# 2014-15 contenders



## Gronehestu (Oct 9, 2013)

So everyone else is doing their 'absurdly early' version of the 2014-15 Top 25 Rankings, here's mine. And **** top 25 there's too many good teams in college hoops these days - it's a top 30

1. Arizona
They're experienced at every position. They have elite talent. And they'll be hungry because everyone's getting down on them for only getting to the Elite Eight the last few years. I mean how absurd are the national pundits - does anyone stop and realize how much crazy shit goes on in the Tourney each year? Ugh. Anyways Zona is loaded. McConnell is a great leader and just the guy for Sean Miller. He needs to add consistency to his outside shot. I'm assuming Nick Johnson will be back. If he's not, drop Zona 2 or 3 spots, because he's a tremendous player. Hollis-Jefferson is, too. He makes crazy, stupid athletic plays. Tarczewski could take a big step - he's extremely skilled and has an array of moves inside. If Ashley is 100%, we all know what he can do. And they add a couple top prospects in multi-purpose forwards Craig Victor and Stanley Johnson, the #3 overall prospect at Rivals. If Johnson leaves, they'll have concerns about perimeter shooting, but given all else they have I don't think anyone will panic about that. 

2. North Carolina
Everyone but McAdoo and McDonald return, and they add 3 McDonald's All-Americans to make up for those losses. Not bad at all. Marcus Paige is one of the best 1s in the country and should only get better with more people to spread the ball to. Kennedy Meeks and J.P Tokoto grew up a lot as the season went on. One problem that may linger is that UNC is, outside of Paige, a horrible FT shooting team. But they have athleticism and skill sufficient to not worry much about that. And they can always improve during the off-season. In between their team-reading exercises. Please, please please: let Roy come to Madison for the ACC/Big 10 challenge. Please. We want you, Hound Dog, and we're coming to get you, be it in November or March or both.






3. Wisconsin
This feels weird lol. But it's legit. Wisconsin brings back the best center in the B1G, and a Wooden Award contender in Frank Kaminsky. Sam Dekker loves to tease us with his talent, and if he ever develops the aggressive streak Frank started to show in March, look out. Josh Gasser is the best glue guy in America. He gives you whatever you need. Nigel Hayes is going to become a dominant player before he graduates. Bronson Koenig was a top 50 prospect who showed major flashes of ability as a freshman. One issue that was never really solved - and luckily didn't get seriously exposed in the NCAA's, is our lack of a true wing player, and that hurts us defensively against teams that have wing scorers who are physical enough to slash into the paint. That's an area where Dekker needs to improve this summer - if he can use his size and athleticism to stop opposing 3's having their way off the dribble, it'll be huge for Bucky. The biggest key to this season may be the maturation of Traevon Jackson. He can be so good, and so frustrating. If he avoids bone-headed decisions and stops playing hero ball at the end of games, there is no reason whatsoever to think Wisconsin won't be in the Final Four for a 2nd straight year. On Wisconsin

4. Florida
While they do lose a ton in those 4 departing seniors, Florida is a team that was not built around a star this year, and they return so much and add so much that I don't see how they'll fall far. Kasey Hill is a great young point guard. Adding Eli Carter is huge, because he's a proven scorer. Yeguette was such an awesome do-everything guy, but Finney-Smith can do a lot of those same things. Chris Walker should emerge now that Young is gone, and honestly Young was a bit of a disappointment anyways. When Michael Frazier is on, his shots don't even move the net. And while they don't add a top-5 prospect, they do have 3 ranked between 20 and 38 on Rivals. Prettay, prettay, prettay good. 

5. Duke
They return a great, veteran backcourt. Tyus Jones and Grayson Allen get thrown into that mix, too. Jahlil Okafor is obviously is going to be a stud. And if Jabari Parker comes back, this team will have more skill at more positions than anyone in America. They will be the best-looking team around. On paper. The reason they're #5 on my list is very simple: for all the McDonald's All-Americans they have every year at Duke, in 2 of the past 3 seasons the Blue Devils have failed to win a single game in the NCAA Tournament. If Wisconsin stubbed their toes like that, we'd never hear the end of it. But Duke gets a pass. Not from me. Prove something, Blue Devils. 

6. Kansas
Losing Wiggins sucks, and if Embiid leaves too, that will suck too. But I'm not gonna shed any tears for Bill Self. People say that KU has issues at the point, but Naadir Tharpe and Frank Mason are pretty solid players. It's possible though, that the team will go as they go. Wayne Seldon didn't put up huge numbers but he looked great when I saw KU play. Perry Ellis almost feels like an afterthought when you talk about all the great frontcourt players in the country, but no mistake: he is a great, great player. And they add two top 10 recruits in Cliff Alexander up front and Kelly Oubre on the wing. Life is rough for Bill Self. 

7. Texas
What a difference a year makes, eh? Heading into last year, I thought Rick Barnes might be on his way out. Nope. They were a surprisingly good team this year, and they return EVERYONE for next year. They have good players at every position on the floor. Jon Holmes is a great multipurpose 4 man. Ridley started to come into his own after a disappointing freshman year. Those two form the foundation of arguably the best, deepest frontcourt in America. And if Myles Turner jumps on board too, I mean...jeez. Isiah Taylor does everything well, and Javan Felix astonished me. I didn't know he was capable of scoring like that. Suffice to say there's been a major reversal in the fortunes of the Longhorns and they will challenge Kansas for the Big 12 title. 

8. Virginia
While they lose Akil Mitchell and Joe Harris, the Cavs began to rely less on those guys this year and more on their versatile, athletic younger players, and that bodes very well going forward. Malcolm Brogdon is going to be a freaking star. He does it all, and is very physical. Justin Anderson, same thing. He's a hyper-talented version of Ivory Clark from Tony's Wazzou days. If that weren't enough, they add B.J Stith, a consensus top 50 freshman wing. Up front, Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill are ready to bust out. Evan Nolte is a smooth shooting forward who will be great off the bench. And Darion Atkins is very talented - if he's your 4th big, you're doing really, really well. To top it all off, Bennett found a 4 year starting point guard in London Perrantes this year, and I know already that Perrantes is going to become one of my favorite players around. So smart, so steady. These Cavs are going to be just as good as last year's. Wa-hoo-wa

9. Kentucky
Poythress isn't what he was supposed to be, but there's still time for him to become 'the guy', and he did seem more comfortable with his role this year. Cauley-Stein might come back, which would give them great experience, athleticism and versatility up front. Dakari Johnson is, obviously, a freak. And even if WCS leaves, they only add Trey Lyles and Karl Townes. Which means that their gameplan of throwing bad shots at the rim and using raw athleticism to score on putbacks should continue to work. Tyler Ulis should be real good running the show, but their backcourt may become a question mark. Will UK be in the Final Four, or the NIT? Flip a coin. 

10. Wichita State
They lose a ton from the frontcourt, especially Cleanthony Early, but the Shockers are loaded at the 1-3 spots. Fred Van Vleet went from freshman backup to top-5 national point guard last year. He's awesome. Tekele Cotton is tenacious, physical and relentless on defense, and started to really grow as an outside shooter last year. He's awesome. Ron Baker started to make his name in the 2012-13 Final Four run, and cemented it this past year. Great outside shooter, effort player, smart and efficient. He, too, is just awesome. A lot is going to be on Darius Carter's plate as the new power forward. He's a bit undersized but is very capable and improved as last year went on. With Carter, Early, Carl Hall, Chadrack Lufile, etc, WSU has had great success turning over from one year to the next with JUCO big men. They'll need this year's entrant - Bush Wamukota - to be a rim protector and steady rebounder in order to let those perimeter guys be their awesome selves. And what a name, eh? The Shockers got a raw-ass deal in this year's NCAA tournament but they aren't going anywhere. 

11. Colorado
I'm looking at other sits' top 25's and just laughing. Where the **** is Colorado, national media? These guys have everything. Now, obviously a lot of their potential rests on the healthy knee of Spencer Dinwiddie, but they reached the NCAA's this year even with him sidelined. He's as efficient and heady as they come. Askia Booker is a little wild at times, and takes bad shots, but with Dinwiddie back he should make better decisions. And even if it takes a month for Dinwiddie to get back to being as awesome as he was, Xavier Talton got experience last year and is a great backup, and they add Dominique Collier, a consensus top 100 point guard. On the wing, Xavier Johnson is going to explode at any moment. Handle with care. Tre'Shawn Fletcher and Jaron Hopkins are Tad Boyle specials - long armed, bouncy dudes who can pass, rebound, defend and finish. As great as all that is, the bigs are what will set Colorado apart from the pack this season. Josh Scott is a grown ass man, and he's going to post 15 and 10 almost every night. He's going to be one of the best centers in America. Wesley Gordon has gotta stay healthy, cause he's the perfect compliment to Scott. Fiesty and aggressive, and he can block shots and finish above the rim. He and Johnson are gonna finish lobs all over the place. Dustin Thomas is more of a wing player than a true frontcourt guy, so the Buffs really need Tory Miller to give them a third big right away. He's not a high-end prospect at all, but he's 6'8 and almost 250. If people are sleeping on the Buffs this year, they're going to end up looking foolish. 

12. Iowa State
Let me be clear: the Cyclones might lose more than anyone in America in terms of losing just two guys - Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane. This ranking is an indication of the kind of winning culture that has been installed by Fred Hoiberg. He's not a great in-game coach, solid, but not great - but he has an incalculable ability to get the most out of his guys, and they sure love playing for him. I hope Georges Niang is healthy next year, cause he's about to become a household name. Dude does it all. Abdel Nader is a very similar player; a poor man's Niang. He's a big addition who should be ready to hit the ground running after going up against Ejim and Niang every day the past year. Dustin Hoge is an animal on the glass, and he'll get hustle baskets while people are worrying about the other two. The backcourt has question marks, but I really like ISU's chances of answering them. Monte Morris had some great moments down the stretch, and was ridiculously efficient (134 assists, 28 turnovers) all year. Matt Thomas and Naz Long are kinda one-dimensional outside shooters, but the great thing about having them both is that in theory, even if one has an off-night the other will make some 3's. Iowa State is becoming one of those programs that doesn't rebuild, they just retool and keep succeeding. 

13. Villanova
They return a great core in Pinkston, Acidiacono and Hilliard. They have depth on the wing and in the backcourt. They aren't great up front, and that's where Daniel Ochefu needs to take a step forward. Same for Kris Jenkins. They should be motivated after a year in which a lot of people thought they were overrated and it turns out, they were. 

14. Southern Methodist
Got royally screwed out of an NCAA bid this year, but that will just be motivation for this year. Larry Brown will make sure of it. Nic Moore and Markus Kennedy are ready to become stars. So is Emmanuel Mudiay. That's a top 3 that's going to stack up very nicely against almost anyone in the country. 

15. Michigan
This ranking assumes that Stauskas leaves, McGary and GRIII come back. If either one of them leave with Stauskas, drop 'em 4 or 5 spots. They'll still have Caris LeVert, still have Derrick Walton, and still add Kameron Chatman, who I hear is going to be awesome in Beilein's system. Oh yeah, they still have John Beilein, who does nothing but win. They'll be fine. 

16. Nebraska
Holy shit lol...Nebraska is a preseason top 20 team. Why not? They have two of the best wing scorers in the country with Petteway and Shields, who can combine for 40 on any night. They developed a nice 1-2 at the 5 with Walter Pitchford (outside) and Leslie Smith (inside). They have a couple of scrappy, defense-first guys in David Rivers and Benny Parker, and Tai Webster has the size and talent to become a big-time lead guard. They took everyone by surprise this past year, but have legit pieces to keep winning big. Good on you, Tim Miles.

17. Virginia Commonwealth
This past season wasn't as good as it probably should've been for Shaka and Co, but they aren't going anywhere. Too mush athleticism, too much quickness, tenacity, hustle, desire, and havoc. They add a great freshman class that gives them even more length and bounce. Great, that's just what they need. If they can get more consistent with the outside shot, they'll reach their potential. Losing the seniors they did shouldn't be overlooked though - Reddic and Brandenburg won a LOT of freakin games with the Rams. I think Mo Alie-Cox is going to become a serious force. Who cares if he's 6'6" - he's a freakin animal. Disrupts shots, bangs for boards. We already knew this, but VCU has arrived as an every-year program. 

18. Oklahoma
The Sooners were expected to take a serious step back this past season, and I didn't see it coming, but in the end I think they're a better team now than they were 2 years ago. They return good players at all 5 positions. Losing Clark hurts, but they've got other guys. They return 4 guys who made at least 37% of their 3pt attempts, led by Buddy Heild - who took the Big 12 by storm last year. Jordan Woodard wasn't super efficient, but he had a heck of a freshman year. Ryan Spangler is a tenacious son of a bitch. He's a great power forward, but it would help if they had a true center. Maybe Khadeem Lattin will help, but he's pretty skinny. Frontcourt depth is a bit of a concern. 

19. Gonzaga
We know Pangos and Bell are a great pair in the backcourt. If that big Polack whose name I can never get right improves as much from this year to next as he did coming into this year, they'll have easily the best 3 players in the WCC and should be able to make more noise in March next year. Kyle Wiltjer might be a big x-factor, too. Zaga was kinda disappointing this year but that's a rare thing for Mark Few.

20. Connecticut
They lose so much in Shabazz Napier. He just willed the team to great things like very few can. And Giffey was a great outside shooter; Kromah was a strong wing off the bench, and on a team with a thin frontcourt Olander was...a guy. So that all hurts. Boatright is a great player, too, and he's gonna show it in a big way this year. Does DeAndre Daniels go pro? If he does, drop UConn a couple spots. He can be one of the biggest x-factors in the country. Philp Nolan and Amida Brimah are so skinny, but they could become players - especially Brimah. He just oozes defensive ability. Omar Calhoun should graduate to the 15+ ppg club this year. Rodney Purvis was an enigma at NC State, but if his head is on right and he produces UConn could be extremely dangerous at the 1-4 spots. Even if Daniels leaves, Daniel Hamilton should be a star and might fit at the combo forward spot Daniels has occupied. Plus, you can never discount the fact that these guys have learned how to win big. Kevin Ollie is gonna have so many job offers thrown at him the next couple months it's gonna be ridiculous 

21. San Diego State
The Aztecs return probably more length, athleticism and talent on the wing than any team in America. But they lose so very much in Xavier Thames. He did it all - ran the show, made people respect the 3pt arc, led the team in scoring by a half dozen points per game. He was a great player. Now, I'm not super up on SDSU, but who takes over at the point? This is a team with very few guards, and no other point guards that I can see. What happened to Desmond Maxwell? Did he redshirt, fail to qualify academically, transfer? If they can find a point guard they'll be very good. Winston Sheppard started to come into his own, Dwayne Polee did too. He can stretch a defense and finish on the break. Skylar Spencer is an elite shot-blocker; if he fleshes out his game he could become a true force. Even with Thames last year, there were stretches when SDSU's offense bogged down badly, and everyone just tried to attack on dribble penetration, and it led to bad shots or turnovers. Of all the really talented teams out there, I think there's potential for the Aztecs to take a serious hit in 2014-15 because of the guard situation. 

22. Ohio State
I don't think you can say enough about the Buckeyes adding Anthony Lee from Temple. They weren't even gonna be in my top 30 prior to him signing on. He's a proven 3 year starter with NCAA experience, shot-blocking ability, and a nice array of post moves. He can struggle with turnovers, but he's going to be a better player than LaQuinton Ross was. Yep. Amir Williams has spent what feels like 5 years just being a guy at tOSU. He's big, and he's strong, and he has some ability...but it seems like unless you give him a perfect feed or he can stuff a miss, he's just gonna fumble the ball away or travel when you give it to him. If he can maximize his potential, tOSU will have an outstanding frontcourt. Sam Thompson has so much ability - will he put it together? Marc Loving has even more ability - will he be more comfy and consistent as a sophomore? I wonder how the minutes will shake out at the 2-3 spots for the Buckeyes. Thompson and Loving are pretty different players, and then you add in D'Angelo Russell and Keita Bates-Diop. If Russell can hit the ground running, he might be their leading scorer. But will he be efficient, or just a scorer? And Jae'Sean Tate is a top 80 prospect too, so as much as the Bucks lose from their backcourt they're going to add some serious talent to even things out. Shannon Scott is a guy I really like. I don't like Ohio St, obviously, but I liked Craft and I like him. So aggressive defensively. Everyone will want him to score more as a senior, but tOSU has to hope the freshmen wings take care of that, because Scott should be left alone to run the team and **** up everyone's offense, cause that's his game. And he does it well. Thad Matta is too good a coach to allow for much slippage, and adding Lee is absolutely huge for them. 

23. Michigan State
Even if Gary Harris leaves, they're gonna be good. Cause they're ALWAYS good. Cause Tom Izzo is the best coach in America. I hate Sparty. And deep down, in the pit of my stomach, I pure, straight, hate Tom Izzo. But god damn it do I respect him. They'll still have Brandon Dawsen. While everyone was worried about Harris, Appling and Payne the past month, he took the opportunity to have a couple huge games. And it shows that his knee is getting back to being fully healthy, too. He could be a double/double guy. Denzel Valentine is such a smart player. He can make 3's, he has that shitty, awkward looking runner in the lane that usually goes glass, but usually goes in. He can pass like a point guard. What a player he's going to be. And as much as everyone heaped praise on Keith Appling, he shit the bed once in awhile. At the worst possible times. Travis Trice was a fantastic 3rd guard, and now he's going to be a steady, defense-stretching starter at the point. Kaminski and Costello and Schilling should all take steps forward this year - you know Sparty is always going to crash the glass and get easy buckets right at the rim. When Payne was hurt, those guys started to produce, and they'll do more with an offseason to improve. The biggest reason I think people will overlook is that the're not bringing in a McDonald's All American for the first time in, what, forever? But they still have a bunch of talent. Nairn is a good point guard prospect who will push Trice, just don't ask me to try and say his name. Alvin Ellis didn't play a lot this year, but it's obvious why. He's got untapped ability and should get to show it this year. Sparty isn't going anywhere. You know that. 

24. George Washington 
Much like people who aren't ranking Colorado, you're gonna look dumb if you don't recognize G Dub. They have good players all over the place; losing Isiah Armwood and Maurice Creek really does hurt, but they return 4 about-to-be juniors who are ready to break out. Kethan Savage is a really crafty big guard. If he can improve his outside shot and FT%, he's gonna be a 15+ per game guy. He needs to cut the turnovers a bit, but averaging 2 steals per game helps. Joe McDonald is a great little point guard. He could average 10, 5 and 5 with 2 steals. Patricio Garino is a skilled, all-purpose 6'7 dude who really gives the team whatever it needs. He just knows how to play the game. Kevin Larsen is the guy who might make the biggest jump from sophomore to junior year. He's 6'11", 260 with serious high-major skill. He's physical up front, solid on the offensive glass, can pass really nicely when you double him and can step out to 15 feet. The more they feed him, the better they'll be. And Nemanja Mikic is a nice deep-shooting forward off the bench. Don't sleep on GW - they arrived this year, and are going to take a further step forward in 2014-15. 

25. Minnesota
I'm not going to write much of a blurb here, because I hate the rodents unconditionally. But they showed some nice things this year, finished strong, and return almost everyone. They're going to be good. And Wisconsin is going to be better. Like always. 

26. UCLA
Now, I'm sure someone will get mad at me for having them so low, but there's a lot of flux going on at UCLA. Alford is only a year in, and his team last year wasn't really 'his', and this year's team is going to be vastly different in terms of personnel from last year. So maybe this is way too low, but I'm taking a wait-and-see approach. They are going to be very talented, that's for sure. Looney and Welch should be the foundation of a strong frontcourt, and Hamilton should be very hungry after the fiasco that was his past year. They lose a lot to the NBA, but Steve's kid is going to be a real good player, and Norman Powell had some serious highlight moments last year. Jordan Adams can score a bunch of ways too. Again, this might be a really low ranking, but they're gonna need to gel, and we'll see how it shakes out.

27. Louisville 
They lose a ton, but they bring back a heap of talent, too. It's just a matter of finding out how it will all fit together. Chris Jones and Terry Rozier are a strong duo at the point. Blackshear should come into his own - he needs to attack the rim more. Losing Smith and Hancock will make them easier to defend, but they still have scorers. How big of a step can Mangok Mathiang take? He's got a lot of length and ability. I know Louisville adds a plethora of top 50 prospects, but I don't know much about any of them. Maybe I'm underrating them here, but assuming Harrell leaves for the NBA too they're going to have a ton to replace. Not that they can't still get it done. 

28. Oregon
They lose Calliste and the terminally underrated Jonathan Lloyd (wonder what kinda football player he'll be?), but they also return a lot. Joseph Young is a stud. Dameyan Dotson should take back more minutes now that the insane perimeter depth isn't what it was, and he'll score a lot of points in those minutes. Dominic Artis has been a head-scratcher so far, but if he gets right he could be a real good point guard. Elgin Cook is a good player who will get better. And I know the Ducks are bringing in a strong class led by a pair of high-end JUCO transfers. Don't know much about those dudes, but I know enough about the rest of the Ducks to know they'll Dance again. 


29. Stanford 
These guys were so stupidly inconsistent this past season that it really kinda pissed me off that they went to the Sweet 16. But it is what it is, and even with the losses of Powell and Huestes, they'll be good. Those two guys were very good, and did a lot of different things. Stefan Nastic started to make serious strides though, and their top two recruits are a 4 and a 5. Reid Travis, the power forward, is supposed to be a nasty rebounder. Anthony Brown and Chasson Randle are a reliable scoring duo, but it would really help their cause if their freshman point guard, Cartwright, took the reins and let those two worry about filling it up.

30. Harvard
They were deep last year, they'll be deep this year. Chambers, Saunders, Mondau-Missi, Curry, Travis. These are all guys whose names you know because they've won in the NCAA tournament the past two years. It sucks that the Ivy League has their buttholes stitched so tight that they won't allow redshirts, but hopefully Kenyatta Smith will be healthy again because he's the anchor they need at the back end of their defense. And Tommy Amaker has shed his rep as a guy who brings in talent but doesn't do much with it. Harvard is a strong program and they'll probably win an NCAA tourney game yet again.


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## EpicFailGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

Nice list. 

Glad somebody picked up on GW. That team is going to be a load. 

I've said all season that they reminded me of the SLU team a couple years ago when the Billikens finally got back to the NCAAs. Funny coincidence is both SLU and GW played Memphis in their return to the Dance. Majerus made Pastner his bitch, because Memphis was far more talented than a team with Kwamain Mitchell, Brian Conklin, and a bunch of sophomores who never missed the tournament again.


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## Gronehestu (Oct 9, 2013)

Thanks man, and I can see those similarities. We'll see if Lonergan is a coach fit to compare with Rick, cause he's got enough talent to win a lot of games. 

Just saw this on another site, and thought it was pretty cool. Way to be good people; tip of the cap to McBroom and his buddy


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## EpicFailGuy (Mar 5, 2010)

Gronehestu said:


> Thanks man, and I can see those similarities. We'll see if Lonergan is a coach fit to compare with Rick, cause he's got enough talent to win a lot of games.
> 
> Just saw this on another site, and thought it was pretty cool. Way to be good people; tip of the cap to McBroom and his buddy
> 
> Never Take Life For Granted - YouTube


McBroom is one of the neatest kids I've seen play at SLU. Really good kid.

It's better to get pub for things like this than the penal institutional in Columbia these days.


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## USMCKoontz (Apr 11, 2014)

Great list. Cant really find too much at fault with it. Although Wichita State would be aroudnd the 7 mark on my top 25,(I think they are better than Texas, Virginia, and Kentucky as of right now. Also my top 3 would be Arizona, North Carolina, then Duke/Wisconsin. If Jabari comes back Duke would edge out WIS for third, if not then Wis would get 3rd spot.


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## bball2223 (Jul 21, 2006)

EpicFailGuy said:


> McBroom is one of the neatest kids I've seen play at SLU. Really good kid.
> 
> It's better to get pub for things like this than the penal institutional in Columbia these days.


He was really well loved when he was here at Central. Took a class with him and about 200 other people, and he seemingly sat next to an conversed with everyone in that class at least once, or so it seemed. Really, really good kid, and happy he's been doing good things at SLU.


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