College Basketball Preview: 5. Michigan Wolverines

5. Michigan Wolverines 24-10 in 2011 (13-5 Big Ten)

Trey Burke

If you thought all the hype around Ann Arbor was about Michigan's football team then you were wrong. This year's basketball team has the talent to fly into the Final Four. Last season, expectations were high for John Beilein's squad but the Wolverines just weren't quite there suffering losses to worse teams like Arkansas, Purdue and Iowa. Then, the Wolverines were stunned by Ohio in the first round of the tournament. With the return of Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway it seems Michigan is there, wherever that is, this season.


Backcourt: A lot of talent is gone as defensive master Zach Novak and durable Stu Douglass graduated, but, in the same sense, a lot is back also. Trey Burke was as good as anybody could have hoped for the Wolverines filling Darius Morris' shoes. Burke has great court vision and an ability to get to the rim. But, his shooting was surprisingly strong last season. Hardaway proved that he deserved the hype averaging 14.6 points per game last season. Hardaway is versatile enough to start at both shooting guard and small forward and has the shooting touch to play effectively at both. Without Douglass nor Novak expect Matt Vogrich to be the top off the bench option for Michigan. He does a ton of damage on the perimeter and loves to play pyschical defense. Also expect freshman Spike Albrecht to see major minutes as he can be deadly from long range also. Senior Eso Akunne adds in an interesting mix of talent.

Jordan Morgan

Frontcourt: Junior Jordan Morgan has the pyschique to have a magical season. Morgan didn't fit well at power forward due to his weak speed and weak size. Now, with a lot of work he could be a double-digit machine. Anticipated freshman Glenn Robinson adds a athletic forward who can score every time he touches the ball. Robinson, son of former NBA star "Big Dog" Robinson can also rebound effectively too. Another freshman, Mitch McGary provides Belein with a center and size that he didn't have last season. McGary is a tough player who can play volleyball on the glass and can become a swat machine. Redshirt Max Bielfeldt should improve with more time to mature but still has some notable weaknesses in his game. Another little used forward Jon Horford should play a bigger role now that he is back from a significant injury. With more size, Beilein finally has some rebounders to go along with all of his shooters. That means a whole lot of troubles for the rest of the Big Ten.
Top NBA Prospect: Glenn Robinson
Big Ten Rank: 2nd
PROJECTED LINEUP
PG Trey Burke- Sophomore
SG Tim Hardaway- Junior
SF Glenn Robinson- Freshman
PF Jordan Morgan- Junior
C Mitch McGary- Freshman
Sixth Matt Vogrich- Senior

College Basketball Preview: 4. Kansas Jayhawks

4. Kansas Jayhawks 32-7 in 2011 (16-2 Big 12)

Travis Releford

Last season once again the Jayhawks were in a "rebuilding stage". The squad had lost the Morris twins, Josh Selby and a whole lot of other talent. But, once more Bill Self and Kansas defied expectations and, led by Thomas Robinson danced all the way to the championship game only to lose to Kentucky. Now, once more the Jayhawks are reloading after lsing their top backcourt player in Tyshawn Taylor and of course Robinson. But, it seems like it is the Kansas way; somebody steps up and leads them deep into the tournament. So, once more, don't count out Kansas in the title hunt.

Backcourt: Without Taylor, Self will rely heavily on senior Elijah Johnson. Self should give Johnson a lot of minutes at point where he could dominate thanks to his size and speed. Johnson isn't a great shooter, more of a passer or finisher. Also sure to see a lot of time in the backcourt is Travis Releford who doesn't score much either. Releford plays good defense and works hard which Kansas fans should appreciate. One of last year's top recruits Ben McLemore gets his first chance after being redshirted in 2011. McLemore can be a dangerous shooter and has the smarts to be truly lethal option on offense. Expect freshman Rio Adams, sophomore Naadir Thorpe, junior Niko Johnson and Self's son, Tyler, to see minutes.

Jeff Withey

Frontcourt: Jeff Withey was mainly just a defensive specialist who played alongside Robinson last season but could end up being dangerous this season. He is a shot blocker who can also rebound though must improve on his post moves. Freshman Perry Ellis was the top recruit Self managed to pull in this season. He could play at power or small forward and has the athleticism and versatility to be deadly at both. One of the biggest X-Factors for the Jayhawks will be Kevin Young, a senior who showed flashes of greatness last season. Young has good size and gives the Jayhawks a guy who can score in bunches. Junior Justin Wesley is a very valuable veteran who must turn into a consistent leader. Freshman Landen Lucas and Zach Peters should also see some valuable minutes. With the youth in the frontcourt Self will need some big contributions from Withey, Young and Wesley.

Big 12 Rank: 1st
Top NBA Prospect: Jeff Withey
PROJECTED LINEUP
PG Elijah Johnson- Senior
SG Ben McLemore- Freshman
SF Kevin Young- Senior
PF Perry Ellis- Freshman
C Jeff Withey- Senior
Sixth Travis Releford- Senior

College Football Power Rankings

Sean Mannion

1. Alabama
2. Oregon
3. Florida State
4. LSU
5. Georgia
6. Kansas State
7. Stanford
8. South Carolina
9. West Virginia
10. Notre Dame
11. USC
12. Florida
13. Texas
14. Ohio State
15. TCU
16. Oklahoma
17. Clemson
18. Louisville
19. Oregon State
20. Michigan State
21. Rutgers
22. Nebraska
23. Baylor
24. Mississippi State
25. Wisconsin
Others
Virginia Tech
UCLA
Michigan
Northwestern
Oklahoma State

College Basketball Preview: 3. Louisville Cardinals

3. Louisville Cardinals 30-10 in 2011 (10-8 Big East)

It was a peculiar season for Rick Pitino and the Cardinals. Louisville started off flaming into a 12-0 mark including wins against Butler and Vanderbilt. But, as many teams do, they fizzled going into the Big East tournament with a decent 22-9 mark. They went on to win the Big East and then danced into the Final Four. Now, with a lot of talent back the expectations are huge for Pitino and the rest of the Cardinals. So the hopes for 2012-2013 is a less peculiar season, though it won't hurt if they could get that Big East championship or another Final Four appearance. And, they likely will.

Peyton Siva

Backcourt: Now finally a senior Peyton Siva could have a big season. Siva has showed on various occasions his fantastic ability to find the open man but in his junior season he improved his scoring touch. With his vision he could be a threat to average double-digit assists every single game. He also forces turnovers recording 1.8 steals per game in 2011. Sophomore Russ Smith exploded last season averaging 11 points a game. Without Kyle Kuric and Chris Smith, he should play a bigger role meaning the possibility of a Big East Player of the Year nominee. Senior Mike Marra has size and smarts to be one of the squad's top bench options. The squad should also rely on sophomore Kevin Ware to provide an electic scorer.

Russ Smith

Frontcourt: Gorgui Dieng gives Pitino a dominant low post presence who can block shots and rebound. Standing at 6 feet, 11 inches, he will swat anything in sight. His rebounding is superb, top in the Big East and could be top five nationally. The most dangerous player in the frontcourt should end up being sophomore Chane Behanan who can score and rebound. Last season though his inexperience was clear in som areas. With a year under his belt he could be a lethal scoring option. Freshman Montrezl Harrell was Pitino's top pickup and he could also be dangerous. He has size and athleticism to be a force. Sophomore Zach Price provides a quality backup to Dieng who can also rebound. Expect sophomore Wayne Blackshear to play big minutes at small forward along with Angel Nunez.

Big East Rank: 1st
Top NBA Prospect: Gorguei Dieng
PROJECTED LINEUP
PG Peyton Siva- Senior
SG Russ Smith- Sophomore
SF Wayne Blackshear- Sophomore
PF Chane Behanan- Sophomore
C Gorgui Dieng- Junior
Sixth Montrezl Harrell- Freshman

College Football Picks Week Three

1 Alabama vs. Arkansas
Talk about historical. Arkansas came into a match up with Louisiana-Monroe, a school who had never made a bowl and got upset. That was pretty crazy in itself. Then, the Razorbacks fell all the way from number eight in the land to out of the polls all together. Now, John L. Smith hopes to lead the squad against the best team in the land. Arkansas reminds me a lot of Michigan, a fast-paced squad who loves to score. And, I hope you remember what happened to the Wolverines when they played 'Bama. They were outplayed, plain and simple. With the talented stable of backs running against the Razorbacks weak rush defense the Crimson Tide should win easily.
Alabama, 31 Arkansas, 17

20 Notre Dame vs. 10 Michigan State
Notre Dame enters their first test of the season against a tough Michigan State team that has already handled Boise State. Michigan State unveils Le'Veon Bell who had dominated this season. Bell could struggle against the Fighting Irish though as their rush defense has been stellar. That could push Andrew Maxwell to pass the ball more than he has in his career so far. Player to watch in this one: end William Gholston who could surely do damage against an okay Notre Dame offensive line. The Spartans shouldn't win easily but Notre Dame just isn't good enough to become 3-0.
Michigan State, 27 Notre Dame, 21

18 Florida vs. 23 Tennessee
Finally, both of these teams are relevant. It seemed to take forever, but this matchup seems pretty even. The Volunteers reveal a lethal passing attack headed by quarterback Tyler Bray. The Gators haven't dominated Bowling Green or Texas A&M but they did win. They have Jeff Driskel, a mobile QB and a balanced rushing attack if Mike Gillislee will play. Bray is helped out by Justin Hunter and Cordarelle Patterson who have been dominant this season. The Gators have a fast and effective front seven but the back is an issue. That isn't a good thing when you're going up against the Volunteers. Bray and Hunter have a big day as Vols continue surprising season.
Tennessee, 35 Florida, 24

2 USC vs. 21 Stanford
Matt Barkley has had 10 touchdowns this season in two games. That is what the Stanford Cardinal must shut down in order to take down the number two team in the nation, the Trojans. Along with Barkley, the offense includes Silas Redd, Curtis McNeal, Robert Woods and Marqise Lee. But, the defense looked decent against Syracuse. The Cardinal are headed by Stepfan Taylor and a lethal front seven that includes Chase Thomas and Shayne Skov. Thomas and Ben Gardner will try to provide pressure on Barkley against a weakened offensive line. We know the Trojans will put up amazing numbers on offense so the Cardinal only chance is too score more than they do. That could work as even stars like T.J. McDonald have struggled for the Trojans this season. Stanford is without Luck, and USC is with Matt Barkley. That isn't fair.
USC, 42 Stanford, 30

College Football Picks Week Two

24 Florida vs. Texas A&M
Texas A&M enters a new era in the SEC against a tough Florida team. Florida struggled at times against a weak Bowling Green squad but both Jeff Driskel and Jacoby Brissett should feel more comfortable in their second games. A&M also unveils a new quarterback is Johnny Manziel who will have the whole crowd behind him as the game is being played in Kyle Field. He'll have his work cut out for him as the Gators have a speedy and dangerous defense. Mike Gillislee had a great first game carrying for two touchdowns. The Aggies have a good but young defense so expect Florida to run constantly. Both these teams seem evenly matched. It will end up being the better quarterback gets the win.
Texas A&M, 31 Florida, 24

3 LSU vs. Washington
LSU still believes they are elite even without Tyrann Mathieu and is the first game they can prove it. Washington is headed by Keith Price and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins but Price will have to deal with the Tigers' pass rush that includes Sam Montgomery, Bennie Logan and Barkevious Mingo. LSU could shut down Washington's offense even without Mathieu, but they won't win without scoring some also. They will run a lot with the talented backfield but one of the biggest questions is quarterback. Zach Mettenberger played decent against North Texas but must prove he can hang with more elite defenses. Even if Mettenberger struggles to get comfortable with this defense, LSU should roll to 2-0.
LSU, 28 Washington, 20

7 Georgia vs. Missouri
Another new SEC begins conference play against a fantastic Georgia team. The Bulldogs are headed by Heisman candidate Aaron Murray who threw for 258 yards against Buffalo. Of course, the Tigers should provide more of a challenge to Murray but maybe not by much. The player Mizzou should be most worried about is freshman Todd Gurley who dominated against the Bulls. He had 100 yards on just 8 carries for two touchdowns. Missouri has had their fair share of injuries but it looks like quarterback James Franklin and Kendai Lawrence will play against Georgia. They will look to attack this Bulldogs defense as Mark Richt will probably be without Bacarri Rambo and Alec Ogletree. Even without those two the Bulldogs defense is solid enough to take home their first SEC victory of the season.
Georgia, 34 Missouri, 21

18 Oklahoma State vs. Arizona
After the 84-0 beatdown they put on Savannah State, Oklahoma State gets their first "challenge" against Arizona. After surviving Toledo, the Wildcats are trying to pull off a big upset headed by Matt Scott, who had 387 yards in Week One. Scott can run and of course pass, but he must adjust to the dangerous defense of the Cowboys. Meanwhile, the 'Boys are headed by back Joseph Randle who could do dangerous things aginst this weak Wildcats rush defense. Arizona will try to counter Oklahoma State's two headed quarterback offense with Wes Lunt and J.W. Walsh. The game could be decided by how Brodrick Brown and the rest of the Cowboys secondary handle Scott. And, they likely will.
Oklahoma State, 38 Arizona, 17

College Football Power Rankings

Zach Mettenberger

1. Alabama
2. USC
3. LSU
4. Oregon
5. Oklahoma
6. Florida State
7. Georgia
8. West Virginia
9. Arkansas
10. South Carolina
11. Michigan State
12. Clemson
13. Wisconsin
14. Nebraska
15. Ohio State
16. Virginia Tech
17. Texas
18. Oklahoma State
19. TCU
20. Michigan
21. Kansas State
22. Notre Dame
23. Stanford
24. Louisville
25. BYU
Others: Washington, Boise State, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee