Playboy's College Basketball Preview

Sports-page headline of the future: Timberwolves Draft Shaq's Fetal Son. Agent seeks a Guaranteed Multiyear Contract. Outrageous, you say? Consider Kevin Garnett, the 6'10" wunderkind hoopster from Chicago's Farragut Academy. He attended his prom in early June and was the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round selection (fifth overall) in the NBA draft later that month. OK, so it's the nutty Timberwolves. But what about the four teams that chose ahead of them? They selected four players who had eight years of unused college eligibility among them. That's roughly 250 college games that they'll never participate in. None of these players were old enough to buy a rum and Coke in most states. Two (Joe Smith and Garnett) were just 19.

Do we blame the players? Let's see. Why was it that we went to college? For a rigorous reading of the works of Nathaniel Hawthorne? To commit the floor plan of the Tri Delta sorority house to memory? To make a lot of money? Yeah, that's the one. So who's to criticize kids for becoming millionaires before (or instead of) receiving a college degree? With the kind of dough being ladled out in salaries, never mind endorsements, the players could buy their own universities.

Without a doubt, these early defections have diminished the college game. Its brightest college stars shine for only a season or two at the most. Teams have to be built from scratch each year. Coaches recruit players for longer than they coach them. The fans have to learn a phone book of new names each season. And we prognosticators have to work just a little harder to figure out who the best players and teams will be. (And you think you have problems.)

Fortunately, America still grows the most corn and the most talented basketball players in the world. Even more than Belorussia. So while the old crop may have left before we had a chance to savor every nuance of their emerging basketball artistry, there are new peach-fuzzed faces waiting to take their places in hallowed halls, arenas and snake pits around the nation—even if for only a season or two.

Atlantic Coast

The NBA was brutal to the ACC last year. The conference lost number one pick Joe Smith from Maryland, North Carolina's Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace (numbers three and four, respectively), Duke center Cherokee Parks (number 12), Florida State's Bob Sura (number 17), Wake Forest's Randolph Childress (number 19), Georgia Tech's Travis Best (number 23) and Virginia's Cory Alexander (number 29). In all, eight first-round and two second-round picks were made, four of them underclassmen. And yet superlative players remain, and they'll be joined by an influx of talented freshmen who are ready to play now. One player who stayed in school but didn't really need to was Playboy All-America Tim Duncan from Wake Forest. Duncan, whom some pro scouts rated higher than Joe Smith, will be the premiere player in the conference—perhaps in the nation—this season. Duncan and graduated guard Childress led the Demon Deacons to their first conference title since 1962. With Duncan controlling the inside, coach Dave Odom will look to sophomore Tony Rutland to handle the ball and score from the perimeter. The backcourt will be the strength of this year's Virginia team. Harold Deane (16 points per game) and Curtis Staples, who was named to the ACC All-Freshman team last season, give the Cavaliers one of the best guard tandems in the nation. Seven foot four Chase Metheney, a medical redshirt last year, will back up 6'9" Chris Alexander at center. Despite losing Smith, Maryland figures to be another contender for the conference title. Coach Gary Williams has four returning starters, including guard Johnny Rhodes (14 ppg) and 6'8" forward Exree Hipp. The Terrapins will have a strong bench (including clutch three-point shooter Mario Lucas) and will add point guard Terrell Stokes and swingman LaRon Profit, two freshmen who will play early and often. Another freshman assured of plenty of action is Georgia Tech point guard Stephon Marbury, one of the most highly recruited players in the nation. The addition of Marbury, along with the return of Drew Barry and Matt Harpring, should make the Yellow Jackets one of the quickest teams in the nation. Dean Smith may need all his 34 years of coaching experience to put North Carolina back on top after the loss of sophomores Stackhouse and Wallace to the pros and the graduation of Donald Williams. Guard Jeff McInnis and forward Dante Calabria get to be the big Tar Heels on campus, though both are only 6'4". Smith's true big man, Serge Zwikker, has the size (7'2") but doesn't run the floor well. Because the Tar Heels are thin on talent, Smith may break his own rule against playing freshmen and give court time to Vince Carter and Antawn Jamison. Another team that doesn't have its usual depth of blue-chip talent is Duke. With Parks and Erik Meek gone, the emphasis shifts to the perimeter, where Jeff Capel, Trajan Langdon and Ricky Price will hold court. The most important returnee is coach Mike Krzyzewski, who was sidelined almost all of last season with back problems. Without the masterful touch of Coach K, the Blue Devils, a team that had made the Final Four seven of nine previous seasons, stumbled to 13-18 and won only two conference games.

Atlantic Ten

This conference confounded logic in the off-season by expanding to 12 teams but continuing to answer the phone "Atlantic Ten." These guys must have taken a math class in the Big Ten. Three of the 12 teams will be very good. Massachusetts, which made its (continued on page 160)College Basket Ball(continued from page 132) way to the Elite Eight last year, loses a couple of outstanding players but returns Playboy All-America center Marcus Camby, forwards Dana Dingle and Donta Bright and guard Edgar Padilla. Coach John Calipari and the Minute-men may have found the outside threat they need in Carmelo Travieso, who came on strong off the bench at the end of last season. Virginia Tech makes its conference debut carrying the banner of last year's National Invitational Tournament championship. Coach Bill Foster returns five starters from that 25-win squad. Ace Custis and Shawn Smith are the best of the Hokies. George Washington coach Mike Jarvis will attempt to parlay the outside skills of Kwame Evans and the emerging talent of 7'1" Alexander Koul to get the Colonials into the NCAA tournament. Temple coach John Chaney will put together another competitive team even though the Owls' talent level is down a bit. Graduated team leader Rick Brunson will be missed. St. Bonaventure has been revitalized under third-year coach Jim Baron. Tiny guard Shandue McNeill (5'7") is a ball-handling ace. Skip Prosser inherits a tough situation at Xavier. The Musketeers won the MCC regular-season title under former coach Pete Gillen, but four of five starters graduated. And Xavier faces much tougher opponents in the Atlantic Ten.

Big East

The fiercely competitive Big East gets bigger as Notre Dame, West Virginia and Rutgers expand the conference to 13 teams. There's no divisional split, so the climb from the bottom of this conference is a long one, as the inductees will discover. Notre Dame coach John MacLeod is concerned about his team's ability to physically match up with board-crashing conference opponents. Coach Gale Catlett thinks his West Virginia team has already gained recruiting benefits from its new conference affiliation. Meanwhile, Villanova and Connecticut will be butting heads at the top of the conference. The Wildcats return Big East player of the year Kerry Kittles, a Playboy All-America. Kittles shoots the three, is great in transition and is an outstanding defensive player. Coach Steve Lappas also likes Villanova's inside game, where 6'11" junior center Jason Lawson is bolstered by 6'9" forward Chuck Kornegay. U Conn's go-to man is Playboy All-America Ray Allen. Israeli-born Doron Sheffer runs the Huskies offense from his guard spot for coach Jim Calhoun. Georgetown is another Big East contender, primarily because of superstar guard Allen Iverson, a Playboy All-America. Othella Harrington gives the Hoyas experience and talent in the paint. Coach John Thompson has high expectations for transfer Godwin Owinje, a 6'8" forward who averaged almost 25 points and 16 rebounds per game in junior college. St. John's had the talent but not enough experience to get over the .500 hump last year. Highly touted guard Felipe Lopez overcame inconsistent play in the early season to lead the Redstorm in scoring with a 17.8 ppg average. Coach Brian Mahoney thinks Lopez will only improve, and he's optimistic about the future of 6'11" sophomore center Zendon Hamilton. Syracuse is comfortably tucked in behind the front-runners in the Big East preseason derby, a position 19-year coach Jim Boeheim likes. Forward John Wallace, who opted for the NBA draft but withdrew, returns and will be Boeheim's primary scorer. But the coach expects this team to succeed on overall balance and athleticism. Seton Hall coach George Blaney thinks he has the horses to play the up-tempo style he prefers. "Now we have enough quality players to run some truly competitive practices," says the second-year coach, "and that's how you improve." The Pirates' point guard is Danny Hurley, younger brother of former Duke standout Bobby. Pete Gillen expects to turn Providence up-tempo as well with the recruitment of freshman point guard Shammgod Wells. An influx of freshmen and junior college transfers means that the team may struggle early but could coalesce by season's end. Juco transfers are the key for Miami as well. Kenny Davis and Clifton Clark arrive with impressive credentials. Pittsburgh's season hinges on the successful return of guard Jerry McCullough, out last year with a knee injury. Coach Ralph Willard likes the looks of his freshmen, provided that they will remain academically eligible. Boston College has terrific forward Danya Abrams (22.1 ppg), but he's not enough to lead his team out of the bottom half of the conference.

Big Eight

The Kansas Jayhawks are poised to win another Big Eight title (they've won or shared four of the past five) and make a serious run at the national championship. The strength of this year's team lies in the backcourt, where Playboy Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Jacque Vaughn teams with hot shooter Jerod Haase. Raef LaFrentz, a 6'11" forward, returns after living up to last year's preseason hype and winning the conference freshman of the year award. With center Greg Ostertag now in the NBA, coach Roy Williams is concerned about rebounding and defensive play in the paint. "Some people took Ostertag for granted," says the coach. "We'll miss him." Six foot ten Scot Pollard will attempt to allay Williams' concerns. Oklahoma and Missouri will fight for second place. Sooner coach Kelvin Sampson has designed his offense around Playboy All-America Ryan Minor. Ernie Abercrombie and Dion Barnes are experienced returning players. Missouri coach Norm Stewart likes the Tigers' blend of size and quickness this season. Twin towers Sammie and Simeon Haley are 7'1" and 7', respectively. Julian Winfield is steady at the guard position. The Tigers get a bonus with the return of 1994 Big Eight freshman of the year Kelly Thames, who missed last season with a knee injury. Nebraska tries to bounce back from a disappointing season that saw the team miss the NCAA tournament. Coach Danny Nee returns four starters, including senior guards Jaron Boone and Erick Strickland. Bernard Garner, junior college player of the year last season, should provide immediate help in the frontcourt. Oklahoma State, last year's surprise team in the Final Four, must regroup after losing Bryant "Big Country" Reeves and Randy Rutherford to graduation. Coach Eddie Sutton has some promising talent, including guard Andre Owens, that might come together by season's end.

Big Ten

Balance and youth will characterize the Big Ten again this year. And while there may not be any superstars this season, there are several in the making. Four teams have an even shot at the conference title, but we give the nod (by the thinnest of margins) to Michigan, based on potential alone. The Fab Five may be gone, but coach Steve Fisher's recruits could turn out to be nearly as good. Maurice Taylor (Big Ten freshman of the year), Maceo Baston and Jerod Ward are 6'9" sophomores who should benefit from a year's experience. Michigan's man in the middle will be Robert Traylor, a 6'9", 290-pound freshman with soft hands and quick feet. Freshman guard Louis Bullock could give the Wolverines the outside shooting they lacked last year. Iowa returns four starters, including Jess Settles and Chris Kingsbury, two talented and intense juniors. Kingsbury, who led the Hawkeyes in scoring and set school records for three-pointers made and attempted, has never met a shot he didn't like. Senior Kenyon Murray gives coach Tom Davis an experienced floor leader while 6'11" freshman Guy Rucker could fill the big-man role in the middle. Indiana also returns four starters, losing only Alan Henderson to graduation and the NBA. Sherron Wilkerson, who missed last season with a broken leg, rejoins the team. Brian Evans (17.4 ppg) and Andrae Patterson will be backed up by three juco transfers. The last junior college players Bob Knight recruited were Keith Smart and Dean Garrett, who helped the Hoosiers to the 1987 national championship. Although Knight has more trophies and gets more ink, there isn't a better coach in the Big Ten than Purdue's Gene Keady, master scowler and maximizer of talent. Keady managed to push the Boilermakers to the Big Ten title last season despite losing national player of the year Glenn Robinson to the pros. Keady's keys to success are defense and depth. Purdue regularly played ten players last season and outscored the opponent's bench in 25 of 32 games. Illinois may have the conference's best backcourt in Kiwane Garris (15.9 ppg) and three-point ace Richard Keene. Now the Illini need some of their talented young frontcourt players to come through. Coach Lou Henson expects sophomores Jerry Gee (6'8") and Brett Robisch (6'11") to answer the call. Freshman forward Ryan Blackwell could crack the starting lineup this year. Michigan State has to fill the backcourt spots vacated by graduates Shawn Respert and Eric Snow. Tom Izzo has an even bigger void to fill as he takes over as coach for retired Jud Heathcote. New Penn State coach Jerry Dunn expects 6'11" freshman center Calvin Booth to have an immediate impact on the defensive end of the court. Dunn replaces Bruce Parkhill, a victim of coaching burnout.

Big West

The latest scandal in college basketball involves players who become eligible to play on the Division I level through the sometimes mysterious and even nefarious method of the junior college transfer. Credits by mail, open-book "practice tests," phantom test takers and circulated answer sheets all figure in the duplicity that is likely to ensnare a number of college programs which rely on recruiting the juco circuit. Few conferences will feel the effect of the scandal more than the Big West, which has long relied on juco transfer talent. Rumors abound that New Mexico State, already under an NCAA investigation, may be headed for severe penalties. First-year UNLV coach Bill Bayno has three junior college transfers penciled into his starting lineup. In fact, every team in the conference plans to supplement returning talent with juco transfers who will be long-departed from college by the time the NCAA comes to grips with the problem. In the meantime, Utah State will ride Eric Franson, 1994–1995 conference player of the year, to another winning season. James Cotton, who returns after sitting out on an injury redshirt, should help Long Beach State to another 20-win campaign. The 49ers were the Big West tourney champ and NCAA tournament entry last year. Two-guard Brian Green (15.1 ppg) and forward Faron Hand will put the teeth in the Nevada Wolf Pack attack this year.

Colonial

When Odell Hodge, 1994 conference player of the year, went down in the fourth game of the season, you would have expected Old Dominion to falter. Instead, the Monarchs, led by the three-point shooting of Petey Sessoms, won the conference title and beat Villanova in the NCAA tournament before being ousted by Tulsa. Sessoms has graduated, but Hodge is back. Coach Jeff Capel will send 6'6" transfer Joe Bunn and 6'10" freshman Reggie Bassette into the fray. ODU will get a strong challenge from Virginia Commonwealth, which moves to the Colonial from the Metro this season. VCU's frontcourt trio—Bernard Hopkins, George Byrd and John Smith—is nicknamed "the Earth-movers" because they weigh in at 250, 265 and 270, respectively. Second-year coach Jerry Wainwright will try to build on last season's 16–11 success at North Carolina-Wilmington. The Seahawks may start three freshmen. At James Madison, coach Lefty Driesell must replace graduated top scorers Louis Rowe and Kent Culuko. Joe Dooley, who replaces Eddie Payne at East Carolina, is the youngest coach in Division I men's basketball, at the age of 29.

Conference USA

Combining the most powerful teams from the now-defunct Metro and Great Midwest, the new Conference USA promises to be one of the best basketball leagues in the nation. Made up of 11 teams (12 next year with the addition of Houston), Conference USA could place five members in the top 25 this season. Memphis returns everyone except NBA-bound David Vaughn. Center Lorenzen Wright (14.8 ppg) made an immediate impact in his freshman season, showing strong skills inside and running the floor well for a big man (he's 6'11"). The Tigers guard rotation is quick and deep with point man Chris Garner, scorer Mingo Johnson and LaMarcus Golden off the bench. Forward Michael Wilson is one of the great leapers in the nation. Denny Crum will celebrate his silver anniversary season at Louisville with a talented roster. His fledgling Cardinals won 19 games last year even though two juniors were his oldest players. Best of the returnees is guard DeJuan Wheat (16.5 ppg), who had 84 three-pointers last year, and center-forward Samaki Walker, the Metro freshman of the year last season. The NBA pitched Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins hard in the off-season. Huggins considered a move, then signed a new long-term contract with the Bearcats. As usual, Huggins-coached Cincinnati will be formidable. Danny Fortson is coming off a great freshman season in which he averaged 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds. Pivot man Art Long and guard Damon Flint, who was hobbled toward the end of last season with foot injuries, are also back. Coach Perry Clark thinks he may have the best team in his seven-year tenure at Tulane. Forward Jerald Honeycutt, who led the Metro in scoring (17.3 ppg) returns, along with Rayshard Allen (16.4 ppg). Tennessee transfer (continued on page 171)College Basketball(continued from page 164) Shun Sheffield gives the Green Wave the center it lacked last year. Newcomers Keith Harris, Patrick Lewis and Derrick Moore will strengthen Tulane's outside game and provide Clark with a nine-man rotation. Marquette returns everyone except guard Tony Miller from its NIT-runner-up squad. Second-year coach Mike Deane expects his team to maintain the defensive pressure (the Golden Eagles were second in the nation in field goal-percentage defense) and rain threes from an up-tempo offense. Aaron Hutchins will replace Miller at point, while Mike Bargen could break into the starting lineup as a freshman. Alabama-Birmingham can contend if forward Carlos Williams has recovered from a knee injury. Junior college recruits Marcus Norwood and Norman Williams strengthen the Blazers' frontline. North Carolina-Charlotte will miss graduated Metro player of the year Jarvis Lang. Juco transfer Alexander Kuehl (7'2") gives coach Jeff Mullins the tallest player in the conference. St. Louis coach Charlie Spoonhour is scrambling to fill holes after the graduation of Erwin Claggett and three other starters. Says the undaunted Spoon: "I've found that sometimes it's easier to bring in a whole new bunch than try to blend one or two new guys with a team that is set in its ways."

Ivy League

Good news for the other guys in the Ivy: Pennsylvania graduated all five starters, including Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney to the NBA, offering hope that the streaking Quakers—who have won 43 straight conference games and three consecutive league titles—may finally be stopped. The bad news: Penn's subs, especially forward Ira Bowman and center Tim Krug, may be better than everyone else's starters. Three teams, however, have a shot at breaking the Penn title monopoly. Princeton coach Pete Carril at least remembers what winning the Ivy feels like. He's done it ten times in a career that spans 29 years and more than 500 victories. The Tigers return all five starters, but they must improve their shooting to make Carril's control offense work. Brown coach Frank Dobbs thinks his team will be significantly better than its .500 showing of last season. The Bears' strength is in the backcourt, with Eric Blackiston and Brian Lloyd returning for their senior seasons. Dartmouth, which finished a distant second to Penn last season, returns outside threat Sea Lonergan and 7' inside threat Brian Gilpin. Freshman shooting guard Jason Neeser could be an important addition for the Big Green.

Mid-American

Miami is ready to build on last year's 23–7 success, which included a conference championship (16–2) and a first-round upset of Arizona in the NCAA tournament. Forward Devin Davis brings his 16.9-ppg average and dreadlocks back for his junior season. Second-year coach Herb Sendek must replace leading rebounder Jamie Mahaffey and stellar defender Derrick Cross, both lost to graduation. Ball State earned a trip to the NCAA tournament last year thanks largely to MAC freshman of the year Bonzi Wells (15.8 ppg). The return of fellow guard Marcus Norris gives BSU the best backcourt in the conference. The long and short of it at Eastern Michigan is 6'9" center Theron Wilson, a ferocious shot blocker, and 5'5" guard Earl Boykins, whom coach Ben Braun describes as "the real deal." Ohio tries to adjust to life without star center Gary Trent, who went to the NBA after his junior season.

MidWestern

Xavier, last year's MCC champ, has moved to the Atlantic Ten conference. Longtime Wisconsin-Green Bay coach Dick Bennett has stepped up to the head coaching job at Wisconsin. Former assistant Mike Heideman replaces Bennett, who led the Phoenix to several memorable NCAA tournament appearances. Heideman inherits a solid nucleus from last season's 22-win team, including forward-center Jeff Nordgaard. Ralph Underhill may have the best team in his 17-year tenure at Wright State. Vitaly Potapenko (6'10"), from Ukraine, was conference newcomer of the year last season. Transfers Donyale Bush, Yann Barbitch and Derek Molis improve the outlook at Loyola-Chicago. Likewise, Michigan transfer Leon Derricks will bolster Detroit after the Titans finished a disappointing 13-15 last year. Butler will improve as quickly as 7'2" center Rolf van Rijn, a Netherlands import whose basketball career began just five years ago. Illinois-Chicago will find the road a bit bumpy with the loss of Sherell Ford to the NBA. Wisconsin-Milwaukee has flashy Shannon Smith (24.5 ppg) but not much else.

Missouri Valley

Former Kansas assistant Steve Robinson takes over for Tubby Smith as head coach at Tulsa. He inherits the best player in the conference in 6'5" junior guard Shea Seals (18.8 ppg), who gets our bestplayer-you've-never-heard-of award this year. Robinson will also enjoy working with 6'11" frontcourt players Rafael Maldonado and Ray Poindexter. Tulsa will get stiff competition from Bradley, a 20-game winner last year that has all five of its starters returning. Coach Jim Molinari likes his team's experience and balance, along with the three-point shooting of Aaron Zobrist. Illinois State must replace point guard David Cason, who led the conference in assists each of the past two seasons. Sophomore Jamar Smiley gets the call from second-year coach Kevin Stallings, who coaxed 20 wins from the Redbirds last year. Keep an eye on Drake's Lynnrick Rogers. The flashy junior guard averaged 18.1 points per game last season.

Pacific Ten

The Pac Ten was the nation's toughest conference last year: It produced national champ UCLA, put five teams into the NCAA tournament (combined 9–4 record) and beat up on top 25 non-league competition (14–3). The Bruins may have lost too much—including national player of the year Ed O'Bannon and guard Tyus Edney to graduation and the NBA—to go back-to-back, but they are still brimming with talent. Now it's time for Ed's younger brother, Charles, a Playboy All-America, to step into the limelight. Toby Bailey, who sparkled as a freshman in the Bruins' championship drive, must now lead instead of complement. Coach Jim Harrick needs strong play from sophomore center omm'A Givens and 6'10" freshman recruit Jelani McCoy. California is ready to jell under third-year coach Todd Bozeman. Tremaine Fowlkes and Jelani Gardner are double-digit scorers. Bozeman scored a recruiting coup by signing 6'9" freshman forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, rated one of the top five prospects in the nation. Two less heralded teams, Stanford and Washington State, could surprise. The Cardinal has one of the best backcourts in the nation in Dion Cross (16.8 ppg) and Brevin Knight (16.6 ppg). Seven foot one Tim Young will improve on a promising freshman season. Starting forwards Andy Poppink and Darren Allaway also return. Washington State returns all five starters. Guard Isaac Fontaine (18.5 ppg) is the Pac Ten's top returning scorer, while 6'9" Mark Hendrickson hits the boards and the three-pointer. Perennial conference power Arizona must settle on replacements for guard Damon Stoudamire, last season's conference scoring leader, and all-conference forward Ray Owes. Senior guard Reggie Geary and forward Ben Davis, a juco transfer who got off to a slow start last season, are key to the Wildcats' conference-title hopes. Mario Bennett bailed from Arizona State to try the NBA, and the improving Ron Riley attempts to fill the hole. The Sun Devils will be forced to play without a true center. Charlie Parker, who served as interim head coach at USC last year after George Raveling retired, has lost the "interim" in his title. Jaha Wilson, the conference's leading rebounder last year, and 6'11" Avondre Jones, who sat out a year in junior college, should make the Trojans a formidable force on the boards.

Southeastern

Eastern Division

Basketball pop quiz: What do you get when you combine a roster full of phenomenally talented players with one of the best coaches in college basketball? Answer: the Kentucky Wildcats, our pick for this season's national champion. Rick Pitino has the best cast of his six-year stint in Lexington, a tenure that has already yielded a 150—43 record. The talent is so deep that Pitino actually considered putting together a junior varsity team of players from the far end of his bench. The problem was finding anyone who could give them a game. To list the stars of the Wildcats, start with guard Tony Delk (16.7 ppg) and quickly add the names of guards Derek Anderson and Jeff Sheppard, forwards Antoine Walker and Walter McCarty and 6'10" center Mark Pope. As if this embarrassment of riches weren't enough, Pitino added recruits Ron Mercer, the Naismith Award winner as the top high school player in the nation last year, and 6'7" point guard Wayne Turner. One of last season's stars, Rodrick Rhodes, discovered the depth of Kentucky's talent when he attempted to return to the Wildcats after toying with the NBA draft, only to discover that his spot on the roster had been filled. Rhodes subsequently transferred to Southern Cal. Good depth at the point, substantial talent in the paint, Pitino's full-court pressure defense and a ten-man rotation make the Wildcats this year's team to beat. You would think that an 18-win season in his 17th year as coach would be enough to keep Hugh Durham in his job at Georgia. However, the winds of change have blown Durham out and former Tulsa coach Tubby Smith in as the Georgia faithful cry for something more substantial than an NIT invitation. Smith inherits solid talent, led by 6'8" forward Carlos Strong and three other returning starters. Terrell Bell replaces Charles Claxton at center. Smith will make the Bulldogs run because that's his style and because he needs to cover Georgia's lack of strength inside. We predicted that Florida would have a difficult time putting Cinderella seasons back-to-back, and in this instance, at least, we were right. The Gators stumbled to 17-13 and a first-round NCAA loss to Iowa State after their Final Four appearance in 1994. Coach Lon Kruger still has Dametri "Da Meat Hook" Hill inside, but team leaders Dan Cross and Andrew DeClercq have graduated. Freshman point guard Eddie Shannon must fulfill his promise quickly if the Gators hope to contend. At South Carolina, coach Eddie Fogler also needs quick results from guard B.J. McKie and 6'10" center Leonard Johnson, both highly touted recruits. Coach Kevin O'Neill calls his Tennessee team a work in progress as he enters his second season. Seven freshmen join four returning starters, the best of whom is center Steve Hamer (15 ppg). Vanderbilt rebuilds after the graduation of its leading scorer (Ronnie McMahan), rebounder (Bryan Milburn) and shot blocker (Chris Woods). Guard Frank Seckar is the Commodores' best player.

Western Division

The most surprising thing about Arkansas last year was not that the Razorbacks failed to repeat as national champs after returning the bulk of the 1994 team. It was that they got to that final game in Seattle at all. Despite Corliss Williamson, Scotty Thurman, Corey Beck and a fine supporting cast, despite 32 wins and despite a run in the tournament that got the Hogs to another championship game, Arkansas never quite got in synch, losing to teams it shouldn't have lost to, sometimes on its home floor. Now all the familiar names are gone—Thurman and Williamson a year early—and coach Nolan Richardson has to rebuild. But he won't be without tools. Back are Darnell Robinson and Lee Wilson, who contributed regularly off the bench last year. Richardson has a stellar recruiting class that includes junior college talents Jesse Pate and Antwon Hail, and he will replace his departed marquee talent with hard work and plenty of pressure defense. Mississippi State hopes to repeat last year's success. The Bulldogs finished in a Western Division tie with Arkansas at 12-4 and got to the third round of the Big Dance before losing to eventual champ UCLA. Three starters from that team are gone, but Playboy All-America Erick Dampier, one of the most physically impressive and rapidly improving players in the nation, returns along with sharpshooting guard Darryl Wilson. Coach Richard Williams thinks juco transfer Dontaé Jones has NBA potential. Coach Cliff Ellis managed to change Auburn's hoops atmosphere for the better in his first season. The Tigers finished a surprising 16–13 and return all five starters. The addition of freshman Derek Cald-well, cousin of Chuck and Wesley Person, and Enoch Davis, the second leading junior college scorer last year (32.1 ppg), can't hurt. Louisiana State coach Dale Brown has the best pair of guards in college ball if he can get them on the floor at the same time. For the second year in a row, Randy Livingston, one of the country's great backcourt talents, suffered a season-ending injury. Livingston should return this year. Whether he can regain top form is still a question. There is an answer at the other guard spot in Playboy All-America Ronnie Henderson, the SEC's leading scorer last season (23.3 ppg). Big Misha Mutardzic (6'11") plays the post, but Brown's Tigers don't appear to have enough talent up front. With Antonio McDyess' departure to the NBA after his sophomore season and the graduation of the remainder of its skilled inside players, traditionally muscle-bound Alabama will shift the emphasis to running and perimeter shooting.

SouthWest

This conference is headed for the scrap heap next season, but the member teams won't go without a fight. Texas Tech, which lost the conference tourney championship in O.T. to Texas, is the most improved. Forward Jason Sasser (20.1 ppg) returns along with two other starters, and coach James Dickey has landed Texas high school player of the year Stanley Bonewitz. Texas coach Tom Penders may have lost four starters from last season's 23-win team, but he thinks his recruiting class is the best in his seven years in Austin: "This class will enable us to go into the Big Twelve running." Freshman guards Kris Clack and Titus Warmsley have a chance to start. Billy Tubbs turned things around in his first year as coach at Texas Christian. The Horned Frogs, 7–20 the previous season, led the nation in scoring (93.7 ppg) and finished a respectable 16–11. Tubbs loses Southwest player of the year Kurt Thomas but gets back shooting guard Juan Bragg (15.6 ppg). Houston can challenge if junior college transfer Lonzell Gowdy does the job at point. Tim Moore (20.1 ppg) is coach Alvin Brooks' go-to man. Rice returns four starters, three of whom are underclassmen. Watch out for the Owls next season when transfers Bobby Crawford (Michigan) and Jarvis Kelly (Arizona) become eligible.

West Coast

The train came off the tracks for Santa Clara last season after a sparkling 21–4 start that had the Broncos on the verge of cracking the top 25. They lost their final regular-season conference game and then were unceremoniously dumped by eighth-seed Loyola Mary-mount in the WCC tournament. The Broncos still managed a ticket to the Big Dance but couldn't get by Mississippi State in the first round. Coach Dick Davey's team has a chance to learn from its mistakes as all five starters return, including guard Steve Nash (20.9 ppg). Santa Clara will win the WCC and be a more formidable threat in the NCAA tournament this time around. Saint Mary's returns four starters from last season's 18-win squad. The Gaels lack a superstar but can rely on team balance and strong rebounding. Loyola Mary-mount center Ime Oduok, a 6'8" 250-pounder from Nigeria who has played basketball for only five years, is getting a long look from pro scouts. Gonzaga, which came from nowhere to win the conference tournament last year, will have to do without deadeye shooting guard John Rillie, who graduated. With the loss of its two leading scorers and rebounders, Portland has to rebuild after enjoying its first winning season in 13 years.

Western Athletic

Utah's Rick Majerus lost no time in molding a gawky bunch of sophomores into a winning team last season. The Utes opened with a Maui Invitational win over Indiana and never looked back during a 28-win season that brought both the WAC regular-season and tournament crowns. Led by Majerus, Playboy All-America Keith Van Horn and 6'5" guard Brandon Jessie, Utah looks like a lock to repeat. Controversial Jerry Tarkanian makes his return to college basketball at alma mater Fresno State. Chewing his way through towels, the opposition and battles with the NCAA, Tarkanian promises to install the same run-and-gun style that brought UNLV fame, fortune and an NCAA championship. The announcement of Tarkanian's hiring sent college coaches scurrying to make certain they hadn't lost their high-profile recruits. Tarkanian is a legendary recruiter, especially on the playgrounds. He scored a late-arrival coup by signing 6'8" Terrance Roberson and juco transfer Kendric Brooks. Tarkanian will have the Bulldogs running faster and jumping higher than ever before. Colorado State returns all five starters, including agile guard David Evans and 6'10" center Joe Vogel. San Diego State second-year coach Frank Trenkle landed a strong recruiting class led by guards Shomario Richard and Raymond "Circus" King. Two of BYU's frontline players, 6'10" Bret Jepsen and point guard Robbie Reid, shipped out on two-year Mormon missions. Coach Roger Reid has another son, Randy, to plug in at point but no big man to fill in for Jepsen.

Others

Here's a fast-break look at the remainder of the conferences. American West: Southern Utah will be likely to repeat in this diminutive conference because of guard Reggie Ingram. The Thunder-birds were the top three-point–shooting team in Division IA last season. Big Sky: Montana State, Montana and Weber State, all 21-game winners last season, should again battle for the conference crown this year. Give the nod to Montana State because of four returning starters, good team balance and the addition of a couple of strong junior college players. Big South: Liberty, North Carolina Greensboro and Charleston Southern are the teams to beat. Liberty may have the inside edge because of returning center Peter Aluma (15.7 ppg) and the fact that it hosts the conference tournament. Metro Atlantic: Manhattan would love to repeat last season's success, when it won 26 games, gained the first at-large bid for the conference and knocked off Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Coach Fran Fraschilla returns four starters, including emerging star Heshimu Evans. Mid-Continent: Valparaiso is a likely repeat champion with 6'10" Chris Ensminger, a force on the boards, and three-point ace Bryce Drew returning from last season. Missouri–Kansas City suffered so many injuries last season that coach Lee Hunt threatened to take an ambulance on the road. Rick Muller and Travis Salmon, both medical red-shirts, return, as does leading scorer Darecko Rawlins. Youngstown State, which had its first winning season in nine years, is strong enough to stay on the right side of .500. Mid-Eastern: South Carolina State is ready for a turn at the top of the MEAC. The Bulldogs return all five starters and add Roderick Blakney, who was a Proposition 48 casualty last year. Coppin State and North Carolina A&T will provide the stiffest competition. North Atlantic: Two-time conference champion Drexel returns four starters, including conference player of the year Malik Rose. The Dragons will be challenged by Boston University, which adds Duke transfer Joey Beard to a quartet of returning starters that includes 6'7" junior forward Tunji Awojobi (19.8 ppg). Northeast: The return of forward-guard combo Charles Smith (19.8 ppg) and Deon Hames (16.7 ppg) figures to give Rider enough firepower to unseat Mount St. Mary, last season's conference tourney champ. Ohio Valley: Murray State will edge Tennessee State behind the point production of guard Marcus Brown (22.4 ppg) and forward Vincent Rainey (18.8 ppg). Austin Peay's Charles "Bubba" Wells, who enjoyed a sensational sophomore season last year (19.3 ppg), is reportedly healthy after suffering a stress fracture in his right leg in the OVC championship game. Patriot: It will be a battle between budding superstar (Colgate's Adonal Foyle) and team balance (Bucknell's five returning starters). Foyle played up to expectations in his rookie season last year by averaging 17 points per game, leading the league in rebounding (12.4 rpg) and recording an amazing 147 blocked shots. Only Shawn Bradley and Alonzo Mourning blocked more shots as freshmen. Southern: Tennessee—Chattanooga will be gunning for its fourth consecutive bid to the NCAA tournament, but coach Mack McCarthy will have to find replacements for all-conference forwards Brandon Born and Mario Hanson. Marshall coach Billy Donovan (the same Billy Donovan who hit all those three-pointers at Providence for Rick Pitino) will put a strong team on the floor despite losing five starters from his debut-season squad of last year. Georgia Southern brought over former Alabama assistant Gregg Polinsky as head coach when Frank Kerns resigned after charges of academic fraud were brought in November 1994. Southland: Two junior college transfers, John Stokes and Anthony Cook, should boost Northeast Louisiana to the top of the Southland standings. Texas-San Antonio returns four starters and welcomes new coach Tim Carter. The most improved team in the Southland conference may be Texas-Arlington. The Mavericks, who won only ten games last season, added four strong juco players, including Shon Johnson, who averaged 27.3 points per game. Southwestern: Texas Southern will use the outside scoring touch of guard Kevin Granger (19.7 ppg) and the size of sophomore center Thomas Dodd (6'10") to successfully defend its conference championship against challengers Mississippi Valley State and Alabama State. The addition of Trent Pulliam, who averaged 25 points and 17 rebounds per game in high school, should pull Jackson State into contention as well. Sun Belt: Western Kentucky will attempt to repeat as champ but will be challenged by a revived Arkansas-Little Rock under second-year coach Wimp Sanderson. At New Orleans, Tic Price posted the best record (20–11) of any first-year Division I coach. The one-two punch of Artemus McClary (20.5 ppg) and Jerome Malloy (14.3 ppg) should give Jacksonville an opportunity to challenge as well. Trans America: Samford and Stetson may manage to interfere with Charleston's plans to chew up the TAAC again this season. Guard Joey Davenport is the most important cog in Samford's wheel of hoops fortune. Stetson's Kerry Blackshear will break his school's all-time scoring record. Charleston's biggest gun is Thaddeous Delaney.

Playboy's Top 25

Possible Breakthroughs: Stanford, Auburn, Washington State, George Washington, Virginia Tech, Santa Clara, North Carolina, St. John's, Syracuse, Marquette, Tulsa, Arizona, LSU, Texas Tech, Texas. For a complete conference-by-conference prediction of final standings, see pages 172-173.

Georgetown is another Big East contender, primarily because of Allen Iverson, a Playboy All-America.

The Playboy all-Americas

Playboy's College Basketball Coach of the Year is Jim Harrick of UCLA. The Bruins won last season's national championship, their first since 1975. Harrick's first seven years at UCLA have been the most successful of any Bruins coach. (Yes, including the Wizard himself, John Wooden.) In that time, his teams have won 20 or more games each season and participated in every NCAA tournament. Before coming to UCLA, Harrick coached Pepperdine to five consecutive West Coast conference titles.

Allen Iverson—Guard, 6'1", sophomore, Georgetown. UPI rookie of the year, Big East rookie and defensive player of the year. Led Big East in steals (3.6 per game) and Hoyas in scoring (20.4 points per game).

Charles O'Bannon—Guard, 6'6", junior, UCLA. Integral part of the Bruins' national championship team. Shot .554 from floor. Averaged 13.6 ppg.

Ronnie Henderson—Guard, 6'5", junior, Louisiana State. Led SEC in scoring last season with 23.3-ppg average.

Kerry Kittles—Guard, 6'5", senior, Villanova. Big East player of the year. Big East tournament MVP. Averaged 21.4 ppg and 6.1 rebounds per game.

Ray Allen—Forward, 6'5", junior, Connecticut. First player in UConn history to pass 1000-point mark as a sophomore. Averaged 21.1 ppg and shot 43.2 percent from three-point line.

Keith Van Horn—Forward, 6'9", junior, Utah. WAC player of the year. Led Utes in scoring (21 ppg) and rebounding (8.5 rpg).

Ryan Minor—Forward, 6'7", senior, Oklahoma. Led team in scoring (23.6 ppg), rebounding (8.4 rpg), three-point conversions (66) and free-throw shooting.

Marcus Camby—Forward, 6'11", junior, Massachusetts. In his first year he was only the fifth freshman in NCAA history to block more than 100 shots. Has 208 career blocks.

Erick Dampier—Center, 6'11", junior, Mississippi State. Two-time All-SEC. Averaged 9.7 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game. Ranked fourth in nation in field goal percentage (64).

Tim Duncan—Center, 6'10", junior, Wake Forest. Named national defensive player of the year by National Association of Basketball Coaches. Led the ACC in rebounding (12.5 rpg) and blocked shots (4.2 pg). Had 259 rejections in just two seasons.

Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete

The Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award recognizes achievement both in the classroom and on the basketball court. Nominated by their universities, the candidates are judged on their scholastic and athletic accomplishments by the editors of Playboy. The award winner attends Playboy's preseason All-America Weekend (held this year in Chicago), 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 school.

This year's Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award in basketball goes to Jacque Vaughn from the University of Kansas. Last year, this 6'1" junior guard was first-team All Big Eight, third-team UPI All-American and one of 15 finalists for the John Wooden Player of the Year Award. He led the Big Eight and was fourth nationally in assists with a 7.7 per-game average. Vaughn is a three-time Jayhawk Scholar, a two-time Academic All Big Eight and has won the Big Eight Conference Classroom Champion Award. His major is business administration, and his overall GPA is 3.78.

Honorable mentions: Aljay Foreman (Centenary), Mark Pope (Kentucky), Jess Settles (Iowa), Chris Miskel (Butler), Doug Brandt (Baylor), Bobby Kummer (North Carolina-Charlotte), Nico Harrison (Montana State), Jason Glock (Nebraska), Rolf Melis (North Carolina-Asheville), Jerod Haase (Kansas), Pat Garrity (Notre Dame), Eric Franson (Utah State), Alex Kohnen (Navy), Frank Seckar (Vanderbilt), Jeff Jacobs (Texas Christian), Anthony Boone (Mississippi), Michael Jones (Southern Mississippi), Micah Marsh (Arkansas State), David Kutcher (Western Illinois), Quinn Harwood (Davidson), Terry Preston (Utah), Darryl Franklin (American).

Princeton Coach Pete Carril at least remembers what winning the Ivy feels like. He's done it ten times.

Playboy's 1996 College Basketball Predictions

American West

1. Southern Utah

2. California State–Northridge

3. California State–Sacramento

4. California Polysan Luis Obispo

Standouts: Reggie Ingram, Daryl Christopher (Southern Utah State); Michael Dorsley (California State-North-ridge); Abie Ramirez, David Victor (California State-Sacramento); Damien Levesque (California Poly-San Luis Obispo).

Atlantic Coast

*1. Wake Forest

*2. Virginia

*3. Maryland

*4. Georgia Tech

*5. North Carolina

6. Duke

7. Florida State

8. North Carolina State

9. Clemson

Standouts: Tim Duncan (Wake Forest); Harold Deane, Curtis Staples (Virginia); Exree Hipp, Keith Booth, Johnny Rhodes (Maryland); Drew Barry, Matt Harpring (Georgia Tech); Jeff McInnis, Dante Calabria (North Carolina); Jeff Capel, Ricky Price, Trajan Langdon (Duke); James Collins, Corey Louis (Florida State); Todd Fuller (North Carolina State).

Atlantic Ten

*1. Massachusetts

*2. Virginia Tech

*3. George Washington

4. Temple

5. St. Bonaventure

6. Xavier

7. Duquesne

8. St. Joseph's

9. Rhode Island

10. La Salle

11. Dayton

12. Fordham

Standouts: Marcus Camby, Donta Bright, Dana Dingle (Massachusetts); Ace Custis, Shawn Smith, Shawn Good (Virginia Tech); Kwame Evans, Alexander Koul (George Washington); Johnny Miller, Jason Ivey (Temple); Shandue McNeill (St. Bonaventure); T.J. Johnson (Xavier); Tom Pipkins, Kevin Price (Duquesne); Mark Bass, Reggie Town-send (St. Joseph's); Tyson Wheeler, Cuttino Mobley (Rhode Island); Romaine Haywood (La Salle); David Mascia (Fordham).

Big East

*1. Villanova

*2. Connecticut

*3. Georgetown

*4. St. John's

*5. Syracuse

6. Seton Hall

7. Providence

8. Miami

9. Pittsburgh

10. Boston College

11. West Virginia

12. Notre Dame

13. Rutgers

Standouts: Kerry Kittles, Jason Lawson, Eric Eberz (Villanova); Ray Allen, Doron Sheffer (Connecticut); Allen Iversen, Othella Harrington (Georgetown); Felipe Lopez, Zendon Hamilton, Charles Minlend (St. John's); John Wallace (Syracuse); Adrian Griffin, Danny Hurley (Saton Hall); Austin Croshere, Michael Brown (Providence); Steven Edwards, Steve Rich (Miami); Jerry McCullough (Pittsburgh); Danya Abrams (Boston College); Damian Owens, Seldon Jefferson (West Virginia); Pat Garrity, Ryan Hoover (Notre Dame); Albert Karner, Andrew Kolbasovsky (Rutgers).

Big Eight

*1. Kansas

*2. Oklahoma

*3. Missouri

*4. Nebraska

5. Oklahoma State

6. Kansas State

7. Iowa State

8. Colorado

Standouts: Jacque Vaughn, Raef LaFrentz, Jerod Haase (Kansas); Ryan Minor, Ernie Abercrombie, Dion Barnes (Oklahoma); Julian Winfield, Kelly Thames, Sammie Haley (Missouri); Jaron Boone, Erick Strickland (Nebraska); Jerome Lambert, Andre Owens (Oklahoma State); Elliot Hatcher, Mark Young, Tyrone Davis (Kansas State); Mack Tuck, Martice Moore (Colorado).

Big Sky

*1. Montana State

2. Montana

3. Weber State

4. Idaho

5. Boise State

6. Eastern Washington

7. Idaho State

8. Northern Arizona

Standouts: Nico Harrison, Scott Hatler (Montana State); Shawn Samuelson, Chris Spoja (Montana); Jimmy DeGraffenried, Justyn Tebbs (Weber State); Harry Harrison, Nate Gardner (Idaho); Steve Shephard, Damon Archibald (Boise State); Melvin Lewis (Eastern Washington); Nate Green (Idaho State); Scott Taylor, Jerome Riley (Northern Arizona).

Big South

*1. Liberty

2. North Carolina-Greensboro

3. Charleston Southern

4. Radford

5. North Carolina-Asheville

6. Maryland-Baltimore County

7. Winthrop

8. Coastal Carolina

Standouts: Peter Aluma (Liberty); Brett Larrick, T.L. Latson (Charleston Southern); Anthony Walker, Jason Lans-down (Radford); William Coley, Josh Kohn (North Carolina-Asheville); Tony Thompson (Maryland-Baltimore County); David McMahan (Winthrop); Maurice Ingram (Coastal Carolina).

Big Ten

*1. Michigan

*2. Iowa

*3. Indiana

*4. Purdue

*5. Illinois

6. Michigan State

7. Penn State

8. Minnesota

9. Wisconsin

10. Ohio State

11. North Western

Standouts: Maurice Taylor, Maceo Baston, Jerod Ward (Michigan); Jess Settles, Chris Kingsbury, Andre Woolridge (Iowa); Brian Evans, Andrae Patterson, Neil Reed, Charlie Miller (Indiana); Porter Roberts, Roy Hairston, Brandon Brantley, Justin Jennings (Purdue); Kiwane Garris, Jerry Hester, Richard Keene (Illinois); Jamie Feick, Quinton Brooks (Michigan State); Dan Earl, Glenn Sekunda (Penn State); Sam Jacobson, John Thomas (Minnesota); Rick Yudt (Ohio State); Geno Carlisle (Northwestern).

Big West

*1. Utah State

*2. Long Beach State

3. Nevada

4. Unlv

5. New Mexico State

6. California-Santa Barbara

7. California-Irvine

8. California State-Fullerton

9. San Jose State

10. Pacific

Standouts: Eric Franson, Silas Mills (Utah State); James Cotton, Rasul Salahuddin (Long Beach State); Brian Green, Faron Hand (Nevada); Clayton Johnson, Damian Smith (UNLV); Marquis Burns, Spelling Davis (New Mexico State); Mark Flick, Lelan McDougal (California-Santa Barbara); Raimonds Miglinieks, Kevin Simmons (California-Irvine); Chris Dade (California State-Fullerton); Olivier Saint Jean (San Jose State).

Colonial

*1. Old Dominion

2. Virginia Commonwealth

3. North Carolina-Wilmington

4. James Madison

5. East Carolina

6. American

7. George Mason

8. Richmond

9. William and Mary

Standouts: Odell Hodge, Mario Mullen (Old Dominion); Bernard Hopkins, George Byrd, Sherman Hamilton (Virginia Commonwealth); Preston McGriff, Darren Moore (North Carolina-Wilmington); Darren McLinton (James Madison); Tim Basham, Tony Parham (East Carolina); Tim Fudd, Darryl Franklin (American); Nate Langley, Curtis Mc-Cants (George Mason); Eric Poole, Jarod Stevenson (Richmond); David Cully, Carl Parker (William and Mary).

Conference USA

*1. Memphis

*2. Louisville

*3. Cincinnati

*4. Tulane

*5. Marquette

6. Alabama In Birmingham

7. North Carolina at Charlotte

8. St. Louis

9. South Florida

10. Southern Mississippi

11. Depaul

Standouts: Lorenzen Wright, Cedric Henderson (Memphis); DeJuan Wheat, Samaki Walker (Louisville); Danny Fortson, Art Long (Cincinnati); Jerald Honeycutt, Rayshard Allen (Tulane); Roney Eford, Aaron Hutchins (Marquette); Carlos Williams, Anthony Thomas (Alabama in Birmingham); Andre Davis, DeMarco Johnson (North Carolina at Charlotte); Jamal Johnson (St. Louis); Chucky Atkins (South Florida); Damien Smith, Kelly McCarty (Southern Mississippi); Bryant Bowden (DePaul).

Ivy League

*1. Pennsylvania

2. Princeton

3. Brown

4. Dartmouth

5. Cornell

6. Yale

7. Harvard

8. Columbia

Standouts: Ira Bowman, Tim Krug (Pennsylvania); Sydney Johnson, Chris Doyal (Princeton); Eric Blackiston, Brian Lloyd (Brown); Sea Lonergan, Brian Gilpin (Dartmouth); Eddie Samuel, DeShawn Standard (Cornell); Gabe Hunter-ton, Bernie Colson (Yale); Kyle Snowden (Harvard); Jim Tubridy, C.J. Thompkins (Columbia).

Metro Atlantic

*1. Manhattan

2. Canisius

3. St. Peter's

4. Iona

5. Siena

6. Loyola-Baltimore

7. Fairfield

8. Niagara

Standouts: Heshimu Evans, Ted Ellis, Jason Hoover (Manhattan); Micheal Meeks, Darrell Barley (Canisius); Luis Arrosa, Randy Holmes (St. Peter's); Mikkel Larsen, Mindaugas Timinskas (Iona); Geoff Walker, Andy Thies (Siena); John McDonald, Mike Powell (Loyola-Baltimore); Greg Francis, Shannon Bowman (Fairfield); Chris Watson (Niagara).

Mid-American

*1. Miami

2. Ball State

3. Eastern Michigan

4. Ohio

5. Bowling Green

6. Toledo

7. Western Michigan

8. Kent

9. Central Michigan

10. Akron

Standouts: Devin Davis, Landon Hackim (Miami); Bonzi Wells, Marcus Norris (Ball State); Theron Wilson, Brian Tolbert (Eastern Michigan); Jason Terry, Curtis Simmons (Ohio); Antonio Daniels, Shane Komives (Bowling Green); Craig Thames, Casey Shaw (Toledo); Joel Burns, Ben Hand-logten (Western Michigan); Nate Reinking, Bill Davis (Kent); Thomas Kilgore, Nate Huffman (Central Michigan).

Mid-Continent

*1. Valparaiso

2. Missouri-Kansas City

3. Youngstown State

4. Buffalo

5. Western Illinois

6. Eastern Illinois

7. Central Connecticut State

8. Chicago State

9. Troy State

10. Northeastern Illinois

Standouts: Bryce Drew, Chris Ensminger (Valparaiso); Darecko Rawlins, Chris Johnson, Rick Muller (Missouri-Kansas City); Leroy King (Youngstown State); Rasaun Young, Mike Martinho (Buffalo); Garrick Vicks (Western Illinois); Johnny Hernandez, Michael Slaughter (Eastern Illinois); Keith Class, Bill Langheim (Central Connecticut State).

Mid-Eastern

*1. South Carolina State

2. Coppin State

3. North Carolina A&T State

4. Bethune-Cookman

5. Florida A&M

6. Maryland-Eastern Shore

7. Delaware State

8. Howard

9. Hampton

Standouts: Derrick Patterson, Miguel Burns (South Carolina State); Reggie Welch, Terquin Mott (Coppin State); Byron Coast, Scientific Mapp (Florida A&M); John Woods, Aaron McKinney (Maryland-Eastern Shore); Chris Nurse (Delaware State).

Midwestern

*1. Wisconsin-Green Bay

2. Wright State

3. Northern Illinois

4. Loyola of Chicago

5. Detroit

6. Butler

7. Illinois-Chicago

8. Wisconsin-Milwaukee

9. Cleveland State

Standouts: Jeff Nordgaard, Gary Grzesk (Wisconsin-Green Bay); Vitaly Potapenko, Rob Welch (Wright State); Theodis Owens, Derek Molis (Loyola of Chicago); Leon Derricks, Iyapo Montgomery (Detroit); Chris Miskel, Jon Neuhouser (Butler); Shawn Harlan, Mark Miller (Illinois-Chicago); Shannon Smith, Mark Briggs (Wisconsin-Milwaukee); Jamal Jackson, Joe Rey (Cleveland State).

Missouri Valley

*1. Tulsa

*2. Bradley

3. Illinois State

4. Drake

5. Northern Iowa

6. Wichita State

7. Evansville

8. Creighton

9. Southwest Missouri State

10. Southern Illinois

11. Indiana State

Standouts: Shea Seals, Rafael Maldonado (Tulsa); Anthony Parker, Deon Jackson (Bradley); Dan Muller, Maurice Trotter (Illinois State); Lynnrick Rogers, Kevin Bennett (Drake); Brian Carpenter, Jason Daisy (Northern Iowa); Jaime Arnold (Wichita State); Chris Quinn, Brian Jackson (Evansville); Orlando Johnson (Creighton); Shane Hawkins (Southern Illinois).

North Atlantic

*1. Drexel

2. Boston University

3. Towson State

4. New Hampshire

5. Northeastern

6. Hofstra

7. Delaware

8. Maine

9. Vermont

10. Hartford

Standouts: Malik Rose, Jeff Myers (Drexel); Tunji Awojobi, Joey Beard (Boston University); Scooter Alexander, Ralph Blalock (Towson State); Matt Alosa, Doug Wilson (New Hampshire); Rah-Shun Roberts, Lonnie Harrell (Northeastern); Lawrence Thomas, Seth Meyers (Hofstra); Greg Smith, Patrick Evans (Delaware); Casey Arena, Terry Hunt (Maine); Eddie Benton (Vermont).

Northeast

*1. Rider

2. Mount St. Mary

3. Monmouth

4. Marist

5. Fairleigh Dickinson

6. Wagner

7. St. Francis-New York

8. St. Francis of Pennsylvania

9. Long Island

10. Robert Morris

Standouts: Charles Smith, Deon Hames (Rider); Chris McGuthrie, Riley Inge (Mount St. Mary); John Giraldo, Corey Albano (Monmouth); Alan Tomidy, Danny Basile (Marist); Rashon Turner (Fairleigh Dickinson); Tony Rice, Dan Seigle (Wagner); Danny Manning (St. Francis-New York); Terrence Martin, Rob Wooster (St. Francis of Pennsylvania); Joe Griffin, Matthew Picinic (Long Island); Bacari Alexander (Robert Morris)

Ohio valley

*1. Murray State

2. Tennessee State

3. Austin Peay

4. Tennessee Tech

5. Morehead State

6. Tennessee-Martin

7. Middle Tennessee State

8. Eastern Kentucky

9. Southeast Missouri

Standouts: Marcus Brown, Vincent Rainey (Murray State); Monty Wilson (Tennessee State); Charles Wells, Jermaine Savage (Austin Peay); Lorenzo Coleman, Greg Bibb (Tennessee Tech); Michael Hart, DeWayne Powell (Tennessee-Martin); Tim Gaither, David Washington (Middle Tennessee State); DeMarkus Doss, Curtis Fincher (Eastern Kentucky); Jerome Days, William Eley (Southeast Missouri).

Pacific Ten

*1. Ucla

*2. California

*3. Stanford

*4. Washington State

*5. Arizona

6. Arizona State

7. USC

8. Washington

9. Oregon

10. Oregon State

Standouts: Charles O'Bannon, Toby Bailey, Cameron Dollar (UCLA); Tremaine Fowlkes, Jelani Gardner, Shareef Abdur-Rahim (California); Brevin Knight, Dion Cross, Andy Poppink (Stanford); Mark Hendrickson, Isaac Fontaine (Washington State); Reggie Geary, Joseph Blair, Ben Davis (Arizona); Ron Riley, Jeremy Veal (Arizona State); Jaha Wilson (USC); Bryant Boston, Mark Sanford (Washington); Kenya Wilkins, Rob Ramaker (Oregon).

Patriot

*1. Colgate

2. Bucknell

3. Army

4. Navy

5. Holy Cross

6. Lehigh

7. Lafayette

Standouts: Adonal Foyle, Tim Bollin (Colgate); Brian Anderson, Sekou Hamer (Bucknell); Mark Leuking, Alex Morris (Army); Michael Heary, Brian Walker (Navy); Ted Bettencourt (Holy Cross); Rashawne Glenn, Ken Widmer (Lehigh); Joe Marshall (Lafayette).

Southeastern

Eastern Division

*1. Kentucky

*2. Georgia

3. Florida

4. South Carolina

5. Tennessee

6. Vanderbilt

Western Division

*1. Arkansas

*2. Mississippi State

*3. Auburn

*4. Louisiana State

5. Alabama

6. Mississippi

Standouts: Tony Delk, Walter McCarty, Antoine Walker (Kentucky); Carlos Strong, Shandon Anderson (Georgia); Dametri Hill, Greg Williams (Florida); Melvin Watson, Larry Davis (South Carolina); Steve Hamer (Tennessee); Frank Seckar, Drew Maddux (Vanderbilt); Darnell Robinson, Lee Wilson (Arkansas); Erick Dampier, Darryl Wilson (Mississippi State); Moochie Norris, Lance Weems (Auburn); Ronnie Henderson, Randy Livingston (Louisiana State); Eric Washington, Roy Rogers (Alabama); Anthony Boone, John Jackson (Mississippi).

Southern

Northern Division

*1. Marshall

2. East Tennessee State

3. Davidson

4. Appalachian State

5. Virginia Military Institute

Southern Division

1. Tennessee-Chattanooga

2. Georgia Southern

3. The Citadel

4. Furman

5. Western Carolina

Standouts: Jason Williams, Keith Veney (Marshall); Phil Powe, Titus Shelton (East Tennessee State); Brandon Williams, Quinn Harwood (Davidson); John Oliver (Tennessee-Chattanooga); Noy Castillo, Moncrief Michael (The Citadel); Chuck Vincent (Furman).

Southland

*1. Northeast Louisiana

2. Texas-San Antonio

3. Texas-Arlington

4. Stephen F.Austin

5. North Texas State

6. Nicholls State

7. McNeese State

8. Sam Houston State

9. Southwest Texas State

10. Northwestern State-Louisiana

Standouts: Paul Marshall, John Stokes (Northeast Louisiana); Marlon Anderson, Cody Johnson (Texas-San Antonio); Brian Myers, Shon Johnson (Texas-Arlington); Kenderick Franklin (Nicholls State); Pointer Williams, Donald Fisher (McNeese State); Derick Preston, Mike Dillard (Sam Houston State); Delwyn Jackson, Elijah Hobley (Southwest Texas State).

Southwest

*1. Texas Tech

*2. Texas

3. Texas Christian

4. Houston

5. Rice

6. Baylor

7. Texas A&M

8. Southern Methodist

Standouts: Jason Sasser, Darvin Ham (Texas Tech); Reggie Freeman, Kris Clack (Texas); Juan Bragg (Texas Christian); Tim Moore, Kirk Ford (Houston); Shaun Igo, Jesse Cravens, Tommy McGhee (Rice); Brian Skinner, Ken Clyde (Baylor); Kyle Kessel (Texas A&M); Troy Mathews, Jemeil Rich (Southern Methodist).

Southwestern

*1. Texas Southern

2. Southern-Baton Rouge

3. Mississippi Valley State

4. Alabama State

5. Jackson State

6. Grambling State

7. Alcorn State

8. Prairie View A&M

Standouts: Kevin Granger, Randy Bolden (Texas Southern); Marcus Mann (Mississippi Valley State); Jimmy Lunsford (Alabama State); Trent Pulliam, Rod Taylor, Titus Hooten (Jackson State); Michael Tardy, Claude Coleman (Grambling State)

Sun Belt

*1. Western Kentucky

2. Arkansas-Little Rock

3. New Orleans

4. Jacksonville

5. Texas-Pan American

6. Louisiana Tech

7. Southwestern Louisiana

8. Arkansas State

9. South Alabama

10. Lamar

Standouts: Chris Robinson (Western Kentucky); Malik Dixon, Derek Fisher (Arkansas-Little Rock); Tyrone Garris, Jermaine Spivey (New Orleans); Artemus McClary, Jerome Malloy (Jacksonville); Terrance Fitzpatrick (Texas-Pan American); Micah Marsh (Arkansas State).

Trans America

*1. Stetson

2. Samford

3. Charleston

4. Georgia State

5. Centenary

6. Campbell

7. Southeastern Louisiana

8. Mercer

9. Florida International

10. Central Florida

11. Florida Atlantic

Standouts: Kerry Blackshear, Jason Alexander (Stetson); Joey Davenport, Jonathan Pixley (Samford); Terrence Brandon, Rodney Hamilton (Georgia State); Aljay Foreman, Anthony Stephens (Centenary); Scott Neely (Campbell); Sam Bowie, Jason Winningham (Southeastern Louisiana); Scott Farley, Ledon Green (Mercer).

West Coast

*1. Santa Clara

2. St. Mary's

3. Loyola Marymount

4. Gonzaga

5. San Francisco

6. Portland

7. San Diego

8. Pepperdine

Standouts: Steve Nash, Marlon Garnett (Santa Clara); Jumoke Horton, A.J. Rollins, Kamran Sufi (St. Mary's); Ime Oduok, Mike O'Quinn (Loyola Marymount); Kyle Dixon, Jon Kinloch (Gonzaga); Gerald Walker, John Duggan (San Francisco); Lemont Daniels (Portland); Sean Flannery (San Diego); Gerald Brown (Pepperdine).

Western Athletic

*1. Utah

2. Fresno State

3. Brigham Young

4. Colorado State

5. San Diego State

6. New Mexico

7. Texas-El Paso

8. Hawaii

9. Wyoming

10. Air Force

Standouts: Keith Van Horn, Brandon Jessie (Utah); Darnell McCulloch, Terrance Roberson (Fresno State); Kenneth Roberts, Bryon Ruffner (Brigham Young); David Evans, Joe Vogel (Colorado State); Kareem Anderson, Shomario Richard (San Diego State); Charles Smith, Kenny Thomas (New Mexico); Mark Ingles, Kevin Beal (Texas-El Paso); Tes Whitlock (Hawaii); LaDrell Whitehead, H.L. Coleman (Wyoming); Maurice Anderson (Air Force).

Independents

1. Oral Roberts 2. Wofford

Standouts: Tim Gill, Clifford Crenshaw (Oral Roberts).

*Our predictions to make the NCAA tournament.

Rest of The Best

Guards: Steve Nash (Santa Clara), De-Juan Wheat (Louisville), Randy Livingston (LSU), Harold Deane (Virginia), Felipe Lopez (St. John's), Shea Seals (Tulsa), Tony Delk (Kentucky), Johnny Rhodes (Maryland), Toby Bailey (UCLA), Jerod Haase (Kansas), Dion Cross (Stanford), Drew Barry (Georgia Tech), James Collins (Florida State), Ron Riley (Arizona State), Jaron Boone (Nebraska), Brandon Jessie (Utah), Chucky Atkins (South Florida), Kiwane Garris (Illinois), Marcus Brown (Murray State), Darryl Wilson (Mississippi State), Kwame Evans (George Washington), Kerry Blackshear (Stetson), Chris Kingsbury (Iowa), Isaac Fontaine (Washington State), Anthony Parker (Bradley), Moochie Norris (Auburn).

Forwards: Raef LaFrentz (Kansas), Walter McCarty (Kentucky), Othella Harrington (Georgetown), Tremaine Fowlkes (California), Danny Fortson (Cincinnati), Jess Settles (Iowa), Mark Hendrickson (Washington State), Exree Hipp (Maryland), John Wallace (Syracuse), Samaki Walker (Louisville), Danya Abrams (Boston College), Jerald Honeycutt (Tulane), Jason Sasser (Texas Tech), Jeff Nordgaard (Wisconsin–Green Bay), Ace Custis (Virginia Tech), Tim Moore (Houston), Brian Evans (Indiana), Maurice Taylor (Michigan), Tunji Awojobi (Boston U.), Eric Franson (Utah State).

Centers: Lorenzen Wright (Memphis), Jason Lawson (Villanova), Travis Knight (Connecticut), Adonal Foyle (Colgate), Amal McCaskill (Marquette), Todd Fuller (North Carolina State), Vitaly Potapenko (Wright State), Brian Skinner (Baylor), Odell Hodge (Old Dominion), Mikkel Larsen (lona), Keith Closs (Central Connecticut State), Steve Hamer (Tennessee), Zendon Hamilton (St. John's), Alexander Koul (George Washington).

Cole's All-Name Team

Players

Scientific Mapp Florida A&M

Shammgod Wells Providence

Boubacar Aw Georgetown

Duany Duany Wisconsin

Velvious Goodloe Middle Tennessee State

Coach

Dickey Nutt Arkansas State

Cole's All-Nickname Team

Players

Raymond "Circus" King San Diego State

Dametri "Da Meat Hook" Hill Florida

Tim "Elmer" Fudd American

Roderick "Moo Moo" Blakney South Carolina State

Robert "Tractor" Traylor Michigan

Tunde "Thunder" Abdul Owolya Nicholls State

Coach

Ron "Fang" Mitchell Coppin State

Top Ten Freshmen

Guards

Stephon Marbury Georgia Tech

Wayne Turner Kentucky

Vince Carter North Carolina

Shammgod Wells Providence

Forwards

Shareef Abdur-Rahim California

Ron Mercer Kentucky

Paul Pierce Kansas

Sam Okey Wisconsin

Centers

Jelani McCoy UCLA

Robert Traylor Michigan