Thad Matta's no dummy. Ohio State enters the season without a good option at point guard, so he's doing the next best thing. Maybe even the better thing.

Evan Turner's running the show.

This isn't shocking news. Turner, a 6-7 junior, did just that down the stretch last season, particularly late in games when the Buckeyes didn't have many scoring options. It resulted in All-Big Ten honors for Turner and a 22-11 season for a young Ohio State team that wasn't deep with guards.

Turner ended up leading OSU in scoring (17.3), rebounds (7.1), assists (4.0), steals (1.8) and was its best 3-point shooter (44 percent).

As a result, expect to see Turner playing point guard more often this season. Matta wants the ball in his hands as much as possible. I'd say expect to see a lot more of him overall, but that'd be tough. He played in 90 percent of Ohio State's available minutes last season. When you have a player like that, why not?

"Honestly, we'll use Evan just about everywhere," Matta said at the team's media day. "Last year, when Dave (Lighty) went down, (Evan) would be your hybrid point-forward — whatever those announcers call those guys — because we played him all over. He's a guy who can do a lot of different things."

Think what Terrence Williams did for Louisville last season. The Cards swept the Big East regular-season and tournament titles en route to a No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. If Turner can help the Buckeyes to a season even close to resembling that, I expect coaches to use this technique more and more.

I mean, why wait for another guy to get your best player the ball when that player can handle it himself?

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Tom Izzo had himself a nice little Thursday.

Michigan State was ranked second in the AP and coaches' polls, picked to win the Big Ten and even secured a commitment from a Top 25 prospect. If that wasn't enough, his point guard, junior Kalin Lucas, was the Big Ten's preseason player of the year.

Al Goldis/AP

Tom Izzo's all revved up about reaching another Final Four.

Take a bow, Spartans.

And to those who wonder if Purdue – which returned all of its key players, compared to MSU losing three key players – should've been the pick in the Big Ten, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter says that's just silly.

"Here's the difference," Painter said Thursday. "They won the Big Ten by four games; they went to the final game and came a win away from winning the national championship We were the team that was four games behind them. We won two games in the NCAA tournament; they won five."

Illinois coach Bruce Weber echoed that sentiment. It's not about what Izzo has this year, it's about everything he's done at Michigan State.

"Some guys asked me about building a program," Weber said. "It's one thing to do it once — then from 4-8 years at a place where can you maintain it, then make that hump. It's just amazing what he's done."

And, by getting a guy like Adreian Payne, Izzo's program will only get better. (More details on Payne here.) He's the cream of already solid recruiting crop that features Keith Appling, Russell Byrd and Alex Gauna.

Might be doing this post again next year…

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Say you're trying to figure out 50 of the best players in college hoops. What are your options?

The easiest way would be to click here. It's the only place where you'll find 50 guys cross-indexed by position, school and class.

Need another option? You could always try the Naismith Trophy preseason watch list. It's pretty much the same players with a few minor differences, like omitting Lance Stephenson, Tyshawn Taylor and Shelvin Mack, among others. It's 19 seniors, 14 juniors, 12 sophomores and five freshmen.

So, in alphabetical order, your list.

Solomon Alabi (Florida State)

Cole Aldrich (Kansas)

Al-Farouq Aminu (Wake Forest)

James Anderson (Oklahoma State)

Luke Babbitt (Nevada)

Talor Battle (Penn State)

Trevor Booker (Clemson)

Matt Bouldin (Gonzaga)

Craig Brackins (Iowa State)

Avery Bradley (Texas)

Da'Sean Butler (West Virginia)

Sherron Collins (Kansas)

Patrick Christopher (California)

Ed Davis (North Carolina)

Devan Downey (South Carolina)

Jerome Dyson (Connecticut)

Devin Ebanks (West Virginia)

Derrick Favors (Georgia Tech)

Luke Harangody (Notre Dame)

Manny Harris (Michigan)

Gordon Hayward (Butler)

Lazar Hayward (Marquette)

Xavier Henry (Kansas)

Robbie Hummel (Purdue)

Damion James (Texas)

Jerome Jordan (Tulsa)

Sylven Landesberg (Virginia)

Gani Lawal (Georgia Tech)

Kalin Lucas (Michigan State)

Tasmin Mitchell (LSU)

Greg Monroe (Georgetown)

A.J. Ogilvy (Vanderbilt)

Patrick Patterson (Kentucky)

Jerome Randle (Calfornia)

Scottie Reynolds (Villanova)

Samardo Samuels (Louisville)

Larry Sanders (VCU)

Kyle Singler (Duke)

Tyler Smith (Tennessee)

Isaiah Thomas (Washington)

Evan Turner (Ohio State)

Edwin Ubiles (Siena)

Jarvis Varnado (Mississippi State)

Greivis Vasquez (Maryland)

Kemba Walker (Connecticut)

John Wall (Kentucky)

Willie Warren (Oklahoma)

Terrico White (Ole Miss)

Nic Wise (Arizona)

Chris Wright (Dayton)

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Blake Griffin may be the best thing that's ever happened to Oklahoma basketball.

And that's saying something. It's not like the Sooners were devoid of hoops history before Griffin arrived on campus in 2007. Waymon Tisdale was a three-time consensus first-team All-American. Billy Tubbs' 1987-88 squad was one of the sport's glorious up-tempo teams. Kelvin Sampson led the Sooners to the 2002 Final Four.

John Bazemore/AP

Blake Griffin

Sure, it'll always be a football school. But coach Jeff Capel says Griffin's breakout 2008-09 season has helped change all that. Heck, freshman Tiny Gallon said he'd never even heard of OU until Griffin.

Now, Gallon and fellow McDonald's All-American Tommy Mason-Griffin will help ease the loss of Griffin, the 2009 player of the year and No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft.  From an AP feature Thursday:

Before Griffin's arrival, Capel said he would get questioned by players, parents and coaches: "How many pros have you guys put out?"

"At the time I didn't have any and our program hadn't had a first-round pick since `88. We had (Eduardo) Najera who was in the NBA, or is in the NBA, but that's it," Capel said. "Now it's another thing to cross off that they can't use, that other people can't use against us."

While Gallon wasn't familiar with Oklahoma when he first met Capel during his junior year of high school, he knew all about Griffin. Eventually, so would everyone else who follows basketball, and Griffin's exploits have been a key example Capel can provide to prospects.

"You can come to Oklahoma and be a national player of the year. You can come to Oklahoma and you can leave school early. You can come and be the face of college basketball," Capel said.

"It is a football school, and people want to use that as a negative, but you can come here and you can do that."

That's a nice pitch to give to prospective recruits, and one that probably worked for Rick Barnes when he had Kevin Durant.

After all, is it any coincidence that the Longhorns – another football school – are on the shortlist of title contenders this season because they nabbed two impact freshmen just a few years after Durant was player of the year?

Player of the year and permanent recruiting tool? This must be how Carolina uses MJ, only on a smaller scale.

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The first game isn't for 11 yet, but it's always a good day when the preseason AP and coaches' polls are released. It gives college basketball that extra little nudge into that crowded late October/early November sports scene of World Series, NFL, college football, NBA and NHL.

Of course, casual fans won't care until they catch highlights of the Thanksgiving week tournaments, but that's another post. An angry one.

Back to the Top 25. Kansas was a nearly unanimous No. 1 – stunner – and the rest was what you'd expect. (If you've seen our Top 25, that is. It's almost spot on.)

Tami Chappell/AP

Should Al-Farouq Aminu and Wake Forest have been ranked in the Top 25?

It should be noted that the top 9 in both are the same, just in a slightly different order. Kansas, Michigan State, Texas, UNC, Kentucky, Villanova, Purdue, Duke and West Virginia are your front-runners.

And the two polls only differed by one team. The coaches placed Syracuse 25th, while the media put Illinois at 23rd. After that, both parties agree that the same 24 teams deserve to be ranked in the Top 25.

So what else should you know?

Rush the Court does a great job breaking down the disparities between the two polls. Louisville and Minnesota are the two with the biggest difference between the two polls. They also note the strange case of USC garnering 22 votes from the coaches poll. The Trojans were just picked to finish 9^th in the Pac-10. Perhaps the coaches meant South Carolina, which only got 1 vote?

Sporting News writer Mike DeCourcy also takes apart the two polls. The flaws (Georgia Tech, Louisville ranked and Michigan overrated), while he says voters are underrating Georgetown and Wake Forest (which was essentially 35^th.)

So there you go. Two polls to argue over. Too bad March is still so far away. Then we could argue about NCAA tournament seeding, too.

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Hard to believe the cliché "nowhere to go but up" actually applies to Indiana basketball.

After all, the Hoosiers are one of the greats. They've won five NCAA tournaments and were the last men's D-I team to finish a season unbeaten. In many ways, Indiana is college basketball.

Except last season. A 6-25 campaign featured 1 Big Ten win the school's worst winning percentage in nearly a century. When that happens, you're not rebuilding a program. You're doing a complete overhaul.

Michael Conroy/AP

Tom Crean was just 6-25 in his first season at Indiana.

That's Tom Crean's task. He's even sounding a little hopeful about this season. The Hoosiers may not win the Big Ten, but they're done being an embarrassment.

"We don't want to lead the country in turnovers again, I can tell you that," Crean told the crowd at the team's first official practice. "You can be guaranteed that these guys who represent Indiana University will absolutely spill it every day inside here. They are here to help bring you back."

Having a full roster will help. Indiana had just eight scholarship players last season. Now there are 12 scholarship players, three returning starters and several promising newcomers.

And those players already have the right attitude. Forward Bobby Capobianco gave perhaps the quote of the year to ESPN's Dana O'Neil:

"I know this: We won't be scared or intimidated by anyone," Capobianco told O'Neil. "We won't be out there with pee running down our legs. We want to be the team where people are sitting in the stands thinking, 'How in the world are they winning this game?' We want that stunned silence, like people can't believe what they're seeing."

That's music to the fans' ears. One of the game's most devout fan bases – Indiana was 16^th in D-I attendance last season, averaging 14,431 fans a game – will be dying to see a team compete with, and beat the likes of Purdue, Illinois and Michigan State. If the Hoosiers can hit some 3s, it'll happen.

"We're really trying to open the floor even more for drives and keep the top of the floor open for drives and keep constant movement," Crean said. "Constant movement, not just spotting up. When you can put three or four good 3-point shooters on the floor at one time, then you will have the drive and kick."

Hustling and the potential for upsets? Things are indeed looking up in Bloomington.

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That the in the headline should be italicized, but sometimes you just gotta accept the limitations of how the blog is handled.

Anyway, the NBCSports.com All-America team is live. But you should see for yourself by clicking here. It's a slideshow format this season, which means that instead of focusing on all the text I wrote, you can see who got slotted where. I mean, who doesn't love a good slideshow, anyway?

OK. Fine. I'll also list the players below. But you don't know what you're missing with the slideshow!

FIRST TEAM
Sherron Collins, Kansas
Willie Warren, Oklahoma
Evan Turner, Ohio State
Patrick Patterson, Kentucky
Cole Aldrich, Kansas

SECOND TEAM
John Wall, Kentucky
Kalin Lucas, Michigan State
Kyle Singler, Duke
Craig Brackins, Iowa State
Luke Harangody, Notre Dame

THIRD TEAM
Greivis Vasquez, Maryland
James Anderson, Oklahoma State
Gordon Hayward, Butler
Ed Davis, North Carolina
Greg Monroe, Georgetown

FOURTH TEAM
Jerome Randle, Cal
Manny Harris, Michigan
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia
Trevor Booker, Clemson
Jarvis Varnado, Mississippi State

FIFTH TEAM
A.J. Slaughter, Western Kentucky
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Lazar Hayward, Marquette
Chris Wright, Dayton
Al-Farouq Aminu, Wake Forest

For those keeping track, that's five from the ACC, four from the Big East, five from the Big 12, four from the Big Ten, one from the Pac-10, three from the SEC, and three from mid-major schools.

Several players could've gone up or down and having three from the Big 12 did give me some pause. Ultimately, I think it's fair, though I highly doubt that's how it'll be at the end of the season. Nobody's that good.

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Syracuse is trying to replace its three top scorers/players from last season. It's no easy task, especially when one of them was star point guard Jonny Flynn, the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA draft.

Then again, maybe it won't be that hard.

The Orange started freshman Brandon Triche during an exhibition win last weekend against Cal State-Los Angeles, while redshirt sophomore Scoop Jardine also nabbed some minutes.

Their line: 14 assists, zero turnovers.

Yes, it was an exhibition against a lowly foe. But it's an impressive start. Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy reports that the coaches don't expect either to use Flynn's flashy-, drive-the-lane style. They'll be focused on feeding the low post.

"It doesn't even matter who starts,'' Jardine told the Syracuse Post-Standard's Mike Waters."A lot of guys on this team know that. That's why I think we're going to be a great team down the road because we don't care who starts.''

A great team down the road sounds about right. The Orange won't an easy opponent in March.

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Part of me is really, really fond of the NBA's minimum-age requirement.

Is it wrong that it cheers me a little to have seen Kevin Durant and Kevin Love play college ball? Or Michael Beasley and Eric Gordon? Even if it was just one year for all those guys, it was better than seeing the likes of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James jump straight to the pros.

Mark Duncan/AP

Woulda been nice to see LeBron play in college.

But I get the downside. The NBA's one of the few professional leagues that doesn't encourage its athletes to join its ranks ASAP. Players miss out on money, and some guys – who, let's be honest, may not have any interest in college – are forced into an academic farce.

Baseball's minor leagues are littered with guys fresh out of high school. Soccer, tennis, hockey all encourage players to spend their teenage years honing their game against the pros. So what's the NBA's deal?

Couple things. College coaches teach those young guys how to play (for the most part). They develop skills, and if they're really good, enter the league with some name recognition. It's a win-win for the NBA (better players who have cachet) and colleges ('cause they never would've gotten those guys anyway).

Well, NBA commissioner David is toying with the idea of raising the minimum age requirement to 20. And author Buzz Bissinger thinks that's foolish. In an Op-Ed N.Y. Times piece, he says the league should just get rid of the thing. TrueHoop's Henry Abbott, among others, takes issue with a few of his points and doubts the age requirement will ever go away.

Here to stay or go away? Probably the former, which cheers me a little bit. Sorry guys. I'm selfish that way.

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Bob Knight refused a $75,000 check from an anonymous Indiana booster, which would've settled a long-standing suit between the legendary Hoosiers coach and his ex-school. (Details of the suit are here.)

This means two things:

1.    It's not about the money; Knight clearly wants the school to admit it's at fault.

2.    Knight's not attending next week's induction ceremony for Indiana University's Hall of Fame.

Is there a better way to say "I'm not coming, and I'm not even bothering to decline the RSVP" than by shrugging off 75 grand? Maybe get Luca Brasi involved, but that's about it.

Indiana fans and onlookers had been wondering for months if Knight would attend. Imagine trying to plan an event around the possibility of the biggest sports figure in the state's history not attending. It's be ulcer upon ulcer.

Well, stop wondering. Knight's made up his mind about next week, even if he's not saying it.

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Ed Reinke/AP John Calipari greets the Big Blue faithful.

Big Blue Nation is going international.

Via John Calipari's Twitter account, Kentucky's athletic department has translated Coach Cal's speech at Big Blue Madness into eight different languages. This is not a typo.

Maybe it's just the next step in creating an unstoppable Kentucky basketball force in a 24-7 Internet world, but … it just leaves me kind of speechless.  Now Kentucky fans can see Calipari's speech in Spanish, Kazakh, Russian, Chinese, Afrikaans, German, Arabic and American sign language.

This seems kinda over the top – and a little bit amazing. I only speak one language (I know, typical American), so I don't have to seek out similar types of translations. I'm also not aware of other schools doing this kind of thing very often. Perhaps it goes on more than I know.

Regardless, it'll only serve to burnish the images of Calipari, the school, and Kentucky hoops in general.

Everyone else, take note.

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For those who think college coaches' salaries are excessive, change is coming. Slowly. Maybe.

It's being talked about, so chalk it up as possibly.

A Knight Commission poll released Monday found that 85 percent of the 119 university presidents at D-I football schools think coaches' salaries are too high, but 56 percent of them are pessimistic about controlling those salaries. Most would love to see a reduction in the sheer number of assistant coaches and support personnel for revenue-producing sports.

Translation: We're not sure we want to anger the big guy by paying him less, but we'd like to take away part of his staff that helps him do his job.

No wonder university presidents are feeling pessimistic.

"There's been an explosion of salaries, multimillion, multiyear contracts," one president told the Kansas City Star. "It drives everything; fund-raising needs, ticket prices, exposure, need to win. If you don't win a championship, the team is no good, and you need a new coach.

"Coaches get raises while faculty pay is frozen."

Some may point out that faculty pay isn't determined by the athletic department, but it's certainly tied to it, no matter how many incentives are tied to a coach's contract. Because they're all in the same boat.

In the wake of last week's story that only 25 percent of those 119 D-I football schools actual have a profitable program, it's probably time to give this serious thought, no? Schools that only play D-I hoops are slightly better off, but not by much.

And true, some coaches are actually a bargain when one considers how much revenue they bring in, but that's a year-to-year thing, dependent on how a team performs.

One president wants the NCAA to wield an iron fist and implement rule changes that help schools control these budgets, yet doesn't sound optimistic.

"I think it would be great if the NCAA had rules about coaches' salaries, but I don't think they will ever have the guts to do that," one president told the Star. "I'm in favor of the Knight Commission doing what they do if they actually do it and don't just talk about it."

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Every coach starts the season optimistic. Maryland's Gary Williams is no different.

And part of me – the part who relished the early part of this decade when the Terps were one of the nation's premier programs – is right there with him.

Rob Carr/AP

Greivis Vasquez will lead the way for the Terps this season.

The Terps nabbed a spot in our preseason Top 25, which wasn't a huge leap. They return four starters from a 21-14 team that reached the second round of the NCAA tourney. They're picked to finish 5^th in the ACC this season, and are a good bet to return to the Big Dance.

Now comes the tough part for Williams. Fulfilling those expectations.

"The one thing you learn in coaching is nothing's automatic. Just because you return a lot of guys, that doesn't mean we're just going to walk out on the court and all those things are going to happen," Williams said Monday. "I have to grind it as a coach and we have to make sure the guys understand that the more you win, the more individual things you receive as a basketball player."

It should be easier with a couple of the incoming freshmen at his disposal. Forwards Jordan Williams (6-10) and James Padgett (6-8) are two highly touted players who figure to have a crucial role right away. But it doesn't sound like Williams is going to start either one. That'll be junior Dino Gregory, which has been an easy call thus far.

"Because by the end of the year he was one of the better inside players in the ACC," Williams told the Baltimore Sun.

Williams must be feeling good about his team if he's not turning to the freshmen right away. Last year, Greivis Vasquez had to do it all until the end of the season. And now, that's not the case?

That speaks volumes about how he feels about his returning players, and when was the last time he had that feeling?

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Every college hoops season preview features the usual staples. A Top 25. Players to watch. Top conferences, coaches on the hot seat, elite scorers…well, you get the idea. So what's that leave?

The best names.

You know, a post that centers around other sweet monikers like Kevin Pittsnoggle, Chief Kickingstallionsims and – my favorite – Fennis Dembo.

With 344 rosters to sift through, there are a host of intriguing, funny and flat-out silly names out there. And thankfully, Rob Dauster at Ballin Is a Habit has already done the dirty work.

He's listed four "all-name teams" and seven more teams around various topics like All-Edible team, All-Inanimate Object team and All-Sounds-Like-A-Disease team. It's great stuff.

A sampling:

All-Parents-Couldn't-Decide-On-A-Name Team

JohnMark Ludwick, William & Mary
JohnDre Jefferson, South Carolina
Markeith Cummings, Kennesaw State
Ella Ellis, Army
Gary Garris, NJIT

My favorites for this year are Siena's Just-in'Love Smith, Montana State's Colt Idol and Gonzaga's Bol Kong. I'll be dropping hints to my wife to file away Smith's name for the future…

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So Duke and North Carolina are picked to finish atop the ACC. This is new?

Seems like the Tar Heels and Blue Devils are always picked to rule the roost, and usually do. Since 1954, one of those two has either won or tied for the ACC title 44 times.

But this is the first time in the 41 years of the conference's preseason day that they're officially co-favorites.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty images

It's Coach K vs. Roy Williams, again.

(Duke garnered more first-place votes, but UNC tied them with 545 overall points. And via ACC Now, this is the 19th time North Carolina has been picked to finish first. The Tar Heels won the league in 11 of the first 18 times they were picked. Duke has been picked to finish first 12 times before, winning in seven of those years.)

Huh. So this means the ACC media guys can't settle on which team's gonna be better, either.

The offseason debate of Duke vs. North Carolina – the Devils return more players, but only two of 'em are guards, while the national champion Heels lost four starters – was a minor point among hopheads, mostly because both teams were still going to be really good. (Seriously. Both are in our Top 10.)

But this could be an issue for the rest of the ACC. In the media's eyes, everyone else is a loooong way back.

From ACC now:

The 144-point gap between Duke and North Carolina and third selection Clemson is the largest gap between any spots in the poll. Clemson-Georgia Tech (third-fourth, 122 points) and Boston College-Miami (eighth-ninth, 116 points) are the other demarcation points.

OK, the Tigers have a chance, but everyone else is way, way back of the top two. Georgia Tech is slightly better than Maryland, Wake Forest, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Boston College. Miami, Virginia and N.C. State are bottom dwellers.

And this is exactly how it's gonna play out, right? Right.

(Shakes head, noting heavy sarcasm to avoid angry comments below.)

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Anytime someone puts out a preseason Top 25 (ours is here), there's going to be grumbling. Teams might be ranked too low, ranked too high or omitted altogether. (Got a comment on ours? Click here.)

And those omitted teams usually have a pretty good case.

By March, some or all of the following 10 teams may be in the Top 25. They've each got talent and experience, but are either replacing one or more key players or have yet to really make an impact with the guys they've got.

Well, now's the time.

Mary Ann Chastain/AP

Trevor Booker

Clemson
ACC coaches picked the Tigers to finish third this season, which doesn't seem like a stretch given that Trevor Booker (15.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is back for his senior season. He'll pair with promising freshman Milton Jennings to form an intimidating front line, but just who's going to get them the ball? Guards K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby are gone, and Oglesby was the team's best shooter. Can Demontez Stitt and Andre Young fill those roles, or will it fall to freshmen Noel Johnson and Donte Hill?

Illinois
Losing guys like Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham fall under tough to quantify. Neither filled up the box score, but Frazier was the team's best defender and Meacham provided steady perimeter scoring on a team that desperately needed it. Will that scoring or defense come from Kentucky transfer Alex Legion? Or freshmen D.J. Richardson or Brandon Paul? And if Mike Davis shows any issues from a broken ankle this summer, well, it could be a tough year for the Illini in a tough Big Ten.

Syracuse
The Orange lost Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris – also known as their three best players – from last year's 28-10 squad. That leaves streaky shooter Andy Rautins and sturdy, but one-dimensional power forwards Rick Jackson and Arinze Onuaku as Jim Boeheim's best returning players. Thankfully, talented transfer Wes Johnson, freshman Brandon Triche and sophomore Scoop Jardine (who missed a chunk of last season because of an injury) will step in. But those are some big shoes to fill.

Ole Miss
The Rebels learned last year that even all-conference player Terrico White couldn't save their season. Not with injuries to guards Chris Warren, Eniel Polynice and Trevor Gaskins. Most expect all three to bounce back and for Ole Miss to vie for the SEC West crown, but it's a good example of how injuries can derail any season at any time. If The Rebels are healthy, they're in the Big Dance.

Georgia Tech
Adding a freshman like Derrick Favors should solve a lot of the Yellow Jackets' issues. The ACC preseason rookie of the year will be a double-double machine and a constant source of concern by opposing defenses. A player like that only makes others around him better – which is great news for budding stars like Gani Lawal and Iman Shumpert. Still, this is a team that hasn't won more than 20 games it went to the Final Four in 2004. Can Favors make Tech Final Four good or just get back to the tourney?

Kansas State
The Wildcats have a scoring star in Denis Clemente. They have a solid, if not spectacular frontcourt headed by senior Luis Colon. A couple of touted freshmen – Wally Judge and Jordan Henriquez – should give K-State some much-needed depth. And, after years of floundering, K-State has finished at least 4^th in the Big 12 the last three seasons. But the Big 12 won't be as forgiving as in years past, and if Clemente gets hurt or struggles, the 'Cats can't score.

Al Behrman/AP

Deonta Vaughn

Cincinnati
By adding star prospect Lance Stephenson, the Bearcats now feature one of the nation's best perimeter attacks. Senior Deonta Vaughn (15.3 ppg, 4.0 apg) is a two-time all-Big East player who no longer has to shoulder the scoring burden, while Cashmere Wright will run the show. Provided the 6-6 Stephenson can adjust his game to taking fewer shots, the Bearcats will hang with anyone. But they still don't have a dominant post player, which means when the shots aren't falling, they're in trouble.

Mississippi State
There's little question that the Bulldogs will be good. The question is how good? Jarvis Varnado is a true defensive game-changer (4.7 bpg) and continues to improve offensively. Adding 7-1 freshman John Riek to that mix will only make the Bulldogs even better on defense, to say nothing of solid guards Barry Stewart, Dee Bost and Ravern Johnson. But this team won't take off unless freshmen Renardo Sidney is deemed eligible to play by the NCAA.

Seton Hall
Is this the year the Hall returns to Big East contention? The Pirates have experienced guards, a dynamite scorer in junior Jeremy Hazell and welcome three talented transfers, Herb Pope, Keon Lawrence and Jeff Robinson. Depth and talent usually means an NCAA tournament berth, provided the Pirates can do two things they didn't last season: Finish about .500 in the Big East and get one marquee win.

Missouri
Don't be shocked when the Tigers play 4 guards at the same time this season. Their potential replacements for DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons aren't as promising as using Kim English and Marcus Denmon alongside J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor. Sure, only one is taller than 6-4, but when you consider Missouri's frenetic, pressing defense, it makes sense to go mobile. Then again, what happens when opponents get into their half-court offense?

FIVE DANGEROUS MID-MAJORS

Jim Mcisaac/Getty images

Jimmer Fredette

BYU
March 18, 1993. That's the last time BYU won an NCAA tourney game. Seven appearances (3 times as a 12 seed, 4 times as an 8) and no wins. For that to change, it'll turn to Mountain West player of the year candidates point guard Jimmer Fredette and forward Jonathan Tavernari to be the catalysts and secure some kind of seed that could result in a favorable March matchup.

Niagara
Will the Purple Eagles ruin Siena's quest for a third-straight trip to the NCAA tournament? They return four starters from a 26-9 season, including All-MAAC players Tyrone Lewis and Bilal Benn. Niagara's defense relies on steals and high energy plays, though it's a little weak on the perimeter. Asking for two NCAA tourney berths from the MAAC might be a bit much, so expect the conference tournament to be a dynamite show when it comes down to Niagara and Siena.

Old Dominion
Ever since George Mason's run to the 2006 Final Four, the Colonial League's top team has been a popular pick as a March Cinderella. VCU held that distinction the last two seasons. This year, it's the Monarchs, who return all five starters from last season's 25-10 squad. Forward Gerald Lee  (15.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is a CAA player of the year candidate and the offense should be consistent under junior point guard Darius James.

Western Kentucky
The Hilltoppers just missed back-to-back runs to the Sweet 16, which should cement them as a mid-major darling for 2009-10. Star guard A.J. Slaughter heads up a talented group that features four starters back a 25-9 squad. If North Texas doesn't take the Sun Belt tournament, Western Kentucky's a good bet to reach its third straight Big Dance – and maybe even make another March run.   

Wright State
With most of their starters back, the Raiders should be a thorn in Butler's side during Horizon League play this season – which could result in the league getting two teams into the Big Dance for the second straight year. All-league guard Vaughn Duggins is back after missing nearly all of last season and that gives the Raiders a dynamite perimeter threat in him, senior Todd Brown and senior John David Gardner. They're not big up front, but who's not a fan of guard-heavy teams in March?

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With Big East coaches pleading parity, there's an opening for the mythical "toughest college basketball conference" in the country.

And it sounds like the Big 12 wants it.

"I believe this is our league's year," Kansas coach Bill Self said at Big 12 media day. "I don't think we'll be talking about maybe getting six in the tournament next March. That'll be something that's very disappointing to everybody involved if this league doesn't have six, seven, eight teams at least."

He's got a point. The Jayhawks are everyone's favorite to win, while Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Missouri will likely be in the Top 25 at some point this season. They're all eyeing NCAA tournament berths.

And consider this: The coaches picked Iowa State to finish 8^th despite having a future NBA lottery pick in Craig Brackins and the newcomer of the year in Marquis Gilstrap.

That's a salty group of teams. Kansas – no matter how much talent is has – isn't going to stroll to another conference crown.

Make no mistake, the Big Ten, ACC and Big East – even the resurgent SEC – all have a case to be called the best. Yet for whatever reason, the Big 12 usually isn't lumped into that group despite having a better RPI than all but the ACC the last two seasons.

"Then again, people have never given the Big 12 the credit it deserves," says Texas coach Rick Barnes.

Part of that is because the conference doesn't have the ACC's historical cachet or the sheer number of basketball schools like the Big East. Also, it took the league 12 tries to win an NCAA tournament title (Kansas in '08).

But there's no denying the talent is there.

The league features perhaps the nation's best player at each position in Sherron Collins (point guard), Willie Warren (shooting guard), James Anderson (wing), Craig Brackins (power forward) and Cole Aldrich (center).

"Every night in and night out, you're going to witness three to four to five (future) NBA players on the court," says Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford. "This is a very special year, there's no question."

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Those seeking a quick resolution to the questions surrounding John Wall's eligibility won't find any answers today. Just a lot of Internet chatter.

The mess – Wall's former AAU coach, Brian Clifton, was once a licensed sports agent and the NCAA has questions about that relationship – will probably end up being less than a mess. More like a hiccup. Wall could miss a few games.

And it won't loom over Kentucky's head all season. There's already a report from FOXSports's Jeff Goodman that Wall will be cleared before the Wildcats' opener against Morehead State on Nov. 13.  

Still, because it involved the nation's top recruit, Kentucky and new coach John Calipari, message boards and Twitter went a little nuts. Like here, here and here.

John Clay has a Twitter sampling here. Most of that focuses on Calipari, even though this would've been an issue even if Billy Gillispie was still Kentucky's coach.

Kentucky fans here don't seem overly concerned. Can't blame 'em. Once this gets resolved it's just gonna be a blip on what promises to be a huge season for the 'Cats.

(H/T: A Sea of Blue)

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This is every Kentucky fan's worst nightmare. Kind of.

Star point guard John Wall, the nation's top recruit, is dealing with an eligibility issue that could affect his season. SEC commissioner Mike Slive confirmed the report to ESPN.com on Thursday.

Ed Reinke/AP

John Wall

It centers around Wall's former AAU coach, who was a certified agent. The school has been investigating Wall's the situation for months. Mississippi State recruit Renardo Sidney also is dealing with eligibility issues. It goes back to 2007 when Wall made two unofficial visits to the UK campus but it's unclear how much money he may owe for the visit.

Slive says the NCAA's agents, not NCAA enforcement, is handling the investigation.

"Those are amateur issues that arose prior to their coming to our schools," Slive told ESPN.com. "Those are strictly amateurism issues. As we told our people, somebody needs to determine if they are eligible. It's not relative to you, it's relative to them."

Here's the gist:

Brian Clifton, Wall's AAU coach, was a certified agent with FIBA, basketball's international governing body, for nearly a year. Under NCAA rule that equates to Wall accepting illegal benefits from an agent. Consequently Wall could have to repay any and all expenses Clifton footed during that period before he can play with Kentucky.

NCAA rule also stipulates that an athlete can be withheld from at least 10 percent of a team's games as part of the punishment.

What's that mean for Wall's season? It's too early to tell. The early impression from John Clay, a writer for the Lexington Herald-Leader, is that it won't be a big deal and that Wall may have to sit out two or three games.

He also says – pay attention John Calipari naysayers – that is would be an issue even if Billy Gillispie were still Kentucky's coach because of when he visited the campus.

But until Wall's eligibility is resolved, it'll likely create much hand-wringing in Big Blue Nation.

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One of the best ways those scrappy underdogs pull off NCAA tournament upsets is to shoot a ton of 3-pointers and hit the boards. Then again, it's a good way to avoid an upset, too.

Just ask Memphis. Roburt Sallie's 3-point barrage in the tourney's opening round last season saved the Tigers against Cal State Northridge.  

And, in case you haven't heard, Memphis lost most of its players and its coach from last season's 33-4 squad. So what to do?

Mark Humphrey/AP

Does Josh Pastner have the answer to Memphis' season?

New coach Josh Pastner thinks he has the answer: 3-pointers.

Hey, why not? Pastner was on the sideline when Sallie went nuts. It may sound strange that a team that lost its top four scorers can actually be good at shooting, but Pastner likes what he sees.

"I don't like to live and die by the 3-point shot," Pastner told the Memphis Commericial Appeal. "But on our team, one of our strengths is our shooting ability. We're going to have to do that."

The 3-pointer has long been one of college hoops' great equalizers. They're a better option than mid-range shots and even when the line was extended last season, it didn't affect teams too much.

Not that Pastner wants his team doing a Grinnell College and jack up a shot every 2.4 seconds. It'll start with Sallie, and other guys like seniors Doneal Mack and Willie Kemp will have to improve. Neither shot better than 33 percent last season.

As a team, Memphis hasn't shot better than 36.1 percent anytime this decade. But compare that to a team like Tennessee – which made less than 32 percent of its attempts beyond the arc – and 36 percent sounds like Larry Bird.

"We do have good shooters on the team," Pastner said. "I want to give these guys as much confidence as we can, and if they have an open shot I don't want them to think about it. Just let it fly. That doesn't mean come down and jack a three. It's starting inside-out, whether that's via the dribble or the pass to suck the defense in and kick it out for an open 3-point shot."

Besides, Memphis didn't shoot the 3 that poorly against Conference-USA teams, which is a good sign for maintaining their status as league bullies. And really, that's half the battle. Winning 30 games or more every season too much to ask of any program. Guys leave, players get hurt or you catch a few bad bounces.

But if the Tigers can maintain their NCAA tournament streak and maintain some national exposure by beating up on inferior conference teams (Gonzaga's perfected it), then a potential re-building year is easier to accept.

And who knows? Maybe the 3 will keep the Tigers on a roll.

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Marcus Jordan's pride in his dad may end up costing his school big bucks.

Jordan, a freshman guard at Central, Florida, is Michael Jordan's son. Maybe you've heard of him, and his shoes. Well, as to be expected, Marcus is an Air Jordan guy, and only an Air Jordan guy.

Except … the school has a $3 million, six-year contract with adidas that requires coaches and athletes to wear its stuff, including the shoes. Therein lies the rub.

Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP

Marcus Jordan

It's a surprise to Marcus, who says he isn't budging.

"When I was being recruited, we talked about it," Marcus told the Orlando Sentinel. "They said they had talked to the adidas people, and it wasn't going to be a problem. I think everybody understands how big of a deal it is for my family.

"It's a level of importance with the Jordan brand and my family. It's no disrespect to adidas. I have a high level of respect for adidas, but I'm going to be wearing Jordan shoes. I'm wearing the adidas uniform, and all my other UCF gear is adidas, but the shoes are going to be Jordan brand."

The school is trying to work out a solution that will work for both parties, but it comes down to this: Is Marcus Jordan – and thus, a connection to Michael Jordan – worth more to Central Florida than a multi-million contract?

I'd say no. Even if there wasn't a recession, that's a lotta dimp.

Mike Bianchi from the Sentinel offers four possible outcomes from this whole thing.

1. adidas can bend and allow Marcus to wear his own shoes.
2. Nike can come to the rescue.
3. UCF can release Marcus from his scholarship and he can go play at a Nike school.
4. Marcus can become his own man, step out from his father's immense shadow and take one for the team.

I vote for No. 1, No. 2 or -- if it comes to it -- No. 4

No. 2 makes the most sense. Nike's made millions off of Marcus' dad. Why can't it pay UCF?

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A year after arguments were made about the Big East being perhaps the best conference ever, the 16-team league is now talking about parity. How's that for a one-year swing?

The conference's coaches are giving fair warning: don't expect more this year. You know, like three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament, five teams in the Sweet 16 and four in the Elite Eight – all Big Dance firsts.

"Last year was the best year that I think any league has ever had in terms of teams top to bottom," said Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim.

Instead, last year's top teams are gonna be a little worse, and the bottom feeders aren't gonna be as bad.

Phew. After 5,500 words, several revisions and agonizing over teams 23, 24 and 25, the 2009-10 college hoops is finally finished. You can read it all here.

I tended to favor experienced teams who returned a lot of their players, with some exceptions to those who brought in great recruiting classes. To my thinking, there is a clear No. 1, seven more teams who are serious Final Four contenders, another dozen who will move up and down the Top 20, and 15 others switching in and out of the Top 25.

That said, the teams and order is pretty close to what I was thinking in June, but with some changes and additions.

Robert Galbraith/AP

Robbie Hummel and Purdue are Final Four contenders this season.

Duke dropped
Elliot Williams transferred to Memphis, leaving the Devils without their most explosive guard. That was enough to  drop the Devils to ninth.

Belief in the Boilers
Purdue's had the same core of players for two years. With the Final Four in Indy, it seems like an ideal year for them to finally get over the hump. They may not win the Big Ten, but they're Final Four good.

Don't dismiss Butler
Moved up the Bulldogs into the Top 10 after Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack turned in stellar summers with USA basketball.

Miss State need Sidney
Freshman Renardo Sidney is still awaiting word if he'll be able to play this season. Until then, Miss State isn't a Top 25 team.

Bummin' Buckeyes?
Moved Ohio State down a few spots mostly 'cause I's curious if David Lighty is fully healthy. And as of now, Dallas Lauderdale isn't.

Misery for the Tigers?
Missouri's out of the Top 25, though it's one move I may regret. A lot. The Tigers lost 3 starters from last year's Elite Eight squad, but they're still loaded with good, quick guards.

Siena & Northern Iowa?
Didn't want to ignore two mid-majors that return most of their roster from last year. Siena beat Ohio State in the Big Dance and the Panthers gave Purdue all it could handle. Both should be good again.

Here's the complete Top 25. Comment away.

1. Kansas
2. Kentucky
3. Purdue
4. Michigan State
5. Villanova
6. North Carolina
7. Texas
8. West Virginia
9. Duke
10. Butler
11. Cal
12. Tennessee
13. Washington
14. Connecticut
15. Ohio State
16. Oklahoma
17. Dayton
18. Michigan
19. Siena
20. Minnesota
21. Oklahoma State
22. Georgetown
23. Louisville
24. Maryland
25. Northern Iowa

So where's everyone else? That'll be Sunday's post: 10 teams seeking respect and 5 mid-majors to watch.

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Maybe the Big East coaches and the media people who cover them aren't so different. Turns out they see eye-to-eye on pretty much everything regarding preseason basketball.

Both think Notre Dame forward Luke Harangody is the player of the year.

The league's top three teams are (in this order) Villanova, West Virginia and Connecticut. DePaul is the worst (again).

Darren Hauck/AP

Lazar Hayward

And Harangody, Georgetown's Greg Monroe, Villanova's Scottie Reynolds and West Virginia's Da'Sean Butler all garnered first-team honors. (The coaches had 6 first-teamers, the media five.)

Among the minor difference was Cincinnati's Deonta Vaughn, who was a first-teamer by the coaches and a second-teamer by the media, whether Lance Stephenson (coaches) or Dante Taylor (Pitt) were the rookie of the year, and flip-flops by some teams in the standings (like Georgetown and Louisville, Notre Dame and Cincy, Rutgers and Providence).

Yet … there was one major difference.

The media whiffed on Marquette's Lazar Hayward. The 6-7 do-it-all forward was on the coaches' first team, but nowhere to be seen on any of the three media teams. Oops. Needless to say, Cracked Sidewalks was not pleased by the omission.

Fair enough. When our All-America team comes out next week, Hayward's gonna be a thirdfifth-teamer. Guess we're in line with the coaches…

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Been a lot of talk about Duke's "demise" the last few years.

The Devils haven't been to the Final Four since 2004. No titles since 2001. Last year's thrashing by Villanova seemed to signal a turning point that Duke wasn't … well, Duke anymore.

That talk is about to stop, all because of one player. (Also, that talk is nonsense, but that's another blog.)

Kyrie Irving, one of the elite prospects from the class of 2010, will reportedly committed to Duke Thursday, perhaps as early as Wednesday.

It could take a bit to shake out – he was just in Kentucky for Big Blue Madness and is slated to visit Georgia Tech and Seton Hall this month – but all signs apparently point toward the Devils.

His dad says Duke's the favorite. Assistants are spreading the word. Irving admitted to "Dime" magazine that Durham was where he wanted to be, he just wasn't ready to commit yet.

"I guess you could say that I'm leaning toward Duke," he said. "I'm just not ready to commit. It was my first visit and of course I'm really high on them and like I said I have that feeling, but I think it's only smart to compare it to something."

Irving denied the report on his Twitter page, but Adam Zagoria has three different sources saying it's a "done deal." It wouldn't be a surprise. The Devils were considered Irving's top choice for some time. When he arrived for his official visit last month, fans went overboard in greeting him.

Why? It's simple. He'd be Duke's most talented point guard since Jay Williams. Scout.com rates him as the No. 2 point guard, while Rivals.com ranks him as No. 9 overall.

He's the kind of player who can help raise Final Four banners and NCAA tournament trophies – and end any "demise" talk.

UPDATE: Recruiting guru Dave Telep of Scout.com says an annoucement is coming Thursday. That's good news for Duke fans (closer to the commit report, the better) and everyone else in the hoops world because it'll likely help other highly touted recruits settle on their schools. Guys like Brandon Knight, Doran Lamb and Josh Selby will make a lot of other program happy.

UPDATE 2: Irving did indeed announce his intention to attend Duke. Coach K and fans rejoice.

(H/T: Rush the Court)

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