has the edge in the back court. They have multiple options with their guards, so does G'Town, but the Buckeyes G's have a little more talent. Mike Conley is a phenomenal PG, he is most effective in the open floor, and he'll get those opportunities only if Georgetown commits a lot of turnovers or has a horrible shooting night; which is doubtful that will happen. But with Conley, Lewis, Cook, Butler, and Lighty, OSU has the ability to take it to Georgetown's G's, if they can pressure them and force them to put up bad shots they can definitely top the Hoyas.

The Pick: Georgetown- Their defense has been tremendous. They're just too big and physical for the Buckeyes. Don't forget their holding opponents to just a little under 40% field goal shooting. Georgetown will easily dictate their own tempo and should handle them well in a half court game.

Florida vs. UCLA
It's the rematch of last years national title game. I think defense is going to be the biggest factor in this game. Both teams have played stellar defense in the tournament thus far. I don't expect the game to be as one-sided as it was last year, only because UCLA is a more experienced team.

Starting with the front court, Florida has a huge advantage here. UCLA's undersized posts have played bigger teams in this tournament well (i.e. Kansas & Pittsburgh). But, Al Horford has been amazing and has produced awesome numbers in guiding the Gators to Atlanta. Don't forget about Joakim Noah who has played well and UCLA needs to contain him Saturday night. Florida also has post depth off the bench, so if Horford or Noah get in any kind of foul trouble, it won't be a huge deal.

I love the back court match ups with Taurean Green, Lee Humphery, and Corey Brewer of Florida vs the likes of Aaron Afflalo, Josh Shipp, Darren Collison, and Michael Roll of UCLA. Both are evenly balanced and I can't really give an edge to either. But I think the X-Factor here is Darren Collison. Afflalo has been a stud lately and he needs someone else to step up too. Collison with his defense can pressure and contain Green and/or Humphery. If he can get them to force some tough shots and get them a little flustered UCLA will have a great chance at winning this game.


The Pick: UCLA- The play of Afflalo and the other guards has been amazing. I think UCLA's guards, especially Afflalo and Collision, can outperform Florida's. Also, defense will be a huge key and UCLA has been impressing many with their solid play on both ends of the court.

You should also check out some predictions and analysis from Complete Sports. I also encourage you to vote in our Final Four poll.

Elite 8 Breakdown

Well here's my Elite 8 Breakdown. I'm hoping to do a little better than my recent Sweet 16 picks. I didn't do so well there. But, here's some analysis on Saturday's and Sunday's Elite 8 games.

South Region
Ohio St. vs Memphis
These two team's match up well. Both have fairly deep benches. Joey Dorsey will be able to handle Greg Oden down low. Dorsey is stronger and a little more physical, he can hold his own against Oden. Ohio St. has been struggling early in games, and Memphis has good defense and good enough shooting too stay ahead. But watch out for Ohio St.'s guards, Mike Conley can take over a game whenever he needs to. But watch for the Tigers to bring in 6th man, Jeremy Hunt to D him up all night long. The Tigers are fairly deep and that will help them stay in this game. Also, Memphis's guard play will be key in this game as well; they have the size advantage over OSU's and can pressure them all night long. Look for Memphis to play a lot of zone in this game, forcing the Buckeyes to win from the outside and keep Dorsey out of foul trouble.

The Pick: Memphis- I believe this team is better than the 05-06 team. The Tigers will be able to accomplish something they couldn't last year, that's get to the Final Four.

West Region
Kansas vs UCLA
I am definitely looking forward to this game. Both of these teams are athletic and well-balanced all around. UCLA may have the slight advantage with their experience. The guard match ups will be great to watch with Afflalo, Collison, Shipp, and Roll vs. Rush, Chalmers, Robinson, and Collins. You really can't give an edge to any of them. But down low is where Kansas has a great advantage with Julian Wright, Sasha Kaun, and Darrell Arthur. UCLA has struggled against teams who are just flat out bigger. Kansas must protect the ball and make free throws in the end. Should be the best of all the Elite 8 games to watch.

The Pick: UCLA- It's hard to pick against KU. But I gotta go with the experience here. UCLA showed some poise against Pitt in making some big shots, especially free throws down the stretch. I truly believe that will be the difference.

Midwest Region
Florida vs Oregon
This is a very intriguing matchup. Oregon will struggle tremendously here against a more talented, experienced, better overall Gator team. Oregon, I believe, is a two man show with Aaron Brooks and Tajuan Porter. Teams like that will not get you far. Florida's guards should be able to pressure them all night long and get them to turn it over. Plus, you have to like Florida's height advantage.

The Pick: Florida (How can you not pick against them in this one?) East Region
UNC vs GeorgetownUNC is tough and has a lot of firepower. They can top Georgetown with their deep bench. But, the Hoyas are just too big inside for Hansbrough and their guards are big and physical and will out match UNC's young guards. Plus the experience will factor in. You gotta think UNC will fall when they play an experienced team from another power conference.

The Pick: Georgetown- I really like this team right now. The guards compliment the posts very well and Jeff Green is just a stud.