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.

College Hoops Top 10 Power Poll

1. Florida (24-3)- Some may argue with me putting them here, but didn't they beat Ohio St. at the beginning of the season? So that's the main reason why I have them at number one still. Plus I won't discredit their loss to an improved Vanderbilt team at all. But still, this Gator team has the best starting five in the country, but in order to maintain a one seed they need to get through the toughest stretch of their schedule playing South Carolina at home, at LSU, at Tennessee, Kentucky at home, and the brutal SEC Tournament.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs South Carolina 2/21

2. Wisconsin (26-3)- The Badgers were my number one, but they fell tonight to Michigan St.; huge loss for them. Wisconsin is still the team to beat in the Big 10, and there's no reason to doubt them winning the Big 10 title. Alando Tucker is putting up player of the year type numbers with 20.4 ppg and 5.5 rpg. The experience is showing for this Badger team and there is no doubt they will be a one seed by tournament time, even with the recent loss.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Ohio St. 2/25

3. Ohio St. (24-3)- I am still a little hesitant about this team being able to compete with some of the top teams. The Buckeyes rely way too much on the three ball, which could be a cause for a concern if they want to make any type of final four run. Greg Oden is a force down low and will be the main man come March, but Michael Conley (inset) is showing improvement all over the court and is proving he can be the floor leader even as a freshmen. In order to be a one seed, OSU needs to win out, have an impressive showing at the Big 10 Tournament, and oh yeah, beat Wisconsin at least once, whether it's on February 25th or in the conference tournament.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Wisconsin 2/25

4. UCLA (23-3)- This UCLA team gets it done on both sides of the court, and have plenty of threats to get the job done night in and night out. After a very impressive win at Arizona last Saturday, the Bruins have key games coming up, with the more particular ones coming on the road against Washington and Washington St.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Stanford 2/24

5. North Carolina (23-4)- The Tar Heels are the deepest and youngest team in the country. Which may be a cause for a concern in the big dance. The Heels no doubt have some big wins under their belts, but the upcoming ACC schedule will be tough. UNC needs these wins to continue to gain experience, which will be the number one key in order to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs NC St. 2/21

6. Memphis (23-3)- Memphis may play in a weak conference, but I really like this Tigers team. They got a much needed win at Gonzaga last Saturday and continue to impress. There is no doubt this team can make a repeat Elite 8 run from last season, and they have the toughness and experience to do so.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Houston 2/25

7. Kansas (23-4)- I never know which KU team will show up. The Jayhawks are very athletic and have the play makers to play with anybody in the country. But the question is, will they be able to make it out of the first round?
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Oklahoma 2/26

8. Texas A&M (22-4)- I feel this A&M team is still under the radar and is my dark horse pick right now. The Aggies have it all, defense, post play, three point shooting, and tremendous guard play; definitely characteristics to a national title team.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Oklahoma St. 2/21

9. Washington St. (22-4)- The Cougars have a huge game coming up at Oregon on Thursday and should be ready for Aaron Brooks and Co.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Oregon 2/22

10. Nevada (24-2)- If you're looking for a sleeper team in the tournament, well this is your team. The Wolf Pack have one of the best players in the country in Nick Fazekas (avg. 20.6 ppg & 11.5 rpg) and have the experience to make an impressive run.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Boise St. 2/24

What's your College Hoops Top 10 Power Poll? I want to see your arguments.