Playboy's College Basketball Preview

The story in college basketball is the same every year. The best players leave school early for the NBA or they skip college altogether. If David Stern and the rest of the NBA weren't afraid of being indicted for child abduction, the players would leave early from high school. It is no exaggeration to say that NBA scouts have their eyes on outstanding grammar school players, those genetic exceptions who crash through 6'6" in the eighth grade. It seems it's never too early to think about going pro. How many families would spurn a multimillion-dollar signing bonus to forget their hardships?

Oddly, as one potential college superstar after another shoots (continued on page 140) his first Nike commercial, the game has benefited. College basketball has become a team sport again. "Hey, fellas, Mr. Do-Everything is riding around in his limo in the pros. How about the rest of us nobodies playing some solid hoops?" Maryland's no-names Dixon, Baxter and Blake turned the formula into a national championship last season. Let's see who's most likely to turn the trick this season.

(1) Kansas

If Drew Gooden had stuck around, this one would be a no-brainer. But coach Roy Williams still has enough horses to win. Playboy All-Americas Kirk Hinrich and Nick Collison give the Jayhawks firepower in the backcourt and frontcourt. And forget about Williams' penchant for being a bridesmaid, never a bride. Remember that Lute Olson and even Coach K didn't wear the white dress without a struggle. Williams needs Keith Langford, Wayne Simien and speedy Aaron Miles to step up and erase the bad taste of NCAA tourneys past.

(2) Arizona

Speaking of Lute Olson, the silver fox has yet another group of kids to mold into national champions. Playboy All-America Luke Walton, son of NBA legend Bill, shoots, scores, rebounds, passes. He may be the best all-around player in college ball. Jason Gardner's decision to stay in school gives the Wildcats veteran leadership and a ton of skills in the backcourt. Add in a group of sophomores who were one of the nation's best recruiting classes a couple of years ago and you have a roster not many other teams can match. Watch for the development of Salim Stoudamire and the emergence of 5'10" highlight reel flash Will Bynum.

(3) Oklahoma

Hollis Price, another Playboy All-America, is one of the outstanding backcourt players in college this season. He has tremendous ball-handling skills plus a big-game mentality. The loss of forward Aaron McGhee hurts, but Playboy Coach of the Year Kelvin Sampson counts on De'Angelo Alexander and Kevin Book out to make a big impact. Seniors Ebi Ere and Quannas White are strong enough in the backcourt to stop opponents from stacking the deck against Price. This team has the talent to get to another Final Four.

(4) Texas

When it comes to backcourt players, there aren't any more exciting small talents in the college game today than Playboy All-America T.J. Ford. Here's a guy who could actually catch the Roadrunner. Ford will become a dominant player for the Longhorns if he can shoot better from behind the three-point line. Juniors Royal Ivey and Brandon Mouton fill out the backcourt and James Thomas is a load in the middle. Add Brian Boddicker and freshman Brad Buckman to the mix and you have a strong frontcourt as well.

(5) Duke

How strong is a program that could lose the college player of the year, Jay Williams, inside stud Carlos Boozer and standout wingman Mike Dunleavy, all to the NBA, and remain a top 10 team? Mike Krzyzewski and Duke are at the top of the recruiting heap, garnering only the best talent for every spot on the team. This year it will be Chris Duhon's job to make the Blue Devils go. He'll get help from front-court players Casey Sanders, Nick Horvath and Dahntay Jones, plus new recruits Sean Dockery and J.J. Redick. Could Duke win another ACC championship with such unproven talent? Never underestimate Coach K.

(6) Michigan State

Another team hit hard by early exits to the NBA is the Spartans. Coach Tom Izzo has watched stars such as Zach Randolph, Jason Richardson and Marcus Taylor leave the program before they learned all the plays. While he will face rebuilding this year, Izzo has good blocks to work with. Newcomers Paul Davis and Erazem Lorbek are excellent frontcourt players. How will they blend with returning guards Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert and the big man at center, Aloysius Anagonye? Well enough for a run at the top.

(7) Pittsburgh

Pitt languished at or near the bottom of the Big East Conference until coach Ben Howland arrived to revive the Panthers. Last season he led his team to its winningest season in school history. Now, with almost all of his players back, he has the Pitt faithful looking for a run at the national title. The Panthers are led by Playboy All-America Brandin Knight, one of the smoothest, most talented guards in the nation. Add in backcourt mate Julius Page, swingman Jaron Brown, forward Donatas Zavackas and 265-pound center Ontario Lett and you have a team with Sweet 16 written all over it.

(8) Boston College

The Eagles won 20 games last season and had their moments in the sun. Yet they didn't fly quite as high as was (continued on page 194)Basketball(continued from page 140) expected. With Troy Bell returning in the backcourt, they hope to do better this season. Bell will have help at the guard spot from Ryan Sidney, while the muscle up front will be provided by Uka Agbai and Nate Doornekamp. Toss in a solid recruiting class and there's no reason the Eagles shouldn't soar.

(9) Alabama

The Crimson Tide have a chance to step into the nation's elite if coach Mark Gottfried can blend a skilled recruiting class with returning veteran talent. Alabama is led by 6'8" Erwin Dudley, who can safely be described as a behemoth under the basket, as well as guards Mo Williams and Terrance Meade, both of whom have outstanding range and quickness on the perimeter. Center Kenny Walker adds veteran leadership in the low post. Bama would have been a Final Four contender had forward Rod Grizzard not left for the NBA.

(10) Kentucky

Perennially one of the top programs in the nation, the Wildcats under coach Tubby Smith will battle for another SEC championship and more. The focus of attention will be on Keith Bogans, former national high school player of the year. Bogans won't have to go it alone. The Wildcats are deep with talents such as Gerald Fitch, Marquis Estill and Jules Camara.

(11) Xavier

Two-time Playboy All-America David West gave the Musketeers a leg up on the season when he decided to stay in school for his senior season. West is that rare combination of finesse, power and size that has NBA scouts drooling. He will team with forward Dave Young and guards Romain Sato and Lionel Chalmers to give coach Thad Matta's team a legitimate chance to land in the Sweet 16 or better.

(12) Georgia

Coach Jim Harrick brought home a national championship to UCLA before a flap over his expense account led to his dismissal. Instead of disappearing into the shadows, Harrick took over at Rhode Island and showed he could still recruit and coach. Now he's the top Dawg at Georgia, and he's quickly built them into one of the better teams in the SEC. Jarvis Hayes and Ezra Williams form the nucleus of Georgia's attack. North Carolina State transfer Damien Wilkins is a threat both inside and outside.

(13) Ucla

The Bruins are loaded with talent. Now coach Steve Lavin has to find a way to get them to play to their potential. Senior Jason Kapono has led the team in scoring for the past three seasons. And yet, Kapono hasn't been able to dominate opponents in critical situations. He'll get help this year from point guard Cedric Bozeman plus big men T.J. Cummings, Dijon Thompson and Andre Patterson. If Lavin can find the chemistry, the Bruins could be very good. If not, Lavin may find himself looking for a new job.

(14) Mississippi State

Looking for a dark horse champion? How about the Mississippi State Bulldogs, led by standout forward Mario Austin? Guard Derrick Zimmerman is a complete backcourt player and the engine that makes the Bulldogs roll. As good as these two players are, however, forward Michal Ignerski may be the key to this team's chances for success.

(15) Oregon

One of the best players in the nation you may have never heard of is Oregon Duck Luke Ridnour, a cerebral point guard who knows how to score as well as control the tempo of the game. Luke Jackson will attempt to pick up the void created by the departure of Fred Jones and Chris Christoffersen.

(16) Florida

Last season was a major disappointment for the Gators and coach Billy Donovan. It all started with the dismissal of guard Teddy Dupay amid allegations of gambling. Guard Brett Nelson failed to play up to expectations and Florida's chemistry went from bad to worse. Donovan is convinced his team will rebound this year. Playboy All-America Matt Bonner takes on the mantle of team leader and Donovan says that Nelson is ready to blossom.

(17) Villanova

Coach Jay Wright counts on two newcomers, Jason Fraser and Curtis Sumpter, both high school All-Americans, to push his four returning starters for playing time and turn Nova into a Big East power. Look for senior guard Gary Buchanan to lead the Cats in scoring.

(18) Connecticut

The Huskies have a huge hole to fill with the early departure of Caron Butler, who split for the NBA when he saw a chance to be a lottery pick. Still, coach Jim Calhoun has tons of talent left. Taliek Brown, Tony Robertson and Ben Gordon, who combined to average 33 points per game last season, are all back and should be better. Inside, Emeka Oka-for needs to come up with some offense to complement his great defensive skills.

(19) Gonzaga

How did these guys get to be so good, year after year? Last season Dan Dickau lead the way. This season there are four players ready to step up. And they are all players with size—Cory Violette and Zach Gourde, each at 6'8", Ronny Turiaf at 6'9" and Richard Fox at 6'11". Coach Mark Few also has a better than average backcourt combo in Winston Brooks and Blake Stepp.

(20) Marquette

Superstar swingman Dwyane Wade made coach Tom Crean happy when he decided to hang around Milwaukee another year instead of going for the NBA bucks. Wade can carry the Golden Eagles a long way, but they'll get even further if Scott Merritt and Mississippi State transfer Robert Jackson put points on the board. Crean must replace graduated floor leader Cordell Henry.

(21) Maryland

With Dixon, Wilcox, Baxter and Mouton all gone, don't expect the Terps to repeat as national champions, or even make the Final Four this season. Coach Gary Williams will rely on guard Steve Blake to pick up some of the scoring load. Tahj Holden should be a solid contributor as well. But Terrapin fans may want to keep the highlight tape of last year's championship handy.

(22) Texas Tech

You may not like his style and he may not know when to shut his mouth, but controversial Bob Knight can still coach basketball. Showing more shrewdness than fire, Knight took a team in one season from mediocrity to 23 wins and an NCAA tournament berth. Bob, what can you do for an encore? He has four starters back from last year, including dynamic duo Andre Emmett and Kasib Powell. Chances are the Red Raiders will do even better.

(23) Minnesota

The emergence of Playboy All-America Rick Rickert marked the arrival of the Golden Gophers as a contender for the Big 10 title. Rickert is simply that good. Strong perimeter shooting from senior Kevin Burleson and Northwestern transfer Ben Johnson should make Rickert even more effective this season. Coach Dan Monson is depending on his talented forward Jerry Holman to crash the boards.

(24) Western Kentucky

Last year the Hill toppers expected to ride seven-footer Chris Marcus, perhaps the most highly regarded big man in college basketball, to a championship season. Unfortunately, Marcus injured his foot and was able to play in only 15 games. Western Kentucky surprised everybody by winning without their big man. In fact, WKU has won 49 of its last 57 games. Marcus is back after off-season surgery, but it remains to be seen how effective he will be. In the meantime, David Boyden and Patrick Sparks will carry the load.

(25) Illinois

Coach Bill Self has a rebuilding job on his hands after last year's team suffered substantial losses to graduation. The Illini's standout player is 6'10" Brian Cook, a hard-nosed forward with a chance to be the best player in the conference. Keep an eye on him. Guard Luther Head and senior Sean Harrington are two other players with the potential to push the Illini through another tough Big 10 schedule.

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And don't overlook:

Missouri—The Tigers lost Kareem Rush to the NBA, but coach Quin Snyder has enough talent to give their Big 12 opponents fits. Arthur Johnson and Travon Bryant are the big guys up front. Ricky Clemons will run the show from the point and Rickey Paulding will light it up from the wing.

Wake Forest—Josh Howard could wind up as the best player in the ACC. He is equally adept at either guard or small forward.

Tulsa—Losing only two players off a roster of players that won 27 games last year, Tulsa uses defense to beat opponents mentally and then physically. Antonio Reed and Dante Swanson are the important guys who tighten the screws on the Hurricane's smothering full-court press.

Notre Dame—The Irish will be better in the backcourt this season with guards Matt Carroll and Chris Thomas. The question for coach Mike Brey is whether freshman forward Torin Francis can fill the hole left by the departure of Ryan Humphrey.

Wyoming—The Cowboys won the regular season Mountain West title last year but it took their NCAA tournament upset of Gonzaga to put them on the basketball map in a big way. Forward Marcus Bailey is the multidimensional player who makes Wyoming a formidable threat this year.

Hotel accommodations courtesy of W Hotels wardrobe provided by Rochester Big and Tall, Chicago

Playboy's Top 25

(1) Kansas

(2) Arizona

(3) Oklahoma

(4) Texas

(5) Duke

(6) Michigan State

(7) Pittsburgh

(8) Boston College

(9) Alabama

(10) Kentucky

(11) Xavier

(12) Georgia

(13) Ucla

(14) Mississippi State

(15) Oregon

(16) Florida

(17) Villanova

(18) Connecticut

(19) Gonzaga

(20) Marquette

(21) Maryland

(22) Texas Tech

(23) Minnesota

(24) Western Kentucky

(25) Illinois

Possible Breakthroughs: Missouri, Wake Forest, Tulsa, Notre Dame, Wyoming, Cincinnati, Ohio State, Ball State, Indiana, Penn, Louisville, Mississippi, St. John's, North Carolina State, Pepperdine.

Playboy All-Americas

Coach of the Year—Kelvin Sampson, University of Oklahoma. In eight years as head coach of the Sooners, Sampson has compiled a record of 187 wins against 74 losses. His teams have averaged 25 wins each of the past five seasons (28 victories over the past three). This past season, Sampson led OU to a 31-5 record and the Sooners won their second consecutive Big 12 Tournament before advancing to their fourthever Final Four. Prior to taking over in Norman, Samps on was head coach at Washington State for seven years.

David West-Center, 6'9", 240, senior, Xavier University (Hargrave Military, Garner, North Carolina). A two-time Playboy All-America, David was once again at the top of the Atlantic 10 Conference in rebounding with a 9.8 rpg average. He averaged 18.3 points per game and recorded 16 double-doubles. He was Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year for the past two seasons.

Mike Sweetney—Center, 6'8", 260, junior, Georgetown University (Oxon Hill High, Oxon Hill, Maryland). He was the U.S. Basketball Writers District II Player of the Year last season and a first team Big East selection. He led the Hoy as in scoring and rebounding, averaging a double-double (19.4 points and 10 rebounds). This is the second time he has been selected to the Playboy All-America team.

Luke Walton—Forward, 6'8", 245, senior, University of Arizona (University High, San Diego). He led all front court players in the nation last year in assists with an average of 6.3 per game. He also averaged 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Named to four all-American teams at the end of last season. Joined his father, Bill, in 2001 as one of only three father-son combinations to play in the Final Four.

Matt Bonner—Forward, 6'10", 240, senior, University of Florida (Concord High, Concord, New Hampshire). He ranked second on his team last season in scoring (15.6 ppg), rebounding (7.2 rpg), blocked shots (22) and free throw percentage (.796). He was the national Academic All-American of the Year in 2002, the first Gator basketball player to achieve that honor, and the only junior on the five-man Verizon Academic All-American first team.

Rick Rickert—Forward, 6'11", 216, sophomore. University of Minnesota (Duluth East High, Duluth, Minnesota). He was his school's first-ever Big Ten Freshman of the Year as he scored the most points by a freshman (441) in a season in Minnesota basketball history. He finished fourth in the conference with 15.5 ppg, was sixth in the Big Ten in field goal percentage (.556) and was eighth in blocked shots.

Nick Collison—Forward, 6'9", 255, senior, University of Kansas (Iowa Falls High, Iowa Falls). He averaged 15.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season while shooting .592 from the floor. He's already 17th on the Jay-hawks all-time scoring list, 1lth in rebounds and fifth in blocked shots.

Hollis Price—Guard, 6'1", 170, senior, University of Oklahoma (St. Augustine High, New Orleans). A first-team All-Big 12 selection by both the coaches and the media last season, Price was also selected as a third-team All-American by The Sporting News. He averaged a team-high 16.5 points and 1.7 steals per game. He also had a .382 shooting percentage from behind the three-point line. Price was voted the Big 12 Tournament MVP and the NCAA Tournament West Regional MVP.

Brandin Knight—Guard, 6', 183, senior, University of Pittsburgh (Seton Hall, East Orange, New Jersey). Selected as a third-team all-American at the end of last season by the Associated Press, he was named the 2002 Big East co-Player of the Year. He averaged a team-high 15.6 points, ranked second in assists in the Big East with 7.2 per game and broke Pitt's single-season assist record with 251.

T.J. Ford—Guard, 5'10", 165, sophomore, University of Texas (Willowridge High, Houston). Last year he became the first freshman in NCAA history to lead the nation in assists (8.27 per game). He was chosen National Freshman of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. He had 33 starts in his first season, missing only one game with a sprained ankle. Ford ranked third on his team in scoring with a 10.8 ppg average and led UT in steals with a total of 72.

Kirk Hinrich—Guard, 6'3", 190, senior, University of Kansas (Sioux City West High, Sioux City, Iowa). An all-around performer who flourished on the wing after playing point for two seasons, he shot an impressive 54.1 percent from the floor and a conference-best 47.8 percent from behind the three-point line. Hinrich led Kansas in free throw shooting (80.8 percent) and averaged 14.8 points and five assists per game.

Rest of The Best

Guards: Steve Blake (Maryland), Jason Gardner (Arizona), Luke Ridnour (Oregon), Troy Bell (Boston College), Brett Nelson (Florida), Dwyane Wade (Marquette), Keith Bogans (Kentucky), Chris Duhon, Dahntay Jones (Duke), Reece Gaines (Louisville), Chris Thomas (Notre Dame).

Forwards: Jason Kapono (UCLA), Jarvis Hayes (Georgia), Mario Austin (Mississippi State), Erwin Dudley (Alabama), Ronald Dupree (LSU), Darius Rice (Miami), James White (Florida), Doug Wrenn (Washington), Luke Jackson (Oregon), Rickey Paulding (Missouri), Ebi Ere (Oklahoma). CENTERS: Chris Marcus (Western Kentucky), Emeka Okafor (Connecticut), James Thomas (Texas).

Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete

The Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award recognizes achievement both in the classroom and on the basketball court. Nominated by their colleges, candidates are judged on their scholastic and athletic accomplishments by the editors of Playboy. A donation of $5000 has been made by Playboy to the general scholarship fund of the winner's school.

This year's Anson Mount Scholar/Athlete Award in basketball goes to Greg Babcock from the University of Wisconsin—Green Bay. A 6'10", 235-pound senior, Babcock led his conference in field goal percentage (.663) and already ranks fifth all-time in school history for blocked shots. He made first-team academic all-conference as a sophomore and junior. A member of the Phi Kappa Phi honor society, he majors in public administration. His overall grade point average is 3.72 on a scale of 4.0.

Honorable mentions: Brent Cummings (Montana), Chris Hill (Michigan State), Brent Jolly (Tennessee Tech), Adam Hess (William and Mary), James Jones (Miami), Bryan Bedford (Kent State), Jake Muhleisen (Nebraska), Dan Blankenship (Bucknell), Jake Sullivan (Iowa State), Brian Dux (Canisius), Brian Greene (Colorado State), Jake Yancey (Arkansas-Little Rock).