Wednesday, December 27, 2006

Predict The Season

MATT HAMILTON PREDICTS THE SEASON

Dec 27
Miami OH @ Cincinnati
South Florida @ UAB
Bradley @ Nothern Iowa

Dec 28
Headliners -
George Mason @ Drexel
California @ Arizona
UNLV @ Texas Tech
Washington @ USC
Air Force @ George Washington

Other good games -
Stanford @ Arizona St
Washington St @ UCLA
Eastern Illinois @ Eastern Michigan
Samford @ Wright State
Hofstra @ St. Joe's
San Francisco @ Louisville
Vermont @ Central Connecticut State
Oral Roberts @ Seton Hall
Purdue @ Indiana State
SMU @ Oklahoma
Drake @ Evansville
Rice @ Belmont

Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Field of 65 - December 26

1 - UCLA, UNC, Florida, Kansas
2 - Pittsburgh, Ohio St, Arizona, Wisconsin
3 - Duke, Texas A&M, Alabama, LSU
4 - Georgetown, Nevada, Memphis, Georgia Tech
5 - UCONN, Texas, Oklahoma St, Wichita St
6 - Tennessee, Oregon, Gonzaga, Washington
7 - Kentucky, Marquette, Syracuse, Maryland
8 - Air Force, Xavier, Butler, Boston College
9 - So Illinois, Michigan St, Indiana, Drexel
10 - Creighton, San Diego St, Notre Dame, Villanova
11 - Missouri St, Michigan, USC, Indiana
12 - Winthrop, Akron, DePaul, Clemson
13 - Western Kentucky, Marist, Florida State, UNLV
14 - LB State, Northern Arizona, Oral Roberts, Bucknell
15 - Belmont, Albany, Penn, Davidson
16 - Jackson St, Robert Morris, Sam Houston St, Samford, Delaware St

NEW IN THIS UPDATE

UNLV (13), DePaul (12), Clemson (12), Indiana (11), Drexel (9), Sam Houston St (16)

OUT - Virginia (11), Arkansas (11), Louisville (11), UMASS (12), Northwestern State (15)

Saturday, December 16, 2006

December 16 Field

Format :
Seed - Team

Analysis

1- North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Florida, UCLA

Consistently great teams here. They've all got at least one legitimate force in the paint to compliment their outside players, even if they go cold. I figure these guys will have the best overall records.

2 - Kansas, Ohio St, Duke, Arizona

If I was filling out my own bracket, the 2 seeds would be the best. Kansas has shown that they won't be consistent with their mass amounts of talent, but they'll be consistent enough to rake in a dominant record in the Big 12. Ohio St could very well be a one seed, I just figured that their young players might struggle with consistency, since they depend so much on the 3-ball. Zona is, as Dickie Vitale puts it, a scoring machine, and they could find themselves in the Final 4 as well.

3 - Wisconsin, Texas A&M, LSU, Georgetown

Strong frontcourts here. I'm still thinking G'Town will piece together a really good season after a few early losses. Wisconsin may be better than I give them credit for, but I think they'll drop a few surprising games in Big 10 play.

4 - Nevada, Wichita St, Alabama, Memphis

Wichita St should land somewhere between 4-6 seed, depending on how well they hold up against the Salukis and MO St. Bears of the world. Nevada and Alabama are my two strongest picks here, Memphis is a wild card. They could jump up to a 3 or fall down to 8-9.

5 - UCONN, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Texas

UCONN has quietly gotten off to a top 10 start, despite playing a weak slate of games. Syracuse could drop to 6, 7, 8...but I think they'll show up in Big East play. Texas should be better than Oklahoma St in Big 12 play. Georgia Tech, Maryland, and Boston College could all be in the race for this spot.

6 - Oregon, Boston College, Oklahoma St, Gonzaga

Oregon is for real this year. Boston College should be for real, but losses to Providence and Vermont make you question that. Oklahoma St is off to a blazing start but I think they'll cool off just a little bit. Gonzaga could go higher than this, but I don't think they'd drop lower.

7 - Maryland, Illinois, Marquette, Air Force

Marquette will drop some should-win games, and win some games where they're the underdog. Air Force will be consistenly great and take the MWC, while Illinois could struggle. Maryland has a lot of question marks, but overall they've made a good impression this year.

8 - Creighton, Kentucky, Xavier, Michigan
9 - So. Illinois, Washington, San Diego St, Butler
10 - Tennessee, Villanova, Florida St, Michigan St
11 - USC, Virginia, Louisville, Arkansas
12 - Akron, Notre Dame, Winthrop, UMASS
13 - Western Kentucky, Hofstra, Marist, Missouri St
14 - Bucknell, Oral Roberts, Long Beach St, Northern Arizona
15 - Albany, Northwestern State, Samford, Pennsylvania
16. Jackson St, Robert morris, Delaware State, Belmont, Davidson

Last 5 out - Indiana, Purdue, Mississippi St, Houston, California
Next 5 - St. John's, St Louis, Oklahoma, Clemson, UNLV

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Tony's Top 64

  1. Florida
  2. UNC
  3. Kansas
  4. Ohio State
  5. Syracuse
  6. UCLA
  7. Pittsburgh
  8. Wisconsin
  9. LSU
  10. Arizona
  11. Alabama
  12. Texas A&M
  13. Duke
  14. Georgetown
  15. Memphis - 1st C-USA
  16. Boston Coll
  17. Nevada
  18. Tennessee
  19. Louisville
  20. Illinois
  21. Oklahoma State
  22. Kentucky
  23. Georgia Tech
  24. Xavier
  25. Michigan State
  26. Washington
  27. Marquette
  28. Southern Illinois
  29. Texas
  30. Creighton
  31. Villanova
  32. USC
  33. Gonzaga
  34. Virginia
  35. Wichita State
  36. Michigan
  37. Hofstra
  38. Maryland
  39. Mississippi State
  40. San Diego State
  41. Oklahoma
  42. California
  43. Kansas State
  44. Akron
  45. Texas Tech
  46. Winthrop
  47. Oral Roberts
  48. Rice
  49. Air Force
  50. New Mexico State
  51. St John's
  52. Charlotte
  53. Arkansas
  54. Albany
  55. Old Dominion
  56. UMASS
  57. Pacific
  58. Penn State
  59. DePaul
  60. IUPUI
  61. George Mason
  62. Long Beach State
  63. St Louis
  64. Loyola Maramount

Matt's 11-26 Top 25

1. Kansas
2. Florida
3. UNC
4. Pittsburgh
5. Arizona
6. Ohio State
7. UCLA
8. Georgetown
9. Duke
10. LSU
11. Syracuse
12. Memphis
13. Alabama
14. Wisconsin
15. Texas A&M
16. Georgia Tech
17. Nevada
18. UCONN
19. Maryland
20. Kentucky
21. Gonzaga
22. Texas
23. Oregon
24. Butler
25. Air Force


Last 5 Out

26. Marquette
27. Xavier
28. Oklahoma State
29. Creighton
30. Boston College

Monday, November 20, 2006

Matt's 11-20 Top 25

1. UNC - 1st ACC
2. Florida - 1st SEC
3. Kansas - 1st Big 12
4. Pittsburgh - 1st Big East
5. Arizona - 1st Pac-10
6. Ohio State - 1st Big 10
7. Duke - 2nd ACC
8. UCLA - 2nd Pac-10
9. Wisconsin - 2nd Big 10
10. Georgetown - 2nd big East
11. LSU - 2nd SEC
12. Syracuse - 3rd Big East
13. Boston College - 3rd ACC
14. Alabama - 3rd SEC
15. Texas A&M - 2nd Big 12
16. Memphis - 1st C-USA
17. Nevada - 1st WAC
18. UCONN - 4th big East
19. Kentucky - 4th SEC
20. Maryland - 4th ACC
21. Georgia Tech - 5th ACC
22. Oklahoma State - 3rd Big 12
23. Oregon - 3rd Pac-10
24. Texas - 4th Big 12
25. Air Force - 1st MWC

Sunday, November 19, 2006

Early Season Surprises

Surprisingly Good

Air Force - They just went on the road and beat Major Conference squads Stanford and Colorado on their own courts- by a combined 72 points! Duke should be able to handle them on Monday; but not without a fight.

Michigan State - topping Texas and almost beating Maryland with such a young team is impressive.

Oral Roberts - If a team that I don't even have pegged to win the Mid-Con over IUPUI can beat my #1 team Kansas on their home floor, they're surprisingly good.

Oregon
- I had them being surprisingly good before the season, but if 5'6" freshman Tajuan Porter can score in the 20's every night (so far an avg. of 27.5 ppg), this team can SOAR.

Butler
- I had them beating Notre Dame in an upset, but I though Indiana could handle them. Wrong. Butler looks really good and should be able to take the Horizon League.

Maryland - Beating MSU in the finals was good, but absolutely demoralizing St. John's in the semifinals was even better.

Pittsburgh - I don't like Pittsburgh. But they've proved that they're good. Even without Aaron Gray for much of yesterday's UMASS game, they pretty much dominated. I don't think this'll be the same story in Big East play, though. They'll have a lot of close games.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Open Letter to College Hoops Fans

Dear Friends,

The world is going to pot.

UNC almost lost to Winthrop. Kansas is losing by 5 right now to Oral Roberts. Northewestern State (not even the real Northwestern) has closed a double digit gap on Oklahoma State; they now trail by only one. Georgetown may very well lose later tonight at the hands of Vanderbilt.

My rankings are being exposed as fraudulent and my heart cannot take it. But soft, BEHOLD -beyond yonder wrath there lies a golden beach, the sands of which wedge between thine toes. Be aware that no trace of your presence will be left here after the sea washes over your eyelids.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Opening Week Observations

1. UPSETS
-Bradley has recently dropped to 9th in the MVC in most prediction magazines, and DePaul is climbing up the Big East ladder. Seems like an easy victory for Depaul on paper, right? Well Saturday they were PULVERIZED BY THE BRAVES, 78-58
- Marist is looked upon as one of the top small conference schools in the nation, but apparently they left their true colours behind this weekend as they got smashed by the Ohio Bobcats, 83-66.
-Washington State topped UAB 71-60 in a game where I would've picked UAB. Guess they need more time to be any good.
-In my favorite match-up of the weekend, Charlotte topped Hofstra like I predicted. The final score was 88-82, though Hofstra came back from a sizeable halftime deficit to make it interesting. The 49ers aren't a bunch of cupcakes just because Curtis Withers left. They'll compete heavily in the A-10 this season and probably be in the picture in March.

2. WEAKNESS AND VULNERABILITY
UCONN and Quinnipac. Both of Michigan's games. Georgetown and a pesky Hartford team. All of these games were uncomfortably close for these big-conference schools. Perhaps most noteably of all, Marquette had to squeak one out over...Hillsdale College?

3. INTERESTING WEEKEND FOR MURRAY STATE
First they were barely beaten by top-25 candidate San Diego State, on none other than a half-court prayer by Brandon Heath as the buzzer sounded. Apparently demoralized and zombified, they dropped their next game to Division II Seattle-Pacific.

Preseason Conference Rankings

ACC

1. UNC
2. Duke
3. Boston College
4. Georgia Tech
5. Maryland
6. Florida State
7. Virginia
8. Virginia Tech
9. Clemson
10. Wake Forest
11. Miami
12. NC State

Notes - The middle of the pack is the trickiest here. 5-8 will be closely knit, and only 2 of those teams will probably go to the NCAA tourney. The others will make serious noise in the NIT.

BIG 10

1. Ohio State
2. Wisconsin
3. Michigan
4. Illinois
5. Indiana
6. Penn State
7. Michigan State
8. Purdue
9. Iowa
10. Northwestern
11. Minnesota

Notes - Wisconsin will be a failure for those of you who have them #4 in the nation. Ohio State's talent will come together through the season, and they'll truly flourish with the debut of Greg Oden. Michgian and Illinois are both very good 3rd place candidates, while Indiana is a bit overrated by most. I like Penn State's chances as a sleeper team. I don't really have a strong feeling about MSU, Purdue, and Iowa; those 3 could all trade places. The bottom two are clear, though.

BIG 12

1. Kansas
2. Texas A&M
3. Oklahoma State
4. Texas
5. Texas Tech
6. Kansas State
7. Baylor
8. Oklahoma
9. Missouri
10. Colorado
11. Iowa State
12. Nebraska

Notes - Kansas should be close to dominating this league. They should only really fear Texas; as they could pose a serious threat if their youth can all come together. I fear that they'll face inconsistency. That's why Texas A&M and Oklahoma State are ahead of them. I think Texas A&M will be consistently good but never great, and Oklahoma State could steal some huge wins early in the season. Texas Tech and Kansas State are close, too, but I think Bobby Knight's Red Raiders are ready for the Big Dance. Colorado's fate hangs in Richard Roby's supporting cast. They could fall to last.

BIG EAST

1. Georgetown
2. Pittsburgh
3. Syracuse
4. UCONN
5. Villanova
6. Marquette
7. Louisville
8. St John's
9. DePaul
10. Cincinnati
11. Providence
12. Notre Dame
13. West Virginia
14. Rutgers
15. Seton Hall
16. South Florida

Notes - Georgetown over Pittsburgh and St John's over DePaul. Those were my two bold predictions that I'm standing by, though I've had my doubts. Syracuse is a clear #3 for me; I don't know where people who have them 7th are coming from. UCONN is a clear 4th. Villanova and Marquette will go down like this - VIllanova will have a better conference record and more consistency, Marquette has the ability to make a bigger splash on the national scene.

PAC-10

1. Arizona
2. UCLA
3. USC
4. Washington
5. Oregon
6. California
7. Stanford
8. Arizona State
9. Oregon State
10. Washington State

Notes - Arizona is a top four team. UCLA is a top 10 team. The rest are scrambled all over the place. I like Oregon more than Washington; however, it comes down to consistency again. Oregon will show flashes of greatness, and they'll show up in March. Washington will be consistent in the season then fall apart in the tourney. I just have an overall good feeling about USC though. Cal feels underrated in the bottom half of the conference, but the rest don't.

SEC

1. Florida
2. LSU
3. Alabama
4. Kentucky
5. Tennessee
6. Mississippi State
7. Vanderbilt
8. Arkansas
9. Georgia
10. South Carolina
11. Auburn
12. Ole Miss

Notes - The top 5 and the bottom 7 have a clear line between them. Maybe that can be blurred by the end of this season. The top 3 are very close, especially LSU and Alabama. Kentucky will be surprisingly good, and Tennessee will disappoint without 3 starters from last year. Chris Lofton can't do it all himself. Mississippi State will be a "flashes of greatness" team who's consistency will hurt them. Vandy could be really good, while Arkansas will disappoint.

Mid-Majors

A-10
1. Xavier
2. UMASS
3. Charlotte
4. St Louis
5. George Washington
6. Fordham
7. Dayton
8. St Joseph's
9. Temple
10. LaSalle
11. Rhode Island
12. Richmond
13. St Bonaventure
14. Duquesne

Notes - UMASS and Charlotte are interchangable. St Louis is a clear 4th and George Washington a clear 5th. Xavier clearly has the most talent. The bottom 4 are really bad; I had to put Duquesne last because their team was pretty much depleted further with a tragic shooting.

CAA
1. Hofstra
2. Old Dominion
3. George Mason
4. UNC-Wilmington
5. Drexel
6. Virginia Commonwealth
7. Towson
8. Northeastern
9. Georgia State
10. Delaware
11. William & Mary
12. James Madison

Notes -The top half is very strong. The bottom half is really, really bad. The bottomhalf is in complete shambles.

C-USA

1. Memphis
2. Houston
3. Rice
4. UAB
5. UTEP
6. Tulsa
7. Marshall
8. SMU
9. UCF
10. Tulane
11. East Carolina
12. Southern Miss

Notes - Memphis will have a dominant season, Houston may grab a tourney bid by winning the conference tourney. Rice will rise on Morris Almond's wings. UAB and UTEP are closely knit.

MAC

1. Akron
2. Toledo
3. Ohio
4. Kent State
5. Northern Illinois
6. Western Michigan
7. Miami OH
8. Ball State
9. Buffalo
10. Bowling Green
11. Eastern Michigan
12. Central Michigan

Notes - The top 7 is very good in the MAC. Without the burden of meeting expectations, Ohio may surprise. Akron and Toledo seem to be above the rest, but not by much. WMU's young talented squad could pull off some upsets, while Northern Illinois will be good after seeming "too good" last year.

MVC

1. Creighton
2. Southern Illinois
3. Wichita State
4. Missouri State
5. Bradley
6. Evansville
7. Northern Iowa
8. Drake
9. Illinois State
10. Indiana State

Notes - Bradley won't drop to 9th after being a Sweet 16 team last year. The loss of Patrick O'Bryant hurt them but it didn't completely destroy the school's dignity. Creighton will be consistently good while Southern Illinois should make an impact in March. Missouri State is hungry after being snubbed from our brackets last year.

MWC

1. San Diego State
2. Air Force
3. BYU
4. New Mexico
5. Utah
6. UNLV
7. Colorado State
8. Wyoming
9. TCU

Notes - San Diego State is easily the best team. Air Force and BYU will compete for a bid in March. New Mexico and Utah will be close, and both will ultimately have successful seasons. This conference isn't half as good all-around as some people are hyping it up to be.

WAC

1. Nevada
2. Fresno State
3. New Mexico State
4. Utah State
5. Hawaii
6. Boise State
7. LA Tech
8. San Jose State
9. Idaho

Notes - Nevada will dominate, Fresno State and New Mexico will compete for 2nd. A lot of mid-major conferences have this storyline. Utah State, Hawaii, and Boise State round out the winning records of the conference, as the rest could be in for ugly seasons.

WCC


1. Gonzaga
2. Loyola Maramount
3. St Mary's
4. San Francisco
5. Santa Clara
6. San Diego
7. Portland
8. Pepperdine

Notes - Without the stache, Gonzaga won't be as good, but they'll still be head and shoulders above the rest of the conference. The only way another team could sneak into the NCAA's is if Loyola Maramount, St Mary's, or San Francisco can step it up and upset them in the conference tourney.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

Matt's Final Pre-Season

1. Kansas Jayhawks - 1st Big 12
Out of more than just sheer instinct, I think Kansas will have the best season in college hoops. They are so well balanced and deep, I can hardly see them losing to anyone in the Big 12. They have crazy amounts of athleticism, a true leader in Brandon Rush, and the determination to tear it up after being thrown out the past 2 years in the first round. Their only problem might come in the middle, but that can be minimized by a more uptempo pace than most.

2. Florida Gators - 1st SEC
The defending champs are human too. They'll underestimate some opponents, they'll have some shaky games. They may have the best starting 5 in the nation, but they're not as deep as Kansas. They're a powerhouse to be sure, but I see them dropping a few games.

3. UNC Tarheels - 1st ACC
A similar situation as Kansas; a sweet recruiting class and returning most of a good team from last year. They have a leader in Tyler Hansborough, but his game is more limited than Brandon Rush's. They strike me as a powerhouse, no doubt, but they will have to eek out some close ones.

4. Arizona Wildcats - 1st Pac-10
The top 3 teams are the same in every ranking you see, but the 4th team is usually different from poll to poll. In this case, I'm going for Arizona, who a lot of people don't even have winning the Pac-10. Lute Olsen is hyping up Chase Budinger, but he's far from their only weapon. Marcus Williams and Mustafa Shakur are a year better. Ivan Radenovic will need to take a small step up. But overall I really like this team's chances.

5. Ohio State - 1st Big 10
This ranking isn't official till January comes around, when Greg Oden suits up in red. Even until then, I have confidence in the young guys to step it up and hold down the fort, being a top 15 or so team. They'll be a real threat in the NCAA tourney.

6. Georgetown - 1st Big East
Georgetown has more star power than Pittsburgh, assuming that my prediction of 7'2" Roy Hibbert rising to Aaron Gray's level comes true. Also throw into the equation that Jeff Green will be working for a high pick in the NBA draft next June, and you've got a great team, despite inexperience (not holes) in the backcourt.

7. Duke - 2nd ACC
Duke isn't going to plummet to 20th in the nation. Duke is Duke, and will be Duke for as far as I can see. McRoberts is primed for a huge year. Martynas Pocius is a sleeper for a big year. Greg Paulus is a key player for them, but it's not like they'll just be awful without him. There's just too much pure talent here.

8. UCLA - 2nd Pac-10
I believe that Farmar was this teams anchor. It seems like his loss would be absolutely devestating, but Darren Collison is gonna step in and do some good things, and Josh Shipp helps balance out the loss of Farmar. This won't be Afflalo and Mbah-Moute against the world.

9. LSU - 2nd SEC
I don't think Tyrus Thomas was that big of a loss for the Tigers. LSU still holds their anchor Big Baby Davis , but I question if his supporting cast can be consistent.

10. Pittsburgh - 2nd Big East
Aaron Gray is a force inside, no doubt, but I don't think their other players will have the great season they showed hints of last year. The loss of Krauser DOES hurt, too.

11. Boston College - 3rd ACC
Craig Smith? Sean Williams is primed.
12. Syracuse - 3rd Big East
Devendorf will shoot the rock freely without G-Mac
13. Wisconsin - 2nd Big 10
It's a gut feeling that Wisconsin can't live up to their hype. If all their talent comes together they could take the Big 10 by gaining wins on the weakened Ohio State
14. Alabama - 3rd SEC
It hurts to rate them this low, because they have a sweet sweet trio of players.
15. Texas A&M - 2nd Big 12
Jones and Law, but much more?
16. Memphis - 1st C-USA
17. UCONN - 4th Big East
18. Nevada - 1st WAC
19. Marquette - 5th Big East
20. Oklahoma State - 3rd Big 12
21. Creighton - 1st MVC
22. Kentucky - 4th SEC
23. USC - 3rd Pac-10
24. Texas - 4th Big 12
25. Villanova - 6th Big East
26. Georgia Tech - 4th ACC
27. Southern Illinois - 2nd MVC
28. Michigan - 3rd Big 10
29. San Diego State - 1st MWC
30. Washington - 4th Pac-10
31. Xavier - 1st A-10
32. Illinois - 4th Big 10
33. Oregon - 5th Pac-10
34. Tennessee - 5th SEC
35. Texas Tech - 5th Big 12
36. Wichita State - 3rd MVC
37. Gonzaga - 1st WCC
38. Hofstra - 1st CAA
39. Maryland - 5th ACC
40. Indiana - 5th Big 10
41. Florida St - 6th ACC
42. Louisville - 7th Big 12
43. Virginia - 7th ACC
44. Kansas State - 6th Big 12
45. Charlotte - 2nd A-10
46. Akron - 1st MAC
47. Air Force - 2nd MWC
48. California - 6th Pac-10
49. UMASS - 3rd A-10
50. Houston - 2nd C-USA

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Conference Rankings

With a dotted line, I've separated them teams into different tiers of which I see them finishing. For example, if there's a line above #3 and below #6, I could see the 6th place team finishing anywhere from 3rd to 6th because those teams are on a pretty equal playing field.

ACC

1. UNC - It's unanimous; UNC is primed to be a top 3 team in the nation.
2. Duke - They lost Redick, Shelden Williams, and Dockery to graduation. But this is Duke; their scars heal like Wolverine's.
3. Boston College - Losing Craig Smith won't hurt BC as bad as some people think. They can grab some monsterous wins.
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4. Georgia Tech - 4th place talent, but they could place between 3rd and 7th in the conference.
5. Florida State - Al Thornton can pick up the slack of fat-man Alexander Johnson in the paint and become a first team all-ACC'er.
6. Virginia - Strong backcourt but shaky frontcourt.
7. Maryland - Not sure what to think of this team. We'll see how they manage without crucial players Chris McCray and Caner-Medley, and see if DJ Strawberry stops playing like a fruit.
8. Virginia Tech - A bunch of decent players who should mount up and soar to greater heights!
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9. Wake Forest - Last years awful team lost its 2 best players, but I have faith in their Top 10 recruiting class.
10. Clemson - They might take down some big names, and be taken out by no-names.
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11. Miami (FL) - Depleted backcourt, lucky they're not last
12. NC State - With about a 4 player roster and a new coach, this mangled and inexperienced team will struggle violently.

Atlantic 10
1. Xavier - Experience and new big-impact players make Xavier the team to beat in the A-10 this year.
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2. Charlotte - With the loss of Curtis Withers, size and rebounding becomes a question for the 49ers. But with their sensational backcourt, they can be a major player if they only get a couple big guys to step it up
3. St Louis - There's no reason that the Billikens should take a step back this year; I think their stock is about steady.
4. UMASS - I originally had this team pegged as my ultra-sleeper. As more and more previews came out, I found I wasn't alone. Now I've turned on them. They'll take a step forward, sure, but this team is experienced only in mediocrity and they won't content for the best record in the A-10. However, they could make a run in the A-10 tourney...
5. George Washington - They lost a lot, yet somehow I feel bad ranking them this low. They could very well be a tourney team when all is said and done.
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6. Fordham - This is a good team that could take the league by surprise.
7. Dayton - They're tough inside, but they won't make a huge impact anywhere else.
8. St Joseph's - Another building year before the Hawks once again become the face of the A-10
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9. Temple - One less Mardy Collins and John Chaney = stuggles for Temple.
10. LaSalle - Their Batman and Robin have graduated. Now they will get crushed by the Joker's of the league.
11. Rhode Island - It's beyond my feeble mind how these last 4 teams will finish.
12. Duquesne - I'm not following the recovery of their players too closely, but they have a couple major impact players that could tear it up in the near future.
13. St Bonaventure - They were bad last year, and I don't see much of a turnaround
14. Richmond - They could be anywhere from 10-14.

BIG EAST
1. Georgetown - I think they'll run away with this conference. They boast one of the best frontcourts around, and they're ready to make an impact on this season
2. Pittsburgh - I'm not buying into all the Pittsburgh hype so much; I think they'll fight with Syracuse for this spot.
3. Syracuse - Without G-Mac, E-Dorf (or Eric Devendorf) has the green light to show off his excellent shot. Demetris Nichols and Darryl Watkins will step up in the frontcourt.
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4. UCONN - I can see why some are dropping UCONN to 6th and 7th, but this is still UCONN. AJ Price may be the best point guard in the nation, and their all-star recruiting class can step in.
5. Villanova - A weakened backcourt is going to slow down Villanova, but they're still a force to be reckoned with.
6. Marquette - People are getting carried away with Dominic James mania. They're going to need their shooters to step up for them to make an impact.
7. Louisville - It hurts to drop them this far, but after last year they just failed to live up to expectations, and their big time scorer is gone.
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8. St. John's - This defensive minded squad will be a minor surprise in the Big East this year.
9. DePaul - They need to stay consistent this year
10. Cincinnati - If the junior college players can step up, this scrappy team can compete for a tournament spot.
11. Providence - After a lot of thought, I've decided that Providence has the experience for a sleeper team, but doesn't really have Big East talent all around.
12. Notre Dame - The ghost of Chris Quinn haunts the Irish.
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13. West Virginia - Coming off a good NCAA tourney run, I don't think West Virginia will be ready for another one in a while.
14. Rutgers - The ghost of Quincy Douby leaves Rutgers hopeless...
15. Seton Hall - A few years away from doing anything...
16. South Florida - Recruits need to realize that this is a Big East school too.

BIG 10
1. Ohio State - I'm buying into all the Greg Oden hype. Also, I'm buying into the rest of Ohio State to hold down the fort until Oden debuts.
2. Wisconsin - A lot of talent, but they didn't prove much last year. The most disappointing of a season I can see them having is being 2nd in the weakened Big 10, though.
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3. Michigan - They have the athleticism and reason not to be the NIT team of years past. They could make a big splash this year.
4. Illinois - "In transition", although they are returning a load of talent. The loss of Dee Brown and James Augustine are rough, but outside than that, we have a well rounded team that could be the surprise of the Big 10.
5. Indiana - They're a wild card. D.J. White could disappoint if he doesn't immediately fill Killingsworth's shoes. They could finish anywhere from 3rd (which I doubt) to 7th, or even 8th behind hungry teams like Purdue and Penn State.
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6. Penn State - They're on their way up; while other teams rebuild, these guys are returning serious talent, including F Geary Claxton.
7. Michigan State - Izzo's most challenging coaching job yet. Minus their Big 3 and Matt Trannon from a mediocre MSU squad last year, it all depends on how fast the young guys are willing to step it up.
8. Iowa - They'll build around guard Adam Haluska, who's really all that remains from that surprising Iowa squad from a year ago.
9. Purdue - After being in shambles due to injuries last year, those guys are back. I can't rate them too high though, because they've proven nothing. This was a lousy team last year, and they're relying on 2 players to carry the responsibility
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10. Northwestern - A step back from the decent team that coach Bill Carmody was able to assemble.
11. Minnesota- Way too young, not ready to make any kind of noise except cries of despair and torture.

BIG 12
1. Kansas - They're so deep, talented, and athletic. After getting knocked out in the first round for the past 2 years, they are determined to step it up when March comes. Truly one of basketball's elite teams
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2. Texas A&M - A 12 seed who surprised last March, this year the expectations are high.
3. Texas - A championship team that got depleted by the NBA. Now they rely on freshman Kevin Durant to carry the load, as this young team has great talent but zero experience.
4. Oklahoma State - These rankings are based on how I think they'll do in the regular season. This team will face some inconsistencies, but come on strong at the end and be a team that can do some serious damage in the NCAA tournament.
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5. Kansas State - Bob Huggins. Cartier Martin. A guy with a long neck. These elements are what Kansas State has to work with this season.
6. Texas Tech - I liked this team a lot as a sleeper till they got rid of their star G Jarrius Jackson. I still like them, though, especially with the possibility that Jackson will return in time for conference play.
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7. Baylor - They'll be consistently good this year, and if a big named school has an off night, the Bears will pounce on the opportunity for a win.
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8. Oklahoma - A disappointing team last year is destroyed. If a young team from my bottom four develops really quickly, then Oklahoma could very well fall into their lower spot.
9. Missouri - I like Mike Anderson's philosophy, this will be a scrappy group of players who can steal some wins purely on effort.
10. Colorado - Richard Roby is their core, and outside of that core there is no one with any experience. If these players step up, Colorado will turn some heads. If not, they'll fall to 12th in a heartbeat.
11. Iowa State - They sucked last year, and their star guards are gone. Another young team that no one really knows what to think of.
12. Nebraska - I just don't like the looks of this young team. In 3 years they might make a small splash in the Big 12.

Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
1. Creighton - Nate Funk, after sitting out for last year's NIT season, is now the face of Creighton. I see them taking this conference's regular season crown with relative ease.
2. Southern Illinois - This team will be dangerous in the tournament. Returning their top 9 scores (top NINE freaking scorers) from last year's 11 seed team, I see them making a Sweet 16 run.
3. Wichita State - A shocker (lolz) from last year, this team can do damage again this year. Third is about right for them, though, after losing a couple key players to graduation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Missouri State - A screwjob; that's what it was when MO State's top 20 RPI couldn't get them into the NCAAs. This year it might be the same story; they won't take the conference, but they'll compete. Will that be enough though?
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5. Evansville - Absolutely underrated team. All 5 starters return from an improving squad, who's very well rounded and should surprise in the MVC.
6. Northern Iowa - They graduate their best player from a disappointing 05-06 club. I see them falling to the bottom half of the conference this year.
7. Drake - Bad luck last year with many losses by tiny margains. Now they're more experienced and ready to make a serious impact.
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8. Bradley - 8th looks ugly for last years Sweet 16 team, but the bottom half of the conference is pretty close-knit and they could finish anywhere from 5-10.
9. Illinois State - They're depending on a good recruiting class to put them over the edge.
10. Indiana State - They lost their one big scorer. This team will suffer.

PAC-10
1. Arizona - Lute's ready to take back the PAC, and he's got plenty of talent to do it. I'm expecting big years from Mustafa Shakur and Ivan Radenovic to complement Marcus Williams, to vault the Wildcats back into powerhouse status.
2. UCLA - Jordan Farmar doesn't replace himself. He was this team's MVP, and without him they might have a tough time.
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3. Oregon - Oregon has too much talent to have a losing record. With coach Ernie Kent in danger of losing his job, he'll need breakout seasons from his players. They can hang with anyone in the conference if they don't get al the bad breaks and miserable luck of seasons past.
4. USC - It hurts me to rank them this low, because I really like their talent. They'll have the ability to score like crazy, especially when Gabe Pruitt returns in December. They'll compete for the 3rd spot, and if Oregon fails to live up to my hype then USC will be the ones to fill in.
5. Washington - They return enough to be a solid Pac-10 team, and are hoping Spencer Hawes makes an instant impact. The young guy could feel a lot of pressure from the expectations of him having to step right in and lead them.
6. California - Even without Leon Powe, I like the looks of this team. Ayinde Ubaka will emerge as a star, and DeVon Hardin can fill Powe's spot well. They could compete for higher spots, and I don't see them finishing any lower than this.
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7. Stanford - Returning nobody that averaged more than 5 ppg from a half-decent Stanford team of last year, they'll be looking toward 2008.
8. Arizona State - I like their chances in coming years, and even right now they could surprise a few teams.
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9. Oregon State - The Beavers have a sweet sweet shooter in Sasa Cuic, and a solid returning frontcourt.
10. Washington State - New coach, loss of everyone over 10 ppg = Failing season for the Cougars.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Tony Top 66

  1. Florida - 1st SEC
  2. Kansas - 1st Big 12
  3. Georgetown - 1st Big East
  4. UNC - 1st ACC
  5. LSU - 2nd SEC
  6. Ohio State - 1st Big 10
  7. Arizona - 1st Pac 10
  8. Wisconsin - 2nd Big 10
  9. Syracuse - 2nd Big East
  10. UCLA - 2nd Pac-10
  11. Memphis - 1st C-USA
  12. Texas - 2nd Big 12
  13. Texas A&M - 3rd Big 12
  14. Boston College - 2nd ACC
  15. UCONN - 3rd Big East
  16. Nevada - 1st WAC
  17. Oklahoma State - 4th Big 12
  18. Duke - 3rd ACC
  19. Pittsburgh - 4th Big East
  20. Tennessee - 3rd SEC
  21. Penn State - 3rd Big 10
  22. Xavier - 1st A-10
  23. Villanova - 5th Big East
  24. Alabama - 4th SEC
  25. Gonzaga - 1st WCC
  26. Marquette - 6th big East
  27. Louisville - 7th Big East
  28. Washington - 3rd Pac-10
  29. Kentucky - 5th SEC
  30. So Illinois - 1st MVC
  31. Illinois - 4th Big 10
  32. Creighton - 2nd MVC
  33. Hofstra - 1st CAA
  34. Georgia Tech - 4th ACC
  35. Wichita State - 3rd MVC
  36. Michigan State - 5th Big 10
  37. Indiana - 6th Big 10
  38. Mississippi St - 6th SEC
  39. USC - 4th Pac-10
  40. Michigan - 7th Big 10
  41. San Diego State - 1st MWC
  42. Kansas State - 5th Big 12
  43. Virginia - 5th ACC
  44. Rice - 2nd C-Usa
  45. Akron - 1st MAC
  46. Georgia - 7th SEC
  47. Florida State - 6th ACC
  48. Arkansas - 8th SEC
  49. Oregon - 5th Pac-10
  50. Texas Tech - 6th Big 12
  51. California - 6th Pac 10
  52. Maryland - 7th ACC
  53. Air Force - 2nd MWC
  54. Old Dominion - 2nd CAA
  55. Oklahoma - 7th Big 12
  56. Houston - 3rd C-Usa
  57. UMASS - 2nd A-10
  58. Fresno State - 2nd WAC
  59. Charlotte - 3rd A-10
  60. Western Michigan - 2nd MAC
  61. DePaul - 8th Big East
  62. Baylor - 8th Big 12
  63. St John's - 9th Big East
  64. St Louis - 4th A-10
  65. Bucknell - 1st Patriot
  66. George Washington - 5th A-10

Journalist's Word - With all of these bright teams, we are sure to have another great and exciting season of College Basketball.

Thank you and enjoy the season!
Tony Heyser

Monday, October 23, 2006

Pre-season Top 130

As if enough teams to fill up one NCAA tournament bracket wasn't enough, Matt Hamilton has DOUBLED the top 65 into a top 130, while also making some crucial changes around the top (and throwing in 9 other teams). This will be Matt's largest and maybe last pre-season ranking, and rankings will come weekly on Fridays after the start of the regular season.

List of edits made on November 3rd

  1. Kansas - 1st Big 12
  2. Florida - 1st SEC
  3. UNC - 1st ACC
  4. Arizona - 1st Pac-10
  5. Ohio St - 1st Big 10
  6. Georgetown - 1st Big East
  7. Duke - 2nd ACC
  8. LSU - 2nd SEC
  9. Pittsburgh - 2nd Big East
  10. UCLA - 2nd Pac-10
  11. Boston College - 3rd ACC
  12. Wisconsin - 2nd Big 10
  13. Syracuse - 3rd Big East
  14. Alabama - 3rd SEC
  15. Texas A&M - 2nd Big 12
  16. Memphis - 1st C-USA
  17. UCONN - 4th Big East
  18. Nevada - 1st WAC
  19. Oklahoma St - 3th Big 12
  20. Creighton - 1st MVC
  21. Marquette - 6th Big East
  22. Texas - 4rd Big 12
  23. Georgia Tech- 4th ACC
  24. USC - 3rd Pac-10
  25. Kentucky - 4th SEC
  26. Villanova - 5th Big East
  27. So. Illinois - 2nd MVC
  28. Xavier - 1st A-10
  29. Michigan - 3rd Big 10
  30. San Diego St - 1st MWC
  31. Illinois - 4th Big 10
  32. Washington - 4th Pac-10
  33. Tennessee - 5th SEC
  34. Oregon - 5th Pac-10
  35. Texas Tech - 5th Big 12
  36. Wichita State - 3rd MVC
  37. Hofstra - 1st CAA
  38. Gonzaga - 1st WCC
  39. Louisville - 7th Big East
  40. Maryland - 5th ACC
  41. Indiana - 5th Big 10
  42. Florida St - 6th ACC
  43. Kansas St - 6th Big 12
  44. Virginia - 7th ACC
  45. Akron - 1st MAC
  46. Charlotte - 2nd A-10
  47. Air Force - 2nd MWC
  48. UMASS - 3rd A-10
  49. California - 6th Pac-10
  50. Houston - 2nd C-USA
  51. Penn State - 6th Big 10
  52. Winthrop - 1st Big South
  53. St Louis - 4th A-10
  54. Missouri State - 4th MVC
  55. Virginia Tech- 8th ACC
  56. Fresno State - 2nd WAC
  57. Baylor - 7th Big 12
  58. St John's - 8th Big East
  59. BYU - 3rd MWC
  60. DePaul - 9th Big East
  61. Michigan St - 7th Big 10
  62. Old Dominion - 2nd CAA
  63. Oklahoma - 8th Big 12
  64. Mississippi St - 6th SEC
  65. New Mexico St - 3rd WAC
  66. George Washington - 5th A-10
  67. Cincinnati - 10th Big East
  68. Bucknell - 1st Patriot
  69. George Mason - 3rd CAA
  70. Marist - 1st MAAC
  71. Stanford - 7th Pac-10
  72. Rice - 3rd C-USA
  73. Toledo - 2nd MAC
  74. Vanderbilt - 7th SEC
  75. Arkansas - 8th SEC
  76. New Mexico - 4th MWC
  77. Ohio - 3rd MAC
  78. Providence - 11th Big East
  79. Iowa - 8th Big 10
  80. Clemson - 9th ACC
  81. Arizona State - 8th Pac-10
  82. UAB - 4th C-USA
  83. Purdue - 9th Big 10
  84. Utah State - 4th WAC
  85. Missouri - 9th Big 12
  86. Georgia - 9th SEC
  87. Utah - 5th MWC
  88. Notre Dame - 12th Big East
  89. Long Beach State - 1st Big West
  90. South Carolina - 10th SEC
  91. Wake Forest - 10th ACC
  92. Loyola Maramount - 2nd WCC
  93. Pennsylvania - 1st Ivy
  94. Northern Illinois - 4th MAC
  95. Loyola Chicago - 1st Horizon
  96. Northern Iowa - 5th MVC
  97. UNLV - 6th MWC
  98. St Mary's - 3rd WCC
  99. West Virginia - 13th Big East
  100. UNC-Wilmington - 4th CAA
  101. Fordham - 6th A-10
  102. Hawaii - 5th WAC
  103. Northern Arizona - 1st Big Sky
  104. Cal St Fullerton - 2nd Big West
  105. Colorado - 10th Big 12
  106. Eastern Washington - 2nd Big Sky
  107. IUPUI - 1st Mid-Con
  108. San Francisco - 4th WCC
  109. Auburn - 11th SEC
  110. Drexel - 5th CAA
  111. Evansville - 6th MVC
  112. Western Kentucky - 1st Sun Belt
  113. Dayton - 7th A-10
  114. Rutgers - 14th Big East
  115. Vermont - 1st America East
  116. Iowa State - 11th Big 12
  117. Virginia Commonwealth - 6th CAA
  118. Drake - 7th MVC
  119. Tulsa - 5th C-USA
  120. Oral Roberts - 2nd Mid-Con
  121. Miami Ohio - 5th MAC
  122. Northwestern - 10th Big 10
  123. Western Michigan - 6th MAC
  124. Colorado State - 7th MWC
  125. Bradley - 8th MVC
  126. College of Charleston - 1st Southern
  127. Kent State - 7th MAC
  128. Butler - 2nd Horizon
  129. Albany - 2nd America East
  130. UTEP - 6th C-USA
  131. St. Joe's - 8th A-10
  132. Sam Houston State - 1st Southland
  133. Murray State - 1st OVC
  134. Temple - 9th A-10
  135. Boise State - 6th WAC
  136. Montana - 3rd Big Sky
  137. Holy Cross - 2nd Patriot
  138. Oregon State - 9th Pac-10
  139. Miami FL - 11th ACC
  140. Pacific - 3rd Big West

Saturday, October 14, 2006

Conference Rankings

ACC
1. UNC - It's unanimous; UNC is primed to be a top 3 team in the nation.
2. Duke - They lost Redick, Shelden Williams, and Dockery to graduation. But this is Duke; their scars heal like Wolverine's.
3. Boston College - Losing Craig Smith won't hurt BC as bad as some people think. They can grab some monsterous wins.
4. Georgia Tech - 4th place talent, but they could place between 3rd and 7th in the conference.
5. Florida State - Al Thornton can pick up the slack of fat-man Alexander Johnson in the paint and become a first team all-ACC'er.
6. Virginia - Strong backcourt but shaky frontcourt.
7. Maryland - Not sure what to think of this team. We'll see how they manage without crucial players Chris McCray and Caner-Medley, and see if DJ Strawberry stops playing like a fruit.
8. Virginia Tech - A bunch of decent players who should mount up and soar to greater heights!
9. Wake Forest - Last years awful team lost its 2 best players, but I have faith in their Top 10 recruiting class.
10. Clemson - They might take down some big names, and be taken out by no-names.
11. Miami (FL) - Depleted backcourt, lucky they're not last
12. NC State - With about a 4 player roster and a new coach, this mangled and inexperienced team will struggle violently.

Atlantic 10
1. Xavier - Experience and new big-impact players make Xavier the team to beat in the A-10 this year.
2. Charlotte - With the loss of Curtis Withers, size and rebounding becomes a question for the 49ers. But with their sensational backcourt, they can be a major player if they only get a couple big guys to step it up
3. St Louis - There's no reason that the Billikens should take a step back this year; I think their stock is about steady.
4. UMASS - I originally had this team pegged as my ultra-sleeper. As more and more previews came out, I found I wasn't alone. Now I've turned on them. They'll take a step forward, sure, but this team is experienced only in mediocrity and they won't content for the best record in the A-10. However, they could make a run in the A-10 tourney...
5. George Washington - They lost a lot, yet somehow I feel bad ranking them this low. They could very well be a tourney team when all is said and done.
6. Fordham - This is a good team that could take the league by surprise.
7. Dayton - They're tough inside, but they won't make a huge impact anywhere else.
8. St Joseph's - Another building year before the Hawks once again become the face of the A-10
9. Duquesne - I'm not following the recovery of their players too closely, but they have a couple major impact players that could tear it up in the near future.
10. Temple - One less Mardy Collins and John Chaney = stuggles for Temple.
11. Rhode Island - It's beyond my feeble mind how these last 4 teams will finish.
12. LaSalle - Their Batman and Robin have graduated. Now they will get crushed by the Joker's of the league.
13. St Bonaventure - They were bad last year, and I don't see much of a turnaround
14. Richmond - They could be anywhere from 10-14.

BIG EAST
1. Georgetown - I think they'll run away with this conference. They boast one of the best frontcourts around, and they're ready to make an impact on this season
2. Pittsburgh - I'm not buying into all the Pittsburgh hype so much; I think they'll fight with Syracuse for this spot.
3. Syracuse - Without G-Mac, E-Dorf (or Eric Devendorf) has the green light to show off his excellent shot. Demetris Nichols and Darryl Watkins will step up in the frontcourt.
4. UCONN - I can see why some are dropping UCONN to 6th and 7th, but this is still UCONN. AJ Price may be the best point guard in the nation, and their all-star recruiting class can step in.
5. Villanova - A weakened backcourt is going to slow down Villanova, but they're still a force to be reckoned with.
6. Marquette - People are getting carried away with Dominic James mania. They're going to need their shooters to step up for them to make an impact.
7. Louisville - It hurts to drop them this far, but after last year they just failed to live up to expectations, and their big time scorer is gone.
8. St. John's - This defensive minded squad will be a minor surprise in the Big East this year.
9. DePaul - They need to stay consistent this year
10. Cincinnati - If the junior college players can step up, this scrappy team can compete for a tournament spot.
11. Providence - After a lot of thought, I've decided that Providence has the experience for a sleeper team, but doesn't really have Big East talent all around.
12. Notre Dame - The ghost of Chris Quinn haunts the Irish.
13. West Virginia - Coming off a good NCAA tourney run, I don't think West Virginia will be ready for another one in a while.
14. Rutgers - The ghost of Quincy Douby leaves Rutgers hopeless...
15. Seton Hall - A few years away from doing anything...
16. South Florida - Recruits need to realize that this is a Big East school too.

BIG 10
1. Ohio State - I'm buying into all the Greg Oden hype. Also, I'm buying into the rest of Ohio State to hold down the fort until Oden debuts.
2. Wisconsin - A lot of talent, but they didn't prove much last year. The most disappointing of a season I can see them having is being 2nd in the weakened Big 10, though.
3. Michigan - They have the athleticism and reason not to be the NIT team of years past. They could make a big splash this year.
4. Illinois - "In transition", although they are returning a load of talent. The loss of Dee Brown and James Augustine are rough, but outside than that, we have a well rounded team that could be the surprise of the Big 10.
5. Indiana - They're a wild card. D.J. White could disappoint if he doesn't immediately fill Killingsworth's shoes. They could finish anywhere from 3rd (which I doubt) to 7th, or even 8th behind hungry teams like Purdue and Penn State.
6. Penn State - They're on their way up; while other teams rebuild, these guys are returning serious talent, including F Geary Claxton.
7. Michigan State - Izzo's most challenging coaching job yet. Minus their Big 3 and Matt Trannon from a mediocre MSU squad last year, it all depends on how fast the young guys are willing to step it up.
8. Iowa - They'll build around guard Adam Haluska, who's really all that remains from that surprising Iowa squad from a year ago.
9. Purdue - After being in shambles due to injuries last year, those guys are back. I can't rate them too high though, because they've proven nothing. This was a lousy team last year, and they're relying on 2 players to carry the responsibility
10. Northwestern - A step back from the decent team that coach Bill Carmody was able to assemble.
11. Minnesota- Way too young, not ready to make any kind of noise except cries of despair and torture.

Missouri Valley Conference (MVC)
1. Creighton - Nate Funk, after sitting out for last year's NIT season, is now the face of Creighton. I see them taking this conference's regular season crown with relative ease.
2. Southern Illinois - This team will be dangerous in the tournament. Returning their top 9 scores (top NINE freaking scorers) from last year's 11 seed team, I see them making a Sweet 16 run.
3. Wichita State - A shocker (lolz) from last year, this team can do damage again this year. Third is about right for them, though, after losing a couple key players to graduation.
4. Missouri State - A screwjob; that's what it was when MO State's top 20 RPI couldn't get them into the NCAAs. This year it might be the same story; they won't take the conference, but they'll compete. Will that be enough though?
5. Evansville - Absolutely underrated team. All 5 starters return from an improving squad, who's very well rounded and should surprise in the MVC.
6. Northern Iowa - They graduate their best player from a disappointing 05-06 club. I see them falling to the bottom half of the conference this year.
7. Drake - Bad luck last year with many losses by tiny margains. Now they're more experienced and ready to make a serious impact.
8. Illinois State - They're depending on a good recruiting class to put them over the edge.
9. Bradley - 9 looks ugly for last years Sweet 16 team, but the bottom half of the conference is pretty close-knit and they could finish anywhere from 5-10.
10. Indiana State - They lost their one big scorer. This team will suffer.

PAC-10
1. Arizona - Lute's ready to take back the PAC, and he's got plenty of talent to do it. I'm expecting big years from Mustafa Shakur and Ivan Radenovic to complement Marcus Williams, to vault the Wildcats back into powerhouse status.
2. UCLA - Jordan Farmar doesn't replace himself. He was this team's MVP, and without him they might have a tough time.
3. Oregon - Oregon has too much talent to have a losing record. With coach Ernie Kent in danger of losing his job, he'll need breakout seasons from his players. They can hang with anyone in the conference if they don't get al the bad breaks and miserable luck of seasons past.
4. USC - It hurts me to rank them this low, because I really like their talent. They'll have the ability to score like crazy, especially when Gabe Pruitt returns in December. They'll compete for the 3rd spot, and if Oregon fails to live up to my hype then USC will be the ones to fill in.
5. Washington - They return enough to be a solid Pac-10 team, and are hoping Spencer Hawes makes an instant impact. The young guy could feel a lot of pressure from the expectations of him having to step right in and lead them.
6. California - Even without Leon Powe, I like the looks of this team. Ayinde Ubaka will emerge as a star, and DeVon Hardin can fill Powe's spot well. They could compete for higher spots, and I don't see them finishing any lower than this.
7. Stanford - Returning nobody that averaged more than 5 ppg from a half-decent Stanford team of last year, they'll be looking toward 2008.
8. Arizona State - I like their chances in coming years, and even right now they could surprise a few teams.
9. Oregon State - The Beavers have a sweet sweet shooter in Sasa Cuic, and a solid returning frontcourt.
10. Washington State - New coach, loss of everyone over 10 ppg = Failing season for the Cougars.
MATT HAMILTON PRESEASON TOP 65
last updated October 14

1. Kansas - 1st Big 12
2. Florida - 1st SEC
3. UNC - 1st ACC
4. Arizona - 1st Pac 10
5. LSU - 2nd SEC
6. Georgetown - 1st Big East
7. Ohio State - 1st Big 10
8. Alabama - 3rd SEC
9. Duke - 2nd ACC
10. UCLA - 2nd Pac 10
11. Wisconsin - 2nd Big 10
12. Boston College - 3rd ACC
13. Pittsburgh - 2nd Big East
14. Syracuse - 3rd Big East
15. Texas A&M - 2nd Big 12
16. Nevada - 1st WAC
17. UCONN - 4th Big East
18. Oklahoma St. - 3rd Big 12
19. Villanova - 5th Big East
20. Texas - 4th Big 12
21. Creighton - 1st MVC
22. Memphis - 1st C-USA
23. USC - 3rd Pac 10
24. So. Illinois - 2nd MVC
25. Marquette - 6th Big East
26. Washington - 4th PAC 10
27. Kentucky - 4th SEC
28. Michigan - 3rd Big 10
29. Georgia Tech - 4th ACC
30. Tennessee - 5th SEC
31. Hofstra - 1st CAA
32. Wichita St - 3rd MVC
33. Louisville - 7th Big East
34. Texas Tech- 5th Big 12
35. Florida State - 5th ACC
36. Gonzaga - 1st WCC
37. Illinois - 4th Big 10
38. Xavier - 1st A-10
39. San Diego State - 1st MWC
40. Virginia - 6th ACC
41. Indiana - 5th Big 10
42. Kansas State - 6th Big 12
43. Akron - 1st MAC
44. Oregon - 5th Pac 10
45. Fresno St - 2nd WAC
46. Charlotte - 2nd A-10
47. Arkansas - 7th SEC
48. Houston - 2nd C-USA
49. Oklahoma - 7th Big 12
50. Penn St - 6th Big 10
51. Baylor - 8th Big 12
52. Maryland - 7th ACC
53. Michigan St. - 7th Big 10
54. St John's - 8th Big East
55. St Louis - 3rd A-10
56. New Mexico St - 3rd WAC
57. DePaul - 9th Big East
58. Missouri State - 4th MVC
59. UMASS - 4th A-10
60. Old Dominion - 2nd CAA
61. Providence - 10th Big East
62. Virginia Tech - 8th ACC
63. California - 6th Pac 10
64. Air Force - 2nd MWC
65. George Washington - 5th A-10

Sunday, September 24, 2006

October 7 - Matt Hamilton's Top 50 and more...

#. Team - Projected record

1. Kansas - 30-1
2. Florida - 28-3
3. UNC - 27-4
4. Arizona
5. LSU
6. Ohio St - 24-5
7. Georgetown
8. Alabama
9. Duke - 24-6
10. UCLA
11. Texas A&M
12. Wisconsin
13. Pittsburgh
14. Oklahoma St - 22-9
15. Boston College
16. UCONN
17. Syracuse
18. Nevada
19. Texas
20. Tennessee
21. Memphis
22. Washington
23. Louisville
24. Creighton
25. Villanova
26. Michigan
27. Florida St
28. So Illinois
29. USC
30. Gonzaga
31. Georgia Tech
32. Hofstra
33. Marquette
34. Kentucky
35. Wichita St
36. Kansas St
37. Virginia
38. Indiana
39. Texas tech - 19-10
40. Oregon
41. Michigan St - 17-13
42. Xavier
43. San Diego St
44. Fresno St
45. Illinois
46. Charlotte
47. Arkansas
48. Houston
49. Providence
50. Oklahoma

Next 10 - UMAS, Maryland, George Washington, Virginia Tech, New Mexico St, Akron, Old DOminion, Baylor, St John's, BYU

..back to index

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

TONY HEYSER'S PREDICTIONS

1. Kansas
2. Florida
3. LSU
4. North Carolina
5. UCLA
6. Texas A&M
7. Wisconsin
8. Duke
9. Ohio State
10. Alabama
11. Oklahoma St.
12. Arizona
13. Washington
14. Louisville
15. Pittsburgh
16. Tennessee
17. Georgetown
18. Texas Tech
19. So. Illinois
20. Syracuse
21. Nevada
22. Gonzaga
23. Texas
24. Georgia Tech
25. Boston College
26. Michigan State
27. Kentucky
28. Florida State
29. Xavier
30. Memphis
31. UCONN
32. Michigan
33. Villanova
34. Indiana
35. Marquette
36. Creighton
37. Illinois
38. South Carolina
39. Hofstra
40. Bucknell
41. Kansas St
42. San Diego St
43. Maryland
44. Charlotte
45. Oregon
46. Baylor
47. Arkansas
48. UMASS
49. USC
50. Notre Dame

Thursday, July 20, 2006

PRE-SEASON TOP 128 TEAMS in college basketball...

1. Kansas - 1st in Big 12
2. Ohio State - 1st in Big 10
3. UNC - 1st in ACC
4. Florida - 1st in SEC
5. UCLA - 1st in PAC 10
6. LSU - 2nd in SEC
7. Duke - 2nd in ACC
8. Texas A&M - 2nd in Big 12
9. Georgetown - 1st in Big East
10. Arizona - 2nd in PAC 10
11. Wisconsin - 2nd in Big 10
12. Alabama - 3rd in SEC
13. Tennessee - 4th in SEC
14. Pittsburgh - 2nd in Big East
15. Oklahoma St - 3rd in Big 12
16. Louisville - 3rd in Big East
17. UCONN - 4th in Big East
18. Texas - 4th in Big 12
19. Villanova - 5th in Big East
20. Boston Coll. - 3rd in ACC
21. Nevada - 1st in WAC
22. Syracuse - 6th in Big East
23. So. Illinois - 1st in MVC
24. Georgia Tech - 4th in ACC
25. Michigan - 3rd in Big 10
26. Maryland - 5th in ACC
27. Indiana - 4th in Big 10
28. USC -3rd in PAC 10
29. Memphis - 1st in C-USA
30. Washington - 4th in PAC 10
31. Florida St - 6th in ACC
32. Kentucky - 5th in SEC
33. Texas Tech - 5th in Big 12
34. Charlotte - 1st in Atlantic 10
35. Oregon - 5th in PAC 10
36. Kansas St - 6th in Big 12
37. Michigan St - 5th in Big 10
38. San Diego St - 1st in MWC
39. Marquette - 7th in Big East
40. Creighton - 2nd in MVC
41. Virginia - 7th in ACC
42. Fresno St - 2nd in WAC
43. Illinois - 6th in Big 10
44. Hofstra - 1st in CAA
45. Gonzaga - 1st in WCC
46. Houston - 2nd in C-USA
47. Virginia Tech - 8th in ACC
48. Notre Dame - 8th in Big East
49. Xavier - 2nd in A-10
50. Stanford - 6th in PAC 10
51. akron - 1st in MAC
52. Iowa - 7th in Big 10
53. UMASS - 3rd in A-10
54. Cal St Fullerton - 1st in Big West
55. UAB - 3rd in C-USA
56. Wichita St - 3rd in MVC
57. California - 7th in PAC 10
58. Baylor - 7th in Big 12
59. Providence - 9th in Big East
60. Old Dominion - 2nd in CAA
61. Oklahoma - 8th in Big 12
62. Arkansas - 6th in SEC
63. Arizona St - 8th in PAC 10
64. George Mason - 3rd in CAA
65. Bucknell - 1st in Patriot League
66. West Virginia - 10th in Big East
67. Ohio - 2nd in MAC
68. South Carolina - 7th in SEC
69. Loyola Chicago - 1st in Horizon
70. George Washington - 4th in A-10
71. Vanderbilt - 8th in SEC
72. Colorado - 9th in Big 12
73. St John's - 11th in Big East
74. Rice - 4th in C-USA
75. Air Force - 2nd in MWC
76. New Mexico St - 3rd in WAC
77. Miami OH - 3rd in MAC
78. Nebraska - 10th in Big 12
79. St Louis - 5th in A-10
80. Georgia - 9th in SEC
81. Winthrop - 1st in Big South
82. DePaul - 12th in Big East
83. Mississippi St - 10th in SEC
84. San Francisco - 2nd in WCC
85. UNC Wilmington - 4th in CAA
86. Missouri - 13th in Big 12
87. Toledo - 4th in MAC
88. Murray St - 1st in OVC
89. Rutgers - 13th in Big East
90. W Kentucky - 1st in Sun Belt
91. Butler - 2nd in Horizon
92. Manhattan - 1st in MAAC
93. IUPUI - 1st in Mid-Con
94. Utah - 3rd in MWC
95. Northwestern - 8th in Big 10
96. Louisiana Tech - 4th in WAC
97. Clemson - 9th in ACC
98. Long Beach St - 2nd in Big West
99. Evansville - 4th in MVC
100. NC State - 10th in ACC
101. Northern Iowa - 5th in MVC
102. Penn - 1st in Ivy
103. E Washington - 1st in Big Sky
104. Seton Hall - 14th in Big East
105. St. Joseph's - 6th in A-10
106. Tulsa - 5th in C-USA
107. Loyola Maramount - 3rd in WCC
108. Cincinnati - 15th in Big East
109. Fordham - 7th in A-10
110. Auburn - 11th in SEC
111. Belmont - 1st in Atlantic Sun
112. Missouri State - 6th in MVC
113. Penn St - 9th in Big 10
114. Drexel - 5th in CAA
115. Wake Forest - 11th in ACC
116. VA Commonwealth - 6th in CAA
117. UW-Green Bay - 3rd in Horizon League
118. St. Mary's - 4th in WCC
119. Marist - 2nd in MAAC
120. Purdue - 10th in Big 10
121. Coll of Charleston - 1st in Southern
122. Albany - 1st in America East
123. Montana - 2nd in Big Sky
124. Western Michigan - 5th in MAC
125. Washington State - 9th in PAC 10
126. Miami - 12th in ACC
127. Pacific - 3rd in Big West
128. Iowa State - 12th in Big 12

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Matt Hamilton's Field of 65. July 9, '06.

(moves up from last update in BOLD, moves down in italics)

1. Kansas, UNC, Ohio St, LSU
2. Florida, UCLA, Duke, Georgetown
3. Texas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Tennessee
4. Oklahoma St, Louisvile, UCONN, Alabama
5. Boston Coll, Texas A&M, Washington, Syracuse
6. Nevada, Villanova, Geo Tech, Pitt
7. Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, So Illinois
8. Charlotte, Virginia, San Diego St, Indiana
9. Memphis, USC, Florida St, Texas Tech
10. Kansas St, Xavier, Oregon, Illinois
11. Fresno St, Wichita St, Creighton, Hofstra
12. Loyola-Chicago, Akron, Notre Dame, Houston
13. CS-Fullerton, UMASS, New Orleans, Gonzaga
14. Manhattan, Winthrop, Bucknell, E Washington
15. Pennsylvania, Sam Houston St, Albany, Murray St
16. Belmont, Long Island, Coll Charleston, Jackson St, IUPUI

Why LSU filled Florida's #1 spot - People forget that Florida wasn't THAT great in the regular season. I think more than being the best team in the nation, Florida just got a lot of good match-ups. I predict a sweet 16 upset of Florida next year.

I feel like LSU has the rough tools to grab games down the stretch, and Big Baby's new physique will help him be a bigger force overall.

Also, Villanova moved up two spots because I felt like I underrated the Big East in general, plus, even with their big underclassman loss of Kyle Lowry, they have plenty of talent to make up for it.

I'm feeling like the Big 12 will be the best conference in college hoops this coming season. There's no way Kansas will let Oklahoma St or Texas A&M overtake them, but those two schools will be in a rough battle for 2nd or 3rd in the conference. Right now, I don't know what to think of Texas. With the loss of their starting five, will they have enough talent returning? Right now, they cling to the third seed because I don't see any other team on the top 12 level right now.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

4th of July - Field of 64 Update
by Matt Hamilton

1. Kansas, UNC, Ohio St, Florida
2. LSU, UCLA, Duke, Georgetown
3. Texas, Wisconsin, Arizona, Tennessee
4. Oklahoma St, Louisvile, UCONN, Texas A&M
5. Boston Coll, Alabama, Washington, Syracuse
6. Nevada, Michigan, Geo Tech, Pitt
7. Kentucky, Maryland, Virgina, So Illinois
8. Charlotte, Villanova, San Diego St, Indiana
9. Memphis, USC, Florida St, Texas Tech
10. Kansas St, Xavier, Notre Dame, Illinois
11. Oregon, Wichita St, Creighton, Hofstra
12. Loyola-Chicago, Akron, Fresno St, Houston
13. CS-Fullerton, UMASS, New Orleans, Gonzaga
14. Manhattan, Winthrop, Bucknell, E Washington
15. Pennsylvania, Sam Houston St, Albany, Murray St
16. Belmont, Long Island, Coll Charleston, Jackson St, IUPUI

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

MATT HAMILTON EARLY TOP 75 TEAMS

1. Kansas
2. UNC
3. Texas
4. Ohio State
5. FLorida
6. Duke
7. UCLA
8. Arizona
9. LSU
10. Wisconsin
11. Georgetown
12. Memphis
13. Oklahoma State
14. Villanova
15. Louisville
16. Georgia Tech
17. Texas A&M
18. UCONN
19. Boston College
20. Alabama
21. Syracuse
22. Tennessee
23. Indiana
24. Kentucky
25. Southern Illinois
26. Xavier
27. Washington
28. California
29. Michigan
30. Florida St
31. Marquette
32. USC
33. UMASS
34. Texas Tech
35. Pittsburgh
36. Rutgers
37. San Diego St
38. Illinois
39. Notre Dame
40. Hofstra
41. Oregon
42. Virginia Tech
43. Gonzaga
44. George Washington
45. Maryland
46. Kansas St
47. UAB
48. Michigan St
49. Fresno State
50. Manhattan
51. Virginia
52. Louisiana Tech
53. Nevada
54. Houston
55. Vanderbilt
56. Eastern Washington
57. South Carolina
58. Wichita St
59. Charlotte
60. DePaul
61. Winthrop
62. Creighton
63. Old Dominion
64. Miami
65. Akron
66. Oklahoma
67. Ohio
68. Colorado
69. Bucknell
70. Missouri
71. Temple
72. Butler
73. Georgia
74. Baylor
75. Stanford

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

MAY 3 UPDATE
Matt's Hamilton's new field of 65

1. Kansas, UNC, Ohio St, Florida
2. Texas, Duke, Wisconsin, UCLA
3. LSU, Memphis, Villanova, Georgetown
4. Arizona, UCONN, So. Illinois, Tennessee
5. Oklahoma St, Washington, Boston College, California
6. Syracuse, Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech
7. Pittsburgh, Louisville, Kentucky, Indiana
8. Michigan, Florida St, San diego st, Virginia
9. Marquette, USC, Xavier, Rutgers
10. Mich St, Creighton, Kansas St, Texas Tech
11. Louisiana Tech, Hofstra, Gonzaga, Nevada
12. Butler, Houston, Akron , UMASS
13. Wichita St, Bucknell, Long Beach St, Miami OH
14. Manhattan, E Washington, Sam Hou St, Samford
15. Albany, Princeton, Delaware St, Winthrop
16. IUPUI, Jackson st, Belmont, Coll of Charleston, Robert Morris

OUT: Charlotte, Illinois, Stanford, UAB, Nevada, Hawaii, Virginia Tech, Fresno St, Cincinnati, Air Force, G Wash, Missou St, South Caroline, Arkansas, Vanderbilt

Monday, May 01, 2006

MAY 1 UPDATE
Tony Heyser's Field of 64

1. UNC, Kansas, Florida, Ohio State
2. Texas, UCLA, Georgetown, LSU
3. Duke, UCONN, Villanova, Boston College
4. Memphis, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Arizona
5. Southern Illinois, Texas A&M, Wisconsin, Florida State
6. Notre Dame, Kentucky, Illinois, West Virgina
7. MSU, Washington, Virginia Tech, San Diego State
8. Xavier, Tennessee, Iowa, Stanford
9. Gonzaga, Creighton, Nevada, Oklahoma State
10. Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Houston, Vanderbilt
11. Alabama, Indiana, Louisville, Wake Forest
12. Arkansas, Bucknell, George Washington, Marquette
13. Pittsburgh, Wichita State, Winthrop, Kansas State
14. Monmouth, UW-Milwaukee, Princeton, UL-Lafayette
15. Fresno State, Valparaiso, Texas Tech, UMASS
16. UC Santa Barbara, UT-Arlington, Maine, Chaminade

Bubble: UNLV, Miami, N. Illinois, Farleigh Dickinson, UAB, Bradley, Penn, Kent St, Seton Hall, Davidson, Belmont, Albany, Oral Rob, NW state, Air Force, Montana, Southern, Harvard, George Mason, Maryland

Poop.

Sunday, April 30, 2006

APRIL 30th UPDATE, Field of 65
by Matt Hamilton

1. Kansas, UNC, Texas, Ohio State
2. Duke, Florida, LSU, UCLA
3. Wisconsin, Arizona, Villanova, Georgetown
4. Memphis, Syracuse, Southern Illinois, UCONN
5. Tennessee, Washington, Oklahoma St., Boston College
6. Alabama, Pittsburgh, Louisville, California
7. Texas A&M, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia Tech
8. Michigan St, Rutgers, San Diego St, Virginia
9. Michigan, USC, Xavier, Charlotte
10. Illinois, Creighton, Gonzaga, Kansas State
11. Louisiana Tech, Hofstra, UMASS, Butler
12. Houston, Nevada, Akron, UAB
13. Bucknell, Wichita St, Long Beach St, Miami (OH)
14. Manhattan, Sam Houston St, North Texas, E Washington
15. Princeton, Delaware St., Albany, Winthrop
16. Jackson St, IUPUI, Robert Morris, Belmont, College of Charleston

Last ones out: Marquette, Stanford, Florida St, Virginia Tech, Texas Tech, Missouri, Arkansas, Cincinnati, Montana, Hawaii, Fresno St., George Washington, Bradley, UNLV, Liberty, Air Force, Samford, Evansville.

FWOOZAH!

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