I know these rankings don't mean anything yet but just a little food for thought.

 

3. Louisville: Rick Pitino will have national championship aspirations with this club. David Padgett has to stay healthy.

 

8. Indiana: Kelvin Sampson is thrilled to have diaper dandy Eric Gordon, and the newcomer will make a difference right out of the blocks. DJ White has to have a strong season.

 

9. Tennessee: Bruce Pearl has brought energy and enthusiasm to Rocky Top. Chris Lofton spurned the NBA and returned to Knoxville, and the addition of Tyler Smith is a major plus.

 

15. Kentucky: Billy Gillispie will have this program firing on all cylinders. The addition of Patrick Patterson will help.

 

39. Xavier: I love the backcourt of Stanley Burrell and Drew Lavender as Sean Miller has the team to watch in the A-10.

http://sports.espn.go.com/dickvitale/070828preseasontop40.html

 

1. North Carolina: Roy Williams has to be thrilled to have Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington all returning. Deon Thompson will step up big-time in place of Brandan Wright up front.

 

:thumb::ylsuper::ylsuper::thumb:

Umm I pretty sure that this is the womens schedule because it definitely is not the guys schedule...

 

OK, my bad, well I definitely don't see BCG failing :walk:

If I counted correctly:

 

9 Big East

7 PAC-10

6 ACC

6 SEC

5 Big 12

3 Big 10

I belive the football Cats ranking will be higher than anytime this year of the basketball Cats. But next year watch out.

If I counted correctly:

 

9 Big East

7 PAC-10

6 ACC

6 SEC

5 Big 12

3 Big 10

 

So..

 

70% of the Pac10

50% of the ACC

50% of the SEC

42% of the Big12

30% of the Big10

 

And about 4% of the Big East.

Not to inflame but we heard the same story on Pitino's basketball team last year...best recruiting class etc. I even remember fans being upset that their pre-season ranking was nto higher based on the recruits.

 

I think everyone has learned their lesson this year that nothing is a sure thing no matter how good the personnel on the bench look.

 

That goes both ways for both UL and UK.

Not to inflame but we heard the same story on Pitino's basketball team last year...best recruiting class etc. I even remember fans being upset that their pre-season ranking was nto higher based on the recruits.

 

I think everyone has learned their lesson this year that nothing is a sure thing no matter how good the personnel on the bench look.

 

That goes both ways for both UL and UK.

I wasn't all that hyped about last years team but this year is a whole new ball game. We lost NOBODY in Brad Gianiny, Perrin Johnson, Brandon Jenkins and Chris Current. We do have a decent class coming in but I don't expect them to really make any kind of significant impact this year like last years class did. Now that the freshman have experience and all were getting better as the year went on(Sosa, Clark, Caracter, Smith) I really expect great things from this team. Whether they get there or not, I think they will be much more talented than the last final four team but the question at the moment is whether or not they can gel together like that team did.

And you would be wrong here..You say he held progress his first 2 to 3 years which is right. Then you said years 4 through 6 it started to slip and and after that it completely went down? I guess I saw a different team then. Because I dont consider being the number 1 overall seed in the tournament two years in a row slipping? Then the year after that being a 2 seed and going to the elite and losing in double overtime slipping..The last two years though however you would be right it was slipping...

 

Let me ask you something. Say it was Billy G that took over after Pitino left, do you think Billy G would have still took a step forward? Well I will give you your answer and that would be no, because there was no forward step to take after Pitino, because we were as high as we could go. The only way was down somewhat. Tubby for 8 of his years did a good job at making sure we didn't go to far down from that. He actually there from 03 to 05 started to build us back up to that level, but then screwed himself up in thinking he could turn that 03 class with Shag, Woo, etc into a good class. That class killed UK, and what did Tubby in...As I said if Billy G. took over after Pitino and had the exact same stats as Tubby did, with all the SEC championships and tournament chamionships. 1 national title, 1 final four, 3 elite eights, 2 overall #1 seeds, few sweet 16 appearances, and no worse than a 2nd round appearance every year. People would have still wanted Billy G. gone as well just because he would not be Pitino, and so that wouldn't be good enough. However if Billy G. puts up those same numbers now in the next 10 years, as Tubby did. I guarntee that he wont be getting as much crap as Tubby did and wanting him gone as much. Because he would be following Tubby, which was someone that people didn't put on a pedestal like the did Pitino...

 

(Dont get me wrong here, I very happy to have Billy G. here now, because I think it was best for both parties to move on...However I am very right about how things are when someone follows a legend. That coach is pretty much scrwed from the beginning, is it right no. But that is just how it works in sports. That is my point here.)

 

:thumb: all you have to do is think back on the Joe B. Hall era.

That's a good topic for a thread! What if Gillespie comes out of the gate and stumbles the first few games? Will everyone be freaking out and calling for his head like some are doing to Kragthorpe? Interesting....Hmmmm...This is intriguing, in that this year, UK basketball fans have a new coach, and UL football fans have a new coach. Given the "first love" of each school, what are the odds that Billy G could trip and fall? I may have to ponder this a while.

 

I'd say no, three to five of the first ten games in college b-ball don't really mean squat come March.

Here are the 5 teams I find overrated:

 

4. Georgetown-Loss of Green is very significant.

12. Duke-They don't have anyone inside!!! (Lance Thomas and Zoubek hafta improve tremendously)

14. Texas-Lost Durant and Gary Williams (star recruit may not be able to go, plus they can't stop anyone on defense).

15. Kentucky (much like Duke, the interior is an issue).

22. Ohio St (depleted roster)

 

5 Underated:

 

18. Syracuse

27. Kansas St

29. Villanova

31. Alabama

35. NC St

So..

 

70% of the Pac10

50% of the ACC

50% of the SEC

42% of the Big12

30% of the Big10

 

And about 4% of the Big East.

The Big East has the quantity AND quality.

For once I like something Dick V. said...

The Big East has the quantity AND quality.

 

:ylsuper::ylsuper:

That's a good topic for a thread! What if Gillespie comes out of the gate and stumbles the first few games? Will everyone be freaking out and calling for his head like some are doing to Kragthorpe? Interesting....Hmmmm...This is intriguing, in that this year, UK basketball fans have a new coach, and UL football fans have a new coach. Given the "first love" of each school, what are the odds that Billy G could trip and fall? I may have to ponder this a while.

 

Totally different situation. Gillespie came in to what? He now has Patrick Patterson but everyone understands that he didnt walk into a percieved gold mine. Everyone understand what he has to work with and if he where to get us to the SEC championship(dont have to win), I would consider that a successful season with what he has to work with.

 

Kragthrorpe on the other hand walk into a program that had just come off an Orange Bowl victory and a program that was at its pinnacle. Had lots of his talent coming back and a preseason top 10 ranking. Sort of like the Tubby situation if you think about?

Kragthrorpe on the other hand walk into a program that had just come off an Orange Bowl victory and a program that was at its pinnacle. Had lots of his talent coming back and a preseason top 10 ranking.

 

Minus seven defensive starters.