2014-15 Season

[CatsTopPac]

Decent article on desert swarm that puts into perspective just how bad our shooting was last year despite our success. I sure hope Rondae can consistently hit the jumper this year because that can translate into more spacing for Kaleb and TJ and make us difficult to defend.

Arizona basketball: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is not the only offensive upgrade - Arizona Desert Swarm

Good analysis, one of my best friends is friends with Kevin. I've been following his work for a few years now. He definitely has developed his analysis and really provides some great insight. I think we are obviously sacrificing a little defense to improve offense, and that will work for us considering how defensive we will still be next year. But you and Kevin are correct, we can't forget about offense next year. Looking forward to it!

 

[Monte Carlo Wildcat]

Good analysis, one of my best friends is friends with Kevin. I've been following his work for a few years now. He definitely has developed his analysis and really provides some great insight. I think we are obviously sacrificing a little defense to improve offense, and that will work for us considering how defensive we will still be next year. But you and Kevin are correct, we can't forget about offense next year. Looking forward to it!

Does your friend Kevin have a website I can check out? And I want to agree with you on sacrificing our defense this year without AG and NJ but not quite yet. I think we may still be lethal on defense. I mean we're gonna have an older more experienced front line and I'm confident that SJ and TJ can lock up the back court. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[520GGATO]

IMO the D won't be #1, but will be top 5 or 3 and the O will be efficient and dependable; better than last season and top 10.
IMO the AZ Cats win the title, Ivan Rabb commits the day after, assu go's 0-30, Pauley Pavilion floods again, and forkwdevil comes out the closet.

 

[CatsTopPac]

IMO the D won't be #1, but will be top 5 or 3 and the O will be efficient and dependable; better than last season and top 10.
IMO the AZ Cats win the title, Ivan Rabb commits the day after, assu go's 0-30, Pauley Pavilion floods again, and forkwdevil comes out the closet.

Hahahaha, quite the prophecy!

 

[CatsTopPac]

Does your friend Kevin have a website I can check out? And I want to agree with you on sacrificing our defense this year without AG and NJ but not quite yet. I think we may still be lethal on defense. I mean we're gonna have an older more experienced front line and I'm confident that SJ and TJ can lock up the back court. We'll have to wait and see.

I think we will still have a great defense next year, no doubt. We just won't be as completely ridiculous as last year. I think last year we were top 3 on defense and this year we will be top ten. But our offense will improve more than we sacrifice on defense.

Wu Tang

 

[520GGATO]

Red-Blue game sold out in 90 minutes. Wow. Best fans in the country.

 

[520GGATO]

Wu Tang

KILLA BEEZ

 

[The Derski]

Can someone with insider post this article? College Basketball Future Power Rankings - Teams most likely to succeed over next three seasons - ESPN

 

[The Derski]

No one has insider?

 

[The Derski]

Bump

 

[BearDownUA]

UPDATED:

2015:

[X] Justice Simon
[X] Allonzo Trier
[X] Ray Smith
[ ] Ivan Rabb
[X] Chance Comanche
[X] Ryan Anderson

PJC, York, Allen, Pitts, Victor, Ristic on board (assuming no transfers)



Dear Mr. Rabb, Mr. Swanigan, Mr. Zimmerman, and Mr. Bragg, who would like to win a national title?

 

[BearDownUA]

The insider list has us at 6. The whole list is a joke really

 

[gordontrue]

Can someone with insider post this article? College Basketball Future Power Rankings - Teams most likely to succeed over next three seasons - ESPN

Part 1

• 
• 1

Duke Blue Devils

The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.

Why they are here: The Blue Devils are atop the power rankings for one main reason: Mike Krzyzewski. He's the all-time winningest coach, is riding a strong wave of recruiting and has shown no signs of stepping down anytime soon. His stability and the Duke brand equate to high-level recruits choosing the Blue Devils. Their current roster is loaded with players coveted by other schools, and the most recent recruiting class has a few more potential one-and-done players. Duke chooses players, as much as if not more so than any other school. The Blue Devils play national games on a regular basis outside of their conference. (Even if only one every other year is a true road game, it still resonates.) Duke has had poor first-round losses to Mercer and Lehigh, but the projection will still be for the Blue Devils to compete for the ACC and national titles in each of the next three seasons. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: Krzyzewski is Duke basketball, and as long as he's around, the Blue Devils will compete for Final Fours and national championships. But Coach K will turn 68 in February, and it's anyone's guess how much longer he'll coach. When he does step down, it'll be interesting to see who takes over because there is no clear-cut successor. Another factor that could make it more difficult for Duke to land elite players is if Coach K steps down from coaching the Olympic and national teams after the 2016 Olympics. The Duke program has benefited greatly from his presence there. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: Already on campus are the nation's No. 1 recruiting class and the No. 1 player in the class, Jahlil Okafor. Okafor will demand attention, point guard Tyus Jones will make the game easy for his teammates by facilitating, while small forward Justise Winslow will add versatility. Also keep an eye on Grayson Allen, a physical and fearless scoring guard. Even if Okafor isn't around long, the future stays extremely bright, as Duke has two studs committed for next season in Chase Jeter and sharpshooter Luke Kennard. -- Paul Biancardi

• 
• 2

Kansas Jayhawks

The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.

Why they are here: The Jayhawks have a future Hall of Fame coach in Bill Self, who has dominated the Big 12 during his tenure. The Jayhawks are now starting to land the one-and-done recruits, and Self has consistently been able to mold teams that might have a possible question mark at a key position (see point guard) but still win the league. Kansas is one of the most stable programs in the country in terms of prestige and support, and that's a main reason Self hasn't been enticed to leave for the NBA. The Jayhawks have also done a tremendous job developing talent and turning role players into conference all-stars to complement the future first-round draft picks on the roster. Kansas will be a perennial title contender. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: Self has established himself as one of the elite recruiters and also X's-and-O's guys in the game. If he left for the NBA (he was in the mix for the Cavs job this past offseason and is well regarded at the next level), the program would certainly take a step back. The only other way the Jayhawks experience a setback is if they are placed on probation -- as was the case due to NCAA violations under Larry Brown's watch. But it's difficult to imagine KU taking much of a step back as long as the 51-year-old Self is in Lawrence, Kansas. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: Kansas pulled in a loaded recruiting class. Kelly Oubre is filling the slot of Andrew Wiggins, and Cliff Alexander comes in as one of the nation's best rebounders and shot-blockers. Perhaps the most important recruit is point guard DeVonte Graham, a much-needed floor leader who reads the game, distributes and scores. Shooting guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk from the Ukraine is a big-time shooter with size. The Jayhawks haven't locked in talent for 2015, but they have great young talent. -- Paul Biancardi

• 
• 3

Kentucky Wildcats

The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.

Why they are here: The current and future talent on this roster alone could keep the Wildcats in the top three in the power rankings. Kentucky has and will continue to land at least one of the top three recruiting classes under John Calipari every year. But Cal doesn't get enough credit for his coaching. He is a future Hall of Fame coach. Look at what he has done with freshman-dominated rosters. Take out the one NIT season, and Kentucky has competed for the national title in four of the five seasons he's been there. Calipari has had to coach to his personnel and altered his style when needed. He does a tremendous job of getting the stars to buy in and shelve their egos. Kentucky could make a case for the top spot, but there's still a question of whether Calipari would take an NBA job sometime during the next three years. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: Billy Gillispie proved it's possible to screw it up -- even in Lexington, Kentucky -- with a putrid two-year stint. However, as long as Calipari is around, the Wildcats will have as much talent as just about anyone else. Kids want to get to the NBA, and nothing has been more successful of late than the Calipari/UK marriage. It's not exactly a dilemma, but constant turnover does make it more difficult to sustain success (e.g., NIT appearance in 2012). As Andy noted, the issue is if Calipari leaves for the NBA, but I think that's unlikely to happen. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: Coming back from last year's No. 1-ranked recruiting class are Andrew and Aaron Harrison, as the twin brothers have the talent to take over any game. This season's class is led by center Karl Towns Jr., who will be fascinating to watch because his skill-to-size ratio is off the charts. The most exciting player to watch is the smallest on the roster, as 5-foot-9 point guard Tyler Ulis could be the best pure playmaker Calipari has ever coached. -- Paul Biancardi

 

[gordontrue]

• 4

Louisville Cardinals

The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.

Why they are here: Rick Pitino once mentioned possibly retiring in 2017. That no longer has any validity, and it's one of the main reasons you can count on the Cardinals to be a title contender for the foreseeable future. Like Kentucky, Louisville's passion for the sport is hard to match. The facility is at the top of the sport, and the overall lure of playing for Louisville makes the Cardinals a destination for top-level recruits. This staff also maxes out the talent, often keeping even really good players around for a few years. Pitino and his staff also deserve praise for their development of rotation players -- those guys helped the Cardinals become a national champion. The current talent dip to 90 on the rankings may be a bit unfair because the players fit the system. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: I'm shocked Pitino has been able to overcome some off-the-court issues and also the presence of John Calipari down the road and enjoy as much success as he has in recent years. The Cardinals are recruiting at a high level (they have commitments in 2015 from three of the top players in Donovan Mitchell, Deng Adel and Antonio Blakeney), and Pitino is one of the top tacticians in the game. As long as there's talent at Louisville, Pitino should stick around -- and the talent isn't fading. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: It could be time for sophomore Terry Rozier to take over this team, as I watched him compete and develop this summer. Freshman Shaqquan Aaron is extra-long and has crazy athletic ability and the ball skills to come in and make a difference right away. Pitino's 2015 class is shaping up to be his best in years. Top recruit Blakeney is a supreme scorer with great offensive confidence. -- Paul Biancardi

​

• 
• 5

Florida Gators

The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.

Why they are here: Billy Donovan's career at Florida is Hall of Fame material. The Gators' run to four straight Elite Eights and most recently the Final Four is as impressive a streak as any other team has had during the same time period. Yet the Gators don't get enough credit in large part because of the shadow of Kentucky in the SEC, even though they routinely beat the Cats. The Gators haven't had the one-and-done talent during this stretch that they did earlier in Donovan's career at Florida. But the development of rotation players and scorers has positioned the Gators to be a major player every season. The "program power" number could have been higher. There is really no reason to knock the consistency and stability of the program under Donovan. The facility could be updated, but the Gators have had no issue landing the players they need to be successful. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: Donovan has done a remarkable job at a "football school" and built the Gators into a national power in hoops, but the question is whether he'll head to the NBA at some point. He's had interest from multiple teams, and one to watch is Oklahoma City if something ever happens with Scott Brooks. Thunder GM Sam Presti is a huge fan of Donovan's. This isn't nearly as easy a job as Donovan has made it look, and the next guy will have his work cut out for him. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: The Gators have a freshman on campus by the name of Devin Robinson who has the chance to be really special. Robinson possesses a 6-9 frame and has fluid movements and the shooting skills of a guard. His potential is as high as anyone else's in this year's freshman class. Already committed for 2015 is stud wide-body Noah Dickerson, who finishes through contact and competes on a consistent basis. Donovan has the Gators well stocked for the future. -- Paul Biancardi

​

• 
• 6

Arizona Wildcats

The bar graphs reflect the average rating given by the voters for each category.
Category averages are weighted by importance to generate overall score.

Why they are here: The Wildcats have had a remarkable turnaround. Sean Miller was the right person to replace two interim coaches who followed Lute Olson. He has masterfully mixed his recruiting base in the Northeast and an adoption of Arizona's historical past with the state of California's talent. Arizona has been the benchmark program in the Pac-12 for decades now and that trend is going to continue. Arizona can get involved with any of the top players in the West, and the improvements to the McKale Center should make it even more inviting. The results under Miller speak volumes already with a Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight finishes in the past four seasons. The Arizona brand is national once again -- this program will be hunting titles. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: Miller has raised the bar in Tucson, Arizona, over the past few years, but he knows he can't continue to replenish the cupboard if he keeps losing players early to the NBA. Arizona is not Kentucky, Kansas or North Carolina. Miller had some good fortune while Ben Howland and Kevin O'Neill were at UCLA and USC, but now it won't be quite as easy to raid California. The only other concern would be Miller leaving Arizona to return closer to the East Coast, but that's tough to imagine while he's got it going (as he does right now) in Tucson. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: With continuous top-10 recruiting classes, Miller has pretty much owned the West Coast in recruiting. One of the best freshmen in college basketball will be Stanley Johnson, who combines power and finesse. With a rock-solid body and a strong motor, Johnson can dominate anywhere inside the arc and is a more-than-capable 3-point shooter. The Wildcats' 2015 recruiting class is shaping up to yet again be highly ranked. -- Paul Biancardi

 

[gordontrue]

• 7

North Carolina Tar Heels

Why they are here: The Tar Heels have never had an issue landing elite talent. North Carolina has consistently netted some of the top players for the better part of three decades. But there have been some holes on the roster at key spots (consistent inside scorer since Tyler Hansbrough left and a reliable point guard in the season prior to Marcus Paige's arrival). But John Calipari's presence at Kentucky and Bill Self's emergence at Kansas as even more of a national recruiter have put a dent in the Tar Heels' talent base. Duke's rise -- yet again -- has meant the Tar Heels need to be on their game. And they are still holding on, strong and talented enough to mount a chase for a title. Roy Williams has battled back from a scary tumor situation on his kidney and still has the energy to coach an elite program. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: North Carolina -- much like Kansas and Kentucky -- is one of those programs that will be successful no matter the coach (exception: Matt Doherty). The brand is that big. The question now becomes whether the academic scandal could hinder UNC and ultimately force the 64-year-old Williams to retire earlier than anticipated. There's no natural replacement for Williams, at least not in terms of keeping it in the family. That's where a mistake could be made if UNC decides to give the job to someone with program ties. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: With a deep and talented roster led by Paige on the perimeter and "big baby" Kennedy Meeks in the paint, the Tar Heels add a winning freshman trio that finished No. 3 overall. Frosh Justin Jackson will be on everyone's radar and in opponents' scouting reports because he scores from the midrange exceptionally well and has great length and touch. Joel Berry will be a terrific on-ball defender and a great leader. -- Paul Biancardi

​

• 
• 8

Syracuse Orange

Why they are here: The Orange are a hit in the ACC, too. The talent pipeline still flows as Syracuse continues to be an attraction for recruits. Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, like Krzyzewski, shows no signs he's ready to call it quits. That's good. His staff has had changes, but top assistant Mike Hopkins has stayed. The stability in the program is not an issue. The current talent is a hair below what it was the past two seasons, but that's not going to derail Syracuse from being an ACC contender. The program power number is probably too low -- Syracuse's national reach is still very high. Getting Syracuse on your schedule is still a coup and a must-see game. The Orange are as much of a mainstay in the top 10 as any of the others listed. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: The Orange aren't currently quite as loaded with talent as we've seen in the past few years, but Boeheim and his staff have already received commitments from four players in the 2015 Top 75. The major question is whether coach-in-waiting Mike Hopkins can keep this thing going once 69-year-old Boeheim calls it quits. Even further, will Hopkins stick around for much longer and wait for Boeheim to retire? As Andy noted, that may not be soon. Hopkins has pursued other jobs and if he leaves, who is next to follow Boeheim? -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: The Syracuse roster is always filled with elite athletes, but freshman Chris McCullough could be special if he puts in the work. His frame is long and athletic, as it fits the model that Syracuse gets in recruiting. He also has advanced ball skills for his size. McCullough has all the tools to make a big-time block and then run the floor for a finish. As Jeff noted, Syracuse already owns four ESPN 100 commitments in 2015. -- Paul Biancardi

​

• 
• 9

Michigan State Spartans

Why they are here: The Spartans can start planning on a Hall of Fame weekend for Tom Izzo, they may just have to wait awhile. The Spartans have flirted with danger, worrying if Izzo would take an NBA job. But the overtures from Atlanta, Cleveland, Detroit and others have come and gone. Izzo has stayed and that's why the program has the stability, the power and the ability to be a Big Ten/national title contender on an annual basis. The current talent is a bit weaker than usual, but to be dismissing this season's team given the coach would be premature. The Spartans rarely win the high grades over the above-mentioned teams in recruiting, yet are there at the end in March. Michigan State's win over Kentucky in Chicago last season was a perfect example of team versus raw talent at that time. The Spartans aren't winning a title this season, but don't cancel out any of the next few. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: There are two concerns with the Spartans and whether they can remain at an elite level. First, will Izzo leave for the NBA? Second, Michigan State has lost to the likes of Duke and Kentucky in recruiting battles, and the current level of talent in the program isn't what it has been. Izzo gets the most out of his players, but he'll need to either beat the big boys for recruits once in a while or change his philosophy. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: ESPN 100 point guard Lourawls Nairn will excite the home crowd in East Lansing, Michigan, with his passion for the game and playmaking talent. Nairn possesses tremendous straight-line speed, pushing the ball in the open floor and making the Spartans run for easy baskets. Next season look for Deyonta Davis to be a dynamic frontcourt addition. He has bounce, shot-blocking and scoring skill. -- Paul Biancardi

​

• 
• 10

Michigan Wolverines

Why they are here: The Wolverines have become a national player under John Beilein. He transformed this program back into one that we presume will be in the hunt for the Big Ten title. Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas weren't the most coveted of players, yet both ended up as Big Ten Players of the Year and first-round picks after their sophomore seasons. So, the current talent and at times the recruiting may look lower compared to others in the top 10, but wait at least two seasons to judge this crew. The power of the program will continue to grow. The stability should be a higher number with Beilein looking more and more like this is his last stop. The Wolverines have to be in consideration as one of the elite programs. -- Andy Katz
Dilemma: I'm not sure there's much that will stop the Wolverines in the near future. I guess it's that Beilein is 61 years old, but he appears to be getting better with age. The major concern when he took the job was whether he could recruit at a high enough level; however, he and his staff have done a tremendous job mixing in underrated guys such as Burke and Caris LeVert with top-50 players including Mitch McGary, Zak Irvin, Derrick Walton and Kameron Chatman. -- Jeff Goodman
Pipeline: As a sophomore, small forward Irvin is ready to step up his role and become a main offensive threat for Michigan. He's polished up his jumper this offseason and has the explosiveness to dunk over defenders. Joining Irvin is Chatman, a versatile, high-skilled prospect who will impress the Wolverines fans as he gets stronger. -- Paul Biancardi

 

[gordontrue]

I'll just put the rest of the list... its a very long article...

11. OSU
12. Gonzaga
13. Wisconsin
14. UConn
15. Virginia
16. UCLA
17. Xavier
18. Villanova
19. SDSU
20. Harvard
21. Pitt
22. UNLV
23. Memphis
24. GTown
25. VCU

 

[520GGATO]

Geez, it sure is getting hard to recruit those Cali players. I heard today a school in the west just got a 4 star commit. I don't know what school it was, but we need to pick it up asap.

 

[520GGATO]

EasternSportsPropagandaNetwork at its best.

 

[The Derski]

Thanks Gordon!!

 

[CatsTopPac]

Thanks Gordon!!

They call him "good lookin out" Gordon.