1. Michigan State: The Spartans have a Big Ten player of the year candidate in guard Chris Hill, their top returning scorer. And they have a bevy of other talent on the perimeter, where they feature Kelvin Torbert, Alan Anderson and others. And, most importantly, they have their customary toughness.
2. Duke: Senior Chris Duhon leads the Blue Devils, and six experienced sophomores provide their core. But getting the most attention is Luol Deng, who can do everything from post up to handle the ball and is considered the country’s top freshman.
3. Connecticut: Huskies feature one of the nation’s best inside-outside duos in guard Ben Gordon and center Emeka Okafor, who averaged 15.9 points and 11.2 rebounds per game and was the Big East’s defensive player of the year. They also possess that most-important ingredient, a tough and experienced point guard in senior Taliek Brown.
4. Syracuse: Even though they lost Carmelo Anthony, who bolted for the NBA after leading them to the national title as a freshman, the Orangemen are equipped well enough to make another run. They have six talented freshmen, a strong backcourt in Gerry McNamara and Billy Edelin and, in 6-foot-8-inch forward Hakim Warrick, one of the Big East’s most athletic players.
5. Arizona: Wildcats were a halfcourt team last season with seniors Rick Anderson, Luke Walton and Jason Gardner. But that group is gone and in its place is a bunch of young prospects who like to run. The best are 6-10 center Channing Frye, 6-6 wingman Andre Iguodala and freshman point guard Mustafa Shakur.
6. Kansas: The Jayhawks lost coach Roy Williams to North Carolina and Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison to the NBA. But they picked up Bill Self to replace Williams and return the rest of the nucleus that carried them to last spring’s national title game. Will the transition to Self go smoothly? That is one big question. The other is the health of 6-9 forward Wayne Simien, who missed nearly half of last season with a dislocated shoulder.
7. Stanford: The Cardinal won 24 games last season and returns nine of its top 10 players. But one of those nine, point guard Chris Hernandez, broke his fifth metatarsal bone twice last season, so his health is an issue. If he stays whole, the Cardinal is two-deep at every position and capable of challenging Arizona for the Pac-10 title.
8. Missouri: The Tigers have a wonderful talent in guard Rickey Paulding. The Tigers have an inside force in 6-9 center Arthur Johnson. The Tigers have heralded newcomers in wing Jason Conley, a transfer from VMI, and 6-8 power forward Linas Kleiza, who is from Lithuania. And the Tigers are being investigated by the NCAA, which could disrupt all of their plans.
9. North Carolina: The Tar Heels, who missed the last two NCAA tournaments, should return under Williams, one of the nation’s best coaches. But they have no reliable backups to point guard Raymond Felton and center Sean May, who is their only reliable, inside force. So they can’t afford to have either injured.
10. Cincinnati: The Bearcats annually are known for their toughness, but last season they were softer than a souffle. That promises to change with the arrival of 6-10, 260-pound center Robert Whaley, who was a junior college All-American last year while averaging 16.9 points and 7.7 rebounds a game for Barton County (Kan.) CC. He and 6-7 power forward Jason Maxiell will be a tag team tough enough for the WWE.
11. Texas: The Longhorns lost national player of the year T.J. Ford but return the four other starters who carried them to the Final Four. Still, they need to find someone who can replace point guard Ford, who was a pre-eminent ballhandler and distributor.
12. Louisville: Bryant Northern was kicked off the team after he had some off-the-court problems, so the Cardinals have no experienced point guard to replace Reece Gaines. They also will be without leading rebounder Ellis Myles, who injured his knee near the end of last season, still is rehabilitating and is likely to redshirt. But they do have two sensational sophomores in forward Francisco Garcia and guard Taquan Dean.
13. Kentucky: The Wildcats have no big star, but they are loaded with a bunch of the blue-collar workers who helped them roar through the SEC undefeated last season. The best are point guard Cliff Hawkins and shooting guard Gerald Fitch, who give the Wildcats a quick backcourt, and forwards Chuck Hayes and Erik Daniels.
14. Oklahoma: The Sooners lost guards Hollis Price and Quannas White, overachievers who provided them grit and soul. They hope to replace them with former role players who will be asked to step up. Sophomore guard De’Angelo Alexander is expected to emerge as their leading scorer. Sophomore forward Kevin Bookout is expected to be their leading rebounder. And senior Jason Detrick, the fourth-leading scorer on their 2002 Final Four team, is expected to start after redshirting last season.
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15. Illinois: They have a dynamic backcourt in Dee Brown and Deron Williams and enough talent to contend for the Big Ten title. But after losing Self to Kansas, they must adjust to new coach Bruce Weber. That transition could hinder their development.
16. St. Joseph’s: The Hawks are led by senior Jameer Nelson, who is arguably the nation’s best point guard. He is a three-year starter who last season averaged 19.7 points, 5.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists and was on the Atlantic 10’s all-defensive team. And they also return three other starters and two top reserves.
17. Notre Dame: The best news the Irish received in the off-season was that Chris Thomas, their talented point guard, was returning to school. That guaranteed them a proven performer at the most important position. In 6-10 sophomore Torin Francis, they also have an inside force who should improve on a strong freshman season that saw him make the Big East’s all-rookie team.
18. Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons lost ACC player of the year Josh Howard, an All-American and their leader. But they retain their ruggedness, their penchant for rebounding and four sophomores who gained valuable experience last season as freshmen. Keep an eye on one of them, 6-9 center/forward Eric Williams.
19. Wisconsin: Badgers lost top scorer Kirk Penney, but extraordinary balance has been and again will be their key. Last year, they were just one of four Division I teams with five double-figure scorers. This year, that same kind of diversity promises to be their greatest strength.
20. Gonzaga: The Bulldogs have had six straight 20-victory seasons, but this team could be their best ever. Senior guard Blake Stepp averaged 18 points last season and shot 40 percent on his three-point attempts. Junior forward Ronny Turiaf averaged 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds, senior power forward Cory Violette averaged 11.4 points and eight rebounds and the list goes on.
Next in line: Marquette, Florida, N.C. State, LSU, Michigan