Sporting News Magazines College Basketball Preview

[wkuhillhound]

As many of you know, I am a college basketball fiend. It definitely helps when you are a fan of a Mid-Major powerhouse and loves to brag about it. Anyways, without further ado, here are the previews for all conferences. Sporting News predicts that........

These are their preseason Top 25
1) Kansas
2) Kentucky
3) Michigan State
4) North Carolina
5) West Virginia
6) Texas
7) Purdue
8) Duke
9) Villanova
10) Mississippi State
11) Georgetown
12) Tennessee
13) Washington
14) Butler
15) Connecticut
16) California
17) Clemson
18) Wake Forest
19) Ohio State
20) Maryland
21) Illinois
22) Notre Dame
23) Dayton
24) Michigan
25) Florida State

2010 NCAA Tournament Predictions and seeds
#1 seeds
Kansas
Kentucky
Michigan State
West Virginia
#2
Duke
North Carolina
Texas
Purdue
#3
Villanova
Mississippi State
Washington
Butler
#4
Georgetown
Tennessee
Connecticut
California
#5
Ohio State
Clemson
Wake Forest
Notre Dame
#6
Maryland
Illinois
Dayton
Michigan
#7
Florida State
Cincinnati
Siena
UCLA
#8
Tulsa
Xavier
Minnesota
Kansas State
#9
Louisville
Syracuse
Vanderbilt
Texas A&M
#10
South Carolina
Oklahoma State
Pittsburgh
Northern Iowa
#11
Oklahoma
Georgia Tech
Gonzaga
Akron
#12
Memphis
BYU
San Diego State
Northwestern
#13
Virginia Commonwealth
Morehead State
Western Kentucky
Utah State
#14
Cornell
Sam Houston State
Oakland
Long Beach State
#15
Davidson
Holy Cross
Binghamton
Robert Morris
#16
Radford
Weber State
Jackson State
Play-in game
Jacksonville
Morgan State

More coming in subsequent posts.

[wkuhillhound]

Here are the conference predicted order of finish and stock value of high major conferences:
ACC
1) North Carolina - Steady
2) Duke - Up
3) Clemson - Steady
4) Wake Forest - Down
5) Maryland - Up
6) Florida State - Up
7) Georgia Tech - Up
8) Boston College - Up
9) Virginia Tech - Steady
10) North Carolina State - Down
11) Miami - Down
12) Virginia - Up

Atlantic 10
1) Dayton - Up
2) Xavier - Steady
3) Richmond - Up
4) Temple - Steady
5) Duquesne - Up
6) Charlotte - Up
7) La Salle - Up
8) Rhode Island - Down
9) Massachusetts - Steady
10) Saint Joseph's - Down
11) Saint Louis - Steady
12) St. Bonaventure - Up
13) George Washington - Down
14) Fordham - Down

Big East
1) West Virginia - Up
2) Villanova - Steady
3) Georgetown - Up
4) Connecticut - Steady
5) Notre Dame - Steady
6) Louisville - Down
7) Cincinnati - Up
8) Pittsburgh - Down
9) Syracuse - Down
10) Seton Hall - Up
11) Marquette - Down
12) St. John's - Up
13) Rutgers - Steady
14) South Florida - Steady
15) DePaul - Steady
16) Providence - Steady

Big Ten
1) Michigan State - Up
2) Purdue - Up
3) Ohio State - Steady
4) Illinois - Steady
5) Michigan - Up
6) Minnesota - Steady
7) Northwestern - Up
8) Wisconsin - Down
9) Penn State - Down
10) Indiana - Up
11) Iowa - Down

Big 12
1) Kansas - Up
2) Texas - Up
3) Kansas State - Up
4) Texas A&M - Steady
5) Oklahoma - Down
6) Oklahoma State - Steady
7) Missouri - Down
8) Baylor - Steady
9) Iowa State - Up
10) Texas Tech - Steady
11) Nebraska - Down
12) Colorado - Steady

Conference USA
1) Tulsa - Up
2) Memphis - Down
3) Houston - Steady
4) Texas-El Paso - Up
5) Marshall - Up
6) Southern Methodist - Up
7) Central Florida - Down
8) Tulane - Steady
9) Rice - Up
10) Alabama-Birmingham - Down
11) Southern Mississippi - Down
12) East Carolina - Steady

Mid-American East
1) Akron - Up
2) Buffalo - Up
3) Miami - Up
4) Kent State - Steady
5) Bowling Green - Up
6) Ohio - Up
Mid-American West
1) Northern Illinois - Up
2) Central Michigan - Up
3) Ball State - Up
4) Eastern Michigan - Up
5) Western Michigan - Steady
6) Toledo - Steady

Missouri Valley
1) Northern Iowa - Up
2) Creighton - Up
3) Illinois State - Up
4) Southern Illinois - Down
5) Wichita State - Up
6) Bradley - Steady
7) Indiana State - Up
8) Drake - Steady
9) Evansville - Steady
10) Missouri State - Down

Mountain West
1) San Diego State - Up
2) BYU - Steady
3) UNLV - Up
4) New Mexico - Steady
5) Utah - Down
6) Wyoming - Up
7) Texas Christian - Down
8) Colorado State - Steady
9) Air Force - Down

Pac-10
1) Washington - Up
2) California - Up
3) UCLA - Down
4) Oregon - Up
5) Arizona - Steady
6) Oregon State - Up
7) Washington State - Steady
8) USC - Down
9) Stanford - Down
10) Arizona State - Down

SEC East
1) Kentucky - Up
2) Tennessee - Up
3) Vanderbilt - Up
4) South Carolina - Up
5) Florida - Steady
6) Georgia - Down

SEC West
1) Mississippi State - Up
2) Ole Miss - Up
3) Alabama - Up
4) LSU - Down
5) Arkansas - Up
6) Auburn - Down

WAC
1) Utah State - Steady
2) Idaho - Up
3) Nevada - Down
4) New Mexico State - Steady
5) Boise State - Steady
6) Louisiana Tech - Up
7) San Jose State - Up
8) Fresno State - Up
9) Hawaii - Steady

Next post: Mid-Major Preview

[wkuhillhound]

The Mid-Major has been redefined a little bit this season, I wonder if the Mid-Major poll will reflect that. Highly unlikely. The rest of the previews do not have a stock indicator like the High Majors so here it is anyways.......

Big West
1) Long Beach State
2) UC Santa Barbara
3) UC Riverside
4) Cal State Northridge
5) Pacific
6) Cal State Fullerton
7) UC Davis
8) UC Irvine
9) Cal Poly

Colonial Athletic Association
1) Virginia Commonwealth
2) George Mason
3) Old Dominion
4) Hofstra
5) Northeastern
6) James Madison
7) Drexel
8) Delaware
9) William & Mary
10) Towson
11) UNC Wilmington
12) Georgia State

Horizon League
1) Butler
2) Wright State
3) Wisconsin-Milwaukee
4) Cleveland State
5) Illinois-Chicago
6) Detroit Mercy
7) Wisconsin-Green Bay
8) Youngstown State
9) Loyola (IL)
10) Valparaiso

SoCon North
1) Western Carolina
2) Chattanooga
3) Appalachian State
4) Samford
5) Elon
6) UNC Greensboro
SoCon South
1) The Citadel
2) College of Charleston
3) Davidson
4) Wofford
5) Furman
6) Georgia Southern

Sun Belt East
1) Western Kentucky - It seemed appropriate that WKU and Gonzaga met in March. That's because Gonzaga is to the West Conference what WKU is to the Sun Belt. It's just that the Hilltoppers don't get as much ink. Perhaps, it's time they should. (I couldn't say it any better myself, great synopsis!!)
2) Troy
3) Middle Tennessee
4) South Alabama
5) Florida International
6) Florida Atlantic
Sun Belt West
1) North Texas
2) Denver
3) Arkansas-Little Rock
4) Louisiana-Monroe
5) Arkansas State
6) Louisiana-Lafayette
7) New Orleans

West Coast
1) Gonzaga
2) Portland
3) Saint Mary's
4) Pepperdine
5) San Diego
6) Santa Clara
7) San Francisco
8) Loyola Marymount

That's it for the Mid-Majors. The next post is for the Low-Majors

[wkuhillhound]

Here are the rest of conference in Division I in which are considered Low-Major according to Sporting News, not to ME!!! Don't shoot the messenger!!!

America East
1) Binghamton
2) Boston University
3) Vermont
4) Albany
5) Stony Brook
6) Maryland-Baltimore County
7) New Hampshire
8) Hartford
9) Maine

Atlantic Sun
1) Jacksonville
2) Lipscomb
3) East Tennessee State
4) Mercer
5) Belmont
6) Campbell
7) Kennesaw State
8) North Florida
9) Stetson
10) South Carolina-Upstate*
11) Florida Gulf Coast*
* not eligible for conference tournament

Big Sky
1) Weber State
2) Idaho State
3) Portland State
4) Montana
5) Montana State
6) Northern Arizona
7) Northern Colorado
8) Eastern Washington
9) Sacramento State

Big South
1) Radford
2) Winthrop
3) Coastal Carolina
4) UNC Asheville
5) High Point
6) VMI
7) Gardner-Webb
8) Liberty
9) Charleston Southern
10) Presbyterian*
*not eligible for conference tournament

Great West
1) South Dakota
2) Utah Valley State
3) Texas-Pan American
4) North Dakota
5) Chicago State
6) New Jersey Tech
7) Houston Baptist

Ivy League
1) Cornell
2) Yale
3) Princeton
4) Dartmouth
5) Harvard
6) Columbia
7) Pennsylvania
8) Brown

Metro Atlantic
1) Siena
2) Niagara
3) Rider
4) Saint Peter's
5) Fairfield
6) Iona
7) Loyola (MD)
8) Canisius
9) Manhattan
10) Marist

MEAC
1) Morgan State
2) Norfolk State
3) South Carolina State
4) Bethune-Cookman
5) North Carolina A&T
6) Howard
7) Hampton
8) Florida A&M
9) Coppin State
10) Delaware State
11) Maryland-Eastern Shore

Northeast
1) Robert Morris
2) Mount St. Mary's
3) Quinnipiac
4) Long Island
5) Sacred Heart
6) Central Connecticut State
7) Monmouth
8) St. Francis (NY)
9) Fairleigh Dickinson
10) Wagner
11) St. Francis (PA)

OVC
1) Morehead State
2) Murray State
3) Austin Peay
4) Eastern Kentucky
5) Jacksonville State
6) Eastern Illinois
7) Tennessee Tech
8) Tennessee-Martin
9) Tennessee State
10) Southeast Missouri State

Patriot League
1) Holy Cross
2) Bucknell
3) Colgate
4) Army
5) Lehigh
6) American
7) Navy
8) Lafayette

Southland East
1) Stephen F. Austin
2) Southeastern Louisiana
3) Nicholls State
4) Northwestern State
5) McNeese State
6) Central Arkansas

Southland West
1) Sam Houston State
2) Texas-San Antonio
3) Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
4) Lamar
5) Texas-Arlington
6) Texas State

Summit League
1) Oakland
2) South Dakota State
3) Oral Roberts
4) IUPUI
5) North Dakota State
6) Southern Utah
7) IPFW
8) Western Illinois
9) Missouri-Kansas City
10) Centenary

SWAC
1) Jackson State
2) Alabama State
3) Prairie View A&M
4) Arkansas-Pine Bluff
5) Southern
6) Mississippi Valley State
7) Texas Southern
8) Alabama A&M
9) Grambling State
10) Alcorn State

Independents (alphabetical listing)
1) Cal State Bakersfield
2) Longwood
3) North Carolina Central
4) Savannah State
5) Seattle
6) Southern Illinois-Edwardsville will join OVC in 2011

That's it for the Division I Conference Previews hope you enjoyed it!!

[ASUG8]

Watch #18 Wake Forest - they lost nobody last year, were #1, beat Clemson, UNC, and Duke within a 10 day span. They'll be contenders this season - write it down.

[ToTheLeft]

Can't believe they have Coastal 3rd in the league... other than that, the Big South looks reasonable. I disagree with where Liberty is, but I can see it happening.

[dbackjon]

Thanks for posting that.

[wkuhillhound]

Thanks for posting that.

No problem. I can't wait for college basketball to begin!!! Especially since WKU is (0 - 7) Hopefully, WKU can exact some revenge on North Texas this weekend. Spookier things have happened. Go Tops!!!

[clenz]

UNI should be damn good this year. I'm looking for a possible 7 seed from them, assuming things go the way they should

[TwinTownBisonFan]

NDSU - 5th in the Summit??? hrm...

i think they may do a bit better than that...

[ODUfanRazor]

Picking ODU third in the CAA? What a freaking joke. The "Sporting News" should be embarassed. We return 10 out of 11 players from a team that went 25-10 last year, including our top 6 scorers and all 5 starters, not to mention the player of the year in the league, Gerald Lee.

And picking VCU to win the conference? Are you kidding me? Did they even bother to find out that A. Eric Maynor is gone and B. they lost their coach, AGAIN?

Do some freaking research next time. ODU and Northeastern are the two best teams in the conference and they were picked to finish 3rd and 5th. I'll eat my hat if that happens.

[JMU DJ]

Picking ODU third in the CAA? What a freaking joke. The "Sporting News" should be embarassed. We return 10 out of 11 players from a team that went 25-10 last year, including our top 6 scorers and all 5 starters, not to mention the player of the year in the league, Gerald Lee.

And picking VCU to win the conference? Are you kidding me? Did they even bother to find out that A. Eric Maynor is gone and B. they lost their coach, AGAIN?

Do some freaking research next time. ODU and Northeastern are the two best teams in the conference and they were picked to finish 3rd and 5th. I'll eat my hat if that happens.

You can make this argument for a lot of teams outside of just the CAA. UNC lost most of their offensive production and back court, yet they are ranked ahead of programs like Purdue, Nova and Texas who are returning everybody. UConn? Didn't they lose... everybody? Leaving teams behind them, like Wake, who return everybody. Georgetown returns a lot of players... but aren't those the same players that went to the NIT last year? Does their "experience" warrant that high of a ranking in this poll (ESPN/USA today has them at 21)?

[wkuhillhound]

UNI should be damn good this year. I'm looking for a possible 7 seed from them, assuming things go the way they should

WKU has been better than a 12 seed for the past two years and only lost 1 starter from last year, and he wasn't even the leading scorer. WKU will be turning some heads starting with Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Baton Rouge. Coupled with WKU's exciting home schedule that includes Houston, Tulane, Evansville, Mississippi State, and Southern Illinois. 3 out of those teams we lost to on the road last year will be coming E.A. Diddle this year, it's our turn to do some shocking and aweing. Payback will be a bitch for you!!!!

[wkuhillhound]

UNI should be damn good this year. I'm looking for a possible 7 seed from them, assuming things go the way they should

WKU has been better than a 12 seed for the past two years and only lost 1 starter from last year, and he wasn't even the leading scorer. WKU will be turning some heads starting with Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Baton Rouge. Coupled with WKU's exciting home schedule that includes Houston, Tulane, Evansville, Mississippi State, and Southern Illinois. 3 out of those teams we lost to on the road last year will be coming E.A. Diddle this year, it's our turn to do some shocking and aweing. Payback will be a bitch for them!!!!

[clenz]

UNI has a chance to get Tennesse and Purdue in back to back games, assuming UNI and TN both win first round and UNI beats Tennesse and Purdue wins their side of the bracket.

UNI could make some really big waves early in the season.

[wkuhillhound]

UNI has a chance to get Tennesse and Purdue in back to back games, assuming UNI and TN both win first round and UNI beats Tennesse and Purdue wins their side of the bracket.

UNI could make some really big waves early in the season.

WKU almost beat Tennessee in Nashville. Good luck! Negedu for the Vols is out for the season with an injury. (Inside info)