INDIVIDUAL TEAM SUMMARIES AND SCHEDULES FOR 2004-05 SEASON
(2004-05 SEASON)

For select teams, I have made comments as the season progresses.

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ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

[GATEWAY] (Official) Alabama Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#20)
Last year's team was only 8-8 in conference play in the regular season and lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament ... and then promptly beat three quality teams in the NCAA tournament on the way to an Elite Eight loss to eventual champ UConn. That's a better performance than the '87 SEC champ 'Bama squad that featured current head coach Mark Gottfried. Four starters return, led by F Kennedy Winston, G Ernest Shelton and F Chuck Davis, but the one missing was floor leader Antoine Pettway. A couple of freshmen, G Ronald Steele and G Glenn Miles, will be expected to step in and run the point. That's a lot to ask. Expect some fumbling in the early preseason before things settle in by the time conference play comes around.

In the SEC, Kentucky is the clear favorite in the East (and overall) followed by Florida and South Carolina; in the West, it's Mississippi State first, then the Tide and LSU close behind.

A win in the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT (Washington, Oklahoma, Utah) is possible but won't be easy. Home games against ETSU and Temple shouldn't be a problem, but the road games at Charlotte and Wisconsin will be. In league play, the early games with Mississippi State and LSU are at home, which is great.

ARIZONA WILDCATS
Tucson, Arizona

[GATEWAY] (Official) Arizona Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#18)
Four returning starters and a couple of newcomers sounds like a good formula. Only Andre Igoudala is gone from last year's roster. 'T Hassan Adams is back, ditto for C Channing Frye and a healthy F Isaiah Fox down low, and G Mustafa Shakur and G Salim Stoudamire out top. Last year's team was a talented mess. There's more depth this time around for coach Lute Olson to work with thanks to freshmen G Jawann McClellan and F Mohamed Tangara.

In the Pac-10, the Wildcats are the favorite, Washington should challenge, and Stanford should also be in the mix.

Making New York in the PRESEASON NIT (Wake Forest, Michigan, Providence, George Washington) shouldn't be a problem, but winning it all is no done deal. Wins over Mississippi State and Utah should be no problem. The FIESTA BOWL a bit more than a showcase, but still no problem. In league play, the early road game at Stanford is a great chance to take control of the race.

Nov 22
Even the first two home victories in the PRESEASON NIT weren't as impressive as you'd like to see, but the fiasco was the blowout road loss at Virginia (seventh place at best among ACC teams). Shakur didn't show poise in leading his team in a hostile environment and their overall rush to make the spectacular play was more of the same mess that made for last year's disappointing campaign.
Nov 29: (#20)
The close game with Wake Forest in the PRESEASON NIT final confirms their Top-25 talent, but the miserable execution in their fortunate win over Michigan in the semis confirms their inability to put it all together in a consistent and permanent way. It's poor guardplay, especially from Mustafa Shakur at the point, and from Salim Stoudamire, when he tries to play the point. Expect an up and down season all year long.
Jan 31: (#10)
The Wildcats rose to the occasion and beat back Washington (after being swept 3 straight by the Huskies last year), but then they phoned it in and lost at home to Washington State for the first time in 38 games. It's that kind of "take your eye off the ball" Achilles' Heel that can mean the difference a surprise Final Four berth and a surprise first-round upset.
BOSTON COLLEGE EAGLES
Boston, Massachusetts

[GATEWAY] (Official) Boston College Men's Basketball Website

Jan 3
The undefeated preseason was legitimized with the win over solid Kent State. F Craig Smith is one of the best power forwards in the nation, G Louis Hinnant returns as veteran leader in the backcourt, and F Jared Dudley is also a frontcourt performer. That said, don't expect the Eagles to be more than spoilers in the very tough Big East.
Jan 10: (#19)
The win at Connecticut and then the gut-check win over Providence kept the Eagles undefeated and off to a great start in league play. That deserves a ranking.
Feb 14: (#8)
Losing the bid for an undefeated season probably makes things a little easier. The Eagles were never going to run the table -- it was just a favorable schedule that allowed them to take it this far. With that distraction behind them, they can focus on playing again rather than protecting The Streak. They don't get enough easy baskets from three-point land (but that's a hard thing to fix this deep into the season).
Feb 21: (#3)
It's never easy, but the wins just keep on coming. The Eagles' pair of forwards clamped down on Syracuse's fHakim Warrick in the paint and harrassed gGerry McNamara into 2-for-11 shooting on three-pointers on the perimeter -- you can't defend much better than that.
BUCKNELL BISON
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

[GATEWAY] (Official) Bucknell Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
The preseason win at Pittsburgh was a shocker, but the Bison at least have followed that up with control of the Patriot League. gKevin Bettencourt and cChris McNaughton lead the way, with help from gCharles Lee.
CENTRAL FLORIDA GOLDEN KNIGHTS
Orlando, Florida

[GATEWAY] (Official) Central Florida Men's Basketball Website

Jan 3
The home loss to Gardner-Webb in the early league game is a surprise, but the win in the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC still makes the Golden Knights the trackable team in the downgraded Atlantic Sun. G Gary Johnson must lead a revamped squad, helped by JuCo transfers F Marchus Johnson and F Anthony Williams.
Jan 24: (untracked)
With Gardner-Webb in full control of the league race, there's no further reason to continue tracking the Golden Knights.
Mar 7: (retracked)
What a great job of keeping your eyes on the prize. After the high of winning the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC, the Golden Knights spotted Gardner-Webb a home loss in their conference opener back in December; but after seeming to be out of the running (and thanks to the leaders falling back to the pack), they were able to repay the favor with a road win over the Bulldogs at the end of February to tie for the regular season conference title; and now they've won the rubber match on a neutral floor (and with it, an NCAA bid). There's nothing like never failing to believe you're the best.
CHARLOTTE 49ERS
Charlotte, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Charlotte Men's Basketball Website

Nov 22
Last year's league co-quint-champs feature on the best pure forwards in the country, Curtis Withers. G Brendan Plavich is a fine outside shooter and 'T Eddie Basden is a solid contributor as well. JuCo transfer F E.J. Drayton should provide help off the bench.

In Conference USA, Louisville and Memphis should be able to hold off the 49ers and Cincinnati for the title.

A win at home over Alabama is quite possible, as well as an Unwelcome Guest crown at the CABLE CAR CLASSIC. In league play, early tough road games could also be chances to steal control of the race.

CHATTANOOGA MOCCASINS
Chattanooga, Tennessee

[GATEWAY] (Official) Chattanooga Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
The Moccasins seem to have emerged as the form team inside the weak Southern Conference. JuCo gSteve Cherry leads a balanced attack.
Mar 7
UNC-Greensboro did the dirty work of knocking off Davidson (who had been undefeated all year in conference) in the semifinals; and playing on their own home court did the rest. This is a solid enough team, though, with some players who can make an impact, especially cKatelynas and tBrown.
CINCINNATI BEARCATS
Cincinnati, Ohio

[GATEWAY] (Official) Cincinnati Men's Basketball Website

Dec 13: (#25)
Consistency (and lack of other teams playing well) earns the Bearcats a ranking. F Jason Maxiell is the lone returnee with much of a rep. 'T James White has shown the potential to step up, but it remains to be seen. UC's fortunes really rest with coach Bob Huggins. Conference USA is strong but no one team is dominant.
CONNECTICUT HUSKIES
Storrs, Connecticut

[GATEWAY] (Official) Connecticut Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#9)
It's a tribute to the system and the quality of coach Jim Calhoun's program that last year's national champs could lose its start center and scoring guard and still remain a Top 10-calibre team. Last year's supporting cast will make an easy transition into this year's headliners and there's an influx of newcomers that will provide lots of help. 'T Rashad Anderson, F Charlie Villanueva, bbG Denham Brown and F Josh Boone return. Add in ex-Georgia Tech transfer F Ed Nelson and freshmen F Rudy Gay ("could have gone straight to the pros") and G A.J. Price and there's plenty of talent to work with. It may take a while for the new mix of players to figure out how they fit together, but they'll be more than fine.

In the slimmed down Big East, Pitt, UConn and Syracuse will fight for the top spot with Notre Dame and Providence pushing to be more than spoilers.

The modest preseason schedule is a good fit for a young squad. By the time they play Oklahoma in January, they should have figured a few things out. A home win over North Carolina is certainly possible. In league play, the early home game against Pitt is key.

Dec 13: (#20)
By itself, the loss to UMass in the THE U-GAME could be chalked up to the Rivalry Game Exception; but the Huskies were lucky to escape with a win at home against Indiana as well. New faces is one thing; the lack of a pure point guard to direct all the talent on the floor is another.
Feb 14: (#17)
Even with the loss the North Carolina -- without gRashad Anderson, mind you -- the Huskies had a great week and have finally started posting results that match the Top 25 talent on their roster.
Feb 28: (#14)
The maturation of gMarcus Williams has made the Huskies real contenders for the NCAA tournament (and even with a chance to steal the regular season title).
DAVIDSON WILDCATS
Davidson, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Davidson Men's Basketball Website

Feb 7
Forget the mediocre preseason. You can't ask for more than an undefeated run through the Southern Conference. Richmond transfer gJason Morton joins a veteran squad led by tBrendan Winters; fLogan Kosmalski and gMatt McKillop also help out.
Feb 28
No matter what happens in the postseason, an undefeated run through conference play is nothing to sneeze at. This is a well coached, intense team that gets contributions from several players every night.
Mar 7
After going undefeated all year in conference play, the loss in the semifinals of the conference tournament could be devastating. This isn't a high-profile league and the Wildcats were only 1-7 in the preseason. Ouch.
DEPAUL BLUE DEMONS
Chicago, Illinois

[GATEWAY] (Official) DePaul Men's Basketball Website

Jan 24
A solid season so far in the equally solid Conference USA makes the Blue Demons trackable. tSammy Mejia joins gDrake Diener and fQuemont Greer to form a solid trio. Nothing great here, but a team that wins when it's supposed to.
Feb 14
The rout of Cincinnati legitimizes the run the Blue Demons have been on of late. The upcoming week could make or break their chances for an NCAA bid and a comfortable seed.
DUKE BLUE DEVILS
Durham, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Duke Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#6)
The departure of Chris Duhon and Luol Deng leaves things a little unsure down in Durham. It's G J.J. Redick's team now, for better or for worse. F Shelden Williams is a blue-collar frontcourt player and G Daniel Ewing is capable if not flashy; G Sean Dockery must go from defensive sub to mainstay starter and F Shavlik Randolph must define his college career this season -- so far it's been a huge disappointment. The only newcomer of note is G DeMarcus Nelson. It's sounds like Gloom and Doom, but as long as coach Mike Krzyzewski is on the sidelines -- and he turned down the chance to be Kobe Bryant's coach on the L.A. Lakers in the off-season -- there's a little to how bad things will get. Yes, Coach K has always had a stockpile of can't-miss players to choose from, but he does more than tap the most worthy recruits and let them do their thing. He has turned good players into great ones, but he has also turned decent players into good ones. Only Redick falls under the good-to-great category this year but as a team they can still get it together.

In the expanded ACC, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, the Blue Devils and UNC will all battle it out for league (and national) supremacy; N.C. State and Maryland won't be far behind.

Home court help should be the difference in a win over Michigan State. Oklahoma "at home" in New York shouldn't be a problem, either. In league play, they get a full six games against GT, Wake and UNC -- not everyone else does.

Jan 3: (#9)
fShavlik Randolph missed the Clemson game and is out indefinitely with mononucleosis. Fortunately, the schedule is light this week. In the short run, his absence will force others to step up; that should make the team better off in the long run when he returns.
Jan 17: (#5)
fShavlik Randolph has been cleared to play again. They'll take it slow with him until he gets his conditioning back, but they've played solidly without him in the meantime (and have probably beefed up their bench strength in the process -- tLee Melchionni has been the biggest benefactor of increased minutes).
Feb 14: (#4)
The win over North Carolina was great: outstanding man defense, 17 steals, and even a (temporary) Player No. 4 in bDeMarcus Nelson. For whatever reason, Maryland seems to have their number these days and the Terps are making their own rep largely off of the Blue Devils. Nothing major is wrong, but it's going to take 4 stars (not 3) to go all the way this year.
Feb 28: (#7)
An injury to gSean Dockery makes a thin team even thinner. tLee Melchionni has been able to step up in spots and gJ.J. Redick has done all you can ask from your No.1 option, but the lack of depth has to catch up to them somewhere sometime.
EAST TENNESSEE STATE BUCCANEERS
Johnson City, Tennessee

[GATEWAY] (Official) East Tennessee State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
G Tim Smith is still around, so the Buccaneers still have their main reason for optimism. But the focus will be even more on the perimeter than the past two years so the level of success may not be quite as high. JuCo transfer F Chris Mitchell has big shows to fill after the departure of Zakee Wadood. Murray Bartows knows that you're still the king until someone else takes your throne.

Inside the Southern Conference, ETSU should have no rival in the East, but Davidson, Georgia Southern and Furman in the West figure to challenge for overall league supremacy.

Wins at Alabama and Memphis won't happen. They may need BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY in case it's NIT time. In league play, two of three intra-division games are on the road.

Jan 3: (untracked)
The Buccaneers clearly aren't the trackable team for their conference. Unfortunately, no one else in the league has really stepped up very clearly. For now, follow Wofford for the goings-on in the Southern Conference.
EASTERN KENTUCKY COLONELS
Richmond, Kentucky

[GATEWAY] (Official) Eastern Kentucky Men's Basketball Website

Dec 27
A solid preseason makes the Colonels the best of a sorry bunch in the OVC. Coach Travis Ford, a former player at Kentucky, brought in some JuCo recruits to help veterans gMatt Witt and fMichael Haney. So far so good.

Starting off league play with four straight road games isn't ideal, especially for a squad relying on new talent.

FLORIDA GATORS
Gainesville, Florida

[GATEWAY] (Official) Florida Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#19)
The Gators return four starters, including G Anthony Roberson, 'T Matt Walsh and F David Lee. That's first-rate talent. The problem is there's not enough muscle and toughness to rebound and defend. The best of the newcomers is 'T Corey Brewer, who doesn't exactly address their needs. Freshmen F Al Horford, C Joakim Noah (son of tennis player Yannick Noah) and G Cornelius Ingram will be looked to provide the beef. It's an overstatement to say that Billy Donovan is at a crossroads in his career, but it's starting to be a bad pattern that his teams are soft and find ways to be victims of giant-killer upsets when the NCAAs come around.

In the SEC, Kentucky is the favorite in the East (and overall) followed by the Gators and South Carolina; in the West, it's Mississippi State and then Alabama and LSU.

The Providence game is a must-win to establish the tone for the season -- it's also a game they should win. Even at home, beating Louisville is a bit much to ask; but winning at Florida State is more likely than not. In league play, a rough stretch of four games at the start of February will make or break the regular season.

Jan 31: (#23)
The Gators survived tMatt Walsh's injury pretty well. Now that he's back, we'll finally get to see what they're really made of. They do appear to have more athletic ability, especially in the paint, compared to years past. A couple of brand-name wins this week would do them wonders.
Mar 7: (#21)
A one-point win at home isn't even a moral victory, but it may psychologically be a big one for the Gators. (This is the first win ever over Kentucky for senior fDavid Lee. The underclassmen do seem to bring an extra bit of physical talent that the veteran trio lacks. Maybe they can get past the first round of the NCAAs this time.
GARDNER-WEBB BULLDOGS
Boiling Springs, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Gardner-Webb Men's Basketball Website

Jan 10
The Bulldogs were as good as anyone else in the preseason and wins over both Central Florida and Lipscomb have put them solidly in control of the Atlantic Sun race. JuCo transfer gTim Jennings has had the biggest impact from among a large crop of newcomers in addition to holdovers fBrian Bender and cSimon Conn.
GEORGE WASHINGTON COLONIALS
Washington, District of Columbia

[GATEWAY] (Official) George Washington Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
Four starters return from last year's NIT team. F Mike Hall and F Pops Mensah-Bonsu are a strong frontcourt tandem and G T.J. Thompson is a capable scorer on the perimeter. G Carl Elliott and F Omar Williams also return.

In a down year for the Atlantic 10, the Colonials are the favorite; perennial powers St. Joseph's and Xavier still have enough experience left to challenge.

Don't expect them to get past Wake Forest in the PRESEASON NIT; and don't expect an upset win in the BB&T CLASSIC. In league play, the toughest road games aren't until February -- nice.

Dec 6: (#17)
Sure, they had the home crowd spurring them on against Michigan State, but the Maryland game was a split-crowd at best. Guards matter and they kept racing past the Spartans and the Terps' heralded D couldn't slow them down, either. Two great wins that have probably earned the Colonials an NCAA berth even if they don't win the A-10 title or tourney.
Feb 14: (#24)
The win over Richmond pays back the one serious loss the Colonials have had in conference. Even though St. Joseph's is still the overall won-loss leader in league play, the Hawks' form doesn't match up. It's the stretch drive; no time for slip-ups with no more chances left to enhance their national reputation.
GEORGETOWN HOYAS
Washington, District of Columbia

[GATEWAY] (Official) Georgetown Men's Basketball Website

Feb 7
A solid season in the tough Big East is certainly worth tracking. New coach John Thompson III has adjusted better than anyone expected. tBrandon Bowman is the first rate talent; gAshanti Cook can be a decent second here and there.
GEORGIA BULLDOGS
Athens, Georgia

[GATEWAY] (Official) Georgia Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
You hate to refer to it as a throwaway season, but with 13 freshmen and sophomores it's hard to imagine much that will be enjoyable to watch for the Dawgs this season. Coach Dennis Felton has his work cut out for him. Sophomore G Levi Stukes is the closest thing to a returning veteran that they have. The rest will come from brand new players and players new to being the main contributors. Freshmen G Sundiata Gaines and G Channing Toney (son of former NBA star Andrew Toney) figure to start. Sophomore F Steve Newman and maybe redshirt freshman F Corey Gibbs will anchor the front line. Try not to open both eyes when you watch the slaughter.

The Dawgs will be no factor whatsoever in the SEC race.

A win over Oregon State in the PEACH BOWL CLASSIC may be highlight of the season. Even beating Nevada at home is no lock. After beating Georgia Tech last year at home, expect payback this year. The league schedule is irrelevant for this young squad.

GEORGIA STATE PANTHERS
Atlanta, Georgia

[GATEWAY] (Official) Georgia State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
The glory days of Lefty's Loonies are gone; so are any expectations of making an out-of-conference splash. These days, the Panthers collapse under the weight of the expectation just to win the league. 'T Kevin Thomas and F Marcus Brown are the returning nucleus; a new JuCo backcourt (G Travis DeGroot and G Malcom Manier) and freshman C Deven Dickerson must merge to create a new identity (and, hopefully, a new tradition).

The good news is that the Atlantic Sun race is completely wide open.

Things could get off to a rough start. A D-I win in Reno is no sure thing. Road games at Kentucky, Charlotte and Texas Tech won't be fun. A home-and-home split with LA-Lafayette would be a success. It might be the middle of January before these guys come up for air.

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS/RAMBLIN' WRECK
Atlanta, Georgia

[GATEWAY] (Official) Georgia Tech Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#1)
There's plenty of returning talent from last year's national runners-up. Start with bbG Jarrett Jack running the show and bbG B.J. Elder scoring at will; add C Luke Schenscher's two-man chemistry with Jack and G Will Bynum's ability to make something out of nothing; don't forget F Isma'il Muhammad's high-flying dunks. They don't have the unlimited supply (actually, five) of interchangeable 'tweeners that they did last year so the scramble defense, no-rest-for-the-weary tempo, and no fear-of-foul-trouble style will have to be modified a bit. If freshman F Ra'Sean Dickey can provide some solid muscle to help Schenscher on the boards, it will be a seamless transition to this year. You could argue that last year's run to the final was lucky with so many close games, but great backcourts thrive on close games -- think of N.C. State '83 -- and you could also argue that they didn't play their best since Elder was nowhere near 100% for most of the tournament. Last year was no fluke: the same two teams, Tech and UConn, met in the finals of the PRESEASON NIT and the NCAAs.

In the expanded ACC, Tech, Wake, UNC and Duke will all battle it out for the top spot while N.C. State and Maryland will be right there pushing them all.

No reason not to expect wins over Michigan (ACC-BIG 10) and Gonzaga (LAS VEGAS). Kansas will be gunning for payback from the NCAAs, so that road win will be mighty tough. Beating Air Force (PEACH BOWL) is a no-brainer. In league play, the only matchup with UNC is on the road.

Nov 29: (#4)
The close call at Illinois-Chicago says two things: first, that an experienced team can still find a way to win in a hostile environment; and second, that the Jackets aren't quite the same juggernaut as last year. With two fewer 'tweeners, they can't extend their pressure on the perimeter as well and they also don't have as much offensive firepower on the perimeter. F Jeremis Smith was looking like he might be the key -- a little more muscle on the inside as a compensation, but his injured knee means he's lost for the season. Now it may wind up relying on Ra'Sean Dickey to also become a key contributor earlier rather than later; plus, guards Anthony Morrow and Zam Frederick may need to get minutes and knock down some threes.
Dec 20: (#19)
Gonzaga was able to finish the job that Illinois-Chicago couldn't. The 'Zags' backcourt held up well enough to allow its bruiser frontcourt to wreak havoc on the Jackets in the paint. If the turnover defense isn't getting it done on the perimeter, the bread-and-butter halfcourt D isn't good enough against top-calibre teams. B.J. Elder wasn't tall enough to stop F Adam Morrison and the expended energy tired him into a 6-for-18 shooting night. Yes, Will Bynum had a career-high 26 points, but he didn't get much help elsewhere, especially on the perimeter. (Remember, this team failed to make even one 3-pointer against Air Force -- breaking a streak of 500+ games.) There simply aren't enough 'tweeners to go around this year for the squad to play exactly as it did last year. Don't get me wrong. They're still a very good team, but one or two of the freshmen will have to step up for them to get back into the cadre of Final Four elite squads.
Jan 5: (#15)
The OT loss at Kansas was a thriller, to be sure, but blowing a 16-point lead isn't a good sign. bJarrett Jack was great, but with bB.J. Elder sidelined again, the Jackets collapsed more than they should have. Without that extra scoring threat on the perimeter, suddenly cLuke Schenscher in the paint wasn't such a threat. Hopefully, Elder's thigh injury will be short-lived and not a nagging one. In the long run, they are still going to need real contributions from tAnthony Morrow on the perimeter and fRa'Sean Dickey in the paint. That's the only way back to being the legitimate Final Four contender they were last year.
Jan 17: (#18)
In the absence of B.J. Elder, things have descended into The Jarrett Jack Show. No consistent team offense is working at the moment. Too much dribbling by Will Bynum and Isma'il Muhammad have led to numerous turnovers and forced shots. It's time to stop trying to repeat last year's formula and figure out little by little some things that work for this squad on a regular basis. Perhaps they might try running some plays.
Feb 21
The return of bB.J. Elder has helped stop the slide, but a complete turnaround has yet to result. cLuke Schenscher had a very solid game against Florida State. There's still hope that a fragile chemistry can be established (but there's no room for errors if they want to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament).
GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Spokane, Washington

[GATEWAY] (Official) Gonzaga Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#17)
The Bulldogs have been the team everyone loves to love for several years now. There's still star power remaining in the likes of C Ronny Turiaf, but the big name guards that have long been the trademark of 'ZagBall are gone. Sophomore F Adam Morrison is a clever scorer, and F Sean Mallon and 'T Erroll Knight have the potential to step up their production with more minutes coming this season. The problem is who will direct them. Sophomore G Derek Raivio may be in over his head this early in his career. Mark Few has proven he's his own coach, though, so don't believe he can't make it work with this young squad.

In the WCC, Pepperdine and St. Mary's will only fight it out for a distant second-place finish.

Home court may be enough to sneak a win over Washington; even on neutral courts, Georgia Tech and Illinois will be too much to deal with; on the road, Oklahoma State and Missouri will be too strong. The league schedule doesn't matter much one way or the other.

Dec 20: (#8)
The solid win over Georgia Tech in the LAS VEGAS SHOWDOWN vaults the Bulldogs into the Top 10. Derek Raivio played solidly and held up to the Yellow Jackets' pressure, which allowed Adam Morrison and Rony Turiaf to exploit GT's soft interior D. Washington's continued good play, along with Illinois's stay in the top spot, all contribute to the 'Zags elevation in the rankings. (A win at Oklahoma State in a couple of weeks would make them Top 5.)
Jan 3: (#4)
The 'Zags turned in another outstanding performance in their road win over Oklahoma State. Too bad they couldn't keep the roll going on the road at Missouri. No matter. They've done more than enough in the preseason to stake their claim as a legitimate Final Four contender. It was a ballsy gamble to play cRony Turiaf in both games with his injured ankle, but Mark Few knows that these results matter more in the long run than the league games they can win in their sleep.
Jan 24: (#18)
The loss to San Francisco means the Bulldogs have lost control of the league race. (St. Mary's has it now.) Yes, the conference is strong, but other leagues are also having good years so the great preseason only gets full credit when it's accompanied by a regular season title.
Feb 7: (#12)
It didn't come easy, but the come-from-behind win at home against St. Mary's gives the 'Zags a share of the league lead. (We already know what they can do against the Big Boys on the national scene.) Some backcourt help for gDerek Raivio would sure help, but if it hasn't arrived by now, it doesn't look like it's coming.
HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS
Worcester, Massachusetts

[GATEWAY] (Official) Holy Cross Men's Basketball Website

Feb 14
Transitivity isn't the best reason to track a team, but there you go. It was Bucknell's preseason upset that got them tracked (well above the level of their conference), but now it's the Crusaders who are the leaders in the Patriot League. By itself, though, that's probably not a true rankable feat. gKevin Hamilton is the top player.
ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI
Champaign, Illinois

[GATEWAY] (Official) Illinois Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#4)
Five starters return from last year's regular season conference champs so expectations for this season are sky-high. G Dee Brown and G Deron Williams are as good a backcourt duo as any in the country. Up front, F Roger Powell has plenty of talent, and G Luther Head and C James Augustine are solid contributors. After a year under coach Bruce Weber, there should be no more transitional adjustment problems for this veteran squad.

In the Big 10, the Illini and Michigan State are the favorites while Wisconsin and Michigan will at least be spoilers.

Wins over Gonzaga (JOHN WOODEN), Wake Forest (ACC-BIG 10) and Missouri (BRAGGIN' RIGHTS) are all more likely than not. Ditto a win in the LAS VEGAS CHRISTMAS CLASSIC. In league play, their one showdown with Michigan State is on the road -- not ideal.

Dec 6: (#1)
The home crowd factor makes you take things with a grain of salt, but such a completely dominant performance against Wake Forest -- a team with backcourt personnel as good as anybody around -- was impressive. Defensive intensity on top of the high gear the Illini are quite comfortable with made it look easy. Deron Williams sat most of the first half with foul trouble, and the rout was on anyway. Nice.
Jan 31: (#1)
The Illini executed perfectly on offense and defense at the end of the Wisconsin game, not only preserving their own undefeated season but also snapping the Badgers' 38-game home win streak. Couldn't ask for better performance from the starting five (and only a couple of teams have even managed to stay close enough to them for foul trouble to even enter into the conversation).
Mar 7: (#1)
There goes the bid at immortality. They gave it a great run. This was a stronger squad than the two teams that flirted with perfection last year. They had trouble in the paint with cTerence Dials (but give him all the credit) and a couple of times they got caught with bad transition D; but there's absolutely no reason for panic. This is still the most solid team in the country.
UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO FLAMES
Chicago, Illinois

[GATEWAY] (Official) Illinois-Chicago Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
Replacing assist-man Martell Bailey will be a challenge, but scoring machine G Cedric Banks and boardman F Armond Williams form enough of a nucleus to give the Flames a shot at a third straight trip to the NCAAs.

UIC will again battle Wisconsin-Milwaukee for supremacy in the Horizon League; the veterans at Wisconsin-Green Bay and big-league transfers at Detroit may have a say as well.

Don't expect breakthroughs against the likes of Georgia Tech, Duke or even DePaul, but wins over Illinois St, Bowling Green, Penn and UNC-Wilmington are all possible. In league play, the early showdown with WI-Milwaukee is a must or else the regular season race will be an uphill climb.

Jan 3: (untracked)
The poor preseason showing and the big conference loss to start things off makes it plain that the Flames aren't trackable. For the measure of the Horizon League, follow Wisconsin-Milwaukee instead.
IOWA HAWKEYES
Iowa City, Iowa

[GATEWAY] (Official) Iowa Men's Basketball Website

Nov 29: (#14)
The Hawkeyes' surprise performance in the MAUI INVITATIONAL was no fluke. This team has a great set of complementary offensive players: F Greg Brunner, bbG Adam Haluska, G Jeff Horner, G Pierre Pierce and C Erek Hanson are a nice starting five; plus, F Doug Thomas and G Mike Henderson are solid reserves. The problem is defense. This is a slow-footed team on D. That will eventually catch up to them. They were solid enough to beat new-look Louisville and young Texas, but even this good of an offensive team couldn't keep up with the racing Tar Heels. Still, this could be a good (or even great) season before it's all over and done with. The Big 10 title may be more up for grabs than it appears.
Dec 13: (#12)
Tough wins over in-state rivals who are also solid teams in the overall scheme of things further adds to the Hawkeyes' claims of legitimacy. The offense can go so many different ways. That's nice. Some clamp-down defense would be even nicer.
Jan 10
Two losses right off the bat in league play have taken the wind out of Hawkeyes' sails. Forget the bounce of confidence from the marquee wins in the preseason; they no longer apply. Worse than the losses is the trend of gPierre Pierce doing it all on his own. The best thing about this team was that it had multiple offensive weapons, but someone has to remember to set everyone else up. When your power forward has more assists than your point guard, something is very wrong. The bigger question remains: can Iowa make a stop defensively when it needs to in the big moments?
Jan 24: (#19)
Looks like it took the ultimate challenge (a road game at Illinois) to bring out the best in the Hawkeyes. They focused as a team and nearly knocked off the undefeated Illini. Maybe they've settled into the rigours of league play now and will be a factor in the race from here on out.
Jan 7
gPierre Pierce has been dismissed from the team. Just when they might have still had a chance to regroup for the stretch drive, now they'll be in a scramble just to secure an NCAA bid.
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Lawrence, Kansas

[GATEWAY] (Official) Kansas Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#5)
Four starters return from last year's team that finished second in the conference and made the Elite Eight. After a year under coach Bill Self, the veterans should be less resentful of the departure of Roy Williams. F Wayne Simien is a bruiser in the paint, G Keith Langford is a slashing scorer, G Aaron Miles is an experienced point guard, and 'T J.R. Giddens showed flashes of being a game-changing athlete. It's all good news and a strong recruiting class, including C Sasha Kaun and G Russell Robinson can only add to their prowess.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks and Texas all have enough firepower to take the title.

Wins over Pacific and South Carolina will be no problem; beating Georgia Tech will be tough to do even at home; beating Kentucky on the road is probably too much to expect. In league play, both key matchups with Oklahoma State and Texas come at home -- that's huge.

Nov 22: (#19)
The endplay win over Vermont at home is a sign that last year's struggle to adjust to Bill Self's style is an on-going issue. Final Four-calibre teams just shouldn't be hanging around anyone who is a splash team at best in their own gym.
Dec 20: (#11)
The Jayhawks continue to flirt with disaster. Yes, South Carolina has Top-25 potential, but the Gamecocks have hardly been playing well up to this point. There's no justification for playing from behind for 3/4 of the game at home against a team that struggles mightily on offense. It might take until they (finally) go on the road at Kentucky in January before an objective assessment of this squad is possible. The sum is somehow less than the parts with this bunch.
Dec 27: (#25)
Worse news: Wayne Simien injured his left thumb in Saturday's game. It required surgery and he'll be out 4-6 weeks.
Jan 3: (#12)
Credit the frenzied home crowd with helping the Jayhawks recover from being down 16 points in the first half to Georgia Tech. They were in a heap of trouble without Wayne Simien and with Keith Langford and Aaron Miles being shut down by the GT 'tweeners. On a neutral floor, they don't pull that one out. But give them credit for the final score on the scorecard.
Jan 10: (#4)
Damned if the Jayhawks didn't find a way to "win ugly" on the road at Kentucky. It weren't pretty, but it was a win. The subs who wouldn't be getting this many minutes if it weren't for fWayne Simien's absence are making a solid contribution. The veterans have been in plenty of big games so they know how to perform in pressure situations.
Jan 17: (#4)
fWayne Simien is back in action. The Jayhawks managed to come up with two big wins even without him but now it's time to get everything -- and everyone -- in gear. Can't really find fault with an undefeated season, though.
Jan 24: (#14)
The Jayhawks finally laid the egg they've been trying to pass all season. After numerous narrow escapes in victory, they went down in disastrous defeat at the hands of middling Villanova on the road. It may not be entirely a coincidence that their two biggest victories came when Wayne Simien was out. He's great, but it's a guard's world out there and having a low-post power player be your focus can let other waterbug teams race past you.
Jan 31: (#5)
It's not so much that the Jayhawks have "put it all together" as much as that the rest of their conferencemates have "fallen all apart".
Feb 21: (#9)
Even with the soft "North Division" schedule, the Jayhawks have managed to slip back into a first-place tie with Oklahoma State. This week's games have a lot more pressure on them now for KU.
Feb 28: (#6)
The high-performance effort against Oklahoma State didn't necessary prove who was the better team, but it likely handed the Jayhawks the regular season title.
Mar 7: (#)
The ankle injury to gKeith Langford puts the conference tournament in much more doubt than before (and a No.1 Seed in the NCAA tournament as well).
KENT STATE GOLDEN FLASHES
Kent, Ohio

[GATEWAY] (Official) Kent State Men's Basketball Website

Dec 27
This team belongs to gDeAndre Haynes now, but help has arrived from JuCo tJay Youngblood. It's still pretty scratchy in the MAC, although there are some signs this year may be a bit stronger than last year.
Jan 17: (untracked)
A poor start to league play means the Golden Flashes are no longer the trackable team for the MAC. Instead, follow Western Michigan.
KENTUCKY WILDCATS
Lexington, Kentucky

[GATEWAY] (Official) Kentucky Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#8)
The 'Cats lost three starters from last year's conference tournament champs and NCAA tournament top seed. Returning are blue-collar F Chuck Hayes and 'T Kalenna Azubuike. That's not enough of a nucleus to expect a seamless transition at the start of this season. The good news is that the incoming talent is better than what's already there. 6-11 freshman C Randolph Morris could have jumped to the NBA (like his fellow Georgia high school rival Dwight Howard); G Joe Crawford is expected to be an instant star; transfer G Patrick Sparks (ex-Western Kentucky) and freshman G Rajon Rondo will also get heavy minutes. Tubby Smith has had two consecutive teams enter the NCAAs expected to win the national championship which failed to even make the Final Four. Last year's upset by waterbug UAB was especially vexing. He's got more names to work with this year, but that may make it harder to turn them into the kind of no-name selfless team that he prefers. Still, this much talent on one roster can't be overlooked.

UK is the clear favorite in the SEC in the East (and overall) followed by Florida and South Carolina; in the West, Mississippi State should again lead the way with Alabama and LSU close behind.

Road wins at North Carolina and Louisville may not happen so early in the season for a team with this many new players in the mix, but fully expect a home win over Kansas come January. In league play, their only tough road games don't come until late February -- that's outstanding.

Dec 20: (#5)
Talk about "lost and found". The 'Cats looked totally lost in the dismal first half against Louisville, scoring only 16 ponits and trailing by 16 at the intermission. Tubby must give one helluva halftime speech. In the second period, they played excellent man defense and the offense finally seemed to click as they funneled the ball through Chuck Hayes, while Azubiuke cut through the lane, Crawford spotted up for jumpers and Sparks scored all kinds of ways. This team discovered its offensive identity in that game.
Feb 28: (#4)
When gPatrick Sparks shoots like he did against Alabama, 7-for-10 from three-point range, the Wildcats are a Final Four-calibre team. When he's on a bad streak, only tKelenna Azubuike is a reliable scorer -- the rest may or may not step up from one game to the next. The defense is solid, but without the easy baskets on O, there's an upset waiting to happen for this team.
LOUISIANA STATE TIGERS/BAYOU BENGALS
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

[GATEWAY] (Official) LSU Men's Basketball Website

Nov 22
Only Jaime Lloreda is gone from last year's NIT squad. This year, F Brandon Bass has a freshman partner up front in F Glen Davis to help share the load. On the perimeter, G Darrel Mitchell, G Tack Minor and 'T Antonio Hudson all have plenty of talent. This team could be a year away from the poise to make some real noise, but they could breakout a year early this year and make quite a splash. Young and athletic.

In the SEC, Kentucky is the favorite in the East (and overall) followed by Florida and South Carolina; in the West, Mississippi State should be able to hold off Alabama and the Tigers.

Winning the LOUISIANA CLASSIC at home is not much more than a showcase; winning at Utah will require some early poise. In league play, a couple of tough road games early might be too much for a young squad to handle.

Jan 3: (untracked)
The preseason wasn't a total bust, but the Tigers didn't do anything that warranted tracking for an SEC team.
Jan 17: (retracked)
Just when you give up on them, they post a couple of results that are worth paying attention to.
Feb 21
The Tigers put together their best week of the season with back-to-back wins at Mississippi State and over Florida. The three-point shooting is still a glaring weak spot, but the frontcourt power of fBass and fDavis is becoming a dominating factor.
Feb 28
The surge continues with another big-name win (over Alabama) and a solid road game as well. This could be a permanent turn for something good this season.
LOUISVILLE CARDINALS
Louisville, Kentucky

[GATEWAY] (Official) Louisville Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#14)
'T Francisco Garcia and G Taquan Dean return from last year's disappointing squad. Help is on the way, though. F Ellis Myles is back after a medical redshirt season. Also, two new freshmen, F Juan Diego Palacios and F Brian Johnson will provide a revamped frontcourt. This isn't necessarily the ideal roster for coach Rick Pitino's run-and-shoot style but talent trumps style of play.

In Conference USA's last hurrah in its current configuration, the Cardinals and Memphis are the favorites, with Charlotte and Cincinnati following close behind.

Winning in MAUI (UNC, Texas, Stanford) would be asking a lot; winning at Florida is certainly possible; beating Kentucky at home is a push. The BILLY MINARDI CLASSIC is just a showcase. In league play, three big home games and two on the road isn't a bad schedule.

Jan 17: (#10)
It took great resilience to regroup after the blitz Cincinnati laid on them at the start of the game. Even better, they did so without the normal help they expect from tFrancisco Garcia. This team is much more than a one-man show. Look the other way now when reflecting back on Kentucky's miracle comeback.
Feb 7: (#4)
The two solid wins over Cincinnati and UAB solidify the Cardinals hold on the conference lead. If tLarry O'Bannon can be a consistent force to complement tFrancisco Garcia and gTaquan Dean, then coach Rick Pitino's return to the highest echelon of the college game may come to fruition this year.
Feb 14: (#12)
After it seemed that the Cardinals had put it all together for a solid stretch run, they go and lay an egg in an embarassing home blowout loss at the hands of Memphis. (And an 8-point win over lowly South Florida doesnt' instill much confidence, either.) A first-rate point guard (which they don't have) wouldn't allow that to happen.
MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

[GATEWAY] (Official) Marquette Men's Basketball Website

Dec 13: (#19)
The 8-0 start includes some less-than-blowout wins that came at home, but give the Golden Eagles their due for a real win over a solid Wisconsin team. G Travis Diener and 'T Steve Novak are still the nucleus of a team that didn't earn part of last year's 5-way tie for the Conference USA title ... and didn't make the NCAAs, either. So don't overrate them just because they haven't lost yet.
Jan 31
gTravis Diener's ankle injury turns a "maybe" squad into a "no-way" squad. Until he returns, "No way."
Feb 7: (untracked)
8th place in conference play halfway through doesn't cut it. It was only the one preseason home win over Wisconsin that got them noticed in the first place. That one shining moment is no longer good enough to warrant attention.
MARYLAND TERRAPINS
College Park, Maryland

[GATEWAY] (Official) Maryland Men's Basketball Website

Nov 22
Last year's run to the conference tournament title has everyone in College Park expecting even bigger things this year. G John Gilchrist is a tough lead guard; 'T Nik Caner-Medley has skills but doesn't control play as much as they need him to do. Freshman F James Gist should provide a needed inside presence. Coach Gary Williams doesn't need name talent to create an effective team.

In the expanded ACC, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke and UNC will all battle for the top spot with NC State and the Terrapins pushing right behind.

Don't rule out any upsets of Memphis (TIP-OFF CLASSIC), at Wisconsin (ACC-BIG 10 CHALLENGE) or in front of a supportive crowd at the BB&T CLASSIC (Michigan State, George Washington). In league play, two tough road games rigth off the bat are no way to start the race.

Jan 31: (#15)
Winning at Duke and then beating back Georgia Tech more than makes up for the lousy performance against N.C. State. tNick Caner-Medley has turned it on and things are clicking with several role players doing their part.
Feb 14: (#19)
For whatever reason, the Terrapins find a way to get up for the game when the other fellows' jerseys say Duke. A Top-5 win redeems the sorry blowout loss to Clemson, but there's no more room left for sloppy performances. An NCAA bid still isn't totally secure. Some consistent form would be nice.
MEMPHIS TIGERS
Memphis, Tennessee

[GATEWAY] (Official) Memphis Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#23)
Four starters return from last year's conference co-regular season champs and NCAA splash squad. F Sean Banks and F Rodney Carney are the returning marquee players, along with G Anthony Rice and G Jeremy Hunt. Freshman G Darius Washington will get the reins as lead guard for coach John Calipari. If he's great right away, the team could go a long way. Up front, freshman F Richard Dorsey may be able to supply some needed board strength.

In Conference USA's last go-around with the current membership, Louisville and the Tigers are the favorites, but Charlotte and Cincinnati won't be far behind.

Making it to New York in the COACHES VS CANCER (Syracuse, Mississippi State) shouldn't be a problem but an overall win might be too much to expect so early in the season. A win at Purdue is doable, and at home against Providence, but not at Texas. On a neutral site, Maryland is beatable but maybe not Pittsburgh. In league play, the tougher games come towards the end of the season after they should have some momentum going for them.

Nov 22: (#24)
Rodney Carney's individual performance in the COACHES VS CANCER CLASSIC was impressive. It came at the expense of much of an organized offense, though. Darius Washington will grow into the point guard position, but the Tigers were hoisting up bad shot after bad shot in their loss to Syracuse. It looks like rebounding is going to be a problem all season.
Dec 6
G Jeremy Hunt is hurt again. Yikes.
Dec 13
'T Sean Banks has been suspended from the team. Things are unraveling at the Pyramid.
Jan 3: (untracked)
Stop the pain. This team is going nowhere. The chemistry is a mess and you've got to blame the coach for that.
Feb 14: (retracked)
Perhaps all is not lost after all. The shellacking of Louisville on the road is as surprising a score as we've seen all season. gDarius Washington has grown into the role of lead guard with a score-first mentality while tRodney Carney has settled into the role of do-everything-else. The results show that something's working.
MIAMI UNIVERSITY OF OHIO REDHAWKS
Oxford, Ohio

[GATEWAY] (Official) Miami(Ohio) Men's Basketball Website

Feb 7
Midway through conference play, the RedHawks have emerged as the frontrunners in the MAC. With all five starters returning, their slow start was a bit of a surprise. fDanny Horace and gChet Mason are the leaders.
Feb 21
The RedHawks were impressive in their BRACKET BUSTER win over Wichita State. They're tall and play nice halfcourt defense -- but 1-for-13 on three-pointers will never cut it in this day and age.
MICHIGAN WOLVERINES
Ann Arbor, Michigan

[GATEWAY] (Official) Michigan Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#24)
Coach Tommy Amaker guided his team to the NIT championship last season. Although they lost their best player, 'T Bernard Robinson, everyone else is back. That includes F Courtney Sims, F Lester Abram, G Daniel Horton and G Dion Harris. Expect the momentum to continue as this program rises back to NCAA-quality status.

In the Big 10, it's Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin who are favored, but the Wolverines can spoil at the least and contend if things break right.

Winning the PRESEASON NIT (Wake Forest, Arizona, Providence, George Washington) but expect them to make it New York. Don't expect a win at Georgia Tech, but a home win over Notre Dame is possible. In league play, some tough road games in January may put them behind in the race.

Dec 6
'T Lester Abram's shoulder injury will put him out for the season. Yikes.
Jan 3: (untracked)
Another season of potential that has slumped into mediocrity. You can't blame the coach for injuries, but something else is missing with this team. It doesn't fit together very well. Maybe it's just the lack of a pure point guard.
Jan 10: (retracked)
The return of gDion Harris and win at Iowa earn the Wolverines a reprieve. At least they qualify as trackable again. But don't hang your hat on one win against a team that was already trending downward.
Jan 31
The suspension of gDaniel Horton turns "maybe" into "no way". Unless he returns, "No way."
Feb 7: (untracked)
This team is no longer trackable (and it wasn't really ever that way, to be honest).
MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS
East Lansing, Michigan

[GATEWAY] (Official) Michigan State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PREASEASON (#13)
Everybody's back from last year's squad. That's good news. Even better news is that there's help in the places they were weakest: passing and rebounding. C Paul Davis is a finesse big man; G Chris Hill, bbG Kelvin Torbert and 'T Alan Anderson are better scoring than distributing. Newcomers F Marquise Gray and G Drew Neitzel are exactly suited to fill in the gaps. Coach Tom Izzo's squad should be poised to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament this time around.

In the Big 10, Illinois and the Spartans should battle it out for the top spot with Wisconsin and Michigan knocking on the door.

Winning at Duke isn't out of the question. Winning the BB&T CLASSIC won't be easy, but it's also doable. Beating Stanford and UCLA should both be expected. In league play, the one showdown with Illinois comes at home -- that helps.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE BLUE RAIDERS
Murfreesboro, Tennessee

[GATEWAY] (Official) Middle Tennessee State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
Transfers C Steve Thomas (ex-Georgia) and JuCo G Jonathan Loe should mix with G Mike Dean and 'T Michael Cuffee to form a nice squad for coach Kermit Davis.

Inside the Sun Belt, the Blue Raiders should stay ahead of Arkansas-Little Rock and Arkansas State in the East, while perennial contender Lousiana-Lafayette and New Orleans again top the West.

A breakthrough in the SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT is a pipe dream. In league play, the big games are bunched together in a brutal January schedule.

Jan 5: (untracked)
Despite the tie for the SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT crown, the Blue Raiders aren't the trackable team for the Sun Belt. Instead, follow Western Kentucky.
MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS
Starkville, Mississippi

[GATEWAY] (Official) Mississippi State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#16)
F Lawrence Roberts is back -- that alone makes them rankable. 'T Winsome Frazier, 'T Shane Power and G Gary Ervin return as well. Don't expect them to dominate the league like last year without Timmy Bowers, but coach Rick Stansbury still has plenty to work with.

In the SEC, Kentucky is the favorite in the East (and overall) ahead of Florida and South Carolina; in the West, the Bulldogs should be able to hold off both Alabama and LSU.

Making it to New York in COACHES VS CANCER (Syracuse, Memphis) is easy, but winning it won't be. Don't expect a win on the road against Arizona (JOHN WOODEN), but a win at Xavier should be a go. In league play, four tough games at the end of January will make or break their season.

Nov 22: (#17)
The Bulldogs have more issues than the temporary problem of Lawrence Roberts' broken nose. They tried to push the pace against Syracuse in the COACHES VS CANCER CLASSIC -- which was the correct strategy to beat the 2-3 zone down the court -- but their point guard play wasn't polished enough to pull it off. The result was numerous turnovers and empty possessions without feeding Roberts inside or finding Power outside. The good news is that they will eventually resolve things.
Jan 17: (#17)
gWinsome Frazier is out for the season with injury. That's a big blow to a team that doesn't get consistent production game-in, game-out from anyone other than fLawrence Roberts. They can compensate with effort in the short run, but in the long run, their decreased athleticism will show up somewhere down the line.
MURRAY STATE RACERS
Murray, Kentucky

[GATEWAY] (Official) Murray State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 4: PRESEASON
A new backcourt made of transfers from major conferences (G Keith Jennifer, ex-Virginia, and G Trey Pearson, ex-Mississippi) are the major reasons for optimism. The mix will be new, but coach Mick Cronin got off to a fine start in his first season last year.

Inside the Ohio Valley, Tennessee State has its own influx of major-conference transferees, while Tennessee Tech has the best player.

Don't expect road wins at the likes of Missouri, So Illinois or UAB. A home win over Western Kentucky is about the biggest splash that's reasonable. An Unwelcome Guest win at ST. MARY'S isn't likely. In conference play, the toughest road game doesn't come until February -- that's great.

Jan 5: (untracked)
The poor showing in the preseason means the Racers aren't trackable. For progress in the OVC, follow Eastern Kentucky instead.
Jan 10: (retracked)
The squeak win at home over Eastern Kentucky gives the Racers the inside track on the regular season title. They may not be the strongest team in the league, but they should have been and they are in first place, so give them some props.
NEVADA WOLF PACK
Reno, Nevada

[GATEWAY] (Official) Nevada Men's Basketball Website

Feb 14
The win over UTEP solidifies the Wolfpack's lead in the WAC race. cNick Fazekas is the main man. JuCo transfer gMo Charlo has added some punch to help make up (a little) for the departed stars from last season.
Feb 21
cNick Fazekas was fantastic in the BRACKET BUSTER win over Vermont. He scored every way you could ask for. 6-7 tMo Charlo is a nice asset to have on the defensive perimeter (even though he couldn't slow down 5-11 gT.J. Sorrentine) and 7-0 cChad Bell is also great -- he guarded cTaylor Coppenrath, not Fazekas. Freshman gRamon Sessions had a good game, but they need that consistently in the backcourt.
NEW MEXICO LOBOS
Albuquerque, New Mexico

[GATEWAY] (Official) New Mexico Men's Basketball Website

Dec 27
fDanny Granger might be the best player in the Mountain West (even ahead of Utah's cAndrew Bogut) and he has a veteran supporting cast in cDavid Chiotti, gTroy DeVries and tAlfred Neale.
Jan 17
fDanny Granger injured his knee against Wyoming and sat out the Air Force game after having surgery to repair damaged cartilage. He may only miss one or two week's play.
Jan 31
The return of fDanny Granger is probably too late to salvage the regular season race, so the focus should be on closing strong and winning the conference tournament ('cause there's no NCAA berth for this squad any other way at this point).
Feb 28
The win over Utah was huge. Something special can still happen this season. Because of the overall weakness of the league, though, they'll probably still have to win the conference tournament to earn the automatic bid into the NCAAs.
NIAGARA PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara, New York

[GATEWAY] (Official) Niagara Men's Basketball Website

Nov 22
Even though it was a loss, the Purple Eagles showed lots of heart in taking it to Providence on the road in the PRESEASON NIT. F Juan Mendez was great, as was G David Brooks. G Alvin Cruz and F James Martin showed lots of promise if they can keep up the same level of contribution every night out.

In the Metro Atlantic, Manhattan, St. Peter's and Fairfield will challenge, but Niagara has come close the last two years and this time it should finally be their turn.

Beating St. John's is doable (but not much of a feat). Two of three tough league opponents are home games the first time through -- that helps.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) North Carolina Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#10)
Everybody's back from last year's squad. That includes 'T Rashad McCants, G Raymond Felton, C Sean May, F Jawad Williams, F Jackie Manuel and G Melvin Scott. They have plenty of experience playing together and loads of talent. Roy Williams did return them to the NCAA tournament but much more is expected from a bunch with this much individual talent. Defense and rebounding are the weakness. Freshman F Marvin Williams should provide help on the boards but he won't instantly make them defend any better.

In the expanded ACC, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke and the Heels will all battle it out for the top spot, while N.C. State and Maryland will be just below them.

Winning in MAUI (Texas, Louisville, Stanford) would be quite a feather in their cap, but they're the favorite to do so. Winning at Indiana and at home against Kentucky are quite possible, but maybe not on the road at Connecticut. In league play, only four games against the elite teams.

Nov 22: (#18)
Playing one game without Raymond Felton isn't such a big deal, ... but ... if you're a Final Four-calibre team, you should still be able to win a one-off game against a splash team at best even when you're undermanned. This result was more of the same problems that plagued last year's "underachieving" squad. You would have liked to have seen Rashad McCants take over as the emergency point guard and pull it off. (Remember Grant Hill subbing for an injured Bobby Hurley on the '93 Duke squad in a road win against Georgia Tech?)
Nov 29: (#1)
What a difference a week makes. Four blowouts later, all is forgiven. Can one man make a 30-point difference? With Raymond Felton back in the lineup, the rout was on. He certainly is the key player pushing the pace and finding open teammates streaking downcourt; but that Santa Clara game did really happen. These blowouts all came due to the excellent offensive efficiency of the Heels. No one so far has been able to keep up with them, but they're not clamping down on the defensive end. Right now, though, no one else looks this good on "oh"-fense.
Feb 14: (#3)
The Tar Heels did enough that was good in the road win at Connecticut to overcome the things they did bad in the road loss at Duke. Chalk up the loss to great D by the Blue Devils against a familiar opponent. Against UConn, credit the versatility of fJawad Williams and gRashad McCants to step outside and hit just enough jumpers to overcome the difficulty scoring point blank against the Huskie shotblockers.
Mar 7: (#2)
That 11-0 run at the end of the game saved their skin (and probably preserved the No.1 Seed). Stepping back, though, the Tar Heels were the least of the three in terms of their performances against Wake Forest and Duke. With gRashad McCants still ailing, their outside shooting was very shaky. They aren't necessarily primed for an upset, but whether they can win the juggernaut Final Four games is still in doubt.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE WOLFPACK
Raleigh, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) North Carolina State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#21)
'T Julius Hodge is as versatile a player as there is. F Ilian Evtimov and G Engin Atsur are savvy players but the loss of Marcus Melvin and Scooter Sherrill from last year's squad will definitely be felt. Coach Herb Sendek's spread offense puts a lot of emphasis on movement without the ball, ball-handling and outside shooting. Georgetown transfer G Tony Bethel can score but the likely replacement at center is freshman Cedric Simmons. They won't be terrible, but don't expect a second place finish in conference play.

Inside the expanded ACC, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke and UNC will battle for the top spot with the Wolfpack and Maryland pushing them as well.

Winning the BCA INVITATIONAL (Pepperdine, Oregon St) wouldn't be a problem even if it weren't in Raleigh; winning the ECAC FESTIVAL (St. John's) won't be, either. Winning at Washington might be a bit much to ask. Count the Purdue game (ACC-BIG 10) as a win. In league play, no trip to Cameron is a break.

Dec 20: (#18)
The Wolfpack played a legitimate Top-25 team for the first time and got a better assessment of what they actually have this year. Julius Hodge is still The Man, but a nice second banana is emerging in 6-10 freshman C Andrew Brackman. With 20p against Louisiana-Lafayette and another fine game against Washington, Brackman looks like he's ready to be a mainstay contributor right now. He's very athletic for his size and plays smart. The 'Pack had trouble with the Huskies' individual athleticism (not to mention the homerism from the Pac-10 refs working the game). There's no Grade-A win on the resume for the preseason in the offing, so they'll have to remain on the outside of the Final Four elite cadre until conference play starts up.
Jan 3: (unranked)
tJulius Hodge's ankle injury was certainly a factor in the Wolfpack's defeat at home to West Virginia (but it's not the whole story -- WVU played an outstanding game). The 14-minute scoring drought against lowly St. John's is more troubling. This team gets too in love with jacking up 3-pointers and it's struggling at the free throw line as well, so even if you foul them, they're still no sure bet to put points on the board.
Jan 17: (#25)
Even in the Duke game, the Wolfpack showed some very nice things -- tCameron Bennerman's swooping dunk over fShelden Williams was spectacular -- but they played a full 40 minutes in their dismantling of Georgia Tech. Will this effort level last?
Mar 21
How weirdly can fortunes turn? If the incident with Wake Forest's pChris Paul and State's tJulius Hodge doesn't happen, maybe none of the rest of this happens. Paul doesn't sit out the ACC quarterfinal against State; State doesn't beat Wake to get the signature win to clinch a bid to the NCAA tournament; State doesn't even get the opportunity to play and beat Charlotte and UConn; and Herb Sendek gets run out of town rather than be celebrated for how his spread offense has difused the nation's best shot-blocking defense. So, I guess, Hodge and Sendek ought to send Paul a dozen roses and a thank you note. Sucker!
NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH
South Bend, Indiana

[GATEWAY] (Official) Notre Dame Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#25)
G Chris Thomas is first-rate lead guard; F Torin Francis has talent (if not leaping ability) in the paint; G Chris Quinn has developed into a fine complementary backcourt mate. Ex-Arizona transfer F Dennis Latimore is on hand to help out on the boards. There's still not much depth available for coach Mike Brey to work with but Thomas alone is worth tracking the team.

In the slimmed down Big East, Pitt, UConn and Syracuse will fight it out for the top spot while the Irish and Providence push them to be more than spoilers.

A win at Michigan is too much to expect, but the rivalry game at Indiana is more liekly. In league play, the first couple of tough games come at home -- that helps.

Jan 31: (#25)
Not so much the win over Connecticut, but the fact that it was the frontcourt guys who led the way, gives some hope that this season might have more than disappointment in store at the finish.
Feb 14: (#21)
Ending Boston College's undefeated season was great. Even in defeat at Pitt, the Irish played well from the perimeter. The key to a Sweet 16 finish continues to be cTorin Francis.
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Columbus, Ohio

[GATEWAY] (Official) Ohio State Men's Basketball Website

Jan 10: (#22)
The win over Iowa legitimizes the solid season the Buckeyes have put together. Too bad they've declared themselves ineligible for postseason play due to their on-going investigation into wrongdoings in both the basketball and football programs. New coach Thad Matta (ex-Xavier) is the biggest reason this year isn't a total bust. He's been able to motivate cTerence Dials and gTony Stockman to believe there's something worth achieving in Big 10 conference play alone. JuCo gJe'Kel Foster is supposed to be an impact player, but it's still gJ.J. Sullinger who has been the most consistent third prong in the attack.
Mar 7
Wow. What can you say after such an all-out effort? Hats off to coach Thad Matta for doing it again -- he coached Xavier last year when the Musketeers stopped St. Joseph's undefeated run in the Atlantic 10 tournament. This was straight out of Hoosiers: The Kid (played here by tMatt Sylvester) says in the timeout, "I'll make the shot, coach." -- and he did! Unbelievable.
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Norman, Oklahoma

[GATEWAY] (Official) Oklahoma Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17: 21
The win over Connecticut gives the Sooners some national legitimacy for their gaudy record. cKevin Bookout is still the focus in the paint and pint-sized gDrew Lavender gets enough done outside, but the addition of JuCos fTaj Gray and gTerrell Everett help up the athleticism quotient. They won't win the Big 12, but they might be able to spoil.
Jan 24: (#10)
Texas' loss (fP.J. Tucker) is the Sooners' gain. OU has stepped into the power vacuum left by UT and has as good a shot as anybody at the regular season title at this point.
Mar 7: (#12)
Look what fell into the Sooners' lap: why, it's the Big 12 regular season title! Thanks to Kansas' failure to take care of business, OU and KU wound up tied atop the standings and OU gets the nod by virtue of their 71-63 head-to-head victory. This team has a fixed formula and is executing the plan.
OKLAHOMA STATE COWBOYS
Stillwater, Oklahoma

[GATEWAY] (Official) Oklahoma State Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#2)
Regular season champs, conference tourney champs and a trip to the Final Four isn't too shabby a resume for a squad that wasn't even ranked at that start of last year. Coach Eddie Sutton can do more with less than just about anybody around these days. Only one starter is gone from last season, but Tony Allen will be hard to replace. Still, G John Lucas III, 'T Joey Graham and F Ivan McFarlin are a solid nucleus, so don't expect much of a slip. 'T Stephen Graham has all the physical skills his twin brother Joey has and 6-11 JuCO C Aaron Pettway should give the smallish Cowboys a presence in the paint and on the boards that they lacked. Go with players who know how to get it done.

In the Big 12, the Cowboys are favored along with Kansas and Texas for the top spot.

Even on the road, a win against Syracuse (JIMMY V CLASSIC) isn't out of the question; a win at UNLV (LAS VEGAS SHOWDOWN) should be no problem; a home-crowd win over Gonzaga (ALL-COLLEGE CLASSIC) is a given. In league play, an early road win over Texas would set them up well in the race.

Dec 13: (#2)
The win on the road against Syracuse at the JIMMY V CLASSIC in New York would normally be enough to vault the Cowboys into the top spot overall. But even in victory, OSU's Achilles' Heel was on display: despite having the best halfcourt defense in all the land, the offense has trouble getting easy scores. 'Cuse's 2-3 zone gave them fits since their best outside shooter, John Lucas, is also their primary ballhandler. Against UAB, they kept edging out to big leads thanks to the D, but couldn't keep the margin at blowout range because the O wasn't as smooth as you want. JamesOn Curry could well be the key: his ballhandling ability can free Lucas to spot up for his own shot, and if Curry can make some jumpers of his own, that would be a big help as well. Until the 3s start falling with regularity, No. 1 will remain off limits.
Mar 7: (#18)
Something is subtly wrong here. The Cowboys are a little bit soft defensively and offensively compared to last year's tough-as-nails squad. They're letting games slip away and they're still a little shaky against the zone. This team is one that could go down in an upset.
OLD DOMINION MONARCHS
Norfolk, Virginia

[GATEWAY] (Official) Old Dominion Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
The Monarchs' solid preseason has combined with a strong performance in league play inside the Colonial. cAlex Lougton and gIsaiah Hunter form the nucleus of this veteran squad.
ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES
Tulsa, Oklahoma

[GATEWAY] (Official) Oral Roberts Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
gKen Tutt and fCaleb Green lead five returning starters who add JuCo tLarry Owens to boot. All that makes for a great season for coach Scott Sutton (and the Mid-Continent tournament is at their place on top of that).
Feb 21
It won't be enough to get them into the NCAA tournament with an at-large bid, but the BRACKET BUSTER win at SW Missouri State was quite nice. fCaleb Green was the bright spot offensively, but the Golden Eagles did a nice job on D as well.
UNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC TIGERS
Stockton, California

[GATEWAY] (Official) Pacific Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
Size matters, at least for UOP. The Tigers go 6-10, 6-9, 6-8 across the baseline with a 6-7 'tweener roaming the floor to boot. C Guillame Yango starred in last year's NCAA tournament splash run; F Christian Maraker and F Tyler Nelson also pitch in while 'T Jasko Korajkic provides match-up problems in the backcourt. After last year's postseason success, they should be even more confident.

In the Big West, Utah State is right there with them. Cal St-Northridge and UC-Santa Barbara are only spoilers.

At Kansas: no way; at Nevada: maybe. Playing Utah State at home first provides a slight edge. The BRACKET BUSTER game can only harm them after the rep they built from last year.

Feb 14
The tough win over Utah State keeps their undefeated streak in league play intact. At-large bids will be hard to come by this year no matter what, so the Tigers can't afford to be queued behind anyone else. A win over UTEP in the BRACKET BUSTER game would keep them at the top of the list.
Feb 21: (#22)
BRACKET BUSTER SATURDAY turned out to be a great day all around for the Tigers. Not only did they have no trouble running past UTEP at home on a nationally televised game, but their earlier conquest, Nevada, looked mighty good also. So the stars all aligned to give UOP the best shot of anyone at an at-large bid should they need it.
PITTSBURGH PANTHERS
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

[GATEWAY] (Official) Pittsburgh Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#7)
Last year's regular season champs lost two key perimeter players, Jaron Brown and Julius Page, but the three returning members, F Chris Taft, G Carl Krauser and F Chevon Troutman, still pack a punch. Coach Jaime Dixon did a great job with the team of veterans he inherited. This time around, he'll have to do a bit more in terms of working new players into the mix. Freshmen G Keith Benjamin and G Ronald Ramon figure to get the most playing time; the team will need them to provide some easy points on jumpers; JuCo transfer F John DeGroat is also expected to produce big things.

In the slimmed down Big East, the Panthers, along with UConn and Syracuse figure to be in the mix for the top spot with Notre Dame and Providence right on their heels.

Expect a win over Memphis (JIMMY V CLASSIC) in New York and against South Carolina at home. In league play, three rough games at the end of January will set the tone for the season.

Jan 3: (#20)
The Panthers were already a little dubious when they struggled at home to put away D'Oh team South Carolina. But losing at home to 8-4 Bucknell? That just doesn't happen to a team that's a real Final Four contender. There's still too much of a struggle to get some easy offens (in spite of gCarl Krauser's improved shooting touch).
PORTLAND STATE VIKINGS
Portland, Oregon

[GATEWAY] (Official) Portland State Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
fSeamus Boxley leads a team with four returning starters plus some key JuCo transfers, fTyler Hollist and gJosh Neely. It's not saying much, but at least they're in control of the Big Sky.
Feb 21
It was true anyway, but the BRACKET BUSTER loss at Middle Tennessee means the Vikings should have no delusions about receiving an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.
PRINCETON TIGERS
Princeton, New Jersey

[GATEWAY] (Official) Princeton Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
C Judson Wallace, G Will Venable and a healthy F Andre Logan return for what should be a strong senior campaign. New coach Joe Scott '87 took Air Force to the NCAAs last year and should do no less with his alma mater this year.

The Tigers should dominate the Ivy League again this year, with Penn and Brown distance runners-up.

Don't expect them to advance past Syracuse in COACHES VS CANCER. An Unwelcome Guest title in the SUN BOWL TOURNAMENT might just be within their reach. At Wyoming and Temple: yes; At Duke: no. The Penn game is away first, but that's no problem for a veteran squad.

PROVIDENCE FRIARS
Providence, Rhode Island

[GATEWAY] (Official) Providence Men's Basketball Website

Nov 22
F Ryan Gomes is one of the best players in the country. G Donnie McGrath has the poise and experience to direct an otherwise young team. G Dwight Brewington and F Tuukka Kotti had good games against Niagara, but they need to continue that level of contribution on a consistent level.

In the Big East, Pitt, UConn and Syracuse will battle for the top spot, but Notre Dame and the Friars will be right there to spoil.

Don't expect any wins once they hit NYC in the PRESEASON NIT. On the road, wins over Florida and Memphis will be tough. In league play, the first game with Syracuse at home could set up their season.

Jan 3: untracked
Ryan Gomes is a great player, but this just isn't a great team. There's no real reason to track the Friars with so many more Big East teams playing well.
SAINT MARY'S GAELS
Moraga, California

[GATEWAY] (Official) St. Mary's Men's College Basketball Website

Jan 24
With gPaul Marigney eligible for the second semester, the Gaels are more than Unwelcome Guest winners of the California regional of the COACHES VS CANCER CLASSIC. fDaniel Kickert leads the way for the surprise standard-bearers for the very competitive WCC.
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
Columbia, South Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) South Carolina Men's Basketball Website

Nov 22
Last year's defense-first squad might go a little further this year with the help of some easier baskets on offense this year. F Carlos Powell is the anchor and G Josh Gonner is the rudder steering the ship. F Renaldo Balkman's raw athletic talent needs to channelled into a smoother style. JuCo C Antoine Tisby should make them even more formidable in the paint.

In the SEC, Kentucky is the clear favorite in the East (and overall) followed by Florida and the 'Cocks; in the West, Mississippi State should stay ahead of Alabama and LSU.

Wins at Kansas and at Pittsburgh won't happen; East Carolina (COORS CLASSIC) will be a tougher game than you might think. In league play, two early big games come on the road -- a bad break, or an opportunity?

Dec 20
The Gamecocks played well on the road at Kansas, holding onto the lead for 3/4 of the game. But eventually the "D'Oh!" factor caught up to them and Little "Oh" couldn't keep pace with their Big D. Don't give them too much credit, either, since the Jayhawks have put forth this kind of muddy effort already before this season.
Feb 21
The Gamecocks didn't have much time to celebrate their big win over Kentucky. Alabama turned their carriage back into a pumpkin with a shellacking in Tuscaloosa.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS SALUKIS
Carbondale, Illinois

[GATEWAY] (Official) Southern Illinois Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
G Darren Brooks and F LaMar Owen return from last season's regular season juggernaut (but G Stetson Hairston was suspended indefinitely in the off-season). What used to be a strong bench will not have to be the new starters but their experience should help make the transition smooth for new coach Chris Lowery.

In the MVC, Northern Iowa and Wichita State should make it a closer race for second place (and maybe first) this time around.

A win in the LAS VEGAS THANKSGIVING CLASSIC is certainly possible. A win over Murray State in December may be as important as the BRACKET BUSTER game in February. In league play, they must play their toughest rivals away first.

Nov 29: (#25)
Darren Brooks' speed and tenacity are great. The waterbug Salukis were too quick for Vanderbilt and outlasted UTEP. The LAS VEGAS THANKSGIVING CLASSIC title is a nice feather in their caps.
Jan 10: (#25)
The win at Creighton sets the Salukis up for the early lead in the conference race. It's not over by a long shot, though. The national ranking has more to do with acknowledging the overall quality of the league than the particular stats of SIU. Don't expect it to last.
Feb 21
The BRACKET BUSTER win at Kent State was nice, but they won't get much bounce from such a weak opponent.
Feb 28
The win over Wichita State hands the Salukis their fourth-straight MVC title. Nothing comes easy for this year's group, though. The prospects for the postseason may not be as high as you might expect.
STANFORD CARDINAL
Palo Alto, California

[GATEWAY] (Official) Stanford Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
The loss of coach Mike Montgomery is a much bigger blow than losing Josh Childress, Matt Lottich and Justin Davis. There are still talented and experienced players returning -- especially G Chris Hernandez, F Rob Little, 'T Nick Robinson -- and new coach Trent Johnson guided Nevada to the Sweet 16 just last year. But the larger question is whether there's enough of a nucleus remaining to maintain the winning tradition that Montgomery established. Will it leave with Montgomery, or is winning basketball a Stanford tradition from now on? Great news: the trampoline floor in Maples Pavillion is being replaced. (That means, however, that early home games will be played at Santa Clara.)

In the Pac-10, Arizona is the clear favorite with Washington a strong second, but the Cardinal has a chance to be in the mix.

Winning in MAUI (UNC, Texas, Louisville) is too much to expect, so is a win at Michigan State. Expect a second-straight road loss to Washington, which has them playing catch-up in the league race all season.

Nov 29
It may be a long season. Lots of leadership on the sidelines and talent on the court have gone from last year and the remaining veterans have had a tough time of it keeping things going at the same standard. It may get worse before it gets better. There's apparently no honeymoon period for Trent Johnson. He's going to have to rebuild even this year.
Jan 10
The win over Arizona is nice, but the Cardinal is off to a terrible start in league play overall. There's not enough board strength (or overall quickness) for them to be legit contenders every night, but there's still quite a good bit of veteran savvy that should stand them in good stead.
Feb 21
tDan Grunfeld tore his ACL in the game against USC and is out for the season. Give all credit to gChris Hernandez for coming up big in the win over UCLA in the aftermath, but it's going to be a dogfight trying to secure an NCAA bid from this point.
Mar 7
Even without tDan Grunfeld, the Cardinal delivered a great performance. Are they a legitimate threat to win a game in the NCAA tournament (assuming they make it)? I still think the answer is no.
SYRACUSE ORANGE
Syracuse, New York

[GATEWAY] (Official) Syracuse Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#11)
G Billy Edelin's woes continue and he's again off the team. At least it's not the first time the Orange (no longer the Orangemen) have had to deal with this. No worries. F Hakim Warrick and G Gerry McNamara are the mainstays of the team. Freshman G Josh Wright will provide a good complement in the backcourt. The weakness is the lack of frontcourt scoring to help Warrick. Coach Jim Boeheim will figure out a way to make it work no matter what the roster issues are.

In the slimmed down Big East, Pitt and UConn will battle it out with the Orange for the top spot with Notre Dame and Providence close behind.

Winning COACHES VS CANCER (Mississippi State, Memphis) is to be expected; beating Oklahoma State (JIMMY V CLASSIC) isn't. In league play, tough games come on the road first, but a veteran squad can handle that.

Nov 22: (#7)
The wins over Mississippi State and Memphis in the COACHES VS CANCER CLASSIC were great. The Orange's experience (and the supportive NYC crowd) saw them through against teams that are still early in their development of new chemistry from last year. One problem was that at the start of the MSU game, the Bulldogs pushed the pace and were giving SU the same problem they ran into in last year's NCAA loss to Alabama. Same team, same strengths and same weaknesses.
Nov 29: (#8)
Billy Edelin is back with the team, but he's not all the way back to the level he was at last season.
Jan 31: (#8)
The loss at Pittsburgh was troubling two ways: first, only two players (gMcNamara and fWarrick) were any kind of factor offensivley; and second, the Panthers had their way with the Orange on the offensive boards. tPace and gEdelin cannot be specators and someone has to be the second rebounder.
Feb 21: (#10)
Both Connecticut and Boston College were able to use their frontline strength to neutralize fHakim Warrick in the paint and also bother things on the perimeter enough so that gGerry McNamara couldn't hurt them with threes. The Orange must be more than a two-man team. The third man has to be tJosh Pace but he has been inconsistent.
Mar 7
That makes it 0-5 now against the elite teams in the conference. They can each throw two quality big men at fHakim Warrick to slow him down -- most teams can't do that -- but the bigger worry is that now that gGerry McNamara is back running the point, his offensive capability is reduced. Out of conference, the zone will throw teams off, though.
TEXAS LONGHORNS
Austin, Texas

[GATEWAY] (Official) Texas Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#12)
The Longhorns lost four key players -- in fact, the winningest senior class in school history -- from last year's team. The returning star is sophomore bbG P.J. Tucker, a bruising scorer with excellent ball-handling skills. F Brad Buckman, G Sydmill Harris and C Jason Klotz also have plenty of experience under coach Rick Barnes' shuttle substitution system. The incoming freshmen are outstanding. G Daniel Gibson may not be T.J. Ford, but he'll do; 6-10 F LaMarcus Aldridge is another one of those "could've gone straight to the NBA" types; and F Mike Williams will also get plenty of playing time. It may take time for the new rotation and chemistry to settle in, but UT will be plenty strong this season.

In the Big 12, Oklahoma State and Kansas are the favorites, but the Longhorns will be right there in the mix.

Winning in MAUI (UNC, Louisville, Stanford) will be a tough task so early in the season for such a new-look squad. Wins at Seton Hall, and at home against UNLV and Memphis should happen; a win at Wake Forest probably won't.

Nov 29: (#16)
The Longhorns weren't ready for primetime right out of the box, but that's not such a surprise. Handing the reins over to a freshman point guard is no automatic thing. Daniel Gibson will be great sooner rather than later, but in MAUI he didn't do enough to get all of his teammates involved and got caught defensively, especially against surprising Iowa. LaMarcus Aldridge has been slower getting off the mark as well. Patience.
Jan 24: (#20)
Just when things had come together, they have come apart. The great win over Oklahoma State was undone by the news that fP.J. Tucker is ineligible for the remainder of the season due to academic issues. He didn't play against Oklahoma and the Longhorns clearly missed his firepower. Oh, well. This is now gDaniel Gibson's team all on his own; they'll only go as far as the freshman scorer can take them.
TEXAS AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL UNIVERSITY AT CORPUS CHRISTI ISLANDERS
Corpus Christi, Texas

[GATEWAY] (Official) Texas A&M-CC Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
fThomas Bailey leads the way, but can an Independent team make it to the NCAAs these days? How many legitimate Division-I opponents are even on their schedule?
TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS
Lubbock, Texas

[GATEWAY] (Official) Texas Tech Men's Basketball Website

Feb 7
The Red Raiders have stepped into the void in the Big 12 that other higher profile teams have left. Don't blame Tech. gRonald Ross and gJarrius Jackson continue to lead the way with fDevonne Giles adding intermitent contributions.
TOLEDO ROCKETS
Toledo, Ohio

[GATEWAY] (Official) Toledo Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
Five returning starters from last year's NIT squad have a chance to make it to the NCAAs this time around. G Keith Triplett, G Sammy Villegas and G Justin Ingram form a high-scoring backcourt that must overcome a weak frontcourt.

In the MAC, the Rockets are the team to beat in the West; in the East, Buffalo and Miami will also be in the mix for the overall race.

Wins at Duke and Vanderbilt won't happen, but a home win over Nevada isn't too much to expect. First place in the SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT would be quite a feather in their cap. In league play, being in the East Division makes things easy.

Jan 3: (untracked)
Despite the three-way tie for the crown in the SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT, there are stronger teams to track from the MAC than the Rockets. Follow Kent State instead.
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA AT LAS VEGAS RUNNIN' REBELS
Las Vegas, Nevada

[GATEWAY] (Official) UNLV Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
New coach Lon Kruger is a great college coach. He's got a solid nucleus to work with in G Jerel Blassingame, F Odartey Blankson and 'T Romel Beck. Add in a couple of solid JuCo transfers, F Dustin Villepigue and C Joel Anthony, and it could be a stellar season in Vegas.

Inside the Mountain West, Utah figures to be the top rival.

A win over Oklahoma State in the LAS VEGAS SHOWDOWN won't happen; neither will a win at Texas. But none of the road games at California, Nevada, Pepperdine and Auburn are out of the question. In league play, the tough game with Utah comes on the road first.

Jan 3: (untracked)
The Rebels are only muddling through the season. There's no reason to track them. Instead, follow New Mexico as the trackable team from the Mountain West.
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT EL PASO MINERS
El Paso, Texas

[GATEWAY] (Official) UTEP Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON
G Filiberto Rivera, 'T Omar Thomas, 'T Jason Williams and C John Tofi return from last year's NCAA tournament team. With JuCo G Miguel Ayala coming in, things may be even better. New coach Doc Sadler shouldn't have to do too much tinkering.

Inside the WAC, Rice returns a strong nucleus but the rest of last year's titans are rebuilding.

Winning the LAS VEGAS THANKSGIVING CLASSIC is certainly possible, as well as the SUN BOWL TOURNAMENT. The BRACKET BUSTER game may turn out to be crucial. Playing Rice at home first provides a slight edge.

Jan 24: (#24)
Slow and steady wins the race. The Miners have already beaten all of their main rivals in the league race, so they have control of things. Hopefully, the tight games of the past couple of weeks are just temporary and they can return to the form of routing the also-rans.
Feb 21
The BRACKET BUSTER loss at Pacific only makes concrete what was probably already true: there's no at-large bid waiting for the Miners at the end of the rainbow (especially since their only the second-place team in a conference whose rep suffered greatly on Saturday). Everything's pointing to the Rematch In Reno.
UTAH UTES
Salt Lake City, Utah

[GATEWAY] (Official) Utah Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
Consistent play (and the questionable health of fDanny Granger at New Mexico) mean the Utes must be tracked. Nothing they've done looks that impressive on paper, but cAndrew Bogut has plenty of skills and gMarc Jackson is a solid college player. In a down year for the Mountain West, they could easily find their way back to the NCAA tournament.
Jan 24: (#21)
Granted, New Mexico's loss (fDanny Granger) means there's no real rival for the Utes in the league, but don't overlook the exceptionally consistent strong season that cAndrew Bogut is posting.
VERMONT CATAMOUNTS
Burlington, Vermont

[GATEWAY] (Official) Vermont Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
Seniors cTaylor Coppenrath and gT.J. Sorrentine are a high-scoring inside-outside duo like few teams can boast of having. The win over rival Boston University gives them control of the race in the America East.
Feb 21
If there were ever such a thing as a "good loss", the BRACKET BUSTER game against Nevada was it. gT.J. Sorrentine showed he could penetrate and score against much bigger defenders without skipping a beat and few teams in the NCAA have as towering a frontline as 7-0, 6-11, 6-9 trio that the Wolf Pack threw at them (and cTaylor Coppenrath was still plenty effective). An at-large bid is a possibility, but they're no longer first in line on the wait list.
Mar 21
Forget the loss to Michigan State -- it's a footnote. The Catamounts' 60-57(OT) win over Syracuse in Round 1 was one of the all-time great moments in the history of the NCAA tournament. Like Princeton-Georgetown almost was in 1989 and like Princeton-UCLA actually was in 1996, here was a moment that will forever mark the lives of a player, a coach, a school and an entire state. If you've watched ESPN's The Season, which followed the Vermont basketball team around, you got a sense of what huge local heroes these guys already were: the coach Tom Brennan's radio show is listened to all over the state; gP.J. Sorrentine was an area star who made news when he enrolled at UVM, the coach is retiring at the end of this (his best ever) season. Their first America East regular season championship and another NCAA berth would have been a good enough ending to the story, but they had something even better in them. Coach Brennan said in the postseason press conference, "I just watched a kid earn himself a million dollars" referring to Sorrentine's monstrous three-pointer that sealed the victory -- the player had waved off the coach's play and called his own number. I'm not sure I agree with his coach that he'll be a first-round draft choice, but what we did see was heroes turn into legends right before our eyes. Those guys will be remembered for this for the rest of their lives.
VILLANOVA WILDCATS
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

[GATEWAY] (Official) Villanova Men's Basketball Website

Jan 31: (#22)
The throttling of Kansas makes you take notice all by itself, but taken with the earlier rout of West Virginia and the near upset of Boston College tell you something real is going on. None of the losses were much more than endplays. Don't lose sight of this team just because they're buried inside the tough Big East. gAllan Ray and gRandy Foye can get it done outside and fCurtis Sumpter can go inside or outside; cJason Fraser isn't the superstar he was projected to be but he can still be a solid secondary contributor; gMike Nardi and gMike Lowry are spotty.
Feb 21: (#16)
The beauty of playing in a tough league is that there's always the next game with which to salvage your reputation. Drubbing Bucknell is a nice sidebar, but the win over a Pittsburgh team in the midst of its best stretch of play is great.
Feb 28: (#13)
What bubble? Thanks to the win over Boston College, the Wildcats now have two wins over teams that may wind up with No.1 Seeds in the NCAA tournament. That's as good a resume for an at-large bid as you could ever ask for.
Mar 21
tCurtis Sumpter's knee injury in the early stages of the Florida game is a torn ACL -- he's out for the remainder of the NCAA tournament. It's impressive that the Wildcats were able to handle the Gators as well as they did essentially without him. Doing so against Carolina in the next round won't be such an easy task.
VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Charlottesville, Virginia

[GATEWAY] (Official) Virginia Men's Basketball Website

Nov 29: (#19)
Another week of solid wins (and more evidence that the Wildcats are indeed legitimate) makes the original win over Arizona just cause for a ranking. Freshman G Sean Singletary appears to be the real deal right out of the blocks. He serves them up, but 'T Devin Smith and F Elton Brown are the main entrees. A lighter schedule in the ACC may mean they can escape into the postseason with some momentum for a change.
Feb 7: (untracked)
The one-time outlier win over Arizona in the preseason meant nothing after all. This team was never bound to go anywhere inside such a tough league.
WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Wake Forest Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#3)
Absolutely everyone is back from the deepest team around. G Chris Paul is yet another of those "Second Coming of Phil Ford" point guards: he's poised, a natural leader and has that unteachable understand of how to manage the flow of a game. G Justin Gray and G Taron Downey give the Demon Deacons a formidable three-guard attack when they want to use it. Up front, C Eric Williams is a physical presence; F Jamaal Levy, 'T Trent Strickland and 'T Vytas Danelius have great versatility; and F Kyle Visser and F Chris Ellis provide solid backup strength in the paint. What's not to like? Maybe the only "weakness" for coach Skip Prosser is that there is so much depth that it's hard to establish a fixed rotation and chemistry. Also, there's so much offensive talent that they don't focus enough on team defense.

Inside the expanded ACC, Georgia Tech, the Deacons, Duke and UNC will all battle for the top spot while N.C. State and Maryland will push them from below as well.

Big expectations mean winning the PRESEASON NIT (Arizona, Michigan, Providence, George Washington), beating Texas at home, Cincinnati on the road and maybe even Illinois (ACC-BIG 10). In league play, no trips to Chapel Hill or College Park makes life a lot easier.

Nov 29: (#2)
Winning the PRESEASON NIT is great. The fact that they trailed Arizona isn't. Some tougher defending would be nice. The Deacons may have started to believe their own hype a bit too much.
Jan 17: (#1)
The win over North Carolina also gives the Demon Deacons control atop the conference race. That pushes them into the No.1 overall ranking past Illinois (despite the head-to-head drubbing). As soon as the Illini follow suit to take control of their league standings, they'll slide back into the top spot.
Mar 7: (#3)
The sucker punch to the groin against N.C. State's tJulius Hodge wasn't the first cheap trick that gChris Paul (Mr. Nice Guy; "The Mayor") has done this season. It's just the only one that was caught so blatantly by the camera that the TV commentators had to talk about it. (Remember, the refs didn't see it happen.) He's a subtly dirty player but at least he's been revealed somewhat for what he gets away with. The one-game suspension shouldn't ruin their chance to win their ACC tournament game, though.
Mar 21
Firstly, take nothing away from the tremendous effort that West Virginia turned in to pull off the huge upset of Wake, and to be sure, it's the Demon Deacons' own fault for letting a 13-point halftime lead dwindle to the point that this game even became an endplay, and certainly, gChris Paul was as good as you could want him to be in the first overtime, matching WVU's tMike Gansey point-for-point before fouling out in the second overtime, but ... none of this scenario would have (or should have) ever taken place if not for Paul's sucker punch in the N.C. State game. Because of it, Wake didn't get to face Duke or UNC in the ACC tournament and have the chance to cement a No.1 seed (and, more importantly, a comfy slot in the Charlotte, NC pod) in the NCAA tournament. Instead, they slid to No.2 and had to play their first two rounds in Cleveland, OH. A supportive home-away-from-home crowd could have made a difference in such a tightly fought contest. Meanwhile, N.C. State parlayed things into a berth in the Sweet 16. Sucker!
WASHINGTON HUSKIES
Seattle, Washington

[GATEWAY] (Official) Washington Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#22)
All five starters return from last year's distant second-place team, so expect them to hit the ground running as soon as this season gets under way. 5-9 G Nate Robinson, G Brandon Roy, G Will Conroy and 'T Tre Simmons get it done in the backcourt while F Bobby Jones and F Mike Jensen score up front. Plenty of speed and quickness but not overwhelming size.

In the Pac-10, Arizona is the favorite, but the Huskies figure to outpace Stanford for second place.

A win in GREAT ALASKA (Alabama, Oklahoma, Utah) is possible, and even the road rivalry game at Gonzaga as well as the home showdown with N.C. State. In league play, the very early matchup with Stanford could set them well on their way to the title.

Nov 29: (#15)
Winning the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT was great. Nate Robinson wouldn't let the Huskies lose. Losing Brandon Roy for the season to injury is a big blow, though. Three solid wins over good teams has got to make believers out of anyone who had doubts about the calibre of this team.
Dec 20: (#9)
Brandon Roy was back playing limited minutes way ahead of schedule. What's more, Nate Robinson didn't have a particularly good game and the Huskies were still able to beat N.C. State (thanks to some home-cooked refs, frankly). Their individual athleticism won the day. Four quality wins against name programs is a great preseason.
Feb 28: (#9)
The win over Arizona keeps the Huskies in the running for a share of the regular season title. Because of earlier slip-ups, though, not even that is guaranteed.
Mar 7: (#11)
The guys just couldn't come up with the big road win that they needed in order to win the conference title. That's a worry. It speaks to their being a team that could fall in an early-round upset. They're so athletic individually but the problem is they don't play clamp down defense because they figure it's easier to just outscore you.
WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS
Morgantown, West Virginia

[GATEWAY] (Official) West Virginia Men's Basketball Website

Jan 3: (#11)
The undefeated preseason and the solid win at LSU raised eyebrows and then the win over proven George Washington made things legitimate. The Mountaineers have an outstanding perimeter attack in which even their big men can step out to hit 3s. 'T Mike Gansey, a transfer from St. Bonaventure, has stepped in to be the lead offensive threat; C D'or Fischer and C Kevin Pittsnogle have plenty of size. Even so, don't expect WVU to be anything more than spoilers in the loaded Big East.
Jan 17
As quickly as it came, so it went away. Now, all of a sudden, the Mountaineers can't make a three-pointer to save their lives. When the 3s aren't falling, all of their other liabilities come back into play and they can lose at home to the likes of 3-11 Marshall. Ugh.
Feb 7: (untracked)
There are just too many games when the threes haven't fallen to track this team anymore. If they go in, they can pull off the surprising upset, but that's the exception not the rule.
Mar 14: (retracked)
The Mountaineers refound their stroke in the second half the regular season and made their mark in the conference tournament as well.
WESTERN KENTUCKY HILLTOPPERS
Bowling Green, Kentucky

[OFFICIAL] (Official) Western Kentucky Men's Basketball Website

Dec 27
The new-look Hilltoppers appear to be the best of a mediocre bunch in the Sun Belt.
Feb 21
Winning your BRACKET BUSTER game is a must, but beating lowly Bradley isn't going to gain the Hilltoppers much respect. They're only in third place in their conference, so an at-large bid is out of the question at this point. The only road to the NCAA tournament is through victory in Denton.
WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS
Kalamazoo, Michigan

[GATEWAY] (Official) Western Michigan Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
A solid start to league play makes the Broncos the trackable team for the muddled MAC. gBen Reed is the new go-to guy.
Feb 21
They're only tied for fourth-place in league play and the definitive BRACKET BUSTER loss at Northern Iowa means they're far from the top of the wait list. Winning the conference tournament is the only way they'll make the NCAAs (and that's a tough task this year).
WICHITA STATE WHEATSHOCKERS
Wichita, Kansas

[GATEWAY] (Official) Wichita State Men's Basketball Website

Jan 24: (#25)
A solid preseason and a win over Southern Illinois to take the lead in the solid MVC makes the Shockers trackable the rest of the way. fJamar Howard and cPaul Miller are the focus inside a guard-oriented league.
Feb 21
The wheels have come off at the worst possible time. Not only did the Shockers lose the lead in the league race with two straight losses, but the BRACKET BUSTER loss at Miami(Ohio) means they can't place any hope on getting an at-large bid should things go wrong in the conference tournament.
WINTHROP EAGLES
Rock Hill, South Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Winthrop Men's Basketball Website

Jan 17
The preseason win at Providence was evidence that this team is capable of making a splash. They're close to being in control of the Big South (and they're the only team with a solid-looking won-loss record).
WISCONSIN BADGERS
Madison, Wisconsin

[GATEWAY] (Official) Wisconsin Men's Basketball Website

Nov 8: PRESEASON (#15)
Last year's Conference Player of the Year, Devin Harris, has gone to the NBA; but the Badgers still have coach Bo Ryan, so all is far from lost. F Mike Wilkinson and G Boo Wade must now lead the way, but they have some new help in the form of redshirt freshman C Brian Butch and true freshman C Greg Stiemsma. They'll be big, but they'll still get it done with defense.

Inside the Big 10, Illinois and Michigan State are the favorites, but the Badgers and Michigan will be right there in the mix as well.

Home wins over Maryland and Alabama are to be expected. In league play, some early big games come at home -- that's good news.

Jan 3: (#18)
The solid win over Alabama helps restore the ship. tAlando Tucker is rounding into the go-to 'tweener that can carry the Badgers a long way. Forget the Pepperdine loss after this performance.
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN AT MILWAUKEE PANTHERS
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

[GATEWAY] (Official) Wisconsin-Milwaukee Men's Basketball Website

Dec 27
No one else in the mediocre Horizon League is off to any better start than the Panthers. Coach Bruce Pearl has gEd McCants and tJoah Tucker to work with and hopes JuCo cDerrick Ford and Rutgers transfer fJason McCoy can step right in and help.
Jan 17
The rout of Wisconsin-Green Bay leaves no further doubt of who is in control at the top of the conference race.
Feb 21
A more formidable opponent would have helped their cause, but a road win in BRACKET BUSTER is still pretty good. Still, I wouldn't count on an at-large bid waiting for them should things go wrong in the conference tournament.
WOFFORD TERRIERS
Spartanburg, South Carolina

[GATEWAY] (Official) Wofford Men's Basketball Website

Dec 27
It's a rough year for the Southern Conference when the Terriers emerge as the most promising team in the preseason. fHoward Wilkerson is the best of a rebuilt bunch that suffered lots of injuries last year.
Jan 17: (untracked)
The emergence of Chattanooga as the form team for the SoCon allows for placeholder Wofford to no longer be tracked.
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