[Tim49461Participant]

Well my bracket is done and my favorite team is out.

So who is your top 5 teams next year.
I got
1.Kentucky
2.Michigan State
3.Arizona
4.Ohio State
5.Florida

Who you got?

[ph90702]

What has Kentucky done to earn the #1 ranking? With the other teams, it’s a different story.

[PabloFiascoParticipant]

He’s talking about next season and the recruiting class they’re bringing in next year is stacked
Combine that with their current players they’ll be a force to be reckoned with

[J_01Participant]

I am not a kentucky fan but they are bringing in the best recruiting class of all time so if they live up to expectations then they will be a top team maybe even number 1. Preseason rankings are all about expectations and a lot of times are wrong but putting kentucky in a preseason top 5 even at number 1 isn’t a bad idea.

[ph90702]

People never learn. Kentucky brought in the #1 class last year, and they couldn’t make the tournament.

[J_01Participant]

Last year they had #1 recruiting class in a weak class. Next year’s class is considered the best recruiting class of all time plus there’s a good chance they return players from this years team. There is no legitimate argument to be made not to put this Kentucky team in a preseason top 5.

[ph90702]

Every other year they say it’s the best recruiting class of all time. And, stop making excuses for Kentucky.

[J_01Participant]

Excuses? I have made none. As I said I’m not a kentucky fan but placing them in a preseason top 5 with their “expected” success is the right thing. No one has ever called any of their classes the greatest all time that belonged to the Fab Five but with 6 5 star prospects and the #1 players in 4 positions you cant really argue that people put them in preseason top 5.

Plus you posted UNLV to be in the preseason top 5 instead of Kentucky? C’mon they lose Anthony Bennett and don’t really bring in a strong class…What is your argument for saying UNLV is gonna be better than Kentucky?

[ph90702]

I never said that UNLV should be in the top 5. I said that UNLV should be in the top 5 before Kentucky. At least UNLV has players who’ve actually played at the D1 level. They’re bringing in a top 25 class, and there’s 347 Division I schools. Jelan Kendrick was a McDonald’s All-American, Christian Wood has unlimited potential, and Deville Smith is the perfect point guard for an uptempo offense.

Talent doesn’t necessarily equal production. Kentucky’s team last year proved that. People forget that they’re freshmen, so there will be bumps along the road. There will be a learning curve. The guys they have coming in are far from finished products.

Anthony Bennett is overrated. He played well when he had to in November and December, and he packed his bags for the NBA once the conference season began. Mike Moser was much more instrumental to the team success than Bennett was. I think they’re a much better team next year.

UNLV has more experience than Kentucky as well as a deeper team. I would expect UNLV to beat Kentucky if they played next season. However, I don’t think UNLV not Kentucky are top 5 teams next season.

[PabloFiascoParticipant]

1) Kentucky
2) Indiana
3) Duke
4) Kansas (Bill Self always finds a way)
5) Arizona

[ph90702]

Indiana is losing a bunch of guys.

[GriffGCParticipant]

Love Bill Self, love Coach K. Those two always produce good teams. Combination of their recruiting, coaching, and the prestige of those schools. Also like Kentucky at the 1. Lest we forget, Kentucky won the ship last year with three freshman in the starting 5. Calipari is a real SOB but he’s got a monopoly on high school basketball’s top talent. I like the Hoosiers if Zeller stays and Noah Vonleh is as good a player as people think but I’m not sure if they are in my top 5 given those uncertainties. Watch out for OSU if Thomas stays.

[BasketballJunkie224Participant]

yea i feel like next year will be way different when ranking kentucky before the season. i mean look at that recruiting class!!!! SCARYYYY

[Dale WorthingtonParticipant]

It’s extremely difficult to tell at the moment because we don’t know who’s coming back.

That being said, I’d say Tim’s top 3 is dead on. With Kentucky’s legendary recruiting class, Arizona bringing back Nick Johnson on the wing and all those talented diaper dandies down low, to go along with the true PG McConnell, and Michigan State possibly bringing back Harris, Dawson, Appling, and Payne, those are definitely at the moment, the top 3 squads to look out for.

[Dale WorthingtonParticipant]

I’d also consider Pitt as a sleeper top 5 pick if Steven Adams comes back and New Mexico as a sleeper top 5 pick if Kendall Williams and Tony Snell come back. It’s probably best for UNM that Coach Alford left for UCLA. His NCAA Tournament track record between Iowa and New Mexico is terrible.

The Pac-12 will finally be good again if Colorado brings back Dinwiddie and ARob, if Stanford brings back Powell, and if Cal brings back Crabbe. That could give them three top 15 squads to go along with a top 5 Arizona.

[teropParticipant]

Louisville returns their whole team minus Silva. If Dieng returns and with Patino getting Memphis stud pg Chris Jones in they will be back… OAN Memphis will have a top 3 class coming in combined with multiple veteran seniors including the conference player of the year Joe Jackson. All they need is for Pastner to install a better defense/offense and they could be a sleeper..

[akhan786Participant]

Some of you guys really don’t think Duke will be top 3 next year?

Coach K will have the most talent on his team in a decade in 2013-2014.

[Dale WorthingtonParticipant]

They have some nice young guns but it will not be easy to replace Curry, Kelsey, and Plumlee.

[ncballer]

If UNC gets Wiggins and Hairston/McAdoo stay they are top 5.

1. Duke
2. Kentucky
3. Arizona
4. UNC
5. Louisville

It’s too early to be doing this anyway. I bit. Danget.

[ph90702]

UNLV deserves to be in the top 5 before Kentucky.

[IknoBall12Participant]

How is duke not in the top 5??

[SDEParticipant]

i think Parker and Hood will give duke a top 5 team next year.With all the guards except curry coming back with jones also coming in duke will be good again

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

Looks like next year has more talent. Not going to bet against Kentucky. The South Regional will
be in Memphis which should be interesting.

Not counting on a top five team at Memphis but it could be close. Lots of guys coming back with several
seniors plus a great incoming class. Should be an Elite Eight team but we will find out. I wish Pastner
would borrow Dribble Drive from Coach Cal, add some pick and rolls, along with Coach Cal/Pitino pressure defense.
That would be the best way to go. With our length and our athletes we should get offenses and defenses which suit our
strenghts. Then play more big guys and work on rebounding more.

The Tigers team next year should be like the 2006 team which went to the Elite Eight. That team had Darius Washington,
coming back, Rodney Carney as a senior, and Joey Dorsey as a sophomore to add to the loaded freshman class that had all those
laurinburg guys like CDR, Antonio Anderson, Robert Dozier, and Kareem Cooper plus two Memphis kids in Shawne Williams and Andre
Allen.

I think Indiana will struggle without Zeller and Olidipo.

Duke and Kansas will be good along with whoever gets Andrew Wiggins.

Minnesota will be a wild card depending on if Andre Hollins stays and if they get a good coach.

[HaleParticipant]

I agreed with everything until Minnesota. They lose their starting front-court, they have no bench, and if Hollins goes they are going to be terrible.

[GoJOSH HUESTISParticipant]

Memphis will have the talent but Pastner just isn’t a good coach. UNLV better than UK next year..BHAHAHAHAHAH. the recruiting class from this past season is nothing like next season, when they made the rankings (reguardless of class) last year when Archie and the rest were in H.S both the Harrison twins, Randle, and Johnson were considered better than all of them except Noel so comparing this years and next seasons is a joke Duke is going to be very good. Curry,Kelly and Mason will be very hard to replace but Hood, Sulimon,Cook and Parker all have first team all conference potential

[jeff416Participant]

I don’t think Pastner is nearly as bad as everyone says he is. Even though he hasn’t won a lot of big games yet, he has had a lot of unlucky breaks in a few of them. He could have easily beat Louisville earlier this year if a few calls went the other way. He also doesn’t have as many opportunities as other coaches have since they have been playing in Conference USA. He should have many more opportunities next year since they will be playing in the former Big East. Not sure what it’s called yet, but it will still have Louisville and UConn in there. He also is very young, and will continue to improve as a head coach.

[ph90702]

Don’t get angry if I’m right. Oh, I’ll expect plenty of thumbs up if it happens.

[Memphis MadnessParticipant]

^^^

Next year is a big year for Pastner.

I actually like our conference if U Conn, Cincy, and Temple stay.

[theprophetParticipant]

wiggins makes wherever he goes a strong case of a top five ranking. tim49461, i like your top five without wiggins in the mix. i don’t have a particular order within that top five though and i’m assuming certain players return for that order to stand to.

[BlueRivers25Participant]

UNC will end the 2013-2014 season ranked lower than they where they start the season.
Same with UK. Wait didn’t that happen this season too.

[M-EazyParticipant]

1. Kentucky
2. Duke
3. Florida (remember the name Dorian Finney-Smith)
4. Louisville ( remember the name Terry Rozier)
5. Arizona (could end up top 3 if Aaron Gordon commits)

Outside looking in:

Kansas – they reload every year and with big time recruits like Wayne Selden, Joel Embiid, Brannen Greene, and Conner Frankamp they did it again. The most underrated recruit is Frank Mason, but this kid is from Petersburg, VA and I got a chance to watch him light up VA public school league. He got no love senior year because his grades but this kid fits the mold of Kansas PG and I expect him to cut into Frankamp’s minute severely until he is played over him. Mason is the type to lead country in scoring down the line.

Indiana – they’ll lose Victor “Michael Jordan” Oladipo (Dumbest comparison ever) but I think Zeller’s draft stock took a huge hit with his play against Temple and Syracuse and he might have to come back. Add Noah Vonleh, Troy Williams, Stanford Robinson, and Luke Fischer for their size and skill and Indiana will be right in the mix of things. Troy Williams has potential to be special with his athleticism and overall nonstop hustle.

Florida State – I fully expect Wiggins to make the obvious choice of FSU elevating them to a top 7 team type team.

Syracuse – they’ll lose MCW, Triche, and Southerland…maybe even Fair but I think Fair will be back. Replace MCW with top 5 PG Ennis and Trichie with 6’6 Duke transfer Gbinije the top of that zone will be hard to break again. If Grant comes out balling sophomore year like I expect and with recruits Ron Patterson, Tyler Roberson, and BJ Johnson coming in Syracuse will have another dangerous team. (Yes I’m a Cuse fan)

[Ghost01Participant]

Duke is absolutely a top 3 team next year. Yes they are losing 3 seniors, but having Cook, Suliamon, and Thornton back a long with Parker and Hood coming in will be so hard to stop. Their only real issue will be finding a big man. Their wing players will be great. I agree with Kentucky’s abundance of talent coming in they could start No.1. But I would definitely put Duke No.2. Parker is going to be a star, and they have enough returning players to make up from the guys they are losing.

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