Sporting News Preseason Top 25

[Kitaman]

I have a feeling SMU will have a very good year. That freshman is a beast. Also Wisconsin was the most impressive team in the Tourney losing only their sharpshooter. To me they are the team to beat next year.

But the list looks all too familiar. Lazy research perhaps?

 

[pnete]

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.

We have enough to repeat if everyone stays healthy and improves their games.

 

[August_West]

I have a feeling SMU will have a very good year. That freshman is a beast. Also Wisconsin was the most impressive team in the Tourney losing only their sharpshooter. To me they are the team to beat next year. But the list looks all too familiar. Lazy research perhaps?

Agreed. Wisconsin and Duke I think should be the top 2 teams early next year. Wisconsin definitely top 5 all year next year I think.

 

[CallMeBruce]

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.

There's plenty of depth in the backcourt, but of the frontcourt players, none has ever been an impact player, one is a relatively unheralded freshman, and three have serious foul issues. I have pretty significant concerns about frontcourt depth.

 

[amory]

I like being in the teens. Expectations are high but tempered, and it gives us something else to strive for right off the bat.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Duke, Virginia and Florida are wildly overrated, and Louisville is probably 5-7 slots too high.

 

[intlzncster]

Agreed. Wisconsin and Duke I think should be the top 2 teams early next year. Wisconsin definitely top 5 all year next year I think.

Don't necessarily agree on Duke. Sure, they have a loaded class. But they lost a ton from what was already a pretty mediocre team (Parker/Hood/Dawkins).

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Please explain to me how Duke will be better by losing their two best players, one of whom is a Top 3 pick.

 

[David 76]

The top 7 are all legacy picks (except Wisconsin). There is a law that those 6 teams must be placed in the preseason top 10.

I would feel better if we were ranked 10-13 based on respect, but we certainly have a lot to replace. I'm more worried about the rebounds than the points. We are counting on a lot of improvement from our bigs.

 

[amory]

Please explain to me how Duke will be better by losing their two best players, one of whom is a Top 3 pick.

It's a similar effect to when they rise several spots in the polls after a loss.

It's a Duke thing.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

It's a similar effect to when they rise several spots in the polls after a loss.

It's a Duke thing.

I will go a step further and say that I think Parker was an absolutely awesome player this year, and by far the best player on that team. Without him and Hood, I think the team is a bubble team at best. They are bringing in some recruits, and maybe 1 or 2 of them can play, but Parker is a huge, huge loss on a team that wasn't exactly dominant with him.

 

[August_West]

Please explain to me how Duke will be better by losing their two best players, one of whom is a Top 3 pick.

I think the players Duke has coming in are actually going to make for a better, more complete team than what they put on the floor last year . But like that's just my opinion, man.
Time will tell.

Preemptive:
I don't want to hear the " but they are freshmen" comment. You can win with freshmen. Calipari has proven it and K is a better coach.

 

[HooperScooper]

I will go a step further and say that I think Parker was an absolutely awesome player this year, and by far the best player on that team. Without him and Hood, I think the team is a bubble team at best. They are bringing in some recruits, and maybe 1 or 2 of them can play, but Parker is a huge, huge loss on a team that wasn't exactly dominant with him.

I'm sure Okafor will make an immediate big impact. Not as sure about Jones. But I agree they should not be rated that high. Fine with me though. I won't mind reading those articles next year about what a disappointment Duke has been.

 

[Inyatkin]

I will go a step further and say that I think Parker was an absolutely awesome player this year, and by far the best player on that team. Without him and Hood, I think the team is a bubble team at best. They are bringing in some recruits, and maybe 1 or 2 of them can play, but Parker is a huge, huge loss on a team that wasn't exactly dominant with him.

Come on. You bring in two Top 10 recruits and surround them with something other than scrubs and you're better than a bubble team. You're saying this for effect, right?

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Come on. You bring in two Top 10 recruits and surround them with something other than scrubs and you're better than a bubble team. You're saying this for effect, right?

Are you one of those guys that things every recruit is better than guys that have played D1 ball for 3 years?

 

[Inyatkin]

Are you one of those guys that things every recruit is better than guys that have played D1 ball for 3 years?

My own fault for trying to have a reasonable discussion with you. Won't happen again.

 

[James]

There's plenty of depth in the backcourt, but of the frontcourt players, none has ever been an impact player, one is a relatively unheralded freshman, and three have serious foul issues. I have pretty significant concerns about frontcourt depth.

You are right the loss of Daniels will be a big hole . But in all honesty what do you know facey will contribute ? He is different than Daniels , older for a sophomore . He is a flat out better athlete. His small sample of exceptional rebounding prowess might be the real deal . From his position he needs to just pick n pop well, rebound and defend.

I think my biggest question is how purvis is integrated , how talented is he at pnr's and creating a shot? I'm guessing he is being groomed as a high usage guy we set high screens for. He's shown none of that to this date of his career, but has potential to be elite at it. I already know hell bring it on d

 

[huskypantz]

So 5 of the 6 teams we beat on the way to the 2014 NC are ranked ahead of us. We must have caught them all one year before their peak.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm sure Okafor will make an immediate big impact. Not as sure about Jones. But I agree they should not be rated that high. Fine with me though. I won't mind reading those articles next year about what a disappointment Duke has been.

Outside of us winning with authority, I look forward to those articles every year. It's kind of like a nice comfort tradition in the middle of March (not April). I'm absolutely crushed when they win it all.

 

[intlzncster]

I think my biggest question is how purvis is integrated , how talented is he at pnr's and creating a shot? I'm guessing he is being groomed as a high usage guy we set high screens for. He's shown none of that to this date of his career, but has potential to be elite at it. I already know hell bring it on d

He definitely can create his own shot from what I've seen, simply by getting to the rim. He just blows by guys. No idea about midrange though.

I'm more looking forward to him dunking on breakaway after breakaway.

 

[James]

He definitely can create his own shot from what I've seen, simply by getting to the rim. He just blows by guys. No idea about midrange though.

I'm more looking forward to him dunking on breakaway after breakaway.

Boat to purv lobs , purv to boat lobs in half court. My head just exploded

 

[UCONNfan1]

#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?

Yeah but they bring back 2 starters from last year's scintillating team...

 

[CL82]

We have a lot of horses. I look forward to a more up tempo, NBA style game. This year will give us a lot of insight into what KO teams are going to look like.

 

[James]

Dorell wrights ( south Kents own) brother is the real deal for Utah. Should be an all American . Rest of the team is trash and they play literally nobody OOC.

 

[intlzncster]

Dorell wrights ( south Kents own) brother is the real deal for Utah. Should be an all American . Rest of the team is trash and they play literally nobody OOC.

That seems to be de rigueur for teams out there not named Zona (and to a lesser extent UNLV).