2011-2012 Season Preview: One Sleeper (in each conference) to rule them all

Yeah, that's a loaded title. But think about it. Every year there is a team in each conference who performs better than expected. Every year there is a team that catches us off guard and makes us feel like morons for not expecting better of them.  Every year, there is a "darkhorse", a "sexy pick", or a "sleeper" team in each conference. Call it what you will, but there isn't reason to believe that this will be any different in 2011-2012.

The teams listed below are poised to better than people think. Maybe it's because they are in a conference with a lot of question marks. Maybe it's because they can't possibly get any worse than they were last season, and maybe it's because it's just time for the program to have a breakout season.

Atlantic Coast Conference: Virginia Tech
Preseason Ranking: 6th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 5th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
With this team's crippling addiction to "the bubble", the Hokies could be picked dead last in the ACC, and we should still expect to talk about them on Selection Sunday. Sure Malcolm Delaney is gone, and sure this team continues to be plagued by injuries, but other than North Carolina and Duke, the conference is wide open. VaTech returns more experienced talent than any of the non-Tobacco Road ACC teams. With guys like Dorenzo Hudson, Victor Davilla and Cadarian Raines, the Hokies definitely have a shot at finishing in the top half of the ACC. The only teams that should be able to finish above the Hokies are Virginia, Miami and North Carolina State, and each of those teams have just as many, if not more, question marks than Tech.


Atlantic-Ten: George Washington
Preseason Ranking: 8th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 4th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
Like the ACC, the Atlantic-10 features a huge drop between the top two teams and the "also-rans". Xaiver and Temple are by far the top teams in the A10, but the jury is still out on the remaining 12 teams. George Washington has an experienced back-court in Tony Taylor and Lasan Kromah, and new head coach Mike Lonergan should be able to infuse some new life into a struggling Colonials program. To be honest, I think it's kinda-shocking to see the Colonials picked so low in the preseason polls. The rest of the conference could be in for a rude awakening this season. Look for George Washington to contend with Saint Louis for the top "also-ran" position in the A-10.


Big East: Georgetown
Preseason Ranking: 10th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 9th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
There are a handful of questions that the Hoyas need to answer this season. Can Markel Starks have a breakout sophomore season as the starting point guard? Can Jason Clark be more than just a spot-up 3-point shooter? Can the Hoyas rely on a inexperienced, freshman-heavy front-court? I'm not sure of any of these answers, but the Hoyas have been known to exceed expectations early in the season. If they can get accelerated play from at least two of their freshman forwards, this team could creep up in the standings. Plus, the Big East has a gaping hole in the middle. On top of that, Georgetown's Big East home-and-home draw is very weak. They play Marquette twice, Providence twice and St. John's twice, and their only two difficult road games will be at Syracuse and at Pittsburgh.

Big-Ten: Minnesota
Preseason Ranking: Big-Ten does not have a preseason poll
Where We Ranked Them: 8th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
Despite losing Royce White, Devoe Joseph and Colton Iverson to other schools, the Gophers still return a lot of front-court production in Trevor Mbakwe and Ralph Sampson III. Along with athletic junior Rodney Williams, the Gophers feature one of the better front-courts in the conference. The Big-10 features one really good team (Ohio State), two good teams (Wisconsin and Michigan State), and a bunch of teams trying to figure themselves out. I mean, is this REALLY the year Northwestern finally makes it to the tournament? Probably not. Illinois lost just about everybody, we still aren't certain about what Michigan brings to the table and Purdue has to rely solely on Robbie Hummel and we know what to expect from Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska. Sure, the Gophers won't finish ahead of Michigan State, Wisconsin or Ohio State, but is a fourth or fifth place finish really that unrealistic?


Big-XII: Iowa State
Preseason Ranking: 8th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 6th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
Why will they be better than expected? Have you seen how many all-conference-caliber transfers they got this off-season? Fred "The Mayor" Hoiberg did wonderful things in his first year at his Alma Mater, and with guys like Royce White, Chris Babb, Chris Allen, and Will Clyburn in his lineup, the Cyclones could be headed towards big things. ISU returns Scott Christopherson, one of the best pure shooters in the conference, and sophomore forward Melvin Ejim. I mean, the fact that I can rifle-off the name of 4-7 Cyclone players should be proof enough that big things could be on the horizon. If ISU can get freshman Naz Long cleared, don't be surprised if this team is competing for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament.


Colonial Athletic Association: Delaware
Preseason Ranking: 7th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 7th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
The Blue Hens had a promising season in 2010-2011 season, and they bring in a solid crop of young talent. The CAA is always competitive, and there doesn't seem to be one team that is far-and-away better than everybody else. Look for Devon Saddler to take command of this team. The reigning CAA Freshman of the Year is poised for a sensational sophomore season. The teams in the CAA will beat each to a pulp, and because of this, expect to see a few teams finish out of place in the final standings, including Delaware about the No. 7 spot.


Conference-USA: Alabama-Birmingham
Preseason Ranking: C-USA does not have a preseason poll
Where We Ranked Them: 5th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
This team is coached by Mike Davis, right? This team has C-USA preseason PoY Cameron Moore right? No chance the blazers finish in fifth place. In Mike Davis' five season at UAB, only once has his team not won at least 20 games. Sure, they won't be as good as Memphis but they aren't that far behind Marshall, Tulsa or Central Florida. We never know what we are going to get from this conference, so it's very possible that UAB finishes higher in the standings than we expect.


Horizon League: UW-Green Bay
Preseason Ranking: 6th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 6th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
Why? Because after Butler, this conference is up for grabs. Detroit is not going to be as good as people think, Cleveland State is without Norris Cole, and Milwaukee is still searching for conference stability. Alec Brown, the Phoenix's 7-foot sophomore center will face little competition on the interior during Horizon League play. Green Bay might not finish in the top-three, but don't be too surprised if they do.


Missouri Valley Conference: Evansville
Preseason Ranking: 5th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 4th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
Evansville has seemed to improve in each of the past three seasons. Last season the Aces beat a ranked-Butler team and knocked off Missouri State and Northern Iowa when both teams were fighting for conference supremacy. I'm not sure what is it about this team, but they always seem to beat good teams. Now if they can only learn to not lose to the bad teams. Like the CAA, Missouri Valley Conference teams love to beat each other up. This means that the Aces may be able to finish above teams that are better than them.


Mountain West Conference: Wyoming
Preseason Ranking: 6th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 7th Place
Why they will be better than expected:
Why? because this conference is pretty dreadful with the exception of New Mexico. The Cowboys three best players, Afam Muojeke, JayDee Luster and USC-transfer Leonard Washington should be able to match-up with any non-New Mexico trio in the conference. This team won just four conference games last season and fired their coach in the middle of the year. Look for Larry Shyatt to keep his job the entire season and look for the Cowboys to win more than four conference games.


Pac-12: Oregon
Preseason Ranking: 5th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 5th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
Like Iowa State, this team is chalk-full of transfers. The Ducks showed a lot of promise late in the season, which included a championship in the CBI. The Pac-12 is going to be much better than in recent years, but so will Oregon. The Ducks will have a solid starting-five, and if they can get production from their bench, we could see this team hover somewhere on the outskirts of the top-25. E.J. Singler is going to have a huge year, Olu Ashaolu, Devoe Joseph and Tony Woods are all going to be instant impact transfers. Oregon starts the year off against Vanderbilt, a team with a ton of pressure to succeed this season and a big hole up front due to the suspension/injury to Festus Ezeli. The Ducks can open a lot of eyes with a season-opening victory over the Commodores.


Southeastern Conference: Mississippi State
Preseason Ranking: 5th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 5th Place
Why they will do better than expected:
We have to assume that Vanderbilt won't be handle all the pressure that comes with such lofty expectations. We know Kentucky is going to be really good, but, like, Florida has literally no front-court and Alabama has literally no back-court. That all sets up nicely for Mississippi State to have a solid SEC season. Of course, all of this hinges on the performance of Renardo Sidney, and he's anything but a sure thing right now. But if Sidney, Dee Bost and Arnett Moultrie can put it all together, Mississippi State will be much better than the 5th best team in the SEC.


Western Athletic Conference: Hawaii
Preseason Ranking: 4th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 4th Place
Why they will be better than expected:
When Hawaii wins the WAC this season, remember that you read it here first. The Warriors feature two preseason All-WAC first-teamers, Arizona-transfer Zane Johnson and center Vander Joaquim. They also bring in the conference's best freshman, Harlem-native Shaquille Stokes. Plus, head coach Gib Arnold is one of the most underrated coaches in the country. Did I mention that the WAC is rather weak this season? Utah State doesn't have the horses they did last year, and while Nevada does have the best trio in the conference (Dario Hunt, Deonte Burton and Malik Story), no team has the size that Hawaii does. this is the best team Hawaii has fielded in a while and this is the weakest the WAC has been in a while as well.


West Coast Conference: Portland
Preseason Ranking: 7th Place
Where We Ranked Them: 7th Place
Why they will be better than expected:
The top-three spots in the WCC are a near-lock. So look for Portland to improve and finish atop the other WCC "also-rans". The Pilots have shown improvement in each of the past three seasons, and have stolen a big non-con game every now and then. This season, Portland will be forced to deal with the graduation of quite a bit of talent. Nemanja Mitrovic, Eric Waterford and Luke van der Mars are going to have to do most of the heavy-lifting, but this team capable of finishing above at least two teams this season.



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2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Sleepers that may keep sleeping

How do you define a sleeper?

A sleeper, at least when talking about college hoops, is a team that is capable of making it further than they are expected to based on their seed. But there's a catch: to be a "sleeper", you have to like them to win at least two games, and to make it least one game (preferably two) beyond where they are expected if chalk holds. Five seeds can't be Sweet 16 sleepers. Two seeds can't be Final Four sleepers. If you only think they can win one game, they aren't a sleeper; they are an upset pick.

Sleepers come in all shapes and sizes. Sleepers can come from the low- and mid-major conferences. Sleepers can come from the power conferences. Sleepers can have all-americans and lottery picks. Sleepers can lack a single all-conference player. Sleepers can be picked based on talent, style of play, and/or matchups. Most importantly, correctly predicting the "sleepers" is how you win your pool. And isn't that why all of you are reading this?

Today, we will be schooling you on the sleepers. Who should you trust? Who shouldn't you trust?

Here are the "sleepers" who may keep sleeping:


Cornell Big Red: #12 seed, East Region

Don't get me wrong, I love this Cornell team. Ryan Wittman is one of the best shooters I've seen this year, Louis Dale is a former Ivy player of the year, and Jeff Foote is a capable big man and a legitimate seven footer. Cornell can play, there's no question about it. But the Big Red got a tough first round draw. Temple won the A-10 regular season and tournament titles. They beat Villanova, Siena, Richmond, and Xavier. The Owls are a very good basketball team. They really defend well and they can execute offensively. Cornell is a good matchup for them because the Big Red doesn't have any overpowering size. Temple will have as good of a chance as anyone as keeping Wittman from getting hot. The reason people like Jay Bilas love Cornell is because of a close loss to Kansas. And I know Temple got smacked by Kansas at home, but the Jayhawks would have beaten the T'Wolves that afternoon.


Washington Huskies: #11 seed, East Region

I understand that Washington has talent. I understand that this is a team that was supposed to be one of the best in the country. And I also remember that I said U-Dub could win a game or two. But something happened last night that made me think a bit harder about the Huskies. Specifically, Arizona State lost. At home. To Jacksonville. Further proof of just how bad this conference is. Washington lost seven games in conference play and really, really struggled away from. That's not a great precursor to a successful tournament.


St. Mary's Gaels: #10 seed, East Region

Like Cornell, I like this SMC team. They shoot the ball really well and have one of the most underrated big men in the country in Omar Samhan. That said, SMC got stuck with Richmond in the first round. The Spiders caught a bad break when they were seeded seventh. Rest assured this Richmond team can play. They like to slow things down and spread the floor, allowing Kevin Anderson and David Gonzalvez to create. There aren't ten better guard combos in the country than those two. While St. Mary's has a solid back court, Matthew Dellavedova and Mickey McConnell aren't exactly the best defenders. I know what you're thinking: "but who is going to stop Samhan?" Answer: Dan Geriot. Geriot has plenty of size, and before a knee injury cost him last season he was an all conference big man averaging 14 ppg.




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2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Sleepers you have seen

How do you define a sleeper?

A sleeper, at least when talking about college hoops, is a team that is capable of making it further than they are expected to based on their seed. But there's a catch: to be a "sleeper", you have to like them to win at least two games, and to make it least one game (preferably two) beyond where they are expected if chalk holds. Five seeds can't be Sweet 16 sleepers. Two seeds can't be Final Four sleepers. If you only think they can win one game, they aren't a sleeper; they are an upset pick.

Sleepers come in all shapes and sizes. Sleepers can come from the low- and mid-major conferences. Sleepers can come from the power conferences. Sleepers can have all-americans and lottery picks. Sleepers can lack a single all-conference player. Sleepers can be picked based on talent, style of play, and/or matchups. Most importantly, correctly predicting the "sleepers" is how you win your pool. And isn't that why all of you are reading this?

Today, we will be schooling you on the sleepers. Who should you trust? Who shouldn't you trust?

Here are the sleepers that you have seen play:


Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets: #10 seed, Midwest Region

If there is one thing that we have learned about Georgia Tech this season its that they aren't to be trusted. Paul Hewitt's club is overflowing with talent, especially on their super-sized front line, but the potentially-lame-duck head coach has had a heckuva time trying to figure out how to get this team in sync. Normally, I would not recommend putting much -- if any -- faith in Tech, but I really like their matchups the first weekend. Georgia Tech's DeAndre Bell is a tough kid, making it all way back from spinal stenosis, the same injury that derailed TJ Ford's career. He is a very good defender on the perimeter, and both Oklahoma State and Ohio State rely heavily on a star player -- James Anderson and Evan Turner. It also doesn't take a basketball genius to realize that neither of the OSU's have much size or depth inside. Georgia Tech does with Gani Lawal, Derrick Favors, and Zach Peacock. If the Yellow Jackets can put it all together, they can win a game or two in this tournament.


Siena Saints: #13 seed, South Region

Everyone is going to be picking Siena in the first round against Purdue. The Boilermakers were going to be a popular pick for an early exit ever since Robbie Hummel blew his acl. But after scoring just a measly 11 points against Minnesota in the first half of their Big Ten semifinal, Purdue dropped down to a four seed. I get the feeling that the disappointment of this season is going to be weighing pretty heavily on Purdue. If Siena can jump on the Boilermakers early, I think they might fold. Regardless of who the Saints would get in the second round -- Texas A&M or Utah State -- I think it is going to be more about what Siena can do than what their opponent can. The Saints are talented enough that they don't need to rely on a good matchup to knock off higher seeded team. Remember, when discussing the possibility of calling this season a disappointment for the Saints, all of their big matchups came on the road. This is a team that has been waiting for March ever since they lost a dogfight to Louisville in last year's second round, and you could tell by some listless play late in the year. Siena is balanced (only team with four scorers at 13 ppg or higher), they are experienced, they have size, and they have a phenomenal point guard in Ronald Moore.


Gonzaga Bulldogs: #8th seed, West Region

I think the Zags are going to have some trouble with Florida State in the first round. They always get flustered against teams with as much length and athleticism as the Seminoles have. If they do happen to get past FSU, I really like the way the Zags match up with Syracuse, especially with Onuaku out. They have size inside, and their two best post players are far from what you would call a stiff. Both are offensive weapons on the block or at the high post. Steven Gray, and to a lesser extent guys off the bench like Manny Arop and Bol Kong, are shot makers on the perimeter. But the player that makes the difference against this zone is Matt Bouldin. He's the guy that can penetrate and get into the paint; he's the guy that can beat the zone with his passing; he's the Zag's star. I also like the Sweet 16 matchups Gonzaga would face. The Bulldogs have a team that can make an Elite 8 run. But how often have you heard that about Gonzaga?

Marquette Golden Eagles: #6 seed, East Region

I keep saying it. Over and over again. Marquette is not a team you want to face in the NCAA Tournament. They're tough, they're battle-tested, and they know how to get you playing their style. The Golden Eagles like when their games become a slower, grind-it-out paced affait. It works perfectly for them on the offensive end, as most teams are going to eventually break down defensively, especially when dealing with as many mismatches as the Golden Eagles cause. Their matchup with Washington should be entertaining, but I think Marquette picks up the win. After tonight's NIT performance, I have officially lost all faith in Pac-10 teams. New Mexico's personnel matches up well with Marquette's, in that they both like to try and exploit mismatches on the perimeter with the four and five man. That said, I simply think Marquette has better players and shooters. When Marquette is hitting their threes, watch out. If the Golden Eagles and West Virginia meet in the Sweet 16, it is going to be a battle. WVU beat Marquette in Morgantown on a buzzer beater from Da'Sean Butler. Both are very physical teams that don't mind getting physical and playing a scrappy style of basketball. If Marquette can keep the much bigger 'Eers off the glass, they can win it.

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2010 NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Sleepers you haven't seen

How do you define a sleeper?

A sleeper, at least when talking about college hoops, is a team that is capable of making it further than they are expected to based on their seed. But there's a catch: to be a "sleeper", you have to like them to win at least two games, and to make it least one game (preferably two) beyond where they are expected if chalk holds. Five seeds can't be Sweet 16 sleepers. Two seeds can't be Final Four sleepers. If you only think they can win one game, they aren't a sleeper; they are an upset pick.

Sleepers come in all shapes and sizes. Sleepers can come from the low- and mid-major conferences. Sleepers can come from the power conferences. Sleepers can have all-americans and lottery picks. Sleepers can lack a single all-conference player. Sleepers can be picked based on talent, style of play, and/or matchups. Most importantly, correctly predicting the "sleepers" is how you win your pool. And isn't that why all of you are reading this?

Today, we will be schooling you on the sleepers. Who should you trust? Who shouldn't you trust?

Here are the sleepers you haven't seen play:


Old Dominion Monarchs: #11 seed, South Region

Old Dominion does some things very well. They are big, athletic, and tough. They defend. They can rebound with anyone in the country. And while they drew maybe the hottest team in the country in the first round, it is a good matchup for the Monarchs. Notre Dame's new style is to really slow the game down, something Old Dominion wants to do as well. Notre Dame does not rebound the ball well, struggles against some of the more physical teams, and could have issues getting stops, much like they did against West Virginia in the Big East semifinals. Of ODU can get by the Irish, they will likely face Baylor, another team they matchup well with. The Bears are just as good on the offensive glass as the Monarchs and may actually have more size. Baylor struggles to rebound in their zone defense, however, which Old Dominion should be able to take advantage of. If the Monarchs can force Tweety Carter and Lace Dunn into poor shooting nights, Old Dominion could very well reach the Sweet 16.


UTEP Miners: #12 seed, West Region

UTEP drew Butler in the first round of the tournament, a team that has been in and around the top ten for much of the season. Butler is a good team -- they went undefeated against their conference, beat Xavier and Ohio State, and have no bad losses. No matter how you slice it, that equals a good team. But where Butler struggles is when they face teams that are bigger and more athletic than them. UTEP, on paper, looks like a high-major team, at least sizewise. Arnett Moultrie is the Miner's center, and he stands 6'11". Derrick Caracter is 6'9", 270 lb. Claude Britten is 6'11". Jeremy Williams and Julyan Stone are 6'6" and 6'7" on the wing. Ronald Nored, at 6'3", is Butler's starting power forward.

I like UTEP in a possible matchup with Vanderbilt as well. Is it possible that Vandy is overrated as a four seed? The SEC is better than last year, but it is still not a great league. Vandy lost five games in conference. They lost six games to teams that missed the NCAA Tournament. This is not a good defensive team, and a downright bad rebounding team. Vandy's strength is that they run a complicated offensive system -- they are a difficult team to prepare for, especially when you only have one day between game -- but UTEP's strength is their defensive ability. Don't be surprised if the Miners make a run.


San Diego State Aztecs: #11 seed, Midwest Region

The Aztecs caught a break with their draw, as their first two games will be against Tennessee and (in all likelihood) Georgetown. Neither the Hoyas or the Vols have big front lines, and neither are all that good on the glass. SDSU, on the other hand, may have the best front line in this region. Kawhi Leonard, Billy White, and Malcolm Thomas are all athletic and aggressive and they go hard to the offensive back boards. SDSU does have some issues. They turn the ball over quite a bit, which could be a problem against Tennessee's pressure. They are not all that good at defending the three, and Georgetown can some guys that can shoot. But SDSU is playing as well as they have all year long. They have won five in a road, nine out of ten, and 13 of their last 16 games. The only three losses in that string, which includes two wins over UNLV and a win over New Mexico, are to BYU (twice) and New Mexico.


BYU Cougars: #7 seed, West Region

I think BYU can make the Final Four. There. I said it. Now lets talk about it. The Cougars are a high-powered offensive team that likes to get out and run the floor. Their attack is spear-headed by Jimmer Fredette, who is the only player in the country to hit 40 twice this season. The Cougars generally have three other shooters on the court with Fredette, which opens up the middle of the floor. I don't foresee BYU having much trouble with Florida, which sets up an interesting matchup with Kansas State. There are two things that the Wildcats do to win games -- they force turnovers and they attack the offensive glass. The two things that BYU is the best at? Protecting the basketball and finishing defensive possessions with a rebound. In fact, they have the second best defensive rebounding percentage in the country. Granted, BYU tends to be phenomenal against poor competition and only average against the best competition, but this, like I said, is a favorable matchup. If the Cougars happen to get through to the Sweet 16, they will essentially be playing a home game, as the West Regional is played in Salt Lake City. BYU fans are loud, they are passionate, and they make the Cougars a much better team.

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Top 10 (plus one) Sleeper Teams

In 2007-2008, Michigan won 10 games in John Beilein's first season at the helm. But last year, the Wolverines improved by 12 wins, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Likewise, LSU was just 13-18 and 6-10 in the weak SEC West two seasons ago. But in Trent Johnson's first season, the Tigers went 27-8 en route to an SEC regular season title and a trip to the second round of the tournament.

Each and every season, there are teams that seemingly come out of nowhere to earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Who will be this season's sleepers? (Ed. Note: We are only considering teams not listed here as potential sleepers.)

Boston College: Yes, the Eagles did win 22 games last season, earning a seven seed in the Big Dance. But they also lost Tyrese Rice, their best player and leading scorer. But don't be fooled, the Eagles return a ton of talent. Joe Trapani is a fundamentally sound combo forward that will impress a lot of people this year, and Rakim Sanders is a mega-athlete that has the ability to be an all-league player. Throw Corey Raji and Reggie Jackson in the mix, and the Eagles should have no problem replacing the scoring they lost with Rice. If someone can step up and replace Rice's playmaking ability, BC should make a second consecutive trip to the dance.

Rakim Sanders will be one of the best players in the ACC this year.
(photo credit: Hoops Report)

Seton Hall: The Pirates return their top four scorers from last season, including arguably the best scorer in the Big East in Jeremy Hazell. Robert Mitchell and Eugene Harvery also return on the perimeter, as does big man John Garcia. But the key to the Pirates season will be the addition of three transfers - Keon Lawrence, Herb Pope, and Jamel Jackson. Bobby Gonzalez has a team that will be able to score with anyone in the country, the question is going to be will they be able to defend well enough to win some more games?

Texas A&M: Losing Josh Carter and Chinemolu Elonu will hurt, but the Aggies do return three starters and their best scorer off the bench. Seniors Donald Sloan and Brian Davis seem like they have been around forever, but they are quality experienced players that are primed to lead this team. Add to the mix four top 150 recruits, and Texas A&M has the horses to be a player in the Big XII.

Kansas State: K-State won 22 games last year, but missed out on the dance due to too few quality wins. They return one of the best starting back courts in the conference with Jacob Pullen and the electric Denis Clemente, which is good enough to win quite a few games on their own. Add to that getting a stellar incoming class, including UConn transfer Curtis Kelly and freshman Wally Judge, the Wildcats are going to have a lot of talent on their roster. There will be some inexperience, but this is a team that no one will want to play late in the season.

Denis Clemente will be one of the most dynamic scorers in the country.
(photo credit: Bleacher Report)

Oregon State: The Beavers surprised a lot of people by winning seven games last year in the Pac-10. When seven wins is a surprise, that should tell you about the state of basketball in Corvallis. The best news? Obama's brother-in-law, head coach Craig Robinson, returns seven of his top eight scorers and brings in a good recruiting class, headlined by Roberto Nelson. The Pac-10 may be down this season, but the Beavers have enough talent that they can compete for the third spot behind Cal and Washington. If Nelson can live up to the hype, he will combine with Calvin Haynes and Roeland Schaftenaar to form one of the best inside-outside combos out west.

Niagara: People are going to be talking about Siena coming out of the MAAC, but don't count out the Purple Eagles. This is a team that won 26 games last year (14 in the MAAC, including a split with Siena) and returns four of their five starters from a season ago. With a couple talented freshman joining the fray, Niagara will have the talent to win the league and earn a trip to the NCAA's. Be sure to mark Jan. 9th and Feb. 12th on your calenders - you won't want to miss the Niagara-Siena games this year.

BYU: True, the Cougars lose Lee Cummard, who was one of the best players out west last season. But they also return Jonathan Tavernari and Jimmer Fredette, which will be the best 1-2 in the MWC this season. All told, BYU returns four starters and six of their top seven players. The MWC is consistently one of the best basketball leagues outside of the BCS conferences, and BYU should be the cream of the crop this season.

Jimmer Fredette is a name you are going to hear a lot this season.
(photo credit: Utah Daily Herald)

Oakland: The Golden Grizzlies have two of the keys you need to be dangerous come tourney time - and excellent point guard in Johnathon Jones and a post presence in 6'11" Keith Benson. Losing the perimeter shooting of Erik Kangas is going to hurt, but expect sophomores Drew Maynard and Blake Cushingberry to more than make up for it.

Idaho: Harold Arceneaux. Stephen Curry. All you need in the NCAA Tournament is one unstoppable player and a mid-major has a chance to spring an upset. This year, that player may very well be Idaho's Mac Hopson. As a junior, Hopson averaged a stellar 16.4 ppg, 5.9 apg, and 5.0 rpg. Idaho will need some role players to step up around him to get there, but if the Vandals get into the dance, no coach is going to enjoy game-planning for this kid.

La Salle: Rodney Green could very well be the guy that steals the A-10 player of the year award from away from front runners Jordan Crawford and Chris Wright. Green is a talented scorer and play maker, but he is far from the only player that the Explorers bring back. Kimani Barrett and Ruben Guillandeaux will help carry the back court load, while Yves Mekongo Mbala will pick up the slack inside for the departed Vernon Goodridge. And remember, John Giannini landed Aaric Murray, a 6'10", 250 lb center that most recruitniks believed was top 10 at his position in the class of '09.

Rodney Green may be the best player in the A-10.
(photo credit: Atlantic 10)

Portland: Gonzaga and St.Mary's have had a strangle hold on the top two spots in the West Coast Conference over the past decade. But Eric Reveno brings back a veteran group that many believe could win the WCC this year. The Pilots will be led by 6'5" Nik Raivio, a strong scoring guard that averaged 16.0 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Add into the mix sharp shooter Jared Stohl (45.6% 3's) and point guard TJ Campbell, and Portland has a roster loaded with shooters. If this team gets hot, they will be able to run with just about anyone in the country.

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