No
picks today. Instead you get my Preseason
Great Eight Predictions
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North Carolina
2003-04 record: 19-11 (8-8, tied
for 5th in ACC)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost to Texas,
2nd round, NCAA
Key players returning: Rashad McCants,
Raymond Felton, Sean May, Jackie Manuel, Jawad
Williams
Key players lost: None
This
could be the season that North Carolina returns
to all of its former glory. This roster is stacked
with talent but Roy Williams had a difficult
time with
some of the personalities, i.e. Rashad McCants,
one
year ago. That should not happen again in his
second
season. Look for the Tar Heels to get very deep
into
the tournament and battle it out with Wake for
the ACC
title.
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Kentucky
2003-04 record: 27-5 (13-3, 1st
in SEC East)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost
to UAB, 2nd round, NCAA
Key players returning: Chuck Hayes, Kelenna
Azubuike
Key players lost: Cliff Hawkins, Gerald
Fitch, Erik Daniels, Antwain Barbour
Maybe
a fringe pick for then top eight. UK will
need their newcomers to be big time performers
for
them to
be there in late March, but Randolph Morris and
Joe
Crawford should be big time players as freshman.
Kentucky should once again win the SEC and get
deep
into the NCAA tournament. Chuck Hayes could be
a
household name down South by the end of this
season.
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Kansas
2003-04
record: 24-9 (12-4, tied for 2nd in BIG 12)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost to Georgia
Tech, Elite Eight, NCAA
Key players returning: Wayne Simien, Keith
Langford, Aaron Miles, J.R. Giddens
Key players lost: David Padgett (transferred),
Jeff Graves
Rock
Jock huh? This team is simply loaded with
Simien, Langford and Miles all returning. The
Jayhawks will run away wit the Big 12 title,
but will
they fold once again in the tournament? Simien
reminds a lot of Danny Manning, so maybe this
will
be the year that Kansas gets it done once again.
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Georgia
Tech
2003-04 record: 28-10 (9-7, tied
for 3rd in ACC)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost to Connecticut
in national championship
Key players returning: B.J. Elder, Jarrett
Jack, Luke Schenscher, Will Bynum, Isma'il Muhammad,
Anthony McHenry
Key players lost: Marvin Lewis, Clarence
Moore
Last
year's runner up will have another great
season. BJ Elder, when healthy is one of the
best
players in
the country. Schenscher and Jack make this a
formidable club that will once again contend
in the
ACC and Nationally.
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Syracuse
2003-04
record: 23-8 (11-5, tied for 3rd in Big East)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost to Alabama,
Sweet 16, NCAA
Key players returning: Hakim Warrick,
Gerry McNamara, Josh Pace, Craig Forth, Demetris
Nichols, Louie McCroskey, Terrence Roberts, Darryl
Watkins
Key players lost: Jeremy McNeil
McNamara
and Warrick will make this another exciting
season in upstate New York. The return of point
guard Billy Edelin will be a hige boost and should
allow McNamara more room on the perimeter. This
team
will be very difficult for opponents to defend.
The
Orangeman should be a Final Four team next March.
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Wake Forest
2003-04 record: 21-10 (9-7, tied for 3rd
in ACC)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost to St.
Joseph's, Sweet 16, NCAA
Key players returning: Chris Paul, Justin
Gray, Eric Williams, Taron Downey, Jamaal Levy,
Vytas Danelius, Trent Strickland, Kyle Visser
Key players lost: None
Newcomers of note: Cameron Stanley
Chris
Paul and Justin Gray form what may be the
best backcourt outside of Tuscon. My only
concern
about
the Deamon Deacons is how much they rely on the
three
pointer. They'll need to diversify their offense
from
one year ago or they'll meet the same fate come
tournament time.
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Arizona
2003-04
record: 20-10 (11-7, 3rd in Pac-10)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost
to Seton Hall, 1st round, NCAA
Key players returning: Mustafa Shakur,
Channing Frye, Hassan Adams, Salim Stoudamire,
Chris Rodgers, Isaiah Fox, Ivan Radenovic
Key players lost: Andre Iguodala
The
Wildcats are loaded once again this season.
They
did not live up to expectations one year ago
because
they refused to play defense from the get-go.
Isiah
Fox is back from injury and the backcourt is,
simply
put, the most talented in
the land.
If Olson can get this team to commit on the defensive
end of the basketball court, the Wildcats will be
cutting down the nets in April.
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Michigan
State
2003-04
record: 18-12 (12-4, tied for 2nd in Big Ten)
2003-04 postseason result: Lost to Nevada,
1st round, NCAA
Key players returning: Paul Davis, Chris
Hill, Alan Anderson, Kelvin Torbert, Maurice Ager,
Shannon Brown, Delco Rowley
Key players lost: Jason Andreas
Izzo's
team struggled last season through some growing
pains. The nice part about having a young team
is
that they come back the following season. Chris
Hill
can fill it up from three-point land, and Paul
Davis is a tough customer down low. I'll
be
watching
the
Michigan / Michigan State games this season.
We look
for the Spartans to win the Big Ten and step
back into
National prominence this season.
Coming
next newsletter... 5 College Hoops teams that
will surprise this year.
