2011-2012 College Basketball preview

2011-2012 College Basketball Preview Last year, the college basketball season and postseason couldn’t have been much better. From VCU and Butler making Cinderella runs, to Kemba Walker carrying the UCONN Huskies on his back, to Morehead State shocking Louisville in the tourney, the season was amazing. This year, much of the same is expected. Let’s take a look at my preseason top 5. 1. North Carolina- The heels are in a great position to go deep this season. Harrison Barnes, a top producer on the Tar Heels last season announced his return. That, coupled with the coaching of Roy Williams and Tyler Zeller in the paint, makes NC a team to watch this year. 2. Kentucky- The past two years Kentucky has just been talented freshmen. Now, with the return of Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb, the Cats have some experience. They will still have some "fab frosh" though. With the addition of F Anthony Davis and PG Marcus Teague, the Wildcats are an early favorite to win it all in New Orleans this April. 3. Ohio State- Last year’s end left a bitter taste in the mouths of Buckeye fans and players. The loss against Kentucky in the Sweet 16 was not easy to swallow. It is still fresh in the mind of returning starters Jared Sullinger, William Buford, and Aaron Craft. The loss of John Diebler, Dallas Lauterdale, and David Lighty don’t help, but the addition of some freshmen will help fill the void. 4. Duke- The Blue Devils are feeling good about this year. They have supposedly the best freshman in the country in Austin Rivers. The new freshmen class coupled with the experience of the Plumlee twins in the paint make Duke a threat to win it all this year. They have a few tough road tests this year, though, including a big one on November 29 at Ohio State. 5. Syracuse- The Orange went 27-8 last year, and they return almost everyone of the key players who helped them get there. They return the electrifying Scoop Jardine, and the 7 ft. sophomore Fab Melo. The only thing holding Cuse back from a great season this year is the strength of the Big East. With UCONN, Marquette, and PITT (just to name a few) all on the schedule, the Orange better come to play. The postseason is hard to predict with all of the Cinderella stories and wild finishes, but if all goes how it should, here is how I see the last few rounds turning out. Elite 8 Kansas (2 seed) North Carolina (1 seed) Duke (1 seed) Ohio State (1 seed) Kentucky (1 seed) Wisconsin (3 seed) Syracuse (2 seed) Connecticut (3 seed) Final 4 (New Orleans, LA) Kansas Ohio State Wisconsin Kentucky Championship Game Ohio State vs. Kentucky Winner: After losing to UK in the Sweet 16 last year, there is no way that Ohio State loses this game. Ohio State wins 83-70 As many know, I am a die hard OSU fan. I, however, am not predicting a Scarlet and Gray championship because I like them. I pick the Bucks because of the talent that they have coming in a frosh, and the experience that they already have. Watch out for Duke Nov. 29 and then @ Kansas just 2 weeks later. Thanks for reading.