2011-12 College Basketball Preseason Top 25*

Hey, why not? This five day break from March Madness is killing me and I need to fill up my time doing something. Now, I made this poll assuming everyone stays in school and doesn't exit early for the draft but, of course, that wouldn't happen. This is all in fun. However, I do think a lot of players may decide to stay in school because, number one: they aren't NBA-ready and, number two: the NBA has a potential lockout next year so why not stay in school and try to win a championship? Jared Sullinger has already come out and said he is going back to Ohio State and we will see if he holds true to that. I think that he will and I think there are probably only three or four big name freshmen who may test the NBA waters. Harrison Barnes and Kyrie Irving most likely will and don't be surprised if Josh Selby and Perry Jones do as well. Also, Kemba Walker will probably dip out early and head to the league as will the at least one of the Morris brothers, Derrick Williams and either John Henson or Tyler Zeller may consider it strongly. Nobody really knows yet but right now I'm going to say everybody is staying and just have some fun. So, without further ado, here is The World of Wadley top 25 for 2011-2012.

1. North Carolina Tar Heels- ACC

The Heels made a nice tournament run to the Elite 8 and a cupboard full of talented players. Harrison Barnes (15.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg) figured things out in the second half of the season and played excellent while his freshmen mate, Kendall Marshall, thrived once he was given control of the point guard position, averaging six points and six assists. John Henson and Tyler Zeller are phenomenal and add up all that returning talent with two McDonald's All-Americans coming in and you have the recipe for a national championship.

2. Kansas Jayhawks- Big 12

They just have problems with those mid-majors in March don't they? The poor Jayhawks had

a clear path to the Final Four, or so it seemed, until VCU upset them in the Elite 8. If everyone does stay in Lawrence then 2011-12 could be a magical year. The Morris twins and Thomas Robinson are unstoppable in the paint and Tyshawn Taylor continues to improve. Josh Selby had an up and down freshman campaign but he is a great player and we should see his full talents in his sophomore season.

3. Kentucky Wildcats- SEC

Unlike the mass exodus we saw last season when five Kentucky players left for the NBA, I

think most of them will stay this year. Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones were

a freshmen three-headed monster and don't look now, but John Calipari has the number one recruiting class coming in. Marquis Teague, Anthony Davis and Mike Gilchrist will all put on the Cats uniform and the only question is: Does UK have too much talent for one roster?

4. Duke Blue Devils- ACC

No more Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith, but what a career they had. Now, there will be a Plumlee invasion in Durham as Marshall joins the team to make three Plumlees on one team. Austin Rivers, the top recruit in the nation, is on his way to be the starting shooting guard and if Irving stays then that would be the best backcourt in the nation hands down. Seth Curry, Andre Dawkins, Ryan Kelly and new recruit Quinn Cook will all help off the bench.

5. Syracuse Orange- Big East

The Big East may actually have a down year by their standards but not the Orange. Jim Boeheim will have his team right back near the top of the polls with every starter, but one, able to come back. Scoop Jardine can dish to Kris Joseph and Brandon Triche who will provide the scoring. Hopefully Fab Melo plays like he has a clue next season because, if he doesn't, the 'Cuse may struggle. Dion Waiters will also be improved with one year of experience under his belt.

6. Texas Longhorns- Big 12

Like their Big 12 buddies up in Lawrence, the Horns have a habit of playing great until March. Rick Barnes will have a loaded squad again this year with plenty of pieces returning and the 5th rated recruiting class coming in. Myck Kabongo is a speedy point guard who will share the backcourt with J'Covan Brown and Cory Joseph. Jordan Hamilton can fill it up and Tristan Thompson was outstanding as a freshman. Texas will no doubt be great, but they need to be great in March.

7. Arizona Wildcats- Pac 10

Derrick Williams was a beast, posting numbers of 20 points and 8 boards this past season and, if he chooses to stay, he holds the key to Arizona's postseason dreams. The Wildcats are freakishly athletic and the nation saw what they can do when they blew out Duke in the Sweet 16. MoMo Jones is a great guard and the Cats have a top 10 recruiting class coming in. Jesse Perry, Kyle Fogg and Solomon Hill all return.

8. Connecticut Huskies- Big East

It's doubtful that we will get to see the Kemba show one more year in college basketball but we can hope. The 6'2" guard has carried the Huskies this season but next year the freshmen trio of Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith will all pitch. Alex Oriakhi is a post prescence and Jamal Coombs-McDaniel is an athletic forward. A return trip to the Final Four wouldn't be out of the question if Walker decides to stay.

9. Louisville Cardinals- Big East

Preston Knowles is the only player leaving Rick Pitino's Cardinals which means they should be very good next year. Losing Knowles hurts but plenty of talent returns. Peyton Siva is a steady point guard while Kyle Kuric and Rakeem Buckles's production should go up with each year of experience. Terrence Jennings and George Goode will also be seniors that should contribute. The Cardinals have three players they can count on with others that need to step up production.

10. Illinois Fighting Illini- Big Ten

This is a very risky pick because four of the Illini's key players are graduating and they didn't

look very good at times this past season. However, Bruce Weber has put together three great recruiting classes in a row (this year's is ranked 11th) and those young players should mesh together. Jereme Richmond is the best returning player and he will have frontcourt help from incoming freshmen and fellow soph Meyers Leonard. Brandon Paul, D.J. Richardson and Crandall Head form a very good backcourt. It's time for these young Illini to live up to expectations.

11. UCLA Bruins- Pac 10

The Pac-10 is back after suffering through a few years of mediocre play because of early draft exits. The Bruins were especially hurt by players leaving early but next year they shouldn't have to worry about any of that. Nobody is leaving the program. Malcolm Lee will run the point and the rest of the lineup will be filled out by sophomore sensation, Joshua Smith, and a bevy of juniors. Reeves Nelson, Lazeric Jones, Tyler Honeycutt and the Wear twins, who transferred from North Carolina, will be major factors in UCLA's success.

12. Ohio State Buckeyes- Big Ten

Jon Diebler, David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale are all graduating but the good news in Columbus is that diaper dandy, Jared Sullinger, wants to stay in school. That would be huge for Ohio State who will also have sophomores DeShaun Thomas and Aaron Craft in the starting lineup. William Buford will be the wise, old sage on this young team that has another top 5 recruiting class coming in. Thad Matta just knows how to get them to Columbus.

13. Missouri Tigers- Big 12

Another risky pick here because the Tigers don't even have a coach right now. Whoever gets the job will inherit a roster stocked with talent, assuming nobody transfers. Marcus Denmon had a breakout year, averaging 17 points per game. Ricardo Ratliffe is a double-double waiting to happen and Laurence Bowers and Michael Dixon are both good role players. Kim English can score big on any given night. No matter who the coach, the Tigers will be stingy on defense and very efficient on offense.

14. Michigan Wolverines- Big Ten

I can't do it just yet. I can't pick the Wolverines to win the Big Ten next year even though everybody returns but don't be surprised if they win the conference. Tim Hardaway Jr. is deadly from deep and is that guy opponents should fear at the end of games. Darius Morris is a good point guard that will only improve. Stu Douglass and Zack Novak can also stroke it from deep. The Wolverines will still be a young team but they were playing great at the end of the year.

15. Memphis Tigers- Conference USA

People kind of forgot about Memphis until they almost upset Arizona in the first round. The problem for them this year was youth but all those young freshmen should be ready next season. The Barton brothers, Will and Antonio will lead the team along with senior, Wesley Witherspoon. Joe Jackson and Charles Carmouche chipped in nicely from the point guard position this year and that same production will be expected from them next year.

16. Florida State Seminoles- ACC

It may be tough to keep Chris Singleton on campus for his senior year but if he does come back to Tallahassee then watch out. FSU advanced to the Sweet 16 this year and they might be in for a repeat performance. Singleton is a defensive stopper who can score and rebound on the offensive end. Derwin Kitchen is graduating but Bernard James and Michael Snaer return. Leonard Hamilton also made some noise on the recruiting trail, bringing in a top 20 class.

17. Cincinnati Bearcats- Big East

The Bearcats return their top four scorers from a team that advanced to the second round in this year's NCAA Tournament. Yancy Gates is a beast on the boards and he and Dion Dixon each averaged 12 points a game. Cashmere Wright and Sean Kilpatrick both added in 9 points. Cincinnati was a very balanced team last year and they should be again this year. Lance Stephenson is probably wishing he would have stayed a few more years right about now.

18. Baylor Bears- Big 12

This is just wishful thinking right here of what could be. The Bears will never achieve a ranking this high because LaceDarius Dunn is graduating and Perry Jones will surely head to the NBA but if he does stay and Baylor can avoid suspensions, recruiting trouble, etc. then they can compete for the Big 12 title perhaps. That front line of Perry Jones, Anthony Jones and Quincy Acy is scary. Plus they bring in two McDonald's All-Americans. Hopefully they can stay out of recruiting trouble.

19. Butler Bulldogs- Horizon League

I believe in the Butler Bulldogs and so should everybody else. Sure, they lose Matt Howard and Shawn Vanzant and Zach Hahn but people wrote them off when Gordon Hayward declared for the draft last year. Shelvin Mack should come back and he could be an All-American if he does. Chase Stigall can only improve and we got a taste of how good Khyle Marshall and Chrishawn Hopkins can be. Andrew Smith has been solid in the middle and will also be improved. Maybe not the Final Four but definitely Sweet 16. It's the Butler Way.

20. Florida Gators- SEC

The Gators will have a hard time duplicating their success from this season without Chandler Parsons, Alex Tyus and Vernon Macklin but all is not lost. A top 25 recruiting class is on the way to join Kenny Boynton, Erving Walker and a talented group of sophomores. Perimeter play will be a strength for Florida but PatricYoung looked like a formidable post prescence. The Gators are on the return to greatness and hopefully they don't decline too much.

21. Washington Huskies- Pac 10

The Huskies have one of the best backcourts in the nation with Abdul Gaddy and Isaiah Thomas and now you can throw freshman point guard, Tony Wroten Jr., into the mix. Guard play has always been Washington's strength and they will rely on it even more with the departure of Matthew Bryan-Amaning. Aziz N'Diaye is a 7 footer who could prove to be very valuable.

22. San Diego State Aztecs- Mountain West

Maybe this is a little bit low for a team that advanced to the Sweet 16 and should win their conference but they do lose D.J. Gay and Billy White. Kawhi Leonard is a future NBA player and he does it all for the Aztecs. Chase Tapley and James Rahon also return for Steve Fisher's team and, although they may not have the same magic, they should be in the top 25 again.

23. Gonzaga Bulldogs- West Coast

Steven Gray is a huge loss for the Zags but everybody else returns to a team that always finds their way into March Madness. They are no longer considered a Cinderella but a powerhouse. Elias Harris is a dynamic player with NBA potential and Robert Sacre is a threat inside. The Zags have earned high expectations and they usually live up to them. Next year will be no different.

24. Pittsburgh Panthers- Big East

Pitt loses a ton of players in Brad Wanamaker, Gary McGhee and Gilbert Brown and they may struggle at times next season. Nasir Robinson, Ashton Gibbs and Dante Taylor will be back and they lead a Panther attack that is always at the top of the Big East. They also bring in a top recruiting class and Jamie Dixon shouldn't slow down on piling up the wins.

25. Xavier Musketeers- Atlantic 10

Plenty of candidates for the final top 25 spot but I'll go with Xavier. The Musketeers were upset in the first round against Marquette but return quite a bit of talent. Tu Holloway is a name you should know because the dynamite little guard can fill it up. He's next in line of good Xavier guards. Kenny Frease is a 7 footer in the middle and, like always, expect to see the Musketeers come March.

Wouldn't you know it, as I was writing this blog Tyler Honeycutt from UCLA and Darius Morris from Michigan came out and said they are going to test the NBA waters. That's what happens but here is a potential top 25 for next season. There will be plenty of great freshmen and traditional powers will rule but until then let's get pumped up for the 2011 Final Four Saturday night. Stay tuned for another Top 25 in a few weeks!