INDIVIDUAL TEAM SUMMARIES AND SCHEDULES FOR 1997-98 SEASON
(1997-98 SEASON)

[NOTE: This is a reconstruction, done in 2006, of what was saved from an original (Preseason) version of this webpage. -- Ron '06]

[] Return to MAIN MENU

ARIZONA WILDCATS

[GATEWAY] (Official) Arizona Men's Basketball WWW Page

Nov 10: (#1)
Everybody's back from last year's national championship team that went through three #1 seeds to take the title. They get the pre-season nod here, but they won't be #1 by season's end and a return trip to the Final Four isn't a lock. Sure, they've shown that the way to defeat the 90's-style juggernauts with their overwhelming depth is to put three guards out there who can handle the pressure and shuttle in frontcourt players to hustle their way to staying even on the boards.

But here's the thing: while that might be the winning formula for defeating a juggernaut, it's not a formula for being a juggernaut. This lineup had all kinds of chemistry problems in January and February trying to decide whether it was Michael Dickerson's team or Mike Bibby's or Miles Simon's. Remember, they only finished 5th in the Pac-10 last year.

But, coming out of the blocks, certainly no other team has their act this together. If they face Duke in the MAUI INVITATIONAL, that'll be a great early season test for both clubs. The GREAT EIGHT rematch with Kansas will be fun, but they still have too much quickness for the Jayhawks. UCLA's the only team in the league that can match their speed and they get the Bruins at home early on and don't travel to Pauley Pavillion until the last week of the season. So their schedule favors them to take the conference title and cruise with an impressive record. But don't look to see them in San Antonio.

In the short run of the NCAA tournament, their no-name frontcourt players turned in great performances. But over the long haul nobody down low puts fear in your heart. By the time the season ends, teams will have figured out a winning formula to defeat this squad.

CLEMSON TIGERS

Nov 10 (#3)
"The King is dead! The King is dead! Long live the King!" That's the cry they'll be chanting down in Clemson this season. Rick Barnes never beat Dean Smith in Chapel Hill, but this year they just might beat Bill Guthridge there. The problem is there's that other guy over in Durham. Still, Dean's departure only hastens the rise of the Clemson program that was happening anyway. An ACC regular season, tournament title or a Final Four appearance aren't out of the question this year. Anyone of those will cement the Tigers' place at the top of the league.

Last year's squad suffered from outside scoring punch. More playing time for Vincent Whitt and the addition of Temple transfer Johnny Miller should shore up the backcouri led by Terrell McIntyre. The frontcourt is full of bruisers with muscle but not height. Greg Buckner is the blue-collar go-to guy. Tom Wideman does the enforcing until he gets into foul trouble. Iker Iturbe is a swing player with playmaking ability but lacks quickness. This bunch went a long way last year and was 16-1 before things collapsed. Things look just fine this time around, too.

Clemson should roll through the TOP OF THE WORLD CLASSIC and then once again set up their season with a key victory over Kentucky. A grudge match with South Carolina only helps maintain their focus. They even get North Carolina at home first in January before travelling to Duke at the end of the month. It's a good schedule that gives them lots of motivational games to keep the momentum of their program going strong.

CONNECTICUT HUSKIES

DUKE BLUE DEVILS

Nov 10: (#2)
Mike Krzyzewski's got talent overflowing again. That's a far cry from the thin squads he's fielded lately. Ricky Price's academic problems are a blessing in disguise. There already aren't enough minutes to go around. Lots of talent and lots of new players to blend in with the veterans. That's a good formula for big time success. They won't be firing on all cylinders right out of the block, though. So, for example, don't look for them to be able to beat Arizona in the MAUI INVITATIONAL in November. But if they meet again in March, take the Blue Devils.

Last year there was no beef up front, but that's been fixed. Incoming freshmen Chris Burgess (6'-10") and Elton Brand (6'-8") provide the bulk they've lacked. Frosh Shane Battier will compete for minutes with Roshown McLeod, Nate James and Mike Chappell. In the backcourt, Trajan Langdon emerged as a star last year, but the '97 squad belonged to point guard Steve Wojociechowski. Last year's loss to Providence in the NCAAs exposed the two glaring weaknesses of the team: the big men couldn't rebound and the guards couldn't run. They've fixed the problem on the boards, but Wojo is still Wojo. This team has Final Four potential if it can loosen the strangehold Wojo has on it. Can freshman guard William Avery provide the up-tempo game that will put Duke over the top? More importantly, how will the solid veterans blend with the super-talented freshman class? Remember North Carolina in '94? Team chemistry is a big factor in success even with overwhelming talent on board. The good news is that Coach K excels in turning talented individuals into cohesive teams. He'll have to do one of his best coaching jobs ever. Plus, with Dean Smith having vacated his ACC throne, Duke is undisputedly the flagship program in the league now. There'll be lots of subtle pressures going on in Durham this year.

A loss in MAUI would do the Blue Devils more good than a win. This team has a lot to learn about itself and early success will make it harder for them to pay attention. Langdon's outside touch should be the difference in their January meeting with Clemson and who knows what kind of team Carolina will be by the time they face the Heels in Chapel Hill in February. If they don't implode, the sky's the limit for this squad. Much depends on Wojo's psyche and whether he can handle sharing the load at the point with a freshman. They will not get to the Promised Land playing at his slow pace.

FRESNO STATE BULLDOGS

Nov 10 (#8)
Remember the Philadelphia 76ers in the 70's with Julius Erving, Darryl Dawkins, George McGinnis, World B. Free and Doug Collins? Well, they may have been reincarnated after a fashion in the '97 Bulldogs. This may be the most individually talented team in America this year. It certainly promises to be the most spectactular. Whether it's a winner that contends for a national championship is another story.

Start with Chris Herren, an athletic scoring guard on the outside and Daymond Forney, a solid power forward on the inside as returning starters. Add to them transfers Tremaine Fowlkes (California) and Winfred Walton (Syracuse), who's eligible in December, and Avondre Jones (USC) up front plus JuCo point guard Rafer Alston to run the show and you've really got something. They'll score in bunches and make plenty of highlight reels. The big question is whether Jerry Tarkanian can get them to come together as a true team and play tight defense.

Early season games at Temple and Minnesota may convince them that they're not as good as they think they are, but the too-easy WAC schedule will inflate their confidence. And, once again, they won't have to face Mountain Division powers New Mexico or Utah until the conference tournament. By then they could be a circus freak show or real Final Four contenders. Remember, Tark's best UNLV teams played in a lousy league, too. Set your VCRs, folks.

GEORGE WASHINGTON COLONIALS

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

Nov 10
The Colonials return 5 starters, which should be good news, but they need a better backcourt than the one they had last year. 5'-4" Shawnta Rogers is better in theory than in reality. Alexander Koul has great physical talent, but isn't the player you wish he was. It's small forward Yego Mescheriakov who's the real find here. Their frontcourt strength won't stand them in such good stead in the [end] as it might in a less guard-oriented league than the Atlantic 10.

GW is in the easier West Division, so their regular season won-loss record might be OK, but don't expect much from them in the conference tournament. They could get some ugly losses in the MAUI INVITATIONAL and expect a loss to Kansas in the FRANKLIN NATIONAL BANK CLASSIC. Expect a season of disappointing near misses.

GEORGIA BULLDOGS

Nov 10: (#22)
Everybody's back from last year's NCAA squad ... except the coach. Tubby Smith is gone to Kentucky, but all 5 starters return. Did they win last year with hustle under Tubby's direction, or is there real talent here? It's probably more of the former than the latter, but they get the benefit of the doubt because of the strength of the SEC competition. Nobody on this team scares you by himself. Who knows what kind of coach Ron Jirsa will turn out to be.

The Dawgs could face Texas twice in the pre-season if they meet in the finals of the COACHES VS CANCER tournament in November. A win in California against Stanford doesn't look too likely. North Carolina may have gotten its act together by the time they come to visit Athens in December. The league schedule looks great with home games against Kentucky, South Carolina and Mississippi before they face any of those teams on the road. The opportunity is there for a self-motivated team to succeed.

GEORGIA TECH YELLOW JACKETS

Nov 10
What will it take for Bobby Cremins to get bounced as Yellow Jacket coach? A second straight losing season just might do it. Matt Harpring is back and freshman Dion Glover has talent, but this is the ACC and that's not enough. It'll be a long season at Atlanta.

Things could go wrong as early as the PUERTO RICO HOLIDAY CLASSIC and there's no easy wins once they hit the conference schedule. Close one eye and squint your way through another sad year.

ILLINOIS STATE REDBIRDS

Nov 10: (#21)
Everybody's back from last year's 24-6 NCAA tournament team. This could be a breakthrough year for the Redbirds and they could sneak up on people since they don't play anyone of note after the month of November. They don't have a lot of height, but who does.

A trip to Wisconsin and a possible meeting with Indiana in the finals of the UNITED AIRLINES TIP-OFF CLASSIC in November will be the only barometers against big-time competition for the Redbirds. They should breeze through the conference schedule without too much trouble.

INDIANA HOOSIERS

Nov 10: (#11)
There is plenty of talent here. 4 returning starters and the one who left, Neil Reed, was the source (object?) of much of the tension between the team and the coach, Bobby Knight. How can a team with Jason Collier, Andrae Patterson and A.J. Guyton not be great? Somehow they managed not to last year, but this year should be a different story. No less than Sweet 16 will be a disapointing season for this squad. If only they can all get together on the same page and just play basketball.

The sch[e]dule is tough from the get-go with a trip to Temple right off the bat. The UNITED AIRLINES TIP-OFF CLASSIC should be winnable, although although they'll probably have to get by a fine Illinois State squad in the final. The INDIANA CLASSIC and HOOSIER CLASSIC tournaments should be easy enough. The Big 10 schedule, as always, will be rough. They face all the tough teams at home first, which should set them up pretty well for the regular season title. But the big news this year will be the new conference tournament. A big prize that any team would love to have.

IOWA HAWKEYES

Nov 10: (#12)
Do-everything Andre Woolridge is gone and his league-leading scoring and assist totals will be a lot to replace. But everywhere else, the Hawkeyes are looking great. Ryan Bowen is an NBA big man just killing time in college. He can run, rebound and score. Used-to-be superstar Jess Settles is back for one last season to salvage his reputation. Even if he comes down with another injury, they'll still be OK. With Rick Pitino gone to the NBA, that leaves Iowa as the pre-eminent team this year that fits the mold of the 90's juggernaut: loads of talent at every position and run all day pressure to tire out your opponents. There could be big doin's in Iowa City this year.

The November matchup with Long Island will be worth watching just to see how many points Charles Jones can score. Wins in the SUPER CHEVY SHOOTOUT and CHRISTMAS SAN JUAN SHOOTOUT should be pretty easy to come by. They've got a lot of tough road games early in the Big 10 conference schedule, so a regular season title might not be in the offing. If they somehow come up big early on at Indiana and Minnesota, the rest of their regular season schedule starts to look pretty good. Either way, watch for them to storm through the new conference tournament. And they might just keep on rolling a long way in the NCAAs after that.

KANSAS JAYHAWKS

[GATEWAY] (Official) Kansas Men's Basketball WWW Page

Nov 10: (#5)
Why keep rating KU in the Top 5 year after year when they keep failing to reach the Final Four? 'Cause they've simply got too much talent to ignore. During the regular season, that talent dominates as the Jayhawks typically roll through their (admittedly weak) conference schedule and even manage to beat highly ranked opponents in big intersectional matchups. So what happens when it comes time to live up to their ranking in the NCAA tournament? They get tight and the hunter becomes the hunted. Maybe it's a residue of the Dean Smith system. Dean's teams often were upset in the NCAAs because they were so devoted to "the system" that they couldn't improvise and inject emotion into their performance on the court. Early on, Roy Williams seemed to have found the key to avoiding that trap, but lately his teams have fallen victim to the same fatal flaw. Guess that means he's ready for the Carolina job after all!

Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce are the best pair of forwards in the country. Period. The problem is that college basketball these days belongs to the 'Tweeners and the guards. Ryan Robertson filled in just fine at the start of last year going 11-0 for the then-#1 Jayhawks while Jacque Vaughn was injured. So they'll be fine at point this year with no loss of continuity. LSU-transfer Lester Earl becomes eligible in December and should help the team become a little more fluid. Outside shooting is still the big question mark for these guys, though. A lot may depend on how good they can be.

In the past, KU was a legitimate Final Four contender despite the weakness of the Big 12 competition. This season, the weakness of the league may give them a false sense of how good they are. The intersectional matchups will mean a lot. Roy usually has his teams ready at the start of the season so a win in the PRE-SEASON NIT isn't out of the question. That should set up a superb showdown at the GREAT EIGHT vs. Arizona in one of the best games all year. If KU doesn't take both the FRANKLIN NATIONAL BANK CLASSIC and the RAINBOW CLASSIC tournaments in December, things could start to go sour. Keep tabs on how well North Carolina's season is going. The rumor of Roy Williams heading to UNC after this season will linger all year, especially if things aren't going well in Chapel Hill or Lawrence.

KENTUCKY WILDCATS

[GATEWAY] (Official) Kentucky Men's Basketball WWW Page

Nov 10: (#15)
Rick Pitino's out and his former UK assistant, Tubby Smith, steps in. But don't expect the transition to be seamless. The 'Cats lost two All-America players in Derek Anderson and Ron Mercer plus Jared Prickett and Anthony Epps. That's quite a lot. The [cupboard]'s not exactly bare, but neither is it loaded. The best player may be redshirt returnee Jeff Sheppard. Wayne Turner pairs with him for a solid backcourt and Scott Padgett, Jamaal Magloire and Nazr Mohammed had their moments last year. But make no mistake: these are not the overwhelming hoards of talent that you're used to from Kentucky. And Tubby's version of hustle and pressure defense isn't quite the same as Pitino's. There could be grumbling among the alumni before the season's end. There's no return to the Final Four in the offing, and a Sweet 16 would be quite a success.

The pre-season is tough this year and the 'Cats will be The Hunted. Look for losses in the MAUI INVITATIONAL, the grudge match versus Clemson and maybe even the GREAT EIGHT against Purdue. Who knows whether Indiana will have its act together in their December matchup. About the only thing about the conference schedule is that they get Mississippi at home. No league title. No tournament title. No Sweet 16. Just lots of grumbling.

LONG ISLAND BLACKBIRDS

Nov 10
The Blackbirds are only worth noting because of returning NCAA scoring champ Charles Jones (he of the 30-point scoring average). The team is no great shakes.

Look for Jones to fill it up in showcase games at Purdue, at TCU, at Iowa and in tournament matchups in the VARSITY CLUB CLASSIC, HAWAII TOURNAMENT and the COORS LIGHT CLASSIC. Don't look for any wins, mind you.

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Nov 10: (#24)
Gone is the great backcourt of DeJuan Wheat and Alvin Sims, but a decent frontcourt remains as does coach Denny Crum. The Conference USA league is on a downturn, so the Cardinals may not be tournament tough this time around.

The PUERTO RICO HOLIDAY CLASSIC looks pretty harmless, but the GREAT EIGHT matchup with North Carolina won't be so easy. Games against Kentucky and Mississippi will be tough because those teams have lots to prove. There's no killer squad in the league, so the schedule doesn't really matter. All that matters is how well they get their own act together by the time league play starts.

MARYLAND TERRAPINS

Nov 10: (#25)
The "Year After" Rule is in effect for this squad. Many times teams have done as well or better the year after a superstar player has left the program. Keith Booth is gone, but a good supporting cast remains in Obinna Ekezie, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Laron Profit, Rodney Elliott and Matt Kovarik. All they need is for one of them to emerge as the team leader. That and a different league to play in. Compare this team with Wake Forest and Utah, who also lost their marquee player but return a decent supporting cast.

The Terrapins get a tough start with their first game against South Carolina and then face Clemson and Kansas back to back. All that before Christmas. This is a bubble team that could finish 4th in the ACC and sneak in to the NCAAs ... and make a quick exit.

MASSACHUSETTS MINUTEMEN

Nov 10
With Lari Ketner and Tyrone Weeks leading the way, the Minutemen have the best frontcourt in the Atlantic 10. Trouble is, this is a guard's league. Carmelo Travieso and Edgar Padilla are gone, but Charlton Clarke remains from last year's three-guard attack. There's a huge burden on Clarke to run the show and involve his big men. Compare this team to Stanford, which has a similar makeup. They may get beat up during the regular season because of the toughness of the conference schedule, but they'll be dangerous in the post-season, including the conference tourney. Don't overlook them.

Once again, they've overscheduled their talent level. Ugly losses loom in road games at Fresno State and Kansas, but they've got a good opportunity for an upset win or two at the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT. Add in non-conference games against Cincinnati and UNC-Charlotte on top of the killer conference schedule and the won-loss record could be pretty dismal. What does not kill us makes us stronger.

MICHIGAN WOLVERINES

Nov 10
Steve Fisher is out from a program that didn't have that much disciplined leadership when he was there. So don't expect much from these underachievers. Yes, massive Robert Traylor is still around inside along with Louis Bullock outside. And guard Robbie Reid has transferred from BYU. But, so what? The Big 10 is a major league where you've got to have your act together. Maybe they can pull off a spoiler upset in the conference tournament at year's end. Don't hope for much else.

MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

MINNESOTA GOLDEN GOPHERS

Nov 10: (#6)
Without Bobby Jackson, how good can the Gophers be this year? Jackson was way more than your average go-to guy. He had the will to dominate games. Who will take on that role of leadership? Sam Jacobson has the offensive talent take over games with his brilliance, but he's no tough-nosed defender who'll grab the key rebound. Still Jacobson ain't half bad, and although Minnesota won't be as deep as last year, there's still plenty of talent around. Swingman Quincy Lewis never got enough playing team on last year's squad and his talents will shine with more minutes. Guard Eric Harris will run the show. The big question here is where will the inside points and rebounds come from? John Thomas is gone and Courtney James is suspended indefinitely. A lot rides on the slender shoulders of Kyle Sanden and Antoine Broxsie. That's a lot to ask out of two freshman big men.

The Big 10 has a conference tournament this year, in Chicago. The regular season schedule is pretty favorable with their tough games at home first except for a one-time meeting with Indiana in Bloomington. Expect a team like Minnesota to do well in the tourney even if they don't take the regular season title.

MISSISSIPPI REBELS

Nov 10: (#14)
All five starters return from last year's breakthrough club that went 20-9 and won the West Division title in the SEC. A repeat of that performance should be nothing less than what's expected out of this year's club. Sweet 16 should be a makeable goal. Ansu Sesay inside and Joezon Darby inside are the key players in a balanced attack. Coach Rob Evans correctly turned down the LSU job saying the Mississippi job was a better position.

A win at the VARSITY CLUB CLASSIC should be achievable. Wins in non-conference games against Temple and Louisville might be beyond their reach, though. They get South Carolina at home before travelling to Georgia and Kentucky. That's about as good a schedule as you could hope for. The real measure of their season will be how they fare in the conference tournament.

You know, I saw the greatest thing on the bumper of a pickup truck the other day. It was a plate that was the original Stars and Bars -- not to be confused with the Confederate Battle Flag that evokes the Klan in people's minds. How about if everybody switched to waving the Stars and Bars at Rebel sporting events? That way white students could still pay tribute to their Southern heritage and black students wouldn't be offended anymore by the Klan imagery. Give it a shot, kids. We all need to get beyond this stuff.

NEW MEXICO LOBOS

Nov 10: (#16)
Four returning starters, including Kenny Thomas, Lamont Long and Clayton Shields. They are the class of the Mountain Division of the WAC and don't have to face Fresno State until the conference tournament. Their won-loss record will look better than it deserves to be.

Games against UCLA and Arizona will be the true measuring sticks, not the wins in the LOBO CLASSIC, LOBO INVITATIONAL and the regular season title. Hope for that showdown with the Bulldogs in the conference tourney final.

NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS

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

Nov 10: (#4)
Well, the big news in Chapel Hill is obviously Dean Smith's retirement. Fresh off a trip to the Final Four with 4 starters returning to boot. Dean said all last year that that team was highly self-motivated. We'll find out this year whether that was Dean's humility talking or whether it really was the truth. We don't know how much leadership Bill Guthridge will be able to marshall. He's clearly an interim choice for coach by virtue of his age alone. How hungry is this team to take the title after coming so close last year?

Ed Cota put things together late last year and the team rolled to 16 straight wins. Was that a permanent change? He's key as well as Vince Carter. Carter's talent goes to his head sometimes and it can be the team's undoing. Antawn Jamison is heart and soul of the squad, though. He's the game's best offensive rebounder and always comes to play. Shammond Williams provides the Tar Heels' only outside threat, but he likes to drive as much as shoot the jumper. Serge Zwikker graduated so the middle is a question mark. Freshman Brendan Haywood will have time to develop in the post.

The ACC is in transition with the exit of Deano, so the Tar Heels will be targetted even more than usual, and will be less well equipped to deal with the assault. Don't underestimate Dean Smith's bench coaching abilities, either. There are sure to be times this year where Carolina loses a game on the sidelines. If they start to lose confidence, things could unravel quickly. Both Duke and Clemson are ready to take their shot at the Heels.

The early matchup with UCLA at the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT pits two programs with big questions against each other. They should be able to handle Louisville in the GREAT EIGHT. They play Clemson twice before they ever see Duke and the Tigers are just waiting to make permanent place for themselves among the ACC elite. All the emotion this year is going against the Tar Heels. Circle the wagons, boys.

NORTH CAROLINA-CHARLOTTE FORTY NINERS

Nov 10: (#23)
There's only 2 returning starters, but it's the best two: forward DeMarco Johnson and guard Sean Colson. And the Conference USA league is on a serious downturn.

They get all the "tough" American Division C-USA teams at home first, so they should be able to cruise to the regular season title and take the conference tournament as well. Road games at George Washington and a possible meeting with Indiana in the HOOSIER CLASSIC should tell the tale of whether these ones have any legitimate post-season dreams.

PRINCETON TIGERS

Nov 10
Sydney Johnson is gone, but the other four starters return. So it's still not quite a true measurement of how Bill Carmody will do as Pete Carril's successor. Wait until he's got mostly his own recruits to see if he can maintain a winning legacy at Old Nassau.

The Tigers have a decent shot to win the COACHES VS CANCER TOURNAMENT and the ECAC HOLIDAY FESTIVAL, don't expect victories over North Carolina or Wake Forest.

PURDUE BOILERMAKERS

Nov 10: (#17)
Five returning starters and Gene Keady counts for an awful lot. Guard Chad Austin can score and these guys can overachieve with the best of them. The regular season title is probably more of a likelihood than the new post-season tournament crown. Consistency is their strong suit. Talent isn't.

They open the season against two meager teams led by superstar players: Long Island (Charles Jones) and Valparaiso (Bryce Drew). They'll handle those pretenders pretty easily, but they'll meet some real teams in the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT and against Kentucky in the GREAT EIGHT. The BOILERMAKER INVITATIONAL will be a breeze, but watch out for that matchup with Xavier. Inside the Big 10, they don't have the easiest time of things schedule-wise, but Gene Keady should have them ready for the campaign.

RHODE ISLAND RAMS

Nov 10: (#13)
With four returning starters, including All-America candidate point guard Tyson Wheeler, and a new coach who's won an NCAA title, things are pretty rosy for the Rams this season. A great backcourt is a must in the Atlantic 10 and URI has one in Wheeler, Cuttino Mobley and Preston Murphy. Up front they've even got a solid player in Antonio Reynolds-Dean plus Purdue transfer Luther Clay. Sweet 16 isn't out of the question for this squad. They'll be tournament tough after playing a rough league schedule.

They might make some noise in the PRE-SEASON NIT. Their CABLE CAR CLASSIC matchup with Stanford will give the frontcourt a measuring stick to see how good they are. They open the conference schedule travelling to Temple and then to St. Joseph's, so either they'll be in a hole early and need to make a late-season charge, or they get a stranglehold on the regular season title with a focused effort the first week of January. Either way, in this league, the proof will be in the conference tourney in March in Philadelphia.

ST. JOSEPH'S HAWKS

Nov 10: (#20)
Rashid Bey is the best two-way guard in the guard-rich Atlantic 10. Arthur "Yah" Davis -- who's ineligible until the second semester starts -- is a capable backcourt mate. Beyond that, there's not much returning help. A great backcourt can take you a long way, but it can only take you so far.

The Atlantic 10 schedule favors the Hawks since they get to face all 3 of their East Division rivals (Rhode Island, Temple and Massachusetts) at home first before meeting them on the road. But that's just the regular season title. The conference tournament is where the real league champ will be determined in this league.

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS

Nov 10: (#10)
Last year was a breakout year for South Carolina and coach Eddie Fogler. Coaching changes at Kentucky and North Carolina provide big incentives for the Gamecocks to post a great season. With Rick Pitino gone to the NBA, the door is open for South Carolina to establish itself as the lead program in the SEC with a second straight league and tournament title. As a bonus, a great season will also serve as Fogler's audition for the job to replace Bill Guthridge as the real successor to Dean Smith over in Chapel Hill. So look for big things in Columbia this year.

Larry Davis is gone, so last year's three guard attack goes back to a more traditional two guard offense, but B.J. McKie and Melvin Watson are no two ordinary guards. The question is where the frontcourt scoring will come from. Still, they managed to answer those questions last year with basically the same personnel down low so it's not too much of a worry.

The schedule is not in their favor. They travel to Clemson in a big-time grudge match in the pre-season and they travel to Mississippi, Kentucky and Georgia before they get anyone at home. A veteran squad should be up to the task, though. Nothing less than Sweet 16 will be viewed as a disappointment and Final Four might just be within their reach.

STANFORD CARDINAL

[GATEWAY] (Official) Stanford Men's Basketball WWW Page

Nov 10: (#19)
The big void is where super guard Brevin Knight used to be. The other 4 starters return, including Tim Young (the best center in America when he's healthy) and there's nice new talent up front in 6'-10" twins Jarron and Jason Collins. But Arthur Lee and Kris Weems have big shoes to fill. Still, there's a lot to work with here and it'll just take some time for the team to get used to having someone else step up to take the big shot. Compare this team to Massachusetts which also has a secondary guard who has to take over the reins and has veteran talent up front.

The BIG ISLAND INVITATIONAL should be theirs, but the matchup with Rhode Island in the CABLE CAR CLASSIC will be a big test for the new backcourt. They get all the tough Pac-10 teams at home first before they face them on the road so things could hardly be better to give them a shot at the league title.

TEMPLE OWLS

Nov 10: (#18)
Center Marc Jackson left early for the NBA so things aren't as rosy as they might have been. But the backcourt of Rasheed Brokenborough and Pepe Sanchez is great. The Owls leave the cramped confines of McGonigle Hall for the new 10,000-seat "Apollo of Temple" arena. The bigger home court should help them be a better tournament team. Temple is one of those schools that seems to do well during the regular season but always seems to disappoint in the NCAAs.

A tough pre-season schedule includes trips to Mississippi and Michigan State and home games against the likes of Fresno State and Indiana. Then there's the killer Atlantic 10 schedule to follow. Their won-loss record might not be pretty, but this may be one of their better post-seasons.

TEXAS LONGHORNS

[GATEWAY] (Official) Texas Basketball WWW Page

TEXAS CHRISTIAN HORNED FROGS

TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS

UCLA BRUINS

Nov 10: (#7)
Off-court problems have hurt what otherwise would have been a season with nothing but positive expectations. Steve Lavin did as well as anyone could have expected getting the Bruins to focus last year after the turmoil of Jim Harrick's firing right before the season started. His success was the psychological motivation of a team that already had talent and already had past success. This year, with an influx of new (albeit highly talented) players, there's a different task required of him. He has to teach this squad how to play with each other and how to win.

Center Jelani McCoy and forward Kris Johnson have been suspended indefinitely. That leaves only guard Toby Bailey and swingman J.R. Henderson as players with any experience. Granted, their experience includes making major contributions to the '95 national championship. The incoming freshmen are great, especially guard Baron Davis and forward Schea Cotton. There will be lots of talent on the floor when the Bruins compete. But Bailey and Henderson aren't natural leaders and the jury is still out on how well Lavin can mold a winner out of players who aren't already used to playing with each other.

They face a veteran North Carolina team right off the bat in the GREAT ALASKA SHOOTOUT. A win there will be a tough order, but the Tar Heels have their own doubts to quell competing with a new head coach. A non-conference game against another veteran squad, New Mexico doesn't help. The Pac-10 schedule starts out with a trip to Arizona, so they'll have to gel early to compete for the league title. By the time they travel to Durham at the end of February to face a Duke team with payback on its mind, things may have fallen apart for this team. They might limp into the NCAAs with lots of talent but a poor seed and surprise a few people.

UTAH UTES

Nov 10
Compare this team with Maryland and Wake Forest who also lost their All-America player but return most of their secondary role players.

VALPARAISO CRUSADERS

XAVIER MUSKETEERS

Nov 10: (#9)
All five starters return from the best pressure defensive team last year this side of Lexington, KY. The perimeter of guards Gary Lumpkin and Lenny Brown and swingman Darnell Williams is devastating defensively and offensively. The one lacking element to make this a totally dominant team is inside muscle. 6'-8" James Posey just isn't enough.

Still, there's plenty to be positive about after last season's opening victory at Cincinnati moved this program to another level. And don't forget the league they're in. The Atlantic 10 will be the most competitive league in the country this year with 6 teams capable of taking the league title. The non-conference schedule includes the grudge rematch with Cincinnati plus a road game at Purdue. The Musketeers have it easy inside the conference since they only have to face the 4 East Division powers once each and get to face West Division rival George Washington twice in a home-and-home. The A-10 is still on the rise and this team is right in the thick of all the action.

[] Return to MAIN MENU
Ron McBay's 1997/98 Men's College Basketball Info/Analysis WWW Page
http://mindspring.com/~usul/hoops.html

(c) 1997 [Reconstructed 2006] Ron McBay
http://mindspring.com/~usul/home.html
usul@mindspring.com