Onions, Nylon and Big Fellas. Diaper Dandies, PTP-ers and a little Slam, Bam, Jam. These word combinations can mean only one thing: college basketball is here. Bill Raftery and Dick Vitale, the two most popular voices in the game, coined these phrases, and when hearing them, everyone knows it’s time to watch the best teams in the nation battle it out on the hardwood.
Last season ended in dramatic fashion as Gordon Hayward’s half court heave hammered the backboard and clanked off the rim, crowning Duke as the National Champions over the Butler Bulldogs. In last year’s crazy March, half of the Sweet 16 teams owned seeds of five or worse, proving how difficult it is to predict an NCAA tournament.
Based on returning players, incoming freshman, and the resurging college basketball dynasties, here is a conference-by-conference preview of what fans can expect from the 2010-2011 college basketball season.
Big East
Any college basketball preview must start with the Big East. It is the nation’s deepest league, with plenty of teams filing in and out of the Top 25 rankings each week. Big East teams face some of the toughest regular seasons of all NCAA teams. From Syracuse to Georgetown, Pittsburgh to Villanova, and West Virginia to Louisville, there is no easy game on any schedule.
Conference Champ: Villanova
With the loss of Scottie Reynolds, guards Corey Stokes and Corey Fisher won’t be leaving the floor too often. These two players represent two of their top four scorers from a year ago, and form likely the best backcourt in the conference. Add double-figure scorer Antonio Pena to the mix and coach Jay Wright has a team with national title hopes.
Sleeper: Marquette
Though do-it-all forward Lazar Hayward is gone, coach Buzz Williams does the most with the least in the Big East. Forward Jimmy Butler and guard Darius Johnson-Odom will likely lead the team in scoring, with help from junior college transfer Jae Crowder. Crowder is another of Williams’ past commitments from the junior-college level, and was last season’s Junior College Player of the Year. Though they likely will not contend for the Big East title, look for the Golden Eagles to surprise and work their way into the top four.
Big Ten
Before practices started in mid-October, the Big Ten was looking at a season in which it would go head-to-head with the Big East for the claim of best conference in the country. That was until the first day of practice, when Purdue’s senior forward Robbie Hummel suffered a torn ACL in his right knee for the second time. Purdue will take a hit as a conference title hopeful, but is still one of the league’s best with JuJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore.
Conference Champ: Michigan State
The Spartans have been to consecutive Final Fours, and are loaded once again this season. Tom Izzo decided to return as coach, and he will be coaching the conference’s best backcourt. Kalin Lucas is returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon injury that forced him to miss his team’s deep run in the tournament. Corie Lucious, the man that performed well in Lucas’ absence, as well as streaky guard Durrell Summers, will join Lucas as one of the Spartans’ very experienced ball handlers.
Sleeper: Illinois
Bruce Weber brings back a team that returns its top five scorers, including point guard Demetri McCamey, a preseason All-Conference pick. Weber’s team had its bubble burst last season when Selection Sunday came, but with more experience in 2011, the Fighting Illini will be there this time around.
Atlantic Coast Conference
The next best conference in America could go one of two directions, the ACC or Big 12, but the ACC gets the edge thanks to the reigning national champion Blue Devils. The overall strength of the ACC will likely depend on North Carolina, who did not make the 2010 tournament, but returns some flashy guards and brings in All-American freshman Harrison Barnes.
Conference Champ: Duke
You simply can’t go wrong with the Blue Devils. Ranked No. 1 in both preseason polls, Duke brings back excellent depth and two key contributors in preseason All-American Kyle Singler and senior guard Nolan Smith. Smith and Singler have both contributed since arriving at Duke, and will provide the leadership necessary for the Blue Devils to chase another national title.
Sleeper: Virginia Tech
The Hokies return nearly all of their scoring from last year’s team that made a run into the NIT quarterfinals. A big chunk of that is point guard Malcolm Delaney. Delaney was a force in the ACC last season, averaging 20 points per game, and received preseason All-ACC honors for 2011.
Big 12
Besides the SEC, the Big 12 was the only other conference with more than one team in the Elite Eight last season. Look for Kansas to falter a little bit after losing two great seniors and an electric freshman, but the Jayhawks will still be able to hold their own under coach Bill Self.
Conference Champ: Kansas State
The Wildcats begin the season ranked number three, and coach Frank Martin is looking at his team’s most anticipated season since he took the position. The Wildcats return preseason All-American guard Jacob Pullen from last year’s Elite Eight team, as well as forwards Jamar Samuels and Curtis Kelly. After the Big 12 race is sealed, look for Kansas State to put together another string of tournament victories.
Sleeper: Missouri
Missouri returns four of its top five scorers from last season, and lanky guard Kim English will hope to improve upon his team’s lone tournament victory from a season ago.
Southeastern Conference
The SEC outlook is a bit hazy entering the 2011 campaign. A league usually known for its football found the national stage last year with Kentucky ranked at or near No. 1 for most of the season. The Wildcats will have to bring in another solid group of recruits to make up for the one-and-done departures of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins.
Conference Champ: Florida
Billy Donovan brings back his best group since back-to-back titles several years ago. Sophomore guard Kenny Boynton will carry most of the load for the Gators with help from Chandler Parsons and Erving Walker.
Sleeper: Tennessee
The Volunteers will need to lean heavily on guards Scotty Hopson and Cameron Tatum in order to have success in 2011. This team will be held back, however, if coach Bruce Pearl and his staff cannot get past the self-imposed penalties stemming from giving misleading information to the NCAA.
Pac-10
The Pac-10 is looking like the weakest major conference this season. It was relatively weak a year ago, and claims only a single team in the preseason rankings. The Pac-10 sent only an 11-seed to the Sweet 16 last season, and will struggle to receive more than five bids to the dance this year.
Conference Champ: Washington
Washington was the lone Pac-10 school to advance to the Sweet 16 last year and is the only squad in the preseason rankings. The Huskies should run away with the conference title, and Isaiah Thomas will lead the team. The junior point guard averaged 17 points per game last season, and will likely eclipse the 20-point mark if Washington is going to find success this year.
Sleeper: Arizona State
The Sun Devils return four of their top five scorers from 2010, and will be looking to make the tournament for the second time under coach Herb Sendek. 22 victories was not good enough for a tournament bid last season, but 25 wins will likely do the trick this time around.
Mid-Majors
Just like in college football, teams outside of the big conferences will get their chance to make some noise. Since they are not all in the same conference, all of these teams are defined as sleepers.
Sleepers: Gonzaga & Brigham Young
The Gonzaga Bulldogs have been the best mid-major team over the past decade, making the tournament each of the past 12 seasons. The Zags are back in 2011, and under coach Mark Few will be looking to make their third Sweet 16 in six seasons.
BYU went dancing in 2010 and defeated the 10-seed Florida Gators in double overtime. The Cougars bring back one of the best shooters in college basketball with Jimmer Fredette. Fredette, a Player of the Year candidate, will be the focal point pf BYU’s high scoring offense.
It would be a shame to pick the conference champs in a season preview without taking a stab with the national champion pick. It would be just as much of a shame to pick the media favorite–the Duke Blue Devils.
Michigan State will win the 2011 National Championship. Coach Izzo refusing the temptation of the NBA and coming back to East Lansing is a big reason for their success. The experience of consecutive Final Fours will also prove indispensible for the Spartans come March 2011. Kalin Lucas, the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, was forced to watch last year’s run from the sidelines, and will be determined to end his senior season in Houston hoisting a championship trophy.
