College Basketball 2011-12: 10 Teams That Will Rise from Where They Finished
One season of college basketball ends. Congrats to Jim Calhoun and the UConn Huskies for winning their third NCAA Championship.
Now we can start to speculate about how teams will perform through the 2011-12 regular season, conference tournaments, and the NCAA Tournament. Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio State Texas—and even defending national champ UConn—may all be right there again.
But don't you think there will also be unanticipated dark horses that could make some serious noise? At this time last year, who could honestly predict a Final Four of Virginia Commonwealth, Butler, Kentucky and UConn?
Let's look at the top teams that could rise (and, in some cases, rise fast) from where they finished. Some of these teams will be bouncing back a disappointing 2010-11 season. Others will be teams that made progress in 2010, but are going to really come into their own next year.
Still others will be teams that—through a combination of a nice (or very nice) group of returning players and elite-level recruits—will jump dramatically onto the national scene.
Let's go!
10. Northwestern Wildcats
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Bill Carmody and the Northwestern men's basketball program have been making slow and steady progress. Over the last three years, the Wildcats record is 57-42 with back-to-back 20-win seasons.
This season, Northwestern advanced to the NIT Quarterfinals before losing to Washington State in OT.
They proved during the season that they can play with some of the best teams in the conference. The Wildcats' two loses against Ohio State were by a one-point margin at home and a six point defeat in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament.
Six of Carmody's seven-player rotation will return for the 2011-12 season.
Most notably, this includes senior John Shurna (6'8 215 lbs), who is the Wildcats' leading scorer (16.6 points per game) and their best shooter from the three-point line (43.4 percent).
Northwestern's biggest area for development is rebounding. If the Wildcats can improve on the boards on both ends, get ready to see this team move up in the Big Ten.
9. Xavier Musketeers
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Chris Mack has already won 50 games after only two years as head coach. Both years, Xavier has either tied or won the Atlantic Ten in both years. And each time, they have made it to the NCAA Tournament.
That's a pretty nice beginning for a new coach.
As good of a start as that is, Xavier may be ready to to take another big step forward next year.
Tu Holloway—the A-10 Player of the Year—will be back. The junior guard averaged 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Very few players have those kind of numbers.
Kenny Frease, Xavier's 7'0" 270 lbs center, also returns. If he makes as much improvement this year as he did last year, he will be one of the dominant bigs in the country.
Also watch for some of the rising sophomores (Canty, McKenzie, and Latham), who made up a very good 2010 recruiting class.
Finally, the Musketeers add even more firepower with ESPN.com Top 50 recruit Dezmine Wells and 6'9" PF Jalen Reynolds.
8. Michigan Wolverines
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John Beilein's four years in Ann Arbor has been a story of ups-and-downs.
After a tough first year, the Wolverines have posted an adequate 57-45. What has people in the Big Ten talking now is how Michigan played in the last two months of this year.
After opening the 2010-11 season 11-9, the Wolverines turned the corner and finished the year going 10-5, advancing to the "third round" of the NCAA Tournament where they came within two points of knocking off 1-seeded Duke.
Plus, Michigan had no seniors on this year's team. The only possible departure could be Darius Morris, the teams points and assists leader.
Morris is considering entering the NBA Draft but—as of now—hasn't hired an agent, so he could still withdraw and return to campus.
Besides that, the Wolverines have a lot of talent and depth returning. Tim Hardaway Jr. had a great freshmen year (13.9 PPG 3.8 RPG) and another freshman, Jordan Morgan (6'8" 240 lbs) returns to add strength in the middle.
Zack Novak, a 6'4" wing who led the team in rebounding (5.8 RPG) will be back too.
As if Michigan didn't have enough backcourt perimeter players, the Wolverines have added a super recruiting class, with two of ESPN.com Top 100 guards.
7. Alabama Crimson Tide
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Anthony Grant has the Alabama program rolling.
In his two years in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide are 42-27, winning the SEC West and finishing as the NIT Runner-Up this year.
The core of the team that won 25 games in 2010-11 is coming back.
First Team All-SEC selection JaMychal Green (pictured, 6'8" 228 lbs) was the Tide's leading scorer (15.5 PPG) and rebounder (7.5 RPG).
Second Team All-SEC pick Tony Mitchell (6'6" 210 lbs) was No. 2 in both scoring (15.2 PPG) and rebounding (7.1 RPG)
SEC All-Freshman Team guard Trevor Releford (11 PPG 3.3 RPG 3.4 APG) will be back to run the show.
Grant has another exceptional recruiting class arriving on campus, led by Levi Randolph and Nick Jacobs.
6. Arkansas Razorbacks
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Mike Anderson arrives to lead an Arkansas program that is set up to step up.
He inherits a team that—despite a disappointing 18-13 record in the 2010-11 season—has the makings of a group that could move forward this upcoming year.
Guard Rotnei Clarke (pictured)—the Razorbacks leading scorer (15.2 PPG)—returns for his senior year.
Marshawn Powell (6'7 220 lbs, 10.8 PPG 4.5 RPG) is back to anchor the Arkansas frontcourt.
But what has everyone in Fayetteville talking is the elite-level recruiting class that will be arriving on campus this fall: an exceptional five-player group that features three "ESPN 100" players in B.J. Young, Ky Madden and Hunter Mickelson. They should bring talent, size and excitement.
Anderson has won in both of his previous coaching stops at Alabama-Birmingham (89-41) and Missouri (111-57).
There's no reason to believe that good times and lots of wins are not ahead for him and the Razorbacks.
5. Memphis Tigers
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Josh Pastner is proving to be more than a great assistant coach.
In his first two years as Memphis' head coach, Pastner has posted a 49-20 record.
With everyone other than Will Coleman (7.0 PPG 4.5 RPG) returning from this year's squad, the Tigers are positioned to make another leap forward this next season.
The Tigers have flat-out talent and depth.
Will Barton (12.3 PPG 4.9 RPG 2.8 APG), Joe Jackson (9.9 PPG 2.1 RPG 3.1 APG), Tarik Black (9.1 PPG 5.0 RPG), Wesley Witherspoon (9.0 PPG 4.3 RPG), and Chris Crawford (6.6 PPG 3.1 RPG 3.3 APG) form an incredible core for Pastner to mix and match.
On top of that impressive collection of players, Pastner has pulled in one of the best SFs in the country, Adonis Thomas.
As this young group matures and develops, watch out for Memphis to be back in contention for a national title in a couple of years.
4. Syracuse Orangemen
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Jim Boeheim and Syracuse came up short of accomplishing everything that they wanted to in 2010-11.
In spite of the fact that they were 27-8, the Orange got knocked out in the second game of the Big East Tournament and the "third round" of the NCAA Tournament, being ranked No. 18 in the final polls.
For many programs, all of this would spell out a great year. For Boeheim's squad, they simply didn't end up where they wanted to finish.
The good news for Syracuse is that they have most of their team returning for 2011-12.
Leading scorer Kris Joseph (pictured, 14.3 PPG 5.2 RPG) will be back to anchor the frontcourt.
Scoop Jardine (12.5 PPG 5.9 APG) and Brandon Triche (11.1 PPG) return to run things from the backcourt.
Losing super forward Rick Jackson is no small issue, but he was the only senior on the team.
Plus, Boeheim has brought in a fantastic recruiting class that features three "ESPN 100" players (Rakeem Christmas, Michael Carter-Williams, and Trevor Cooney).
3. Vanderbilt Commodores
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Kevin Stallings and the Commodores had a very good 2010-11 season but may have felt like they didn't take full advantage of the opportunities that were in front of them.
Yes, they ended up the year 23-11, but they were stunned by Richmond in the "second round" of the NCAA Tournament.
For 2011-12, Vandy returns with everyone (other than a few rarely-used bench-players.)
First Team All-SEC guard and Commodore leading scorer (19.5 PPG) John Jenkins (pictured) returns to lead the team. SEC All-Defensive Team member and the team's No. 2 scorer Jeffery Taylor (14.7 PPG 5.5 RPG) will be back, too.
Second Team All-SEC Festus Ezeli (6'11" 255 lbs, 13 PPG 6.3 RPG) remains to patrol the middle.
Stallings also added even more talent and depth with an amazing three-player recruiting class, featuring Dai-Jon Parker and Kendren Johnson.
2. Louisville Cardinals
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While Louisville had a good season (25-10 overall, 12-6 in the Big East, 4th place in conference), Rick Pitino and his Cardinals were disappointed how things finished.
Louisville lost 69-66 to UConn in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament. No sweat. The Huskies ended up winning it all this year.
But the clincher was that the Cardinals lost to Morehead State 62-61 in the "second round" of the NCAA Tournament.
While the loss of Preston Knowles, this year's leading scorer (14.6 PPG 3.9 RPG 3.1 APG) is a big blow to the program, he is the only player not returning from this year's squad.
Kyle Kuric (10.8 PPG 3.9 RPG), Peyton Siva (pictured, 9.9 PPG 3.1 RPG 5.2 APG), Terrence Jennings (9.6 PPG 5.2 RPG), Chris Smith (9.4 PPG 4.6 RPG 2.5 APG), and Rakeem Buckles (6.8 PPG 6.1 RPG) form a deep and versatile core.
Pitino also is adding a five-player, ninth-ranked recruiting class to this group.
Louisville was picked to finish 8th last season in the Big East. Next year, the Cardinals very well could be one of the 2011-12 Big-East favorites and may be ready to make a deep run in the Tournament.
1. Texas Longhorns
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Rick Barnes and the Texas Longhorns had a great but disappointing 2010-11 season (28-8 overall, 13-3 in the Big 12).
The Longhorns ended up in 2nd place behind Kansas in the conference. Texas was eliminated by Arizona in the Sweet 16.
While the Longhorns lose seniors Gary Johnson, Dogus Balbay and Jai Lucas, most of the key players off of this year's team return to campus.
Jordan Hamilton (18.6 PPG 7.7 RPG) and Tristan Thompson (13.1 PPG 7.8 RPG) both strongly considered entering the NBA Draft but ultimately decided on returning to campus.
J'Covan Brown (10.4 PPG) and Cory Joseph (10.4 PPG) form a formidable backcourt.
On top of these exceptional players, Barnes has brought in what could be one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, led by Myck Kabongo, Shelden McClellan, Jonathan Holmes and Julien Lewis.
The Longhorns were No.1 in the nation in the middle of the season.
If Barnes can combine these new players with the amazing core that is already in place in Austin, Texas could definitely be ready to win the Big 12 and make a deep run in next year's NCAA Tournament.
