Playboy's College Basketball Preview

Is there a more democratic game in America than basketball? All you need is a piece of flat ground, an iron hoop, a roundball and kids with energy to burn. Alone, one on one, full court, half court, day or night, in a gym or at a basket hanging on the side of a barn, free throws are made and missed, jump shots hang agonizingly on the rim and imaginary national championships are decided.

If a kid can slide the ball between his legs on the dribble at full speed, hit a 20-foot jump shot with regularity, go to the basket with strength and get a combined 700 score on his S.A.T.s, he can find a place to play on the college scene. And these days, the kid might be from Beirut, Lebanon, as well as from Lebanon, Indiana, as coaches spread their recruiting nets to cover the world.

College basketball survives drugs, slimy agents, fixes, rule changes, greed and all the hype that the likes of Al McGuire and Dick Vitale can muster. It thrives because its youth and skill and passion are so obvious and because the game is intensely competitive, regularly allowing the underdog to win. After all, what major sporting events live up to expectations as often as the N.C.A.A. post-season tournament and the Final Four?

We've broadened our coverage of the college basketball scene to include all Division I conferences. Even though the superpowers will be battling it out as usual for the trip to the Final Four showdown in Kansas City in April, there is always the chance that a less well-known school, such as New Orleans or Xavier, could hang in and, like the unlikely Hickory Huskers in the movie Hoosiers, win it all.

American South

The new American South Athletic Conference promises to be one of the most competitive in basketball among the small-school Division I groupings. The premiere team in the conference is New Orleans, which also has one of the best guards in the nation, Ledell Eackles. Eackles and the Privateers went 26-4 last season, getting to the second round of the N.C.A.A. tournament before being beaten by Alabama. Only the lack of a proven big man in the middle stands between New Orleans and a top-20 ranking.

Louisiana Tech also had a good season (22–8) last year. Three starters return, but not four-year team leader Robert Godbolt. Lamar, led by forward James Gulley (19.8 points per game), will try to rebound from its first losing season (14–15) in the past ten years. Arkansas State returns only forward John Tate (15.7 p.p.g.) but gets help from forward Ed Louden, redshirted last year. Southwestern Louisiana returns Randal Smith, one of three Division I players (including Dennis Hopson of Ohio State and Hunter Greene of New Mexico) to have 500 points, 200 rebounds and 100 assists last year. Pan American will try to build its offense around guard Kevin Johnson.

Atlantic Coast

It looks like a four-horse race in the basketball-rich Atlantic Coast Conference. Perennial power North Carolina, always competitive Duke, 1986–1987 A.C.C. champ North Carolina State and resurgent Georgia Tech will try to keep something in reserve until they go to the A.C.C. tournament the second weekend in March.

For a change, North Carolina may finish stronger than it begins. The dean of basketball coaches, Dean Smith, has sparkling sophomore J. R. Reid and deadly outside shooter Jeff Lebo back. But the absence of Kenny Smith and Dave Popson will cause problems until some younger Tar Heel players mature.

Duke has been close to the gold ring two years in a row: the Final Four in 1986, the Final 16 in 1987. Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) will have the Blue Devils ready to play their usual aggressive man-to-man defense, and Playboy All-America Danny Ferry (14 p.p.g.) can shoot, rebound and lead. The key for Duke, however, is probably sophomore guard Phil Henderson, held out part of last year because he didn't meet Duke's academic standards.

A.C.C. tournament winner North Carolina State returns four players who contributed a lot last season. Coach Jim Valvano, one of college coaching's most lovable characters, doesn't care about over-all records, always peaking his team at post-season play time. The Wolfpack will be ready come March.

Georgia Tech should improve significantly on last season's 16-13 record. Coach Bobby Cremins has two excellent forwards in Duane Ferrell (17.9 p.p.g.) and Tom Hammonds (16.2 p.p.g.). Better guard play, a stronger bench and more games scheduled at home should put Tech in contention in the A.C.C.

Clemson had a good recruiting year, and guard Grayson Marshall, who will probably become the A.C.C.'s all-time assist leader, is back. The Tigers, however, will miss team leader and scorer Horace Grant, who is headed for the N.B.A.

At Maryland, the theme is "Don't look back": Don't look back to the tragedy of Len Bias, the superbly talented all-American forward who died of a cocaine reaction, and don't look back to the Lefty Driesell era, which ended with the Bias scandal. Coach Bob Wade, brought in to replace Driesell, guided the team through suspended games, suspended players and a 0-14 conference record last year. Wade, always a winner at Baltimore's Dunbar High School, will not be content to nurse the Terps through another losing season. Maryland will again find its winning ways.

Virginia may have lost a step in the A.C.C. due to the departure of team leaders Andrew Kennedy and Tom Sheehey. Terry Holland, the winningest coach in Virginia history, must find the right combination of front-line talent in order for the Cavaliers to compete.

Wake Forest, upset winner over Clemson in the first round of last year's A.C.C. tournament, must find a floor leader to replace the tiny (5'3") but talented Tyrone Bogues.

Atlantic Ten

Temple coach John Chaney is a workaholic. He prods, pushes and occasionally curses his players. He regularly holds practice at six A.M. And in just five years, he has returned Temple to national basketball prominence. Last season, the Owls were 32–4. Four starters from that team return, though all-American Nate Blackwell is gone. Freshman Mark Macon will try to fill the void. Temple should again be the team to beat in the Atlantic Ten.

Four of West Virginia's first seven players have (continued on page 200)College Basketball Preview(continued from page 132) departed, but the Mountaineers have too much talent and tradition not to recover by season's end. West Virginia, 23–8 last season, has had seven straight 20-win years under coach Gale Catlett. Forwards Darryl Prue and Tyrone Shaw will get help from Chris Brooks, held out last season by his failure to meet the N.C.A.A.'s S.A.T.-score requirement for incoming freshman players.

Rhode Island returns all five starters from last year's 20–10 team, a surprisingly strong showing for rookie coach Tom Penders. Guards Carlton "Silk" Owens and Tom "Chief" Garrick are one of the better backcourt tandems in the East.

Last season, injuries and eligibility problems plagued St. Joseph's. After posting a 26-6 record two years ago, the Hawks fell to 16-13 and were forced to fill the roster with four walk-ons by season's end. Center Rodney Blake (17.6 p.p.g.) has fully recovered from his ankle injury but is the only returning starter.

Penn State is optimistic about improving on last year's 15–12 record. All five of last season's starters return, but the more talented Atlantic Ten teams will be tough to surpass in the rankings.

Massachusetts, Rutgers, Duquesne, George Washington and St. Bonaventure all return significant percentages of last season's starting teams, but all five teams are on a par with one another and none appears likely to fight its way out of the bottom half of the conference.

Big East

The Big East will continue to be one of the dominant conferences in the nation, with at least three teams having legitimate national-championship aspirations. Up tempo offenses, aggressive full-court defenses, highly competitive schedules and excellent coaching will groom the best of the Big East teams to survive the grueling road to the Final Four.

Syracuse returns its three most talented starters from last year's team, which fell one basket short of the national championship: Sherman Douglas (17.3 p.p.g.), sophomore Derrick Coleman and Playboy All-America center Rony Seikaly. Coach Jim Boeheim's troupe needs only to find that elusive team chemistry to win it all.

Pittsburgh has outstanding talent in Playboy All-America forward Charles Smith and Jerome Lane, one of the nation's leading rebounders. If Pitt can get the backcourt play it needs from Demetreus Gore, the Panthers could be there at the end.

And then there's Georgetown. Formidable coach John Thompson will miss the scoring punch of departed Reggie Williams, but he will have the Hoyas in their usual feisty and tenacious mood. Thompson, an all-round massive presence in the basketball-coaching firmament, will have one eye on his Georgetown crew, the other on his upcoming challenge as head coach of the 1988 Olympic basketball team.

Two of the most colorful coaches in the conference—or in America, for that matter—Lou Carnesecca and Rollie Massimino, will both mold teams greater than their individual parts. Carnesecca, in his 19th year as coach at St. John's, has lost Mark Jackson and Willie Glass to the N.B.A. He'll look to forward Shelton Jones (14.6 p.p.g.) as part of the answer this year. Massimino, with the memory of Villanova's national championship dimmed by the departure of Harold Jensen and the Gary McLain Sports Illustrated drug exposé (in which McLain admitted that he'd played on cocaine during the 1985 N.C.A.A. championship game), has four returning starters, including the big (7'2") but not very mobile Tom Greis at center.

Providence would have had trouble anyway recovering from the loss of four of last year's starters, including the indefatigable Billy Donovan. But when coach Rick Pitino flip-flopped one more time and took the head coaching job for the New York Knicks, the Friars' fate was sealed. Seton Hall, led by forward Mark Bryant (16.8 p.p.g.) and Leland "Pookey" Wigington (5'3"), will play the conference dark horse and upset maker.

Big Eight

Oklahoma will be big, physical and maybe better than last season, even after losing three of last year's starters. Harvey Grant and Ricky Grace will be joined by outstanding junior college transfers Daron "Mookie" Blaylock and Andre Wiley.

Last year, Missouri sneaked past perennial Big Eight powers Kansas and Oklahoma to win the conference tournament. The Tigers won't have the element of surprise this season, but they will have all of last season's starters, including Playboy All-America Derrick Chievous, and excellent bench strength.

At one point last season, it appeared that Kansas coach Larry Brown was headed to the New York Knicks and star player Danny Manning to the N.B.A. draft. However, Brown, to everyone's surprise, stayed put, and Manning, a two-time Playboy All-America and probably the best college player in the nation, opted to finish his college career. With Archie Marshall returning after a season off with medical problems, the Jayhawks need only the emergence of a solid point guard to have a good chance for post-season success.

Kansas State will return four starters but will miss the departed Norris Coleman. Lack of size and speed hurts the team's chances against its stronger conference opponents. Iowa State will have standout forward Jeff Grayer but not enough else. Oklahoma State will be improved by the return of 7'4" Alan Bannister, redshirted last season, and Proposition 48 returner Derrick Davis. Nebraska will struggle to do as well as its 1987 third-place National Invitational Tournament finish.

Big South

One of the less familiar Division I conferences, the Big South features small but evenly matched teams. Campbell University, located in the bustling metropolitan center of Buies Creek, North Carolina, appears to be the favorite. Baptist, which beat Campbell by one point in last year's conference championship, has dropped too much offense as a result of graduation to repeat. Coastal Carolina and Radford are the other conference-title challengers.

Big Sky

Boise State returns Arnell Jones (15.8 p.p.g.), a great inside player, and Chris Childs (15.4 p.p.g.). If the Broncos improve their perimeter shooting, they should be conference champs. Montana State will also be strong. The Bobcats return forward Tom Domako (20.3 p.p.g.). The only other team that has a shot at the top spot in the conference is Idaho. Returning forward Andrew Jackson will get some help from Raymond Brown, a 6'8" transfer from Mississippi State. Nevada-Reno has Boris King (18.5 p.p.g.) at guard but not enough size up front. The rest of the league is in various stages of rebuilding, with Eastern Washington being a new member of the conference this year.

Big Ten

The Big Ten splits down the middle in fairly neat order: The top five—Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Michigan and Purdue—are teams with the potential to play all the way to the Final Four; the teams in the bottom half of the conference, with the possible exception of Ohio State, will have to content themselves with beating one another and hoping to upset one of the top five on an off night. It looks as if Michigan has a razor-thin edge over Purdue and Indiana. Iowa and Illinois are one step behind.

Michigan will build on the proven talents of Playboy All-America Gary Grant (22.4 p.p.g.) and Glen Rice (16.9 p.p.g.). They'll be joined by guard Rumeal Robinson, who sat out last year because of Proposition 48, and center/forward Terry Mills. If coach Bill Frieder can mix the talent properly, the Wolverines will be as good as any team in the nation.

Purdue loses only one starter from last year's 25-5 team. If Troy Lewis (18.5 p.p.g.) has recovered from a broken foot in the off season, he will lead the offense. Everette Stephens, at point guard, may be the best athlete on the team. Melvin Mc-Cants (6'9") provides the size.

How about a sequel to the movie Hoosiers? In it, Gene Hackman follows his high school crew to Indiana University, wins three N.C.A.A. titles in the next 16 years, develops a fondness for red sweaters rolled up around his waist and keeps his players, the referees, opposing coaches and especially the media off balance with a combination of temper and humor on his way to the Basketball Hall of Fame. The problem with Hoosiers II is that Bob Knight has already lived most of it. Steve Alford and Daryl Thomas are gone from last year's national champions, but there are more Indiana Mr. Basketballs (Jay Edwards and Lyndon Jones) waiting to join returning Dean Garrett, Rick Calloway and Keith Smart.

Iowa has lost three starters from last year's 30-5 squad, but because of the human-wave substitution techniques of coach Tom Davis, the Hawkeyes still have several players with significant playing experience. Forward Roy Marble (14.9 p.p.g.) is the team standout.

Illinois has also lost three starters from last year, but the talent well is deep in Urbana, especially since the addition of transfer forward Ken Battle and Proposition 48 returner Nick Anderson. Marcus Liberty, the consensus number-one high school player in the country last year, failed to make the required 15 on his A.C.T. and must sit out this season.

Ohio State will have a difficult time breaking into the top half of the conference, despite the addition of Georgetown transfer Grady Mateen (6'11"). The team will miss Dennis Hopson's 29 points per game of last season. Wisconsin guard Trent Jackson will try to lead the Badgers out of last year's 14–17 doldrums. Minnesota will improve on last season's disappointing 2–16 conference record. Northwestern and coach Bill Foster have Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Shon Morris but little else. Michigan State returns only two starters and will lack offensive punch.

Colonial

Now that David Robinson, last year's all-media college player of the year, is headed for a tour in the Navy and then the N.B.A., life can return to normal in the traditionally balanced Colonial Athletic Association. This season's favorite appears to be Richmond, a team that returns all five starters, including forward Peter Woolfolk, who should become UR's career scoring and rebound leader by season's end. Two schools named for American patriots, James Madison and George Mason, are probably next best. James Madison has good depth but must improve its rebounding game from last year. George Mason features the outstanding Kenny Sanders (17.9 p.p.g.) at forward.

American University returns four starters but will miss the 25.2 p.p.g. it got from departed point guard Frank Ross. Navy will try to replace Robinson in the middle with 6'9" Byron Hopkins. North Carolina-Wilmington has also lost its big man, 6'9" Brian Rowsom. East Carolina and William and Mary are both likely to improve on last year's records, if not their positions in the standings.

East Coast

East Coast Conference basketball is a virtual 6'6" and under league. But it makes up for what it lacks in size with speed and style. The most stylish player in the conference is Lehigh's Daren Queenan, a 6'5" forward who averaged 24.8 p.p.g. last year. Queenan should put Lehigh on top of the pack. Next in line for a title shot is Lafayette, led by junior forward Otis Ellis (21 p.p.g.). Lafayette is coached by Butch van Breda Kolff, a much mellowed version of the coach who had 40 technical fouls called against him in one season when he headed the L.A. Lakers. Drexel University also may have a shot at the top spot, because one of its four returning starters is standout guard Michael Anderson. Towson State and Rider will both be competitive, while last season's conference champ, Bucknell, will have to rebuild after losing most of its team to graduation.

E.C.A.C. Metro

Eindhoven, Holland; Paris, France. Is this a United Nations roll call? No, these are the home towns of some of the players from Marist College, a school in Pough keepsie, New York, that could turn up right in the middle of the N.C.A.A. post season tournament. The team revolves around 7'4" Rik Smits, dubbed The Dunkin' Dutchman by his teammates and the media. Smits, one of the best big men in the country, will likely be a high first-round pick in the next N.B.A. draft. If he can stay away from injuries and out of foul trouble, Marist will dominate the E.C.A.C. Metro and give the superpower teams all they can handle.

Fairleigh Dickinson, with Damari Riddick, has a team that in a Smitsless time would probably be in a position to take the conference crown. Robert Morris and Long Island both return four starters from last season but aren't quite up to Marist or FDU standards. The remainder of the E.C.A.C. Metro will have to be content to fight things out among themselves and wait for Smits to go to the N.B.A.

E.C.A.C. North Atlantic

With the departed Reggie Lewis taken in the first round by the Boston Celtics in this year's N.B.A. draft, you'd think Northeastern might be ready to relinquish its four-year hold on the E.C.A.C. North title. Lewis was the N.C.A.A. ninth-all-time career scorer (2709 points). But another Lewis—Derrick—is ready to step in, and the remainder of the team looks strong enough to make it five titles in a row.

Canisius has returning guard Brian Smith and a new coach, Marty Marbach. Boston University also returns a star guard in Drederick Irving. Siena and Niagara round out the most competitive of the E.C.A.C. North teams. If Northeastern falters, any one of them could emerge as the champion.

Ivy League

There's a basketball hotbed in the making in Hanover, New Hampshire, where the Dartmouth Big Green has a new arena, a legitimate seven-foot center and four talented starters returning from last season's 15–11 club. Dartmouth should go to the head of the class this year in the Ivy League. Next in line in the conference is Princeton, coached by teacher, philosopher and pizza gourmand Pete Carril, the dean of Ivy League coaches. Yale returns four starters from last year's team, which was strong on the boards and from the three-point line. Pennsylvania, last year's conference champion, will drop into the middle of the pack in a rebuilding year.

Metro

If it seemed impossible that Louisville, N.C.A.A. champion in 1986, wouldn't make the 64-team field of tournament invitees in 1987, what are the odds that it won't be there in 1988? Whatever the odds, don't take the bet, because coach Denny Crum, with four Final Four appearances in the Eighties, will bring the Cardinals back with a vengeance. Pervis Ellison, hopefully a little wiser this year, is exceptionally talented. Freshman guard LaBradford Smith should help Louisville with floor play and the three-pointer, aspects of the game with which the Cardinals had problems last season.

Coach Larry Finch took over the troubled Memphis State program last year when former coach Dana Kirk was ousted by reports of unethical and possibly criminal conduct. The talent-rich Tigers and Finch put together a 26-8 record, remarkable under the circumstances. Two freshmen, Elliott Perry and Russell Young, should have an impact this season.

Southern Mississippi turned a good season into a great one last year when it accepted a bid to the N.I.T. and proceeded to post five straight victories and win the N.I.T. crown. Four of the starters from that team are back, and their experience could lead to an N.C.A.A. post-season opportunity this year.

Cincinnati, Virginia Tech and South Carolina each return four starters from last season and will be improved. Florida State has to do some serious rebuilding after losing most of last year's 19–11 team.

Metro Atlantic

La Salle has the most talent and experience of any of the teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Its best player is sophomore Lionel Simmons (20.3 p.p.g.). Iona returns last year's starting five intact. Second-year coach Gary Brokaw, a former assistant under Digger Phelps at Notre Dame, will have the Gaels running and pressing. Last year's conference-tourney champ, Fairfield, has a rebuilding job, while Army will try to find out if there is life after Kevin Houston, the departed number-one scorer (32.9 p.p.g.) in the nation last year. Manhattan, St. Peter's, Holy Cross and Fordham will all be competitive in what appears to be a well-balanced conference.

Mid-American

Central Michigan won the regular-season conference battle and the Mid-American Conference tournament last year. Dan Majerle, a strong and consistent forward who averaged 21.1 p.p.g. last season, is back from that team, along with enough other talent to make the Chippe was the favorite to repeat. Miami of Ohio and Bowling Green both had good teams last season that should improve with another year's experience.

Mid-Continent

The Mouse is still loose in the Mid-Continent—Kenny "The Mouse" McFadden, that is. As a freshman, he helped lead Cleveland State to a 29-4 record and the Final 16 of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Last year, McFadden helped his team overcome the untimely loss of teammate Paul Stewart to a heart attack and a season-ending injury to Eric Mudd. Unless some unpredictable misfortune strikes again, McFadden and Mudd should lead Cleveland State to another conference title.

Southwest Missouri State, conference champ last season, will have to rebuild around the nucleus of two returning starters. By season's end, the Bears should be good enough to make a run at Cleveland State. New coach Bob Hallberg will try to teach the Illinois-Chicago Flames some defense, while Wisconsin-Green Bay, a tough man-to-man defensive team, will look for additional offense.

Mideastern

Pity the poor fellows who have to play North Carolina A & T in the Mideastern Athletic Conference. Even though the Aggies lost guard George Cale, the M.E.A.C. Player of the Year last season, they return three starters and are the favorites to win their seventh straight title. Southern Carolina State and Howard will be A & T's only serious competition.

Midwestern

If you missed the Byron Larkin/Xavier act in 1986-1987, there's a good chance you'll see an encore this season that's even better. Xavier won the Midwestern Collegiate Conference championship last year, upset a very good Missouri team in the first round of the N.C.A.A. and nearly upset Duke in the second round. Larkin is one of the best guards in the country.

Evansville, no slouch last year at 16-12, returns all five starters, the best of whom is hard-nosed transfer Marty Simmons, once the apple of Bob Knight's eye at Indiana. St. Louis, 25-10 and an N.I.T. participant last year, has an extremely competitive team led by forward Roland Gray. Loyola of Chicago plays a frenetic up-tempo game that can wear better teams down.

Missouri Valley

Bradley University, located in Peoria, Illinois, has traditionally recruited players from Chicago's inner-city schools. When they got Playboy All-America Hersey Hawkins from the Windy City's Westing-house High School, they got one of the best players in the nation. Bradley has all five starters back, and with the team adjusted to second-year coach Stan Albeck's wide-open game, the Braves should win the conference crown.

Wichita State has several experienced players back but will have to replace its top two rebounders from last year. Illinois State returns four starters from a 19-13 team. Tulsa tries to improve with the addition of several talented junior college transfers, one of whom, Jeff Sadowski, allegedly has a vertical jump of 44 inches.

Ohio Valley

When Austin Peay defeated Illinois 68-67 in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament last year to the raucous chant "Let's go, Peay" from its fans, it served notice that the Ohio Valley Conference is ready to compete on a big-time level in college basketball. Even though Austin Peay lost four starters from that team, including strong man Darryl Bedford, it may be able to fight its way into post-season play once again, thanks to several outstanding transfers. Barry Sumpter, who came over from Louisville, may be the dominant big man in the conference.

Improved quickness will make Middle Tennessee State an even more formidable contender than it was last year, when it finished 22–7. Eastern Kentucky has four starters from last year's squad, which accumulated 19 wins. Tennessee State, a conference newcomer, will be competitive behind the shooting of Anthony Mason (19.5 p.p.g.). Youngstown State, with forward Tilman Bevely (23.6 p.p.g.), also has to be taken seriously.

Pacific Coast

When asked to name the three best teams in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association, an official from one school answered, "UNLV, UNLV, UNLV." Who can blame him for sounding shell-shocked? Jerry Tarkanian's Runnin' Rebels were 18-0 in conference play last year and 37-1 until they lost to Indiana in the N.C.A.A. semifinals. Armon Gilliam, the second pick in the N.B.A. draft, and Freddie Banks are gone, but Gerald Paddio and Jarvis Basnight are back. UNLV will still be the class of the P.C.A.A.

Bill Berry, the coach for San Jose State, gets no complaints about playing his son Ricky all the time. Ricky, a two-time Playboy All-America, is one of the best and biggest (6'8") guards in the nation. San Jose State will churn out lots of offense but probably doesn't have enough balance to catch Las Vegas. Cal State-Fullerton and California-Santa Barbara each have three starters back from teams that had winning records last year, but they and the rest of the conference will continue to be overshadowed by Tarkanian's troops.

Pac 10

Coach Lute Olson and his Arizona Wildcats may finally attract some national basketball attention this year. Olson has all five starters returning from last season's 18-12 squad, including forward Sean Elliott, the first Pac 10 sophomore to score 1000 points over two seasons. The best news of all is that Steve Kerr, the Pac 10's top point guard two years ago, returns to the team after missing last season because of a knee injury.

UCLA has some superathletes, particularly guard Jerome "Pooh" Richardson. However, coach Walt Hazzard and the Bruins will miss the outside scoring touch of Reggie Miller. One step down from Arizona and UCLA are Stanford and Oregon State. Both teams lost only one starter from last year, though Oregon State is likely to feel more acutely the loss of theirs, center Jose Ortiz. Coach George Raveling of Southern California has yet to unravel the mystery of building a winner with the Trojans, but they should finish better than last season's last place. California, which had a 20-win season last year, has lost four starters to graduation. Fortunately, standout forward Leonard Taylor is back after a scare with a spinal injury.

Southeastern

While Florida has lost half (Andrew Moten) of its M&M guard combination, the better M, Vernon Maxwell, is back, as is huge (7'3") sophomore center Dwayne Schintzius. With the addition of some freshmen recruits on the front line, the Gators appear to be the strongest of the strong in the highly competitive Southeastern Conference.

Kentucky, down a notch last season from its usual position of national prominence, has four starters back from last year, including the phenomenally talented Rex Chapman. If Winston Bennett can make a successful return from a knee injury and freshmen LeRon Ellis and Eric Manuel live up to expectations, the Wildcats will do much better.

When Georgia lost three of its best players last year to academic problems and injury, you might have expected the team to fold. Instead, the players rallied around 6'7" guard Willie Anderson and finished a surprising third in the S.E.C. Anderson is back, as is Toney Mack, an academic casualty last season.

Louisiana State can be expected to play its usual split season: During the regular season, the team often threatens to disappear under the weight of one of the nation's toughest schedules, but in post-season play, Playboy's Coach of the Year, Dale Brown, has the Tigers ready to take on all comers. In the past two seasons, LSU has won seven N.C.A.A. tournament games, and it came within one basket of beating last year's champ, Indiana, in the regional finals. Straight-faced, Brown says that LSU does so well in post-season play because "[the team members] dare to love each other. And if that sounds drippy, I don't apologize...."

Auburn will look for better rebounding and depth in the front court to improve on last season's 18-13 record. Coach C. M. Newton has seven-foot Will Perdue back at center for the Vanderbilt Commodores but not much talent at the forward position. Alabama, one of the most powerful teams last year, is reeling due to the premature loss of premiere center Derrick McKey to agent machinations. Coach Wimp Sanderson has only one starter back.

Southern

There's no question that Marshall's Thundering Herd knows how to handle its competition in the Southern Conference (it was 15-1 last season). And coach Rick Huckabay has been 65-30 overall since he left his job as assistant to LSU's Dale Brown three years ago. But Marshall has lacked the ability to win in post-season, falling meekly (76-60) to Texas Christian in last year's first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Huckabay has all five starters returning, including high-scoring (21 p.p.g.) guard Skip Henderson.

Tennessee-Chattanooga has a good coach in Mack McCarthy and an excellent scorer and rebounder in forward Lance Fulse (14.9 p.p.g.). Two other hopefuls in the Southern are Furman and Davidson, each of which returns three starters from last season.

Southland

The Southland Conference is a Texas-Louisiana league made up partly of teams from the now-defunct Gulf Star Conference. Stephen F. Austin was one of the leading teams in the nation in three-point percentage last year. That translated into a 10–0 record in the Gulf Star and a trip to the N.I.T. Eric Rhodes and Scott Dimak, Austin's three-point gunners, are back, and the Lumberjacks figure to win the Southland this year. Northeast Louisiana, Sam Houston State and McNeese State look like the other title contenders.

Southwest

The best teams in the Southwest Conference are Arkansas, Baylor and Southern Methodist. Coach Nolan Richardson, who had such a great career (119-37) at Tulsa, is beginning his third season at Arkansas. Richardson got 19 wins out of a very young, inexperienced group last year, and with everyone back, the Razorbacks should be better.

Two years ago, coach Gene Iba and the Baylor basketball program were distracted by an extensive N.C.A.A. investigation. With the cloud lifted last year, Baylor managed 18 wins and a trip to the N.I.T. With four starters back, Baylor will press Arkansas for the S.W.C. title.

With this year's football schedule canceled by the N.C.A.A. for numerous and repeated recruiting violations, maybe Southern Methodist's basketball team can get a little attention from Mustangs fans. SMU, led by guard Kato Armstrong (17.3 p.p.g.), should be improved in scoring, rebounding and defense.

Texas Tech has guard Sean Gay (15 p.p.g.) but not enough other talent to challenge. Houston continues to live in the shadow of the great Phi Slamma Jamma teams of the past. Texas Christian, 24-7 last year, will be down after losing four starters.

Southwestern

The nod in the Southwestern Conference goes to Southern University, primarily because of point producer Kevin Florent (17.1 p.p.g.) and guard Avery Johnson, who led the nation in assists last season. Pressing Southern for the conference title will be Grambling State, Alcorn State and Alabama State.

Sun Belt

Anyone looking to start a winning Division I basketball program ought to steal a page from Alabama-Birmingham. Or maybe the best thing would be simply to try to steal Gene Bartow. Since he started UAB's basketball program in 1978, the Blazers have been 194-94, with seven N.C.A.A. appearances. Bartow and UAB have a ton of talent returning from last season's 21-11 team and are the team to beat in the Sun Belt.

In only three seasons, former N.B.A. great Jeff Mullins has coached North Carolina-Charlotte from oblivion to 18 wins last year. Guard Byron Dinkins will lead UNC–Charlotte's charge at Alabama-Birmingham. Jacksonville has enough size (Emmett Smith, seven feet) and skill (Troy Mundine and transfer Curtis Taylor) to hope for post-season play. Western Kentucky and Virginia Commonwealth are both weaker than usual.

Trans America

The Trans America is yet another of the smaller basketball conferences in which the quality of play is potentially high enough to catapult a team into national prominence. There are three teams in the conference—Arkansas-Little Rock, Stetson and Texas-San Antonio—with such potential. Arkansas-Little Rock, which made it to the N.I.T. final four last year, brings back four of its five starters, plus a couple of hot prospects, Proposition 48 returner James Scott and junior college transfer Johnnie Bell. Stetson coach Dr. Glenn Wilkes has had only five losing seasons in 30 years, and three starters are back from last season's 18-13 squad, including forward Randy Anderson (15.8 p.p.g.). Dr. Wilkes and the Hatters should surpass .500 with ease. Coach Ken Burmeister and Texas-San Antonio are promising to put basketball on the South Texas map this year. The Roadrunners have more depth and size than last season. Georgia Southern was the conference-tournament champ last year but was unlucky enough to draw Syracuse in the first round of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Despite returning three starters, it is unlikely to get as far this season. Houston Baptist, second in the conference last year, is big but inexperienced.

West Coast

Paul Westhead, former N.B.A. coach with the L.A. Lakers and the Chicago Bulls, adds three outstanding transfers, Bo Kimble, Hank Gathers and Corey Gaines, to a talented Loyola Marymount' team. Last year's conference scoring leader, Mike Yoest (19.3 p.p.g.), returns for his senior year.

Pepperdine, 25-5 two years ago, fell on hard times last season (12-18) before reviving somewhat to finish second in the conference tournament. The Waves will start stronger this year. Santa Clara and St. Mary's both have outside shots at the conference title. St. Mary's must improve on the boards; Santa Clara lacks depth and quickness. San Diego, 13-1 in the conference last year, will suffer through a rebuilding year.

Western

When you think of Wyoming, images of snowy peaks, antelope and cowboys come to mind. But the University of Wyoming has assembled its own bunch of Cowboys, who can shoot the lights out with basketballs, not bullets. The fastest gun in the Cowboy posse is a fellow with the unlikely handle of Fennis Dembo (20.3 p.p.g.). Riding shotgun for Dembo is 6'11" Playboy All-America Eric Leckner, the best center west of the Mississippi. Coach Benny Dees, formerly of New Orleans, has replaced Jim Brandenburg, who hightailed it for San Diego State.

Brigham Young, 21-11 last season, has lost three starters but, fortunately, returns Michael Smith (20.1 p.p.g.), one of the best junior forwards in the nation. Lack of depth and experience is a big hurdle for BYU. New Mexico will have difficulty matching its 25-win total of last season, even with Hunter Greene (21.1 p.p.g.) back for his senior year. Texas-El Paso, winner of five W.A.C. titles in a row, has to rebuild in a year that finds most other conference teams improved. Utah has four starters back, and plenty of aspirations, but not enough over-all talent to make a serious bid for the conference crown.

Independents

Dallas Comegys, the last DePaul team member to play under Ray Meyer, has departed, and DePaul fans are finally beginning to think of Joey Meyer as the coach instead of as the coach's son. Joey, who has seemed tentative at times, has nevertheless compiled a 65-26 record over the past three years, including two trips to the Final 16. The talent recruited by DePaul continues to be superb. Playboy All-America Rod Strickland is a great penetrator and an excellent scorer (16.3 p.p.g.). If the Blue Demons can get strong inside play from returning Kevin Edwards and Stanley Brundy, they could find their way to the Final 16 again.

Last year, Notre Dame point guard David Rivers recovered from a serious automobile accident in August and still managed to average 15.7 p.p.g. As for his floor-leadership ability, coach Digger Phelps maintains that he could put Rivers and four student managers on the floor and still have a pretty good team. To get very far in post-season play, Notre Dame will have to be more than pretty good—which may be a problem, because its inside game will miss the departed Donald Royal. However, Phelps always gets the maximum out of the talent on hand.

Miami will get its program over the .500 mark this season as Tito Horford, the 7'1" giant who caused such a stir a couple of years ago in trying to find a school that would have him, begins to fulfill his potential. The Hurricanes have excellent size and quickness and could surprise more than a couple of the superpower squads.

While Marquette has talented guards in Michael "Pops" Sims and Tony Smith, it will be young and inexperienced in the front court. Much will depend on the development of 6'10" freshman center Rod Grosse.

Coach Don Donoher has had only three losing seasons in 23 years at Dayton. Even though the Flyers are young (four sophomores will start), don't bet against their ending up on the plus side of .500. Next season, Dayton joins the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Evangelist Oral Roberts may have done some strange things this year, but rehiring Ken Trickey as head coach of the Oral Roberts University basketball program was not one of them. Trickey coached Oral Roberts to a record of 118-23 during his previous tenure (1969-1974). This is the school's first season as an independent since leaving the Midwestern.

Akron, Maryland-Baltimore County and Central Florida are all solid programs and are improving. Wright State and Missouri-Kansas City make their debuts this season in Division I.

Here's hoping your team wins.

Playboy's Top 25

1. Michigan

2. Syracuse

3. North Carolina

4. Pittsburgh

5. Purdue

6. Indiana

7. Duke

8. Georgetown

9. Oklahoma

10. Florida State

11. Kentucky

12. Wyoming

13. Arizona

14. Missouri

15. Nevada Las Vegas

16. Kansas

17. DePaul

18. Iowa

19. Louisville

20. North Carolina State

21. Clemson

22. Louisiana State

23. UCLA

24. Georgia Tech

25. Auburn

Long Shots

St. John's, New Orleans, Temple, West Virginia, Georgia, Arkansas, Xavier, Illinois, Notre Dame.

For a complete conference-by-conference listing of the final standings, see page 202.

The Playboy All-Americas

Rod Strickland—Guard, 6'3", junior, DePaul. Hot Rod is a great penetrator and open-floor player. He averaged 16.3 points and 6.5 assists per game for the Blue Demons last season.

Hersey Hawkins—Guard, 6'3", senior, Bradley. The Hawk is the nation's leading returning scorer (27.2 points per game) and was Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year last season.

Gary Grant—Guard, 6'3", senior, Michigan. The General was All-Big Ten while leading the Wolverines in scoring (22.4 points per game), steals and assists.

Ricky Berry—Guard, 6'8", senior, San Jose State. Ricky can play all five positions on the floor but will see most of his action at guard this year. He averaged 20.2 points per game and was 32 out of 78 from three-point range last season.

Derrick Chievous—Forward, 6'7", senior, Missouri. Known as Band-Aid by his teammates for his habit of wearing Band-Aids on different parts of his body. Derrick led the Big Eight in scoring, averaging 24.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Danny Ferry—Forward, 6'10", junior, Duke. Danny led Duke in scoring (14 points per game), rebounds, assists and led the Atlantic Coast Conference in free-throw percentage (84.4).

Charles Smith—Forward, 6'10", senior, Pittsburgh. Charles can post up or face the basket. He averaged 17 points and 8.5 rebounds and was one of the top shot blockers (106) in the country last season.

Danny Manning—Forward, 6'11", senior, Kansas. Danny, Big Eight Player of the Year, resisted the temptation of an early departure for the N.B.A. He averaged 23.9 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for the Jayhawks last season and is probably the best all-round college player in the country.

Eric Leckner—Center, 6'11", senior, Wyoming. Eric is one of the strongest inside players in the college ranks. He averaged 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds last season.

Rony seikaly—Center, 6'11", senior, Syracuse. Born in Beirut, Lebanon, Rony went to Greece at the age of nine and came to America just before he entered Syracuse University. An outstanding athlete, he had never played organized basketball until recruited by coach Jim Boeheim, who maintains that his best basketball years are still ahead of him. Rony averaged 15.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game last season.

Playboy's college basketball Coach of the Year is Dale Brown of Louisiana State University. Brown, the high priest of positive thinking, is 281-167 in his 15 years at LSU. Most impressive is Brown's post-season record: nine consecutive post-season appearances (two in the N.I.T., seven in the N.C.A.A., including two in the Final Four).

Rest of the Best

Guards: Ledell Eackles, 6'5" (New Orleans); Jeff Lebo, 6'2" (North Carolina); Sherman Douglas, 6' (Syracuse); Mitch Richmond, 6'5" (Kansas State); Troy Lewis, 6'4" (Purdue); Keith Smart, 6'1" (Indiana); Byron Larkin, 6'3" (Xavier); Jerome "Pooh" Richardson, 6'1" (UCLA); Anthony Taylor, 6'4" (Oregon); Vernon Maxwell, 6'4" (Florida); Rex Chapman, 6'4" (Kentucky); Willie Anderson, 6'7" (Georgia); David Rivers, 6' (Notre Dame)

Forwards: Tom Hammonds, 6'9" (Georgia Tech); Derrick Lewis, 6'7" (Maryland); Jerome Lane, 6'6" (Pittsburgh); Derrick Coleman, 6'9" (Syracuse); Shelton Jones, 6'9" (St. John's); Harvey Grant, 6'9" (Oklahoma); Jeff Grayer, 6'5" (Iowa State); Herbert Crook, 6'7" (Louisville); Sean Elliott, 6'8" (Arizona); Fennis Dembo, 6'5" (Wyoming); Michael Smith, 6'9" (Brigham Young)

Centers: J. R. Reid, 6'9" (North Carolina); Charles Shackleford, 6'10" (North Carolina State); Dean Garrett, 6'10" (Indiana); Rik Smits, 7'4" (Marist); Pervis Ellison, 6'9" (Louisville); Dwayne Schintzius, 7'2" (Florida); Will Perdue, 7' (Vanderbilt); Tito Horford, 7'1" (Miami)

"Highly competitive schedules will groom the Big East teams to survive the grueling road to the Final Four."

Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete

Playboy institutes the Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award in basketball this year to recognize accomplishment both in the classroom and on the court. Nominated by their universities, the candidates are judged by the editors of Playboy on their collegiate scholastic and athletic achievements. The award winner attends Playboy's pre-season All-America Weekend, this year held at Disney World/Epcot in Orlando, Florida, receives a bronzed commemorative medallion and is included in the team photograph published in the magazine. In addition, Playboy awards $5000 to the general scholarship fund of the winner's university.

The first Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award in basketball goes to Shon Morris of Northwestern University. One of the top forwards in the nation, Morris earned Big Ten honorable mentions the past two years, while he led his team in scoring and rebounding. He never quits, no matter what the score. Morris majors in human development and social policy at Northwestern and currently carries a 3.54 average. He was a first-team Academic All-American last year.

Honorable mention: Brian Quinnett (Washington State), Mike Hess (California-Irvine), Peter White (Yale), Steve Trax (Old Dominion), Derek Rucker (Davidson), James Rhode (Idaho State), Ronnie Bellamy (North Carolina-Charlotte), Don Royster (Tulsa), Joe Calavita (Vermont), Andrew Fisher (Toledo), Gary Koterwas (Morgan State), Darin Maccoux (Dartmouth), Marc Urquhart (Iowa State), Steve Martenet (Bowling Green), Ryan Nesbit (The Citadel).

Best Freshmen In Nation

Guards: Lyndon Jones, 6'3" (Indiana); Michael Christian, 6'3" (Georgia Tech); LaBradford Smith, 6'3" (Louisville); Eric Manuel, 6'6" (Kentucky); Karl James, 6'3" (Nevada–Las Vegas); King Rice, 6' (North Carolina); Mark Macon, 6'5" (Temple)

Forwards: Sean Higgins, 6'9" (Michigan); Perry Carter, 6'8" (Ohio State); Cedric Lewis, 6'10" (Maryland); Dennis Scott, 6'7" (Georgia Tech); Byron Tucker, 6'9" (North Carolina State); Bobby Martin, 6'9" (Pittsburgh); Anthony Tucker, 6'8" (Georgetown); Dwayne Davis, 6'7" (Florida); Rick Fox, 6'7" (North Carolina)

Centers: Sean Muto, 6'11" (St. John's); LeRon Ellis, 6'11" (Kentucky); Elmore Spencer, 6'11" (Georgia)

Outstanding Junior College Transfers

Guards: Daron "Mookie" Blaylock, 6' (Oklahoma); Rudy Archer, 6'1" (Maryland); Greg "Boo" Harvey, 5'11", and Michael Porter, 6'1" (St. John's); Clint Rossum, 6'2" (Nevada–Las Vegas); Joey Johnson, 6'4" (Arizona State); Keenan Carpenter, 6'2" (Auburn); Richard Hollis, 6'5" (Houston)

Forwards: Andre Wiley, 6'5", and Tyrone Jones, 6'5" (Oklahoma); Johnny Steptoe, 6'7" (Southern University); Tony Dawson, 6'7" (Florida State) CENTERS: Marvin Branch, 6'10" (Kansas); Brent Blair, 6'10" (Virginia)

Projected 1988 Men's Basket Ball Conference Standings

American South

*1. New Orleans

2. Louisiana tech

3. Lamar

4. Arkansas State

5. Southwestern Louisiana

6. Pan American

Standouts: Ledell Eackles (New Orleans); Randy White (Louisiana Tech); James Gulley (Lamar); John Tate (Arkansas State); Randal Smith (Southwestern Louisiana).

Atlantic Coast

*1. North carolina

*2. Duke

*3. North carolina State

*4. Georgia tech

*5. Clemson

*6. Maryland

7. Virginia

8. Wake forest

Standouts: J. R. Reid, Jeff Lebo (North Carolina); Danny Ferry (Duke); Charles Shackleford, Vinny Del Negro (North Carolina State); Duane Ferrell, Tom Hammonds (Georgia Tech); Grayson Marshall, Jerry Pryor (Clemson); Derrick Lewis (Maryland); John Johnson (Virginia); Sam Ivy (Wake Forest).

Atlantic Ten

*1. Temple

*2. West Virginia

3. Phode Island

4. St. Joseph's

5. Penn State

6. Massachusetts

7. Rutgers

8. Duquesne

9. George Washington

10. St. Bonaventure

Standouts: Tim Perry (Temple); Darryl Prue, Tyrone Shaw (West Virginia); Carlton Owens, Tom Garrick (Rhode Island); Rodney Blake (St. Joseph's); Tom Hovasse (Penn State); Lorenzo Sutton (Massachusetts); Brian Shanahan (Duquesne).

Big East

*1. Syracuse

*2. Pittsburgh

*3. Georgetown

*4. St. John's

5. Villanova

6. Providence

7. Seton Hall

8. Connectivut

9. Boston College

Standouts: Rony Seikaly, Derrick Coleman. Sherman Douglas (Syracuse); Charles Smith, Jerome Lane (Pittsburgh); Perry McDonald (Georgetown); Shelton Jones, Greg Harvey (St. John's); Doug West (Villanova); Delray Brooks (Providence); Mark Bryant (Seton Hall); Cliff Robinson (Connecticut); Dana Barros (Boston College).

Big Eight

*1. Oklahoma

*2. Missouri

*3. Kansas

*4. Kansas State

5. Iowa State

6. Oklahoma State

7. Nebraska

8. Colorado

Standouts: Harvey Grant, Ricky Grace (Oklahoma); Derrick Chievous (Missouri); Danny Manning (Kansas); Mitch Richmond (Kansas State); Jeff Grayer (Iowa State).

Big South

*1. Campbell

2. Coastal Carolina

3. Radford

4. Winthrop

5. North Carolina Asheville

6. Baptist

7. Augusta

Standouts: Henry Wilson (Campbell); William Calvin (Coastal Carolina); Donnell Howard (Radford); Lenwood Harris (Winthrop); Milton Moore, Ricky Chatman (North Carolina-Asheville); Oliver Johnson (Baptist); Vincent Jackson (Augusta).

Big Sky

*1. Boise State

2. Montana State

3. Idaho

4. Nevada-Reno

5. Montana

6. Northern Arizona

7. Idaho State

8. Weber State

9. Eastern Washington

Standouts: Chris Childs, Arnell Jones (Boise State); Tom Domako (Montana State); Boris King (Nevada-Reno); Kevin Hood (Montana); Rico Washington (Weber State).

Big Ten

*1. Michigan

*2. Purdue

*3. Indiana

*4. Iowa

*5. Illinois

6. Ohio State

7. Wisconsin

8. Minnesota

9. Northwestern

10. Michigan State

Standouts: Gary Grant, Glen Rice (Michigan); Troy Lewis, Todd Mitchell, Everette Stephens (Purdue); Keith Smart, Dean Garrett (Indiana); Roy Marble, B. J. Armstrong (Iowa); Ken Battle, Lowell Hamilton (Illinois); Curtis Wilson (Ohio State); Trent Jackson (Wisconsin); Shan Morris (Northwestern).

Colonial

*1. Richmond

2. James Madison

3. George Mason

4. American

5. Navy

6. North Carolina Wilmington

7. East Carolina

8. William & Mary

Standouts: Peter Woolfolk, Steve Kratzer (Richmond); Kennard Winchester (James Madison); Kenny Sanders (George Mason); Mike Sumner (American); Cliff Rees (Navy); Blue Edwards (East Carolina).

East Coast

1. Lehigh

2. Lafayette

3. Drexel

4. Towson State

5. Rider

6. Bucknell

7. Delaware

8. Hofstra

Standouts: Daren Queenan, Mike Polaha (Lehigh); Otis Ellis (Lafayette); Michael Anderson, John Rankin (Drexel); Marty Johnson (Towson State); Ron Simpson (Rider); Taurence Chisholm (Delaware).

E.C.A.C. Metro

*1. Marist

2. Fairleigh Dickinson

3. Robert Morris

4. Long Island

5. Wagner

6. Monmouth

7. Loyola (Maryland)

8. St. Francis (Pennsylvania)

9. St. Francis (New york)

Standouts: Rik Smits (Marist); Damari Riddick, Jaime Latney (Fairleigh Dickinson); Calvin Lamb (Long Island); Dean Borges (Wagner); Fernando Sanders (Monmouth).

E.C.A.C. North Atlantic

*1. Northeastern

2. Canisius

3. Boston university

4. Siena

5. Niagara

6. Hartford

7. Maine

8. Colgate

9. Vermont

10. New Hampshire

Standouts: Derrick Lewis (Northeastern); Brian Smith (Canisius); Drederick Irving (Boston University); Mark Henry (Niagara); Anthony Moye (Hartford).

Ivy League

*1. Dartmouth

2. Princeton

3. Yale

4. Cornell

5. Pennsylvania

6. Columbia

7. Harvard

8. Brown

Standouts: Jim Barton, Bryan Randall (Dartmouth): Bob Scrabis. Dave Orlandini (Princeton); Paul Maley (Yale); Greg Gilda (Cornell); Tyrone Pitts (Pennsylvania); Matt Shannon (Columbia).

*1. Louisville

*2. Memphis State

*3. Southern Mississippi

4. South Carolina

5. Virginia Tech

6. Cincinnati

7. Florida State

Standouts: Pervis Ellison, Herbert Crook (Louisville); Marvin Alexander, Sylvester Gray (Memphis State); Randolph Keys, Derrek Hamilton (Southern Mississippi); Terry Dozier (South Carolina); Vernell Coles (Virginia Tech); Roger McClendon (Cincinnati): Jerome Fitchett (Florida State).

Metro Atlantic

*1. La salle

2. Iona

3. Fairfield

4. Holy Cross

5. St. Peter's

6. Manhattan

7. Army

8. Fordham

Standouts: Lionel Simmons, Tim Legler (La Salle); Richie Simmonds, Alvin Lott (lona); Troy Bradford (Fairfield); Glenn Tropf (Holy Cross); Willie Haynes (St. Peter's); Billy Wheeler (Manhattan); Greg Pedro, Joe Paterno (Fordham).

Mid-American

*1. Central Michigan

2. Miami University

3. Bowling Green

4. Ohio University

5. Kent State

6. Western Michigan

7. Eastern Michigan

8. Ball State

9. Toledo

Standouts: Dan Majerle (Central Michigan); Trimill Haywood, Eric Newsome (Miami University); Anthony Robinson (Bowling Green); Paul Graham (Ohio University); Reggie Adams (Kent State); Tony Baumgardt (Western Michigan); Grant Long (Eastern Michigan); Derrick Wesley (Ball State).

Mid-Continent

1. Cleveland State

2. Southwest Missouri State

3. Illions-Chicago

4. Wisconsin-Green Bay

5. Northern Iowa

6. Western Illinois

7. Valparaiso

8. Eastern Illinois

Standouts: Kenny McFadden, Eric Mudd (Cleveland State); Stan Worthy (Southwest Missouri State); Nathan Chambers (Illinois-Chicago); Richard Sims (Wisconsin-Green Bay); Jason Reese, Greg McDermott (Northern Iowa); Mike Ayers (Western Illinois); Harry Bell (Valparaiso); Jay Taylor (Eastern Illinois).

Mideastern

*1. North Carolina A&T

2. South Carolina State

3. Howard

4. Morgan State

5. Florida A & M

6. Coppin State

7. Bethune-Cookman

8. Delaware State

9. Maryland-Eastern Shore

Standouts: Claude Williams, Thomas Griffis (North Carolina A & T); Rodney Mack, Bernard Bowman (South Carolina State); John Spencer (Howard); Troy Brown (Morgan State); Leonard King, Reggie Henry (Florida A & M); Larry McCollum (Coppin State); Tracey Wilson (Delaware State); Marvin Blye (Maryland-Eastern Shore).

Midwestern

*1. Xavier

*2. Evansville

3. St. Louis

4. Loyola of Chicago

5. Butler

6. Detroit

Standouts: Byron Larkin (Xavier); Marty Simmons (Evansville); Roland Gray, Monroe Douglass (St. Louis); Kenny Miller (Loyola of Chicago); Chad Tucker (Butler); Archie Tullos (Detroit).

Missouri Valley

*1. Bradley

2. Illinois State

3. Wichita State

4. Tulsa

5. Southern Illinois

6. Creighton

7. Drake

8. Indiana State

Standouts: Hersey Hawkins, Donald Powell (Bradley); Tony Holifield (Illinois State); Tracy Moore (Tulsa); Steve Middleton (Southern Illinois); Rod Mason (Creighton); Bart Friedrick (Drake).

Ohio Valley

*1. Austin Peay State

*2. Middle Tennessee State

3. Eastern Kentucky

4. Tennessee State

5. Youngstown State

6. Morehead State

7. Murray State

8. Tennessee Tech

Standouts: Andre Harris, Barry Sumpter (Austin Peay State); Dwayne Rainey, Randy Henry (Middle Tennessee State); Jeff McGill (Eastern Kentucky); Anthony Mason (Tennessee State); Tilman Bevely (Youngstown State); Bo Rivers (Morehead State); Jeff Martin (Murray State); Earl Wise (Tennessee Tech).

Pacific Coast

*1. Nevada-Las Vegas

2. San Jose State

3. Cal State Fullerton

4. California Santa Barbara

5. Cal State Long Beach

6. Utah State

7. Fresno State

8. California-Irvine

9. New Mexico State

10. University of The Pacific

Standouts: Gerald Paddio (Nevada-Las Vegas); Ricky Berry (San Jose State); Richard Morton (Cal State-Fullerton); Brian Shaw (California-Santa Barbara); Morton Wiley, DeAnthony Langston (Cal State-Long Beach); Kevin Nixon (Utah State); Mike Mitchell (Fresno State); Wayne Engelstad (California-Irvine).

Pacific Ten

*1. Arizona

2. Ucla

3. Stanford

4. Oregon State

5. Southern California

6. Arizona State

7. Washington State

8. Oregon

9. Washington

10.California

Standouts: Steve Kerr, Sean Elliott (Arizona); Jerome Richardson (UCLA); Todd Lichti (Stanford); Gary Payton (Oregon State); Arthur Thomas (Arizona State); Brian Quinnett (Washington State); Anthony Taylor (Oregon); Leonard Taylor (California).

Southeastern

1. Florida

*2. Kentucky

*3. Georgia

*4. Louisiana State

*5. Auburn

6. Vanderbilt

7. Tennessee

8. Alabama

9. Mississippi

10. Mississippi State

Standouts: Vernon Maxwell, Dwayne Schintzius (Florida); Rex Chapman, Winston Bennett (Kentucky); Willie Anderson, Toney Mack (Georgia); Ricky Blanton, Jose Vargas (Louisiana State); Jeff Moore, Mike Jones (Auburn); Will Perdue (Vanderbilt); Dyron Nix (Tennessee); Michael Ansley (Alabama).

Southern

*1. Marshall

2. Tennessee-Chattanooga

3. Furman

4. Davidson

5. Western Carolina

6. Appalachian State

7. Virginia Military

8. East Tennessee State

9. The Citadel

Standouts: Skip Henderson, Tom Curry (Marshall); Lance Fulse (Tennessee-Chattanooga); John Castile (Furman); Derek Rucker (Davidson); Lavelle Webster (East Tennessee State).

Southland

*1. Stephen F. Austin

2. Northeast Louisiana

3. Sam Houston

4. Mc Neese State

5. North Texas State

6. Northwestern State (Louisiana)

7. Texas-Arlington

8. Southwest Texas State

Standouts: Eric Rhodes (Stephen F. Austin); Michael Saulsberry (Northeast Louisiana); Tracy Pearson (Sam Houston State); Michael Cutright (McNeese State); Tony Worrell (North Texas State); George Jones (Northwestern State); Eliezar Gordon (Southwest Texas State).

Southwest

*1. Arkansas

*2. Baylor

3. Southern Methodist

4. Texas Tech

5. Houston

6. Texas Christian

7. Texas

8. Texas A & M

9. Rice

Standouts: Ron Huery, Andrew Lang (Arkansas); Darry! Middleton, Michael Williams (Baylor); Kato Armstrong, Carlton McKinney (Southern Methodist); Sean Gay (Texas Tech); Rolando Ferreira (Houston); Andy Gilchrist (Rice).

Southwestern

*1. Southern University

2. Grambling State

3. Alcorn State

4. Texas Southern

5. Alabama State

6. Mississippi Valley State

7. Jackson State

8. Prairie View

Standouts: Kevin Florent, Avery Johnson (Southern University); Terrell Wesley (Grambling St.); Doug Carter, Roosevelt Tate (Alcorn St.); Fred West (Texas Southern); Terry Brooks (Alabama St.); Carl Curry (Mississippi Valley St.); Reginald Jones (Prairie View).

Sun Belt

*1. Alabama Birmingham

*2. North Carolina Charlotte

3. Jacksonville

4. Virginia Commonwealth

5. Western Kentucky

6. South Alabama

7. South Florida

8. Old Dominion

Standouts: Eddie Collins (Alabama-Birmingham); Byron Dinkins, Ronnie Bellamy (North Carolina-Charlotte); Troy Mundine (Jacksonville); Phil Stinnie (Virginia Commonwealth); Brett McNeal (Western Kentucky); Jeff Hodge, Junie Lewis (South Alabama); Darrell Coleman (South Florida); Anthony Carver (Old Dominion).

Trans America

*1. Arkansas-Little Rock

2. Stetson

3. Texas-San Antonio

4. Georgia Southern

5. Houston Baptist

6. Centenary

7. Georgia State

8. Mercer

9. Sam ford

10. Hardin-Simmons

Standouts: James Dawn (Arkansas-Little Rock); Randy Anderson (Stetson); Frank Hampton (Texas-San Antonio); Jeff Sanders (Georgia Southern); Fred McNealey (Centenary); Harlen Graham (Georgia State); Rembert Martin (Samford).

West Coast Athletic

*1. Loyola Marymount

2. Pepperdine

3. St. Mary's

4. Santa Clara

5. San Francisco

6. Gonzaga

7. Portland

8. San Diego

Standouts: Mike Yoest (Loyola Marymount); Tom Lewis (Pepperdine); Robert Haugen (St. Mary's); Jens Gordon (Santa Clara); Mark McCathrion (San Francisco); Jim McPhee (Gonzaga).

Western Athletic

*1. Wyoming

*2. Brigham Young

3. New Mexico

4. Texas-El Paso

5. Utah

6. Air Force

7. Colorado State

8. Hawaii

9. San Diego State

Standouts: Fennis Dembo, Eric Leckner (Wyoming); Michael Smith, Jeff Chatman (Brigham Young); Hunter Greene (New Mexico); Chris Sandle (Texas-EI Paso); Mitch Smith (Utah); Raymond Dudley (Air Force); Pat Durham, David Turcotte (Colorado State); Chris Gaines (Hawaii); Tony Ross (San Diego State).

Independents

*1. Depaul

*2. Notre Dame

*3. Miami

4. Marquette

5. Dayton

6. Oral Roberts

7. Akron

8. Maryland-Baltimore County

9. Central Florida

10. Brooklyn

11. U.s. International

12. Northern Illinois

13. Nicholls State

14. Chicago State

15. Southeastern Louisiana

16. Central Connecticut

17. Wright State

18. Missouri Kansas City

Standouts: Rod Strickland, Kevin Edwards (DePaul); David Rivers, Mark Stevenson (Notre Dame); Tito Horford, Eric Brown (Miami): Michael Sims (Marquette); Anthony Corbitt (Dayton); Haywoode Workman (Oral Roberts); Russ Heicke (U.S. International); Rodney Davis (Northern Illinois).

*Our predictions to make the N.C.A.A. post-season tournament.