And the countdown begins – so to speak . . .
The 2011-12 college hoops season is top heavy with squads that are more than capable earning one of the four reservations in New Orleans for the final weekend of the season.
In a few days I’ll unveil the teams I believe fall into that category.
For now, it’s time to unveil my preseason choices as the best 16 teams in the country.
I’ll give you four teams a day, starting at . . .
No. 16 WASHINGTON
Why: Coach Lorenzo Romar builds teams that can push the ball rapidly in transition and can pressure dribblers and passers relentlessly. This squad has those ingredients via a deep and gifted group of perimeter players including “wings” Terrence Ross, C.J. Wilcox and Scott Suggs (Suggs is sidelined for at least a month because of a broken toe) and playmakers Abdul Gaddy and Tony Wroten Jr.
Why not: Can the Huskies get enough production in the low post to negate the loss of Matthew Bryan-Amaning (15.3 points and 8.0 rebounds last season)?
No. 15 LOUISVILLE
Why: Via Peyton Siva, Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith, Rick Pitino will have one of his better starting backcourts in a while. Six-10 sophomore Gorgui Dieng and 6-7, 250-pound McDonald’s All-American freshman Chane Behanan should form a better-than-average Big East pair of post players
Why not: The loss, for the season, of the program’s other 2011 McDonald’s All-American (6-5 Wayne Blackshear) is huge.
No. 14 MEMPHIS
Why: The Tigers have a marvelous sophomore class (Antonio and Will Barton/Joe Jackson/Tariq Black/Chris Crawford) and it’s reasonable to assume there is marked individual and collective improvement after a 25-win, Conference USA Tournament championship season (capped with a narrow NCAA Tourney loss to Arizona).
Why not: Can transfers Stan Simpson and/or Ferrakohn Hall help keep the Tigers from becoming too jump shot-oriented?
No. 13 GONZAGA
Why: Mark Few has a nice balance of inside (Robert Sacre/Elias Harris/Sam Dower/Kelly Olynyk) and outside (Marquise Carter/David Stockton/Mathis Monninghoff) returnees, with Sacre and Harris each a West Coast Conference Player of the Year candidate.
Why not: What if the freshman perimeter trio of Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell and Kyle Dranginis is shell-shocked after the Bulldogs’ usual November-December taxing schedule (with the likes of Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State, Arizona, Butler and Xavier on tap)?
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