Randall Moore
Reporter

2005-2006 promises to be year of parity in NCAA

As this article is being written, major college basketball teams across the nation are beginning to play in the first exhibition games of the season. This NCAA basketball fever has quickly led me to release Randall Moore’s College Basketball Top 10 Teams of 2005-2006. Because of the NCAA Tourney, these rankings are mostly a mute point as all of these teams will be in the 65-team bracket at the end of the year with a chance to win the national title. However, that doesn’t mean that speculating about the teams is not enjoyable. Onto the teams:

1. Michigan State - Despite losing senior leaders Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert, the Spartans return four starters from the team that went to the NCAA Final Four last season including prohibitive Big Ten Preseason Player of the year Paul Davis.

2. Boston College - Craig Smith is back this year which is good news for the Eagles. B.C. started out last season 22-0 and after a disappointing finish last season are looking for bigger things this year.
3. Duke - Returning the National Defensive Player of the Year Shelden Williams along with National Player of the Year candidate J.J. Redick, the Blue Devils are looking for redemption after last year’s Sweet 16 loss to Michigan State.

4. Texas - Returning three players from 2004’s second ranked recruiting class by rivals.com, Daniel Gibson, Mike Williams and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Longhorns look poised to make a deep run in both the Big XII as well as the NCAA Tournaments. A schedule that features Duke, Villanova, Tennessee and Memphis should help the Longhorns get ready for the Big XII season.

5. Memphis - They were two Darius Washington free throws from winning the Conference USA Tournament and going to the NCAA Tournament. Now with perennial powers Louisville and Cincinnati moving on to the Big East, the Tigers should run rough-shed over the weakened Conference USA and should have enough confidence to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.

6. Villanova - A bogus traveling call from perhaps upsetting National Champion North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament, the Wildcats are locked in and ready to run this year in a season that has great promise for Villanova. They will rely mostly on their backcourt with Curtis Sumpter, Jason Fraser and Allan Ray leading the team.

7. Kentucky - The eligibility of Randolph Morris notwithstanding, the Wildcats are blessed with perhaps the nation’s best backcourt and have the depth necessary to make another deep run in the tournament. With more wins the last three seasons than anyone else in college basketball, head coach Tubby Smith should run through a very weak SEC schedule. The out-of-conference schedule is once again difficult with Louisville, Indiana, North Carolina, Kansas and potentially Texas on the horizon.

8. Connecticut – Off-season turmoil was the name of the game this summer in Storrs, Conn. Point guard Marcus Williams and A.J. Price were accused of stealing laptops from dorm rooms on campus, and it’s yet to be seen if the off-court distractions will hurt the Huskies. It can’t hurt as much as the loss of NBA Lottery Pick Charlie Villeanueva will. Having Rudy Gay back can’t hurt, however.

9. Ohio State – This is definitely a sleeper pick, but the talent necessary is there for the Buckeyes to make a run in the tournament. All Big Ten forward Terrance Dials returns ready to lead the Buckeyes back to the NCAA Tournament after being ineligible for the tourney last year. J.J. Sullinger returns on the wing as a four-year starter at both Arkansas and Ohio State. With the nation’s number one recruiting class in 2006 ready to take the floor next year, it could be easy to overlook Ohio State this year.

10. Louisville – Losing Conf-USA Player of the Year Francisco Garcia and Larry O’Bannon will definitely hurt, however, the Cardinals have enough firepower back to challenge for the Big East Title their first year. Taquan Dean promises to continue to be the marksman of the team shooting, over 40 percent from three-point land in his career.