More Predictions

Hey, I write here, too. Yeah, me, the lazy one. This whole prediction thing sounds like a blast. My turn.

SEC
1. Florida- the clear preseason #1, with Horford, Noah and Co, great chance to repeat
2. LSU- Redshirts and transfers finally playing vault LSU back into the top ten
3. Alabama- Strong frontcourt led by Hendrix and Davidson can contend vs. big boys
4. Kentucky- Coach Smith needs to demand more team-oriented ball and consistency
5. Tennessee- Great coach and great point guard give Tennessee a fighting chance
6. Arkansas- Will win games they’re supposed to and might be sleeper come March
7. Mississippi State- Strong frontcourt gives fans optimism of tourney birth
8. Georgia- Strong backcourt gives fans optimism of tourney birth
9. Auburn- Speed, transition game, shooting Auburns’ strengths, not quite tourney
10. Vanderbilt- Lack of rebounding and defense gives Vandy no chance
11. Ole Miss- Talent in Cerasoli and Curtis, but can’t put together entire package
12. South Carolina- Struggle this season for Odom and the Cocks, no NIT championship

Big 12
1. Kansas- Talented, athletic, can shoot the lights out, losses of Kaun and Giles hurt
2. Texas A&M- Ready to make an impact on the national stage with stars Law, Jones
3. Texas- Hats off to Barnes for losing all five starters, still ranked preseason top 25
4. Oklahoma State- Studs Boggan and Curry will lead ‘Boys to NCAA with new coach
5. Kansas State- The Huggins signing was genius and will really pay off in 2007-08
6. Oklahoma- Postseason streak is at risk, Sooners will start slow and end fast
7. Baylor- Depth at guard and a rising program give Baylor fans hope for NCAA
8. Texas Tech- Zeno will shoulder all of the scoring load with Jackson sidelined
9. Iowa State- Cyclones got some much-needed JUCO aid for a depleted backcourt
10. Colorado- Roby’s presence, and emergence of PG Hall, give Buffs some hope
11. Missouri- Anderson adopting patience to turn around this catastrophic program
12. Nebraska- Sadler was step 1, now for step 2-225 in the life of Nebraska hoops

Big 10
1. Wisconsin- Consistency, defense, depth and coaching give Badgers edge
2. Ohio State- You know what’s coming: A Big 10 crown depends on Oden’s return
3. Illinois- Bruce Weber is a premiere coach, and Randle, McBride are no slouches
4. Michigan- Not asking for that much: If UM misses the NCAA, Amaker is canned
5. Indiana- Much like K-State, 07-08 could be the year with Gordon and maybe Rose
6. Michigan State- Role players last year (Neitzel, Suton) step into big shoes
7. Penn State- Cupcake N-C schedule gives Penn St some chance, but there’s that RPI
8. Purdue- Will be thrown into the fire immediately at Maui, likely NIT destination
9. Iowa- If Haluska can score 78 a game, Iowa will be a force to be reckoned with
10. Northwestern- They just plain suck and don’t have any reason to get better
11. Minnesota- Below Northwestern…self explanatory, right?

ACC
1. North Carolina- Overflowing talent at nearly every position, 16-0 in the ACC?
2. Duke- Zach can deny it all he wants, Coach K has built a team stronger than 4th
3. Georgia Tech- Love the combo of freshmen talent and returning scorers
4. Boston College- Too many question marks, Duds is great but Rice and Williams…
5. Virginia Tech- All five starters return on a balanced squad, NCAA birth in pen
6. Florida State- Thornton and Douglas give Seminoles duo to lead them into NCAA
7. Virginia- I can’t deny the backcourt is incredible, but I’m doubting the big fellas
8. Clemson- Hamilton may emerge as vaunted point guard, upset-caliber team
9. Maryland- Not buying this group, and it baffles me Williams isn’t on the hot seat
10. Miami- Losses of Diaz and Hite way, way too much to overcome
11. Wake Forest- They don’t have scorers and cannot play defense, bad recipe
12. NC State- Simmons turning pro is a blow, as he would have excelled this year

Big East
1. Pittsburgh- Reliable players, scorers in the paint, wings and point for balanced Pitt
2. Georgetown- Green will win BE POY, but Hibbert needs to get to next level
3. Syracuse- Longing to find out if Harris is real deal, Devendorf can also hoop
4. Connecticut- Gay, Boone, Armstrong, Williams…and Calhoun will still contend
5. Marquette- Need to find a frontcourt presence and defense to contend in March
6. Louisville- Too many individual issues- grades, injuries, weight- to put any higher
7. Villanova- Nova will go from a backcourt-loaded team to frontcourt-focused
8. St. John’s- Hill, Mason and other three starters make Johnnies perfect bubble team
9. Providence- Henke and Hill in the frontcourt aren’t just tall, but talented
10. DePaul- Sold on Mejia and his capabilities, not so much the rest of the roster
11. Seton Hall- Nutter and Gause are underrated, so is their coaching hire
12. Notre Dame- Too much 3-pt shooting, too much Mike Brey = bad makeup
13. Rutgers- Inman and Webb need to get even better for Rutgers to have any shot
14. West Virginia- Any team relying on Frank Young as their star will struggle
15. Cincinnati- New players, new coach, new philosophy will result in no postseason
16. South Florida- You don’t know how bad I wanted to get this team out of 16th