Sporting News Preseason Top 25

[HooperScooper]

Fishy will have my internal organs nailed to a wall but here goes.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...-top-25-sns-first-look-at-2014-15s-best-teams

Not sure if DeCourcy changed it much from the one he did a couple months ago. UConn at #16. So I can save my internal organs I've included the below.

1. Arizona Wildcats
2. Kentucky Wildcats
3. Wisconsin Badgers
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6. Kansas Jayhawks
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Florida Gators
10. Wichita State Shockers
11. Villanova Wildcats
12. SMU Mustangs
13. Texas Longhorns
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
15. Iowa State Cyclones
16. Connecticut Huskies
Key issue: The Huskies were so reliant on Shabazz Napier that his departure forces a major personality change. Ryan Boatright is a very good college guard, and a better defender than Napier. But the Huskies are a different team and will need to find multiple scoring options with DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey also no longer with the team.

Key player: Daniel Hamilton is coming a long way to play for the defending champs — all the way from Los Angeles, where he was a five-star prospect in high school. Hamilton is a 6-7 wing who can score in multiple ways, but he'll need to transition quickly to performing at a high-major level.

17. San Diego State Aztecs
18. VCU Rams
19. Ohio State Buckeyes
20. Oklahoma Sooners
21. Utah Utes
22. Michigan State Spartans
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. Syracuse Orange
25. Harvard Crimson (aka New England's Best Team)

 

[elduderino]

Hey, sweet 16 is a good place to be. I kind of think #s 4 through 7 are all a bit too high, for preseason at least.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Fishy will have my internal organs nailed to a wall but here goes.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...-top-25-sns-first-look-at-2014-15s-best-teams

Not sure if DeCourcy changed it much from the one he did a couple months ago. UConn at #16. So I can save my internal organs I've included the below.

1. Arizona Wildcats
2. Kentucky Wildcats
3. Wisconsin Badgers
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6. Kansas Jayhawks
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Florida Gators
10. Wichita State Shockers
11. Villanova Wildcats
12. SMU Mustangs
13. Texas Longhorns
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
15. Iowa State Cyclones
16. Connecticut Huskies
Key issue: The Huskies were so reliant on Shabazz Napier that his departure forces a major personality change. Ryan Boatright is a very good college guard, and a better defender than Napier. But the Huskies are a different team and will need to find multiple scoring options with DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey also no longer with the team.

Key player: Daniel Hamilton is coming a long way to play for the defending champs — all the way from Los Angeles, where he was a five-star prospect in high school. Hamilton is a 6-7 wing who can score in multiple ways, but he'll need to transition quickly to performing at a high-major level.

17. San Diego State Aztecs
18. VCU Rams
19. Ohio State Buckeyes
20. Oklahoma Sooners
21. Utah Utes
22. Michigan State Spartans
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. Syracuse Orange
25. Harvard Crimson (aka New England's Best Team)

Too many Wildcats in the top 11.

SMU at 12? Nice. A bit of a surprise, though. Good for them. Hopefully they beef up their nonconference schedule.

I'm sure that Cuse fans aren't happy.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Hey, sweet 16 is a good place to be. I kind of think #s 4 through 7 are all a bit too high, for preseason at least.

Name power.

 

[elduderino]

Name power.

Yup, Florida may struggle early too. 'Cuse will be top 10-15 after beating up on cupcakes for the first 6 weeks.

 

[Huskies4ever]

Yup, Florida may struggle early too. 'Cuse will be top 10-15 after beating up on cupcakes for the first 6 weeks.

And then come crashing down once ACC play begins.

 

[elduderino]

And then come crashing down once ACC play begins.

Cant be any worse than last year's implosion. Boeheim's 2013-2014, was JC's 2011-2012. Greener pastures are calling Jimmy B.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Hey! He said we're "high-major". That's a win, right?

 

[pnete]

Fishy will have my internal organs nailed to a wall but here goes.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...-top-25-sns-first-look-at-2014-15s-best-teams

Not sure if DeCourcy changed it much from the one he did a couple months ago. UConn at #16. So I can save my internal organs I've included the below.

1. Arizona Wildcats
2. Kentucky Wildcats
3. Wisconsin Badgers
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6. Kansas Jayhawks
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Florida Gators
10. Wichita State Shockers
11. Villanova Wildcats
12. SMU Mustangs
13. Texas Longhorns
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
15. Iowa State Cyclones
16. Connecticut Huskies
Key issue: The Huskies were so reliant on Shabazz Napier that his departure forces a major personality change. Ryan Boatright is a very good college guard, and a better defender than Napier. But the Huskies are a different team and will need to find multiple scoring options with DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey also no longer with the team.

Key player: Daniel Hamilton is coming a long way to play for the defending champs — all the way from Los Angeles, where he was a five-star prospect in high school. Hamilton is a 6-7 wing who can score in multiple ways, but he'll need to transition quickly to performing at a high-major level.

17. San Diego State Aztecs
18. VCU Rams
19. Ohio State Buckeyes
20. Oklahoma Sooners
21. Utah Utes
22. Michigan State Spartans
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. Syracuse Orange
25. Harvard Crimson (aka New England's Best Team)

GOT JUST WHERE WE WANT 'UM.

 

[DogMania]

Why do I have a feeling that they've hard coded the same top 7 so that they appear there every year.

Anyhow, nice to see someone put UConn in their top 25. Since everyone said after 2011 that it would never happen again like it did that year, and then it pretty much happened again about a month ago, I'm not counting the 2014/15 cast of characters from shocking the h*ll out of everyone yet again. We are UConn and we're never backing down! Heck, I think we should change the saying where we no longer take the stairs either, but now scale buildings.

 

[uconnlife]

#21 UTAH ????

Are they referring to the same team that put up 39 points against Arizona in the Pac 12 tournament and then got beat by an above average Saint Mary's team in the 1st round of the NIT?

 

[Danzz]

My guess would have been about 20. 16 s fine.

 

[elduderino]

#21 UTAH ????

Are they referring to the same team that put up 39 points against Arizona in the Pac 12 tournament and then got beat by an above average Saint Mary's team in the 1st round of the NIT?

RIP Rick Majerus. You made us Van .

 

[Danzz]

Cant be any worse than last year's implosion. Boeheim's 2013-2014, was JC's 2011-2012. Greener pastures are calling Jimmy B.

Would rather see Cuse in the top 5. It makes the fall hurt more.

 

[elduderino]

Would rather see Cuse in the top 5. It makes the fall hurt more.

hahaha, hater. I feel the same way every year about big blue .

 

[alexd]

RIP Rick Majerus. You made us Van .

But remember, he's not a big Gay guy.

 

[upstater]

Kemba before junior year: "He's a nice college guard."
Shabazz before senior year: "He's a nice college guard."
Ryan before senior year: "He's a nice senior guard."

Daniel Hamilton is coming from a very long way away. For some reason, his family insists he only fly west. He is actually taking a plane from LA to Tokyo, Tokyo to Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi to London, London to Hartford, and then, as if that weren't enough, he is going to take a bus from Hartford to Storrs.

 

[elduderino]

But remember, he's not a big Gay guy.

oh yeah, Van for the chicks, with their lady parts, of course...

 

[Rocktheworld]

Fair IMO. We have to replace roughly 40 ppg (55% total), 16 rpg (45% total), and said players made up the vast majority of our perimeter threat (all shot above 40%). Not to mention Neils's defense and Bazz's leadership.

 

[James]

Cassell and Purvis provide significant depth at the point and shooting guard positions. Don't really get how guys like frashilla go on saying we have no depth next year, you got OC and Dham at the 3, Facey/Lubin at the 4, nolan/brimah at the 5. I'm pretty KO is excited about his flexibility next season.

 

[intlzncster]

Fishy will have my internal organs nailed to a wall but here goes.

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-ba...-top-25-sns-first-look-at-2014-15s-best-teams

Not sure if DeCourcy changed it much from the one he did a couple months ago. UConn at #16. So I can save my internal organs I've included the below.

1. Arizona Wildcats
2. Kentucky Wildcats
3. Wisconsin Badgers
4. Duke Blue Devils
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
6. Kansas Jayhawks
7. Louisville Cardinals
8. Virginia Cavaliers
9. Florida Gators
10. Wichita State Shockers
11. Villanova Wildcats
12. SMU Mustangs
13. Texas Longhorns
14. Gonzaga Bulldogs
15. Iowa State Cyclones
16. Connecticut Huskies
Key issue: The Huskies were so reliant on Shabazz Napier that his departure forces a major personality change. Ryan Boatright is a very good college guard, and a better defender than Napier. But the Huskies are a different team and will need to find multiple scoring options with DeAndre Daniels and Niels Giffey also no longer with the team.

Key player: Daniel Hamilton is coming a long way to play for the defending champs — all the way from Los Angeles, where he was a five-star prospect in high school. Hamilton is a 6-7 wing who can score in multiple ways, but he'll need to transition quickly to performing at a high-major level.

17. San Diego State Aztecs
18. VCU Rams
19. Ohio State Buckeyes
20. Oklahoma Sooners
21. Utah Utes
22. Michigan State Spartans
23. Nebraska Cornhuskers
24. Syracuse Orange
25. Harvard Crimson (aka New England's Best Team)

You posted the list and a summary. How could anyone complain?

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I think Northern Iowa will win the MVC and be ranked in the last AP Poll before March Madness. Utah added some nice players to a team returning basically everyone. They have a very good coach. Utah will surprise this year no doubt.

 

[HooperScooper]

You posted the list and a summary. How could anyone complain?

I had to or my organs would be organs would be nailed to the wall!

 

[huskyharry]

Fair IMO. We have to replace roughly 40 ppg (55% total), 16 rpg (45% total), and said players made up the vast majority of our perimeter threat (all shot above 40%). Not to mention Neils's defense and Bazz's leadership.

I'm not unhappy with where we are ranked and I agree that it is preferable to be a little under the radar at the start of the season.
You are also correct that we are ranked lower because we lost our two most effective offensive players (Bazz and DD).
However, it you look at the list (and all the other pre-season ranking so far) there is a double-standard because 3 out of the top 4 teams (KY , 'Zona & Dook) also lost their top two players and didn't drop at all on the list.

You can also include KS and FL to that list. Every year they over emphasize the impact of new recruits.

 

[Scot-e]

Those three teams basically reloaded with NBA players.

I think the last two NCs have taught us that getting better as the year goes on and peaking in the NCAA is way more important then your ranking or what your seed is in the NCAA tournament.

We are #1 and will be all year until some other team wins the NC next year- besides UCONN that is.