Are We There Yet? 2010-2011 College Basketball's Preseason Top 5

I know, I know, the 2009-2010 college basketball season just ended weeks ago with one of the most compelling championship games in tournament history (congratulations, Duke).

But for college basketball junkies like me, we cannot wait for the 2010-2011 season.

You might think it ludicrous to be discussing a preseason Top Five already; but what you call ludicrous I call therapy.

So here we go:

5. Kansas State

There is no doubt Frank Martin will have his kids ready to play. After making a run to the Elite Eight in last year’s tournament, they will no doubt be even hungrier than a year ago.

I would imagine they learned a thing or two about team defense (they were averaging 79 points per game in regulation before they ran into a stingy Butler team that only allowed them 56).

They will also have the services of Freddy Asprilla this season. Freddy is a 6-10 JUCO center that can play inside or outside. Freddy will be a nice addition to the post and will also complement Jacob Pullen and his cohorts on the perimeter.

4. Butler

Everyone knows by now Gordon Hayward is staying in the NBA draft. While college basketball fans like me would love to see him stay in school, we understand this is the best move for him.

With that said, I do not see the huge drop-off with Butler that some experts see.

When you play defense like this team does and you have a coach like Brad Stevens (check out his masterful use of Butler’s timeouts in the championship game) you have to be given proper consideration.

The key to this year’s team, however, is keeping Matt Howard out of foul trouble. He has the propensity for picking up silly fouls in bunches. If Matt can stay out of foul trouble and Butler plays the same hair-on-fire, team defense they played last season, they could be making a run at a second consecutive Final Four.

3. Purdue

Robbie Hummel: check.

E’Twaun Moore: check.

Jajuan Johnson: check.

Boilermakers are a team to fear in 2010-2011: check.

The only impact player Purdue lost is Chris Kramer. Regardless of what some experts say, intangible guys like Chris Kramer are hard to replace.

However, with the talent returning (see names above), Purdue should be poised to make their first run to the Final Four since 1980.

Maybe then they can put an end to that long running NCAA joke: What does NCAA stand for in West Lafayette, IN?

No Championships At All.

2. Michigan State

What can you say about a team that has made back-to-back Final Four appearances as well as five Final Four appearances in the previous decade?

Well, you can start by saying they could very well make it three appearances in a row and the first two of the new decade.

Sure, Raymar Morgan is a big loss. But everyone else from the back-to-back Final Four teams returns.

Throw in three ESPN Top 100 recruits (including one McDonald’s All-American) and we might as well start calling the Final Four "the Michigan State Invitational."

1. Duke

I know it’s a cliché to rank the previous national champion as the preseason No. 1 the following season, but the return of Kyle Singler makes this a no-brainer.

They should be able to make up the scoring lost to the graduation of Jon Scheyer by plugging Seth Curry into the lineup.

If the name sounds familiar, it should. His older brother Stephen was the darling of the tournament a few years ago and is now playing in the League for the Golden State Warriors. His father, Dell, played in the NBA for 15 years.

Wouldn’t you like to have that bloodline in your backcourt?

They also pick up the No. 3 overall recruit in point guard Kyrie Irving. Combine this roster with the defense this team played in their championship run of a year ago (they only allowed one team to score more than 60 points), and you have the recipe for a repeat national champion.

So there you have it. You have my preseason Top Five and I have some therapy (for now).

There are so many variables within a college basketball season that it is hard to predict who will end up where; combine that with the parity that exists in college basketball today and anything is possible.

However, one thing is possible; we could have three teams return to the Final Four in consecutive seasons for the first time since UCLA, North Carolina, and Houston did it back in 1967 and 1968.

That possibility, along with the parity in today’s college game, makes for a very compelling 2010-2011 college basketball season.