UConn #16 in Dickie V's Pre-season Top 40

[brihman]

Any guesses who are 1 and 2 in Vitale's Top 40?

http://espn.go.com/espn/dickvitale/story/_/id/11618040/kentucky-tops-dick-vitale-2014-15-top-40

 

[husky99]

Duke and duke

 

[mauconnfan]

11. Gonzaga: Mark Few may have the deepest backcourt in America, with Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr. and USC transfer Byron Wesley.

I know a program who may have something to say about that!! .......

 

[CallMeBruce]

That seems about right.

For now.

 

[husky91]

I think outside the top 4-5 elite teams (UK, Zona, Duke, KU, UNC) it falls off slightly. 16 is fine to start. Just be ready by Feb. March.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think Jabari Parker was the best player in college basketball last year by a healthy margin. Duke wasn't that good last year with him, and I don't see how Duke gets better by losing him and Hood.

The ACC is going to be a lot better, and even if the frosh perform at the high end of their range, Duke is still losing 8+ games.

 

[uconnlife]

From 26 to 40:

26. Syracuse; 27. Michigan; 28. Kansas State; 29. Stanford; 30. NC State; 31. Utah; 32. Minnesota; 33. Georgia; 34. Colorado; 35. Florida State; 36. Arkansas; 37. UCLA; 38. LSU; 39. Georgetown; 40. Dayton.


No Cuse love from Dukie V.... haha

 

[Husky25]

In basketball especially, It ain't where you start...

As the 18th ranked team in the country before the Tournament, UConn was seeded somewhere between 25 and 28. They still won that wooden plaque draped with nylon twine. While there are haves and have-nots in basketball, they are not as confined and certainly not to the 5CSMA.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Yale very easily could win the IL. I think they will. The loss of Rivard is big. Lack of depth in the back court behind SC will hurt them. Yale returns a very solid team. I think Harvard is over hyped.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

11. Gonzaga: Mark Few may have the deepest backcourt in America, with Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr. and USC transfer Byron Wesley.

I know a program who may have something to say about that!! ..

They have Perkins, Melson (very under rated Frosh) and transfer McClellan from Vandy (in December) as depth behind Pangos and Bell Jr. Wesley really is a 3. They have a very good back court but coaching will determine if the personnel is used to the Zags full advantage.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Illinois is better than Minnesota even with the Abrams injury. With Starks and Cosby transferring in this year Illinois could finish 2nd behind Wisky. Cosby lit us up for 25 when he played at SH. Hill and Nunn are undervalued as players.

Oklahoma is a year away depending on Thomas. The only way they crack the Top 20 is if Thomas is granted the waiver. Buying stock in Virgina as a Top 10 team without Harris & Mitchell is just throwing away money IMO.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I have no doubt that Gonzaga will be excellent this year. Mark Few is a great coach between October and the second week of March. After that, not so much. I wish there was a way to have Gonzaga play Pitt in the Round of 32 and somehow make each think they were the higher seed. That game would never end as both teams would try to outchoke each other.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

I have no doubt that Gonzaga will be excellent this year. Mark Few is a great coach between October and the second week of March. After that, not so much. I wish there was a way to have Gonzaga play Pitt in the Round of 32 and somehow make each think they were the higher seed. That game would never end as both teams would try to outchoke each other.

Gonzaga @ Zona early in the season should be interesting.

 

[CTBasketball]

Arizona is going to be a force this year. I don't buy Duke or UNC. Wisconsin will be good though.

Games vs. Duke, Florida, and Texas will be tough ones.

 

[Yonick]

Yale very easily could win the IL. I think they will. The loss of Rivard is big. Lack of depth in the back court behind SC will hurt them. Yale returns a very solid team. I think Harvard is over hyped.

Yale might be a year away in the Ivy. Their top player is taking a year off to sing with the Wiffenpoofs.
Only in the Ivy league!! Can you imagine Cauley-Stein, or anybody else on KY's roster, informing the squid of such a venture.

 

[Uconn93]

We are Dooooooomed!!!!!! Wow, I can't wait for this season to start so that we can play the #2 pukies!

 

[Tampahusky]

#16 ranking seems fair ...can't wait for for season to start

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

Yale might be a year away in the Ivy. Their top player is taking a year off to sing with the Wiffenpoofs.
Only in the Ivy league!! Can you imagine Cauley-Stein, or anybody else on KY's roster, informing the squid of such a venture.

Sears is the Bulldogs best player. Cotton & Duren are senior guards who were much better statistically than Sherrod the Wiffenpoofy. Sherrod is a loss but from an Ivy perspective I think they are pretty stacked with these 3 guys. I think they win the Ivy barring injury.

 

[Ha Who]

I have no doubt that Gonzaga will be excellent this year. Mark Few is a great coach between October and the second week of March. After that, not so much. I wish there was a way to have Gonzaga play Pitt in the Round of 32 and somehow make each think they were the higher seed. That game would never end as both teams would try to outchoke each other.

Going back to Charles Smith the media loved them. We always knew that Pitt is not it.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I dont think there are 15 teams better than us right now. Come march that will become obvious to the uninformed.

 

[superjohn]

11. Gonzaga: Mark Few may have the deepest backcourt in America, with Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell Jr. and USC transfer Byron Wesley.

I know a program who may have something to say about that!! ..

Kevin Pangos is still at Gonzaga? How is that even possible???

 

[champs99and04]

I think Jabari Parker was the best player in college basketball last year by a healthy margin.

I don't see what would lead you to believe that. Russ Smith, Shabazz Napier, and Doug McDermott were all better and you could probably make an argument for other guys. The former two were much more well-rounded as players and McDermott basically outproduced Parker in every offensive category.

 

[BLUEDOGHOUSE]

^^^^^^^^^
Kenpom final offensive rating 2013-14:

#2 McDermott
#14 Bazz
#17 Russ
#29 Parker

Sears from Yale #28

 

[HuskyBballFan]

I don't see what would lead you to believe that. Russ Smith, Shabazz Napier, and Doug McDermott were all better and you could probably make an argument for other guys. The former two were much more well-rounded as players and McDermott basically outproduced Parker in every offensive category.

According to Nelson, Jabari Parker is the greatest college basketball player that has ever lived and could never be replaced.....even though most people agree that Duke's current freshman class is better than the one that included Jabari Parker.

 

[Pudge]

I'm not buying that a kid from Yale was near Jabari Parker. Unless the Yalie did a residency at Duke Hospital.