Is It Michigan or UCLA

[homedawg]

Is it Michigan who is that much better, or is it UCLA that is down? I say it's a little bit of both. I been saying it all Fall UCLA is not a top 5 team, no matter what their ranking says. They have no low post presence, and their young kids I do not think are as good as advertised, at least not ready for the big stage YET.
I also think Belein is one of the top 3 coaches in the country. I have followed his career since he was at division 2 LeMoyne, in Syracuse, NY. He has been a winner where ever he has coached. He wins with limited talent, and I think this Michigan team is going to surprise some people. I said it before and will say it again I think they finish in the top 3 or 4 in the BIG 10

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

College basketball simply isn't as good as it's used to being at the top. I honestly think this season is a 2man race, UNC-UCONN.

 

[OTK]

College basketball simply isn't as good as it's used to being at the top. I honestly think this season is a 2man race, UNC-UCONN.

Neither of those two teams are dominant to the point that it would be surprising if anyone else won the title this year. By the end of the season UCLA will be a better team than UConn. There are tons of teams that could emerge and be title favorites by the end of the year. Duke has a good team, Michigan St could easily win the title this year, Wisconsin will once again be a very solid team, Purdue could step up and be a huge team this year, USC has talent, Louisville could be right there, Pittsburgh has a very good team, Clemson and Wake Forest will be very dangerous teams to play this year and in the tournament, Xavier is solid once again, Marquette and Syracuse both have talent, Washington St has a very good team, Georgetown could be in the mix by the end, Notre Dame is dangerous, Oklahoma is very good and has one of the best players in the nation, Texas and Kansas can never be slept on, BYU is strong, UNLV is strong, Florida is much improved, Tennessee will be pretty decent, Memphis could be very strong again..

I just listed about 20-30 teams that could all beat UConn or UNC and it wouldn't surprise me. I'm not saying they would be favored over those two (although I could think of a few teams I'd have favored over UConn and a UNC team without Hansbrough). You're right about it being not as good at the top, and that's because the talent is more spread out now. This year seems VERY wide open to me as to who wins the title, unlike last year when there wer 4 teams high above the rest and dominated all year. This year should be fun to watch because the title is completely up for grabs right now. No team seems unbeatable to me and most of the top 25 teams will have a legit shot to win it all come March.

 

[jordan17]

well, it pains me to say it...but, Ucla is down a few notches...Mich got a notch better!

:drink:

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

Neither of those two teams are dominant to the point that it would be surprising if anyone else won the title this year. By the end of the season UCLA will be a better team than UConn. There are tons of teams that could emerge and be title favorites by the end of the year. Duke has a good team, Michigan St could easily win the title this year, Wisconsin will once again be a very solid team, Purdue could step up and be a huge team this year, USC has talent, Louisville could be right there, Pittsburgh has a very good team, Clemson and Wake Forest will be very dangerous teams to play this year and in the tournament, Xavier is solid once again, Marquette and Syracuse both have talent, Washington St has a very good team, Georgetown could be in the mix by the end, Notre Dame is dangerous, Oklahoma is very good and has one of the best players in the nation, Texas and Kansas can never be slept on, BYU is strong, UNLV is strong, Florida is much improved, Tennessee will be pretty decent, Memphis could be very strong again..

I just listed about 20-30 teams that could all beat UConn or UNC and it wouldn't surprise me. I'm not saying they would be favored over those two (although I could think of a few teams I'd have favored over UConn and a UNC team without Hansbrough). You're right about it being not as good at the top, and that's because the talent is more spread out now. This year seems VERY wide open to me as to who wins the title, unlike last year when there wer 4 teams high above the rest and dominated all year. This year should be fun to watch because the title is completely up for grabs right now. No team seems unbeatable to me and most of the top 25 teams will have a legit shot to win it all come March.

Find me a team who is without their national player of the year, and their best defensive player, yet go out and blow people out. NOBODY

Carolina is dominate, and so is UCONN. Syracuse has no inside game and they turn the ball over too much. Duke relies on 3pt shooting, and they might have the worst inside game of any top 25 team in the country. USC...the one who lost to Seton Hall? C'mon bro, how you gonna just list a bunch of teams and say, "they have talent." You're basically talking out the side of your mouth because by your evaluation, you could talk your way into making 100 teams possible for the title.

UCONN and UNC 100% are the 2 most balanced, and should be the favorites for right reasons. Louisville is a good team, but they're a matchup type of team. Teams with good guards and who can play up and down can beat on them. UCLA better than UCONN? Are you kidding me? UCLA has nobody to go to when need be. Michigan just showed how to beat them...make them shoot.

Anyone can sit here and list a ton of teams and they have talent, and that's why they could have a chance, yada yada, but at the end of the day, that's not the question. UCONN + UNC HAVE SKILLS + COACHING and at the end of the day, that's what will win it.

I would be SHOCKED if UCONN or UNC weren't in the championship game.

 

[fugazi]

Come March, UCLA will be a top 5 team. They are young and talented, just need to find a leader. Josh SHipp plays way too undisciplined and out of control, he needs to be phased out. COllison is better as a scorer than a distributor, put the ball in Holliday's hands and let Collison become a scorer with Holliday leading the offense.

 

[Railbird]

College basketball simply isn't as good as it's used to being at the top. I honestly think this season is a 2man race, UNC-UCONN.

Dixon 10X the coach Roy Williams is

 

[homedawg]

Syracuse has no inside game and they turn the ball over too much.

Arinze Onaku was one of the most improved players in the country last season. He was 2nd in the Big East in field goal %, while averaging 14ppg and 7 rbs as a SOPH. He is arguably the BEST offensive center in the Big East.

Johnny Flynn is one of the best point guards in the country. His assist to turnover ratio will be tops in the league this season. Devondorf is a little careless with the ball, but he is much improved with that, and his good severely out weights the bad. Totally disagree with this statement.

 

[Drunkn247]

Come March, UCLA will be a top 5 team. They are young and talented, just need to find a leader. Josh SHipp plays way too undisciplined and out of control, he needs to be phased out. COllison is better as a scorer than a distributor, put the ball in Holliday's hands and let Collison become a scorer with Holliday leading the offense.

They also better get that Dragovic kid out of the game..He is the biggest ball hog I've seen in a long time...He just shoots constantly and they are always piss poor shots. They better hope he gets suspended.

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

Dixon 10X the coach Roy Williams is

I've yet to see it.

Banners anyone?

 

[OTK]

I would be SHOCKED if UCONN or UNC weren't in the championship game.

This comment is ridiculous imo. You're giving two teams a chance at the title, and one of them might not even be the best in their conference? North Carolina probably has the most talent on paper, I can't argue against that. They certainly have to be the favorites to win the title, but that doesn't mean they will. A lot of good teams in college right now and all it takes is one upset in march and your title hopes are gone. That could easily happen to UNC. UCONN could easily lose their conference to a team like Pittsburgh. I could list at least 5 teams that I could easily see beating UConn if the played in the tournament, and that's just from the Big East. Pittsburgh, Louisville, Marquette, Syracuse and Notre Dame could all beat the Huskies in March and I wouldn't be surprised at all. You could easily add Georgetown to that list also. That's SIX teams from their own conference that could beat them and it wouldn't be a huge upset.

UCLA, Duke, North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Michigan St would all be favored over UConn on a neutral court if I was setting the line.

I'm not saying neither of those teams will win because both are good enough barring injuries, but to say it will guaranteed be one of those two teams is ridiculous because there's a legit shot both could lose their own conference.