Beyond the Arc : 2009-10 season previews

Sophomores ready for their close-up

Mike Miller — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:38:00 GMT

It’s one thing to know that the greatest improvement most college basketball players show is between their freshmen and sophomore seasons.

Steve Cannon/AP

Florida State's Chris Singleton goes up to block a shot.

It’s another to pinpoint those sophomores bound for stardom. But hey, that’s why they pay Seth Davis the big bucks.

He’s picked out 10 players poised for breakouts seasons the last few years, and usually does pretty well considering he stays away from guys who already established themselves as good players. Hits include Cole Aldrich, Jeff Teague, Kalin Lucas, Earl Clark, Gerald Henderson and Marreese Speights, while he missed on players like Jamil Tucker, LaceDarius Dunn and Nolan Smith.

ANYWAY, this year’s list has some gimmies (Memphis’ Elliott Williams and Michigan State’s Delvon Roe), and some who could make Davis look really smart.

For instance:

Wake Forest center Tony Woods (more minutes are coming his way, but the stats are still sluggish).
Syracuse wing Kris Joseph (Scoop Jardine would’ve been the safe pick).
Kansas forward Marcus Morris (Jayhawks’ talent glut makes a breakout a tough bet).

Still, it’s a solid list given how many established freshmen returned for their sophomore seasons. Guys like Courtney Fortson, Yancy Gates and Luke Babbitt aren’t exactly household names, but are already good players.

A couple of guys I’d add to the list: Florida State’s Chris Singleton (already picking up Toney Douglas’ slack), Oklahoma State’s Keiton Page (running the show with Byron Eaton gone), Southern Illinois’ Kevin Dillard (especially if Salukis turn in a better season) and Oregon’s pair of stud sophomores, Teondre Williams (killing it) and Michael Dunigan (a tempo-free star).

This kind of reactionary blather is also available at Twitter (@BeyndArcMMiller).

7 storylines as the season approaches

Mike Miller — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:10:00 GMT

It’s almost here.

Once four games tip off at 7 p.m. ET Monday –North Carolina vs. FIU and Ohio State vs. Alcorn State – the 2009-10 college basketball will officially be under way. We’ve provided previews, All-American teams, players to watch and everything else needed to be ready for the season.

For those late to the party and just want the big stories, Ken Davis has you covered with the biggest storylines of the season.

Ed Reinke/AP

John Wall

And below you’ll find the goofy and random stories to watch this season. Enjoy.

Impact freshmen return?
The 2007 recruiting class was one for the ages – Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, Michael Beasley, Kevin Love, James Harden, Jonny Flynn, to name a few – but last year’s suffered by comparison. Expect this season’s to be somewhere in-between.

Kentucky’s John Wall is the biggest game-changer, while guys like Xavier Henry (Kansas), Avery Bradley (Texas), Mouphtaou Yarou (Villanova), Abdul Gaddy (Washington), Tiny Gallon and Tommy Mason-Griffin (Oklahoma) and John Henson (UNC) all figure to play prominently in the national title chase.

Big Ten breakthrough
This could finally be the year the Big Ten beats the ACC in their December challenge. Seriously.

No conference has more teams in the preseason AP poll than the Big Ten. The elite teams (Spartans and Boilermakers) are more likely to make Final Four runs than the ACC’s best (Duke, UNC), while there’s more quality teams in the middle of the Big Ten.

The bottom of the ACC (Virginia, Miami) is probably better than the Big Ten’s cellar dwellers (Iowa, Indiana), but the less said of those teams, the better.

Say hello to the Great West!
College hoops’ 33^rd Division One conference has campuses on both coasts, so don’t let the name fool you. The league isn’t eligible for a bid to the Big Dance until 2020, so this may be the last you hear of them.

And of the seven former independents – Chicago State, Houston Baptist, NJIT, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas-Pan American and Utah Valley – only two are eligible for an at-large berth, but the conference winner does snag a bid to the CollegeInsider.com tourney. So they got that going for them.

Mountain West still > Missouri Valley?
For the first time in years, the Mo Valley wasn’t right behind the BCS conferences in the RPI or kenpom.com’s ratings. The Valley’s young teams took turns beating up on each other in conference play and didn’t log many impressive non-conference wins like they’d done in the past. As a result, Northern Iowa was the only Valley team to earn a Big Dance bid, while the Mountain West had 2 and three more that had strong arguments.

So what to do? Set up a challenge series, of course! Between Nov. 13 and Dec. 23, nine games will be played between the league’s teams. The must-see matchups include Southern Illinois at UNLV (Nov. 21), Creighton at New Mexico (Dec. 19) and Illinois State at Utah (Dec. 19). Whoa. How’d the MWC score all those home games?

Coach with cancer
BYU’s Dave Rose was diagnosed with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor cancer in June. The rare form of pancreatic cancer has been a trial thus far – as you’d expect – but Rose is doing his damndest not to let it affect him and his Cougars this season.

"The one thing I keep remembering from what the doctor said is how rare this is," Rose told Andy Kats this summer. "Out of a million people [who get pancreatic cancer], five get this type of [treatable] tumor. Nobody wants cancer. Everyone has their own way to deal with it. But I feel really lucky about my odds and my prognosis."

Coaching’s hard enough without something like this, but to think that Rose could possibly have the Cougars back in the NCAA tournament is astounding. Keep that in mind when watching BYU.

Block party
Mississippi State’s Jarvis Varnado needs 141 blocks this season to break the all-time markof 535 by Louisiana-Monroe’s Wojciech Mydra, set in 2002. Barring an injury, it should be cake. The 6-9 senior’s had more than 141 each of the last two seasons when he led D-I in blocks.

More interesting will be if he can approach David Robinson’s single-season record of 207, set in 1986. The closest anyone’s come was Northeastern’s Shawn James, who totaled 196 in 2006, which also set the average per game record of 6.53. Varnado would be hard-pressed to top either given the Bulldogs’ additions along the frontline.

Coaching milestones
Unless Syracuse suffers a second big upset in less than a week, Jim Boeheim’s headed for some rare air against Albany on Monday: Career win No. 800. Only 11 coaches have won that many games, the most recent being Jim Calhoun last season. It’s a nice career tribute for a guy who’s never coached anywhere else.

Meanwhile, Rick Barnes needs 28 wins for No. 500, Bill Self should hit No. 400 in early March, and Dana Altman’s getting to 400 before Christmas. Coach K’s headed for 850 in Feb.

And Roy Williams needs 6 victories for his 600^th victory. When that happens, only two coaches will have earned it faster – Adolph Rupp and Jerry Tarkanian. Few people rack up the wins like Roy.

There you go. What else should we be paying attention to this season?

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

6 superb (or some superlative) defenders

Mike Miller — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:27:00 GMT

This is the last of the lists.

Our rundown of the various college basketball preseason topics (top conferences, high fliers, new coaches, etc.) covered all the necessary reading for your needs entering 2009-10. Well, now it does.

And I suppose highlighting the best defenders last should come as no surprise. These guys never get any respect.

Jim Lytle/AP

Jarvis Varnado blocks a shot by South Carolina's Mike Holmes.

(Well, that’s not true. They get some respect. Maybe more than some. A lot. I mean, there are awards for defensive player of the year most conferences have all-defensive teams. Sure, highlights are usually reserved for guys like Stephen Curry or Tyler Hansbrough, but a big-time shot blocker is gonna get some SportsCenter airtime.)

ANYWAY, here are the star defenders for this season. Apologies to guys like Cole Aldrich and Devin Ebanks. They’re superb defenders, but they’ve gotten plenty of pub thus far. I’m all about sharing the love.

Marcus Ginyard, North Carolina
It speaks volumes about UNC’s offensive ability last season that it won the NCAA title with Ginyard on the bench. Roy Williams’ best teams usually feature a lock-down defender (David Noel, Jarod Hasse), which is a good sign that Ginyard is fully recovered from foot surgery. He’s a little too big (6-5, 220) to handle the game’s quickest guards, but that’s about it. He’ll guard everyone else, and do it well.

Chris Kramer, Purdue
A former Big Ten defensive player of the year, Kramer has led the league in steals the last two years. He’s big, strong and uses his hands well, though sometimes opponents complain he’s using them too well. If the Boilermakers ever break through for a Final Four run, Kramer’s defense will be crucial, much like Travis Walton was to Michigan State last season.

Larry Sanders, VCU
If you’re driving to the hoops against the Rams, know where Sanders is. He’s 6-10, athletic and his freakishly long arms (7-foot-7 wingspan) make him a threat to block any shot at any time. He might not even have to try too hard if you’re short. Small wonder the junior was the Colonial League’s defensive player of the year – and that was after his %Blocks (how many shots he swatted while on the floor) went down from his freshman to sophomore seasons. Opponents stayed away.

JT Tiller, Missouri
Not many players who average 8.4 ppg, 3.6 apg and 1.8 spg can nab a spot on the preseason Wooden Watch list. But hey, when you D up like Tiller, you earn some plaudits. At 6-3, he has the size to handle bigger shooting guards, and is quick enough to stay in front of (most) point guards. Tiller’s just as good off the ball. Missouri’s pressing defense encourages him to get into passing lanes and disrupt opponents, and was a driving factor behind his co-Big 12 defensive player of the year honor.

Venoy Overton, Washington
If there’s anyone more disruptive – or annoying – as an on-ball defender than Tiller, it’s Overton. Washington’s 5-11 pest is quick, aggressive and impossible to ignore. Or maybe that’s his mouth. Seattleites see a little Gary Payton in Overton, both in his quick hands and constant trash talk. But that’s a necessity for any good defensive player since there’s more than one way to throw an opponent off his game.

Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State
A no-brainer. The 6-9 senior will become the NCAA’s all-time blocks leader this season and is a two-time All-SEC defensive player. If the résumé lines don’t impress you, consider some tempo-free numbers: His %blocks (how many shots he swatted while on the floor) was tops among all players last season and the best of his career. Varnado’s always been a natural shot blocker, but he’s gotten better each season at help defense and his timing.

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

Five high-fliers destined for highlight reels

Mike Miller — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:28:00 GMT

It’s amazing how a dunk can change a game.

After all, it’s just two points. Dunks usually aren’t game-winning shots and sometimes require only minimum effort to perform.

If pretty much every player in college basketball can throw down a dunk, how special can they be, anyway?

Well, sometimes dunks do this.

Remember, not all dunks are created equal. Dunks can swing a game’s momentum with one thunderous jam by instantly deflate a defender. Some dunks humiliate, some dunks inspire and the best ones affect the outcomes of game.

That dunk above (what, you didn’t click on the link?) by Michigan State’s Durrell Summers over Connecticut’s Stanley Robinson came with just under 6 minutes remaining in their Final Four game last spring. It was the cap to a 13-5 run that caused Ford Field – with all its Spartan supporters – to erupt. MSU needed to hold off one more charge by UConn, but the dunk did the trick. The Huskies didn’t have enough fight left.

Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images

Chris Wright dunks against West Virginia during the 2009 NCAA tournament.

Summers is just one of college hoops’ high fliers, those guys who change a game with a big dunk that energizes his team and the fans. Here are five more.

Chris Wright, Dayton
YouTube is littered with Wright’s dunk highlights. Whether it’s the 6-8 junior jamming over Marquette’s Maurice Acker, a follow-up stuff against UMass, or any one of the dunk mixes, Wright’s the kind of guy you expect on highlight shows every night. He’s still refining his skills (read: his jumper, handle), but figures to be a key player on the hoops landscaper this season as the Flyers work their way up the Top 25.

Paul George, Fresno State
He’s dunktacular. A vicious slam over two St. Mary’s defenders last season made the 6-8 George one of those guys defenders sidestep when they drive to the hoops. Otherwise this happens. And this. And this. But hey, when you can jump like George, this is to be expected. We all expect even more this season.

Trevor Booker, Clemson
Booker isn’t a high-riser in the same vein as Wright and George. He’s just … forceful. It’s not to say Booker is earthbound like some big guys, ‘cause he’s not. It’s just that, he doesn’t need lots of air to make his point. At 6-7 and 240 pounds, the senior forward is a force on the boards and down low. And when he wants to dunk, he dunks. It doesn’t matter if you’re a 7-footer standing the in the way or a couple of big men from Duke, Booker’s gonna dunk on you.

Will Coleman, Memphis
The Tigers are trying to re-load this season. Coleman’s a good place to start. He’s already a fan favorite after winning the dunk contest at their Midnight Madness (he kisses the rim, for Pete’s sake), and should be a highlights mainstay.

At 6-9, he’s big enough to jam over anyone, and has the skills to log serious minutes. The former JUCO star didn’t start seriously playing hoops until he was a high school junior, which could mean the best is yet to come.

Keion Bell, Pepperdine
Bell’s solid freshman season – the WCC All-Freshman team honoree averaged 12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg 2.2 apg – didn’t have any plays that caused the same sensation one dunk did a few weeks ago. Makes sense. Bell did jump over five guys for that dunk. See for yourself.

Like any good dunk, it made the rounds on YouTube and quickly became an Internet must-see. As a result, Bell’s now on the college hoops map.

The power of the dunk. It’s something to behold.

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

Naismith Trophy preseason list announced

Mike Miller — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:35:00 GMT

Say you’re trying to figure out 50 of the best players in college hoops. What are your options?

The easiest way would be to click here. It’s the only place where you’ll find 50 guys cross-indexed by position, school and class.

Need another option? You could always try the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list. It’s pretty much the same players with a few minor differences, like omitting Lance Stephenson, Tyshawn Taylor and Shelvin Mack, among others. It’s 19 seniors, 14 juniors, 12 sophomores and five freshmen.

So, in alphabetical order, your list.

Solomon Alabi (Florida State)

Cole Aldrich (Kansas)

Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)

James Anderson (Oklahoma State)

Luke Babbitt (Nevada)

Talor Battle (Penn State)

Trevor Booker (Clemson)

Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga)

Craig Brackins (Iowa State)

Avery Bradley (Texas)

Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia)

Sherron Collins (Kansas)

Patrick Christopher (California)

Ed Davis (North Carolina)

Devan Downey (South Carolina)

Jerome Dyson (Connecticut)

Devin Ebanks (West Virginia)

Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech)

Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)

Manny Harris (Michigan)

Gordon Hayward (Butler)

Lazar Hayward (Marquette)

Xavier Henry (Kansas)

Robbie Hummel (Purdue)

Damion James (Texas)

Jerome Jordan (Tulsa)

Sylven Landesberg (Virginia)

Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech)

Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)

Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)

Greg Monroe (Georgetown)

A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt)

Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)

Jerome Randle (Calfornia)

Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)

Samardo Samuels (Louisville)

Larry Sanders (VCU)

Kyle Singler (Duke)

Tyler Smith (Tennessee)

Isaiah Thomas (Washington)

Evan Turner (Ohio State)

Edwin Ubiles (Siena)

Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State)

Greivis Vasquez (Maryland)

Kemba Walker (Connecticut)

John Wall (Kentucky)

Willie Warren (Oklahoma)

Terrico White (Ole Miss)

Nic Wise (Arizona)

Chris Wright (Dayton)

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

The preseason All-America team

Mike Miller — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:41:00 GMT

That the in the headline should be italicized, but sometimes you just gotta accept the limitations of how the blog is handled.

Anyway, the NBCSports.com All-America team is live. But you should see for yourself by clicking here. It’s a slideshow format this season, which means that instead of focusing on all the text I wrote, you can see who got slotted where. I mean, who doesn’t love a good slideshow, anyway?

OK. Fine. I’ll also list the players below. But you don’t know what you’re missing with the slideshow!

FIRST TEAM
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Willie Warren, Oklahoma
Evan Turner, Ohio State
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
Cole Aldrich, Kansas

SECOND TEAM
John Wall, Kentucky
Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Kyle Singler, Duke
Craig Brackins, Iowa State
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

THIRD TEAM
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
James Anderson, Oklahoma State
Gordon Hayward, Butler
Ed Davis, North Carolina
Greg Monroe, Georgetown

FOURTH TEAM
Jerome Randle, Cal
Manny Harris, Michigan
Da’Sean Butler, West Virginia
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

FIFTH TEAM
A.J. Slaughter, Western Kentucky
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Chris Wright, Dayton
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

For those keeping track, that's five from the ACC, four from the Big East, five from the Big 12, four from the Big Ten, one from the Pac-10, three from the SEC, and three from mid-major schools.

Several players could've gone up or down and having three from the Big 12 did give me some pause. Ultimately, I think it's fair, though I highly doubt that's how it'll be at the end of the season. Nobody's that good.

Follow me on Twitter and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

College hoops' best names for 2009-10

Mike Miller — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:56:00 GMT

Every college hoops season preview features the usual staples. A Top 25. Players to watch. Top conferences, coaches on the hot seat, elite scorers…well, you get the idea. So what’s that leave?

The best names.

You know, a post that centers around other sweet monikers like Kevin Pittsnoggle, Chief Kickingstallionsims and – my favorite – Fennis Dembo.

With 344 rosters to sift through, there are a host of intriguing, funny and flat-out silly names out there. And thankfully, Rob Dauster at Ballin Is a Habit has already done the dirty work.

He’s listed four “all-name teams” and seven more teams around various topics like All-Edible team, All-Inanimate Object team and All-Sounds-Like-A-Disease team. It’s great stuff.

A sampling:

All-Parents-Couldn't-Decide-On-A-Name Team

JohnMark Ludwick, William & Mary
JohnDre Jefferson, South Carolina
Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State
Ella Ellis, Army
Gary Garris, NJIT

My favorites for this year are Siena’s Just-in’Love Smith, Montana State’s Colt Idol and Gonzaga’s Bol Kong. I’ll be dropping hints to my wife to file away Smith’s name for the future…

Follow me on Twitter and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

10 teams seeking respect; 5 tough mid-majors

Mike Miller — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 00:27:00 GMT

Anytime someone puts out a preseason Top 25 (ours is here), there’s going to be grumbling. Teams might be ranked too low, ranked too high or omitted altogether. (Got a comment on ours? Click here.)

And those omitted teams usually have a pretty good case.

By March, some or all of the following 10 teams may be in the Top 25. They’ve each got talent and experience, but are either replacing one or more key players or have yet to really make an impact with the guys they’ve got.

Well, now’s the time.

Mary Ann Chastain/AP

Trevor Booker

Clemson
ACC coaches picked the Tigers to finish third this season, which doesn’t seem like a stretch given that Trevor Booker (15.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is back for his senior season. He’ll pair with promising freshman Milton Jennings to form an intimidating front line, but just who’s going to get them the ball? Guards K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby are gone, and Oglesby was the team’s best shooter. Can Demontez Stitt and Andre Young fill those roles, or will it fall to freshmen Noel Johnson and Donte Hill?

Illinois
Losing guys like Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham fall under tough to quantify. Neither filled up the box score, but Frazier was the team’s best defender and Meacham provided steady perimeter scoring on a team that desperately needed it. Will that scoring or defense come from Kentucky transfer Alex Legion? Or freshmen D.J. Richardson or Brandon Paul? And if Mike Davis shows any issues from a broken ankle this summer, well, it could be a tough year for the Illini in a tough Big Ten.

Syracuse
The Orange lost Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris – also known as their three best players – from last year’s 28-10 squad. That leaves streaky shooter Andy Rautins and sturdy, but one-dimensional power forwards Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku as Jim Boeheim’s best returning players. Thankfully, talented transfer Wes Johnson, freshman Brandon Triche and sophomore Scoop Jardine (who missed a chunk of last season because of an injury) will step in. But those are some big shoes to fill.

Ole Miss
The Rebels learned last year that even all-conference player Terrico White couldn’t save their season. Not with injuries to guards Chris Warren, Eniel Polynice and Trevor Gaskins. Most expect all three to bounce back and for Ole Miss to vie for the SEC West crown, but it’s a good example of how injuries can derail any season at any time. If The Rebels are healthy, they’re in the Big Dance.

Georgia Tech
Adding a freshman like Derrick Favors should solve a lot of the Yellow Jackets’ issues. The ACC preseason rookie of the year will be a double-double machine and a constant source of concern by opposing defenses. A player like that only makes others around him better – which is great news for budding stars like Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert. Still, this is a team that hasn’t won more than 20 games it went to the Final Four in 2004. Can Favors make Tech Final Four good or just get back to the tourney?

Kansas State
The Wildcats have a scoring star in Denis Clemente. They have a solid, if not spectacular frontcourt headed by senior Luis Colon. A couple of touted freshmen – Wally Judge and Jordan Henriquez – should give K-State some much-needed depth. And, after years of floundering, K-State has finished at least 4^th in the Big 12 the last three seasons. But the Big 12 won’t be as forgiving as in years past, and if Clemente gets hurt or struggles, the ‘Cats can’t score.

Al Behrman/AP

Deonta Vaughn

Cincinnati
By adding star prospect Lance Stephenson, the Bearcats now feature one of the nation’s best perimeter attacks. Senior Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.0 apg) is a two-time all-Big East player who no longer has to shoulder the scoring burden, while Cashmere Wright will run the show. Provided the 6-6 Stephenson can adjust his game to taking fewer shots, the Bearcats will hang with anyone. But they still don’t have a dominant post player, which means when the shots aren’t falling, they’re in trouble.

Mississippi State
There’s little question that the Bulldogs will be good. The question is how good? Jarvis Varnado is a true defensive game-changer (4.7 bpg) and continues to improve offensively. Adding 7-1 freshman John Riek to that mix will only make the Bulldogs even better on defense, to say nothing of solid guards Barry Stewart, Dee Bost and Ravern Johnson. But this team won’t take off unless freshmen Renardo Sidney is deemed eligible to play by the NCAA.

Seton Hall
Is this the year the Hall returns to Big East contention? The Pirates have experienced guards, a dynamite scorer in junior Jeremy Hazell and welcome three talented transfers, Herb Pope, Keon Lawrence and Jeff Robinson. Depth and talent usually means an NCAA tournament berth, provided the Pirates can do two things they didn’t last season: Finish about .500 in the Big East and get one marquee win.

Missouri
Don’t be shocked when the Tigers play 4 guards at the same time this season. Their potential replacements for DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons aren’t as promising as using Kim English and Marcus Denmon alongside J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor. Sure, only one is taller than 6-4, but when you consider Missouri’s frenetic, pressing defense, it makes sense to go mobile. Then again, what happens when opponents get into their half-court offense?

FIVE DANGEROUS MID-MAJORS

Jim Mcisaac/Getty images

Jimmer Fredette

BYU
March 18, 1993. That’s the last time BYU won an NCAA tourney game. Seven appearances (3 times as a 12 seed, 4 times as an 8) and no wins. For that to change, it’ll turn to Mountain West player of the year candidates point guard Jimmer Fredette and forward Jonathan Tavernari to be the catalysts and secure some kind of seed that could result in a favorable March matchup.

Niagara
Will the Purple Eagles ruin Siena’s quest for a third-straight trip to the NCAA tournament? They return four starters from a 26-9 season, including All-MAAC players Tyrone Lewis and Bilal Benn. Niagara’s defense relies on steals and high energy plays, though it’s a little weak on the perimeter. Asking for two NCAA tourney berths from the MAAC might be a bit much, so expect the conference tournament to be a dynamite show when it comes down to Niagara and Siena.

Old Dominion
Ever since George Mason’s run to the 2006 Final Four, the Colonial League’s top team has been a popular pick as a March Cinderella. VCU held that distinction the last two seasons. This year, it’s the Monarchs, who return all five starters from last season’s 25-10 squad. Forward Gerald Lee (15.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is a CAA player of the year candidate and the offense should be consistent under junior point guard Darius James.

Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers just missed back-to-back runs to the Sweet 16, which should cement them as a mid-major darling for 2009-10. Star guard A.J. Slaughter heads up a talented group that features four starters back a 25-9 squad. If North Texas doesn’t take the Sun Belt tournament, Western Kentucky’s a good bet to reach its third straight Big Dance – and maybe even make another March run.

Wright State
With most of their starters back, the Raiders should be a thorn in Butler’s side during Horizon League play this season – which could result in the league getting two teams into the Big Dance for the second straight year. All-league guard Vaughn Duggins is back after missing nearly all of last season and that gives the Raiders a dynamite perimeter threat in him, senior Todd Brown and senior John David Gardner. They’re not big up front, but who’s not a fan of guard-heavy teams in March?

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Our Top 25 is out -- and now what?

Mike Miller — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:58:00 GMT

Phew. After 5,500 words, several revisions and agonizing over teams 23, 24 and 25, the 2009-10 college hoops is finally finished. You can read it all here.

I tended to favor experienced teams who returned a lot of their players, with some exceptions to those who brought in great recruiting classes. To my thinking, there is a clear No. 1, seven more teams who are serious Final Four contenders, another dozen who will move up and down the Top 20, and 15 others switching in and out of the Top 25.

That said, the teams and order is pretty close to what I was thinking in June, but with some changes and additions.

Robert Galbraith/AP

Robbie Hummel and Purdue are Final Four contenders this season.

Duke dropped
Elliot Williams transferred to Memphis, leaving the Devils without their most explosive guard. That was enough to drop the Devils to ninth.

Belief in the Boilers
Purdue’s had the same core of players for two years. With the Final Four in Indy, it seems like an ideal year for them to finally get over the hump. They may not win the Big Ten, but they’re Final Four good.

Don’t dismiss Butler
Moved up the Bulldogs into the Top 10 after Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack turned in stellar summers with USA basketball.

Miss State need Sidney
Freshman Renardo Sidney is still awaiting word if he’ll be able to play this season. Until then, Miss State isn’t a Top 25 team.

Bummin’ Buckeyes?
Moved Ohio State down a few spots mostly ‘cause I’s curious if David Lighty is fully healthy. And as of now, Dallas Lauderdale isn’t.

Misery for the Tigers?
Missouri’s out of the Top 25, though it’s one move I may regret. A lot. The Tigers lost 3 starters from last year’s Elite Eight squad, but they’re still loaded with good, quick guards.

Siena & Northern Iowa?
Didn't want to ignore two mid-majors that return most of their roster from last year. Siena beat Ohio State in the Big Dance and the Panthers gave Purdue all it could handle. Both should be good again.

Here's the complete Top 25. Comment away.

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Purdue
4. Michigan State
5. Villanova
6. North Carolina
7. Texas
8. West Virginia
9. Duke
10. Butler
11. Cal
12. Tennessee
13. Washington
14. Connecticut
15. Ohio State
16. Oklahoma
17. Dayton
18. Michigan
19. Siena
20. Minnesota
21. Oklahoma State
22. Georgetown
23. Louisville
24. Maryland
25. Northern Iowa

So where’s everyone else? That’ll be Sunday’s post: 10 teams seeking respect and 5 mid-majors to watch.

Follow me on Twitter and get more college basketball news at NBCSports.com.

Big-time scorers? 16 who could top 60

Mike Miller — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:15:00 GMT

Pick your favorite scoring outburst from 2008-09. Was it Ryan Toolson hitting 63 against Chicago State? Or Ben Woodside’s 60 vs. Stephen F. Austin? Or Jodie Meeks dropping 54 against Tennessee?

Meeks passed Dan Issel in the Kentucky record books, while the last time two players passed the 60-point mark in the same season was 1977. It may be years before we see something like those performances again.

Then again, maybe not.

Any one of the following 16 players could go for 50 on a given night. Or even 60. Some, like Meeks, are efficient players who don’t need a lot of shots. Others are volume scorers. But all of them can fill it up.

Brody Schmidt/AP

James Anderson

James Anderson, Oklahoma State

That Anderson only averaged 18.2 ppg last season was an indication of the Cowboys’ scoring depth, not Anderson’s ability. He scored 35 against Texas, 33 vs. Rhode Island and 37 at Oklahoma. He’s deadly from anywhere on the floor (41 percent beyond the arc) and is awfully efficient. His 119.5 ORtg even topped Blake Griffin.

Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia

When Butler dropped 43 on ‘Nova last season, he was the first Mountaineer to top 40 in 31 years. Expect even more from the 6-7 swingman this season. His versatility makes him a nightmare defensive assignment and he’s not overly reliant on any one aspect of his game.

Denis Clemente, Kansas State

OK, so Clemente’s good at the trick shots. He’s also good at scoring. He blew up during Big 12 play, averaging 18.4 ppg, including a 44-point night against Texas. The 6-1 guard shoots better than 41 percent from beyond the arc and isn’t afraid to keep shooting once he heats up.

Aubrey Coleman, Houston

Here’s all you need to know about Coleman: Memphis was No. 1 on kenpom.com’s defensive efficiency last season, but the 6-4 guard went for 35 against the Tigers. The JUCO transfer isn’t a threat from outside, but he’ll overpower defenders on his way through the lane and hit his free throws. If he’s feeling it, he’ll keep shooting.

Malcolm Delaney, Virginia Tech

The ACC’s most talented guard isn’t in Durham or Chapel Hill. He’s in Blacksburg. Delaney’s 18.1 scoring average was nearly double from his freshman year and his 113.4 ORtg was better than Jeff Teague, Gerald Henderson and Greivis Vazquez. Delaney gets to the line frequently and rarely turns in a bad game. Just ask Clemson, which got torched for 37 points.

Devan Downey, South Carolina
Don't be fooled by the senior guard's size. He's just 5-9, but he'll score on anyone. He averaged 19.8 ppg last season, including a 37-point outbursts against Clemson. He topped 20 points 15 times and few players get more easy buckets off steals. The biggest factor? Shot selection. His eFG% was 48.8 last season.

Tony Ding/AP

Manny Harris

Manny Harris, Michigan

The 6-5 junior can struggle with his jumper (he’s never been better than 33 percent from beyond the arc), but when you can split defenses and get to the free-throw line and hit FTs like Harris (86 percent from the line), you’re a good bet to rack up the points. If he ever starts hitting from beyond the arc, his numbers will shoot up in John Beilein’s offense.

Ricky Harris, UMass

Harris averaged 18.2 ppg last season, hitting nearly 39 percent of his 3-pointers. He dropped 35 during a loss to BC and topped 20 nine more times. "We know he's going to score 18 to 20 a night; you can pencil that in the book," says UMass coach Derek Kellogg. "The question will be 'How effective are those points?'"

Jeremy Hazell, Seton Hall

The 6-5 guard topped 30 points six times last season, including a pair of 35-point nights. And, despite being the Pirates’ only reliable scoring option, he didn’t need a ton of shots to reach 22.7 ppg. Seton Hall has more guys to pick up that scoring slack this season, but Hazell remains a good bet to pop for a monster game.

John Holland, Boston
The 6-5 junior swingman had a 10-game stretch last season where he averaged nearly 24 points a game. He's capable of hitting from outside, inside or getting the free-throw line, which explains his solid 116.9 ORtg. The only thing keeping him from hitting 50? The Terriers have plenty of other scorers as well.

Anthony Johnson, Montana
The Big Sky scoring leader (17.6 ppg) is also an efficient scorer. His 110.7 ORtg on kenpom.com is the best among returning guards who used at least 28 percent of their team’s possessions, mostly because he rarely misses a free throw. The 6-2 junior hit 18-of-19 FTs in a 32-point night vs. Northern Arizona last year, reminiscent of Woodside's monster night.

Afam Muojeke, Wyoming

Set the Mountain West's freshman scoring record last season (13.8 ppg), and that was with Brandon Ewing hogging most of the shots. Now, the 6-7 wing "has a good chance to lead this league in scoring every year he's here from here on out," Cowboys coach Heath Schroyer told Blue Ribbon Yearbook.

Chris Carlson/AP

Roburt Sallie

Roburt Sallie, Memphis

In case you forgot, Sallie – who averaged just 4.5 ppg last season – hit 10 3-pointers and dumped 35 points on Cal-State Northridge in the NCAA tournament last season. Coming in cold and hitting 10 3s? That’s just ridiculous. And now, with Memphis losing 4 starters, Sallie’s going to play a much more prominent role in 2009-10. Imagine all the 3s.

Klay Thompson, Washington State
The 6-6 wing can create his own shot or pull up from just about anywhere, which will be frequently under new coach Ken Bone. The Cougars won't be a grind-it-out team anymore, which benefits Thompson. He made 41 percent of his 3-pointers last season. He’s a threat to score 40 any night.

Willie Warren, Oklahoma

In the words of Sporting News writer Mike DeCourcy, Warren is simply the most dynamic scorer in D-I. Warren was an efficient, explosive player as a freshman when he often had to play point guard. As a sophomore, he’ll be able to do even more ‘cause he won’t have to play point. That prospect should scare opponents.

Jahmar Young, New Mexico State
If anyone's capable of replicating Meeks' monster game, it's Young. The 6-5 guard topped 30 points twice last season and averaged nearly 18 ppg thanks to this sweet shooting stroke (42 percent from beyond the arc). He's an efficient (116.7 ORtg) scorer who doesn't do too much (he took just 12 shots a game last year) -- numbers almost identical to Meeks'.

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