This is the place for all things that don't need their own thread...

I LOOOOVE NCAA basketball, it's my personal goal to make this at least a 10 page thread.

So, who does everyone have this year?

Right now I think Kansas and UNC are the two major heavy-weights, though obviously Rush and Arthur have to be healthy for the Jayhawks. I like Tennessee a lot as another one to do well with Tyler Smith being added to an already solid core. If I were picking my early Final Four, I guess the last one would be UCLA, Love is a huge addition. I kind of like Georgetown too, though they need some guys to step up to replace Green as the third option with Hibbert and Wallace. Summers could definitely take the next step and fill a lot of that, and Macklin and newcomers Wright and Freeman can do some damage too. Sapp is good too, they definitely have the pieces, they just need to gel.

I'm not 100% sold on Memphis or Louisville as big-time contenders. Memphis is deep and athletic, but they don't always take the best shots in the world. Plus only Roberts, Dorsey, and the incoming Rose really impress me. IMO he has to be very good for them to get past the Elite 8, though that is entirely possible (some would argue probable). As for Louisville, they seem to have a lot of good players but not very many that I'd call difference makers, and they also took a lot of bad shots for most of the year. They need to get over that to do well, they didn't seem to know who their go-to players were. Sosa definitely has ability, but someone out of Williams, Padgett, and Palacios has to take the next step for them to make major noise.

As for my guys at NU, I just hope they can build to respectability. I like Coble a lot, and Ryan has some ability. Hopefully Nash and some of the other guys that didn't play much last year can step up.

Big Ten-wise, I can't wait to see how IU looks this year. This ought to be a fun team with DJ White coming back and joining with Gordon.

Memphis is over-rated like they are every year. I hate all the pub they get for never having done more than get to the Elite 8. They will not beat my Vols this year, just like when they got stomped last year.

Derrick Rose and OJ Mayo are very very good. USC will be good. That is all.

I think they've been pretty underrated the last few years, but that's just me. I like Memphis and UCLA, I however am not sold on Louisville either. If I had to pick a final four right now, I'd probably go with: Memphis, UCLA, Washington State and Indiana. Got two favorites and 2 semi sleepers(not really but not the Kansas' or UNC's of the world).

The Pac 10 is absolutely loaded, btw.


Can't wait for November 3rd.

With the preseason tourny we're in, there is a possibility that we'll play Miss State, USC and IU back to back to back. That could be a fun stretch.

Man, the Illini look like they might have some problems this year. Jamar Smith is redshirting and Quinton Watkins might not be coming either. They could really struggle to score.

The Jamar Smith situation is an embarassment. There is no way he should still be in school, let alone on that basketball team, and getting a redshirt year out of it. The guy was out driving drunk, about killed himself and another person, left the scene of an accident, and then left his buddy for dead. Michael Vick kills dogs and people are calling for his ban from the NFL, Jamar Smith about kills another human and he gets a redshirt year... It doesn't feel right to me at all.

First, let me say that I couldn't agree more with you. Jamar is a "kid" though, so I think people want to be more lenient with him. That could be wrong but that's the impression I get.

"being lenient" would be not throwing him into prision for a long time, and letting him finish college. He doesn't deserve the extras of playing college basketball. Weber should have revoked his scholarship and kicked him off of the team.

Less than two months 'til Saluki basketball

Wow: http://www.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/stories/091607aaa.html

Its a wonder some of these kids make it to college... Idiots.

Ronald Steele out for the season. Too bad.