TPowell's College Basketball Preview

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:00 AM

6. Villanova

One of the most interesting teams this year to me are the Villanova Wildcats. Without Shane Clark, Dwayne Anderson, and star forward Dante Cunningham, it will be tough early on for the Cats. Of course, star guards Scottie Reynolds and Corey Fisher both return as does Corey Stokes and Reggie Redding. Freshmen guards Dominic Cheek, a 3 point marksman, and Maalik Wayns, a TRUE point guard should fit in perfectly with Nova and provide tons of depth in the backcourt. Remember this name, Mouphtaou Yarou. Yarou is a 6'9 forward who will be perfect for the system Jay Wright runs. Wright loves to have bigs that can crash the boards and play with reckless abandon and he found the right man in Yarou. Kid is still very raw but considered a top 10 recruit on most boards. This team will have to find somebody like Yarou to do the dirty work inside. Villanova posseses the best starting backcourt in the country and I would dare say they have the deepest backcourt with the additions of Cheek and Wayns. I can't see this Villanova team going down before the Elite 8. I personally have them in a few futures.

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:06 AM

7. Connecticut

UConn was given a huge break when 6'9 small forward Stanley Robinson decided to come back to school. I really thought he should have been at least a mid to late 1st round pick last year in the NBA Draft. The Huskies also return Jerome Dyson. Dyson was hurt last season and was the main reason why Michigan State defeated them in Detroit. Dyson is a very dynamic 2 guard that can be huge if he stays healthy. This team will depend on the growth of sophomore point guard Kemba Walker. Walker impressed me last year playing behind A.J. Price, but this year he becomes the man. Losing their top 3 scorers from last year will really hurt UConn, but they do have talent that Jim Calhoun can work with. At the end of the day, I believe the losses of Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, and A.J. Price will be too much for the Huskies to overcome. Adrien in particular seemed to be the heart of that team last year. It will be a much different team without Thabeet to make the plays only he was capable of making. I can see this UConn team having a decent season, but I don't see how this team has a good chance at a Final 4

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:17 AM

8. Duke

I'm not sure who decided that Duke should be a top 10 team, but it damn sure wasn't me. I really thought Elliot Williams would do special things for Duke this year, but his transfer to Memphis was huge blow. Williams was probably the second most athletic player on that Duke team. The most athletic was senior Gerald Henderson. Henderson led the team in scoring (16 ppg) and did everything that guys like Scheyer and Nolan Smith couldnt. Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer still provide the deep ball, but without guys like Henderson and Williams, I'm not sure how much it matters. Incoming is PF Ryan Kelly, who is an incredibly poised young man with a great 3 point shot at 6'10. Obviously he's white and he also struggles rebounding and on defense. Fellow recruit and PF, Mason Plumlee is a great rebounder and has good touch from mid range, but he also isn't a true post player, even at 6'11. The hope that Duke fans should have is relatively unheralded SG Andre Dawkins. Dawkins can shoot the deep ball AND provide much needed athleticism. The kid can flat out jump and loves to play above the rim. This kid could make a big difference for Duke, but minutes will be hard to come by. In the end, I see this Duke team like the ones from the past few years. A Sweet 16 is possible with a good draw, but not much more after that unless they get the infamous Duke cakewalk

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:25 AM

9. West Virginia

Another one of MY personal favorite teams this year are the Mounties. Daryl "Truck" Bryant really surprised me last year with his play from the point guard spot. As a sophomore, I fully expect him to be a solid floor general. Joe Mazzula is also back from an injury suffered last year, as is Wellington Smith. The two big guns are Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks. Both of these guys are capable of playing at a high level inside and out, as well as providing tons of athleticism. I know many people have been wondering when Bob Huggins will get his kind of team and I believe this is the year. The loss of Alex Ruoff was pretty big, but he didn't really fit in to the kind of team Huggins wanted. Another name you might not know is Kevin Jones. Jones will be a sophomore this year and is a combo forward who showed a pretty sweet shooting stroke at the end of last season. I like West Virginia to challenge Villanova in a less talented Big East this year. With Huggins at coach, who knows what this team will do come March but they do have all the tools to get to a Final 4. Most of the expectations depend of the maturation of Daryl Bryant. I see West Virginia as very similar to UConn when it comes to expectations. If the point guard play is there this year, both have outside shots at a Final 4. I would rank West Virginia's chances slightly higher though.

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:33 AM

10. Butler

This Butler team was pretty good last year, but they relied on relatively young players. With Matt Howard, Shelvin Mack, and Gordon Hayward, this Butler team has the chance to be one of the most talented mid majors ever. Hayward will be a fine pro one day and Shelvin Mack was a huge steal from the state of Kentucky. Most tend to overlook Matt Howard, but I really love the kids game. Those 3 players I mentioned were the top 3 scorers from last years team and should only improve this year. The one concern I have with this team is defensively. I hate to nitpick, but I didn't think that Butler played the defense they usually do last year. Brad Stevens is a good young coach that I believe can lead this team to great things. The only problem is that they could slide into a 4 or 5 seed and get a shitty draw. If this happens, a Sweet 16 may be a huge accomplishment. Gary Parrish believes they are talented enough to make a Final 4. I personally don't share this opinion, but I do think they have a solid chance at making noise come March, possibly an Elite 8

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:33 AM

comments are always welcome. Am done for tonight though

TPowell · 11-07-09, 12:50 AM

ABEHONEST · 11-07-09, 01:10 AM

A tip for Powell !
Watch for Tyler Zeller to really make strides this year .
He's the 2008 Mr.Basketball for Indiana and I think he has great potential .
Being 7 ft. doesn't hurt,but this kid has class and brains also .
He also is damn athletic for a 7ft white boy .
He could be the key for late charge in the regular season for Carolina .

Did you know his younger brother is a junior at Washington High School,and is around 6' 9" 1/2 ?
Rumor has it, he will be better than T.Zeller,but I will never believe that unless I see it ?