Now that we know which college basketball players are entering the NBA Draft, which are returning to school, and which have transferred, we can get a better grasp on our insanely early 2011-2012 pre-season Top 25. Some teams were majorly impacted in a negative while others received a boost. Here is a look at how the college basketball rankings could look prior to next season.
UPDATED: 5/10/11
By: David Kay
How many of these pre-season top 25 teams will make it deep into March Madness next year? Which one of these teams will college basketball experts pick to win it all?
1. North Carolina (Previous Ranking: 1)
With the starting frontcourt of Harrison Barnes, John Henson, and Tyler Zeller all returning, UNC will bring back all five starters and only lose reserve post player Justin Knox from last year’s very young, but extremely talented team. The backcourt will be stacked with Kendall Marshall, Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, and Reggie Bullock who returns from injury. Add in McDonald’s All-Americans James McAdoo and P.J. Hairston and the Heels will be loaded.
2. Kentucky (PR: 2)
Brandon Knight and DeAndre Liggins are off to the NBA but Terrence Jones returns to solidify UK as national title contender 1B behind UNC. John Calipari once again pulled it off on the recruiting scene, signing four McDonald’s All-Americans led by probable one-and-done’s Anthony Davis, Michael Gilchrist, and Marquis Teague. Not to mention, Kyle Wiltjer who won the 3-pt competition in the MAA game. Darius Miller will provide senior leadership while sharpshooter Doron Lamb will also be back. Size may be an issue like it was this past season with Josh Harrellson gone, but talent certainly will not be a concern.
3. Ohio State (PR: 4)
Jared Sullinger and William Buford held true to their words and are back in Columbus next season making the Buckeyes the team to beat in the Big Ten again. Gone are Jon Diebler, David Lighty, and Dallas Lauderdale, but sophomores-to-be Aaron Craft, DeShaun Thomas, and Boston College transfer Evan Ravenel will be more than ready to fill their spots in the starting line-up. Add in McDonald’s All-Americans Amir Williams and Shannon Scott and the development of several talented sophomores who did not see much playing time this past season, and OSU has a chance to be as good as they were in ’10-‘11.
4. Duke (PR: 5)
It will be hard to replace the senior leadership of Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler, but Coach K. should have another title contender on his hands even though Kyrie Irving left early for the NBA. Ryan Kelly, and Mason and Miles Plumlee will be joined by their younger brother Marshall in the frontcourt giving the Blue Devils a lot of size and versatility. The key will be the arrival of shooting guard Austin Rivers who is the best scorer in the 2011 class. He will be a fixture in what should be a three-guard line-up that will also feature Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins, Tyler Thornton and freshman Quinn Cook who will have big shoes to fill at the point.
5. Syracuse (PR: 3)
The Orange brings back everyone from last season except for Rick Jackson. They will be exceptionally talented at guard with Brandon Triche, Scoop Jardine, and Dion Waiters returning and freshmen Michael Carter-Williams and Trevor Cooney joining the fray. Jim Boeheim’s frontcourt will be versatile and long as it usually is with Kris Joseph, emerging sophomores Fab Melo, Baye Moussa-Keita, and C.J. Fair, and McDonald’s All-American power forward, Rakeem Christmas.
6. Louisville (PR: 7)
Rick Pitino lost Terrence Jennings early to the draft, but still brings back nine players from his 11-man rotation this past season. Plus, Jared Swopshire will return from injury and former Wake Forest big man Tony Woods becomes eligible after sitting out a year due to transfer rules. The Cards also bring in a pair of McDonald’s All-Americans in Wayne Blackshear and Chane Behanan. In other words, Louisville will have a plethora of talent to put on the floor with their always headache-causing full-court pressure attack.
7. UConn (PR: 6)
Even though they lose the heart and soul of their team, Kemba Walker, the Huskies return their core of young talent. Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier, and Roscoe Smith were all freshmen this past season but sure did not play like it late in the season. Alex Oriakhi will be back to clean up the glass. Jamal Coombs-McDaniel is transferring after being arrested on drug charges which bumps the Huskies down a spot.
8. Pitt (PR: 10)
The run of Big East teams continues. Ashton Gibbs’ decision to pull his name out of the NBA Draft is huge for Jamie Dixon’s team. Even though they lose three starters, Dixon is one of the best coaches in the country in getting his guys to buy into his system. That is not a knock on the talent since guys like Gibbs, Nasir Robinson, Trevon Woodall, and Dante Taylor are still around, it is more of a tip of the cap to the program and success Dixon has built at Pitt.
9. Vanderbilt (PR: 11)
With Jeffery Taylor coming back for his senior season, Vandy will return their top nine scorers from this past season including sharpshooter John Jenkins and developing center Festus Ezeli. That type of experience should put them a notch below Kentucky in the SEC.
10. Memphis (PR: 13)
Josh Pastner had an extremely talented, but very young team this past season. With everybody returning except for big man Will Coleman, the more mature, experienced Tigers should be the cream of the Conference USA crop and back in the national picture especially when you add McDonald’s All-American Adonis Thomas. Will Barton could end up being one of the best wing scorers in the country next year.
11. Kansas (PR: 8)
I received a lot of flack for initially putting KU at number eight but I will repeat this; Bill Self has proven that the Big 12 Title runs through Lawrence and until they are dethroned, KU will be the favorite and a likely top-fifteen pre-season team. That being said, the Jayhawks lose a lot of talent in the Morris twins, Josh Selby, Brady Morningstar, Tyrel Reed, and Mario Little. The good news is that promising big man Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor decided to return and Kansas has added some quality recruits since the end of the season. There will be a lot of turnover to the Kansas roster but that has not been a problem in year’s past.
12. Florida (PR: 17)
The Gators might have the deepest collection of guards in the country with returning starters Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton, Scottie Wilbekin, Rutgers transfer Mike Roasrio, and one of my favorite freshmen of the 2011 class, Bradley Beal. All five are scorers though so it will be interesting to see how the rock will be shared. Billy Donovan does lose his starting frontcourt but Patrick Young could be poised for a breakout season in the middle while guys like Erik Murphy and Miami transfer Adam Allen will try and fill the void inside.
13. Wisconsin (PR: 15)
Never, under any circumstance, underestimate a Bo Ryan-coached team. I say it every year, yet the Badgers are usually floating around the bottom part of the pre-season Top 25 despite never finishing lower than fourth place in the Big Ten since Ryan took over in 2001. Wisconsin does lose their senior frontcourt of Jon Leuer and Keaton Nankivil but bring back Bob Cousy Award Finalist Jordan Taylor and Josh Gasser in their backcourt. Jared Berggren, Mike Bruesewitz, and Ryan Evans will be asked to fill the void up-front.
14. Baylor (PR: Not Ranked)
Due to Perry Jones’ surprising decision to return for his sophomore season rather than turn pro, the Bears jump this high from honorable mention. Baylor will once again have ridiculous length in their frontcourt with Jones, Anthony Jones, Quincy Acy, and J’mison Morgan all back in Waco. Add in top flight recruit Quincy Miller and Deuce Bello, and the Bears 2-3 zone should cause nightmares for their opponents. Finding consistency at the point and a perimeter scorer to replace LaceDarius Dunn will be a concern though.
15. Arizona (PR: 20)
The defending Pac-10 champs lose superstar Derrick Williams and reserve Jamelle Horne, but everyone else returns to Tucson. Add in another great recruiting class and depth will be the strength of next year’s Wildcat team. A huge sigh of relief was heard throughout Wildcat Country when Sean Miller turned down the Maryland job and with good reason. Miller should have Zona as the team to beat in the new Pac-12 after re-establishing the program this past season.
16. Villanova (PR: 14)
After a second straight late season tailspin, the pressure will be on Jay Wright next year. Despite having no seniors on the roster, the Cats return blossoming big man Mouphtaou Yarou and talented point guard Maalik Wayns who will be handed the reins to the Wildcat offense now that the Coreys are gone. Guys like Dominic Cheek, Isaiah Armwood, and James Bell will have to take their play to the next level for Nova to reach their potential.
17. Xavier (PR: 18)
The Musketeers will once again be the team to beat in the A-10. Led by conference player of the year Tu Holloway who is coming back to Xavier after testing the NBA Draft waters, the Musketeers bring back their top three scorers which includes speedy guard Mark Lyons and big man Kenny Frease. Depth will be a bit of an issue due Jay Canty and Jordan Lathan deciding to transfer, but Xavier faired pretty well this season with a seven-man rotation so they should be fine.
18. Michigan (PR: 12)
Darius Morris’s decision to stay in the NBA Draft drops the Wolverines since my initial rankings. They do return their entire roster from a team that surprised many this past season and nearly knocked off Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan has a lot of talent including All-Big Ten Freshman Team members Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jordan Morgan, and should be in the upper tier of the Big Ten.
19. Temple (PR: 25)
The Owls return everybody but Lavoy Allen and should compete with Xavier for the A-10 title. Their triple threat in the backcourt of Juan Fernandez, Ramone Moore, and Khalif Wyatt might be one of the most underrated guard combos in the country.
20. Washington (PR: 24)
Losing Isaiah Thomas to the NBA hurts, but Lorenzo Romar still has some talent. Abdul Gaddy will return from a season ending injury and be asked to lead this team while Terrence Ross could emerge as the go-to wing scorer. The Huskies have size inside, shooters on the wing, and freshman Tony Wroten Jr. should be one of the best newcomers out West.
21. Gonzaga (PR: 20)
After a year of struggles by their standards, the Zags should bounce back next season since they only lose Steven Gray to graduation and Demtri Goodson who chose to transfer in hopes of pursuing a football career. The Bulldogs will boast a solid front line led by Robert Sacre and Elias Harris and if they can get more consistent play from their guards, Gonzaga should be a fixture in the top 25.
22. Cincinnati (PR: NR)
Mick Cronin had the Bearcats playing extremely well this past season due to their aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. Cincy loses a couple of key contributors but still brings back their top four scorers from last season. Add in a solid recruiting class and the Cats should once again be very competitive in the Big East.
23. Alabama (PR: 23)
The NIT runner-ups return their top three scorers from this past season in JaMychal Green, Tony Mitchell, and Trevor Releford. If Anthony Grant can build off the foundation he has seemingly laid, Bama should be the best of the SEC West and on the right side of tourney bubble next season.
24. Marquette (PR: NR)
With their run to the Sweet 16 this past season, Buzz Williams proved he knows how to coach up his guys and have them play as hard as any team in the country. The Golden Eagles will have to replace Mr. Versatility Jimmy Butler, but return a solid core led by Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder.
25. UCLA (PR: 9)
The Bruins take a big drop due to the early exits of Tyler Honeycutt and Malcolm Lee to the NBA. Along with returning starters Reeves Nelson and big man Joshua Smith, UCLA might have the deepest frontcourt in the country with the Wear twins becoming eligible after transferring from UNC. The concern will be at guard where Lazeric Jones, Jerime Anderson, and Tyler Lamb will have to step up their game.
Other Considered:
Missouri, Texas A&M, Florida State, Michigan State, Mississippi State, New Mexico
David Kay is a senior feature NBA Draft, NBA, and college basketball writer for the Sports Bank. He also heads up the NBA and college basketball material at Walter Football.com and is a former contributor at The Washington Times Communities.
You can follow him on Twitter at DavidKay_TSB.