It’s never too early for some college basketball. With all the big recruits signed I figured I’d put out an early look of the preseason top 10.
10. Butler Bulldogs
The Bulldogs return all five starters from a team that was an 8 seed but lost in the first round of the tournament. Matt Howard and Gordan Hayward give them a great 1-2 scoring punch. The Bulldogs will be the heavy favorites in the Horizon league and should go farther in the tournament with another year of experience.
9. West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia had a disappointing end to last season getting upset by Dayton in the first round of the tournament. They only lose Alex Ruoff who was a great shooter. Devin Ebanks had a great freshman season and should build on it. The losses of the other Big East teams (Pitt, Louisville, UCONN, Cuse) will also make things easier for West Virginia.
8. Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance but lost star guard Gerald Henderson after he declared for the NBA Draft. Kyle Singler and John Scheyer return and lead the Blue Devils. Guard Elliot Williams could be the x-factor for Duke after he showed a lot of promise last year.
7. North Carolina Tar Heels
The Tar Heels lost their nucleus of Lawson, Ellington, Green, and Hansbrough following their National Championship but like all great teams do they reloaded in recruiting. They had a top three class and John Henson should make an instant impact. Ed Davis should take on a bigger role this season the return of Marcus Ginyard will be a welcome addition.
6. Michigan State Spartans
The Spartans return almost everyone from last year except for Goran Suton. They will miss his side in the middle but have the talent to make up for it. Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, and Durrell Summer give the Spartans a trio of great players. If one of their bigs steps up this team will be extremely dangerous.
5. Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns lost in the second round last year but should be much improved this season. They lost A.J. Abrams but he will be replaced by top 5 recruit Avery Bradley. Dexter Pittman returns and they added Jordan Hamilton who was a top 15 recruit. Also transfer Jai Lucas becomes eligible in the second semester and could be the answer to their point guard troubles. If Damion James withdraws from NBA Draft this team could be scary good.
4. Purdue Boilermakers
The baby Boilermakers are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance and lose no one from last years team. This will be the third year in a row the starting five has played together and they will have valuable experience from last year. If Robbie Hummel stays healthy he will be a candidate for Big 10 player of the year. JaJuan Johnson and E’Twuan Moore will look to improve in their junior seasons. The sky is the limit for this team the only thing that can hold them back is their depth.
3. Villanova Wildcats
The Wildcats are coming off a surprise Final Four appearance but lost Dante Cunningham and most likely Scotty Reynolds. It will be tough to replace Cunningham who was the heart and soul of the team last year but Nova has one of the top recruiting classes in the nation with four top 100 players. Mouphtauo Yarou should give them an inside presence that they haven’t had in the past. Corey Fisher flashed greatness last season and should have a bigger role this season. The Wildcats will go as far as their freshman take them this season.
2. Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky missed the tournament for the first time in years last season and thus fired coach Billy Gillespie. In came John Calipari who has completely turned the team around in only a few months. Calipari brought over top 5 recruit DeMarcus Cousins from Memphis and got John Wall, the top recruit in the country, to commit. Patrick Patterson will also return to the team and if Jodie Meeks returns this team will be number one. Kentucky fans are hoping Wall can have the same type of impact Derrick Rose had on Memphis.
1. Kansas Jayhawks
The Jayhawks surprised everybody last season when they won the Big 12 regular season title and advanced to the Sweet 16. The Jayhawks have perhaps the best inside out combo in the nation in Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. The team has not lost anybody from last years squad and brought in three top 30 recruits. The jewel of the class is Xavier Henry, an extremely talented wing player who will contribute right away. The Jayhawks are deep and have a great combo of youth and experience making them the team to beat heading into next season.