Your Top 5

[homedawg]

Who are your top 5 teams this season based on the first month and half of basketball. Try to keep bias out of the picture, and suckiness cause they cost you a 1st half bet a few weeks ago.
I'll go with...

1. North Carolina - Scary good. Still don't think they are unbeatable. They will let you score with them, but offensively they are as good as you get.

2. Gonzaga - Mark Few's best team. Excellent depth with more than a handful of players that can beat you on a given night. Improved defense will give them a legit shot to win it all compared to years past.

3. Oklahoma - Have showed they also are legit contenders. Blake Griffin has the capability to Mello OU if need be. Play excellent defense, and rebound with the best of them. Crocker, Davis, and Warren are able to keep defenses honest with their 3 point shooting ability.

4. Connecticut - Even though they are undefeated you still get the feeling they have yet to put it all together. However, when they do, watch out!! Already have good wins over Miami, and Wisconsin on a neutral court. Well balanced, play excellent defense, rebound, and block shots.

5. Syracuse - Have been saying it for months this team is one of the most talented teams in the country. Have impressive wins over Florida on a neutral court, and at Kansas (Kemper counts as home game in my book). Another well balanced team with imo the best point guard in the country, Johnny Flynn, couple with the NCAA leader in fg% Arinze Onaku in the post, Devendorf and Rautins knocking down 3's, and most importantly a glue guy in Paul Harris.

As of right now that is my top 5, and all legit national title contenders. Teams I also see as title contenders...
Texas
Pittsburgh
Louisville

Those really are the only contenders I see. I would be very surprised if anyone other than these 8 teams win it all.

 

[smartz]

I dont know about you but I wasnt expecting Florida or Kansas to be legit this year. Good wins. but good enough to consider top5...ehhh dont know about that. I thought Morrisons last year had a better team than this Zags team. Lack of a true post might hurt them later on.

As of right now Uconn and UNC look a few steps ahead of anyone else in the mix

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

1-unc




































2-uconn








3-gonzaga
4-pittsburgh
5-oklahoma

 

[homedawg]

I dont know about you but I wasnt expecting Florida or Kansas to be legit this year. Good wins. but good enough to consider top5...ehhh dont know about that. I thought Morrisons last year had a better team than this Zags team. Lack of a true post might hurt them later on.

As of right now Uconn and UNC look a few steps ahead of anyone else in the mix

No i don't expect Florida, or Kansas to be powers, but def 7 seeds at worse in the tournament so solid wins.No other losses against some decent competition. You will see more when they go into Memphis and win next week. I'm not only basing these rankings of wins, but also personnel. These are the most balanced, talented teams. Just because Syracuse started the season unranked doesn't mean they shouldn't be now, and in fact should have been ranked to start the season. Do you any teams that are superior talent wise?
While Morrison years the teams were solid I don't think they match the depth on this years team, and more importantly they don't play defense like these guys do.
I think if UCONN puts it all together they are the best team in the country. They play much better defense than Carolina. When it comes down to it defense wins championships.

 

[midman2161]

Obviously, UNC is 1. I am really high on Pitt and the Zags as well. With Blair and Sam Young I think Pitt has the legit one-two to get much further in the tourney than they did last year. But I honestly think that Uconn and Louisville are both overrated at this point.. the talent is there but they havent impressed yet, letting far inferior teams hang with/beat them. Thats what gets you knocked out early in the tourney.

 

[homedawg]

1-unc




































2-uconn








3-gonzaga
4-pittsburgh
5-oklahoma

i like Pitt, but they lack athleticism at the point guard position to keep up with the likes of Lawson, Flynn, and Pargo. Blair is also under sized at center, and against big front lines, and supremely athletic centers (Blake Griffin, Thabeet) he may have problems

 

[CUSE15]

unc,gonzaga,uconn,pitt,oklahoma,texas,syracuse,wake in that order

 

[homedawg]

i was real close to adding Wake to that list. They are a team that has the potential to be added due to the immense talent. The only reason I didn't have them on because of their inability to shoot from outside. They really don't have any knock dead 3 point shooters. Other than that they are 2nd to none talent wise

 

[OTK]

1- UNC
2- Pittsburgh
3- UConn
4- Louisville
5- UCLA

Just off the list are Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Wake Forest and Duke. UCLA will not be popular, but they will be legit contenders for a final four appearance again this year, and will only get better with time. Louisville might actually be #2, but I'll leave them at 4 for now. UConn isn't quite as good as people think imo, but still a very good team. Conference play will sort out things a lot more and make it more clear to see the top teams.

 

[GimmeDattt]

1. UNC
2. Gonzaga
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Pitt
-------
6. Conneticut
7. Cuse
8. Louisville
9. Wake
10. Duke

Dark horses: Tenn, ND, Purdue

 

[GimmeDattt]

1- UNC
2- Pittsburgh
3- UConn
4- Louisville
5- UCLA

Just off the list are Gonzaga, Oklahoma, Wake Forest and Duke. UCLA will not be popular, but they will be legit contenders for a final four appearance again this year, and will only get better with time. Louisville might actually be #2, but I'll leave them at 4 for now. UConn isn't quite as good as people think imo, but still a very good team. Conference play will sort out things a lot more and make it more clear to see the top teams.

Can't you said UCLA. They are living off thier name at this point.

 

[homedawg]

UCLA will be a tough out because they play so good on the defensive end. I don't see them as a serious contender though. They just don't have enough offensive firepower. Not enough players that can create their own shot

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

UCLA plays solid defense, but they'd lose to anyone who could put up 65+ on an offnight. I'm talking about ANYONE who could do that.

 

[GimmeDattt]

UCLA will be a tough out because they play so good on the defensive end. I don't see them as a serious contender though. They just don't have enough offensive firepower. Not enough players that can create their own shot

Yup. They lose to too many teams that will be thier late in the tournament to be considered top 5.

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

You never know, but by seasons end, and after PAC-10 play, I could see UCLA as a 4or5 seed in the tournament.

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

I also do want to note that I think UCLA's defense is a tad bit overrated. It's Collins who plays good defense, but other than that, I don't see much else. They've given up their fair share of points to some piss poor teams.

 

[slimjd008]

1. UNC, easy
2. Gonzaga Morrison's last year was not a better zag TEAM than this.. Morrison carried that team, this team has all 5 starters averaging double figures and a 9.9 guy off the bench. Deepest most balanced team in the country as far as scorers go. Josh Heytvelt > Tyler hansbourough by a long shot.
3. Uconn. The zags uconn game will be a great game. Even though it was close at buffalo they got the W and have not shown any reason why they should not be here

4. Oklahoma - Close games against USC where they didn't look to good at all but these guys will go as far as Griffin takes them



i don't even know for 5 to be honest... No one else has impressed much.. Pitt in my eyes is just way over-rated, louisville plays cupcakes..



4.

 

[slimjd008]

I dont know about you but I wasnt expecting Florida or Kansas to be legit this year. Good wins. but good enough to consider top5...ehhh dont know about that. I thought Morrisons last year had a better team than this Zags team. Lack of a true post might hurt them later on.

As of right now Uconn and UNC look a few steps ahead of anyone else in the mix

Josh Heytvelt is a post presence, just because he pops out and can hit the 3 doesn't mean he is not a post presence.. He will score from anywhere.. Who can match the zags length?

 

[BUCSnotYUCKS]

UNC can...

They have Thompson, Ed Davis, Hansbrough, Ginyard, and Green.

6-8, 6-10, 6-9, 6-5, 6-6...and if Zeller weren't hurt, there's him at 7-0.

 

[smartz]

Josh Heytvelt is a post presence, just because he pops out and can hit the 3 doesn't mean he is not a post presence.. He will score from anywhere.. Who can match the zags length?

he is not a true post. he gets bullied by bigger defenders and is not a great rebounder. id much rather have JP Batista.

better than Hansbrough? you just lost all credibility with that