Sunday, April 13, 2008

Top Ten NCAA Basketball Teams 2008-2009

When it comes to NCAA championships, I'm greedy, so I've been tracking various 2008-2009 Top 25 (Speculation) Lists to see who KU might have to beat en route to the trophy next season. Another UNC smackdown is not out of the question, and it looks like that KU-UCLA finale some of us were hoping for could happen in March 2009. Depends on who you ask. (However, a huge KU-Texas Monday Night match-up during the regular season seems assured.)

The lists of top ten teams for next season vary quite a bit, and they're bound to change dramatically once players declare for the draft, but several schools come up repeatedly. Texas contends for #1, Kansas gets plenty of love at the #4-6 spots, and the usual suspects from the ACC are present. Additional Big 12 teams--Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M--appear on a few brave lists. Here's a random sample.

FOX's Jeff Goodman:
  1. North Carolina
  2. Michigan State
  3. Notre Dame
  4. Duke
  5. Georgetown
  6. UCLA
  7. Purdue
  8. Gonzaga
  9. Texas
  10. Tennessee
ESPN's Andy Katz:
  1. Texas
  2. North Carolina
  3. Pitt
  4. Kansas
  5. Notre Dame
  6. West Virginia
  7. Connecticut
  8. Purdue
  9. Memphis
  10. USC
Washington Times:
  1. North Carolina
  2. Texas
  3. UCLA
  4. Connecticut
  5. Louisville
  6. Kansas
  7. Purdue
  8. Duke
  9. Tennessee
  10. West Virginia
Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn:
  1. NORTH CAROLINA
  2. UCONN
  3. UCLA
  4. PURDUE
  5. KANSAS
  6. TEXAS
  7. WEST VIRGINIA
  8. GEORGETOWN
  9. DUKE
  10. TENNESSEE
Rivals.com's Andrew Skwara:
  1. North Carolina
  2. UCLA
  3. Memphis
  4. Texas
  5. Kansas
  6. Connecticut
  7. USC
  8. Purdue
  9. Kansas State
  10. Gonzaga
College Hotline's John Wilner:
  1. North Carolina
  2. Connecticut
  3. UCLA
  4. Florida
  5. Michigan State
  6. Kansas
  7. Louisville
  8. West Virginia
  9. Texas A&M
  10. Marquette
at

2 comments:

  1. must_decrease7:43 AM

    It's hard to see where Marquette would get a nod as a ten best, especially considering their coach bolting for Indiana. And hey, where's the love for Villanova? One more year for those stellar guards and I think they could make a real run. Kansas should most assuredly be at the top of nearly every prediction. Especially with a healthy Collins, a returning Chalmers (we hope), a strong Aldrich and a heavy recruiting class. Self is smelling Florida back to back. (See Whitlock from Today's KC Star, I'm not good with the hyperlinks)

    ReplyDelete
  2. AJ1:22 PM

    You could be right about 'Nova, especially now that they've picked up Duke transfer Taylor King (forward). They needed some help inside.

    I could see KU struggling early and rounding into shape right before tourney time.

    ReplyDelete

You're about to leave a comment. The entire blog is holding its breath. Bittersweetlife wants you to know that you look your best when you speak straight up and aren't red in the face.