October is here, the leaves are falling and football is the prime sport of choice. But that doesn't mean we can't indulge into a little college basketball, now that the first practices are coming around the corner. Last season, the defending champion Florida Gators started off as the No. 1 team in the nation and they backed it up with a another title. But this year, with all five starters gone, don't look for Billy Donovan and crew to be in contention for any net cutting. With that, here is an early look at the top 10 teams in the country.
1. North Carolina - The Tar Heels certainly got fortunate when both Tyler Hansbrough and Ty Lawson decided to return for another season. Losing Brandon Wright to the NBA hurts, but guard Wayne Ellington returns to form the most talented team in the nation. Look for Roy Williams to be in the Final Four competing for their second championship in four years.
2. Memphis - The Tigers have reached the Elite Eight two straight seasons, and this year should be no different. Leading scorer Chris Douglas-Roberts returns and freshman phenom, point guard Derrick Rose will get significant minutes in John Calipari's system. Expect Memphis to boast another gaudy record in the weak Conference USA.
3. UCLA - Losing junior and top player Arron Afflalo will certainly hurt, but the Bruins have more than enough talent to rebound from last year's Final Four loss. Darren Collison will step in nicely for Afflalo as lead guard and forward Josh Shipp brings back his 13 points per game. They also have the No. 1 ranked high school center coming to campus in Kevin Love.
4. Kansas -- Last year's Kansas team might have had the most talent in the nation on paper, but something was clearly missing on the court. Star forward Julian Wright went pro, but everyone else returns including wingman Brandon Rush who decided to pull out of the NBA draft. Darrell Arthur will be a rebounding beast this year for Bill Self, who needs to prove he can coach as well as he recruits.
5. Louisville - Rick Pitino's bunch started slow last year, but ended up having a nice season that concluded with a close loss to Texas A&M in the tournament. A solid core returns, with point guard Edgar Sosa, forward Terrence Williams and the oft-injured David Padgett. If Padgett stays healthy and sophomore Derrick Caracter stays out of trouble, the Cardinals will be the class of the Big East.
6. Tennessee - The Volunteers made a big run in the tournament last year, losing to Ohio State by just one point in the regional semifinals. Chris Lofton considered the NBA, but decided to bring his 21 points per game back to school. Considered one of the best guards in the country, Lofton will help energetic coach Bruce Pearl make Tennessee the best team in the SEC.
7. Indiana - D.J. White comes back to a Hoosier team that could be the best in the Big Ten. White should easily improve on his 14 points and 7 boards per game from last season and will be helped by guard Armon Bassett, who should score double figures this year. Coach Kelvin Sampson also brings in a very good recruiting class, led by guard Eric Gordon, who is a consensus top five incoming freshman.
8. Georgetown - The Hoyas lost in the Final Four last season and lost the versatile Jeff Green to the NBA as well, but big man Roy Hibbert returns for his senior season. Hibbert is the best player in the Big East, and is joined by Jon Wallace and Vernon Macklin to form a very solid defensive squad. Five-star recruit Austin Freeman joins the mix as well, giving coach John Thompson III plenty of depth.
9.Washington State - The Cougars earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament while playing in the deep Pac-10 last season, so sneaking up on the big-time schools might be tougher this year. Everyone returns except for forward Ivory Clark, as the Cougars will continue to play great defense after leading the nation in points allowed last season.
10. USC - This might be a bit premature, considering their two best players, Nick Young and Gabe Pruitt, both went pro. But big man Taj Gibson returns and he will likely improve on his 12 points per game from last year. Most importantly, the No. 1 incoming freshman hits campus, as O.J. Mayo gets to show off his skills for the Trojans. Coach Tim Floyd might only have Mayo for a year, but he'll be well worth it.
Rajiv Leventhal's
NCAA Basketball column
runs every Wednesday.
He can be reached at
Rajiv.Leventhal@UConn.edu.
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