Pre-Season Top 5

• jpake1

  

  This season just finished up.. so you do you have for next year. Yeah yeah yeah, we know some people still have to declare and coaches will be moving, but try to have some fun with it.
• gorocks99

  

  Duke will be up there, as will MSU, Purdue, Butler, and Georgetown. Don't know what order I'd put them in.
• Fab1b

  

  Dicky V's top 5 next season:
  5. Purdue
  4. Nova
  3. MSU
  2. Ohio St (said this without Evan Turner)
  1. Duke
• mallymal614

  Ohio State I think will be #1 or #2 if Turner returns. I expect Michigan State to start out in the top 5 as well as possibly Butler, and of course Duke.
• Fab1b

  

  Dicky V mentioned Butler as #6
• Laley23

  

  The same way I dont think Butler was the second best team this year, I dont think they will be top 5 next year. BUT, you can almost be assured if Hayward stays they are a top 5 pre-season team.
• Laley23

  

  Duke is interesting. Smith is back, but what about Singler and Scheyer is graduating? I know they have a great PG coming in (Kyrie Irving) but if Singler bolts I dont see them as a top 5 team without Scheyer. Maybe not even with him.
  
  The loses of Thomas and Zoubek are HUGE given that Duke doesnt come close to a title without the improved play of those two the last 3 months of the year.
• NilesPacMan

  I think one aspect that affects Butler is if Stevens leaves or not. If I'm him, I'd stick it out at Butler and build them into a powerhouse, or wait it out until a really enticing job opens in the next couple of years. Butler returns all but two guys to graduation, that is if Heyward stays, and I don't know if they can replicate this type of run next year, but they will be dangerous, I think.
• Laley23

  

  ccrunner609 wrote:

  Laley23 wrote: Duke is interesting. Smith is back, but what about Singler and Scheyer is graduating? I know they have a great PG coming in (Kyrie Irving) but if Singler bolts I dont see them as a top 5 team without Scheyer. Maybe not even with him.
  
  The loses of Thomas and Zoubek are HUGE given that Duke doesnt come close to a title without the improved play of those two the last 3 months of the year.

  
  Duke will actually be better next year if Singler comes back. THey have some kid by the last name of Curry. He will be a scoring machine.
  
  The Plumlees are gonna be so much better next year. Dawkins, Kelly at 6'10 will get PT.
  
  Duke has the tools to repeat

  I dont doubt that at all. I just dont think they are going to get any sort of love about potential. Also, Curry is great, but lets not act like he is his brother. I know what he did his freshman year, and I think he will be a great player. But he is nowhere near Steph.
  
  The Plumlee boys should fill the void of Zoubek and Thomas...but how soon? Dawkins is going to be a special player, but he is not going to replace Scheyer. I dont like Duke, but Scheyer was incredible this year. Such a smart player all around. Never got himself in trouble, always made the right play (I loved him drawing the foul on Nored last night when he turned for the screen) and had a fantastic AST/TO ration.
  
  I see them as top 10 with stints in the top 5. But I dont think they will be as good as they were this year.
• Puddle Jumper

  

  NilesPacMan wrote: I think one aspect that affects Butler is if Stevens leaves or not. If I'm him, I'd stick it out at Butler and build them into a powerhouse, or wait it out until a really enticing job opens in the next couple of years. Butler returns all but two guys to graduation, that is if Heyward stays, and I don't know if they can replicate this type of run next year, but they will be dangerous, I think.

  Normally that would be correct but look what Kent State did when Waters left for Rutgers.Heath came in with basically the same team and took the Flashes even further.
• mucalum49

  

  NilesPacMan wrote: I think one aspect that affects Butler is if Stevens leaves or not. If I'm him, I'd stick it out at Butler and build them into a powerhouse, or wait it out until a really enticing job opens in the next couple of years. Butler returns all but two guys to graduation, that is if Heyward stays, and I don't know if they can replicate this type of run next year, but they will be dangerous, I think.

  Not only that but the team loses Veasley and his 10 PPG and the guy Jukes who until last night scored like 10 points in 8 games. According to ESPN's recruiting they are bringing in a freshman SF who is 6'6 and skill wise is rated a 94/100 (not sure what all goes into their skill ratings). Another guy is a 6'9" 200lb PF and rated 85/100. Looks like they keep their core and bring in two bigger skilled guys in the process.
  
  If one guy stays I would think Brad Stevens would because of his connections to Indy. Brian Windhorst of the Cavs tweeted last night he thinks that Stevens has the potential to be a future NBA coach and at 33 who knows where he ends up.
• namod65

  

  Duke is not going to repeat. There's no way in hell that the NCAA tourney turns out to be as bad in terms of good teams as it was this year. Look at the year OSU made it to the final four. All four of those teams would handle this year's Duke team easily, and maybe even some of the elite eights like Memphis and UNC would too. Just a very down year for college basketball and I expect it to get better next year.
• j_crazy

  

  If crawford stays Xavier will have a top 10 team for sure IMO. Until all the recruiting/NBA Draft paperwork is worked out, it's going to be tough to pick a realistic top 5.
• Rebel_ I.N.S.

  

  1.Duke
  2.Michigan St
  3.Georgetown ( If Monroe comes back)
  4.Ohio St
  5.Butler(If Heyward comes back)