Top 32 teams for 2011 - 2012

[SteelCityPlayers]

1. North Carolina: If the Tar Heels pull off the coup of keeping first-round picks Barnes, John Henson and Tyler Zeller in school for an extra year, they’ll have the country’s most talented starting five, and be the clear national title favorite.

2. Ohio State: The Buckeyes will once again be built around the beastly, back-to-basket game of All-America power forward Jared Sullinger, but look for fellow sophomore Deshaun Thomas to put up big offensive numbers in a starting frontcourt role.

3. Duke: Freshman combo guard Austin Rivers, Rivals.com’s No. 1 overall recruit and a son of Celtics coach Doc, is an electric scorer with expansive range. He, Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins should form the country’s sweetest-shooting backcourt.

4. Syracuse: The Orange lack a transcendent star, but they have enough experience (in the upperclassmen 1-2-3 punch of Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche and Kris Joseph) and depth to win the Big East and make a run at the Final Four.

5. Kentucky: The next wave at One-and-Done U is headlined by the Class of 2011′s No. 1 point guard (Marquis Teague) and No. 1 small forward (Mike Gilchrist). They’ll join returnees Darius Miller and Doron Lamb in a stacked starting lineup.

6. Kansas: Thomas Robinson, the nation’s most productive backup big man in ’10-11, is the key: If he holds off on the NBA, the Jayhawks can still win the Big 12. Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford, who have bided their time in the backcourt rotation behind more veteran guards, are capable of breakout seasons.

7. Florida: Billy Donovan has a backcourt bumper crop, with Erving Walker and Kenny Boynton set to be joined by Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario and super-frosh Brad Beal. The big questions: Are there enough shots to go around for four scoring-minded guards, and are the Gators strong enough in the frontcourt to contend with Kentucky in the SEC?

8. Butler: The Bulldogs will remain powerful if Shelvin Mack passes on the draft after testing the waters. Khyle Marshall’s NCAA tournament success suggests he could be their next frontcourt star, and Chrishawn Hopkins is the future of their backcourt. It just seems unwise, at this juncture, to leave a Brad Stevens team out of the top 10.

9. Pittsburgh: Reasons to remain bullish on the Panthers despite key senior departures: Ashton Gibbs, who’s unlikely to remain in the draft, is the Big East’s most efficient scoring guard, and forwards Dante Taylor and Talib Zanna — both big-time offensive rebounders off the bench — are primed for breakout seasons.

10. Wisconsin: Jordan Taylor, who had a 3.83-to-1 assist-to-turnover rate as a junior, should be a preseason All-America at the point, and carrot-fro’d junior Mike Bruesewitz is ready to become the featured forward in the Badgers’ swing offense.

11. Louisville: Departed guard Preston Knowles was the heart of the Cards, but they return everyone else, plus add blue-chip forwards Chane Behanan and Wayne Blackshear. This is Peyton Siva’s year to emerge as a star point guard.

12. Cincinnati: Few believed in the Bearcats when they started 15-0, but they finished a respectable 11-7 in the Big East and won a game in the NCAA tournament, creating momentum heading into ’11-12. Their top four possession-users — guards Sean Kilpatrick, Dion Dixon and Cashmere Wright and power forward Yancy Gates — are all back, and as one of the Big East’s top defensive teams, they’re a dark horse pick to win the league.

13. Michigan John Beilein is on the verge of a breakthrough in Ann Arbor — that is, if point guard Darius Morris returns for his junior season. Tim Hardaway Jr. was perhaps the nation’s most underrated freshman in ’10-11, and the Wolverines showed flashes of their potential by nearly knocking off Duke in the “third” round. They could make an outside run at the Big Ten title.

14. Arizona: The Wildcats were, at times, the Derrick Williams show in ’10-11, but one gets the sense that Sean Miller is building a Pac-10 power that won’t fade after Williams leaves. Everyone other than he and Jamelle Horne is back, and they beef up their backcourt with the top-rated point guard in the Class of 2011, Josiah Turner.

15. UConn: Calhoun predicted that “in the future you’re going to see Jeremy Lamb be one of the best players in college basketball,” and we agree: The kid is going to be a star as early as next season. Freshman Shabazz Napier, who’ll take over as the starting point guard, was playing with the confidence of an upperclassman in March, and is ready to lead the Huskies to the upper portion of the Big East standings.

16. Belmont: The Bruins could’ve been a Cinderella in this year’s tournament had they not received such a tough four-seed draw in Wisconsin. They were the most efficient mid-major in the nation in ’10-11 and return all but two players from their deep rotation, including junior big men Scott Saunders and Mick Hedgepeth. A second straight 30-win season could be in the works.

The Next 16
17. Vanderbilt
18. Wichita State
19. Marquette
20. UCLA
21. Memphis
22. Temple
23. Florida State
24. Texas
25. Purdue
26. Missouri
27. Gonzaga
28. George Mason
29. Texas A&M
30. Xavier
31. Alabama
32. West Virginia

[tinwork]

California doesn't even show up on this list, even though Jack previously reported that they are one of the favorites to win it all.

[Hoosiercatdaddy]

Originally Posted by tinwork

California doesn't even show up on this list, even though Jack previously reported that they are one of the favorites to win it all.

Clemson too

[WildKat]

With UK, if either Jones or Knight returns it could be a monster team....Dont forget about Anthony Davis..the guy has grown a bunch in the last year and should really help inside......We should be really deep next year, but Im almost over the one and done thingy wingy.

[SteelCityPlayers]

Originally Posted by Hoosiercatdaddy

Clemson too

I should have added that this list was from the college basketball crew at Sports Illustrated. I realize their are some teams that probably should have been included, but it makes for interesting reading and conversation for those of us who are left with an empty feeling when March Madness is over.

[Romanowski]

OMG lol that post jack made with the greek lines for next years futures was either a typo on the greeks part or jacks in copy/pasting

california and clemson are no where near favs nest year

[WildKat]

HCD...I bet your Hoosiers might sniff this top 32 list...should be pretty competitive