College Hoops Power Rankings

Here's our first in-season power poll...

1. Ohio State
Clear cut number one right now.

2. Duke
Even without Kyrie Irving they are still very good.

3. Kansas
Despite the loss to Texas, Kansas is very dangerous.

4. Pittsburgh
No super stars but they're experienced.

5. Texas
A lot of talent.  Rick Barnes finally has them playing some D.

6. Syracuse
The Orange are deep and can beat anybody.

7. San Diego St.
Very athletic.  But not many impressive wins.

8. Washington
The Huskies are one of the most athletic and dangerous teams in the nation.

9. Villanova
This team has more options this season and is much tougher on D.

10.Kentucky
Young, but extremly athletic and talented team.

2010-2011 College Basketball Preseason Rankings 2.0

Here's our latest and up to date rankings.

1. Michigan St.
Key returnees:  Kalin Lucas, Korie Lucious, Draymond Green, Delvon Roe
The Spartans are loaded and experienced.  They're also coming off of back-to-back Final Fours.

2. Duke
Key returnees: Nolan Smith, Kyle Singler, Mason Plumlee, Miles Plumlee
Duke should have one of the best backcourts in the nation.  With three starters back and the additions of recruit Kyrie Erving and transfer Seth Curry, the Devils have a good shot to repeat.

3. Purdue
Key returnees: Robbie Hummsel, Etwaun Moore, Jajuan Johnson, Lewis Jackson
Purdue was in this same spot in last years preseason rankings. If Robbie Hummel stays healthy who knows how far they go. They may not have much depth, but there's plenty of talent around to make a Final Four run.

4. Pittsburgh
Key returnees: Gilbert Brown, Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, Trayvonn Woodall
6 of their top 7 scorers return.

5. Ohio St.
Key returnees: David Lighty, Jon Diebler, Willie Buford, Dallas Lauderdale
Add in recruits Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas with David Lighty, Jon Diebler, Willie Buford, and Dallas Lauderdale, and the Bucks could be just as good as last year.

6. Kansas St.
Key returnees: Jacob Pullen, Curtis Kelly, Jamar Samuels, Wally Judge
The loss of Denis Clemente will hurt, but Jacob Pullen is good enough to have the Cats as the early Big XII favorite.

7. Villanova
Key returnees: Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes, Antonio Pena, Maalik Wayns
Nova will once again have a solid backcourt lead by Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes.

8. Kansas
Key returnees: Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris, Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar
Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, and Xavier Henry are impossible to replace. But the Jayhawks will still be a very deep team. They just need to find a consistent go-to scorer.

9. Florida
Key returnees: Alex Tyus, Kenny Boynton, Vernon Macklin, Erving Walker
Watch out for Billy Donovan and his Gators. They return the whole squad. Look for Alex Tyus and Kenny Boynton to impress.

10. North Carolina
Key returnees: John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Larry Drew, Dexter Strickland
Regardless of what people might think UNC should be back again next season. Harrison Barnes is already regarded as the number one pick for 2011.  Depth could be an issue though.

11. Baylor
Key returnees: LaceDarius Dunn, Quincy Ace, Anthony Jones, A.J. Walton
Ekpe Udoh and Tweety Carter will be big losses but recruit Perry Jones should help keep them as one of the best in the Big XII.

12. Missouri
Key returnees: Kim English, Marcus Denmon, Michael Dixon, Justin Safford
Mike Anderson has people talking again in Columbia. They do lose 3 starters but return their top 3 scorers. Kim English is ready to break out; Tony Mitchell and Phil Pressey lead Zou's best class in several years.

13. Washington
Key returnees: Isiah Thomas, Venoy Overton, Justin Holiday, Matt Bryan-Amaning
The Huskies finally lived up to their potential in the postseason. They do lose Quincy Pondexter, but there's still plenty left in the stable.

14. Illinois
Key returnees: Demetri McCamey, Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis, D.J. Richardson
This will be a senior-laden team that has been scratching the surface waiting to break open. Next year will be that year.

15. Syracuse
Key returnees: Kris Joseph, Brandon Triche, Scoop Jardine, Rick Jackson
The loss of Wes Johnson, Arinze Onuaku, and Andy Rautins hurts, but frosh Fab Melo is ready to step up.  The starting five should be one of the best in the land. 

16. Gonzaga
Key returnees: Steven Gray, Robert Sacre, Demetri Goodson, Elias Harris
With a dominant front line and talented backcourt,  this could potentially be the Zags' best team yet.

17. Kentucky
Key returnees: Darius Miller, Darnell Dodson, DeAndre Liggins
They'll be one of the youngest teams in the nation again. But they'll be very good despite losing 5 draft picks.

18. Temple
Key returnees: Juan Fernandez, Lavoy Allen, Ramone Moore, Michael Eric
The Owls lose their stud in Ryan Brooks, but a strong nucleus returns to keep this team a huge threat.

19. Georgetown
Key returnees: Austin Freeman, Chris Wright, Jason Clark, Julian Vaughn
This team would have been top 3 had Greg Monroe stayed, but everyone else is back.

20. Virginia Tech
Key returnees: Malcolm Delaney, Dorenzo Hudson, Jeff Allen, J.T. Thompson
This is a senior-laden team ready to make some in the ACC.

2010-2011 College Basketball Preseason Rankings

Never too early to talk about next season.

1. Michigan St.- Kalin Lucas, Korie Lucious, Chris Allen, and Delvon Roe are primed to finally win that title.

2. Duke- Duke should have one of the best backcourts in the nation with Nolan Smith, Andre Dawkins, transfer Seth Curry, and top recruit Kyrie Erving. With Kyle Singler and the Plumlee brothers also back the Devils have a good shot to repeat.

3. Purdue- Purdue was in this same spot in last years preseason rankings. If Robbie Hummel stays healthy who knows how far they go. They may not have much depth, but with Hummel, Jajuan Johnson, Etwaun Moore and Lewis Jackson, there's plenty of talent around to make a Final Four run.

4. Kansas St.- Jacob Pullen is good enough to have the Cats as the early Big XII favorite.

5. Ohio St.- Add in recruits Jared Sullinger and Deshaun Thomas with David Lighty, Jon Diebler, Willie Buford, and Dallas Lauderdale, and the Bucks could be just as good as last year.

6. Pittsburgh- 6 of their top 7 scorers return.

7. Villanova- Nova will once again have a solid backcourt lead by Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes.

8. Kansas- Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich, and Xavier Henry are impossible to replace. But the Jayhawks will still be a very deep team. They just need to find a consistent go-to scorer.

9. Florida- Watch out for Billy Donovan and his Gators. They return the whole squad. Look for Alex Tyus and Kenny Boynton to impress.

10. Kentucky- They'll be one of the youngest teams in the nation again. But they'll be very good again despite losing 5 draft picks.

11. Baylor- Ekpe Udoh and Tweety Carter will be big losses but recruit Perry Jones, LaceDarius Dunn, Quincy Ace and Anthony Jones will make them one of the best in the Big XII.

12. North Carolina- Regardless of what people might think UNC should be back again next season. Harrison Barnes is already regarded as the number one pick for 2011.

13. Missouri- Mike Anderson has people talking again in Columbia. They do lose 3 starters but return their top 3 scorers. Kim English is ready to break out; Tony Mitchell and Phil Pressey lead Zou's best class in several years.

14. Washington- The Huskies finally lived up to their potential in the postseason. They do lose Quincy Pondexter, but there's still plenty left in the stable with Isiah Thomas, Venoy Overton and Justin Holiday.

15. Illinois- This will be a senior-laden team that has been scratching the surface waiting to break open. Next year will be that year.

College Basketball Power Rankings: November 23

First rankings of the year!

1. Kansas- First game was an eye opener, but they've been great since. Frosh Xavier Henry will be the X-Factor.

2. Michigan State- Toughed out a win vs. Gonzaga. Now need to find some kind of consistent inside presence.

3. Texas- This team is loaded. How will they find enough minutes to keep everyone happy?

4. Villanova- Some impressive wins thus far. The guards are stellar, while Jay Wright is working on developing his young frontcourt.

5. West Virginia- They were impressive in their first win showing some tough defense; even without their best player Devin Ebanks.

6. Purdue- Team struggled vs. South Dakota State, but their tough defense prevailed.

7. North Carolina- Still not impressed with the backcourt. Frontcourt will win them some games though.

8. Kentucky- Team has no identity. Defense has been suspect and still need a few more games to create some chemistry.

9. Tennessee- They haven't played anybody yet but the offense has been very impressive.

10. Ohio State- Struggled vs. UNC's bigs, but Evan Turner is one of the best players in the country.

11. Duke- Defense has stepped up so far this season.

12. Butler- This team plays so well together and they don't turn the ball over.

13. UConn- Not much of a bench. Will depend on older guys to carry them.

14. Washington- Some less than expected performances from the Huskies.

15. Syracuse- They've had a couple impressive wins. Lets see if they can keep it up outside of MSG.

2009-2010 College Basketball Preview: Preseason Rankings

Okay here's my updated version of my preseason top 25.


1. Michigan St.- Sure, they lose Suton and Walton, but Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen, and Raymar Morgan are back. Look for the in-coming 6-10 recruits to make an impact.

2. Kansas- All five starters will return, add-in recruit Xavier Henry and this team looks like a national title threat.

3. Purdue- Will Purdue be 2009's Spartans? The 2010 Final Four is in home state Indianapolis and return 7 of their top 8 scorers.

4. Kentucky- The Cats are on the rise once again with John Calipari taking over. Patrick Patterson returns but the loss of Jodie Meeks will be a huge blow. Recruits DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall will make this team the favorite in the SEC.

5. Texas- The Longhorns were a PG away from being an elite team; Florida transfer Jai Lucas should help fill that void.

6. Villanova- Nova will once again have a dominant backcourt lead by Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher.

7. West Virginia- With Devin Ebanks returning they will be one of the best in the Big East. Da'Sean Butler, Darryl Bryant, Joel Mazzula, and Kevin Jones are back as well.

8. North Carolina- This will be a totally different Heel team, but there will still be plenty of talent.

9. Connecticut- Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, and Stanley Robinson will be back. A decent recruiting class is coming in as well to help fill some voids.

10. Duke- It will be very tough to replace Gerald Henderson and Elliot Williams. But look for frosh Mason Plumlee to finally give them a valuable inside presence.

11. Butler- This past season was supposed to be a rebuilding year after losing a lot. All five starters are back.

12. Washington- Look for Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter to keep the Huskies atop the Pac 10.

13. Tennessee- the Vols had some problems last year, but there's still too much talent to go around. I think they'll be back again.

14. Ohio St.- The Buckeyes will be good and I mean that.

15. California- This will be a senior-laden team that has been scratching the surface waiting to break open. Next year will be that year.

16. Clemson- 3 of the top 4 scorers are back including ACC POY Trevor Booker. Plus star recruit Milton Jennings should help.

17. Louisville- They lose Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, but still have plenty in the stable. Samardo Samuels should have a breakout year.

18. Siena- A nice nucleus (5 of Top 6 scorers) returns for the Saints.

19. Dayton- The Flyers are flat-out athletic and talented.

20. Illinois- With another year of experience under sophomores Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, and Mike Tisdales' belts, they'll improve.

21. Oklahoma- They lose the Griffin brothers but Willie Warren is one of the best guards in the country and their role players are outstanding.

22. Mississippi State- With Jarvis Varnado back and top recruit Renardo Sidney coming in they will challenge Kentucky and Tennessee for the SEC Crown.

23. Michigan- The Wolverines were very inconsistent but looked good in March. The dynamic duo of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will keep them in the thick of things.

24. Minnesota- Keep an eye on the Gophers. Royce White is a top recruit who will make the Gophers a top contender in the Big Ten.

25. Gonzaga- The Zags will reload with Demetri Goodson, Matt Bouldin and Stephen Gray all back.

Just missed the cut:
Georgia Tech, Florida State, Wake Forest, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St., Wisconsin, Mississippi, Florida, Georgetown, Syracuse, Creighton, UNLV, UCLA, Northern Iowa, Oakland

2009-2010 College Basketball Preview: Player Rankings

The time has come. It's time to begin our College Basketball Preview for the coming season.

2009/2010:

Top 5 PG:
1. Kalin Lucas- Michigan St.
2. Sherron Collins- Kansas
3. John Wall- Kentucky
4. Kemba Walker- UConn
5. Devan Downey- South Carolina

Top 5 SG:
1. Willie Warren- Oklahoma
2. Greivis Vasquez- Maryland
3. Manny Harris- Michigan
4. Scottie Reynolds- Villanova
5. Jerome Dyson- UConn

Top 5 SF:
1. Evan Turner- Wisconsin
2. Devin Ebanks- West Virginia
3. Kyle Singler- Duke
4. Robbie Hummel- Purdue
5. Gordon Hayward- Butler

Top 5 PF:
1. Luke Harangody- Notre Dame
2. Patrick Patterson- Kentucky
3. Al Faroq-Aminu- Wake Forest
4. Craig Brackins- Iowa State
5. Ed Davis- UNC

Top 5 C:
1. Cole Aldrich- Kansas
2. Greg Monroe- Georgetown
3. Larry Sanders- VCU
4. Jarvis Varnado- Mississippi State
5. Keith Benson- Oakland

2009-2010 College Basketball Preseason Rankings 2.0

Okay here's my updated version of my preseason top 25.


1. Michigan St.- Sure they lose Suton and Walton, but Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen, and Raymar Morgan are back. Look for the in-coming 6-10 recruits to make an impact.

2. Kansas- All five starters will return, add-in recruit Xavier Henry and this team looks like a national title threat.

3. Purdue- Will Purdue be 2009's Spartans? The 2010 Final Four is in home state Indianapolis and return 7 of their top 8 scorers.

4. Kentucky- The Cats are on the rise once again with John Calipari taking over. Patrick Patterson returns but the loss of Jodie Meeks will be a huge blow. Recruit's DeMarcus Cousins and John Wall will make this team the favorite in the SEC.

5. Texas- The Longhorns were a PG away from being an elite team, Florida transfer Jai Lucas should help fill that void.

6. Villanova- Nova will once again have a dominant backcourt lead by Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher.

7. North Carolina- This will be a totally different Heel team but there will still be plenty of talent.

8. Duke- It will be very tough to replace Gerald Henderson and Elliot Williams. But look for frosh Mason Plumlee to finally give them a valuable inside presence.

9. West Virginia- With Devin Ebanks returning they will be one of the best in the Big East. Da'Sean Butler, Darryl Bryant, Joel Mazzula, and Kevin Jones are back as well.

10. Connecticut- Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, and Stanley Robinson will be back. A decent recruiting class is coming in as well to help fill some voids.

11. Butler- This past season was supposed to be a rebuilding year after losing a lot. All five starters are back.

12. Clemson- 3 of the top 4 scorers are back including ACC POY Trevor Booker. Plus star recruit Milton Jennings should help.

13. Louisville- They lose Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, but still have plenty in the stable. Samardo Samuels should have a breakout year.

14. Illinois- With another year of experience under sophomores Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, and Mike Tisdales' belts, they'll improve.

15. Washington- Look for Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter to keep the Huskies atop the Pac 10.

16. Siena- A nice nucleus (5 of Top 6 scorers) returns for the Saints.

17. Ohio St.- The Buckeyes will be good and I mean that.

18. Dayton- The Flyers are flat-out athletic and talented.

19. Tennessee- the Vols had some problems last year, but there's still too much talent to go around.

20. Georgia Tech- The Jackets return a solid core. With Gani Lawal, Zach Peacock and frosh Derrick Flavors they could make some noise in the ACC. DeAndre Bell is also back from injury.

21. Minnesota- Keep an eye on the Gophers. Royce White is a top recruit who will make the Gophers a top contender in the Big Ten.

22. California- This will be a senior-laden team that has been scratching the surface waiting to break open. Next year will be that year.

23. Gonzaga- The Zags will reload with Demetri Goodson, Matt Bouldin and Stephen Gray all back.

24. Xavier- They drop after Derrick Brown stayed in the draft. But they'll reload with Dante Jackson, Terrence Holloway, Jason Love and IU transfer Jordan Crawford.

25. Michigan- The Wolverines were very inconsistent but looked good in March. The dynamic duo of Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims will keep them in the thick of things.

Just missed the cut:
Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St., Wisconsin, Mississippi, Mississippi St., Florida, Georgetown, Syracuse, Creighton, UNLV, UCLA

2009-2010 College Basketball Preseason Rankings

To me it's never too early to speculate about next season. Sure, we don't know who is officially in and out of the draft yet, but that's what revisions are for... I'll try my best.

Preseason Top 25:

1. Michigan St.- Sure they lose Suton and Walton, but Kalin Lucas, Chris Allen, and Raymar Morgan are back. Look for the in-coming 6-10 recruits to make an impact.

2. Kansas- It looks as all five starters will return, add in some solid recruits that could potentially include Xavier Henry or Lance Stephenson.

3. Syracuse- The Orange will likely return everybody. Johnny Flynn will arguably be the best PG in the country.

4. Duke- They become a title threat again if Gerald Henderson returns. Look for frosh Mason Plumlee to finally give them a valuable inside presence.

5. Purdue- Will Purdue be 2009's Spartans? The 2010 Final Four is in home state Indianapolis and return 7 of their top 8 scorers.

6. Villanova- Nova will once again have a dominant backcourt lead by Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher.

7. North Carolina- This will be a totally different Heel team but there will still be plenty of talent.

8. Texas- The Longhorns were a PG away from being an elite team, Florida transfer Jai Lucas should help fill that void.

9. West Virginia- If Devin Ebanks returns they will be one of the best in the Big East. Da'Sean Butler, Darryl Bryant, Joel Mazzula, and Kevin Jones are back.

10. Kentucky- The Cats are on the rise once again with John Calipari taking over. Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson will likely return. Add-in recruit DeMarcus Cousins too.

11. Connecticut- Kemba Walker, Jerome Dyson, and Stanley Robinson will be back. A decent recruiting class is coming in as well to help fill some voids.

12. Clemson- 3 of the top 4 scorers are back including ACC POY Trevor Booker. Plus star recruit Milton Jennings should help.

13. Wake Forest- Wake could go from a top 15 team to nothing. They already lost James Johnson, but look for Jeff Teague and Al-Farouq Aminu to return.

14. Louisville- They lose Terrence Williams and Earl Clark, but still have plenty in the stable. Samardo Samuels should have a breakout year.

15. Butler- This past season was supposed to be a rebuilding year after losing a lot. All five starters are back.

16. Illinois- With another year of experience under sophomores Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, and Mike Tisdales' belts, they'll improve.

17. Xavier- Sure, they lose salty veterans CJ Anderson and BJ Raymond, but they'll reload with Derrick Brown (assuming he stays), Dante Jackson, Terrence Holloway, and IU transfer Jordan Crawford.

18. Washington- Look for Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter to keep the Huskies atop the Pac 10.

19. Gonzaga- The Zags will reload with Demetri Goodson, Matt Bouldin, Stephen Gray and potentially Austin Daye all back.

20. Siena- A nice nucleus (5 of Top 6 scorers) returns for the Saints.

21. Ohio St.- The Buckeyes will be good and I mean that.

22. Tennessee- the Vols had some problems last year, but there's still too much talent to go around.

23. Minnesota- Keep an eye on the Gophers. Royce White is a top recruit who will make the Gophers a top contender in the Big Ten.

24. Dayton- I will probably have this team higher in my next rankings. The Flyers are flat-out athletic and talented.

25. California- This will be a senior-laden team that has been scratching the surface waiting to break open. Next year will be that year...

Just missed the cut:
Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M, Oklahoma St., Michigan, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Mississippi St., Florida, Georgetown, Creighton, UNLV, UCLA, Oakland

2008-2009 College Basketball Pre-Season Rankings

Here's an early look at our pre-season College Basketball Rankings since the NBA Draft is over with.

1. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels have to be the clear-cut favorites for next year. Basically everybody returns, Player of the year Tyler Hansbrough is back along with speedy PG Ty Lawson and sharpshooter Wayne Ellington. UNC will be deep and talented. Their guards will be one of the best in the nation. Backup PG Bobby Frasor is back from injury and Danny Green decided to pull out of the draft. Don't forget forward Deon Thompson plus a stellar recruiting class lead by Tyler Zeller and Ed Davis.

2. Connecticut Huskies
UConn is also a title favorite. A talented squad returns which includes Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien, A.J. Price (should be ready by next season with injury), Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson, and Craig Austrie, plus a great recruiting class should help with the bench. The Huskies have tremendous talent and now have the experience to make it to a Final Four and possibly a national championship.

3. UCLA Bruins
UCLA may have lost Kevin Love, Russell Westbrook, and Luc Ruchard Mbah a Moute, but they still have one of the best PGs in the nation in Darren Collison and Josh Shipp looked like one of the best players in the early part of last season. Alfred Aboya and James Keefe are both capable post presences and Michael Roll should be healthy. Also, the top recruiting class in the nation should help with the draft losses. Recruit Jrue Holliday should fill in right away at SG.

4. Louisville Cardinals
The Cards should be another Final Four threat this season. They should have some of the best guard depth again lead by Andre McGee, Jerry Smith, and Edgar Sosa. Earl Clark decided to comeback and should be one of the best players in the Big East. David Padgett is gone but in-coming freshmen Samardo Samuels is one of the top center recruits in the nation.

5. Texas Longhorns
Texas should be the Big 12 favorite. They did lose floor general D.J. Augustin but A.J. Abrams is more than capable to take over at PG. Damion James, Connor Atchley, Justin Mason, and Gary Johnson are all back and should help them contend for a national title.

6. Duke Blue Devils
Duke may have struggled in the NCAA Tournament but they still won 28 games last season. They return everyone of significance except for DeMarcus Nelson. Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler will be a great scoring duo for Duke, plus they have plenty of experience in Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas, and David McClure. They still lack a premier inside presence which could hurt them throughout the season.

7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
ND returns everybody and I mean everybody. Big East Player of the Year Luke Harangody returns and should be a candidate for National Player of the Year again. Kyle McAlarney is back as well. Expect the Irish to compete for a Big East Title and even a Final Four berth.

8. Memphis Tigers
Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, and Andre Allen are gone, but the Tigers should still win the C-USA. Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson, Shawn Taggart, Willie Kemp, and Doneal Mack are a very solid core returning. Add one of the top PGs in the country in Tyreke Evans and you have another Final Four contender.

9. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga should be a top 10 team again with 4 starters back and a good bench, plus they have a good recruiting class coming in with Demetri Goodson. Jeremy Pargo decided to return. Matt Bouldin, their leading scorer is back along with Austin Daye, Steven Gray, and Micah Downs. Also, Josh Heytvelt will be one of the top big men in the country.

10. Marquette Golden Eagles
Even with Tom Crean gone, Buzz Williams can lead this team not only to the NCAA Tournament but deep into it. The great guard trio in Dominic James, Jerel McNeal, and Wesley Matthews all return for one last hurrah.

Other teams to keep an eye on:
Pittsburgh, Miami, Purdue, Michigan St., Arizona St., Oklahoma, Tennessee, Arizona, Georgetown, Villanova, Wisconsin, Davidson, and Xavier

Look Ahead to the 2008-2009 College Hoops Season

We all know the 2007-2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Season just finished. But there are a lot of us anticipating next season already. With a lot of young talent out there this past season, next year should be just as exciting!

Let's take a look at some of the top teams for 2008-2009:

UNC Tar Heels
Even though they could still lose Tyler Hansbrough, Tywon Lawson, and Wayne Ellington to the NBA, I really doubt they will all leave; one will be the most that leaves, even if that. Hansbrough will likely be back and Lawson's stock is down. Even if Lawson bolts injured PG Bobby Frasor is back and Danny Green is a very capable player as well. They only lose Quentin Thomas for sure and Deon Thompson and Alex Stephenson will be good as well.

UCLA Bruins
They could still lose a lot. Kevin Love has already announced he is going to the NBA, same with Russell Westbrook, and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (which puzzles me). But Moute will likely be back, Westbrook could too. Josh Shipp, Alfred Aboya, Michael Roll, and James Keefe still return. Darren Collison still needs to make a decision, but even if he leaves they have a great recruiting class lead by Jrue Holiday that are ready to step in.

Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns could have everybody back from a team that lost in the Elite 8. D.J. Augustin still needs to make a decision, but it looks like he'll be back. A.J. Abrams, Damion James, Connor Atchley, Justin Mason, and Gary Johnson are all back and should help them contend for a national title.

Connecticut Huskies
UConn will likely return everybody from a loaded team. Hasheem Thabeet could still jump ship but his mom told ESPN that he is likely staying. This Husky team could be dangerous with A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien, Stanley Robinson, Jerome Dyson, and Craig Austrie all back. With a very good recruiting class lead by PG Kemba Walker, they should be the favorites to win a stacked Big East.

Memphis Tigers
Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Joey Dorsey, and Andre Allen are gone, but the Tigers should still win the C-USA. Robert Dozier, Antonio Anderson, Shawn Taggart, Willie Kemp, and Doneal Mack are a very solid core returning. Add one of the top PGs in the country in Tyreke Evans and you have another Final Four contender.

Louisville Cardinals
Louisville will have one of the deepest guard rotations in the country again with Edgar Sosa, Andre McGee, Jerry Smith, Preston Knowles, and Will Scott all returning. They do lose David Padgett and Juan Palacios, but forward Terrence Williams is back and they add one of the best centers in the nation in Samardo Samuels. Earl Clark said he will return for his junior year after testing the waters, which should make Louisville a contender again.

Duke Blue Devils
Duke only loses DeMarcus Nelson to graduation. They will still be a big threat from behind the arc with Greg Paulus, Jon Scheyer, Gerald Henderson, and Kyle Singler all back. But the problem still lies in the paint as they still don't have a big-time threat inside.

Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga should be a top 10 team again with 4 starters back and a good bench, plus they have a good recruiting class coming in with Demetri Goodson. Jeremy Pargo put his name in the draft, but is expected to return. Matt Bouldin, their leading scorer is back along with Austin Daye, Steven Gray, and Micah Downs. Also, Josh Heytvelt will be one of the top big men in the country.

Other teams to keep an eye on:
Kansas, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Marquette, Villanova, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, Purdue, Michigan St., USC, Arizona, Tennessee, Xavier, & Davidson.

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,