Sportsbank's College Basketball Top 10

Only two weeks into the college basketball season, and we have already seen a handful of memorable games.  Michigan State has played through their usual stretch of impossible non-conference games... Coach K won his record 903rd game en route to winning the 28th Maui Invitational... and multiple preseason top-10s - UConn, Memphis and UNC - have been upset.  Despite the fact that the 2011-2012 season is still in its infancy, some teams have already established themselves as the ones to watch come March.  Here's Sportsbank's 1st top-10 rankings for the 2011-12 season.

1. Kentucky Wildcats 

Most people have had North Carolina atop their lists from day one, but after a surprising loss to UNLV, I had to give the nod to the 6-0 Wildcats.  Led by freshman PG Marquis Teague (11.7 PPG, 4 APG) and sophomore SG Doron Lamb (14.2 PPG), John Calipari has plenty of weapons at his disposal.  With three key freshmen, two sophomores and only one senior seeing significant playing time, the team is young.  If they can gel quickly and live up to the hype, Kentucky is poised to make another run to the Final Four this year... but their inexperience and lack of a true center may come back to haunt them.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State is off to a strong start.  The Buckeyes, led by Sophomore Jared Sullinger (who is averaging an impressive 18.8 PPG and 10.7 RPG) are 6-0, and already have an impressive win over a good Florida team.  Their next game, tomorrow night against Duke, will be a real measuring stick.  If they can pull off the 'W' against a second top-10 team, they'll keep the pressure on Kentucky for the #1 spot in the country.  To do that, however, they'll need more than just Sullinger.  Fortunately, it looks like Senior William Buford (17.7 PPG) and Sophomore PG Aaron Craft (5.5 APG) are up to the task.


3. North Carolina Tar Heels

Despite their loss to UNLV last week, Carolina is likely compete to regain their status as the nations number 1 team before long.  With a group of talented freshmen, including guard P.J. Harrison - mixed with a veteran lineup that returned all 5 starters - the Tar Heels are for real.  Harrison Barnes is off to a hot start (17.3 PPG, 4.8 APG).  It looks like he's improved, which is saying a lot since he was a lock at a top-5 pick if he stayed in last years NBA draft.  If Tyler Zeller and John Henson continue to haul in the rebounds, the Tar Heels will remain one of the best teams in the country.  In fact, they may just be cutting down the nets in March.

4. Duke Blue Devils 

The Blue Devils look like they will be competing for yet another ACC championship this season. Despite losing multiple starters including the #1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, Kyrie Irving, Duke has plenty of scoring punch.  With Junior Seth Curry leading the way (15.1 PPG/3.1APG), forward Ryan Kelly and stud freshman Austin Rivers aren't far behind... giving the Blue Devils a balanced attack.  With the Plumlee brothers owning the glass down low (they average a combined 15.3 RPG), Duke has the potential to go far this year.  However, bigger teams with talented, athletic big men may be able to stop the Dukies from bringing yet another title to Durham.

5. Syracuse Orange 

Despite a rather pedestrian schedule to start the season, the Orange have done what they need to to start the season undefeated.  With four returning starters, Jim Boeheim's squad has a legitimate shot at bringing  home one more Big East title before they jump ship to the ACC.  Despite no true superstar, the Orange have a very balanced team with plenty of experience. Senior Kris Joseph is currently leading the team in scoring with 15.3 PPG, and Dion Waiters, Brandon Triche, James Southerland and C.J. Fair are all averaging more than 9.0 PPG.  If someone is able to step up in clutch moments, they'll be a team to watch... but without a go-to player, they may only be able to go so far come March.

6. UConn Huskies

The Huskies bounced back after being upset by unranked UCF to beat #20 Florida State by 2 in a overtime thriller.  Potential lottery pick Jeremy Lamb is scoring the ball effectively, and both point guard Shabazz Napier and freshman Ryan Boatright (after serving his suspension) are carrying their weight as well.  Fellow freshman Andre Drummond, while raw, certainly has potential.  If he matures quickly, the sky is the limit for this team.  With Tyler Orlander and Alex Oriakhi in the rotation, Jim Calhoun will have to figure out playing time... but there could be worse problems to have.

7. Louisville Cardinals 

Another Big East team in the top 10, and another elite coach looking to bring home a title.  The team is 5-0, but the lack of strong competition in the early part of their schedule leaves a few questions that remain to be answered.  The Cardinals aren't scoring the ball a ton, but have given up more than 50 points only twice.  Point guard Peyton Silva, among others, is a top-flight defender...  but the problem is, will that be enough when they face stronger offenses down the road?  Freshmen Chane Behanan is legit, already averaging 9.2 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, but Rick Patino will need to get more out of him and his veteran team if they expect to go deep into March.

8. Wisconsin Badgers

After a run to the Sweet 16, the Badgers are looking to rekindle some of the magic from last March.  With Jordan Taylor returning, they certainly have a shot at it.   However, he will need to return to his 2010-11 form (where he averaged just over 18 points per game) since the Badgers may be a little short on offensive depth.   While Ben Brust and Jared Berggren have played well thus far, Josh Gasser will need to play up to his potential for this team to really succeed.  If he does, the Badgers could have a great backcourt, which can make all the difference in the tournament. We should get an idea of just how good they are when they take on the Tar Heels Wednesday night.

9. Baylor Bears

After a mediocre year in Waco, the Bears are looking to bounce back big in 2011-2012.   And at 5-0 they're off to a good start.  No they haven't faced any tough competition (yet), but they do show promise.  With 4 returning starters and the additions of Quincy Miller (the 7th rated recruit last year according to ESPN) and junior college transfer Pierre Jackson, the Bears should have a solid combination of talent and experience.  Moreover, with players of 6'7'', 6'9'', 6'10'' and 6'11'' all seeing significant playing time, Baylor has fantastic size... something that is always useful.


10. Florida Gators


Billy Donovan is looking to repeat as SEC (regular season) champs.  While the Kentucky Wildcats are the favored team, Florida will be in contention.  However, with only two returning starters they will need production from freshman Bradley Beal and transfer Mike Rosario.  So far, things are looking good as Beal is averaging 16.0 points, and nearly 6 rebounds per game, while Rosario is averaging a solid 12.4 PPG.  Junior SG Kenny Boynton looks to have improved his game over the offseason and will need to provide some veteran leadership and consistency for the team to excel.  The Gators lack of size may prove to be their achilles heel, however, as they only have two of their top-6 players over 6'3''.




Just missed the cut: Xavier, Alabama, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan