Give me your top 10 most likely

[Clayton]

Interesting.... Care to expound on that pick?? At the rate theyre going UNC may miss the tourney altogether.

I basically looked at FG% defense and picked the good teams. UNC was up there which is impressive considering some of the teams they have played. You also know that if they get on the bubble, they are making it because they are UNC.

Its still early

 

[rmilia1]

I basically looked at FG% defense and picked the good teams. UNC was up there which is impressive considering some of the teams they have played. You also know that if they get on the bubble, they are making it because they are UNC.

Its still early

Fair enough.

 

[Clayton]

I actually dont like the odds for any team I listed below Florida. Oklahoma St in particular is a team that will lose if the refs shallow the whistle when Smart drives.

 

[gordontrue]

Recent history suggests you need a great coach that's been there before...

Last 10 championship team coaches:
Pitino - Won '96 title
Calipari - Made '08 title game
Calhoun - Won '99, '04 titles
Krzyzewski - Won '91, '92, '01 titles
Roy Williams - Won '05 title
Self - Had never been to FF, but... 8 straight tourney appearances and 4 EE
Donovan - Won '06 title
Donovan - Made '00 title game
Roy Williams - Made '03 title game
Calhoun - Won '99 title

 

[The Derski]

New rankings.

1 Arizona (61) 17-0 1,621
2 Syracuse (4) 16-0 1,560
3 Wisconsin 16-0 1,482
4 Michigan State 15-1 1,442
5 Wichita State 17-0 1,300
6 Villanova 15-1 1,289
7 Florida 13-2 1,205
8 Iowa State 14-1 1,048
9 Oklahoma State 14-2 1,046
10 San Diego State 14-1 1,020
11 Ohio State 15-2 979
12 Baylor 13-2 952
13 Kentucky 12-3 912
14 Iowa 14-3 831
15 Kansas 11-4 686
16 Massachusetts 14-1 579
17 Memphis 12-3 536
18 Louisville 14-3 525
19 Cincinnati 15-2 405
20 Creighton 14-2 329
21 Colorado 14-3 328
22 Pittsburgh 15-1 299
23 Duke 12-4 193
24 Saint Louis 15-2 148
25 Oklahoma 13-3 103
25 UCLA 13-3 103

 

[gpm1976]

I basically looked at FG% defense and picked the good teams. UNC was up there which is impressive considering some of the teams they have played. You also know that if they get on the bubble, they are making it because they are UNC.

Its still early

I dunno.. I think things continue to get worse for them. That's 2 weeks in a row now the zone has eaten them up.

 

[gordontrue]

OK State is too dependent on 1 guy IMO. Yes I know they have other quality players but if Smart gets into foul trouble ( like he did at KSU ) or if he gets tweeked, or if he just has an off game I dont think the Cowboys are good enough to win a title. Now if you can guarantee me that hes going to straight up ball out in all 6 tourney games then Id have them in my top 5 or 6.

Recent memory of Kemba Walker is what makes me give them a chance

 

[The Derski]

Nice UCLA is ranked. Tied with Oklahoma for 25th lol

 

[rmilia1]

Recent memory of Kemba Walker is what makes me give them a chance

True, and Kemba dominated that tourney. Smart is more than capable of doing the same. Its just tougher IMO to do so as a guy that is SO much of your teams offense.

 

[TrollyMcTroller]

Recent history suggests you need a great coach that's been there before...

Last 10 championship team coaches:
Pitino - Won '96 title
Calipari - Made '08 title game
Calhoun - Won '99, '04 titles
Krzyzewski - Won '91, '92, '01 titles
Roy Williams - Won '05 title
Self - Had never been to FF, but... 8 straight tourney appearances and 4 EE
Donovan - Won '06 title
Donovan - Made '00 title game
Roy Williams - Made '03 title game
Calhoun - Won '99 title

Very interesting.

 

[Clayton]

Recent memory of Kemba Walker is what makes me give them a chance

This year has better basketball teams than that year had.

The only reason why I listed Kansas is because they could have guys that could play like Len Bias and Anthony Davis on their team come tournament time. They have the 2 best upside guys in the whole country.

 

[dcZONAfan]

Arizona
Syracuse
Wisconsin
Michigan State
Florida
Kentucky
Wichita St.
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas

I think you are all sleeping on Wichita State, regardless of the schedule they have played. This team is MUCH better than Gonzaga was last year (they were much better than Gonzaga last year and showed it in the tourney by beating them, obviously) and I think Wichita State is better than they were last year. The key is they play great defense which will always give them a chance.

I had a hard time coming up with more than 8. I don't think Iowa State can realistically win a national championship, same with Kansas and 'Nova. They might go far, but I don't think they have what it takes to win 6 games. Same goes for Oklahoma State for me, eventually they will run into a team that is too big down low and understands that to stop Smart all you have to do is make him shoot jumpers (I know, easier said than done but someone will succeed at that task in the tourney).

I don't think Kentucky will put it all together, but I do think there is a slight chance they figure out how to play defense and if they do they would be very dangerous.

 

[gordontrue]

Recent history suggests you need a great coach that's been there before...

Last 10 championship team coaches:
Pitino - Won '96 title
Calipari - Made '08 title game
Calhoun - Won '99, '04 titles
Krzyzewski - Won '91, '92, '01 titles
Roy Williams - Won '05 title
Self - Had never been to FF, but... 8 straight tourney appearances and 4 EE
Donovan - Won '06 title
Donovan - Made '00 title game
Roy Williams - Made '03 title game
Calhoun - Won '99 title

To take this one step further....

In the last 25 years... only Jim Harrick, Tubby Smith, and Bill Self won a championship in their first trip to the Final Four.

 

[dcZONAfan]

To take this one step further....

In the last 25 years... only Jim Harrick, Tubby Smith, and Bill Self won a championship in their first trip to the Final Four.

does missing two wide open threes on the last possession to get to the final four against Uconn count for us and Sean Miller? haha, I dream....

 

[gordontrue]

does missing two wide open threes on the last possession to get to the final four against Uconn count for us and Sean Miller? haha, I dream....

Oh, yes. Absolutely

I'm hoping Miller's 2 EE appearances and 6 tourney appearances gets him close enough to what Bill Self had going for him when he won his first championship.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Arizona
Michigan St.
Syracuse
Wisconsin
Oklahoma St.
San Diego St.
Kansas
Kentucky
Memphis
Louisville

 

[ericd7633]

Arizona
Syracuse
Michigan State
Wisconsin
Florida
Baylor
Villanova
Oklahoma State
Memphis
Kansas

The big thing I look for is how a team performs on a neutral court. The last 5 NCAA Champions are a combined 30-3 on a neutral floor heading into the tournament.

 

[ericd7633]

Colorado would have been on my list if not for Dinwiddie being out for the year. Man what a huge loss.

 

[gordontrue]

Colorado would have been on my list if not for Dinwiddie being out for the year. Man what a huge loss.

man, I hadn't heard the final prognosis... that sucks

 

[CatsTopPac]

AZ
Cuse
Wisky
Mich St
Florida
UK
Ok St
Baylor
Nova
'Ville