Pick either your NCAA champion or go deeper and pick a final 4.

Champ - Michigan State

 

Final 4 - Michigan State, UConn, Kentucky, Duke

Champion- Duke

 

Final 4 Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, North Carolina

 

:snr

The Jayhawks win the big one, with the fine coaching of Bill Self.

 

Final four

mich state, uconn, unc, kansas.

Lots of love for the boys in green.

NCAA Champion: Michigan State University

 

Final Four: UConn, 'Zona, Zags, and MSU

FINAL 4:

Mizzou,Georgetown, Florida,UCONN

 

CHAMP-

Mizzou

FINAL 4:

Mizzou,Georgetown, Florida,UCONN

 

CHAMP-

Mizzou

Georgetown

 

Hey how is that Michael Sweetney working out?

Champ: Texas

 

Final 4: UConn, Texas, Missouri, Florida

 

I really think Texas is going to surprise some people. Sure losing Ford hurts, but they return a very good core and brought in a top recruiting class to compliment them. UConn is an obvious choice. Missouri should be very good. Florida could surprise some people. Most people are picking the obvious top choices like UConn, Duke, Michigan State, UNC, but you forget that few of the top preseason teams every make it to the final 4. I think Duke, UNC, and Michigan State are all overrated. Duke has an extremely young team with very few proven players. UNC has no depth whats so ever, and if May isn't completely healthy they might struggle to make the tournament yet alone the final 4. Michigan State doesn't have a true PG and lacks depth up front. It should be a fun season, and I don't see a clear favorite this year.

Michigan State doesn't have a true PG and lacks depth up front.

Guess you've never heard of Brandon Cotton.

 

Ager, Hill, Torbert, Brown, Cotton.

 

5 guards that would start for any team in America.

 

Flat out sick.

Guess you've never heard of Brandon Cotton.

 

Ager, Hill, Torbert, Brown, Cotton.

 

5 guards that would start for any team in America.

 

Flat out sick.

It pretty obvious that you are a Michigan State fans which blinds you from realistic opinions. In regards to the Brandon Cotton comment, yes I have heard of him(i follow recruiting religiously), but I am sure that you have heard of the constant struggles of relying on a freshman PG. The fact that you point to a guy that hasn't spent a minute on the college floor yet, and assume that he is going to pass with flying colors shows your blind optimism towards your favorite team.

 

Great guards are nice to have, but with almost no front court talent(besides Davis) teams are going to focus their D on shutting down the outside game of Michigan State. Please refer to Indiana last year for a similar situation. They had Coverdale and Horsby returning(2 of the better shotting guards in the country) along with 2 top 30 recruits in SG Bracey Wright and PG Marshall Strickland, but had only 1 reliable big man(Jeff Newton). Teams continued to shut down the Hooisers outside game and forced them to beat them in the paint, which they couldn't. A similar thing will most likely happen in Michigan State. The point is that there are more balanced teams then Michigan State. Teams that don't have to rely on a freshman PG and have depth up front are more complete and have a better shot of winning it all. This is a realistic point of view with no bias(I neither like nor dislike Michigan State).

Final Four: Louisville, Arizona, Missouri, Kansas

 

Champ: Missouri..... Missouri will lose 7-8 games during the regular season and don't get a seed higher than 4 in the tourney, but get hot and run the table late.

Guess you've never heard of Brandon Cotton.

 

Ager, Hill, Torbert, Brown, Cotton.

 

5 guards that would start for any team in America.

 

Flat out sick.

All 5 of those guys would be hard pressed to start over either Dee Brown or Deron Williams (both starters on the US junior team this summer). I'll take Illinois guards over either Indiana or MSU. Luther Head, Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Richard McBride. MSU is the deepest at the wing positions but without a point guard they will struggle at times. Cotton won't start. He isn't ready yet. And you can't do predictions for college basketball until the brackets come out, its kind of pointless.

All 5 of those guys would be hard pressed to start over either Dee Brown or Deron Williams (both starters on the US junior team this summer).  I'll take Illinois guards over either Indiana or MSU.  Luther Head, Dee Brown, Deron Williams, and Richard McBride.  MSU is the deepest at the wing positions but without a point guard they will struggle at times.  Cotton won't start.  He isn't ready yet.  And you can't do predictions for college basketball until the brackets come out, its kind of pointless.

How far did Illinois go in the tourney last year? Just wondering? They may have talented players but the past few years have shown me they know nothing about playing together as a team and that is evident the past few years when they've had great players (Cook, Frank Williams) and have been totally overhyped and have gone nowhere when it counts in March.

 

On the contrary, Michigan State has won a national title, gone to the Final Four in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and the Elite 8 last season. Despite the fact that there are a lot of Illinois fans on this board, I'm gonna have to call you out on this one.

 

And on the speculation that they will be weak up front, have you ever seen an Izzo team that plays anywhere near the way Indiana plays inside. Indiana plays soft inside and all of their big guys are afraid of contact, which has pretty much been true for Indiana for a long time. I am from Indiana (I actually went there for 2 years) and comparing Indiana last year to Michigan St this year is totally off base. While they may be inexperienced up front, they'll lead the Big 10 in rebounding as usual and grind it out against inferior teams like usual and also win their share against the big time teams. Mark it down, they will win the Big 10 this year and will be at least a 2 seed in the tourney.

How far did Illinois go in the tourney last year?  Just wondering?  They may have talented players but the past few years have shown me they know nothing about playing together as a team and that is evident the past few years when they've had great players (Cook, Frank Williams) and have been totally overhyped and have gone nowhere when it counts in March.

 

On the contrary, Michigan State has won a national title, gone to the Final Four in 1999, 2000 and 2001 and the Elite 8 last season.  Despite the fact that there are a lot of Illinois fans on this board, I'm gonna have to call you out on this one. 

 

And on the speculation that they will be weak up front, have you ever seen an Izzo team that plays anywhere near the way Indiana plays inside.  Indiana plays soft inside and all of their big guys are afraid of contact, which has pretty much been true for Indiana for a long time.  I am from Indiana (I actually went there for 2 years) and comparing Indiana last year to Michigan St this year is totally off base.  While they may be inexperienced up front, they'll lead the Big 10 in rebounding as usual and grind it out against inferior teams like usual and also win their share against the big time teams.  Mark it down, they will win the Big 10 this year and will be at least a 2 seed in the tourney.

aboz, I don't understand the point to your post. I never said U of I was a better team, but we do have better starting guards.

"And on the speculation that they will be weak up front, have you ever seen an Izzo team that plays anywhere near the way Indiana plays inside. Indiana plays soft inside and all of their big guys are afraid of contact, which has pretty much been true for Indiana for a long time. I am from Indiana (I actually went there for 2 years) and comparing Indiana last year to Michigan St this year is totally off base. While they may be inexperienced up front, they'll lead the Big 10 in rebounding as usual and grind it out against inferior teams like usual and also win their share against the big time teams. Mark it down, they will win the Big 10 this year and will be at least a 2 seed in the tourney."

 

Take of the glasses and open your eyes to reality please. The system might be different but the talent and depth is very similar. Have you even taken a look at Michigan States roster? They have only 4 guys taller then 6'6. Furthermore, 2 of those guys are freshman that aren't that highly ranked and don't expect to see many minutes. The other is Andreas who is the defenition of a role player. The guy averaged 6 minutes last year. I will restate the fact that Michigan State has only 1 decent big man. I guarantee that they wont lead the big ten in rebounding this year(and making that assumption based on last year team with a MUCH MUCH better front court is plain stupid), while Izzo teaches crashing the boards, there are going to be a ton of times when Michigan State has only 1 player over 6'6 on the floor. Furthermore, if Davis struggles or gets in foul trouble they will have NO inside scoring. You simply can't win a championship with no depth and little talent up front. If you were capable of looking at things realisticly, which you clearly are not, you would see this obvious weakness up front. Factor in a true freshman PG and you have a team that is guaranteed not to reach the final 4, yet alone the championship. ESPN lists Michigan State as one of the most overrated teams this year, and it is for the above reasons. However, you can't aspect a Michigan State fan to look at his team realisticly(the same can be said for most fans). A big ten title is far from a guarantee(with talented teams at Wisconsin and Illinois), but I am sure that you guaranteed that the Sox were going to win the Central this year. It just goes to show that your bias is affecting your better judgement.

Arizona, Duke, Kentucky and a darkhorse ... Louisville.

 

Duke takes the crown.

Duke, Kentucky, Florida and Conneticut.

I'm just guessin since I don't hav much of an idea of College B-Ball

Champ: UCONN

 

Final Four: UCONN, Duke, UNC, Kansas

you guys can yap about MIch state and Illinois all you want. Illinois has the better guards, i have a total unbiased opinion. Though I would rather have Miles, Langford, Lee and Giddens. Also, David Padgett will be Freshman of the Year, the boy looks awesome.

you guys can yap about MIch state and Illinois all you want.  Illinois has the better guards, i have a total unbiased opinion.  Though I would rather have Miles, Langford, Lee and Giddens.  Also, David Padgett will be Freshman of the Year, the boy looks awesome.

i dont see Padgett winning Freshman of the Year. I think it will be Luol Deng or Charlie Villanueva

Charlie Villanueva may not be eligible, check the news, also i watched him at the field house, very overrated.

Wanted to place my prediction for the BIG TEN race...

 

Wisconsin

Michigan St

Illinois

Indiana

Ohio St

Michigan

Iowa

Purdue

Minnesota

Northwestern

Penn St

 

Look for seven teams to make the tourney... but I don't see any making the final four.

Wanted to place my prediction for the BIG TEN race...

 

Wisconsin

Michigan St

Illinois

Indiana

Ohio St

Michigan

Iowa

Purdue

Minnesota

Northwestern

Penn St

 

Look for seven teams to make the tourney... but I don't see any making the final four.

Here would be my Big 10 rankings:

 

Illinois

Wisconsin

Michigan State

Ohio State

Purdue

Indiana

Michigan

Iowa

Minnesota

Penn State

Northwestern

Charlie Villanueva may not be eligible, check the news, also i watched him at the field house, very overrated.