Category: College Basketball (Page 62 of 153)

      Andy Katz’s 2009-2010 College Hoops Top 25

      April 11, 2009 /

      Sherron CollinsBasketball fans find themselves in no man’s land this week, just days removed from another thrilling NCAA Tournament and a few days away from the start of the NBA Playoffs.

      Which means it’s the perfect opportunity for some crazy predictions for next year! ESPN.com’s Andy Katz posted his top 25 college basketball teams for next season (click the link for his explanations on each team).

      1. Kansas
      2. Michigan State
      3. North Carolina
      4. Texas
      5. Villanova
      6. Syracuse
      7. Duke
      8. Purdue
      9. West Virginia
      10. California
      11. Michigan
      12. Kentucky
      13. Tennessee
      14. Xavier
      15. Butler
      16. Gonzaga
      17. Washington
      18. Oklahoma
      19. Clemson
      20. Boston College
      21. Mississippi State
      22. Ole Miss
      23. Dayton
      24. Illinois
      25. Texas A&M

      As Katz himself admits, there’s little reason to put any stock in these rankings as 1.) it’s way too early and 2.) early entrants to the NBA draft will have a huge impact on who the preseason top 25 will end up being.

      Nonetheless, here are a few problems I see with the list. For one, UNC is way, way overranked. There were times this season that they were barely the third-best team in the country, and they are likely going to lose four starters/future NBA players going into next year.

      Second, even if Willie Warren does come back, Oklahoma isn’t a top-20 team without the Griffin brothers. Kansas and Texas are going to be miles ahead of the Sooners in the Big 12.

      Lastly, I can’t help but think Louisville belongs in here somewhere. I get that in Terrence Williams and Earl Clark they are losing a ton of scoring and athleticism, but they’re two of only three key contributors the Cards will be missing next season. Young bigs Terrence Jennings and Samardo Samuels will be a year older and a year better, and Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Preston Knowles will all return on the perimeter. Add recruit Peyton Siva, the 5th-rated point guard prospect in the country, and they should challenge Villanova and Syracuse at the top of the Big East.

      Two off-the-radar teams to watch: Georgetown and Georgia Tech. Both struggled from growing pains last year but have a ton of young talent returning, and the Yellow Jackets will welcome Derrick Favors, the nation’s best big man recruit.

      College Basketball

      Five things that need to change about college basketball

      April 9, 2009 /

      Despite the rather lackluster 2009 NCAA tournament, March Madness is – historically speaking – the most exciting sporting event in the country. Still, as I watched the games this year, I noticed that a few things need changing. Here are my top five gripes about college basketball:

      1. No more one-and-dones.
      I understand why the NBA wants an age limit, but the one-year-out-of-high-school rule is hurting the college game. Amongst the major programs, there is little continuity season to season and it has thrown blue-chip recruiting on its head. Some of the best coaches in the college ranks are reluctant to recruit the top players because they know they’re just going to have a hole to fill the following summer.

      Players should be able to declare for the draft directly out of high school. But if they decide to enroll in college, they must stay a minimum of two seasons. Typically, high schoolers that are good enough to be drafted are good enough to stick in the league. If a high schooler enters the draft (but doesn’t hire an agent), he can always pull out and enroll in school if it doesn’t look like he’s going to be drafted in the first round. This is the same rule that college players have to follow. (And yes, I realize that this is the NBA’s fault, but it’s still a problem for college basketball.)

      Roy, back up three feet. Your guys will be able to hear you just fine.

      2. Get the coaches off the court.
      One thing that drives me nuts about college basketball is the leeway that the officials give head coaches. They’re allowed to stomp around the sidelines like petulant children, throwing hissy fits anytime a call doesn’t go their way. Okay, so maybe the refs are instructed to give the coaches some slack on the proverbial leash, but that doesn’t mean that head coaches should be running onto the court to shout instructions to their teams. It seems like every game there is a near-collision between an official running downcourt and a head coach that is stepping on the sideline (or is on the court all together). I’d like to see the official call an automatic technical if he sees the coach step on the sideline – that would clean this up really quickly.

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      College Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft

      Early entries keep coming

      April 9, 2009 /

      Arizona junior Jordan Hill will skip his final year and enter the NBA draft. Hill averaged 18.1 points and 11 rebounds for the Wildcats and the 6’10” power forward is projected to be a top 5 pick. His teammate, Chase Budinger, already declared for the draft…Wake Forest sophomore Jeff Teague will make himself eligible for the draft but won’t hire an agent, so there’s a good chance that he’ll return for his junior season…USC junior guard Daniel Hackett will enter the draft and hire an agent, ending his career at Southern Cal.

      Mock drafts: NBADraft.net, DraftExpress

      College Basketball, March Madness, NBA, NBA Draft

      Blake Griffin is turning pro

      April 7, 2009 /

      Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, who collected a bunch of Player of the Year awards for his fantastic 2008-09 season, has announced that he will enter the NBA Draft.

      “It’s tough to walk away from something like this but at the same time, it’s a big opportunity and I felt like I was ready for it this year,” Griffin said.

      After declaring last year that he would stay at Oklahoma for at least one more season, Griffin said he wanted to be able to contribute immediately in the NBA before he would turn pro.

      “This is the right decision. In my mind, it’s a no-brainer,” [Oklahoma head coach Jeff] Capel said. “It wasn’t a decision to really debate because it’s the right one, and it’s the best thing for Blake.”

      This isn’t a surprise. Generally, when a player is in line to be the #1 overall pick, he goes pro. There is just too much at stake for him to play another year at the college level. Plus, he needs to get while the getting’s good. There’s no telling when this tough economy is going to force the league and the Player’s Association back to the bargaining table — reduced rookie salaries might be a part of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

      From what I’ve seen of Griffin, I think he’ll make an excellent pro. He has ideal height and length for a power forward and can jump out of the gym. His face up game needs some work, but he’s strong in the post and is already a terrific rebounder.

      College Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft, News

      North Carolina dominates Michigan State…yawn

      April 6, 2009 /

      Wayne Ellington couldn’t miss, Ty Lawson couldn’t drive without getting fouled and Michigan State couldn’t handle the ball — this all added up to a 89-72 win for the Tar Heels.

      North Carolina jumped out early and Michigan State simply couldn’t recover. They looked tight; the jumpers weren’t falling and they turned the ball over 21 times, which is a TON. Seemingly every time Ty Lawson put the ball on the floor the officials blew the whistle — he ended up shooting 18 free throws and there were a number of questionable calls. For the most part, the refs called a tight game, and that worked against the Spartans, who are used to the rough and tumble play in the Big Ten. Lawson finished with 21 points, six assists and eight steals.

      Michigan State didn’t give up; the Spartans had a few opportunities to cut into the lead, but they missed a bunch of threes and anytime the Tar Heels needed a bucket, someone stepped up and knocked down a shot. Ellington and Danny Green combined to shoot 5 of 6 from long range. It was obvious that the estimated 60,000 Spartan fans in attendance were desperate for something to cheer for — but the run never came.

      All in all, it was a pretty boring finale to a pretty boring tournament. There were a few buzzer beaters and several good games, but this year’s tourney didn’t have the drama of years past. I don’t know if it was just bad luck or a lack of mid-majors in the field, but it just wasn’t quite as exciting as usual.

      Maybe they need to go to a BCS-type format…

      Just kidding.

      College Basketball, March Madness

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