Frontcourt:

Sherron Collins is perhaps the best point guard in the land. He averaged 18.9 PPG and 5.0 APG and was the heart and soul of this team last year. Still, he needs to improve on his 1.5-to-1.0 assist to turnover ratio. The Jayhawks need sophomore Tyshawn Taylor to become the No. 3 option behind Collins and Cole Aldrich. He improved steadily last year, but was shaky in the NCAA Tournament when they needed him most. Brady Morningstar returns after starting 34 of 35 games last year, and the team is expecting more contributions from reserves Tyrel Reed, Mario Little and Travis Releford. Xavier Henry was one of the top recruits in the land and is expected to play a big role right away. Brother C.J. Henry along with Elijah Johnson are two other recruits you could hear from this season.

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Frontcourt:

Cole Aldrich is the top returning big man in the league, and one of the best in the country now that he opted out of entering the NBA Draft. He was just a role player during their 2008 National Championship run, but came back last season to average 14.9 PPG and 11.1 RPG while recording 21 double-doubles. He was also the co-Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12 with his ability to block shots and rebound. Marcus and Markieff Morris, two brothers who combined to average 12.0 PPG and 9.1 RPG, are back to help out inside. 6-9 Thomas Robinson joins the program this season, and Kansas adds 6-10 freshman center Jeff Withey who will be able to join the team at semester break after transferring from Arizona. The Jayhawks are much deeper up front than they were a year ago.

Widow’s Prediction: 1st in the Big 12

Kansas has never had a player that has won two national championships during their storied history. Collins, Aldrich and three others have a chance to accomplish that feat this season. With their top 9 scorers from a year ago returning, along with all 5 starters, there’s no reason the Jayhawks shouldn’t win the Big 12 and make a trip to the Final Four this year provided everyone stays healthy.

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Backcourt:

Iowa State must get more consistency from their guards to get the most out of stud Craig Brackins inside. They made just 34.6 percent of 3-pointers last season, ranking last in the conference. They did set a school record with 236 3-point makes last year, but clearly they weren’t efficient in doing it with their terrible percentage from distance. Lucca Steiger returns after making 74 3-point baskets while shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. Diante Garrett shot just 22 percent from distance last year, but he did average 9.8 PPG and 5.0 APG as one of the top distributors in the Big 12. Dominique Buckley and Charles Boozer, brother of Utah Jazz F Carlos Boozer, each saw action as reserves last year. Scott Christopherson, Chris Colvin and Marquis Gilstrap will all compete for playing time. Christopherson transferred from Marquette, and Colvin was a Top 100 recruit by many sources. ESPN ranked Gilstrap as the 26th best prospect in the country after he averaged 22.6 PPG and 10.1 RPG at Gulf Coast Community College.

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Frontcourt:

Brackins averaged 20.2 PPG and 9.5 RPG while registering 15 double-doubles last season. He opted out of entering the NBA Draft, making him the fourth-leading returning scorer in the country. Brackins worked on improving his skills in the offseason to make himself a better NBA prospect, most importantly improving his perimeter game. Reserve Alex Thompson is the only big man gone from last season, with sophomore Justin Hamilton and senior Jamie Vanderbeken both returning. At 6-11, Vanderbeken is a tough match-up for opposing teams after leading the Cyclones by making 40.7% of his 3-point attempts. L.A. Pomlee, top recruit LaRon Dendy and also Gilstrap are all capable contributors up front.

Widow’s Prediction: 7th in the Big 12

This conference will be one of the best, if not the best in the country, so big improvements are unlikely. But expect the Cylcones to finish with a winning record and at least 6 conference wins this year as opposed to the 4 they recorded last season. With Brackins inside, they have one of the best players in the country to build around. Key recruit Gilstrap is a beast and is exactly the kind of player they need to compliment Brackins. Guard play will tell the story as to whether or not the Cyclones can make a bigger leap in the Big 12.

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Key Departures:

Chris Lofton was the teams captain, heart and soul off and on the court, their leading scorer and franchise record setter from behind the line. Lofton averaged 15.5 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists per game in his senior season.

JaJuan Smith was a very important asset to this teams success last year. The 6′2 guard averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. An energetic presence and a guy that was never afraid to take a big shot.

Ramar Smith controlled the point most of the time. He was dismissed from the team this offseason. He limited his turnovers and was a good guy to have the ball in crucial situations.  You can pick up a $20 free play that you can use to do some college basketball betting this season when you open a new account with Sportsbook.com.

With the dismissal of Ramar Smith, the most immediate fix must be the point guard position. Bobby Maze is the guy everybody is raving about. He takes over full time as the starter and will look to improve on the 8 points per game he averaged last year not to mention he needs to see the floor better. Tyler Smith is the main feature this team has to offer. He averaged 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists per game last year and was without a doubt the teams go to guy. The player to focus on improvement wise will be Scotty Hopson. The one time McDonald’s All-American was far to inconsistent last year. He’d show signs of greatness vs. teams like South Carolina and Gonzaga but never put it all together.Also, his shooting was sub par and that is being generous. None the less this team is stacked with talent, athleticism and a head coach who is as good as any. Expect big things from the Vols.

Prediction for Tennessee: 2nd in the SEC and a Sweet Sixteen appearance.

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Key Departures:

Key is a strong word for the loss of these two players which is a strong reason for the Gamecocks high praise this off season. Guard Branden Conrad played 23 minutes a game last season averaging 3.5 points, 2.5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals per game. Unlike Conrad, losing Zam Fredrick will be more of an court obstacle as he averaged 15.5 points, 2 assists and 3 rebounds per game. The 6′0 guard played along side potential All-American candidate Devan Downey. Fredrick’s presence will be missed.

The Gamecocks are full of Backcourt talent. Senior stud guard Devan Downey is as dominant a scorer/finisher that you’ll see this season. He averaged 20 points per game last season along with 4.5 assists and 3 rebounds. What impresses me about him the most is his best performances seem to come in big sports and vs. top competition. Fredrick’s absence will be visible early in the season until they can establish consistency from another guard, preferably Brandis Raley-Ross who is slated to start the season along side Downey.  Get a $500 match bonus that you can use for your NCAA basketball betting this season when you open a new account with BetUS and deposit $500 or more.

Mike Holmes and Sam Muldrow start in the frontcourt as returning juniors. Last season Muldrow averaged 5 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks per game as the 6′9 F/C showed signs of promise and at times signs of confusion on the court. In order to keep his starting job he will need to play at a high level this year as Austin Steed is a very capable bench player that might take over his spot if necessary. Holmes is more of a main stay as a starter. At 6′7 he is intimidated by nobody and will have no problem banging around the boards with the big men. Mike averaged 11 points and 8 rebounds per game last season. Overall the frontcourt depth is South Carolina’s strong suit. They also have Evaldes Baniulis to come off the bench who can shoot the lights out as a big man. Expect South Carolina to be in the top 3 in almost all of the front court categories.

Team’s X-Factor:

Devan Downey is without question this teams best player. In my mind he is one of the top 20 players in the nation. However, if South Carolina plans on getting to the NCAA tournament this season Mike Holmes must be the guy that gives them that second star level type player. If he is unable to be that guy then Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida will all have better shots at success

Jordan’s Prediction:

I am on the fence here on which way to lean. I give the percentages about 50/50 on whether they make an at-large bid or not. I will give them the benefit of the doubt due to Downey’s star status and Mike Holmes effectiveness. However, this is certainly not a team that is a shoe-in for success. If teams start to box Downey with two defenders or play an effective zone scheme vs. the Gamecocks and he gets no help in the backcourt, then expect an NIT season at best. With all that said, the prediction is an NCAA Tournament bid but expect them to be a one and done team.

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Kentucky will most certainly be 6-0 headed into their marquee showdown game on December 5th against North Carolina. With game of the year potential written all over it, the Wildcats if they win that game will likely take over the #1 spot at the time. Calipari has an excellent record vs. Top 10 teams, so although we are looking three weeks ahead, that game will play a big role in this teams regular season success.

Key Departure:

All-American Guard Jodie Meeks. One of the best players in the nation Meeks was last season as he averaged 24 points, 2 assists and 3 rebounds. He scored 54 points in a game vs. Tennessee on Jan. 13th last year while also scoring 40+ points twice. Normally I would say it would be impossible to replace a player of this magnitude in such a short time but the emergence of John Wall as a potential All-American as just a freshman has this team lit up with confidence. Get a $20 free play that you can use to bet college basketball when you open a new account with Sportsbook.com.

The Wildcats will be the class of the conference with no real tests besides their usual games vs Tennessee. The game at Florida may be intriguing as well. Besides that the Vandy’s and both Mississippi and Miss State are rebuilding their programs. Auburn and Bama have nothing to challenge them with as Kentucky looks like a real good play to win the SEC with ease.

I believe John Wall will be an All-American and Jon Hood will thrive once he has the offensive game plan down pat. Patterson and Stevenson will be just another year more experienced with both being healthy headed into the season. After firing bust head coach Billy Gillispie and hiring John Calipari, the boosters should be as excited about this season’s potential as they have been in quite some time. Balanced attack, top 5 coach, experienced big men and a weak conference to boot, watch out nation, the Cats are coming.

Kentucky Season prediction: Final Four Appearance (depending on tournament draw possibly better)

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The Dogs have plenty of talent on this team. Whether or not they can turn that skill into success on the court is another thing. Below is their probable starting lineup:

PG Dustin Ware

SG Ebuka Anyaorah

F Trey Thompkins

F Jeremy Price

C Albert Jackson

Forward Trey Thompkins has experience playing with the USA team during what was an exciting FIBA Under 19 World Championship events. He was a starter in more then half of those games where he averaged 11 points per game and has one outing where he put up 22. All the potential you can ask for in this kid.

All the others have everything to prove. An inexperience group that will either gel together as the season goes along or distance themselves far apart. As stated above expect Travis Leslie to crack the starting lineup soon, possibly as early as the third game.

After winning the SEC Tournament last season Georgia fell in the first round. This team is for sure a season or two away from being competitive in the SEC before even thinking about a successful NCAA Tournament run. Gaines and Bliss are gone and from what I see the Dogs have not replaced them in recruiting this past season. Prediction on their season below and I think I was EXTREMELY generous with it.  Get a 20% deposit bonus that you can use for your NCAA basketball betting this season with a new account and $300 or more deposit at Bookmaker.

Georgia Bulldogs Prediction: 10th Place in the SEC Conference with no NCAA or NIT bid. They have a shot at a smaller invitational tournament only.

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Backcourt:

The 6-5 Cory Higgins returns after scoring 17.4 PPG and averaging 37.1 MPG, clearly the Buffaloes’ best player. They also return their other double-digit scorer in Dwight Thorne II, who is their best 3-point shooter. Nate Tomlinson may be the key, as the team played well when their point guard put up more assists than turnovers, and not so well when he committed more turnovers than assists. But he was only a freshman last year, and one can only assume he’ll take care of the ball and make better decisions this season.

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Frontcourt:

The Buffs lost their lone returning starter along the front line, which was forward Jermyl Jackson-Wilson who was their best shot blocker. But they did gain solid recruits in this area, most notably the 6-11, 240-pound Shane Harris-Tunks. He is expected to help the Buffs build on their -6 rebounding margin from last year, which was one of the worst in the nation. Indiana Hills (CC) transfer Marcus Relphorde enters his junior hear having played as many as four different positions, and he gives Colorado a versatile big man inside. He also spent one year at Saint Louis. Austin Dufault started all 31 games last year and averaged 8.2 PPG, and he is the most experienced player returning down low.

Widow’s Prediction: 12th in the Big 12

This team is way too young to be expected to do much this season. They do return plenty of depth at the guard positions, but down low they have very little experience and are relying on freshmen to get the job done. That’s a concern considering their -6 rebounding margin from a year ago. Look for Cory Higgins to lead them in scoring once again, and improvement from point guard Nate Tomlinson, but don’t expect the Buffaloes to improve much on their 1-15 record in the Big 12 from a year ago.

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Backcourt:

LaceDarius Dunn and Tweety Carter return to the backcourt, which gives the Bears a solid nucleus here running the show.  Dunn has scored 1,00 points in two seasons at Baylor, and Carter figures to top that plateau early this season.  Dunn made his way into the starting lineup in the final 11 games last year, while Carter started all 36 games a year ago.  The two combined to make 192 3-pointers last year.  Perhaps Drew’s biggest signee was Nolan Dennis, a Top-50 recruit who was headed to Memphis before John Calipari decided to leave for Kentucky.  Other notable signees out of high school are Mark McLaughlin and A.J. Watson, along with Duran Diaz who transferred from Grambling State.

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Frontcourt:

The Bears are very young in the frontline, but Epke Udoh coming over from Michigan should help solve that problem.  The 6-10 Nigerian made 31 starts in 2 seasons at Michigan, blocking 92 shots last season.  Josh Lomers is a 7-foot center who will back up Udoh.  Back from last season are Quincy Acy, Anthony Jones and Fred Ellis, all who saw significant action coming off the bench.  Incoming freshmen are Cory Jefferson, Dragan Sekelja and Givon Crump.

Widow’s Prediction:  8th place in the Big 12

After entering Big 12 play in the Top-25 last season, the Bears went on to go 2-12 over their next 14 games and quickly played themselves out of the NCAA Tournament picture.  Senior leadership last season had Baylor playing their best basketball in the Big 12 tournament, and after reaching the championship game there and the NIT championship game, Baylor has some confidence heading into this season.  This team is headed in the right direction, winning 45 games in the last 2 seasons compared to the 36 games they won in the previous 4 seasons under head coach Scott Drew.  We feel a third-straight 20-win season is possible, but Baylor is relying on too many freshman to be a serious contender in the Big 12 this year.

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Guard Erving Walker:

Last season Walker averaged 10 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game playing aside star Nick Calathes. This season he will carry more weight on his shoulders, the 5′8 sophomore will be counted on to raise that scoring average a minimum of 5 points per game as the lose of Calathes and Hodge takes away 26 points per game combined.

Forward Chandler Parsons:

This kid has the potential to be a top 20 draft pick in the NBA if he gets it all together. Parsons, now a Junior, averaged 9 points 6 rebounds and 2 assists per game last season, he also averaged a steal per game. His awful 56% from the free throw line must improve. However, the biggest improvement he must make is his consistency and maturity. So often we saw him go into hiding in big spots and shrug his shoulders when he didn’t play well. This season he won’t have Calathes or Hodge to lean on if things get sloppy, he’ll need to grow up and take the reigns as this teams leader. That is something I believe he can do.

With the exception of Kentucky and Tennessee, the East division of the SEC is not particularly strong. Georgia, South Carolina and Vanderbilt are marginal teams at best while no team in the West division is ranked. Head Coach Billy Donovan is one of the best in the business, he’ll have his team ready to go.  You can get a $20 free play that you can use to bet NCAA basketball when you open a new account with Sportsbook.com this season.

I predict Florida to be much better this season then many people may think. Erving Walker is a scoring machine and without Calathes this season he will have every opportunity to boost that 10 points per game average to anywhere between 15-18 per. Chandlers Parsons as listed above will be this teams leader. At 6′6 194 Lbs he has an NBA build. Alex Tyus has improved year by year and watch out for big 6-11 F/C Kenny Kadji. He has shown a ton of progress this off season and a lot of people on that coaching staff expect big things from him. Many people will have the Gators no better then an NIT team. I disagree, look for Florida to make the NCAA tournament as one of the last mid majors and If I am a #5 or #6 seed headed into the tourny and I see Florida as my first round opponent, I would feel very uneasy as their fast pace style should give teams fits.

Final Prediction: Gators get knocked out of the 2nd round in the NCAA tournament.

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So how much did Harden and Pendergraph mean to this team? They combined for 34.6 ppg, Harden averaged 4.2 apg and Pendergraph led the team in blocked shots plus rebounding. Harden seemed to fade at the end of the season though after carrying the majority of the load through 30 plus games. A five player recruiting class will give Sendek plenty of options as to who can step in and make ASU fans forget about the loss of these two. Incoming freshman F Victor Rudd has the best chance to be an instant contributor. Joining Rudd will be 7-0 C Ruslan Pateev. Coach Sendek is a master of getting foreign players that fit his sytem and Pateev seems destined for that role. Filling out the class are Stephen Rogers, Alex English and Demetrius Walker. It’s is not a sexy class, but they all fit into Sendek’s philosophy.

F Rihards Kuksiks is the team’s leading returning scorer at just over 10 ppg. Kuksiks is an assassin from three point land as he connected on almost 3 per game last season and hit 44% of his tries. PG Derek Glasser is arguably the most important player on this team. While he doesn’t necessarily look like a Division 1 player, Glasser uses his quickness and vision to average 8.8 ppg and dish out 4.8 apg. The senior guard was the bonafide leader on last year’s squad and will flourish in that role once again. G Ty Abbott will start for the second straight year at the two guard. His shooting skills are sub par, but he is the most athletic Sun Devil player and is an above average rebounder for his height. Jerren Shipp can finally step out of his brother Josh’s shadow and has the opportunity to make a name for himself this year. The center position is probably the biggest question mark. Duke transfer Eric Boateng will most likely crack the starting lineup, but he is offensively challenged and mainly used to use his 7-0 frame to block shots and rebound the basketball.  Get a $500 bonus that you can use to bet college basketball this season when you sign up for a new account with BetUS and deposit at least $500!

The Sun Devils have all the ingredients to be a NCAA tournament team, but they have to have someone step up and big their go to guy on the offensive end in close games much like Harden was last season. They have some question marks, but what team in the Pac-10 doesn’t? Sendek is a master of the Princeton offense and has the ingredients to make it work. I don’t expect ASU to match their 25 win total from a year ago, but don’t be shocked if they win 20 plus and present some problems in the postseason.

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