Beyond the Arc : Season previews

Can college hoops' opener ever earn buzz?

Mike Miller — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:59:00 GMT

Who’s excited for college basketball’s tip-off? Show of hands!

You’ve got Ohio State vs. Alcorn State, along with North Carolina vs. Florida International at 4 p.m. ET, then Albany at Syracuse (9 p.m. ET) and Murray State at Cal (11 p.m. ET). All four games feature ranked teams, which must mean there’s some buzz about the season, right?

Lynne Sladky/AP

Isiah Thomas doesn't like tonight's matchup against North Carolina any better than you do.

(crickets)

Oh well. I’m excited. As are the other hoopheads. But the average fan – people who’ll fill out a bracket and not much else – probably didn’t even know the season began today.

They don’t realize/care that Isiah Thomas’ coaching debut comes against the defending champs, which also happens to be the last team Isiah played in college. Or that Jim Boeheim could become the 12^th coach to win his 800^th career game tonight. Or that it’s a chance to watch the game’s best all-around player (Buckeye Evan Turner) and it’s quickest (Cal’s Jerome Randle) in one night.

They don’t because college basketball’s opening day is blasé. There’s no national tie-in or big recognition about the season starting. Maybe it’s because the season’s too long, or maybe it’s because the games will be blowouts.

The NCAA knows it and is – slowly – addressing the problem. Kind of.

"I don't know that there's a lot of momentum, but there's a consensus that we need to explore the best ways to try and unify around an opening day or opening weekend in a way that paints a clearer picture for college basketball," Greg Shaheen, the NCAA’s senior vice president for basketball and business strategies told Seth Davis. "There's no easy answer, but it's definitely something we have to take on."

A boost would be nice. College hoops usually does the slow build toward March. Once the Super Bowl ends, it’s time for the first Duke-North Carolina game, and more people starting watching. Still, it could start sooner.

Take a page from the NBA. The league plays a zillion games, but a couple marquee matchups on a random Tuesday was enough to draw a record 3.7 million viewers for TNT.

So shorten the season. When Thanksgiving ends, promote those big non-conference games and get the ball rolling. People can’t watch the NFL every day, right?

Follow me on Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller) and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Who are this year's standout players?

Mike Miller — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:25:00 GMT

There are really only two sure things when it comes to preseason All-Americans this season.

Tyler Hansbrough and Stephen Curry. One’s a three-time All-American who’s trying to lead North Carolina to back-to-back Final Fours and its fifth NCAA title. Curry is the Davidson sharpshooter who led the Wildcats to within a whisker of the 2008 Final Four.

Everything else is up for grabs. And there are plenty of great players to choose.

Three names – Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody and UCLA’s Darren Collison – will circulate often. Others like Arizona State’s James Harden or Kentucky’s Patrick Patterson should garner attention.

But frankly, most of the preseason teams are a mix of established stars and players pundits think will emerge as stars in 2008-09.

For example, take our list.

UConn’s A.J. Price may be a surprise pick as a first-teamer along with Curry, Harden, Harangody and Hansbrough, but I love the senior’s all-around game. He can score, pass, defend and has great size for a lead guard. He should be recovered from a torn ACL.

Still, it’s a great year for point guards, so Price would have to be even better than last season to live up to All-America billing.

With that in mind, just who didn’t make NBCSports.com’s squad and why? Good question

GUARDS

A.J. Abrams, Texas. Losing D.J. Augustin as a backcourt mate hurts, but Abrams can handle it. The Big 12’s leading returning scorer is also one of the country’s hottest outside shooters.

Dionte Christmas, Temple. Great leader who’s consistency (20.0 and 19.7 ppg in the last two seasons) sets the tone for an improving Owls squad.

Nick Calathes, Florida. Hustling, heady sophomore was the SEC co-freshman of the year who shattered the school record for assists.

Devan Downey, South Carolina. A great talent on a bad team, Downey does it all for the Gamecocks. He scores (18.4 ppg), dishes (5.4 apg) and had an SEC record 103 steals last season.

Jonny Flynn, Syracuse. The sophomore point guard is the Big East’s most talented point guard and a handful to stop off the dribble. He’s tireless (39.2 minutes in conference play), and figures to lead the Orange to their first NCAA tourney since 2006.

Manny Harris, Michigan. The dynamic swingman didn’t have much help as a freshman, but still managed to finish among the Big Ten’s leading scorers. The Wolverines are still a borderline NCAA tourney team, but Harris is a big-time player.

Ty Lawson, North Carolina. Few players are faster from rim to rim, which is ideal for the Heel’s secondary break. The junior led the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio and doesn’t have to carry UNC’s scoring load.

Kalin Lucas, Michigan State. Another speedy guard, Lucas emerged as the Spartans’ top playmaker last season as a freshman. He’ll blow by most Big Ten opponents.

Jack McClinton, Miami. The ‘Canes senior can fill it up (17.7 ppg), especially from three-point range. He was second in the ACC in 3-point percentage.

Jeremy Pargo, Gonazga. Two WCC players are among the nation’s best point guards? Fer sure. The Bulldogs’ senior was last year’s conference player of the year and remains a potent combination of scoring (12.1 ppg), assists (6.0) and savvy.

Tyrese Rice, Boston College. The Eagles leaned on Rice for nearly 30 percent of their scoring last season. The senior guard is capable of even more this year.

Robert Vaden, UAB. The senior loves his 3s. He made a C-USA record 142 three-pointers last season and made 40 percent of them.

FORWARDS

Jon Brockman, Washington. The Huskies senior averaged 17.8 pgg and 11.6 rpg last season – though those numbers don’t fully encapsulate how good he was on a bad team. With improved free-throw shooting, he could average 23 ppg.

Chase Budinger, Arizona. Budinger’s production isn’t the issue (17.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg). If he elevates the Wildcats in the Pac-10 race, then he’ll be even better.

Dejaun Blair, Pittsburgh. Co-Big East newcomer of the year is a force down low, despite standing just 6-7. Expect a significant upgrade from his 11.6 ppg and 9.1 rpg.

Robbie Hummel, Purdue. Sophomore swingman is an efficient scorer (126.7 ORtg) who could see his scoring average (11.4 ppg) rocket.

Kyle Singler, Duke. The Devils’ best all-around player is a potent mix of size (6-8) and perimeter scoring. He was worn down by the end of his freshman season – don’t expect that again.

Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut. The nation’s best shot blocker (sorry Varnardo) is also one of its most improved players over the last two seasons. As long as Thabeet is more aggressive on offense, the Huskies will shine.

Jarvis Varnado, Miss State. Shot-blocking machine (NCAA-best 4.62 a game) tied Shaquille O’Neal single-season SEC mark as a sophomore. If you’re shooting, make sure you know where the 6-9 jumping jack is.

Terrence Williams, Louisville. Dynamic senior has improved his scoring, passing and rebounding each season.

Sam Young, Pittsburgh. Panthers senior could be the Big East’s player of the year if his outside shooting improves. He’s already really, good, though. (18.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg).

FRESHMEN

DeMar DeRozan, USC. No O.J. Mayo? Enter the explosive DeRozan, who’s probably the most NBA-ready talent in the game.

Tyreke Evans, Memphis. With Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts gone, Evans could emerge as the Tigers’ go-to guy. An explosive 6-6 guard, he’ll could put up big numbers against C-USA teams.

Jrue Holiday, UCLA. How long until Holliday runs the Bruins’ offense? Only when Darren Collison is injured or out of the game. But UCLA will still ensure the ball is in Holliday’s hands as often as possible.

B.J. Mullens, Ohio State. Another 7-foot center in Columbus? What else is new? He’s not as dominant as Greg Oden, or as skilled as Kosta Koufos, but he’ll likely be among the Big Ten’s best big men.

Samardo Samuels, Louisville. Rick Pitino’s most prized recruit while at Louisville, Samuels (6-8, 240) will replace most of the post-production lost with David Padgett, Juan Palacios and Derrick Caracter gone.

There you have it. Between our All-America team and this list, that’s enough players to start a conference. Damn good one, too.

But who are your players to watch this season?

Hoops godsend: A full-blown season tip-off

Mike Miller — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:49:00 GMT

Rule of thumb when planning the fall months is to let the NFL, baseball playoffs and college football carry the load (fantasy football gets lumped into the NFL). NASCAR’s chase gets some attention, along with an occasional golf event, depending on who’s involved. Once the NBA begins, that works into the mix.

Those sports are the backbone to just about any site’s coverage. College basketball is usually secondary until the NFL season ends and Duke-North Carolina gets all the casual fans involved (we die-hards will be watching on Nov. 10 when Coaches Vs. Cancer tourney kicks off).

So imagine the die-hards’ glee at ESPN’s brilliant idea: A hoops marathon to give college basketball a proper season opener.

Nov. 18 (a Tuesday) will feature 14 games and 23 hours of hoops, headlined by North Carolina vs. Kentucky, among others. It starts at Midnight ET (UMass vs. Memphis), and, with a slight break in the morning hours, end with an NIT regional final at 11:30 ET. (Those of us on the West Coast don’t mind that time.)

Here’s a complete sked, with all times ET.

Midnight: UMass at Memphis (ESPN)
2 a.m.: Fresno St. at St. Mary’s (ESPN)
4 a.m.: Idaho St. at Hawaii (ESPN)
6 a.m.: College Hoops Tip-Off Special (ESPN)
10 a.m.: Penn at Drexel (ESPN)
Noon: Liberty at UNC-Asheville (ESPN)
2 p.m.: Iowa at Kansas (women) (ESPN)
4 p.m.: Centenary at Baylor (ESPN)
6 p.m.: Richmond at Syracuse (ESPN)
7 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Purdue (ESPNU)
7:30 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Boston College (ESPN2)
8 p.m.: College GameDay-Chapel Hill (ESPN)
9 p.m.: Kentucky at North Carolina (ESPN)
9 p.m.: Florida Gulf Coast at Kansas (ESPNU)
9:30 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Oklahoma (ESPN2)
11:30 p.m.: NIT Regional Final-Arizona (ESPN2)

For more analysis an each matchup, click here.

Yes, give the sports behemoth some credit on this one. It’s a genuinely great idea that will earn it plenty of points from the fans. Bust out the amphetamines and caffeine.

And credit the folks at Storming the Floor for the line of the day (just above the games list).

Gators? Oh, they're still good

Mike Miller — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:56:00 GMT

It’s a funny thing about Florida. The 2004-05 squad won 24 games, won one NCAA Tournament game and 58 percent of their offense left for the NBA. That forced coach Billy Donovan to start four sophomores and one junior – two of whom were returning starters – and little was expected of the 2005-06 version.

Then again, nobody knew just how good Joakim Noah – who played sparingly as a freshman – would be, or that Lee Humphrey would turn into a 3-point specialist nonpareil. So when the Gators won 33 games, steamrolled its way to a national title and the whole group returned to try for back-to-back crowns, they were the consensus pick to do just that.

Of course, some wiseacres did not. They were/are foolish as Florida cemented its spot as the best team in the past 15 seasons.

And now, with those five starters gone and a team of seven freshmen, three sophomores and one junior (Walter Hodge, the only returning player with any real playing experience), little is expected of Florida. The Gators were picked to finish third in the SEC East, (some think fourth) and struggle to make the NCAA Tournament.

As Lee Corso would say, “Not so fast, my friend.” Florida’s going to be an SEC contender and a scary team in March.

This season is quickly turning into another season that revolves around impact freshman. Michael Beasley, Eric Gordon, Kevin Love, Derrick Rose, to name four, have already made their mark. And Florida is no different.

Freshmen Nick Calathes, Adam Allen, Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and Jai Lucas are all top-flight players who, as the nation’s top recruiting class, should play key roles this season, if not starring ones. This class, unlike that title group, doesn’t have the luxury of watching and learning from any upperclassmen.

But playing is a pretty good substitute when one can’t watch from the bench…

Maybe Florida doesn’t have an elite freshman – though most would say Calathes or even Parsons are darn close – but that never seems to matter with Billy Donovan’s teams. The last two seasons, each of his starters took turns making the big play or taking the clutch shot. I expect this group to develop into the same type of well-rounded, team-oriented group that can still shoot the lights out.

And Florida, thanks to an incredibly soft schedule (a Dec. 22 game against Ohio State is the only real non-conference matchup of note), won’t lack for wins. By the time a trip to Columbus rolls around, Florida should be 12-0. Throw in a 10-6 SEC record (not a reach for a talented team with a Hall of Fame caliber coach), and the Gators should be 24-7 by the time the SEC Tournament begins.

That makes Florida a 4 or 5 seed in the Big Dance, depending on how the RPI shakes out. And when I think about what the Gators have done the last two seasons, their caliber of coach and talent, it makes me leery of ever going against the Gators again.

A Rose blooms, but for how long?

Mike Miller — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 02:54:00 GMT

Who’s the face of college basketball?

That’s the question by from ESPN’s Andy Katz. Without the fab five at Florida, Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Katz wonders who will be this year’s face of college basketball. It’s a far cry from two years ago when one couldn’t escape the J.J. Redick and Adam Morrison highlights.

This year the focus is on guys like Tennessee’s Chris Lofton, UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough, Georgetown’s Roy Hibbert or Michigan State’s Drew Neitzel, all preseason All-Americans and upperclassmen.

At least that’s where the hard-core fan focus is. Odds are casual fans -- the ones who pay attention after the NFL season ends and the bubble talk begins -- don’t know those names, except for possibly Hansbrough (because the Heels play on TV so often) and Hibbert (as one of the biggest names back from a Final Four team).

If last season was any indication, the freshmen will be the most well-known players. O.J. Mayo has already played games on ESPN. Eric Gordon’s name is known throughout Big Ten country as the guy who spurned Illinois. And then there’s Memphis’ Derrick Rose, who looked NBA-ready in his debut on Monday.

The 6-4 point guard is supposed to be the reason the Tigers finally reach the Final Four after back-to-back Elite Eights. After seeing him play two games, I'm a believer, as are others. Don’t believe me? Watch for yourself.

Still, as good as Rose was/is, odds are he won’t be back for his sophomore season, thus making this topic relevant again next season.

So who are the biggest stars in college hoops? Easy: the coaches.

Check out this fabulous story from the Washington Post about the Big East’s elite group of coaches. I happen to agree that coaches, not players, are the stars of the college game. Any school that has a marquee coach would be foolish not to emphasize that coach when they’re the ones who stay in the college game, not the players.

Need more proof? Kentucky moved on from Tubby Smith to Bill Gillispie this season. And all the preseason talk about the Wildcats isn’t about their players, but about Gillispie. (For the record, the ‘Cats are a solid Top 25 team, but a Final Four is a longshot.)

Gillispie’s Kentucky debut was a breeze, though he wasn’t overly pleased despite Central Arkansas hitting just 20 percent of its shots. “Their 20 percent wasn’t enough us. It was more them. We set pretty high standards.” Sounds like standard fare from a guy who eats, sleeps and breathes college hoops…

North Carolina snagged itself a big man for the future in Indiana schoolboy Tyler Zeller. Did Kelvin Sampson’s recent NCAA infractions scare him off or was the Chapel Hill allure too great?

Washington State was the surprise team last season and returns four starters this year. But something tells me that despite the attention Tony Bennett’s team is receiving, the Cougars won’t match last season’s 26-7 performance…

Which story was more timely Tuesday? This preview of Ohio State’s exhibition against D-II Findlay (a game the Buckeyes lost that night) or a feature on Maryland senior James Gist and his desire to be “that guy” for the Terps? I go with the former, even if Maryland did announce a one-game suspension for Gist on Tuesday…

OK, maybe the Internet isn’t perfect. Maybe watching a game online can be choppy. But it’s still preferable to scouring a box score the next day or hoping for random highlights on SportsCenter…

Who's the 1? (Part II, with a champ)

Mike Miller — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 21:12:00 GMT

Jeff Green never put up big stats for Georgetown last season, but everyone knew how integral the junior swingman was to the Hoyas’ Final Four run. The Big East player of the year was arguably the nation’s best defender, Georgetown’s go-to guy in the clutch and set the tone for efficient, solid play that typified a 30-7 Georgetown squad.

But was Green so good that his early departure to the NBA is scaring off supporters for another run to the Final Four? The Hoyas are slated by a few outlets (Blue Ribbon, Athlon) to reach the Final Four, but none of the bigger media like SI.com, CBS, FOX (and, to be fair, msnbc.com) favor the Hoyas to return to the Final Four.

Seems a little crazy to me.

Green was indeed one of college hoops’ best players last season, but that shouldn’t make Georgetown any less dangerous this season. The beauty of coach John Thompson III’s system is how it relies on every player, not just one. Center Roy Hibbert may be the focal point, but guards Jonathan Wallace, DaJuan Summers and standouts Patrick Ewing Jr., Vernon Macklin, and Austin Freeman should make up for that absence.

And I think that consistency and ruthless efficiency – not to mention stellar defense – Thompson’s teams have become known for make them the team to beat in San Antonio.

And the other contenders? Here’s a list of who should be playing after the NCAA Tournament’s first weekend. Submit your own in the comments field below.

Champion: Georgetown

Final Four: Kansas (runner-up), North Carolina, Memphis

Out in Elite Eight: Indiana, Louisville, Tennessee, UCLA.

Out in Sweet 16: Arkansas, Davidson, Kentucky, Marquette, Michigan State , N.C. State, Texas, VCU.

Impact freshmen (yes, they're who you'd guess)

Mike Miller — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:30:00 GMT

It's a funny thing about this year's freshman class. There may be some disagreement about the No. 1 recruit (some say USC's O.J. Mayo, others go with K-State's Michael Beasley), but there's very little disagreement about the top 5.

Whether it's Beasley or Mayo at No. 1 (take your pick between rivals.com and scout.com for that), the rest of the top 5 almost always includes Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, Indiana shooting guard Eric Gordon and UCLA center Kevin Love. Rivals has Duke's Kyle Singler ahead of Love, but that's about the only variant.

So what is it about these five players that everyone loves? After all, they won't be the only ones making a big impact.

Syracuse will be a Big East title contender with Jonny Flynn running their offense. Same goes for Jerryd Bayless with Arizona in the Pac-10. And while Kosta Koufas won't make Ohio State fans forget Greg Oden, he'll ensure the Buckeyes have a chance at returning to the Sweet 16. There's a compelling argument made for Kentucky's Patrick Patterson. (And if it's guys who can change programs for more than just one season, ESPN.com Doug Gottlieb has good insight here.)

Collegehoopsnet's preseason all-freshman team is a pretty good representation of the overall perception of the incoming freshmen. Those five are at the top, followed by 10 more guys who will start and make big contributions to NCAA Tournament teams.

The biggest difference -- which is important in the post-Durant&Oden era -- is the five at the top instantly make their teams national title contenders or make them even scarier than before. That's been a key component for nearly every national champion since Carmelo Anthony carried Syracuse to the crown in 2003 -- freshmen make the difference.

Of course, not every freshman is Carmelo or Oden. One can't expect to ride that incoming star to the title. But a freshman who can provide that boost to upperclassmen is invaluable.

And it's where those five at the top, Rose, Gordon, Mayo, Beasley and Love, stand out.

Rose may have the best job of those five. A 6-4 point guard who can score, but prefers to pass, he'll have a field day running Memphis' offense. If this is the year John Calipari's team finally gets over that Elite Eight roadblock, rose will be the catalyst. Wing Chris Douglas-Roberts may be the scoring punch, but he'll be relying on Rose to get him the ball. The catch here has always been that freshmen point guards can't handle the pressure in March. Ohio State's Mike Conley Jr. showed last year that great ones rise above that.

Love is in a similar situation. He gets to rebound, play defense and provide and inside scoring presence to a UCLA team aiming for its third straight Final Four. He doesn't have to carry the Bruins, but he'll be asked to shoulder a big load.

Gordon makes the Hoosiers legitimate Final Four contenders for the first time since losing to Maryland in the 2002 title game. He has a great low-post player in D.J. White and he won't have to run Indiana's offense. But scoring in March is never easy, which puts a little more pressure on Gordon than Rose or Love.

Then again, it's those two top recruits -- Mayo and Beasley -- that will have to shoulder the biggest burdens.

Beasley can do it all and will have to for K-State, which has another stellar freshman in swingman Bill Walker. But Bob Huggins is gone and the 'Cats' roster doesn't have the talent of Big 12 favorites Kansas and Texas, to say nothing of the other national title hopefuls. It would be a tall order to see Beasley lead K-State into the Final Four. But it wouldn't be outrageous.

Which brings us to Mayo. He has a potent forward in Taj Gibson, but USC lost three starters from last year's Sweet 16 team. That means Mayo will likely have to run the offense, score and handle the pressure situations. Yet if there's any freshman who can handle this kind of pressure, it's Mayo, who has been a winner everywhere he's played.

Still, if I were picking a freshman who would be cutting down the nets with his teammates in March, it would be Georgetown's Austin Freeman. But that's for this weekend's blog.

Buying into the Big Ten

Mike Miller — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:45:00 GMT

For the moment, pardon my indulgence.

Never been the biggest fan of Big Ten basketball. Whether it was downplaying Illinois’ remarkable 2004-05 season, ignoring Michigan State’s chances to beat Duke in the 2005 NCAA Tournament or bemoaning the ACC-Big Ten Challenge each season (win some games, then!), the league has never appealed to me.

Even last season, I couldn’t embrace Ohio State despite the mountain of evidence that was Greg Oden, Mike Conley and a damn fine Buckeye team.

Part of it is because every now and then, the Big Ten does lay a huge egg when it counts. Part of it is a lingering belief that Big Ten basketball is ugly, slow and boring (OK, there’s no disputing the slow). And part of it is my wish that the Big 12 could have the Big Ten’s NCAA Tournament success.

But the overwhelming lesson is, despite your hoops beliefs, don’t mess with Big Ten hoops. The league will surprise you.

Which brings me to this season. I’ll buy Indiana as a Final Four contender. Liked the Hoosiers a lot last season (probably too much; for that I blame my love of D.J. White) and they should be better this season since scoring shouldn’t be an issue with freshman Eric Gordon and juco transfer Jamarcus Ellis.

It’s Michigan State that gives me pause. The Spartans and Hoosiers are expected to be the crop of the Big Ten this season, followed by Ohio State, according to the league’s coaches.

(Ask Michigan State who the better team is, it points to Indiana. Ask Indiana, its Michigan State. Gotta love the safe talk.)

Yet, it’s that nagging Big Ten feeling all over again despite evidence to contrary. Michigan State returns all five starters from a 23-12 team and Drew Neitzel is slated to be the player of year. Indiana coach Kelvin Sampson says that experience will make the Spartans good from Day 1, while his Hoosiers could struggle at the start.

That may be true, but it still doesn’t help me embrace the Spartans as a possible Final Four team. Big Ten champs? Sure. But they don’t seem explosive enough or as tough as Tom Izzo’s previous Final Four teams, which usually had both.

It may the old doubts surfacing, but I think they’ll need more than Neitzel and some experienced role players. Neitzel won’t be able to carry the scoring load by himself and that leaves a lot to Raymar Morgan, Goran Sutton and Marquise Gray.

Indiana, on the other hand, has a potentially transcendent player in Gordon and just as good of a supporting cast. The Hoosiers could be one of those March teams no one wants to play.

(Then again, they could depend too much on Gordon and suffer an early exit like Kevin Durant and Texas last season. It always depends on the seed and region.)

Admitting the Big Ten has a Final Four team before the season may not count as a huge change, but it’s significant for a former hater like me. I may not be able to embrace the conference as a whole yet, but it’s not far away.

Who's the 1? (Part 1)

Mike Miller — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 23:23:00 GMT

Everyone’s got an opinion when it comes to who’s No. 1 in men’s basketball. And it’s one of those season when it doesn’t look like there’s going to be a consensus.

But after a season where Florida rolled to its second-straight NCAA Tournament title, a little variety at the top will be refreshing.

Our preseason Top 25 is available here. Ken Davis has tabbed North Carolina (the 2005 champs in one of those season where most everyone picked the Heels to win before everything started), as the team to beat, followed by UCLA, Louisville and Memphis. Not bad.

(If you disagree, cast your vote here and check in here to see what our readers think of the Heels’ chances during the season.)

And, because it’s still two weeks before the polls come out, not everyone has tabbed their champion yet. FOX Sports’ Jeff Goodman rolled out No. 23 in their season preview on Saturday. CHN is doing the same thing, though UCLA was No. 1 in its preseason top 50 that was published in June.

But ESPN’s Jay Bilas also likes UNC, as does SI.com’s Luke Winn, who places the Heels atop their power rankings. CBS Sports.com’s Gary Parrish, however, likes Memphis.

Sporting News writer Mike DeCourcy thinks it’s UCLA, after back-to-back Final Fours, are ready to cut down the nets, mostly because of fab freshman Kevin Love.

Me? I’m still working my way through all the season preview material (including at Basketball Prospectus, which has two of my favorite tempo-free writers -- Ken Pomeroy and John Gasaway -- doing the previews) and will probably settle on a favorite later next week.

Kansas could be the 1, but that’s just the fan in me talking. For now.

Midnight Madness ups the ante

Mike Miller — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 21:01:00 GMT

Midnight Madness has gone the way of the summer movie. It used to be a simple thing with skits and a scrimmage. Now it takes fancy cars, fireworks and a bit of panache.

Then again, considering how much I enjoyed The Bourne Identity and Transformers, a bigger show isn’t all that bad -- especially when I think of just how excruciating Midnight Madness could be. Hanging around in the gym on a Friday night just to see an exaggerated scrimmage? Ugh. Fans could use a little entertainment.

Enter the Jerry Bruckheimer version of Midnight Madness.

That would be Maryland coach Gary Williams showing up at the Comcast Center in a yellow Lamborghini, getting out with to shooting flames and “his traditional fist pump as the Shop Boyz hip-hop beat "Party Like a Rock Star" thumped in the background.”

Or it’s the Kansas Jayhawks arriving at Allen Fieldhouse in a “Corvette, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, BMW, Hummer, Avalanche and stretch limousine,” to say nothing of an appearance by a “Survivor” winner.

What about success-starved Minnesota fans showering new coach Tubby Smith with cheers while Dickie V offers up a larger-than-life video tribute? When it comes to wowing fans, go to those absurd lengths.

Of course, some schools went old school, trotting out the new, high-flying freshmen. In Memphis’ case, that’s probably the right call. Derrick Rose is going to amaze people this season. Same deal in Indiana, where fans were more than ready for “Er-ic Gor-don, Er-ic Gor-don.”

(None of this applies if you’re the two-time defending champs. At this point, Florida sets its own tone.)

Other schools had to make a tougher transition. New Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio will try to help the program recover after the death of popular coach Skip Prosser in the offseason. As one might expect, Prosser’s memory will loom over the school for some time. "We're going to do everything we can to show Coach Prosser that he definitely is not going to be forgotten," forward L.D. Williams told the AP.

Then again, no other school was more amped for Midnight Madness than Kentucky, where the Billy Gillispie era officially began. How amped? A crowd of “23,313 treated the new coach to a 30-second standing ovation.” (The Rupp crowd got a Bruckheimer-esque show of their own, with pyrotechnics and a rappelling mascot.)

As John Clay from the Herald-Leader writes, this day was a long time coming.

“After a summer of speculation and scuttlebutt, Big Blue Nation wants to see with its own eyes, make its own judgments on style of play, and evaluations of talent, philosophy and approach. They want mysteries solved.”

And really, that’s what Midnight Madness is all about. Even in the new blockbuster style.