Um, Why Does Summer Madness Have a Football Field in the Background?

Saturday July 17

• 4:30 pm – St. Mary’s vs. Villanova (2d Round)
• 6:30 pm – Murray State vs. Vanderbilt (1st Round)
• 11 pm – Northern Iowa vs. Kansas (2d Round)

Monday July 19

• 6 am – Old Dominion vs. Notre Dame (1st Round)
• 12:30 pm – Michigan State vs. Maryland (2d Round)
• 6:30 pm – Xavier vs. Pittsburgh (2d Round)
• 9 pm – Texas A&M vs. Purdue (2d Round)

Tuesday July 20

• 12:30 pm – Butler vs. Syracuse (S16)
• 7 pm – Tennessee vs. Ohio State (S16)
• 10 pm – Xavier vs. Kansas State (S16) — make sure to read Luke Winn’s recent article on this game.

Wednesday July 21

• 6 pm - Butler vs. Kansas State (E8)
• 11 pm - Tennessee vs. Michigan State (E8)

Thursday July 22

• 12 pm – Baylor vs. Duke (E8)
• 2 pm – Butler vs. Michigan State (F4)
• 6 pm – Butler vs. Duke (Ch)

Friday July 23

• 8:30 pm – Wake Forest vs. Texas (1st Round)

One of my favorite parts of the college basketball season is watching players make the leap to stardom, from the game notes to the headline, from role player to All-America candidate. Every season players spring up in November and December with performances that make you wonder if they’ve finally harnessed all of that talent and are prepared to take off to unforeseen heights, a recent example being Wes Johnson’s virtuoso two-game clinic at MSG against California and North Carolina. It was Jacob Pullen emerging as a top scorer in the loaded Big 12. It was Austin Freeman pouring in 33 in a huge comeback win over Connecticut. It was Darington Hobson leading the Mountain West champs team in scoring, rebounds and assists or Jordan Crawford scoring 87 points in three NCAA Tournament games. Who will those bust-out performers be next season? Here are my most likely candidates:

Marcus Morris, F, Kansas- On a team with Cole Aldrich, Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry, any Kansas fan will tell you that during more than one stretch in 2009-10, Marcus Morris was their most reliable player. Coach Bill Self expects Morris to break out and become a bona fide star and likely first round pick, forming a dynamic inside-outside duo with incoming freshman Josh Selby and the many wings at Self’s disposal this season. Morris averaged 13/6 in around 25 MPG as a sophomore despite all of that talent around him and I don’t believe it’s a stretch he could boost those totals to 18/9 next season. He’s also shown outstanding efficiency in his game- 57% FG, 66% FT (not bad for a college PF and up 6% from his first year), along with rankings of #52 in offensive rating and #62 in efficient FG% in the nation. Morris is a solid rebounder and even has displayed improving range on his jumper. Expect Morris to be one of the main reasons the Jayhawks remain atop the Big 12 even after their numerous personnel losses.

Morris, along with Josh Selby, will lead the KU attack

Kris Joseph, F, Syracuse- Quick trivia question: Who was the third leading scorer on last year’s Syracuse squad after Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins? The answer is the mega-talented Kris Joseph, a slashing swingman from Montreal that has Jim Boeheim already expecting big things heading into his junior season, similar vibes from the Hall-of-Fame coach that we heard last summer regarding Wesley Johnson (and look how that worked out). Joseph has all of the athletic tools to mold into a lottery pick before our very eyes and lead a Syracuse team to back-to-back Big East titles. His first-step quickness is outstanding and Joseph could live at the free throw line this season if his aggressiveness is maintained. Sure, the mid-range shooting game needs improvement, but anyone who watched Joseph score seven of the last ten Orange points in a road win over Georgetown last February knows it’s all about commitment and dedication. If Boeheim pushes the right buttons- and why would we believe otherwise?- watch out.

Terrell Holloway, G, Xavier- Everyone remembers Crawford’s shooting display against Kansas State, but it was fellow guard Terrell Holloway’s clutch buckets and nerve-wracking free throws that kept Xavier breathing time and time again. Holloway will now have to take over as the Musketeers’ go-to offensive threat with both Crawford and senior forward Jason Love on their way out. Holloway saw his minutes jump from 20 to 30 per game in his sophomore season and made newly minted head coach Chris Mack seem awfully smart- his FG% jumped 5% and his scoring average more than doubled. Holloway notched 26 in the crosstown Cincy rivalry game, dropped 20 on LSU, 24 on Richmond and 22 on Dayton, so it’s not as if Holloway is beating up on the dregs of the non-conference schedule. A name still relatively unknown to the casual college hoops fan, Holloway should change that wisdom this season.

Jordan Williams, F, Maryland- The departures of seniors Greivis Vasquez, Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne means diaper dandy Jordan Williams is suddenly the focal point of a Terps offense that will look to relish an underdog role for 2010-11. Williams certainly showed signs he can become an impact big man in the ACC in just his second season at College Park. The headline player of last year’s recruiting class, Williams nearly averaged a double-double and shot over 50% as a freshman in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. Now it’ll be Adrian Bowie, Sean Mosley, Dino Gregory and the baby-faced Williams that will have to lead the push. Williams is the youngest and has the highest ceiling of the pack: a bulky 6’10, 260 pound frame, a high basketball IQ, tremendous rebounding instincts and advanced post moves for a player his age. If his 18/5 on 8-12 FG against Trevor Booker and Clemson, his 15/11 against Brian Zoubek and Duke or his 21/17 in the opening round against Houston are any indication, Williams is the next star for the Terps, and that star could shine as soon as this winter.

Michael Thompson, G, Northwestern- Make no mistake about it: Northwestern WILL make the NCAA Tournament for the first time in their school’s history this season. Kevin Coble returns from an ACL tear, John Shurna is back for his junior campaign after averaging 18/6 last season, Drew Crawford appears to be a recruiting coup for Bill Carmody and the only subtraction of note is defensive stalwart Jeremy Nash. But the biggest reason could be Michael “Juice” Thompson, who I feel is on the fast track to Big Ten stardom. Thompson has a fantastic feel for the game, has shot 40% all three years at Northwestern from deep and knows how to run an offense. He’s improved his A/T ratio every year in Evanston and cranked up his scoring average from 9.9 PPG to 14.2 PPG a season ago. Coble and Thompson realize it’s their last chance to knock that giant monkey off Northwestern’s back. Expect them to respond in a big way.

William Buford, G, Ohio State- Nobody is denying the talent of William Buford. A highly regarded recruit out of Toledo, Buford has had his inconsistencies during his first two seasons in Columbus. Still, if you sit back and look at the big picture, Buford has been very valuable for Thad Matta: right around 44% FG both years, 14.4 PPG and 5.6 RPG as a sophomore and an improving court awareness/floor game. Buford struggled initially last season, making just eight of 38 shots in the Buckeyes’ big non-conference duels with UNC, Cal and Florida State, but he picked it up in Evan Turner’s absence with 20/7/3 at Butler. With Turner history, Buford is the most likely candidate to claim alpha dog status for an Ohio State team whose expectations won’t be lowered this upcoming season. While other key Ohio State weapons have their limitations (Diebler, Lauderdale, Sullinger, Lighty), Buford can do pretty much anything on a basketball court and may harness all of that in 2010-11.

With Evan Turner gone, it's now Buford's team

Maalik Wayns, G, Villanova- Whether Wayns is the first off the bench or pairs with Corey Fisher in this year’s Villanova backcourt, expect dramatically more production from the speedy 6’1 guard. Wayns was stuck behind trusted veterans, notably seniors Scottie Reynolds and Reggie Redding, in Jay Wright’s rotation down the stretch and his minutes and impact certainly faded. It should be a different story in 2010-11 when Wayns is expected to be a double-digit scorer for the Wildcats. The Philly native showed his chops in two 16-point performances on the road in Big East play, finishing the season with a stellar 43% FG for a green freshman and a positively Nova-esque 81% from the charity stripe. Wayns is a Kyle Lowry clone that can get to the rim at will and could be an all-Big East performer as soon as next season.

Wesley Witherspoon, G-F, Memphis- John Calipari’s departure left the Memphis cupboard quite bare with the exception of Witherspoon and Duke transfer Elliot Williams. Both players had breakout seasons and Memphis actually tinkered on the bubble for most of the Conference USA season. Even with a loaded recruiting class entering the fray, it’s Witherspoon who has earned the right to be the #1 offensive option for Josh Pastner in his junior season. Allowed more opportunities on offense, Witherspoon averaged 13/5 on 47/76/43 and his apex came in two performances against UAB and Gonzaga in which the 6’7 swingman dropped 55 combined points. It’s back to reality for Memphis in 2010-11 and that means NCAA tournament and Conference USA championship expectations. Witherspoon should be the guy to lead that push.

Kawhi Leonard, F, San Diego State- Even at a riper age, Steve Fisher showed his recruiting chops in luring California’s Mr. Basketball to the Aztecs and his freshman season was extremely impressive. If he sticks around long enough, Leonard has the leaping ability and hands to lead the nation in rebounding. He was just 0.1 RPG away from double-digit boards per game as an inexperienced freshman. His offensive repertoire is still limited and needs development, but I don’t think it’s far-fetched to expect first team honors for Leonard in a strong MWC next season. He possesses tremendous athleticism and a quick first step to dribble drive past defenders for an easy two. His back-to-back double-doubles against ranked New Mexico and UNLV to clinch an auto bid for San Diego State last March, including a ridiculous 16/21 against the Rebels, were just glimpses into the talent level of Leonard.

Derrick Williams, F, Arizona- Conventional wisdom heading into Sean Miller’s first season at the helm of the Arizona program was that Nic Wise would have to play Superman for the Wildcats to even sniff a chance at extending their NCAA Tournament streak. When the dust settled in March, it was the freshman Williams, not Wise, that led Arizona in scoring, rebounding and FG%, giving disappointed Wildcat fans serious optimism they could have a definite star on their hands. Williams ranked in the top-100 in the nation in effective FG% and true shooting percentage and got the foul line at a stunning rate, drawing 7.4 fouls per 40 minutes of action. You know those “he’s a freshman!” chants that student sections ring out after a great play? Other than Wall or Cousins, Williams deserved that chant just as much as any newcomer to the college hoops scene last season. Just imagine what this kid can do with a summer of development.

Jeffery Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt- While the Swedish import didn’t improve much from his freshman to sophomore campaigns, most feel Taylor has the skill set and potential to really take off this season and mold into a potential first round selection in the 2011 Draft. What jumps out most about Taylor are his length and defensive ability. He can guard pretty much any position on the floor and is a solid rebounder for a 6’7 wing. Taylor’s mid-range shooting game has also improved, even if defenders still don’t have to pay attention to him beyond the three-point line (1-11 from downtown on the season is quite poor for a small forward) and he also really faded down the stretch. With Jermaine Beal and A.J. Ogilvy gone, it’s up to Taylor to take advantage of this opportunity and send Vanderbilt back to the NCAA Tournament to avenge last season’s disappointing finish.

Alec Burks, G, Colorado- Believe it or not, Colorado actually has a chance to turn some heads in their last season as a member of the Big 12. Very few schools in the country can match the 1-2 punch of senior Cory Higgins and former coach Jeff Bzdelik’s best recruiting job, sophomore Alec Burks, Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2009. Burks, a late bloomer with loads of upside, may not see his numbers jump massively with Higgins still around and what new coach Tad Boyle hopes is an improved secondary cast, but Burks could become a better player and maybe win a little bit in the process, upping his cache nationally. Burks is a quick, athletic wing that loves to get to the rim, but also has shown the chops to be a formidable outside shooter at just 19 years old when next season begins. If he can pack on some upper body strength and learn how to make his teammates better, Burks could really burst onto the scene nationally on a team that many feel is a legitimate sleeper.

Player Name: Jordan Crawford

School: Xavier

Height/Weight: 6’4, 198

NBA Position: SG

Projected Draft Range: Late first round/Early second round

Overview: Following a hectic summer headlined by an infamous dunk over LeBron James, Indiana transfer Jordan Crawford entered Xavier with the goal of becoming that go-to scoring option that would vault the Musketeers back to the Sweet 16 in Chris Mack’s first season at the helm. Crawford accomplished both goals with gusto. Crawford finished behind only UMass’ guard Ricky Harris for the A-10 scoring lead in the regular season, posting fourteen 20+ point performances during that span. As March rolled around, so did Crawford’s peak. The 6’4 sparkplug put up 62 points in Xavier’s three Atlantic 10 Tournament contests and carried that scoring prowess into the NCAA Tournament where Crawford tied BYU’s Jimmer Fredette for the tournament’s scoring lead at 29.0 PPG. No college hoops fan will soon forget his three-pointer from the cancer ribbon on the court in Salt Lake City to send the Kansas State Sweet 16 game into double OT (he scored 32 in that one). This late season shooting display resulted in Crawford peaking at the right time and earning the attention of numerous NBA scouts and evaluators. A player most assumed would stick around for another A-10 and Sweet 16 run was soon headed to the pros after just one season in Bloomington and one in Cincinnati. Crawford certainly left a lasting legacy for Musketeer fans, though, as one of the most exciting, inconsistent, heart-pounding and frustrating players to ever grace the floor of the Cintas Center.

Crawford Has the Ability to Blow Up Without Warning

Will Translate to the NBA: Crawford is one of the more polished and explosive scorers in the Draft. He knows he can score at any spot on the floor and shows it sometimes far too often. Crawford can spot up from mid-range or far behind the NBA three-point line and knock down the shot with proficiency. He was one of the more effective scorers in all of college basketball last year because of three reasons: 1) that unlimited shooting range, 2) craftiness and effort without the ball, and 3) persistence to penetrate and get to the rim. In isolation situations, Crawford is phenomenal at creating his own shot, even if it’s not the smartest one. He’s also tremendous off the ball reading screens, catching and elevating with his release high above the defender. Remember those old NBA video games where the player would literally catch fire when he’d make four or five shots in a row? That’s Jordan Crawford. The problem is that a series of misfires doesn’t deter the kid. He will shoot you in and out of basketball games.

Needs Work: Crawford’s shot selection and decision making must improve. He was in the perfect situation at Xavier because he was their only consistent scoring threat, so Mack could deal with Crawford taking twenty shots and dominating the ball on any given night. In the NBA, Crawford has to learn to utilize more discretion on his shots and maintain a level of effectiveness even as a role player. Crawford has the basketball IQ to bowl his way to the rim for free throws or layups when his shot isn’t falling, but we can’t recall very many times last season he decided to kick the ball out for open threes for teammates when the defense collapsed. Crawford is also a mediocre defender that tends to gamble and lose more than stick on his man, a sign of laziness on that end. More than anything, it seems to us his on-court ego needs to deflate just a tad, because Crawford can be a deadly complimentary player if he sets his mind to it.

Comparison Players: We see Crawford being a better version of Flip Murray. He won’t quite be as complete or accomplished as J.R. Smith or Jamal Crawford, but there’s no doubt in our mind Crawford can become an exceptional scoring weapon off the bench. The fact that Crawford is a slightly undersized 2-guard with unreliable ball-handling skills and a hot/cold jump shot reminds us of Flip Murray. We see his ceiling as slightly higher, but the comparison seems valid.  

Best Case Scenario: Jamal Crawford is the best case scenario. We think Jordan can become a much better defender if he puts in the time, effort and study, and he’ll never become quite the scoring dynamo as Jamal, but the scoring punch is certainly evident. Crawford can form a fantastic career as a feared scoring threat off the bench that can catch fire at any point in the game and may even see crunch time minutes as a feared shot-maker. We’re not saying he’ll collect Sixth Man of the Year trophies, but Crawford can certainly become a similar weapon.

2013 Projection: We envision Crawford putting together a successful NBA career depending on the team. A fast-paced, run-and-gun type offense that plays tons of possessions and allows Crawford numerous shot attempts while not relying on him for consistent defense would certainly fit early in his career. Anyone that watched Crawford in the NCAA Tournament this March knows his scoring potential is absurd. He’s much too potent to flame out in the NBA, unless he becomes overly selfish and completely ditches the defensive end of the floor. We’ll take the optimistic route: in three years: Crawford is one of the top bench scorers in the NBA.

Best NBA Fit: Pretty much any NBA squad could find room for Crawford on their bench. The highest he could go is #24 to Atlanta if Jamal Crawford has to replace Joe Johnson in the starting lineup. Memphis at #25 or New Jersey at #27 are also decent fits for the former Musketeer. Any team drafting Crawford in the second round could be getting a flat out steal.

* Zach Hayes contributed this draft profile to RTC.

There was plenty of news that came out of this week’s Big East spring meetings: elimination of the double-bye in the Big East basketball tournament and the approved use of high-definition monitors for football replays (consider me amazed that this wasn’t the norm already), but there was also the underlying issue of the looming Big Ten expansion and how that will affect the Big East.

The most interesting line of the week came from rookie Big East commissioner John Marinatto, who said he is playing the Bud Fox to Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany’s Gordon Gekko (two characters from the 1987 movie Wall Street). “I feel like I’m Bud Fox and he’s Gordon Gekko,” Marinatto said. “He’s always honest and helpful with me. He’s brilliant and creative — just like Gordon Gekko — he knew all the corners to cut. He understands the landscape.” While the quote comes across as mostly complimentary towards Delany, it also underlines the fact that this is a high-stakes business situation, and begs the question as to whether greed is indeed good for the NCAA and its conferences.

Greed is Good?

But, despite Marinatto’s respect for his sparring partner here, he also made it clear that with all that is at stake for the Big East, they are not just sitting idly by and waiting to see what the Big Ten is going to do.  When the Big East lost Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC in 2004 and 2005, the Big East was able to respond by adding all-sport schools Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida and basketball-only schools DePaul and Marquette to create a new and improved version of the conference, one that morphed into arguably the best basketball conference in the country. But with the Big Ten rumored to be interested in current Big East schools like Connecticut, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Syracuse (amongst others), once again they are on the defensive. “I look at this situation as another threat certainly,” Marinatto said. “It would be irresponsible not to be concerned about it. We’re trying to position ourselves as best we can. In my mind, you always play out what it is you might do, but we certainly can’t do that in a public forum.”

Fortunately, we, and others, can do that in a public forum. The New York Post has reported that representatives from the Big East have already had discussions with Atlantic 10 schools like Dayton, Duquesne, St. Joseph’s and Xavier about possibly joining up in the event of the Big East losing teams to the Big Ten. There has been speculation elsewhere about schools like Buffalo, Central Florida and East Carolina as all-sport replacements in case of the potential loss of, for instance, Pitt and Syracuse. And there is even continued talk about the Big East laying down an ultimatum to Notre Dame: join us in football or leave us in the rest of your sports. The thinking here is that even if Notre Dame decides to leave and is left without a home for its non-football sports, it would be more apt to join up with the Big Ten, perhaps saving schools like Syracuse and Pitt from its elongated reach.

Again, all of this is wild speculation at this point (albeit fun wild speculation), but to be sure, Marinatto and his hired-help, Paul Tagliabue, are examining all the possible scenarios by which the Big East can not only spare itself, but perhaps even create a stronger conference. In the meantime, however, there is the concern that all the chatter about the potential downfall of the Big East could have a negative effect on recruiting for Big East coaches.

Elsewhere in news from conferences around the nation:

Since the Mountain West Conference chose TCU over Boise State for their ninth member in 2004, there have often been rumors that an invitation would be extended to Boise State to make it ten. It is possible that such an event could finally take place this summer, perhaps even as soon as next weekend when the MWC presidents meet. The biggest obstacle to this invitation may be the Air Force Academy. Due to their obligation to schedule Army and Navy every year in football, a nine-game conference football schedule would leave them only one remaining non-conference game each year. A possible work-around here is to add BSU but keep the eight-game conference schedule, which isn’t all that palatable to the fans, but if it means adding the Broncos and strengthening the MWC’s claim on an automatic BCS berth for its champion (and let’s be honest, the only reason BSU is an attractive option for the MWC is their football program), you can bet it’ll get done. My guess? Boise State is invited at some point in the next two weeks, they’ll accept and begin play in the conference in the fall of 2011.

Conference USA had their spring meetings last week. The biggest news out of the meetings was that the conference basketball tournament was awarded to El Paso instead of Memphis. Television negotiations were also a big topic at the meeting as CUSA’s contracts with ESPN and CBS College Sports expire at the end of the next academic year and new negotiations are underway. The conference hopes to be able to renegotiate a contract similar to the existing one in which ESPN gets first pick of CUSA games and CBS College Sports can have whatever ESPN does not choose.

This past weekend, the NBA Draft early entry deadline came and went. With most of the incoming freshman having decided their destination next fall (looking at you Terrence Jones) and underclassmen making their final announcements about next year’s plans, we finally have a solid sense of how the rosters will shake out for the 2010-11 college basketball season. Sounds like a fantastic time for another top 25 to me. I did my best to project each team’s starting lineup (which of course could change with injuries, suspensions, academic ineligibility, etc. from now until November) and even strapped on some predictions at the end. Enjoy.

1. Duke

Starting Lineup: G Kyrie Irving, G Nolan Smith, F Kyle Singler, F Mason Plumlee, F Miles Plumlee

The Blue Devils established themselves as the near-consensus top team as soon as Kyle Singler opted to return to Durham for another campaign. The losses of big bodies Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek could leave them a bit thin up front and slightly vulnerable against sizable opponents like Kansas State (both will participate in the CBE Classic) or ACC foe Florida State, but Mason Plumlee is a tremendous candidate to break out in his sophomore season. Jon Scheyer is replaced at the point by who scouts are saying might be the best guard to ever come out of New Jersey in Kyrie Irving. Pair him with returnee Nolan Smith and the Blue Devils are a prime candidate to push the tempo this season. Singler and Smith are both definite ACC POY candidates and Irving is the biggest recruit for Coach K since Josh McRoberts. Seth Curry was a 20+ PPG scorer at Liberty in 2008-09 and should be the first guard off the bench, while Andre Dawkins gives Coach K a deadeye shooter for crunch time. This combination of talent plus a championship trophy from April equates to an easy #1 ranking in the preseason.

2. Michigan State

Starting Lineup: G Kalin Lucas, G Durrell Summers, F Draymond Green, F Delvon Roe, C Derrick Nix

The only contributing player missing from last year’s Final Four squad is Raymar Morgan, meaning Tom Izzo is primed for another run deep into March. There are question marks- the readiness of Lucas after his devastating Achilles injury, the focus of Summers for an entire season in a loaded conference and the health of Roe up front. If Lucas returns to form, he’s an All-America candidate, while wings Summers and Chris Allen can spring for six treys on any night. Draymond Green is a bulky point-forward with an improving mid-range jumper that makes him extremely difficult to guard. The bench should also be stellar with Allen, Korie Lucious- who garnered valuable experience in place of Lucas last March- and two highly regarded recruits in Adreian Payne and Keith Appling. As usual, Izzo chose to challenge his Spartans in the preseason. They’ll head to Maui, face Syracuse in the Jimmy V and also have the Big 10/ACC Challenge contest on the docket.

3. Purdue

Starting Lineup: G Lewis Jackson, G Kelsey Barlow, G E’Twaun Moore, F Robbie Hummel, C JaJuan Johnson

The most important announcement of this past weekend was the decision of both E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson to return for their final season in West Lafayette. Both players made the right call- Johnson isn’t strong or consistent enough for the NBA and Moore may have gone undrafted. Plus, the Boilers have a decent shot at bringing home a national title next April. Robbie Hummel is way ahead of schedule recovering from his knee injury and Lewis Jackson will have a full season to blossom without any foot injury hindrances. Matt Painter will miss the leadership and work of lockdown perimeter defender Chris Kramer, but there’s more than enough production on both ends to contemplate beating out Michigan State and Ohio State for a conference title. Look for Kelsey Barlow to step in at Keaton Grant’s spot in the lineup, but I also wouldn’t count out incoming freshman Terone Johnson earning substantial minutes.

4. Kansas State

Starting Lineup: G Jacob Pullen, G Rodney McGruder, F Dominique Sutton, F Curtis Kelly, F Jamar Samuels

I’m not trying to underestimate the value of Denis Clemente to the Wildcats, but Frank Martin’s team could be even better protecting the Octagon of Doom than last season. Nobody will be out-manning or out-working Kansas State on the boards this season. They feature an assembly line of big bodies that can dominate the backboards and score respectably with UConn transfer Curtis Kelly being the most skilled. Jacob Pullen enters his senior season as the frontrunner for Big 12 Player of the Year and could be a First Team All-American. Pullen has tremendous range on his jumper, but the blow-by-ability (h/t Clark Kellogg) is also sensational. Look for athletic freak Wally Judge to break out in a big way during his sophomore campaign.

5. Villanova

Starting Lineup: G Maalik Wayns, G Corey Fisher, G Corey Stokes, F Antonio Pena, F Mouphtaou Yarou

I started this Top 25 thinking Villanova would be right around the #10-#13 range. After all, they lost clutch extraordinaire and four-year team leader Scottie Reynolds. But they kept moving up my rankings, mostly because I loved what I saw from Maalik Wayns in short spurts last season. He’s the next great Villanova guard and a clone of former Wildcat Kyle Lowry with even better passing ability. Corey Fisher is more than capable of running the Nova offense and could lead the Big East in free throws attempted. No guard duo will get to the line more often than Wayns and Fisher, plus Stokes provides a kick-out dimension for open threes. The frontline should be respectable led by much-improved Antonio Pena and the bench is capable with Dominic Cheek, Taylor King and Isaiah Armwood all bringing different facets to the table. Villanova is the best team in the Big East.

6. Pittsburgh

Starting Lineup: G Ashton Gibbs, G Brad Wanamaker, F Gilbert Brown, F Nasir Robinson, C Gary McGhee

One of the steadiest programs in college basketball, Pittsburgh returns everyone but Jermaine Dixon from a team that shocked most prognosticators and earned a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers almost never lose at home and Jamie Dixon is easily one of the best coaches around. Ashton Gibbs is as good of a pick as any to win conference player of the year honors. Gibbs improved mightily from his freshman to sophomore campaigns and is the best free throw shooter in the nation. Defensive intensity has always been a staple of Pitt basketball, and while ace stopper Dixon has left, this core returning is more than capable of topping the Big East in opponents PPG. Gilbert Brown is an athletic wing that keeps improving and Brad Wanamaker acts as another outside shooter to go with Gibbs. The bench is boasted by speedy guard Travon Woodall and heralded recruit Dante Taylor.

7. Ohio State

Starting Lineup: G William Buford, G Jon Diebler, G/F David Lighty, F Dallas Lauderdale, F Jared Sullinger

The Buckeyes have the pure talent to earn this spot in the Top 25, but they could encounter some problems gelling as a unit, at least in the early going. Evan Turner did everything for this team- he was their go-to scorer, point guard, top rebounder and ran the offense. Two problems confronted Thad Matta last season: shaky point guard play (why Turner had to take on the role) and a consistent low post presence. The latter is solved by bringing in Jared Sullinger, a DeMarcus Cousins-type impact player who could be an All-American his freshman year. The former is still up in the air and could ultimately cost Ohio State when they have to face Kalin Lucas and Lewis Jackson. The pieces are exciting, though. Jon Diebler is a fantastic outside shooter and David Lighty is one of the best defenders in the nation. Look for William Buford to break out on a national level.

8. Butler

Starting Lineup: G Shelvin Mack, G Ronald Nored, G Shawn Vanzant, F Matt Howard, C Andrew Smith

I realize Gordon Hayward was their best player, but people are acting like Butler will fall off drastically in his absence. I’m not convinced; in fact, I think they’ll be a top ten team throughout the season. Shelvin Mack only gets better and better with his jump shot, improving by around 6% in both FG% and 3pt% last year. Now that Chris Kramer has left us, Ronald Nored may take on the role of best perimeter defender in the nation. Nored contained Andy Rautins, Jacob Pullen and Durrell Summers during their NCAA Tournament brigade. If he stays out of foul trouble, Matt Howard is a reliable low-post presence. Their success in March could depend on whether the role players- Vanzant, Smith, Butcher and incoming freshman Khyle Marshall- contribute in the absence of Hayward and Willie Veasley.

9. Baylor

Starting Lineup: G A.J. Walton, G LaceDarius Dunn, F Quincy Acy, F Perry Jones, F Anthony Jones

The athleticism of this team is off the charts, and that’s even with Ekpe Udoh and Tweety Carter departing. The big question mark will be whether sophomore A.J. Walton can replace Carter at the point. He has the task of finding LaceDarius Dunn off screens for open jumpers and also feeding both Quincy Acy and Perry Jones in the post. Jones is the most heralded recruit to ever come to Baylor and has the potential to surpass Udoh’s production in the low post; in fact, he could go in the top three in next year’s NBA Draft. The question with Jones has always been consistent effort and intensity. Acy is a dunk machine that dropped 24 (literally dropped, it was a dunkfest) on Texas last February and could blossom into a special player alongside Jones. This is a risky spot for Baylor given the loss of Udoh and, more importantly, their point guard Carter, but I trust Scott Drew to blend the pieces together effectively.

10. Georgetown

Starting Lineup: G Chris Wright, G Austin Freeman, G Jason Clark, F Hollis Thompson, F Julian Vaughn

Next year gives us an opportunity to see just how important Greg Monroe was to this team. I’m a big believer in their backcourt duo of Chris Wright and Austin Freeman. Wright is a steady, intelligent playmaker that really emerged down the stretch last season, while Freeman shot a remarkable 44% from deep and has an entire summer to manage his diabetes that seemed to hinder the junior sharpshooter late last season. Jason Clark improved tremendously last season and gives JTIII another shooting weapon. The question mark is obviously production from the post in the absence of Monroe. I saw enough from Thompson and Vaughn last season to not be super concerned. Incoming freshman Nate Lubick will also aid the cause.

11. Washington

Starting Lineup: G Isaiah Thomas, G Venoy Overton, F Justin Holiday, F Terrence Jones, F Matthew Bryan-Amaning

As long as Terrence Jones doesn’t go back on his word and switch allegiances to Kentucky, the Huskies will enter next season as the favorites to run away with the Pac-10. Jones immediately becomes their best player, a hybrid 4-man that many compare to Lamar Odom. He has the ability to beat you from the perimeter or in the low post. The backcourt is stellar with enigmatic point guard Isaiah Thomas back for another hurrah. He’s joined by defensive pest Venoy Overton and Abdul Gaddy, a hyped freshman that never found a niche last season in Seattle. Talented wing and Jones’ high school teammate Terrence Ross should make an impact immediately. Still, there’s no doubt Washington will struggle with offensive production in the paint without Quincy Pondexter.

12. Missouri

Starting Lineup: G Phil Pressey, G Kim English, G Marcus Denmon, F Laurence Bowers, F Justin Safford

Missouri may not be the 12^th best team in the nation, but I’m a huge fan of their system, coach and incoming recruiting class. Mike Anderson’s press always keeps his team in games regardless of the deficit and is an absolute nightmare for the opposition. Kim English is an all-Big 12 candidate and Anderson also should get big man Justin Safford back from an ACL injury. His height absence really killed them against Kansas last March and in their second round tournament loss to West Virginia. Missouri has three stud recruits coming to Columbia- Texas natives Tony Mitchell and Paul Pressey (who could run the show immediately with Michael Dixon) along with JC transfer Ricardo Ratcliffe. The Tigers will miss the leadership and defense of J.T. Tiller, but the talent is oozing here. Missouri is my Elite 8 sleeper.

13. Kentucky

Starting Lineup: G Brandon Knight, G Doron Lamb, G Darius Miller, F Josh Harrellson, C Enes Kanter

This seems like a good place for Kentucky. Twice in two years John Calipari will have an entirely new team at his disposal, another unit littered with high-profile recruits that could bolt after just a single season in Lexington. Brandon Knight and Enes Kanter are two of the top ten incoming freshmen in the nation. Knight isn’t quite John Wall in terms of passing ability and making his team better, but he’s much more likely to explode for 30 points. Kanter has advanced post moves for his age and can also step out to about 16 feet. The issue with Kentucky will be at the 4 spot where they currently have little-used Josh Harrellson as the projected starter after missing out on Terrence Jones and C.J. Leslie. I don’t think Calipari expected that to happen.

14. UNLV

Starting Lineup: G Oscar Bellfield, G Tre’Von Willis, G/F Chace Stanback, F Matt Shaw, C Brice Massamba

UNLV is my sleeper for the top-15. They return nearly everyone of note from a squad that beat both BYU and New Mexico last season and lost at the last second to Northern Iowa in the NCAA Tournament. Tre’Von Willis might be the most talented player in the conference, evident by his explosions (57 points in 2 games) against BYU last season. Oscar Bellfield stepped in at point guard and compiled a 2.5 A/T ratio, quite the impressive total for a sophomore. Kentucky transfer Derrick Jasper will be healthy after spraining his MCL last January. UNLV returns their top eight scorers and they all averaged 5 PPG or more. Plus, they boast a fantastic coach to boot. They won’t quite be the early-90s Runnin’ Rebels, but the makeup of this roster is exciting.

15. Gonzaga

Starting Lineup: G Demetri Goodson, G Stephen Gray, F Elias Harris, F Kelly Olynyk, C Robert Sacre

Matt Bouldin was fantastic last season, but I don’t foresee his absence derailing such a steady program. It’s scary to think how good Elias Harris will be with a summer to improve. Remember his 31/13 in a win at Saint Mary’s? You could be seeing plenty more performances at that level from the ultra-skilled German. It wouldn’t stun me if Harris is a lottery pick next summer. I’ll be honest, I expected a lot more from Demetri Goodson after bursting onto the scene with his game-winning floater against Western Kentucky last March. 1.8 APG and 14% from three is abominable for a starting point guard on a team with this much talent. Now he doesn’t have Bouldin as a crutch, either. Stephen Gray is so much more than a three-point specialist, but he needs to shoot better from outside this season. Robert Sacre emerging as a legitimate post presence takes a lot of pressure off Gray to produce.

16. Syracuse

Starting Lineup: G Brandon Triche, G Scoop Jardine, F Kris Joseph, F Rick Jackson, C Fab Melo

Syracuse loses quite possibly the first and third best players in a loaded Big East, yet they should still be more than respectable and will likely begin the season fourth in the conference pecking order (if they’re still a member). The backcourt is boosted by incoming freshman Dion Waiters. Scoop Jardine could have a monstrous year as playmaker, slasher and scorer for the Orange, while sophomore Brandon Triche will likely get the starting nod running the offense. Kris Joseph showed glimpses of future stardom, most notably at the end of their win at Georgetown. He’s fabulous at getting to the rim and can pop from mid-range. Fab Melo and Rick Jackson will take up plenty of space and score the basketball effectively down low. This is still a really good team, folks.

17. Kansas

Starting Lineup: G Josh Selby, G Tyshawn Taylor, F Thomas Robinson, F Markieff Morris, F Marcus Morris

Kansas is quite possibly the hardest team to project. The situation is similar to when Bill Self lost nearly his entire team following their title in 2008 and the Jayhawks still managed a #3 seed and Big 12 title the following year. That happening again really depends on whether players like Thomas Robinson, Elijah Johnson and Jeff Withey can play in one of the toughest conferences in the nation. We just haven’t seen enough to know yet. Will Brady Morningstar and Tyrell Reed respond to being depended on more than as role players surrounded by elite talent? Can Josh Selby step in immediately and run the point and will Tyshawn Taylor play the season with his head on straight? Marcus Morris is the lone “sure thing” here. His improvement was remarkable last season to the point where he became their most dependable player. It would be foolish to think Kansas is in for a huge dropoff, but there’s so much yet to be determined.

18. Temple

Starting Lineup: G Ramone Moore, G Juan Fernandez, F Rahlir Jefferson, F Lavoy Allen, F Micheal Eric

I’ll give the Owls the slight edge over Xavier in my Atlantic 10 standings, primarily because they’re the defending champs and return both Juan Fernandez and Lavoy Allen. Fernandez burst onto the scene with his virtuoso performance against then-unblemished Villanova and shot 45% from deep last season. The loss of Ryan Brooks will sting, but Ramone Moore contributed in bursts last season (24 at St. Joe’s) and will develop. Allen’s decision to return was absolutely huge. He’s their best post scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. Question is: Will this be the year Fran Dunphy finally wins an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1994?

19. Tennessee

Starting Lineup: G Melvin Goins, G Cameron Tatum, G Scotty Hopson, F Tobias Harris, F Brian Williams

Tennessee will go as far as Scotty Hopson will take them. He has all the talent in the world but fades in and out of games and has yet to show consistency. Case in point: In four of Tennessee’s last seven games, Hopson scored eight points or less, something that can never happen if the Vols want to contend for an SEC title this season. If he stays away from trouble, Brian Williams can be a force down low and 6’8 power forward Tobias Harris joining the squad should be a definite boost. Still, Bruce Pearl lost Wayne Chism, J.P Prince and Bobby Maze from last year’s Elite 8 squad and enters the summer with a big question mark at point guard.

20. Virginia Tech

Starting Lineup: G Malcolm Delaney, G Dorenzo Hudson, G/F Terrell Bell, F Jeff Allen, F J.T. Thompson

Other than Purdue, the team most excited with last weekend’s developments had to be Virginia Tech. The return of Malcolm Delaney boosts the Hokies to a surefire ACC contender.  Seth Greenberg won’t be sweating profusely on Selection Sunday this time around. Delaney might be the top pure scorer in the nation with the ability to shoot with accuracy from anywhere on the floor. He could average 22-23 PPG this season and forms quite the 1-2 backcourt punch with Dorenzo Hudson. Jeff Allen is outstanding in the post, but he’s undersized at 6’7 and Tech could run into difficulty against bigger teams that crash the boards. Luckily, nobody in the ACC other than Florida State really stands out in that category.

21. Illinois

Starting Lineup: G D.J. Richardson, G Demetri McCamey, F Jereme Richmond, F Mike Davis, C Mike Tisdale

Illinois is yet another talented team from the Big 10. We all saw the verbal spats between Demetri McCamey and Bruce Weber late last season, so chemistry is a legitimate concern. McCamey was probably reluctant to return to Champaign, but his presence makes the Illini light years better. After all, he did lead all of college basketball in assists. D.J. Richardson looks like the better player over Brandon Paul, and that’s not a diss at Paul’s ability. Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale also return for their senior campaigns. Davis is a fantastic rebounder but fell off a bit offensively last season. Tisdale, a 7’1 center with a sweet jumper, just keeps getting better.

22. BYU

Starting Lineup: G Jimmer Fredette, G Jackson Emery, G Kyle Collinsworth, F Noah Hartsock, F Brandon Davies

Jonathan Tavernari graduated, Michael Loyd didn’t mesh and Taylor Haws has a mission to complete, but BYU still has a solid club returning for another push in the Mountain West. The most obvious reason is the decision of one Jimmer Fredette to come back to Provo. Fredette is a First Team All-American contender that shot 46/89/44 as a junior and scored 133 points in his last four games last season. That’s not a typo. Backcourt mate Jackson Emery is also back and incoming freshman Kyle Collinsworth will get playing time right away. Davies and Hartsock should be able to hold their own in the frontcourt.

23. North Carolina

Starting Lineup: G Larry Drew, G Will Graves, F Harrison Barnes, F Tyler Zeller, F John Henson

The Heels won’t be reclaiming any glory in 2010-11, but they should be much better. The biggest reason is stud freshman Harrison Barnes, the best rookie to play college basketball next winter. Barnes is a 6’6 wing with a fantastic mid-range game, high basketball IQ and is very athletic. Last year’s players will be challenged by the loaded incoming class, whether it be Kendall Marshall at the point pushing Larry Drew and Dexter Strickland or Reggie Bullock at the 2 giving Will Graves some competition for playing time. The frontline got plenty thinner with the departure of Ed Davis and the Wear twins and Tyler Zeller likes to float to the perimeter. John Henson needs to get a lot tougher and a lot stronger this summer to make an impact.

24. Memphis

Starting Lineup: G Joe Jackson, G Will Barton, G/F Wesley Witherspoon, F Will Coleman, F Angel Garcia

A top-15 team with Elliot Williams, Memphis will have to settle for #24 and one of the more intriguing teams for next season. I’m going to assume the freshman duo of Joe Jackson and Will Barton form the backcourt immediately for Josh Pastner. There’s just way too much talent to think any differently, plus Williams and Willie Kemp are gone and Roburt Sallie is better suited as a three-point popper off the bench. Wesley Witherspoon had a stretch last season where he scored 55 points in two games against UAB and Gonzaga. Will Coleman finished the season with two double-doubles and Angel Garcia has skill through the roof. There’s so much potential here.

25. Utah State

Starting Lineup: G Tyler Newbold, G Pooh Williams, F Brady Jardine, F Tai Wesley, F Nate Bendall

One of the most successful mid-major programs in college basketball the last five years, Utah State might have their best team under Stew Morrill next season. The only loss is Jared Quayle from a team that once again dominated the WAC. Tai Wesley and Nate Bendall is a fearsome duo in the post and Tyler Newbold should hold his own replacing Quayle at the point with Pooh Williams as another option. The conference was hurt by the early departures of Nevada’s Luke Babbitt and New Mexico State’s Jahmar Young, meaning the Aggies could go all General Sherman on the conference. I just wish they’d play someone in November and December.

Just missed: Xavier, Florida, Texas, Richmond, NC State.

Sleepers: San Diego State, Georgia, Northwestern, Colorado, St. John’s.

Preseason Awards

National Player of the Year- Kyle Singler, Duke

National Freshman of the Year- Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

National Coach of the Year- Mike Anderson, Missouri

First Team All-America:

G- Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)

G- Jacob Pullen (Kansas State)

G- Jimmer Fredette (BYU)

F- Kyle Singler (Duke)

F- JaJuan Johnson (Purdue)

Many columns dealing with early entries dissect whether the decision was smart or short-sighted, whether the choice to enter their name was the proper call for their careers. Personally, I don’t care so much about their personal career paths, but about how their decision affects college basketball. Instead, the focus of this column will be on how each early entry to put their name in the draft changes their respective schools’ chances when winter approaches.

Daniel Orton and Eric Bledsoe (Kentucky)- Many around the Kentucky program believe Orton and Bledsoe are history, but refraining from signing with an agent leaves the door slightly ajar. If one or both return to Lexington, the Wildcats vault ahead of Tennessee as the SEC favorites. Returning to school would be even more beneficial to Orton, a player that didn’t establish himself playing behind Cousins and Patterson, but only showed glimpses of his superb athleticism, defensive prowess and developing low-post moves. Pair Orton in the post with Swiss import Enes Kanter and John Calipari is in business. Put Bledsoe with Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb or Darius Miller and the same holds true. Calipari’s loaded class certainly screams reload rather than rebuild, but the returns of Bledsoe and/or Orton would vault expectations even higher.

Gordon Hayward (Butler)- The “babyfaced assassin” (h/t Gus Johnson) might have the toughest call of any early entry this spring. A relative unknown to casual fans just one year ago, Hayward burst onto the scene with a stellar NCAA Tournament, leading the charge behind Butler’s miraculous run to the national title game. Thanks to a late growth spurt, Hayward possesses guard skills in a 6’9 frame and may even go in the latter half of the lottery should he keep his name in the field. Butler would also drop to a ranking similar to the one they enjoyed in October last year. If Hayward returns, it would be a crying shame if Butler isn’t the #2 team ranked preseason behind Duke. The only starter departing is glue guy Willie Veasley. That’s right: Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Ronald Nored and Matt Howard would all return to school for another March push.

Avery Bradley (Texas)- Sources told Fox Sports’ Jeff Goodman that Bradley was likely to stay in the Draft, and quite honestly I can see why. Teams that are looking for a backup point guard with the ability to defend and attack the basket will be flocking towards Bradley near the mid-first round. Findlay Prep point guard Cory Joseph committing to Texas last week takes some pressure off of Rick Barnes if Bradley should opt to stay in the draft. The Longhorns grossly underachieved with Bradley, Dexter Pittman and Damion James; with all three departing, expectations can’t possibly be sky high for Texas, although Kansas, Texas A&M and Baylor should all take steps back this season. Texas is a top-15 team regardless of last season should Bradley, Joseph, Dogus Balbay, J’Covan Brown and Jai Lucas round out a loaded backcourt. I suspect Bradley has played his last game in burnt orange, though.

JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore (Purdue)- This is pretty huge. If both Johnson and Moore return for another season with Robbie Hummel and a healthy Lewis Jackson, Purdue is a preseason top-five team and the debate can ensue whether the Spartans or Boilermakers are better equipped to take the title for the third straight summer. If both bolt for the show, Purdue drops well behind Michigan State and Ohio State in the Big 10 power rankings. Johnson’s stock shot up during the NCAA Tournament where the lanky forward scored 23 points against both Siena and Duke, finally harnessing some consistency in the absence of Hummel. Moore is an undersized combo guard with a pure stroke that defends well on the perimeter. Both are likely second round selections, so why not come back to school, vault the draft stock even higher and fight for a national title?

Samardo Samuels (Louisville)- The Louisville brass were stunned when Samuels entered his name into the draft fray, assuming the burly sophomore was set on returning to help open the Cardinals’ fancy new arena next season. While it’s extremely likely Samuels will be back for a junior season under Rick Pitino, the chance is always there he’ll make an ill-informed decision and opt for the NBA. Without Samuels, Louisville will have almost no offensive presence in the post. In fact, they have the makings of a team that’s far from a lock to make the NCAA Tournament having to rely on Preston Knowles, Peyton Siva and Kyle Kuric to make perimeter jumpers. Incoming athletic swingman Justin Coleman, the continued development of Jared Swopshire and the shot-blocking ability of Terrence Jennings certainly help, as well. With Samuels, this team could compete at the top of the Big East. Without him, 2010-11 is going to be very similar to 2009-10 for Rick Pitino. He makes that much of a difference.

Ekpe Udoh (Baylor)-  The former Michigan transfer blossomed in his first year in Waco, impressing NBA scouts with an array of earth-shattering dunks and high-flying blocks. Many project Udoh to be picked somewhere near the end of the lottery, meaning it’s very likely his one year under Scott Drew will be his only year under Scott Drew. His tremendous rebounding ability and 7’4 wingspan will make it awfully difficult for his stock to drop from now until the decision deadline. Assuming he signs with an agent, Baylor should still compete next season with LaceDarius Dunn returning as the best pure scorer in the Big 12 and, Drew’s most notable recruit center Perry Jones, joining Dunn. The loss of point guard and top distributor Tweety Carter will sting, though. If Udoh shocks the world and returns, Baylor and Kansas State is all of a sudden a neck-and-neck race for preseason Big 12 favorite.

Jordan Crawford (Xavier)- There have been some conflicting reports regarding Crawford, but most believe he’s destined to stay in the draft in hopes of getting nabbed in the first round. The double-OT loss to Kansas State in the Sweet 16 may have been a double whammy for Xavier- they ended up losing the game AND Crawford’s stock shot up dramatically following his heroic performance in that game. The former Indiana transfer is an outstanding shooter with NBA range and is a tremendous playmaker with the basketball, but discipline, decision making and spurts of selfishness could cause NBA GM’s to have second thoughts about drafting Crawford. If he returns to Cincinnati, coach Chris Mack is looking at another tight race between Xavier, Temple and possibly Richmond at the top of the A-10. Only Jason Love departs from last year’s squad that will be led by Terrell Holloway, Kenny Frease, Dante Jackson, Mark Lyons and another stellar incoming class.

Devin Ebanks (West Virginia)- I may be biased as a college basketball fan first and foremost, but to me Ebanks seems like the prototype for a player that should return to school for another season: projected late first round/early second round, high ceiling and potential, has a chance to be the focus of a high profile team next year. There’s still a lot to smooth over in his game: extend his shooting range, increase his aggressiveness on the offensive end and show some ability to beat defenders off the dribble. Scouts love his wingspan, athleticism and rebounding prowess, though, and by all accounts it stands at about 75/25 that he remains in the draft. Ebanks has the opportunity to form quite a ferocious frontcourt with Kevin Jones, John Flowers and Deniz Kilicli next season in Morgantown. Should he bolt, the Mountaineers will be in transition with Ebanks and superstar/clutch performer Da’Sean Butler both gone.

Jimmer Fredette (BYU)- My favorite player in college basketball last season may have thrown his name into the early entry list, but I’d be shocked if he’s not back for his senior season in Provo. Fredette’s numbers speak for themselves: 22.1 PPG, 4.7 APG, 46% FG, 89% FT, 44% 3pt in a competitive Mountain West, along with a sterling performance in BYU’s first round win over Florida. Cougars coach Dave Rose will need Fredette back if he wants to compete in what should be an even more improved conference in 2010-11 as San Diego State, UNLV and New Mexico (if Hobson returns) return nearly every key cog. Everyone knows the BYU offense revolves around Fredette’s magic.

Malcolm Delaney (Virginia Tech)- Like Fredette, I expect Delaney returns for his senior season in Blacksburg. There’s a golden opportunity to finish second in the ACC and avenge last year’s NCAA Tournament snub with Jeff Allen and Dorenzo Hudson also back. Maryland loses Greivis Vasquez, North Carolina is still building their way back to glory, Wake Forest lost Al-Farouq Aminu and Ish Smith and Clemson will be getting acquainted with their new coach. The chance is there for Delaney to return and vault up a mediocre middle of the ACC next winter. He’s an outstanding scorer that can spring for 30+ on any night. Should he return, Delaney will battle Duke’s Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith for ACC Player of the Year.

Darington Hobson (New Mexico)- Much like Seth Greenberg is on edge regarding Delaney’s decision, New Mexico headman Steve Alford is nervous about Hobson’s choice. I suspect Hobson is back in a Lobo uniform to team with Dairese Gary next season, but there’s plenty to like about the lanky junior college transfer for NBA scouts. Hobson was one of the best all-around players in college basketball last season, averaging 16/9/5 and shooting 36% from three. Hobson is very long and has tremendous court vision and penetrating ability for a forward. The problem lie in the fact he was a 22-year old junior that is effective only with the ball in his hands. Should he return, the ball will be in Hobson’s hands plenty for Alford. With Roman Martinez the only senior on last year’s conference champions, Hobson’s return vaults the Lobos to top-15 status in the preseason.

Talor Battle (Penn State)- Battle entering his name in the draft could have more to do with his frustration playing for Penn State than anything. His lack of quickness, inconsistent shooting and undersized stature limits Battle from being more than a late second round pick. If he keeps his name in the pool, Battle risks going completely undrafted. He has a chance to return to school and lead the Big 10 in scoring next season, and all signs point to him opting for that route. With the Nittany Lions next top scorers David Jackson and Chris Babb returning, Penn State may be able to make some noise in what appears to be a loaded Big Ten.

Jeremy Hazell, Herb Pope and Jeff Robinson (Seton Hall)- Out of the three, only Pope has a real chance of being drafted in the second round, and that was put in jeopardy following his shocking collapse earlier this week. Whether new head coach Kevin Willard is trying to coax these three into returning for another season or if he’s just trying to return the page from the tumultuous Bobby Gonzalez era is anybody’s guess. There’s tons of talent here and the Hall could be competitive for a NCAA bid if they all return, but there’s definitely questions about their personalities, motivation and dedication to the program.

Dee Bost and Ravern Johnson (Mississippi State)- This is puzzling. Mississippi State could enter 2010-11 as the favorites in the SEC West with Bost and Johnson back, Renardo Sidney finally cleared to play and Rick Stansbury back in Starkville after spurning Clemson. The only Bulldog that’s going to be drafted this year is Jarvis Varnado. Bost is a slashing point guard with NBA shooting range while Johnson is a talented swingman that can score inside and outside. Look for both to gather their senses and return to make up for last year’s disappointing finish.

Other undecideds of great importance: Kevin Anderson (Richmond), Lavoy Allen (Temple), Mike Davis and Demetri McCamey (Illinois), Paul George (Fresno State), Elijah Millsap (UAB), Arnett Moultrie (UTEP), Tracy Smith (NC State), Alex Tyus (Florida), Terrico White (Mississippi).

Ohio State assistant Alan Major will take over at Charlotte and try to get that school back to the NCAA for the first time in six years, which shouldn’t be too hard with the pending expansion.  The 49ers were 19-12 under Bobby Lutz last season and were in the talk for an at-large bid late in the year out of a very tough Atlantic 10, but they put an end to such speculation by dropping seven of their last eight games.  This is Major’s first head coaching job, and it will be interesting to see what kind of talent he brings to Charlotte having spent time under one of the better recruiters in the game in Thad Matta at both Xavier and OSU.

Three more declare, but look for one to return. In a move that surprised nobody, Georgia Tech freshman forward Derrick Favors declared for the NBA draft, joining fellow Yellow Jacket Gani Lawal in that endeavor.  Favors was in the top 50 in both blocks (2.1 BPG) and field goal percentage (61.1%) as a freshman and was second on the Georgia Tech squad (behind Lawal) in scoring at 12.4 PPG.  With those numbers, plus a 6’10, 246-pound frame, Favors is projected to be the third pick in the draft by NBADraft.net.

Mississippi’s Terrico White is also headed for the NBA draft, but don’t be surprised to see him back in Oxford next year.  The 6’5 sophomore forward is not hiring an agent, and it sounds like he’s going through the process just to be evaluated in order to see where he ranks and where he needs to improve his game.  Can’t blame him at all.  Though he doesn’t appear in either round on the current NBADraft.net list, his name did show up there from time to time over last season and he’s listed as the seventh pick on their 2011 draft.  White averaged 15.1 PPG and 4.6 RPG last year for the Rebels and his stock will certainly improve with a year to develop further expertise in the backcourt.  One man who won’t be back next year is VCU’s Larry Sanders.  The 6’11 and 235-pound junior center averaged 14.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, and 2.1 BPG for the Rams last year and says he plans on hiring an agent.  NBA Draft.net has him projected as a late first-rounder.

John Calipari has a major rebuilding task ahead of him in the 2010-11 season, as his five best players are leaving the program for the bluer waters of the NBA Draft.  In a move that shocked absolutely no one, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton all declared today, leaving UK with just a handful of returning scholarship players heading into next season.  According to KSR, however, P-Pat has yet to file his papers although he would undoubtedly become a top fifteen pick when he does so.  If all five of these guys stay in this year’s draft, it’s likely that each of them would be selected in the top twenty, a first in the history of the event.  This begs the question, of course, whether we should be impressed by so many draft-worthy players on a single team; or by the curious fact that five top twenty picks couldn’t even make it to the Final Four despite an embarrassment of talent at its disposal.

Ohio State’s National POY Evan Turner also declared that he will enter the draft today, and as the presumed #2 overall pick he is making a good decision.  The multi-talented point forward has a chance to become an outstanding perimeter player at the next level, and we’re very happy that his year turned out the way it did after a horrific fall in December threatened to derail his season and (potentially) career.  Some other names that threw their hats into the ring today were: Kansas’ Xavier Henry, who is expected to fall into the #8-#20 range, Xavier’s Jordan Crawford (late 1st/early 2d round), Cincinnati’s Lance Stephenson (late 1st/early 2d round), Marshall’s Hassan Whiteside (late lottery pick), Oklahoma’s Willie Warren (early 2d round), Dayton’s Chris Wright (mid 2d round), Texas’ Avery Bradley (late 1st round), and Florida’s Alex Tyus (undrafted).  Stephenson is the most interesting case study in why we should never listen to players during the season with respect to this stuff, as he clearly stated earlier this season that his return to Cincinnati for a sophomore campaign was ‘definite.’   He’s already signed with an agent, so that sophomore season will have to occur elsewhere.  Can we just say this again for the record?  Please, please David Stern — negotiate a two-year rule for players after their HS class graduates or none at all.

Moving to coaching news, the surprise of the day was the abrupt dismissal of Wake Forest’s Dino Gaudio by the school on Wednesday.  Gaudio was 61-31 in three seasons at the school, but what sealed his fate were his 1-5 postseason record that included two epic collapses down the stretch of the last two years.  It’s unlikely Wake AD Ron Wellman would make this move without a serious candidate in mind, so we should expect to see this position filled in a matter of days.  In more pleasant news, Cornell’s Steve Donahue accepted the job at Boston College, which makes a lot of sense given his northeastern pedigree, and the Rutgers job may be opening up as soon as Thursday if Fred Hill is canned as a result of his bizarre insubordination in the form of attending a baseball game (JR Inman must be ecstatic!).

1. Duke- Assuming Singler stays for his senior campaign, the defending champs are the clear preseason #1. Kyrie Irving and Seth Curry join the fun already started by Singler and Nolan Smith.

2. Butler- The Bulldogs should be a favorite to make another Final Four run. Hayward bolting while his stock is sky high would drop them a bit, but Matt Howard, Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored all return.

3. Purdue- Losing Chris Kramer will hurt in the defense/leadership category, but the core should be back for another run in the loaded Big Ten: JaJuan Johnson, E’Twaun Moore and a healthy Robbie Hummel.

4. Michigan State- Lucas’ injury likely means he’s back for a senior season. Raymar Morgan is the only subtraction of note. Big years for Draymond Green and Durrell Summers should be expected.

5. Georgetown- Assuming Monroe goes into the lottery, the Hoyas should still be loaded. The other four starters return and it wouldn’t shock us if Chris Wright and Austin Freeman both contended for Big East Player of the Year.

6. Kansas State- The Wildcats will miss Denis Clemente, but nearly every other important piece is back, including Jacob Pullen. Curtis Kelly, Dominique Sutton and Jamar Samuels boost the frontcourt.

7. Ohio State-Evan Turner was Mr. Everything for the Buckeyes, but Thad Matta’s program won’t miss a beat. William Buford could be primed to break out and Jared Sullinger will contend for freshman of the year honors.

8. Tennessee- Bruce Pearl certainly lost some important pieces, but we also like their returning weapons, led by Scotty Hopson, Melvin Goins and Brian Williams and stud frosh Tobias Harris.

9. West Virginia- Their jump shooting issues could be even more pronounced without Da’Sean Butler, but Devin Ebanks, Kevin Jones and a healthier point guard duo is enough for a top ten ranking.

10. Kentucky- As presently constituted, the Wildcats are not a top ten team or anywhere close. But this is John Calipari we’re talking about. He should nab Brandon Knight and either C.J. Leslie or Josh Selby.

11. Gonzaga- Matt Bouldin is the only departure, meaning it’s German sophomore Elias Harris’ chance to shine. He teams up with sharp shooter Stephen Gray and big man Robert Sacre.

12. Memphis- The Tigers could really burst onto the scene in Josh Pastner’s second season. Wesley Witherspoon and Elliot Williams are stars in the making. The #1 ranked recruiting class doesn’t hurt.

13. Xavier- Assuming Jordan Crawford spends another year in Cincinnati, Chris Mack’s entire Sweet 16 team returns with the exception of Jason Love inside. Crawford and Terrell Holloway are the best guard duo in the Atlantic 10.

14. Illinois- Quite a jump for the Illini, but we feel it’s deserved. Bruce Weber’s strongest class since the national runner up core enters the fray with Mike Tisdale, Mike Davis and Demetri McCamey. Plus, guards D.J. Richardson and Brandon Paul could really mature.

15. Kansas- Marcus Morris should contend for Big 12 Player of the Year if his improvement in 2009-10 meant anything. It’s also prudent that Tyshawn Taylor steps up. Bill Self will likely nab two big recruits in the next couple months.

16. Syracuse- It’ll be difficult to overcome the departures of Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins, but enough returns to be a ranked team. Fab Melo is a fab frosh joining Rick Jackson, Scoop Jardine and potential breakout star Kris Joseph for the Orange.

17. Virginia Tech- Seth Greenberg shouldn’t have to panic on Selection Sunday this time around. Jeff Allen, Dorenzo Hudson and Malcolm Delaney are all back as seniors for one last push.

18. Washington- Pondexter is a huge loss, but Isaiah Thomas returns to team with Venoy Overton and Abdul Gaddy in the backcourt. Terrence Jones could also be involved.

19. BYU- The Jimmer returns to wow us all for another season. The supporting cast is also in the fold, including Jackson Emery, Tyler Haws and breakout candidate Michael Loyd Jr.

20. Villanova- It’s now Corey Fisher’s team on the Main Line. Jay Wright will also need his sophomores to step up and contribute, especially Mouph Yarou inside and Maalik Wayns on the perimeter.

21. UNLV- Lon Kruger has his top six scorers back in the fold. Tre’Von Willis, Oscar Bellfield and Chace Stanback round out quite a trio.

22. Temple- The Owls and their stalwart defense should make another A-10 run. Lavoy Allen and Juan Fernandez will be the centerpiece of a capable offensive attack, as well.

23. Baylor- Given that Ekpe Udoh bolts to the lottery, it’ll be LaceDarius Dunn’s team in Waco. Watch out for super-hyped freshman Perry Jones making an instant impact.

24. Vanderbilt- Only Jermaine Beal departs for Kevin Stallings. Jeffery Taylor and A.J. Ogilvy will team with breakout candidate John Jenkins atop the SEC.

25. San Diego State- The Mountain West will be even better next season. The Aztecs are the fourth ranked team from this conference. Billy White, D.J. Gay and Kawhi Leonard are all back.

Just missed: Missouri, Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina, Richmond, Utah State, Mississippi, Florida, Minnesota, Louisville, NC State, Northwestern, Utah State, Georgia Tech, Georgia, Arizona, UAB.

SLC Sits Right Next to Those Imposing Mountains

The Trip There.  You have to love air travel sometimes.  Not so much the security lines, the crying children always scheduled one row behind me or the petulant TSA morons who keep stealing my Right Guard deodorant gel, but the whole concept of it.  At 12:30 pm, I was sitting in my office next to the deep blue waters of the Pacific; by 5 pm, I was sitting in a green seat in Utah’s Delta Center EnergySolutions Arena watching the West Regional Semifinals tip off between Syracuse and Butler.  When air travel works with such efficiency as that, it still amazes me.  Too bad it’s so infrequent these days.

When I landed, I noticed two things immediately.  Everything was white: the air, the mountains, even the people.  Ok, especially the people.  I think the only two nonwhite folks I encountered in SLC the entire weekend were my cab drivers to and from the airport.  It’s fairly clear with such a glaring lack of diversity in the area why NBA stars in particular look at signing with the Jazz as equivalent to hoops purgatory.  Well, except the white ones (Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Kyle Korver, etc.).  The other thing I noticed was that it was cold.  As in still-winter type of cold.  Snow was on the mountaintops that tower right over the downtown, and here I was with a lightweight hoodie as my only form of jacket.  I should have probably checked the weather report before I left, but I made the self-centered presumption that every place is like where I am now, right?  And if it’s not, it most definitely should be.

Jazz Heroes Stockton & Malone Outside the Arena

Thursday Night Games.  Tickets were aplenty outside the arena for this set of games.  The closest school (K-State) was over 1,000 miles away, and the tip was right after 5 pm local time.  That said, once I entered the arena, the place looked nearly full.  It seats about 20,000 and the announced attendance both days was in the 17-18,000 range .  I couldn’t get an immediate sense as to which school brought the most fans because it appeared that there were smatterings of orange (Syracuse), purple (K-State), navy blue (Xavier) and black (Butler) around the arena, but more than anything else, I noticed red everywhere.  Quickly checking the google to see if any of these four schools had red anywhere in their complementary color schemes and finding not, I decided that this warranted further investigation.

It turns out that many of the red hats, shirts, coats and so on were emblazoned with a strange word called “Utah,” which makes a lot of sense considering that the UofU campus is a mere two miles up the hill from downtown, but was completely lost on me because I couldn’t factor in that the Utes didn’t make the Tournament this year.  I didn’t expect that they’d have so many fans who just wanted to watch some good basketball.  I ran into that all weekend long here.  The good people of Utah LOVE their basketball.  From the youth league level all the way up to the Jazz, they’re extremely supportive of the sport and have a keen appreciation and knowledge of the game.  This is in stark contrast to some of the other neutral-site venues where I’ve visited this year and it barely even registers with the locals that there’s something called March Madness going on down the street.  In fact, I’d wager that the majority of attendees in the ES Arena over the weekend were simply folks from the surrounding area who wanted to watch the games.  I can only imagine the homecourt advantage that BYU would have held there had they gotten past Kansas State in the second round.

Two of the More Interesting Getups We Saw in SLC

As for the games themselves, you already know how intense and well-played they were.  Syracuse vs. Butler was as big of a shocker that you’ll find in a Tournament like this one, and Kansas State vs. Xavier had more big shots, mindblowing suspense and drama than Tiger Woods addressing suitors in a Vegas nightclub.  As you might expect in a situation where more than half the crowd was filled with Utahns, the underdog Bulldogs and Musketeers had the unaffiliated support.  It even extended to other games outside the arena: when the jumbotron showed early leads for Cinderellas Washington and Cornell in the East Region, the crowd went wild in support of the possible upsets.  My seat on Thursday night wasn’t the greatest, but at least it was within the lower bowl.  The best part of the night came when Xavier’s Jordan Crawford pulled up on the ribbon for a 30-footer to tie the game in the first overtime, and my view was right on line with the ball.  I’ll have to search the memory banks but it may have bee the greatest shot in a clutch situation I’ve ever witnessed live.  Just phenomenal.  And JC didn’t even have to shove his defender down to get the look either!

Unfortunately for the crowd, it was a single-upset kind of night, as K-State finally vanquished Xavier in the second overtime, setting up a KSU vs. Butler matchup on Saturday afternoon.  Back to the hotel.

Friday: Off Day.  The downtown Salt Lake area is pretty compact and easily walkable.  My hotel was three blocks from the arena and pretty much the entire downtown core is roughly an 8-10 block squared area.  I didn’t get out of the hotel until late due to overnight work on the site, but when I did I was able to circumnavigate the entire thing in about two hours.  I noticed quickly that the city had a very strange vibe to it.  You just can’t get around the Mormon thing.  More than half of Salt Lake residents belong to the LDS church, and reminders of it are everywhere.  Temple Street.  The Geneology Library.  Polygamy Porter Ale.  Deseret News.  Even a little bar called the Tavernacle.  That said, the vibe is one where you constantly have the sense that the city elders are sitting somewhere on high watching to make sure that you don’t mess around with anything important.  It’s difficult to explain because everyone there was exceptionally friendly, but at the same time, they seemed a little too friendly.  It’s feels like a cross between Canada friendly and Stepford friendly — hard to see where the line is drawn there.

Salt Lake Temple in the Heart of Downtown

I took a walk over to Temple Square where I ran into multiple suited gentlemen who weren’t businessmen and a good number of women who all dressed exactly the same way.  There was a wedding at the Salt Lake Temple at the time so I tried to stay out of the way for the most part, but suffice it to say that there were a ton of kids running around and everyone had a very clean, fresh look about them.  Apparently you have to be a true believer to gain entry into the temple, so I quietly moved along on my tour to the next few items on the list.  The next thing I did was cross the street to what is officially called the Salt Lake Family History Library, but what my friend likes to call the nefarious epicenter where the LDS church is taking over the world.  With several bookish-looking middle-aged women at the front of the building, I had trouble envisioning the sinister plot he referred to when I walked into the library, but here’s a quick lesson for all of you future visitors to this place.  Don’t hesitate.  Walk right to the nearest open computer and act like you know what you’re looking for.  Because if you pause to get the lay of the land, you’re already sunk.  I must have briefly stutter-stepped in my approach to the computer room, and that was all they needed — within three seconds I had two sister wives (this is not a joke) descend upon me with goodness in their hearts and creepiness in their smiles.  After a half-hour of fending myself from the slow burn of their nice-but-stern indoctrination, I walked out with a yellow folder containing lots of great information on my great-grandparents, a brand-spanking-new LDS-seal copy card, and a conveniently-placed set of informational brochures on why geneology is important to me (and Mormons).  Part of me wishes I had asked to see the caves full of the good stuff they have hidden away in the mountains, but I figured that not even Stockton & Malone have gotten to see that and I have to hang out here another day or so.

After that spiritually fulfilling experience, I had a couple more hours to kill so I Yelped a late lunch recommendation and came across a deli on the west side of town called Tony Caputo’s (the Olive Garden in the hotel wasn’t a reasonable option, no matter what those CBS ads say).  All of the Yelpers were raving about the meatball sub at this place, so I looked around and finally pulled the trigger.  As you can see below, this Utah delicacy of meat, peppers, parmesan cheese and bread probably took a year off of my life, but I don’t ever want to hear that SLC is boring ever again!

This Thing Was Ridiculous

Afterward, I waddled back to the hotel to do a radio spot over the phone and fell into a deep sleep that was surely brought on by my spiritual awakening and the two pounds of meatballs I had just ingested.  Woke up around 5 pm and it was time for the South and Midwest Regional games for the rest of the evening.  I had called around and discovered that a local sports bar would be showing the games and was willing to offer me a special “lounge” setup if I wanted to bring my laptop in and live-blog from there.  So that’s what I did.  The bar was called Mo’s and although the general decor and furnishings were a little weathered, the corner lounge situation was absolutely a home run.  I had my own plush couch, a table on which to put the laptop, a big screen tv to myself and my own server who regularly checked in on any food or drink needs.  Oh, and Salt Lake prices are cheap too.  The whole five-hour evening session ran about $17 before tip, and everything I ate and drank was well worth the cost.

My Own Private Sports Lounge at Mo's

After Duke had outlasted Purdue and Tennessee the same versus Ohio State, it was time to pack up and leave, but I wasn’t ready to head back to the hotel just yet.  I walked around for a bit and found a hipster-ish coffee shop a few blocks away, where I did some work before heading back toward home.  On the way back to the hotel, I passed through Pioneer Park, which seemed like any other city park to me, but is apparently where 70% of all arrests in a given year in SLC take place.  Glad I knew that before I passed through there at midnight.  Or not.  I didn’t come across any funny business there on that night, so I kept on moving.  One of our tweeple had recommended a good place to grab a beer was at the Salt Lake Brewing Company, so I headed there for a nightcap.  Let’s get one myth about Salt Lake cleared up right away, though, because I heard this from at least four of my friends while on this trip.  You do not have to buy a ‘membership’ pass to enter a bar and order a drink here.  This was true at some point in the past, but no longer.  You can walk right in, plop down on a chair and order a beer or whatever without paying an additional fee just like anywhere else in America.  This surprised me a little because I had heard differently from so many people, but apparently the new law went into effect last summer as a measure to help increase tourism, and it appears to be working.  The place was full of out-of-towners there for the games.  I ordered a Polygamy Pale Ale and enjoyed the friendly rapport of the people in this place.

Don't Believe the Hype About SLC Nightlife

I walked the last block back to the hotel and got all the way up to the door of my room when I realized that I had left my backpack on the back of my barstool at the Brewing Company.  My mind raced with the panic at the possibility of having just lost my laptop, sunglasses, wallet — basically my entire life — because of carelessness.  The bar was about 200 yards away from the front of the hotel.  I haven’t sprinted that hard since John Stevens and I were in our kleptomaniacal phase two decades ago (mostly him, of course).  Keep in mind that SLC is also at 4,000 feet altitude and I was still feeling the after-effects of the following: the meatball sandwich from heaven; 15 or so incredibly hot wings; a slab of bread; 4-5 beers from light to dark in progression; a stiff coffee and a slice of cheescake.  Needless to say the old gulliver wasn’t exactly ready for a rush of adrenaline followed by a Usain Bolt sprint back to the bar.  By the time I got there, I immediately noticed that the backpack was still in its place on the back of the stool (ahhh… Mormons), and I proceeded to collect it before collapsing into the middle of the street ready to die.  My heart was pounding to the point where it felt like my veins were going to pulsate right on out of my skin, and it took another half-hour for my breath to match the oxygen intake I needed.  But, hey, at least I had my stuff.  In a completely unrelated note, before I went to bed that night I made a mental note to stop eating meatball subs and start going to the gym a little more often.

Saturday: Regional Finals.  I woke up feeling a little sore from my unanticipated workout the night before, got dressed and checked out of the hotel (leaving my bag with the bell desk).  I had a couple of hours to kill between lunch and the game so I walked around downtown looking for some fans to interview and/or take photos with.  This attempt at socialization was a complete failure because there was nobody on the streets of downtown on early Saturday afternoon other than the same homeless guy I’d seen the day before.  Wherever all the K-State and Butler fans were hanging out, it wasn’t there.  Bored, I made my way over to the arena and found a good number of fans already there an hour before tipoff.  I took my spot in a much-better seat about fifteen rows off the floor at the backboard extended and quickly realized that I was smack dab in the middle of the Kansas State section.  In listening to the fans talk before the game, I was struck by the complete lack of confidence in their team.  This was a nervous group.  There was none of the swagger or quasi-cockiness that I’ve come to expect from the fans of some programs better left unmentioned.  Instead, even though the Cats were the higher-seeded team with arguably the better talent on the floor, it’s almost as if their fans kept waiting on the other shoe to drop.

Three Happy Bulldogs Heading Back to Indy

Guess what — it dropped.  Butler methodically took control of the game in the standard way that they do, and aside from a single run that K-State made at them in the late second half to take a very brief one-point lead, the Bulldogs won the game and moved on to the Final Four.  And… nobody from KSU seemed all that surprised.  Certainly disappointed, but in no way were they walking around in complete shock like the Syracuse fans were two days prior.  I wondered whether all the years of really bad basketball and beatdowns at the hands of rival Kansas has left this fanbase in a state of cognitive dissonance, where they logically know that they have a really good team but they still haven’t gotten used to the emotional side of believing it.  As the Butler players celebrated at center court in one of the all-time great displays of pure unadulterated joy that I’ve ever witnessed, I couldn’t help but think back to the beginning of our season when one of our first RTC Lives of the year was at Butler (vs. Davidson) and how far this team and our website has come in those four short months.  It’s been a great run.

Since this game was in the books, I had to run to get back to the hotel to try to squeeze in the Kentucky-WVU game prior to my flight at 8 pm.  The airport was only about a ten-minute ride by taxi, so I was able to watch 38 minutes, long enough to know that the Mountaineers were going to join Butler in Indy.  What was surprising was just how strongly everyone in the place — fans from all four of the schools in Salt Lake — were openly rooting for West Virginia.  Xavier people might have a bit of a regional beef with the Wildcats, but the other three?  From talking to a few people, the universal sentiment was that John Calipari is a cheater and he buys players, which is why Kentucky doesn’t deserve to win.  When I offered up the alternative viewpoint that Bob Huggins has built a two-decade career of players punching horses, getting arrested, committing NCAA violations and generally being a thorn in the side of his school’s administration, it was met with raised eyebrows and a tacit agreement that he too is a bad guy.  It’s one of the stranger ironies I’ve experienced in some time in covering this game, where in the battle of supposed cheaters, there is a preferred option.

Time to head out of town, and the taxi zipped me over to the airport just before boarding.  My flight took off early and I was back home within a couple of hours.  It was certainly an enlightening trip in many ways, and I’m always glad to spend time in a new area of the country, even if all I learn is that I’d never want to go back there again.  Salt Lake is certainly a nice place, but it very much has the feel of a big college town, not a place where you’d expect a pro franchise like the Jazz to exist.  It’s not the most fun place in the world, but then again, neither is San Jose or Indianapolis yet they do fine as NCAA Tournament host cities as well.  And as I said above, people there are exceptionally nice, seem very happy that you’re visiting, and really appreciate good basketball.  And at the end of the day on a trip like this, those are the three things that I’ll be most likely to remember.  Well, that and the meatball sub that still has my stomach in a tizzy.

Another great Thursday night, with the West Region in particular providing loads of excitement with another #1 seed falling by the wayside and arguably the best game of the entire Tournament in the nightcap.

J. Pullen and J. Crawford Went Back and Forth Down the Stretch (AP/C. Braley)

West Region

What.  A.  Game.  #2 Kansas State 101, #6 Xavier 96 (2OT).  With around four minutes remaining in this game and K-State up three points at 64-61, a public service announcement flashed across the jumbotron in the middle of the arena.  Paraphrasing, it stated that the regional final game between Kansas State and Butler would begin at 2 pm on Saturday afternoon.  Read that again: between Kansas State and Butler… with four minutes remaining in a three-point game.  Notwithstanding whether some gun-jumping intern was immediately drawn and quartered by the Energy Solutions Arena staff, the Xavier fans unilaterally roared their disapproval at such a public slight, and within a minute the game was tied again.  Whether this scoreboard mishap actually energized the XU players is up for debate, but there should be no debate about whom the two best players on the floor were tonight.  KSU’s Jacob Pullen (28/4/3 assts including six treys) and Xavier’s Jordan Crawford (32/2/2 assts) played a game of who can top whom in the last few minutes of regulation and through two overtimes before it was finally decided that K-State would meet the unanticipated scoreboard premonition and move on to face Butler on Saturday afternoon.  From the moment mentioned above, the two players combined to score 31 points, including several clutch threes that kept the game alive for longer than anyone imagined possible.  After K-State fouled Terrell Holloway (26/4/6 assts and 4 treys himself) as he dribbled into a long jumper with six seconds remaining and XU down three, the sophomore guard nailed all three to send the game into overtime.  Back and forth each team went and again K-State looked like they were safely in position to win the game with a single stop.  Instead, Jordan Crawford failed to find room near the three-point line, so he dribbled far enough away until there was space at which time he rose and fired from 35 feet to send Gus Johnson on CBS into a fit of apoplexy.

From there it was back and forth again until KSU’s Jacob Pullen decided enough was enough, hitting back to back bombs in the final minute-plus of the second overtime to finally create enough separation to make the fouling game work for Frank Martin’s team.  The Wildcats will move on to face Butler on Saturday after all.  This was only the second double-overtime game in the last thirteen years of Sweet Sixteen action, and the fans who attended the West Region tonight surely got their money’s worth.  It’s not often that Kansas State gets outbattled on the boards, but tonight Xavier was +2 in that category.  This was probably the game of the Tournament so far, and we wonder if the physical battle with a Xavier team that just would not quit will impact the Wildcats in their next game with Butler.  As we saw tonight, Butler isn’t the kind of team you want to get down early to — they know how to play with a lead.

Butler Survives and Advances to One Win From Indy (Indy Star/S. Riche)

Butler One Win From Home.  #5 Butler 63, #1 Syracuse 59.  We’re now left with two #1 seeds as Kentucky advanced to the Elite Eight in the East Regional and Duke plays for that prize tomorrow night, but Jim Boeheim’s Syracuse Orange will be heading home after an uncharacteristic scoring drought at the end of the game did them in tonight.  With a little more than five minutes remaining in the game, Syracuse looked to have regained control of a low-scoring closely contested battle, 54-50.  Cuse would not score again until there were thirty-four seconds left and Butler had effectively put things away.  It was Willie Veasley’s  “HORSE” style three from the corner that put the Bulldogs in control with 1:50 left as the strong crowd of orange-clad fans stood and watched in amazement.  For Brad Stevens’ team, this is the kind of victory that can define and sustain a high-mid like Butler for a long time.  His recruiting for the next five years is already done — what can a program like Indiana give a player that Butler cannot at this point?  A chance to play in the NCAAs?  A chance to advance?  How about a chance to go to the Final Four?  Because that’s the cusp upon which his team is standing, merely forty more minutes of superb defense away from returning home with games still to play.  And when we say home, we really mean it.  Not like ‘Cornell home’ tonight or ‘Baylor home’ tomorrow night, but really, actually home — the Butler University campus is a mere 5.4 miles in Indianapolis from Lucas Oil Stadium, site of the Final Four.  Talk about Hoosiers on the grandest scale of all.  It’s so ridiculous we can hardly comprehend it.  As for Syracuse, the Orange struggled with unforced turnovers all night long (18 total), and many of those were expended in trying to get the ball inside to Rick Jackson and Kris Joseph.  It’s easy to place the blame for SU’s ‘early’ loss on the injury to Arinze Onuaku and his missing three games in this year’s Tournament, but  we wonder if his offensive production would have helped take some of the pressure off Wes Johnson (17/9) and Andy Rautins (15/5) tonight had he been available.   We also wonder if Boeheim’s team didn’t wear down a little at the end of this year — even prior to Onuaku’s injury in the Big East Tournament, the Orange had dropped two games to rather pedestrian Louisville in previous weeks.  He was only playing seven players substantial minutes, and with Onuaku out of the lineup, he was forced to surrender minutes to unproven and untested DaShonte Riley (0/1 in 5 minutes) tonight, for example.  His six ‘starters’ played every other minute of the game.  Were the Orange players spent during those last five minutes?  You won’t hear Boeheim use that crutch, but it would certainly be a reasonable excuse.

East Region

K. Jones & D. Butler Huggin' It Out in Syracuse

Country Roads, Indeed.  #2 West Virginia 69, #11 Washington 56.  First order of business: Da’Sean Butler’s hand appears to be fine.  By “fine,” I mean there’s no reason for it to be cut off, because that’s probably the only thing that would keep him from playing Kentucky on Saturday evening.  His Mountaineers earned that right by beating the Huskies, a team that most definitely represented the Pac-10 well and gives us reason to look forward to what they’ll bring next season (prediction: Abdul Gaddy will break out next year and be a totally different man).  The question everyone wanted answered was how Joe Mazzulla would do in place of the injured Darryl Bryant at point guard for the Mountaineers. The answer: he passed.  Casey Mitchell actually started but only played half the minutes as Mazzulla (13 vs 26), and both together equalled Bryant’s average point production of about 9.0 PPG.  Mazzulla got into some early foul trouble, though, picking up two early ones and hitting the pine for longer than Bob Huggins would have preferred.  But 1-8 shooting and three points in 25 minutes simply isn’t going to get it done.  The four assists and three steals are a tad comforting, but he’ll need to be on the floor more and he’ll have to shoot better if he plans on being any kind of contributor against the top-seeded Wildcats.  WVU won this game on the boards tonight, just punishing the Huskies on the glass 41-25, including 19-9 on the offensive boards.  They’ll need that kind of effort — and probably even more — if they’re going to hang with Kentucky. Kevin Jones was by far the most efficient player for the ‘Neers, posting 18 points and 8 boards on a 7-12 shooting night that included 3-4 from behind the 3-point arc.  Devin Ebanks wasn’t far behind with 12/7/5 assts/4 stls.  Washington was paced by Justin Holiday’s 14/8/5 stls, but the effect of all that glasswork started to show with about six minutes gone in the second half.  That was when Washington began to slow down, show fatigue, and the Mountaineer rebounding effort was taking its full toll.  It’s on to Saturday at about 7 PM ET, where Kentucky is waiting.  John Wall vs Casey Mitchell or Joe Mazzulla isn’t really a fair fight, but we trust Higgins will come up with something creative against the Wildcats; there’s no way he’ll let those guys play him straight up.

During the 30-6 Run, This Was the Best D Cornell Had (P-S/S. Cannerelli)

Sorry to Let You Down, But Did Anyone Actually Believe This Would Happen? #1 Kentucky 62, #12 Cornell 45.  Yeah, this was a home game for Cornell.  Because of its proximity to the Cornell campus, Big Red supporters only had to drive about 66 miles to enjoy this one.  One announcer put it at 80% Cornell and 20% Kentucky.  Cornell was carried by this show of support — for the first four minutes.  After the first media timeout, Calipari got through to his team what needed to happen for the to quell the early run –getting over screens.  For most of the rest of the game, Cornell’s perimeter bombers found themselves with Kentucky players bellying-up to them and getting in their drawers.  The Olbermanns finished 2-11 from three; the three was a big part of the offensive performances the Big Red had turned in against Temple and Wisconsin, and Kentucky took it away with the mere decision to just get over screens and stay close to the Cornell shooters.  The only real run Cornell made was in the first part of the second half when they had whittled the UK lead down to six and put on a total clinic of ball control.  But UK cranked up the defensive intensity one final notch, got a few steals, hit a few layups and that was pretty much it.  DeMarcus Cousins led Kentucky with 16/7/4 stls, and if you can have a quiet game with nine points and 12 rebounds, Patrick Patterson did exactly that  They’ll need a similar effort against West Virginia, as the Mountaineers have  hit their rebounding groove this tournament.  Stupefyingly billed as some kind of “good vs. evil” and “smart vs. dumb” game, let’s just say that Kentucky beat Cornell.  Let’s also take a second to thank Cornell — as college basketball fans, they gave us all a lot of enjoyment this year.

We’ve been anxiously awaiting the next thirty days for the last eleven months.  You have too.  In fact, if this isn’t your favorite time of year by a healthy margin then you should probably click away from this site for a while.   Because we plan on waterboarding you with March Madness coverage.  Seriously, you’re going to feel like Dick Cheney himself is holding a Spalding-logoed towel over your face.  Your intake will be so voluminous that you’ll be drooling Gus Johnson and bracket residue in your sleep.  Or Seth Davis, if that’s more your style.  The point is that we’re all locked in and ready to go.  Are you?  To help us all get into the mood, we like to click around a fancy little website called YouTube for a daily dose of notable events, happenings, finishes, ups and downs relating to the next month.  We’re going to try to make this video compilation a little smarter, a little edgier, a little historical-er.  Or whatever.  Sure, you’ll see some old favorites that never lose their luster, but you’ll also see some that maybe you’ve forgotten or never knew to begin with.  That’s the hope, at least.  We’ll be matching the videos by the appropriate week, so all of this week we re-visited some of the timeless moments from the regionals of the NCAA Tournament.  Enjoy.

NCAA Regionals

Dateline: 2010 NCAA Regional Semifinals – Kansas State vs. Xavier

Context: How’s this for real-time reporting?  Since we were there live tonight, and since it was one of the nastiest long-range shots we’ve ever seen in the NCAA Tournament, we’re putting it up.  In case you somehow don’t know how it got to this point, Xavier sent the game into overtime when Terrell Holloway hit all three free throws after he was fouled on a 30-footer at the end of regulation.  As they’d done all night long, K-State again took control and held a three-point lead when Xavier brought the ball up with nineteen seconds left.  This is where we pick it up on both of the below videos (two different fan angles).

Midwest Region (Tom Hager)

• One of Michigan State’s big advantages may be in their bench production, which has been averaging nearly 25 points per game lately and runs 11 players deep.
• According to Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson, the decision to sign the contract extension was a no-brainer.  He signed a 10-year deal that will pay well over $400,000 per season.
• The Washington Post notes that one of the major differences in the absence of Kalin Lucas is the contrasting and free flowing style that Korie Lucious plays at.  Lucious’ 13-point total in MSU’s game against Maryland was his highest total of the season.
• Everybody knows Ohio State’s Jon Diebler has an incredible range, but not many people know that he used to shoot for dollar bills to hone his skills.
• Michigan State is known for being mentally tough, but Northern Iowa is not used to the national exposure they have received from their trip to the Sweet Sixteen.  Although Ali Farokhmanesh has said that the confidence he receives has always been there, he admits that the media exposure has been overwhelming.

West Region (Andrew Murawa)

• The Kansas State/Xavier game is already being called the best of the Tournament so far. Which, given the context, is really saying something.  Even though the previous game in Salt Lake City saw one of the remaining favorites to advance to the title game fall, the nightcap definitely stole the headlines.
• With Butler knocking off Syracuse on Thursday night, they are now one game away from playing in the Final Four in their hometown, and regardless of the outcome on Saturday, they’ll be heading back to Indianapolis. The Bulldogs got several huge (and somewhat fortunate) plays by senior Willie Veasley down the stretch.
• For Syracuse, it is a very disappointing end to an otherwise spectacular year and ends the careers of seniors Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku and likely junior Wesley Johnson, although he says that he is leaning towards returning for another season rather than head to the NBA as a likely lottery pick. But CBS Sports’ Gregg Doyel called it a fitting end for the Orange’s season after they hid the severity of Onuaku’s injury.
• But, aside from all that, just another boring night in the Tournament.

South Region (Patrick Sellars)

• It’s not breaking news that Scott Drew has done a tremendous job resurrecting the Baylor basketball program, yet everyone seems to want to talk about it whenever the Bears are brought up. Here is a great story about the tragedy at Baylor and how Drew has put his 2010 team in the Sweet 16.
• Nobody would think Omar Samhan is a Momma’s Boy, but the San Francisco Chronicle highlights Samhan’s unique relationship with his mother.
• The New York Times looks at Duke and how they’re feeling the pressure to advance past the Sweet 16.
• We don’t think there has been enough talk about the best on-ball defender in the NCAA tournament, Purdue guard Chris Kramer.  Here is an LA Times story highlighting how Kramer has put this Boilermakers team on his back.

East Region

• Here’s a bit of insight as to how the other half roots for its teams, as Bloomberg News interviewed well-heeled Cornell fans tonight at the Manhattan Cornell Club.  We can’t imagine there’s a Manhattan Kentucky club although we’d guess several local watering holes served as proxies.
• Mike Freeman of CBSSports believes that Kentucky wasn’t even focused for the entire Cornell game yet were still able to win going away.
• Kentucky and West Virginia’s rivalry dates back to the Hatfield & McCoy feuds of the late 1800s, so according to Dan Wetzel, this should make for a fun Saturday night in Syracuse.
• This run by the Mountaineers means more to the actual mountaineers of the state than many of us can possibly imagine.  Bob Huggins said that the governor of the state of West Virginia is having the games piped into the coal mines so that workers don’t have to miss their shifts to watch or listen to the WVU game.

• #1 Syracuse vs #5 Butler
• #2 West Virginia vs #11 Washington
• #2 Kansas State vs #6 Xavier
• #1 Kentucky vs #12 Cornell

Everyone’s been talking about Cornell  (and Northern Iowa in the Midwest) — and well they should — but we doubt Butler, Xavier, and Washington will go quietly.  That’s how great this tournament has been; because of the achievements of teams like Cornell and Northern Iowa, we’ve heard next to nothing about what Xavier and Washington have done! Syracuse will not have Arinze Onuaku and you’ve heard about the Darryl Bryant injury by now, so we expect the Huskies will try to make life difficult for Joe Mazzulla.  It should be an amazing four games tonight, to say the least, and we’ll crank up the live window (located after the jump) about 15 minutes before the first tip.  We hope that as you watch the games you’ll join us for some live discussion, as well.  It’s Sweet Sixteen time!

Midwest Region (Tom Hager)

• Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson was rewarded today with a 10-year deal worth $450,000 a year.  He is currently making $289,000 a year.  Speaking of Jacobson, apparently the university has more trust in Jacobson than his own son, who originally picked Kansas to beat the Panthers.
• Michigan State’s focus is going to be on defense.  The Panthers are 21-0 this season when they scored at least 60 points, and MSU head coach Tom Izzo is concerned about stopping a team that shoots such a high percentage from the field and free throw line.
• According to David Gilsan, Tennessee’s key to keeping the game close will be utilizing their depth, something the Buckeyes did not do when they had no bench points against Georgia Tech.
• For all the fans who were surprised by the strength of Ali Farokhmanesh on the cover of Sports Illustrated.  We’ve done some investigating and wonder if SI is doctoring its photos.  Inconclusive, but interesting nonetheless.

West Region (Andrew Murawa)

• The top-seeded Orange have been without their senior center Arinze Onuaku since he injured his right quadriceps on March 11, and to this point they haven’t really needed him. But as the competition gets a bit stiffer this week, the Orange will continue on without him on Thursday and likely throughout the weekend, as he hasn’t yet taken part in practice. The Final Four is starting to look like a more realistic goal for his return.
• Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim knows that regardless of who plays for his Orange, Butler is a talented team that will give his team problems.
• One of the themes of the West Region is the strength of Xavier and Butler, two teams that come from non-BCS conferences but who have become national powers. Just don’t use the term “mid-major” around Xavier head coach Chris Mack.
• And while Kansas State vs. Xavier may not seem like a matchup with a lot of history, they did have a matchup on New Year’s Eve a couple years back, and senior guard Jacob Pullen is still holding a grudge. He’ll have to play under control though, as it may be the battle of All-American-type guards that will decide the outcome.

South Region (Patrick Sellars)

• Why not go to the Final Four? Asks Purdue head coach Matt Painter. No one thinks the Boilermakers can beat Duke, but Painter still has his team ready for their Sweet 16 matchup and believes his team can win their next game.
• Basketball Prospectus and Ken Pomeroy give Duke a 61.8% chance of coming out of the South bracket and moving onto Indianapolis. You can see the rest of his projections here.
• If you ask most fans who the leader of Saint Mary’s basketball team is, they would probably say star forward Omar Samhan. However, the team runs around sharpshooting guard Mickey McConnell. Head coach Randy Bennett said about McConnell, “he’s absolutely our leader and balances us out.”
• ESPN columnist Diamond Leung looks at one of the reasons the NCAA tournament is such a great sporting event. When a community rallies behind their team, nothing is more special.
• In case you haven’t read enough stories about Scott Drew saving the Baylor program from the depths of college basketball hell (aka NCAA sanctions), here is another look at his amazing story and why we think he should be a candidate for coach of the year.
• Here’s an article highlighting the matchup between Omar Samhan of Saint Mary’s and Ekpe Udoh of Baylor. Both players will play an enormous role in which team moves onto the Elite Eight. Omar Samhan said about the matchup “ He can jump. I can’t. He’s fast and I’m not. He’s strong and I’m not.”
• Interesting story here about how Jon Scheyer, Duke’s star player, used to root against the Blue Devils.
• The Winston-Salem Journal takes a look at how Coach K gets ready for the Sweet 16. Recently the Blue Devils have not had success as a top seed in the tournament, most recently falling to LSU in 2006 in the Sweet 16.

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