The Other Fifteen

If I had my way, Mr. Izzo would be doing this every year. Does his team have what it takes this year?

Just a quick college basketball update before I return to college football.

Both the AP and ESPN/ USAToday have released their preseason basketball polls, and Kansas was named the overwhelming No. 1 in both polls.

Michigan State comes in at a solid No. 2, with a few first-place votes, while Kentucky received three first-place votes and Texas and North Carolina got one each.

Now, I have some thoughts on this. Kansas returns all five starters from last years’ Sweet Sixteen team. That team, coincidentally, lost to Michigan State.

MSU has seven of its top nine guys back. The losses of Goron Suton and Travis Walton will hurt MSU, but I don’t think Kansas is that much of a better team than Michigan State. Matter of fact, I don’t think Kansas is anywhere near a “runaway” number one team.

If I had a vote (which I unfortunately do not… yet!), they would be on top, I guess. But If there was a way to rank the “degree” to which a team is No. 1, they would most definitely be 6 on a scale of 10. If that even makes sense.

Anyway, here are some more general thoughts:

-The rest of the top ten goes like this, in general order depending on poll: Texas, Kentucky (3), Villanova, North Carolina, Purdue, West Virginia, Duke, Tennessee, Butler (!)

-Yeah, Butler is in the top ten on the USA Today poll. And their schedule will either kill them or put them in the “elite” category this year: at Northwestern, vs. Minnesota (@ Anaheim, Calif.) , vs. UCLA/Portland (@ Anaheim, Calif.), vs. Georgetown (@ the Garden, Jimmy V Classic, vs. Ohio State, vs. Xavier

Essentially, a few big wins and a conference title could give Butler a top four seed. (They Bulldogs also happen to be the only midmajor in the poll… Gonzaga is nowhere to be found).

-The Big Ten has six teams ranked. The Big East has five. The ACC has four and Big 12 has three. I don’t know if that means much, and I don’t know that a team like Minnesota really deserves to be in there, but it’s a nice gesture.

-Also, Michigan is No. 15. Really? I can see No. 20, because Dion Harris is a beast, but 15? Over Louisville?

-Missouri is somehow not ranked. They have 8 “others receiving votes.” They lost a few guys, most notably DeMarre Carroll, but Kim English is a nice returner. No one is going to want to play them this year. Barring some monster brain fart, I guarantee you they’ll crack the top fifteen before the conference season begins.

-UNC is not that good this season. The Heels lost Lawson and Hanborough— you really think they’re going to be a factor in the national title picture? They don’t deserve a top five ranking right now.

-The opera that is the John Calapari saga is actually going to come to fruition. And don’t forget about their cross-state rivals, whose head coach has problems of his own. Circle your calenders: Jan 2 is the official “America’s scuzziest coach” contest from Lexington, Ky.

That’s all I got for now. Except to tell you to read Rush the Court for a better (conference-by-conference) NCAA preview.