Re-Introductions and Preseason Top 25

Isn't this a great time of year? I personally have been almost unable to control my excitement for the last two weeks. But yes; it's November again, which means that I'm back at the computer and hopefully for my first whole season.

Since it's a new season (Houston and Georgia Southern kick things off tomorrow at 4:00), let me once again reiterate the purpose of this blog. I'm a passionate fan of college basketball itself more than I am a fan of one team. If Prarie View A&M is battling North Carolina Central on a Wednesday night, I can watch it and get excited. Simply put, I love the game of college basketball. This space is reserved for my thoughts on everything that the aforementioned game entails. Well, not just mine. Whether you agree or disagree with my analysis, feel free to shoot me an email or leave a comment. All I ask is that you be tactful, or I will remove your comment.

Also, this is my first season of playing fantasy college basketball. This season I'll be running another blog, The Revolution, with fantasy advice in an attempt to get the word out that yes, fantasy college basketball is out there and yes, it's great fun if you, like me, are a big fan of college hoops.

Now, let's get down to business. Here's my take on the top 25.
1. North Carolina - What sets this team apart from other powerhouses this year is its depth. There are a few teams whose starting fives could trade blows with UNC's starters, but the depth of Roy Williams' squad is unmatched, making the Tar Heels the clear favorites to win a title. This is a team that could lose any of their starting five (yes, even Psycho T) and not miss a beat with the talent on their bench.
2. Notre Dame - The Irish return the nation's best floor general (junior Tory Jackson), one of the nation's best three-point shooters (senior Kyle McAlarney) and of course, Luke Harangody. It's imperative that all three stay healthy all season, though, as depth at guard might prove to be the most prominent of this team's few shortcomings. Notre Dame's short bench will likely result in a 8-man rotation. 6-10 forward/center Luke Zeller provides the Irish with another unlikely three-point threat, as he should step into the starting lineup for the first time in his college career.
3. Gonzaga - Austin Daye and Jeremy Pargo turned down the NBA for another season of playing for Mark Few at Gonzaga, and what a season it should be. With most of the key pieces back from last year's WCC Championship squad, GU is poised to break through to their first Final Four, and possibly even further. The Bulldogs will miss the tenacious D of Larry Gurganious and the depth provided by their two graduated forwards, but the positives of this team heavily outweigh the negatives. Josh Heytvelt looks to be in 2006-2007 form, when he was one of the most dominant big men in the country; Austin Daye is poised for a breakout season, as he can score almost at will from anywhere on the court; Matt Bouldin and Steven Gray will provide explosive scoring from the wings, and Jeremy Pargo returns as the WCC's preseason POY.
4. Louisville - Everyone knows about the nation's best starting frontcourt (Terrence Williams, Earl Clark, and freshman center Samardo Samuels), but what determines this team's destiny will be the question mark: guard play. Edgar Sosa will likely start the season by coming off the bench behind two solid but unspectacular guards in Andre McGee and Jerry Smith. If Sosa can step up and be the explosive backcourt scorer that the Cardinals need, there's no reason why Louisville won't be a title contender.
5. Connecticut - Yes, UConn is back, and this time with two of the nation's best pure point guards. AJ Price returns to lead a Husky lineup including the fearsome frontcourt tandem of Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien, along with explosive swingman Jerome Dyson. However, it's the new face in the rotation that is causing the most stir at UConn. The new face is that of highly-touted freshman Kemba Walker, who will inherit the point guard position when AJ Price graduates after this season. Kemba will be the first man off the bench for Jim Calhoun, but he will essentially play a starter's minutes.
6. UCLA - Darren Collison and Josh Shipp return to LA to headline the 2008-2009 UCLA Bruins. Alfred Aboya and James Keefe, both of whom showed flashes of brilliance last year, will form the starting frontcourt, but will still compete with newcomers Drew Gordon and J'Mison Morgan for minutes. Freshman Jrue Holliday will step into the starting lineup immediately and try to fill the gaping hole left by Russell Westbrook. He'll have a lot of expectations and hypelive up to, but the solid core of returning players will ease his transition to the college game. I expect this team to improve by leaps and bounds as the season progresses.
7. Pittsburgh - The one thing each of the top five teams have in common is a top-level point guard, and that's exactly what the Pitt Panthers have in Levance Fields; if he can stay healthy, that is. Fields missed 12 games with a foot injury last season, and re-injured the foot during the offseason. Low-post banger DeJuan Blair could put up All-American numbers coming off his outstanding freshman campaign (11.6 ppg, 9 rpg), while Sam Young will once again be looked to as the go-to scorer (18 ppg last year). Also, look for sophomore swingman Gilbert Brown to be more of a factor on both ends of the court. Pitt's key players will need to stay healthy and out of foul trouble, as Jamie Dixon's bench is almost totally untested. Freshman Ashton Gibbs will be the starting point guard until Fields can rejoin the lineup.
8. Duke - Once again, Duke will begin another season with a plethora of talented guards and a sketchy group of big men. But Coach K is shaking things up in Durham; Skinny (and I do mean skinny; 6-10, 230 lbs.) freshman Miles Plumlee will start at center for the Blue Devils, joining sophomore star Kyle Singler, Duke's leading scorer last year. Meanwhile, Nolan Smith will usurp Greg Paulus as the starting point guard. We have yet to see how explosive freshman Elliot Williams will fit into Duke's loaded backcourt, but you can bet that Krzyzewski will find minutes for the player Gregg Doyel says "will give Duke the athleticism and swagger...it hasn't had in several years."
9. Wake Forest - The #3 recruiting class in the nation will be the #1 impact class. Al-Farouq Aminu, Ty Walker and Tony Woods have Wake fans excited about this season, and for good reason. All three are top 20 recruits, and they join a team which had the necessary talent to be great last year, but lacked the necessary experience. The sky is the limit for Dino Gaudio's second WF team. The good? Wake Forest will have an extremely talented and extremely deep squad. The bad? No NCAA tournament experience. There's also the problem of how Coach Gaudio is planning to have his two best players (Aminu and sophomore James Johnson) on the floor at the same time, as they both are natural power forwards.
10. Michigan State - Rounding out the top 10 is Michigan State. Sophomores Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers appear to be more than ready to take over the Tom Izzo's backcourt. When combhined with explosive forward Raymar Morgan and physical center Goran Suton, this Michigan State team could easily be better than any of Drew Neitzel's MSU teams. Forward Delvon Roe is a highly-touted freshman with a very high ceiling. A large part of the Spartans' fate depends on how much Goran Suton (9.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg last year) is called upon to score this year, and how he responds to that call.
11. Texas - Damion James will pick up where Kevin Durant left off 2 years ago, winning the Big 12 POY.
12. Purdue - Tough, physical defense and young talent. Like Wisconsin, just better.
13. Tennessee - There's just something about Vol basketball that seems completely boring and wrong to me. Maybe it's the 40 three-point attempts every game. Doesn't it seem like they start 5 guys who are all 6-6 and wear white headbands? But nonetheless, with a top 10 recruiting class and returning talent, they'll win the SEC.
14. Davidson - The best player in the nation returns with a good but relatively unknown supporting cast.
15. UNLV - Lon Kruger has a very dangerous and underrated team out west.
16. Oklahoma - Besides Blake Griffin and an untested Willie Warren, who will step up?
17. Kansas - It's time for Sherron Collins to step into the spotlight as a legitimate star.
18. Texas A&M - This team will look a lot different without Acie Law running the show. Look for Josh Carter and Bryan Davis to have breakout seasons.
19. Georgetown - Freshman Greg Monroe takes over for Roy Hibbert, while DaJuan Summers, Jessie Sapp and Austin Freeman form a solid, experienced core. Depth will be an issue.
20. Saint Mary's - Four starters return, including All-America candidate Patty Mills.
21. UAB - Paul Delaney III returns, having missed all but a handful of games last season. He and Robert Vaden form one of the best backcourts in the nation.
22. Memphis - The season depends on the emergence of freshman Tyreke Evans. Can he carry the scoring load by himself?
23. San Diego - This is one of the most underrated teams ever. Why is no one talking about the Toreros?
24. USC - Demar DeRozan will make the Trojans better than they were with OJ Mayo.
25. Arizona State - James Harden can score at will against the weak defenses of the Pac 10. Having Jeff Pendergraph doesn't hurt either.

Outside looking in: Wisconsin, Miami, Ohio State, Nevada, Florida

The Picks - 10 November 08
2K Sports Classic
Houston 68, Georgia Southern 63
#8 Duke 78, Presbyterian 55