College Basketball Predictions: 10 Most Underrated Teams Entering 2011-12

With established powers like North Carolina and Kentucky returning NBA-caliber stars, this would seem to be an easy year for preseason predictions. All the same, few things are more certain in college basketball than that some of the tournament’s most dangerous teams will have arrived from off the preseason radar.

It’s easy to overlook a team like Purdue that’s just lost two seniors with the ability of E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. The Big Ten, however, will quickly be reminded that returning talents like Lewis Jackson will make the Boilermakers a dangerous team once again.

Read on for a look at the Boilermakers and the rest of the most underappreciated squads in the country heading into 2011-12.

10. Iowa State

Iowa State’s 3-13 Big 12 record doesn’t exactly portend great things for coach Fred Hoiberg's Cyclones, especially with the team’s best player—point guard Diante Garrett—having graduated. However, a stockpile of newly-eligible transfer players has a chance to rejuvenate the struggling program.

A pair of Big Ten imports, former Michigan State guard Chris Allen and former Minnesota forward Royce White, highlight what will be a new (but experienced) cast in Ames.

With Allen and juco transfer Tyrus McGee providing the perimeter scoring, and the athletic White anchoring the middle, Iowa State could be a sleeper in this year’s smaller Big 12.

9. Virginia Commonwealth

After losing senior stars Jamie Skeen and Joey Rodriguez, the VCU Rams don’t exactly look like a good bet to return to the Final Four. Nevertheless, the squad is again likely to be one of the best in the increasingly-tough CAA.

Rising senior Bradford Burgess, one of the best shooting guards in the country, brings his 14 points and 6.1 boards a game back to the Rams.

With last year’s young frontcourt—rising sophomores Juvonte Reddic and D.J. Haley—now tournament-tested, the Rams will again have an outstanding inside-outside attack.

8. Purdue

There’s no doubt that losing two seniors as talented as JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore will be a blow to the Boilermakers. Nevertheless, a pair of returning veterans will keep Purdue from dropping off the Big Ten map altogether.

Robbie Hummel, back from the knee injury that cost him all of 2011-12, will provide a physical presence on both ends of the floor to help offset the loss of Johnson.

In the backcourt, meanwhile, rising senior Lewis Jackson—a team-high 3.9 assists per game last season—will get the chance to improve on his 7.8 points a game now that Moore and Johnson aren’t around to be the focus of the offense.

7. UNLV

While BYU and San Diego State grabbed the headlines, UNLV got lost in the Mountain West shuffle last season. Even playing in the shadow of those two powers, the Rebels did earn a No. 8 seed after finishing 24-8 in the regular season.

Shooting guard Tre’Von Willis is gone, but forwards Chace Stanback and Quintrell Thomas (19.7 points and 11.2 rebounds a game between them), and veteran point guard Oscar Bellfield all return.

With BYU gone to the WCC and San Diego State rebuilding, UNLV becomes the conference favorite while boasting enough talent to play sleeper on the national scene.

6. Villanova

Things have been going downhill for Villanova since Feb. 21, when Syracuse kicked off a six-game losing streak that ended with George Mason knocking off the Wildcats in the first round of the NCAAs.

Add in the departures of leading scorers Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes, and leading rebounder Antonio Pena, and it’s little wonder that the Wildcats aren’t projected to make much noise in this season’s Big East.

Opponents, however, will sleep on Villanova at their peril. Point guard Maalik Wayns is one of the country’s best, and PF Mouphtaou Yarou will be a defensive force even in a loaded conference.

With another year of experience for the squad's many rising juniors, the Wildcats will also get more out of their bench than they did a season ago.

5. Washington

Although they won the Pac-10 tournament, the Washington Huskies have plenty of reasons for pessimism entering 2011-12. Star point guard Isaiah Thomas jumped to the NBA, while standout forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning graduated.

The Huskies’ backcourt, though, is still loaded for bear thanks to the return of Abdul Gaddy (3.8 assists a game before tearing his ACL last year) and the addition of freshman PG Tony Wroten Jr.

Bryan-Amaning’s absence will hurt, but much of his (and Thomas’) scoring load will be picked up by rising sophomore—and budding star—SG Terrence Ross.

4. Saint Mary's

Star point guard Mickey McConnell is gone, but the other four starters are back from a squad that finished 25-9 despite an NIT upset at the hands of Kent State.

The Gaels’ long-standing Australian pipeline is in good working order, with rising junior Matthew Dellavedova (13.3 points, 5.2 assists last season) ready to take over the leadership reins from McConnell.

Perennial conference power Gonzaga will certainly be a tough matchup for Saint Mary’s, as Zags’ star Robert Sacre (at 7’0”) has three inches on the tallest member of the Gaels. Even so, Saint Mary’s has the experience and the talent to find itself back in its familiar role of NCAA bracket-buster come March.

3. Minnesota

The Golden Gophers lived down to expectations with their 6-12 conference record a year ago, but what had been a very young lineup returns four starters.

Leading the charge is potential All-America forward Trevor Mbakwe, the Big Ten’s leading rebounder (10.5 a game) and the team’s leading scorer (13.9 points a night).

Rising senior center Ralph Sampson III is a shot-blocking force who’s improved slowly but steadily throughout his Gophers career. If hyper-athletic SF Rodney Williams finally puts it all together this season, Minnesota could have a frontcourt to rival even mighty Ohio State.

2. Mississippi State

Assuming that Mississippi State has finished sabotaging itself off the court, it’s going to be a very tough team to beat on the court this season.

Assorted suspensions—for infractions ranging from withdrawing too late from the NBA draft to fighting with teammates—kept key players on the sidelines for much of last year, but at full strength this is a potent roster.

Power forward Renardo Sidney is a 6’10” beast who averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a game last year.

Add in rising senior PG Dee Bost (15.3 points and 6.2 assists in a partial season in 2010-11) and 6’11” UTEP transfer Arnett Moultrie, and the Bulldogs have the potential to surprise some SEC foes this year.

1. Miami

Coming off an unimpressive 6-10 campaign in a relatively weak ACC, there seems little reason for Miami to be generating buzz. The Hurricanes, though, return nine players from last year’s roster, including hulking (6’10”, 303 lbs) center Reggie Johnson.

With Johnson anchoring the middle and point guard Malcolm Grant leading the charge on the perimeter, the Hurricanes will have a balanced offense and still be able to do some damage on the defensive end.

In another down year for much of the conference, Miami has a good chance to return to the NCAAs for the first time in three years.