As I mentioned in
my top 25 picks, I've put a little more thought into my men's basketball prep this year than I normally do, so I might as well do something productive with it. This ignores the greater point of blogging being "productive", but whatever. Here are my conference picks for the season. If I'm right about even a quarter of it, I'll be stunned.
I've also divided the conferences up by tiers. There's some method to the madness, but not much.
The Power Five
Atlantic Coast Conference
1. Duke -
They have as much talent as Kentucky and return and incredibly
experience trio in Quinn Cook, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Amile Jefferson. If
the Freshman mesh quickly, holy hell, they will be great.
2.
Louisville - Preseason All-American Montrezl Harrell and Chris Jones
should offset the loss of Russ Smith and Luke Hancock. This is also [on
paper] one of Pitino's best recruiting classes.
3. North Carolina - Marcus Paige. I defy you to find me a better player to lead this talented roster.
Sleeper:
Miami - They had a somewhat down year after the 2013 dream season. This
year's back court will feature the arrival of super transfers Angel
Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan. Don't sleep on them.
Bottom of
the Barrel: Virginia Tech - Buzz Williams has his work cut out for him.
Returning the back court of Devin Wilson and Adam Smith is a good start.
He'll need a year of his own recruits before I trust him to get any
results.
Big 12
1.
Kansas - Don't pick against Kansas after ten years of winning the Big
12, even if I do find them laughably high in the preseason ranks.
2.
Texas - They return nearly everyone from a top 40 team and bring in top
10 recruit Myles Turner. I only pick them second because Bill Self >
Rick Barnes.
3. Iowa St. - To go along with all those great
transfers Fred Hoiberg always gets he returns a lot of great players
too. I don't see them breaking into the top two, but they should top the
second tier of teams.
Sleeper: Oklahoma St. - The cupboards
aren't exactly bare with Marcus Smart and Markel Brown gone. It may be
time for Le'Bryan Nash to reach his potential. Then there's 3 point
specialist Phil Forte, LSU transfer Anthony Hickey leading at Point
Guard, and big man Michael Cobbins to anchor the middle.
Bottom
of the Barrel: Texas Tech - I know. Is it really time to knock TCU out
of the cellar? Well, TCU brings back a lot and Texas Tech. loses even
more. It'll be close, but Tech will limp their way to the finish.
Big Ten
1. Wisconsin - A Final
Four team returning almost all their core players, including Frank
Kaminsky and Sam Dekker. I'd be a fool to pick anyone else.
2.
Nebraska - The Huskers return the majority of their over-achieving core
from last year. Unless they fold under the pressure, Terran Petteway and
the others should only improve on last year's campaign.
3.
Minnesota - Richard Pitino returns a lot from his NIT Championship
squad. I'll be honest though, if he didn't have the name "Pitino", then
I'd probably have one of the blue bloods here instead.
Sleeper:
Maryland - Complete shot in the dark. A lot of players transferred from
last years squad. Still, Dez Wells and Jake Layman are back, they have a
strong recruiting class coming in, and transfer Richaud Pack should
seal up their back court. 2nd and below is completely up for grabs in
the Big Ten this year.
Bottom of the Barrel: Rutgers - Welcome to
the Big Ten. Northwestern and Penn St. are happy to hand over the keys
to the Big Ten cellar.
Pac 12
1. Arizona - The Wildcats are arguably the best team in the country. Best in their conference is a given.
2.
Utah - A top 50 team returning almost every rotation player and
bringing possible impact Freshman Forward Brekkott Chapman. They'll
making the tournament this year. I'm pretty sure of that.
3. Colorado - They bring back almost the entire team from after the Spencer Dinwiddie injury.
Sleeper:
Stanford - Chasson Randle, Anthony Brown, and Stefan Nastic return from
last year's Sweet Sixteen. They also bring in a solid recruiting class.
I could be selling on them a bit too quickly and they could be right
behind Arizona for all I know...Ok, not right behind.
Bottom of
the Barrel: Oregon St. - The most interesting thing about the team was
that the coach was Obama's Brother in Law. Even he's gone from the team
now. They are not going to be very good.
Southeastern Conference
1. Kentucky - Uh, yeah.
2.
Florida - They lost a lot but have a lot of talented players who have
been lying in wait for a chance to explode. Can Kasey Hill, Chris
Walker, and Dorian Finney-Smith make up for the loss of all those
Seniors?
3. Arkansas - Michael Qualls and Bobby Portis should make up a formidable front court.
Sleeper:
LSU - Transfers Josh Gray and Keith Hornsby make up the back court.
Talented Sophomores Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin should make a great
front court. If the Tigers can finally put it all together, then watch
out.
Bottom of the Barrel: Mississippi St. - I didn't want to pick
them for last. Haven't they been bad for long enough. Looking at the
roster, the answer is "No".
The "If It Wasn't For Football" Majors
American Athletic Conference
1. SMU - Even without Emmanuel Mudiay, they bring back enough to be the class of the league.
2. Connecticut - Sophomore transfer Rodney Purvis and super freshman Daniel Hamilton hope to make up for the losses from last year's championship team.
3. Memphis - There's a big drop from two to three. Josh Pastor has been recruiting at such a high level that even with a weak (by his standards) class, there's a lot of talent on this roster.
Sleeper: Houston - I don't like Kelvin Sampson from my time at IU, but I have to admit that his mix of returning talent and high level transfers could take the league by storm. I'm especially curious to see what Forward Devonta Pollard can do.
Bottom of the Barrel: Central Florida - Only bringing back one 20+ mpg player (Senior Forward Kasey Wilson), weak recruiting class, and no transfers to speak of. It's going to be a long year for the Knights.
Atlantic 10
1. VCU - They are going to be GOOD. Like, top ten good. If they do anything other than run through the A-10, it would be considered a disappointment.
2. Dayton - Last year's Cinderella team lost a lot, but Jordan Sibert and Dyshawn Pierre are back and Archie Miller had a deep lineup last year.
3. George Washington - Losing Maurice Creek and Isaiah Armwood hurts. Bringing back Kevin Larsen and Kethan Savage doesn't.
Sleeper: UMass - They return a strong core of Derrick Gordon, Maxie Esho, Cady Lalanne, and Trey Davis. If the Freshmen and transfers mesh well, they could be tournament bound again.
Bottom of the Barrel: Fordham - Bottom of the league last year. Bottom again this year. It must suck to be a Fordham basketball fan.
Big East
1. Villanova - Without Doug McDermott's Creighton team (aka Wildcat Kryptonite), expect JayVaughn Pinkston, Ryan Arcidiacono and Co. to steamroll through the Big East.
2. St. John's - How many years in a row can they underachieve. They have six top 100 recruits returning, including five 20 mpg players, and four seniors. I'm probably overrating them, but they look good on paper.
3. Georgetown - I mean, it's not like John Thompson to have more than one down year. D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera hopes to do his best Otto Porter impersonation.
Sleeper: Butler - They return three 30 mpg players, get Roosevelt Jones back from injury, and introduce impact transfer Tyler Lewis. They are a little undersized, but otherwise have a lot to suggest they are ready for a jump.
Bottom of the Barrel: DePaul - They were by far the worst team in the big east last season and they will need more than a year to move out of last.
Mountain West Conference
1. San Diego St. - A lot of talent from on this team. If only they can find some offense from JR forward Wiston Shepard or stealthily talented FR Malik Pope, then the sky is the limit.
2. UNLV - The Runnin' Rebels bring in a monster recruiting class with Rashad Vaughn, Dwayne Morgan, and Goodluck Okonoboh. Dave Rice has to be able to figure out what to do with all the talented players he gets eventually.
3. New Mexico - This says more about the significant drop-off from first to second to third in the Mountain West. New Mexico lost a ton and didn't replace it with much.
Sleeper: Colorado St. - They are bringing in 7 transfers this year by my count. It's anyone's guess how they all come together.
Bottom of the Barrel: Air Force - With a lineup that big (20+ players) and a team that finished pretty poorly last year, it's hard to know anything about them.
The True Mid-Majors
Conference USA
1. Louisiana
Tech - The best team not to make the NCAA tournament this year. Alex
Hamilton and the rest of the returners hope to team with a strong
recruiting class to lock a tournament appearance up before the
conference tournament.
2. Old Dominion - A solid number of
contributors from last year's team are back but it's the addition of
Javonte Douglas (Injury), Jonathan Arledge, and Trey Freeman (Transfers)
that have me thinking they can make the jump.
3. UTEP - C.J.
Cooper and Julian Washburn are back. If Freshman Guard Omega Harris is
ready to step up right away, that's a strong core.
Sleeper:
Western Kentucky - Mostly, I wanted a chance to write about WKU. Odds
are, the jump from the Sun Belt to Conference USA will be a baptism by
fire. They return the senior core of T.J. Price, George Fant, and Trency
Jackson. There's a lot of upside to the Freshman class.
Bottom of
the Barrel: Rice - Returning Max Guercy and some role players won't be
enough to stay out of the bottom of Conference USA.
Horizon League
1. Green Bay - The were very good last year and bring back a lot of the players, including Guards Jordan Fouse and Keifer Skyes.
2. Cleveland St. - Four 20 mpg players are back. That's a good start. They'll rely on Freshman and transfers for some depth.
3.
Detroit - I'm probably higher on them than I need to be because I
recognize the name Juwan Howard [Jr.] in the lineup. They do have a
couple former top 150 recruits on the roster as well. That's more than
the rest of the league can say.
Sleeper: Oakland - They will be
very reliant on Freshman, but it's hard to count out a team returning a
30 mpg Center and Point Gaurd.
Bottom of the Barrel: Youngstown
St. - They just sound like a team that's never going to be good. Well,
that's definitely looking to be the case this season.
Ivy League
1.
Harvard - It's weird to say things like "reloading" when talking about
Harvard, but that's the kind of program Tommy Amaker has built at
Harvard. Despite some big losses. Siyani Chambers is back. Wesley
Saunders is back. Zena Edosomwan is back. Harvard will be fine.
2.
Columbia - While they are still a far cry from ready to take down
Harvard, they bring back two 30 mpg guys, six 20 mpg guys, nine 10 mpg
guys. That's a lot of depth.
3. Yale - The Bulldogs return five of their top six players from last year, including top scorers Justin Sears and Javier Duren.
Sleeper:
Princeton - It's hard to find a true "sleeper" in the league.
Princeton looks to have the best non-Harvard recruiting class. That
could pay off.
Bottom of the Barrel: Penn - Maybe bringing back so
little from last year's disappointing team will be a good thing.
Addition through subtraction. That seems like a arithmetic concept those
smart guys could wrap their heads around.
Missouri Valley Conference
1. Wichita St.
- While I may not be high on them at a national level, Fred Van Vleet,
Ron Baker, and Tekele Cotton should manhandle the conference again.
2.
Northern Iowa - If Wichita St. wasn't absurdly good last year, then
Northern Iowa would've had a fighter's chance in the conference. They
return six 20 mpg players who were also the six top scorers. They might
even steal a win against Wichita this year.
3. Evansville - Guess
who else should be vastly improved? The Missouri Valley Conference will
be a much better conference this year. Jeff White, Milton Doyle, and
Christian Thomas will form a potent back court.
Sleeper: Bradley -
A lot of X-factors. Auston Barnes is SR who averaged over 30 mpg last
season. Josh Cunningham is a top 100 recruit coming in. JR Mike Shaw is a
former top 60 recruit waiting for a breakout season. Jermain Morgan is a
talent transfer who could be immediately impactful. If everything comes
together, Bradley could take the MVC by storm.
Bottom of the Barrel: Missouri St. - I'm not seeing any miserable teams next year, so mediocre is looking good enough for last.
Ohio Valley Conference
1.
Murray St. - No, they probably won't be as good as that Isaiah Canaan
led squad. They are bringing back their top four scorers from last
season and hope that incoming Freshman JayQuan McCloud can make up for
the players they lost.
2. Belmont - Belmont is good every year, or
it least it feels like it. They desperately need some front court help,
but that back court is enough to start.
3. Eastern Kentucky -
Seniors Eric Stutz and Corey Walden are back from that squad that gave
Kansas fits in the NCAA Tournament.
Sleeper: UT-Martin - They
were pretty bad last year, but included in all the transfers are two
former top 150 recruits in Twymond Howard and Deville Smith.
Bottom
of the Barrel: Tennessee St. - By my count, only Senior Guard Jay
Harris is back from last year's squad. This is about as much of a
rebuild as you're going to find.
West Coast Conference
1.
Gonzaga - I'm predicting that Gonzaga will be a top ten team, so I'm
obviously expecting they will win the WCC. Kevin Pangos, Gary Bell, Kyle
Wiltjer, Przemek Karnowski, Eric McClellan. I don't see any season to
say that they won't be as good as their 2013 #1 seed team.
2. BYU
- As long as BYU has a Haws (in this case, Tyler), you should always
assume BYU will be a contender. #2 isn't a guarantee though. The WCC
will be good and deep this season.
3. San Francisco - Bringing
back four 20 mpg players and plenty of others. Then there's three-star
recruit Chase Foster who should be ready to jump in. Frankly, I have
them here, because it's too boring to pick the same three schools to
finish at the top of the league every year.
Sleeper: St. Mary's -
That said, there's a reason Gonzaga, BYU, and St. Mary's get picked at
the top each year. They are successful programs. For that reason and due
to the number of high level transfers coming in, I have to pick the
Gaels as the sleepers for the WCC.
Bottom of the Barrel: Pacific -
This is just going to be a damn strong conference. Someone has to be
last, and they are in the worst position to improve.
They Have Some Good Teams
Big West
1. UC-Irvine - The best
team in the conference last year. Returns four 20 mpg players and nine
10 mpg players. In short, expect very little drop off if any.
2.
Long Beach St. - Don Monson has built a perennial contender. They very
well could win the conference. Mike Caffey and Tyler Lamb are both 15
ppg scorers. Senior transfer Eric McKnight should immediately anchor the
middle. He also has a couple transfers a year away from eligibility.
After another murderer's row of a non-conference schedule, they should
be ready.
3. UC-Santa Barbara - The other perennial contender in
the Big West. Alan Williams will be a monster at Center. They lack the
sexy recruits of some other schools, but Williams makes up for that.
Sleeper: Hawaii - The trio of Garrett Nevels, Isaac Fotu, and Missouri transfer Negus Webster-Chan could be a lot to handle.
Bottom of the Barrel: UC-Riverside - Taylor Johns and transfer Jaylen Bland are the only signs of hope going into the season.
Colonial Athletic Association
1.
Drexel - Although they lose leading scorers Chris Fouch and Frantz
Massenat. Most of the rest of the team, returns. More than anything
though, it's looking like a case a no one else getting better enough to
be the favorite over them.
2. Northeastern - They return a
whopping seven 20 mpg players from last year's team. I may be
underestimating them even at second.
3. Towson - Last year's best
team. They lost a lot of players. It looks like it'll be up to Juniors
Four McGlynn and Timajh Parker-Rivera, several transfers, and numerous
Freshmen to keep the momentum going.
Sleeper: Hofstra - Dion Nesmith and Jamall Robinson are back, which could be dangerous for the rest of the conference.
Bottom
of the Barrel: Elon - I barely knew they were a school and they bring
back almost no one of significance from last year's middling team.
MAAC
1.
Manhattan - Steve Masiello got all the press over the summer, which is a
shame. Manhattan is one of the best candidates for breakout mid-major
this season. They bring back a lot of depth and add former top thirty
recruit Jermaine Lawrence from Cincinnati.
2. Siena - That's a lot of depth they bring back. Two 30 mpg players. Four 20 mpg players. Nine 10 mpg players. A lot of depth.
3.
Iona - They've been consistently successful for a few years now. The
Gaels will rely on transfers, so it's hard to assess them.
Sleeper: St. Peter's - Honest to god, I'm not sure why I chose them. Looking at the roster, they pass the eye test.
Bottom of the Barrel: Niagara - They only return five players and they weren't the most important ones.
Mid-American
1.
Bowling Green State - This would require a big leap from last year, but
hey, returning four 30 mpg players does that. If any transfers or
Freshmen pan out, they could be a lot to deal with.
2. Toledo - They don't return the depth of BGSU, but they were also a better team last year.
3.
Western Michigan - This is not a conference that's bringing in
recruits, so if you return the most players then you're in the best
position. The back court of Austin Richie and David Brown should lead
the team.
Sleeper: Eastern Michigan - They have a dangerous mix of
returning players looking to make a leap and transfers like Jordan
Price from DePaul who could help immediately.
Bottom of the
Barrel: Ball St. - They weren't very good last year and rising
Sophomores Zavier Turner and Franko House aren't enough to accelerate
the rebuild.
Patriot League
1. Holy Cross - Six returning players who averaged 20 mpg. Even more who could benefit from increased rolls.
2.
Lafayette - Bringing back four 30 mpg players. Granted, they're all
guards. If they can work around that, the could make a jump by
conference play.
3. American - Last year's best squad returns
Darius Gardner, John Schoof, and Jesse Reed. They also bring in Senior
transfer Kevin Panzer, who could be better than any of them.
Sleeper:
Boston U. - They bring in, arguably the best new player in three-star
recruit Nick Havener. That has to count for something.
Bottom of
the Barrel: Loyola (MD) - There's a couple bad teams to choose from, so
I'm going with the one who was the worst of them last year without
obvious signs of improvement.
Summit League
1. South Dakota St. - They are the Jackrabbits for god's sake. It'll be very nice bringing
back Jake Bittle and Cody Larson. Mostly though, it's the mascot.
2.
Denver - They bring back a log of players. Most of them are guards
though. They need to shore up that front court before I can start
expecting more from them.
3. Oral Roberts - A lot of depth is
back. I'm probably selling them short at third. I just think that losing
Shawn Glover will hurt too much to overcome.
Sleeper: IPFW - They return five 20 mpg players and bring in impact transfer Max Landis. There's a lot of potential in that.
Bottom
of the Barrel: IUPUI - For all I know, the return of 30 mpg players
Khufu Najee and Marcellus Barksdale will be more than enough to stay out
of the bottom. They weren't very good though, and this should be a much
improved league.
Sunbelt
1.
Georgia St. - The Panthers will boast one of the best back courts in
the entire country this season. Yes, Ryan Harrow, R.J. Hunter, and Kevin
Ware will terrorize the Sunbelt. As long as Curtin Washington and co.
can be serviceable in the front court, they will be a great team.
2.
Louisiana Lafayette - Elfrid Payton is gone and they are still, somehow
looking great. Forward Shawn Long is another potential draft pick to go
along with plenty of other players coming back.
3. Arkansas -
Little Rock - A lot of returning players. A lot of transfers. If those
two groups can mesh, they could surprise everyone.
Sleeper:
Louisiana Monroe - I have a hard time seeing how anyone other than
Georgia St. or Louisian Lafayette. I'm picking them as my sleeper
because of the inside-out combo of Nick Copppala and Tylor Ongwae.
Bottom
of the Barrel: Troy - They'll be way too reliant on transfers, given
that only two players from last year's team are back.
Basketball's Not Their Thing
American East
1. Hartford - They look to start five seniors with depth in the bench as well.
2. Binghampton - A horrible team last year who returns a lot of players. Perhaps that's enough for a jump.
3. Albany - Hoping that a lot transfers will make up for any of the lost players.
Sleeper: Vermont - By far the best team in the conference last year. They lost a lot, although maybe Jr. Forward Ethan O'Day can teach all the new guys how to keep winning.
Bottom of the Barrel: UMBC - One of the worst teams in the country and no one coming in to improve them.
Atlantic Sun
1. Florida Gulf Coast - That miracle sweet sixteen has brought them the best transfers in the conference and they still have Brett Comer and Bernard Thompson from that Dunk City back court.
2. USC-Upstate - One of the better teams in the conference last year. They bring back a lot of rotation players and introduce a couple transfers. They are the best contender to beat FGCU.
3. Lipscomb - Someone's gotta be third. J.C. Hampton and Martin Smith should lead this team to a pretty good season.
Sleeper: Kennesaw St. - They were awful last year, but at least they bring back a lot of guys, including former top 100 recruit, Center Willy Kouassi.
Bottom of the Barrel: Stetson - Not a great team last year and relying on a lot of Freshman to improve.
Big Sky
1. Weber St. - Junior Forward Joel Bolomboy should lead them. They have a couple solid recruits in C Zach Braxton and G Jeremiah Jefferson.Last year's best team should still be the best.
2. East Washington - They return a quartet of 20 mpg players who should be the foundation of the team.
3. Idaho - Connor Hill is the only player who played significant minutes returning, but a number of players look ready to step up and there's a trio of transfers looking to make an impact.
Sleeper: Northern Arizona - No idea why. I just like them.
Bottom of the Barrel: Montana St. - Pretty bad last year. Not much better this year.
Big South
1. UNC Asheville - Arguably last year's best team returns five 20 mpg guys (two 30 mpg guys). Look for them to represent the Big South again.
2. Coastal Carolina - The Chanticleer were the other option for best of the Big South last year. They don't return as many important player but their trio of transfers could make up for that.
3. High Point - Returning five 20 mpg players and bringing in a couple transfers.
Sleeper: Gardner Webb - They weren't great last year, although SR Guard Tyler Strange looks to team with transfer Guards Harold McBridge and Adonis Burbage to form a potent back court.
Bottom of the Barrel: Liberty - Only two major contributors return from a pretty mediocre team.
Northeast
1. Bryant - Returning leading scorer Dyami Starks is nice. Glue guy Joe O'Shea too. Then there's all those Sophomores looking for bigger roles.
2. Mt. St. Mary's - The top three scorers from last year are gone, but just about everyone else is back, along with a couple transfers.
3. Central Connecticut St. - The Senior back court of Malcolm McMillan and Kyle Vinales should bring solid improvement for the Blue Devils.
Sleeper: St. Francis (PA) - They were pretty bad last year but they bring back a lot of guards. If anyone can step up in the front court, the couple make a big jump.
Bottom of the Barrel: LIU-Brooklyn - I would've pegged them for best in the conference last year, not worst, and it isn't looking much better now.
Southern Conference
1. Wofford - The terriers return their top seven scorers from last season and bring in three star guard Derrick Brooks. That's a great start.
2. East Tennessee St. - Their top two scorers are back. In a conference this week, that's all you need for high expectations.
3. VMI - They always have a high scoring offense and never bother with defense. In short, I'm picking them third because they'll be fun to watch.
Sleeper: Chattanooga - Losing Z. Mason is going to hurt, but they do bring back a lot of other pieces from last year's team.
Bottom of the Barrel: Samford - When Tyler Hood is your best returning player and there aren't any star freshman or transfers coming in, the basement is about all you can expect.
Southland
1. Incarnate Word - This is not going to be a popular pick, but they bring back four of the players from a very small rotation last year, including 20 ppg scorer Denzel Livingston.
2. Stephen F. Austin - They were a top 60 team last year and they even bring back a few of the guys that got them to the third round of last year's NCAA tournament
3. Northwestern St. - In a conference with this few genuine good teams, I'm just picking the best team who returns the most players.
Sleeper: Sam Houston St. - They've got DeMarcus Gatlin back finally, as well as Kaheem Ransom and Jabari Peters all for their senior seasons.
Bottom of the Barrel: Central Arkansas - Ethan Lee is the only returning player. Everyone else left in a grand exodus. It's going to be a loooooooong year.
WAC
1. New Mexico St. - Switch out one Bhullar brother for another, return Seniors Daniel Mullings and Tshilidzi, and introduce transfer Anthony January. There's no reason to think they can't be better than last year's tournament team.
2. Grand Canyon - Transfers DeWayne Russell and Royce Woolridge join Seniors Jerome Garrison and Daniel Alexander. In this mess of a conference, that may be enough to excel in the conference.
3. Seattle - They weren't all that good last year, but so much of last year's roster is back.
Sleeper: Utah Valley - Dick Hunsaker has built a program, at Utah Valley, so I never count them out entirely, no matter how reliant on transfers they will be.
Bottom of the Barrel: Cal. St. Bakersfield - Only one 20 mpg player is back. No high-level recruits or transfers. Oh well, maybe next year.
Embarrassingly Bad
MEAC
1. UNC-Central - The only team worth
a damn last year. They bring back a few senior starters, but otherwise
are relying on A LOT of transfers. Still, everyone else was bad enough
that they are the smart pick.
2. Hampton - Probably the next best team teams last year. They return eight players who averaged 10 mpg.
3.
Howard - One of the worst teams in the country last year, but they do
return every player that I see from last year's team. Consistency can't
hurt.
Sleeper: Bethune-Cookman - They were atrocious last year,
but returning the top two scorers (Clemmye Owens and Mikel Trapp) from
last year has to help.
Bottom of the Barrel: Florida A&M - The
team is all transfers and Freshman. Perhaps that makes them unpredictable. I think it just makes them bad.
SWAC
1.
Alabama St. - Boy, the SWAC is bad. Picking the winner here is like
picking the worst team in any other conference. That said, Alabama St.
looks to be in the best position to win it with a lot of returning
players and incoming transfer Wendell Lewis at center.
2. Jackson
St. - Despite a sub-300 rating last season according to Pomeroy, Jackson
St. is looking like one of the better teams, thanks to a solid core of
returning players.
3. Texas Southern - Transfers Deverell Biggs and Chris Thomas could have a big and immediate impact for the team.
Sleeper:
Arkansas-Pine Bluff - One of the worst teams in the country last year
but they do return the Senior back court of Marcel Mosley and Tevin
Hammond.
Bottom of the Barrel: Alabama A&M - Relying on too many transfers. Almost no one from last year's team is back.
Independents
NJIT - They are bad. They are still without a conference. It's best not to even talk about them.
