Summer Top 25

While the first game doesn’t tip off until November, there’s always room for a Summer Top 25. Even though the dog days of August are upon us, and the pennant races are heating up, I’m already getting pumped for the upcoming season. The NBA Draft is complete and the incoming diaper dandies are settling in…folks, Midnight Madness isn’t all that far away. Without further ado…

1. Florida- Has a national champion ever returned all five starters? My preseason Player of the Year Joakim Noah turned down the lottery to join Al Horford, Taurean Green, Corey Brewer and Lee Humphrey with a sole goal this season- a repeat. While repeating in college basketball is close to impossible, how can you not have Florida #1 to begin the 2006-2007 season.

2. North Carolina- The freshman class could be one of the best in recent memory, with 3 of the top 10 players in the nation going to Chapel Hill. Roy Williams’ recruiting wonders- most notably Wayne Ellington, Brandon Wright and Tywon Lawson- will be joined by super sophomore Tyler Hansbrough. And don’t forget about the best core of role players in the ACC, a group that led UNC to a huge victory at Duke on Senior Night (oh, the joy).

3. Kansas- After a year of overachieving in 2005-06, Kansas returns all of the key components for a national championship. Brandon Rush stayed in school with his sidekicks Mario Chalmers and Julian Wright out to bring hell to the Big 12. With the Texas migration of guys like Daniel Gibson and P.J. Tucker, look for Kansas to take the Big 12 with relative ease.

4. Pittsburgh- I love the balance of Pitt this year. They have a strong presence down low with returnee Aaron Gray and emerging Sam Young. The loss of Krauser won’t hurt Pittsburgh for very long with Ronald Ramon, Antonio Graves and Levance Fields running what should be an explosive offensive attack.

5. Ohio State- Andy Katz thinks a healthy Greg Oden is instantly the best big man in college basketball. Even though Oden has been compared to Bill Russell, I feel that honor is a bit too high this early. Regardless, Thad Matta’s 2006-07 class is second to just North Carolina with two All-American guards, Greg Conley and Taquean Cook, joining Oden and returnees Jamar Butler and Ron Lewis. Folks, your future Big 10 champs.

6. LSU- Glen Davis looked like the strongest forward in the country for a two-week stretch during the NCAA Tournament. Davis will anchor an LSU team that returns three starters from a Final Four team, including a sleeper, Marquette transfer Dameon Mason. Mason is explosive and could act as a poor man’s Tyrus Thomas.

7. Georgetown- John Thompson is one of the game’s top coaches, and will finally get a chance to make a Final Four run with an immensely talented group. It all started with the best forward combo you can find- Jeff Green and Roy Hibbert. The Hoyas lost a decent amount of talent from a Sweet 16 team, but Pat Ewing gains eligibility from Indiana. Jonathan Wallace is a solid veteran point guard that will make sure to get Hibbert and Green their touches.

8. UCLA- If point guard and floor captain Jordan Farmar had stayed, you would probably see the Bruins in the top five. Regardless, Aaron Afflalo made the right decision and withdrew from the draft, and scoring machine Josh Shipp comes back from injury to give the Bruins another threat. Darren Collison could evolve into another Farmar by the time his days at UCLA are through, as he will take over the point guard responsibilities.

9. Wisconsin- While the Buckeyes are clearly the class of the conference, the Badgers season will be a disappointment without a second place finish. Their only loss was practically useless Ray Nixon, an inconsistent three-point specialist. Alando Tucker needs to step up his game in big situations for the Badgers to hit their full potential. Look for a possible all-conference honor for talented big man Brian Butch, who appears to be finally putting together a versatile game.

10. Arizona- Much like Wisconsin is to Ohio State, Arizona is to UCLA. Point guard Marcus Williams doesn’t steal laptops and should fit right in with a high-flying offense featuring Mustafa Shakur (plus defender, excellent passer, best overall game at Arizona) and Jawan McClellan. The jury is still out on this Wildcats team. They’ve got the makeup to be this years Florida, but there’s also the possibility of major underachievement.

11. Duke- Mr. Dunker Josh McRoberts pulling out of the NBA Draft this summer could have possibly saved the Duke season. His removal convinced Lance Thomas to play at Cameron along with freshmen Gerald Henderson and Illinois Mr. Basketball Jon Scheyer. 7’0 Ryan Zoubek will give McRoberts a breather. Greg Paulus, with a year under his belt, will continue to perfect his point guard mold.

12. Alabama- Many experts are forgetting about Alabama and their excellent returning class. Ronald Steele will make the All-SEC team. Jermareo Davidson rightfully skipped the draft to join sophomore Richard Hendrix down in the paint. Most of the experience from an impressive NCAA tournament is back.

13. Boston College- The backbone of the Eagles team, Craig Smith, departed for the Timberwolves, and team general Louis Hinnant graduated. But have no fear, BC fans, because Jared Dudley, Sean Williams, Tyrese Rice, Sean Marshall and brilliant coach Al Skinner are back for another ACC title run. The first season in the conference was a success, and while the growth of Rice and Williams could equal some early season missteps, watch for BC to peak when it really matters.

14. Georgia Tech- The pesky Yellow Jackets gave Boston College all it could handle in the two meetings last season, so I definitely had a good view of the potential on this roster. The returning starters are explosive, athletic and gifted- Jeremis Smith, Anthony Morrow, Ra'Sean Dickey, Lewis Clinch- along with two of the best freshman in the country, Thaddeus Young and Javaris Crittenton. Paul Hewitt really hit the jackpot.

15. Washington- Brandon Roy was far and away their best player last season. While Roy is gone for the NBA, Washington kept extremely valuable role players and added the best freshman class in school history. Jon Brockman is one of the best forwards in the Pac 10 but center Spencer Hawes will steal the spotlight from day one.

16. Louisville- The Cardinals, once again, have the studs necessary for a Top 5 preseason ranking, but can Rick Pitino mesh all of these egos successfully? Juan Palacios needs to bring himself up a stoop from “background role player” to “emerging lottery pick”, and David Padgett has to stay out of foul trouble. Pitino’s undeniable recruiting talents landed him Derrick Caracter (attitude problem), Jerry Smith, Earl Clark and more pieces. Pitino just has to bring them all together and develop a winning chemistry.

17. Texas A&M- Don’t sleep on the Aggies! The boys from College Station ended Syracuse’s little party last March, and almost knocked off LSU in the next round. Momentum should spill over to 2006-07 with PG Acie Law and PF Joseph Jones, along with a determined and well-prepared Billy Gillespie at the helm.

18. Marquette- Could they be this years Villanova with the guard-plagued lineup? You can’t deny the talent of Dominic James, and combine him with Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews, and you have yourself one of the best backcourts in the country. The big question mark: Can Marquette get any value out of their frontcourt?

19. Villanova- Jay Wright will have to adjust his coaching plan with his premiere guards leaving school for the NBA Draft. Now he’ll have a team centered around post play led by Curtis Sumpter, Shane Clark and Dante Cunningham. Mike Nardi gaining more consistency on his shot will make a huge difference.

20. Xavier- Bottom line: The Musketeers return a group that rammed through the A-10 tournament and almost knocked off Gonzaga in the round of 64. Add in transferring point guard Drew Lavender, and you could have the speediest team in America, folks.

21. Texas- Say it with me now: What the hell was Daniel Gibson thinking? Whatever. The second best HS player will debut for Texas, Mr. Kevin Durant, who some scouts are calling “super-human.” D.J. Augustin, A.J. Abrams and Mike Williams provide a steady guard combo, regardless of the annoying names. While the Longhorns aren’t stockpiled, depth and youth is the key to this years Texas team.

22. Gonzaga- Immediately you think of Adam Morrison departing, right? Well, don’t forget about returning starters Derek Raivio, Pierre Marie-Altidor-Cespedes, and Jeremy Pargo. The frontcourt is equally deep with Sean Mallon, Josh Heytfelt and redhead David Pendergraft. Morrison and Batista were the centerpieces, but the Bulldogs are still loaded enough to blow away the WCC.

23. Connecticut- Doesn’t really matter how many players Jim Calhoun loses, the man will find a way to win. Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price could very well act as Josh Boone and Marcus Williams for the upcoming season. Sprinkle in a top-rated recruiting class led by enormous Hasheem Thabeet, and you have a top-25 roster once again in Storrs. But I’m afraid last year was the big chance (actually I’m not afraid, I hate UConn).

24. Southern Illinois- All five starters return from a Saluki team that was competitive all year in the loaded MVC. Watch out for this experienced bunch come tourney time.

25. Tennessee- Duke Crews could emerge as this years Josh McRoberts for Bruce Pearl and the UT faithful. He is an explosive freshman that should heal the wound from the loss of Andre Patterson. Chris Lofton returns…who also happens to be the best player on the team.