2006-2007
ACC Basketball Handbook's
Preseason Top 25
Written by Jay Bilas
1. Florida
Billy Donovan has always been a great recruiter, and he did his best and most unlikely recruiting jobs last year getting Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green to stay for at least another year. With the pull of the NBA Draft stronger than ever, the Gator stars deciding to stay was a real coup for Donovan.
2. North Carolina
The Tar Heels are absolutely loaded and are better than Florida on paper because Carolina has at least 13 guys who can play.
3. Kansas
No coach in America did a better job last season than Bill Self. He took a young team, taught them how to play together and molded them into one that could compete at the highest level.
4. LSU
The Tigers were a mild surprise in 2006 with a terrific regular season and an improbable run to the Final Four. Plenty of talent remains in Baton Rouge.
5. UCLA
In three short years, Ben Howland brought UCLA from losing seasons to the brink of a national championship, and he did it with physical, half-court defense that has not been seen before in sunny California.
6. Pitt
This year Pitt has star billing with four returning starters and a high preseason ranking.
7. Ohio State
Some good players return, but the strength of this team lies in its freshman class. Headlined by Greg Oden, Ohio State hauled in a landmark class that gives the Buckeyes an opportunity to beat anyone, anytime
8. Arizona
Arizona will be athletic, versatile and quick, and will be able to push the tempo. The key will be defense.
9. Alabama
The best Alabama player — perhaps the best point guard in the country — is Ronald Steele, aptly named because he is as tough as steel; he plays hurt and never comes out of the game. He is fundamentally sound, has a great floor game and hits open shots. Alabama will go as Steele goes.
10. Georgetown
The Hoyas will be led by junior Jeff Green, one of the nation’s finest and most versatile players.
11. UConn
No team lost as much firepower as UConn, and perhaps only a powerhouse program like Jim Calhoun’s could lose that much and still remain a Top 25 team.
12. Duke
The departures of J.J. Redick, Shelden Williams, Sean Dockery and Lee Melchionni leave Mike Krzyzewski with an entirely different team this season. With not a single senior on the roster, the Blue Devils will be relying upon more freshmen and sophomores than in the recent past.
13. Boston College
Perhaps the most overlooked outstanding coach in America is Boston College's Al Skinner. Skinner has good talent returning and a program with a recognized system. BC plays a tough, physical game on both ends of the floor.
14. Wisconsin
Wisconsin returns over 90 percent of its scoring and over 80 percent of its rebounding from a team that won 19 games — and should have won more.
15.Texas
The Longhorns finished one step away from the Final Four, and 2007 looked even more promising because Rick Barnes had almost everybody back.
16. Villanova
Villanova has dynamic guards who can all handle, pass and score, and the Wildcats expect great contributions from big man Will Sheridan.
17. Texas A&M
The Aggies return their top six scorers from last year and have two of the league’s best players in Acie Law and Joseph Jones.
18. Marquette
The Eagles return eight from last year’s team, including three starters. The best — and one the top guards in the nation — is Dominic James, the 2006 Big East Rookie of the Year.
19. Memphis
Head Coach John Calipari has brought in another strong recruiting class, and he has a group of winners on this team.
20. Washington
This year, the Huskies are younger but can build together to be very good.
21. Syracuse
Why is it so hard to convince people that the Orange will be Top 25 good this season? The answer lies with the seniors, Terrence Roberts, Demetris Nichols and Darryl Watkins have all had great moments and have all been good players, but they have yet to really break out individually or collectively.
22. Gonzaga
Gonzaga is one of the elite programs in America and has proven it in regular-season play AND in the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Mark Few and his skilled players are fixtures in the Tournament since 1999 and have had great success. Very few programs have done better. Gonzaga is competitive every year, and the Zags will be again in 2007.
23. Illinois
The Illini play the right way and have been one of the best programs in the country over the past four years. There is still good talent in Champaign, and Bruce Weber is an outstanding coach and teacher who tailors his motion sets to put his players in the best position to succeed.
24. Georgia Tech
Head Coach Paul Hewitt landed a top-rated recruiting class, headlined by 6-8 phenom Thaddeus Young. With more experience and some added talent, expect Georgia Tech to be an upper division team in the ACC.
25. Tennessee
The Vols play at an extraordinary pace and simply outscore opponents. The key for Tennessee will be defense. If Tennessee can play smart offensively and stronger defensively, the Vols can really impact the SEC.
Writers
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