CBS has released their first poll and [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/15726143/preseason-top-25-and-one-from-the-original-guy-and-one”]Jeff Goodman and Gary Parrish have the Cats at #2.[/URL]
Here is the top 5.
| [B]1. [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/NC/north-carolina-tar-heels”]North Carolina[/URL] [/B] | |
| [IMG]http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/collegebasketball/gamecenter/logos/NC.gif[/IMG] | [B]Top returnees:[/B] Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Kendall Marshall, Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, Reggie Bullock.
[B]Top newcomers:[/B] James McAdoo, P.J. Hairston. [B]Outlook:[/B] This roster is, on paper, just as talented (and perhaps more talented) than UNC’s national championship teams from 2005 and 2009. Barnes is a legitimate National Player of the Year candidate, and Henson, Zeller and Marshall are All-American talents. Barring an injury at the point guard position, the Tar Heels should be the ACC’s champions… and the favorite to win much more. |
| [B]2. [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/KY/kentucky-wildcats”]Kentucky[/URL] [/B] | |
| [IMG]http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/collegebasketball/gamecenter/logos/KY.gif[/IMG] | [B]Top returnees:[/B] Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Darius Miller.
[B]Top newcomers:[/B] Anthony Davis, Mike Gilchrist, Marquis Teague, Kyle Wiltjer. [B]Outlook:[/B] John Calipari again has a freshman-heavy roster talented enough to win a national championship. Can he do it? Who knows? But the pieces are in place considering five guys are projected to be selected in the 2012 NBA Draft — among them Davis, the likely No. 1 overall pick. |
| [B]3. [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/CT/connecticut-huskies”]UConn[/URL] [/B] | |
| [IMG]http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/collegebasketball/gamecenter/logos/CT.gif[/IMG] | [B]Top returnees:[/B] Jeremy Lamb, Alex Oriakhi, Shabazz Napier, Roscoe Smith, Niels Giffey, Tyler Olander.
[B]Top newcomers:[/B] Andre Drummond, DeAndre Daniels, Ryan Boatright. [B]Outlook:[/B] The loss of Kemba Walker hurts, obviously. But Jim Calhoun still has a roster more talented from top to bottom than the roster that won last season’s national championship. Lamb could be the Big East Player of the Year, and Drummond, a late and surprising addition, has all the physical tools to dominate at the college level and challenge UK’s Davis for the top spot in next June’s NBA Draft. |
| [B]4. [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/SYR/syracuse-orange”]Syracuse[/URL] [/B] | |
| [IMG]http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/collegebasketball/gamecenter/logos/SYR.gif[/IMG] | [B]Top returnees:[/B] Kris Joseph, Scoop Jardine, Brandon Triche, Dion Waiters, C.J. Fair, James Southerland, Mookie Jones, Fab Melo, Baye Moussa Keita.
[B]Top newcomers:[/B] Rakeem Christmas, Trevor Cooney, Michael Carter-Williams. [B]Outlook:[/B] The Orange aren’t as individually talented as North Carolina, Kentucky or Connecticut, but Jim Boeheim has an experienced roster with lots of nice parts. The lone relevant missing piece from last season’s 27-win team that won 12 Big East games is Rick Jackson. So if Jardine is more under control and Waiters and Melo develop as they should, this could be Boeheim’s fourth Final Four. |
| [B]5. [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/teams/page/OHST/ohio-state-buckeyes”]Ohio State[/URL] [/B] | |
| [IMG]http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/collegebasketball/gamecenter/logos/OHST.gif[/IMG] | [B]Top returnees:[/B] Jared Sullinger, William Buford, Deshaun Thomas, Aaron Craft.
[B]Top newcomers:[/B] Amir Williams, Sam Thompson, Shannon Scott, Trey McDonald, Evan Ravenel. [B]Outlook:[/B] Sullinger is the CBSSports.com Preseason National Player of the Year and a dominant big man capable of carrying the Buckeyes to the first Monday night in April. He’s surrounding by a terrific cast led by Craft and Buford. These Buckeyes are your Big Ten champs, barring a pretty big surprise. |
