Preseason 20-16

20. Wisconsin (31-5)
Last Year: Lost in Sweet 16
Coach: Bo Ryan
Stud: Trevon Hughes
Glue: Marcus Landry
Schedule: Marquette,Texas, (Miami, or UCONN in the Paradise Jam)

How in the world is Wisconsin this good every year? I was dumbfounded that they won 31 games last year. Bo Ryan and his Swing Offense have to be a major part of why the Badgers are a consistent upper-echelon Big Ten team each and every season. They should be at or around the top this time around as well. Trevon Hughes averaged 11 a game as a sophomore. Hughes is in the Devin Harris mold, where he is more than likely going to cause match-up problems with his quickness. Marcus Landry has gotten better each season, and should continue this trend. He is a bull inside, and also has a decent perimeter game. Joe Krabbenhoft, Jason Bohannon, and Jon Leuer look like they could have played on my Chancellor teams( ie they're white). They all provide something different, with Krabbenhoft doing a little bit of everything, Bohannon steadying the point and running the offense, and Leuer providing some athleticism and 3 balls. The schedule has some challenges with in-state rival Marquette, plus Texas and possibly UCONN or Miami. The Big 10 won't be that bad outside of Michigan St. or Purdue. Wisconsin will once again be at the top of the Big 10, and people once again will not know how.

19. Arizona St. (21-13)
Last Year: Lost in NIT quarters
Coach: Herb Sendek
Stud: James Harden
Glue: Jeff Pendergraph
Schedule: San Diego St, BYU, Pac-10

I honestly don't know much about these guys, although apparently they're supposed to be pretty good. I do know Sendek was a really good coach when he was at N.C.State, so he seems to know a little bit. James Harden is a legitimate lottery pick by all accounts, and Jeff Pendergraph gives them a nice inside-outside duo. The Schedule won't kill them, so look for them to be possibly undefeated once Pac-10 play starts.

18. Kansas (37-3)
Last Year: National Champions
Coach: Bill Self
Stud: Sherron Collins
Glue: Cole Aldrich
Schedule: Tennessee, Michigan St. Big 12

The Jayhawks will probably be a lot like Florida was last year, with maybe a little bit better results. They simply lost too much from last year and will have too many kids playing vital minutes to really make a serious run. Losing Rush, Arthur, Robinson, Chalmers, Kaun, and Jackson would murder almost any program for at least a year. They are still the defending champs however, so the key is for the returnees to step up and play out of their heads, while the newcomers need to grow up and not play like freshman. It all starts with Chicagoian Sherron Collins. Coming straight from the Khalid El-Amin school of floor generals (think man boobies), he did hit a lot of big shots last year, and appears to be more than capable of replacing Chamlmers. Cole Aldrich should be the focal point inside, while the rest of the minutes will be taken up by newcomers. JC transfer Mario Little is a swing man who will take Rush's spot. Others will get some time include Tyrone Appleton, Quintrell Thomas, and Tyshawn Taylor. Kansas gets ranked this high almost as a tribute to last season. Look for them to struggle early, then make a run at the tourney late in the year.

17. Miami Fla. ( 23-11)
Last Year: Lost in the 2nd round to Texas
Coach: Frank Haith
Stud: Jack McClinton
Glue: Dwayne Collins
Schedule: Ohio St. Kentucky, (Wisconsin or UCONN in Paradise Jam) ACC

Look at The U. Their basketball team is ranked higher than, and has been more successful than their much more highly publicized football squad since the move to the ACC. They have the highest expectations in the ACC outside of Chapel Hill and Durham. They could have made it to the Sweet 16 last year if they hadn't lost a lead to Texas. They return 4 starters, none of whom is more important than Jack McClinton. He was second in the league in 3's and hit 91.9 percent of his free throws. They have some bangers inside to go along with his outside proficiency, as Dwayne Collins, Jimmy Graham, and Cyrus McGowan go 6-8,6-8 and 6-9. They also have 6-9 frosh Reggie Johnson as another big to throw in the mix. The combination of Lance Hurdle and Eddie Rios will man the point. Both should be better with another year experience. McClinton will be the bread and butter, but unlike someone like Tyrece Rice from BC, he'll have the soldiers (Kellen Winslow reference) to go to war in a watered down ACC. The schedule isn't a killer, so the Canes should be dancing into the Sweet 16.

16. Xavier (30-7)
Last year: Lost in the Elite 8
Coach: Sean Miller
Stud: Derrick Brown
Glue: B.J.Raymond
Schedule: Duke,LSU, (Memphis,or USC, in the Puerto Rico Classic) Atlantic 10

Xavier has clearly supplanted Cincinnati as the Kings of the Queen City. They along with Gonzaga have carried the mid-major flag so upwards of ten years. They get ranked a little higher than they may finish here by yours truly because, like with Kansas, I factored in how they finished last year into my ranking. The Musketeers will still be really good, but they do lose their two starting guards in Stanley Burrell and Drew Lavender. It will start with junior Derrick Brown. Xavier will have to do things inside out this year, and Brown was the second leading scorer. He is an athlete who can drive or score from outside. B.J.Raymond will be another outside threat, while C.J.Anderson and Jason Love will be counted upon more for scoring and boards. Terrell Holloway looks to take over at the point, with Raymond, and Dante Jackson getting minutes at the wings. The schedule shouldn't be too difficult, with early tests against Duke,and possibly Memphis and USC in Puerto Rico getting them ready for the relatively painless A-10 slate. Look for Xavier to take a spot in the top 25 with a conference championship, and probably an early exit in the tourney. The guard play is just too much of a question mark.