Who's Your Pre-Season Top 25?

[CatsTopPac]

I honestly don't know if Arizona is a top 25 team this year. I know I'll get shit from my fellow AZ fans for this, but we have too many role players and not a single guy I look at and say "he'll be THE GUY". Maybe Trier but I don't want to rely that heavily on a freshman. Hope they prove me wrong, but they don't have near the talent they did the last 3 years.

Lack of athleticism and a go-to scorer worries me.

I'd say they're definitely top 25. We still brought in yet another top 10 class and the depth on the team is insane. I agree there is not one go to guy on the roster but who was our go to guy last year or the year before? I'd say Derrick Williams has really been the only go to guy we've had in Sean Millers career at Arizona. I think the biggest question mark is how we will transition into having PJC running the offense instead of TJ.

AZ will take their lumps this season. We'll need the first couple of months to let the guys get comfortable with their roles and learn to work together. Other than @ Gonzaga, and @ UCLA, we really don't have too much else going early on (we also have a possible matchup with Mich St). But the end of the season we have a nice gauntlet to get us ready for March. We have @ Cal, UCLA, @ Utah, and Cal leading into the P12 tourney (which will also be a nice test).

With Anderson, Tollefsen, and Allen all making their debuts (although Anderson and Allen worked with the team all last year), and the four freshmen coming in, there will be a lot of moving parts. I think we have enough talent to keep us decently ranked until about Feb, when we need to start putting it together.

I don't really know what to expect from freshmen, but I think we should be alright in the post, and I see a couple guys stepping up in the back court from last year both as shooters and facilitators. It might take a little while for them to step up, but I think we certainly have the potential.

 

[kramer1]

I expect the Bearcats to make some noise this season

 

[mr.hockey4242]

I expect the Bearcats to make some noise this season

You expect this every year. Doesn't happen.

 

[rmilia1]

Not sure on Iowa this year. We return a lot but lose probably our 2 best athletes. I'm thinking 22ish type wins and a 7 type seed

 

[HammerDown]

Vanderbilt with Damian Jones (legit 7' consensus NBA lottery pick) Luke Kornet (7' 1" 3-point assassin) and Riley LaChance (lefty bomber) will end up in the top 10 this season. I'll be at every game.

 

[WestEndVol]

AP Top 25:

1. North Carolina
2. Kentucky
3. Maryland
4. Kansas
5. Duke
6. Virginia
7. Iowa State
8. Oklahoma
9. Gonzaga
10. Wichita State
11. Villanova
12. Arizona
13. Michigan State
14. California
15. Indiana
16. Utah
17. Wisconsin
18. Vanderbilt
19. Notre Dame
20. Connecticut
21. LSU
22. Baylor
23. Purdue
24. Butler
25. Michigan

NCAA College Basketball Polls, College Basketball Rankings, NCAA Basketball Polls - ESPN

 

[Arizona_Sting]

I honestly don't know if Arizona is a top 25 team this year. I know I'll get shit from my fellow AZ fans for this, but we have too many role players and not a single guy I look at and say "he'll be THE GUY". Maybe Trier but I don't want to rely that heavily on a freshman. Hope they prove me wrong, but they don't have near the talent they did the last 3 years.

Lack of athleticism and a go-to scorer worries me.

I said this in October @DHoey @CatsTopPac

 

[CatsTopPac]

Sting,

That was pretty fucking close to spot on. Throw in a few injuries to some definite and potential starters and there you have it. I also know we were definitely concerned about the chemistry of losing all the starters, the new faces this season, no leader, etc.

I think we go 26-8. I think we'll have some difficulties early on with Gonzaga and Michigan State, and stumble in a tougher Pac. I think we only lose once or twice at home this season, and another couple-three on the road. I think we lose in the P12 tourney title game.

I think us, Cal and Utah will all be neck and neck in the Pac with 15-3 taking it, but the other two teams only a game or two out.

That was my post in mid October on our AZ thread. But I had to put Oregon up there after you said they might win the Pac, back in November. I didn't think they'd be as good with only a couple contributing seniors, but you were all about it. Good call! My prediction was 24-7 during the regular season and 2-1 in the Pac tourney. In December I picked us to go 12-6 in conference. There's also my post at the top of this page that goes into it a little too.

Looks like between us, we called both personnel and team/record/conference concerns pretty accurately.

@Arizona_Sting @DHoey

 

[rmilia1]

Not sure on Iowa this year. We return a lot but lose probably our 2 best athletes. I'm thinking 22ish type wins and a 7 type seed

Hmmm. Not bad

 

[Jim Rome is Flaming]

Pretty funny to think back at the roller coaster of a season this has been for the Badgers.