1. Florida
Joakim Noah has as much game as he has hair. The defending champs won 33 games a year ago, and they’ll be primed for another title run.
2. UCLA
The Bruins, losers to Florida in the title match, bring back most of their team, and with Arron Afflalo able to hit 3-pointers like most players make lay-ups, the Bruins can fill it up in a hurry.
3. North Carolina
Tyler Hansbrough is a Player of the Year candidate, and the Tar Heels have a dynamite freshmen class. A couple of killer clashes with Duke will have them tournament tough in March.
4. Kansas
Big-time guard Brandon Rush is back, making the Jayhawks a serious Final Four threat.
5. Pittsburgh
The Panthers return a veteran team, including Aaron Gray, arguably the country’s best center.
6. Wisconsin
Silky smooth forward Alando Tucker and a team concept that rivals the old Princeton teams makes Wisconsin the Big Ten favorite.
7. Georgetown
The Hoyas shocked many with a Sweet Sixteen run. John Thompson III might just turn out to be a better coach than his father. Roy Hibbert (we like him better than Gray) and Jeff Green return to a very athletic club.
8. Ohio State
The Buckeyes landed celebrated big man, Greg Oden , who will begin the season on the bench with an injury. When he returns, OSU will have one of the most formidable starting groups in the nation.
9. Duke
If anyone had said the Blue Devils would be this low, we wouldn’t have believed it. Star forward Josh McRoberts is one of three returning starters and, as always, Duke has a good incoming class. Life without JJ. Reddick, though, will take some getting used to.
10. Arizona
Most experts pick the Wildcats much higher. They are loaded with talent, included highly-ranked freshman, Chase Budinger . We’re just not confident that aging Lute Olsen is ready to for a deep run. We see a big season capped by a second-round exit from the NCAA Tournament.
11. Texas A & M
Twenty-two wins and a March Madness upset a year ago, along with the return of monster forward, Joseph Jones, make A & M a Big 12 force.
12. LSU
Forward Glen Davis is lighter, faster and stronger and back for another Final Four run. The all-everything sophomore averaged nearly 20 points and 10 boards as a freshman, and he says he’s better than ever – a scary notion for the rest of the SEC.
13. Southern Illinois
The Salukis (we just love that nickname), return all five starters to a team that made the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight time, placing them at the top of our early Cinderella Watch list. The Missouri Valley Conference will provide some of the toughest competition ever, and the Salukis just might win it.
14. Boston College
Led by Jared Dudley, the Eagles have a solid player at every position. They can score and defend and should be a legitimate contender in the ACC. BC won 28 games a year ago; a repeat might not be unrealistic.
15. Nevada
Nick Fazekas can pour in points with the best of them. The Wolf Pack won 27 games a year ago. Only weak competition can keep Nevada from playing deep into March.
16. Creighton
We weren’t kidding when we said the Missouri Valley Conference is going to be very good. Nate Funk and Josh Dotzler compose one of the nation’s most underrated back courts. It won’t be underrated for long, though.
17. Alabama
The Crimson Tide won just 18 games last year, but a 10-6 SEC record earned ‘Bama a trip to the Big Dance in March. Ronald Steele and Jarmareo Davidson give the Tide one of the toughest inside-outside duos in the SEC, so Alabama will be poised to make a bigger impact this year.
18. Memphis
The Tigers lost three top players from a year ago. They still have depth, but we’re not buying coach John Calipari’s declaration that Memphis may be even better than last season’s 33-win team.
19. Connecticut
Not many teams lost more to the NBA draft than the Huskies. They are as young as anyone, but for some inexplicable reason, coach Jim Calhoun always seems to win, no matter what he has.
20. Washington
The Huskies won 26 games and lost an overtime thriller to top-ranked Uconn in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Freshmen center, Spencer Hawes, is one of the best in the country. He and solid guard play should make Washington a contender again.
