16. Arizona – Despite losing 2 out of their 3 scorers to graduation there is still a lot of buzz about the Arizona Wildcats for next season. That’s because they bring in the nation’s best recruiting class. Lead by big men Brandon Ashley, Kaleb Tarczewski, and Grant Jerrett. Power forward Solomon Hill will be the leader of this team. Look for Nick Johnson to only get better after a solid freshman season. Kevin Parrom also returns to the Wildcats this season.
17. San Diego State –Not much was expected out of the Aztecs this season due to lack of experience but they did not faze them as they had a great season. This season there will be high expectations on them. They return their top 4 scorers. Leading the way is MWC POY Jamaal Franklin. They also return three outstanding guards in Chase Tapley, James Rahon and Xavier Thames. The Aztecs also bring in the quality transfers in J.J. O’Brien (Utah), James Johnson (Virginia), and Dwayne Polee (St. Johns).
18. Wisconsin- Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers lose all everything point guard Jordon Taylor but they bring back about everyone else. Their strength will be their front court with Ryan Evans, Jared Berggren and Mike Bruesewitz. Guards Ben Brust and Josh Gasser will pick their games up without Taylor. Also watch out for incoming freshman Sam Dekker. One thing is for sure Ryan will get the most out of this team like he always does.
19. Notre Dame- Not much was expected out of the Irish this season but once again Mike Brey did a great coaching job. The Irish return most of last year’s roster. Jerian Grant and Eric Atkins will be one of the better backcourts in the nation. Stud center Jack Cooley also returns. Garrick Sherman, a Michigan State transfer will join him in the frontcourt. Pat Connaughton returns on the wing. The Irish could receive a big boost if the NCAA grants Scott Martian and Tim Abromaitis an extra year. They would be a lot higher on this list.
20. Kansas State-Out of nowhere Frank Martin left to South Carolina and comes in former Illinois head coach Bruce Weber. Weber inherits a pretty good roster. The Wildcats return 4 starters including star guard Rodney McGruder. Guards Will Spradling and Angel Rodriguez will only get better next season. Center Jordan Henriquez is primed for a huge year next season, he really improved as his freshman year went on.
Follow me on twitter @ScottBasketball http://twitter.com/#!/ScottBasketball
Also like the Roundballchat site on facebook. http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/roundballchatcom/191263564258333