Colleges

Tipping off the new season

A list of fives to help get you ready for the upcoming college basketball season, which begins Monday.

By BRIAN LANDMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published November 4, 2007

5 Favorites for San Antonio

1. Memphis.The Tigers have all five starters back, led by guard Chris Douglas-Roberts, from a team that has gone to consecutive Elite Eights and welcomes a heralded point guard, Derrick Rose.Can you say loaded and motivated?

2. UCLA. Speaking of motivated, the Bruins have lost in the Final Four to Florida the past two seasons. Point guard Darren Collison is one of four starters back, and there's a lot to like about freshman big man Kevin Love.

3. Louisville. Coach Rick Pitino has experienced big men David Padgett, Juan Palacios and Terrence Williams, and emerging stars in point guard Edgar Sosa and swingman Earl Clark.

4. North Carolina. Forward Tyler Hansbrough, point guard Ty Lawson and guard Wayne Ellington all eschewed the NBA for another run at a title. It better be now since this trio won't be together next season.

5. Tennessee. The Volunteers return sharpshooter Chris Lofton and three other starters from a team that at one point led its Sweet 16 game against Ohio State by 20 points. These guys can play. Will they finish?

5 Newcomers to watch

1. O.J. Mayo, guard, USC. Mayo was the nation's most-heralded recruit and could be this season's answer to Kevin Durant, the consensus player of the year as a freshman.

2. Kyle Singler, forward, Duke. The Blue Devils desperately needed some star power, and the 6-8 Singler has 3-point range and is a savvy passer, the kind of player who can make his teammates more dangerous.

3. Kevin Love, center, UCLA. The 6-10, 260-pound Love, the nation's top-rated prep center last season, could give the Bruins the interior presence they have lacked and proved their undoing in the Final Four.

4. Derrick Rose, point guard, Memphis. Rose was the nation's No. 2-rated point behind Mayo, but he may prove to be a more adept floor leader than his heralded counterpart out west.

5. Michael Beasley, forward, Kansas State. Beasley is a beast at 6-10, 235, and the most-highly acclaimed prospect in Wildcats history. His career, no matter how long it is, could be former coach Bob Huggins' legacy.

5 Cinderellas to watch

1. VCU. Okay. We know the Rams were Cinderellas last season, upsetting Duke in the NCAA first round and taking Pitt to OT. But come on, they don't occupy center stage. Guard Eric Maynor, who hit the winner against Duke, is back and so is coach Anthony Grant, who looked headed to Florida when Billy Donovan signed with the Magic but then changed his mind.

2. Xavier. It's probably unfair to put the Musketeers in this role. They nearly had Ohio State beaten in the NCAA second round before losing in OT. Senior guards Drew Lavender and Stanley Burrell are a strong foundation.

3. Ohio State. We know Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook and NCAA hero Ron Lewis are gone, but Jamar Butler and David Lighty can flat-out play, and Thad Matta can flat-out coach.

4. Utah State.The Aggies, who might have been a Cinderella a year ago had they won the WAC tournament final and not had to settle for the NIT, feature guard Jaycee Carroll and a big-time junior college All-American in forward Gary Wilkinson.

5. Clemson. The Tigers are loaded with forward James Mays and guards Cliff Hammonds and K.C. Rivers; they started 17-0 last season but ended up in the NIT, where they lost in the final to West Virginia. That could be a springboard.

5 Coaches under pressure

1. Leonard Hamilton, Florida State.All-everything star Al Thornton's gone. Athletic director Dave Hart's on the way out. No NCAA bids in five years. Not a good combination for Hamilton.

2. Billy Gillispie, Kentucky. Gillispie is in his first year in Lexington, but he might just learn the honeymoon period there isn't as long as it was in College Station or anywhere else.

3. Dave Odom, South Carolina. The Gamecocks have won the NIT twice under Odom, but they've gone to the NCAA Tournament just once (2004) in his six years.

4. Jay John, Oregon State. John's entering his sixth season coming off 13- and 11-win seasons. Worse, the Beavers haven't been relevant in the Pac-10 and could be last this season.

5. Frank Martin, Kansas State. Martin took over when his boss, Bob Huggins, boltedfor his alma mater, West Virginia. Martin,formerly at Miami Senior (which had to forfeit a championship for recruiting violations thathe was later cleared of), has never been a D-I coach.

5 Super seniors

1. Roy Hibbert, center, Georgetown. He eschewed the NBA draft and could be the best big man around. Heck, he could be the best player around.

2. Chris Lofton, guard, Tennessee. Lofton merely led the SEC in scoring last season and is at his best when the game's on the line.

3. Sean Singletary, point guard, Virginia. A dynamic scorer, Singletary pulled out of the draft and without J.R. Reynolds should get as many shots as he wants.

4. Drew Neitzel, point guard, Michigan State. Neitzel did it all for the Spartans,scoring and creating and, most important,leading.

5. Kentrell Gransberry, center, USF. Gransberry led the Big East in rebounding and was seventh in scoring and might be the best Bull since Chucky Atkins.

5 Must-see early games

1. Arizona at Kansas, Nov. 25. The Big 12-Pac-10 Hardwood Series opener pits traditional powers with powerful lineups looking to make a powerful statement about their promise.

2. UNC at Ohio State, Nov. 28. The ACC-Big Ten Challenge marquee game looked more intriguing before the NBA draft, but it still should be interesting, especially for the youthful Buckeyes.

3. Memphis vs. USC, Dec. 4. Two of the nation's top freshmen guards, Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo, go at it for the first of many times. The others, however, will be in the NBA.

4. Kentucky at Indiana, Dec. 8. Coach Billy Gillispie, meet basketball madness like you've never seen before. IU freshman guard Eric Gordon, meet big-time hoops.

5. Georgetown at Memphis, Dec. 22. The Hoyas could get to the Final Four again, and you know how we feel about Memphis, so this could be an April preview.

[Last modified November 3, 2007, 22:13:20]