You know we here at Randall Simon's Sausages are proud to give our unique look at all the major sports, and college basketball is no exception! Our regular look at the college hardwood, Campus Countdown will be full with our opinions on all aspects of college basketball from the best teams in the country, to the players and games to watch to the coaches on the hot seat. So, let's get it started with our preview!
Elite 8
In our Elite 8, we'll rank the top 8 teams in the country. Why 8? Well, the elite 8 is always a measuring stick in the NCAA tourney if you're program is legit. It'd be too boring to rank just the top 5 teams and finally, we're too lazy to rank more than 8.
1) Kansas
As much as we hate going with the consensus at RSS, you can't deny the Jayhawks have the most returning talent in the country. In PG Sherron Collins and C Cole Aldrich, Kansas should have the most lethal inside-out combination in the country. The contribution of blue chip recruit Xavier Henry should also help matters quite nicely.
2) Michigan St.
The Spartans made a valiant run to Detroit in the tourney last year, and come back strong this year, only losing Goran Suton and Travis Walton. They will be led by returning Big Ten POY Kalin Lucas and as usual, should outwork the opposition into a high ranking all year.
3) Villanova
Speaking of magical Final Four runs, Villanova finally made it back for the first time since Rollie and 1985. They return their glut of guards, including hero Scottie Reynolds. But, this team will only succeed if they find a suitable replacement for Dante Cunningham in the post.
4) Texas
The only legit threat in the Big 12 to Kansas has to be the Longhorns. Damion James has long been an RSS fave with his all-around game and his return will be a big boost that may have the deepest backcourt in the country.
5) Kentucky
Full disclosure alert from Y2, I've been a lifelong Wildcat fan. That being said, everyone in Big Blue Nation couldn't be more psyched trading Coach Cal for Billy "one more round" Gillispie. Although they lose their leading scorer Jodie Meeks, the return of big man Patrick Patterson combined with the best freshmen class in the country should mean a return to glory in Lexington.
6) Purdue
HC Matt Painter has steadily brought Purdue back into the national basketball discussion, where they should remain this year. After a Sweet 16 berth last year, they return all five starters and have two candidates for Big Ten POY in Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore.
7) North Carolina
I'll admit this is a begrudging addition to the list. But, with a lack of other worthy candidates, we slot the defending champs at 7th even though they lost 4/5 of their starting lineup and what seems like 99% of their scoring. But, if anyone can reload quickly, it's Roy Williams and the Tar Heels.
8) Butler
You know we at RSS are always going to champion the little guy, and the best of the bunch this year in college basketball will be Butler. They easily could have won their 1st round game last year against LSU and advanced in the tourney. This year, they return all five starters, including impressive big man Matt Howard.
Starting 5
Our starting five will give you the 5 players to watch around the country, for good or bad reasons. In our preseason edition, here's an extremely loose projection of the year end All-RSS 1st team.
G-John Wall-Fr-Kentucky
G-Scottie Reynolds-Sr-Villanova
F-Damion James-Sr-Texas
F-Luke Harangody-Sr-Notre Dame
C-Cole Aldrich-Jr-Kansas
Two of these spots seem to be mortal locks. Aldrich (above) averaged 14 and 11 last season, but really blossomed in the tournament into a dominant big man. Haranagody seems like an 8th year senior in this age of one and done college stars, but once again he will be asked to carry Notre Dame on his broad shoulders. The rest of our predictions offer some typical RSS outside-the-box thinking. We told you we've always been a fan of Damion James's game, he's athletic enough to score on the inside and his perimeter game has consistently improved. In the backcourt, coming off his Final Four appearance, expect Scottie Reynolds to sustain his momentum and be the defining player in the Big East. And finally, recent history tells us at least one freshman will have a major impact on the college game, and no one is in a better position to do so than John Wall in Kentucky's new dribble drive offense.
4 Corners
In our 4 corners feature, we'll take you around the country and preview the biggest upcoming games that will shape the season. In our preseason edition, we'll highlight the four preseason tourneys you should keep an eye on.
1) Maui Invitational
Ah, usually my favorite of all the preseason tourneys, not just because of its history of competitive games, but it's nice to see a warm beach when you're stuck in Central Ohio with 5 months of winter ahead. This year's field is a little weaker than normal though, highlighted by Maryland and Gonzaga. There will be players to watch though, including Maryland's do-it-all PG Greivis Vasquez and Cincinnati's prized recruit Lance Stephenson.
2) O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off
The most underrated field will be on display in San Juan. Dayton and Villanova will look to sustain their Big Dance success from last season while Georgia Tech also seems to be back on the rise. But, the most interesting participant will be Tom Crean's Indiana, still trying to recover from the Kelvin Sampson disaster. Of courses, any signs of life from the Hoosiers might be an improvement over last year's team which was 1-17 in Big Ten play.
3) 76 Classic in Anaheim
The deepest preseason tournament field will be in Anaheim, featuring a bevy of mouthwatering matchups between projected tourney teams West Virginia, Clemson, Butler, Minnesota, Texas A&M, and UCLA. While none of these teams may be in the very top echelon of the nation yet, emerging through this strong field could easily be a catapult to a really good year.
4) Coaches vs. Cancer
Usually when you think of tournament basketball and Madison Square Garden, you think of the NIT. But, the stronger MSG showcase in the early season this year will be the Coaches vs. Cancer classic. In one matchup California will matchup with Syracuse, two young teams looking to build their programs back to previous heights. On the other side, you have Ohio State and North Carolina. One team will look to show off how quickly they reload, while another will be able to play freely without the human albatross otherwise known as B.J. Mullens.
3 Point Play
Our 3 point play segment will give you 3 unique takes on anything and everything in college hoops. You can expect annoying figures like Dick Vitale to become RSS punching bags quickly.
1) Here's a prediction: by year's end Digger Phelps will call Luke Harangody one of college basketball's best all-time players...no coincidence that he plays at Notre Dame, of course.
2) If you want the most competitive conference this season, why not look at the Big Ten? While Michigan St. and Purdue are the only legit Final Four contenders, the rest of the conference is stacked with potential tourney teams (Ohio St., Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois). Don't just be force fed the same talking points that the Big Ten is boring ball or the only great conferences are the Big East/Big 12. For sheer depth, the Big Ten will be the toughest conference this year.
3) Here's another word of advice...don't expect us to follow in the steps of most in the college basketball world and continually heap praise on Coach K. Duke will continued to be overrated this season because of past achievements, not because of their actual level of talent.
2 Man Game
In our 2 Man Game feature, we'll spotlight two coaches who either deserve praise, or should be preparing for a walk across hot coals!
(1) John Calipari-HC-Kentucky
As we mentioned before, Coach Cal is being viewed as the Messiah for a state craving success...and not just getting back to the Final Four, but winning the national championship. While his honeymoon is still ongoing (just look at his number of followers on Twitter), he also brings a cloud of doubt around the program. Expect more stories similar to those questioning John Wall's eligibility to follow Coach Cal during his tenure. Of course, winning would do a lot to hide those blemishes.
(2) Rick Pitino-HC-Louisville
I have literally been waiting for months to blast Rick Pitino in this space for his escapades over the summer. After a blackmail attempt by a former lover, Pitino's public image has gone into a tailspin. From a tryst in an empty restaurant, to allegedly paying for the woman's abortion, to using Ted Kennedy's death to cover for his mistakes, it's been a bad time to be Rick Pitino. For any other coach, their job would be in serious jeopardy. For Pitino, it's just another notch on his hypocritical belt (and yes, expect the jokes and puns to keep flyin' throughout the year). If you watch this ridiculousness below, you'll get the same sense I did; in his own mind, this scandal is everyone's fault but Rick Pitino's.
And 1
And last but not least, we'll throw down our Campus Countdown with one extra thought on the madness that is college basketball.
Someone has some 'splainin' to do today, and its Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. His Syracuse Orange(men) lost last night to DII Le Moyne 82-79 at the Carrier Dome. Predictably after the game, Boeheim blasted his team's maturity level. Even though the exhibition loss is embarrassing, the Hall of Famer has always shown he can get his teams to improve over the course of a season. But, this loss and ones like it over recent years show the talent gap in basketball is shrinking. Not only are mid-majors like Butler, Gonzaga, and George Mason proving on a yearly basis that they can compete with the big boys, but the difference in talent between D-I and D-II and even some of the better D-III schools is continually shrinking. So, when teams like Syracuse or Kentucky (see: Gardiner-Webb) take a night off against a team they assume can be beat just by the name on the jersey, they will be in for a rude awakening.
That does it for our first edition of the Campus Countdown. Remember to check back throughout the year for our regular trip around the college basketball world. Also tune in the rest of this week for our combined football preview and our EPL Picks. Until then, it's bye for now!
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