In the Paint

We know NBA basketball is boring. But after the U.S. Dream Team embarrassed itself in the 2002 World Championship and then in this year's Olympics, we also realize that the NBA isn't quite as good as it's cracked up to be. Spoiled, self-interested superstars, lackadaisical effort over an interminable season and--as revealed in Athens--flawed fundamentals from players who make careers out of thunder dunks but can't hit a jump shot have cast a cloud over America's game.

No wonder Duke's Mike Krzyzewski spurned the richest contract ever offered to a basketball coach when he said no to the Los Angeles Lakers' reported five-year, $40 million deal. Michigan State's Tom Izzo has also resisted offers to coach in the NBA. "I love my players," he says. "Our program is like a family. And college basketball is just where I feel most comfortable." There's also more job security on the college campus, as Mike Montgomery, former coach at Stanford, will undoubtedly find out now that he's head coach of the Golden State Warriors.

The college game has its own problems, however. Star players who stay in school for four years are now the exception rather than the rule. Some of the best high school players bypass college altogether. And the old worries--under-the-table payments, phony test scores, recruiting improprieties--still plague schools in big conferences and small. But the game survives and thrives because nothing matches the energy and excitement of Duke versus North Carolina, of Temple coach John Chaney's matchup zone, of a 19-year-old freshman coming off the bench for silver-haired Lute Olson to knock down a three and send Arizona into overtime. And March Madness is still one of the great spectacles in sports. Here's our rundown of the best teams this season.

1. Illinois It's time for the Illini to step up to the big time. Bruce Weber's team is loaded with talent, leadership and scoring ability. Strong guard play is essential for a run at the national championship, and no team has a better pair of guards than Deron Williams and Dee Brown. The strength inside will come from six-foot-10 James Augustine and seven-foot-two Nick Smith. Add to the mix six-foot-six Roger Powell and the heady play of Luther Head, and the state of Illinois could get its first national champion since Loyola of Chicago back in 1963.

2. Kansas How can you lose a player as pivotal as David Padgett, who transferred to Louisville in the off-season, and still be a national title contender? Coach Bill Self has done it with quality recruiting and by keeping Wayne Simien around for his senior year. Veteran guards Keith Langford and Aaron Miles give the Jayhawks solid control of the backcourt. The best talent on Kansas's roster may be J.R. Giddens, who last season showed signs of becoming a dominant player.

3. Wake Forest The Demon Deacons have one of the finest point guards in the nation in Chris Paul. He and backcourt mates Justin Gray and Taron Downey give Wake a lethal attack from the perimeter, while coach Skip Prosser will depend on Eric Williams and Vytas Danelius to get the job done in the paint. If the big men come through, Wake has a chance to cut down the nets in April.

4. Georgia Tech After making a surprise run at a national title last season only to lose to Connecticut in the championship game, Georgia Tech won't sneak up on anyone this time around. Paul Hewitt, one of the best young coaches in the nation, returns a ton of talent, including standout guards Jarrett Jack and Will Bynum. Swingman B.J. Elder is a powerful defender, and seven-foot-one center Luke Schenscher gives the Yellow Jackets a legitimate scoring threat from the low post. If Tech lives up to expectations, it could find itself in another Final Four.

5. North Carolina It didn't take long for Roy Williams to turn things around in Chapel Hill--the Tar Heels will be back where they belong as one of the superpowers of college basketball. Up front, the Heels return Sean May, who averaged 15.2 points and nearly 10 rebounds a game last season, and six-foot-nine Jawad Williams. Also look for big things in the low post from freshman Marvin Williams. Carolina has talent on the perimeter as well with Rashad McCants, Melvin Scott and potential superstar Raymond Felton.

6. Connecticut Despite the losses of NBA lottery picks Emeka Okafor and Ben Gordon, Jim Calhoun's Huskies can be penciled in as a contender for a top-10 finish and a Big East title. Forwards Josh Boone and Charlie Villanueva are the backbone of one of Calhoun's deepest teams. The key to the Huskies' success will be at small forward, where Calhoun expects freshman Rudy Gay to get the job done. Gay is one of the top recruits in the nation and could be the next NBA lottery pick out of UConn. He would have been a first-round pick had he decided to skip college.

7. Syracuse Two-time Playboy All American Hakim Warrick will be the heart and soul of this year's Orange. He can pass, shoot, drive and run the floor, and his defensive skills get better each time he steps onto the court. A strong back-court will be led by junior guard Gerry McNamara, one of the deadliest outside shooters in college basketball, and Billy Edelin, whom the team hopes to get back after he missed half of last season. If Edelin can't return at the point, freshman Josh Wright will be a capable replacement. Longtime Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim expects seven-foot Craig Forth and six-foot-six Josh Pace to provide bang off the boards.

8. Oklahoma State The good news is that the Cowboys have almost everyone back from last season's Final Four team, including standouts Ivan McFarlin and Daniel Bobik. The bad news is that they don't have Tony Allen, last year's Big 12 Player of the Year and OSU's leader in almost every statistical category. The success of this year's team will depend on whether someone can replace his scoring and leadership skills. Point guard John Lucas will run Eddie Sutton's offense, typically looking for forward Joey Graham on the give-and-go.

9. Michigan State Tom Izzo and the Spartans aren't accustomed to heading back to East Lansing from the NCAA tournament as early as they did last season. They'll be on a mission this year not to repeat that performance. MSU is loaded on the perimeter, with Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown, Alan Anderson, Chris Hill and Kelvin Torbert vying for playing time. Freshman point Drew Neitzel will also be a factor. Junior Paul Davis, who came to MSU in 2002 as one of Izzo's most heralded recruits, is a preseason Wooden Award nominee. If the Spartans can improve defensively and shoot consistently from the outside, they'll make a run at the Final Four.

10. Texas Coach Rick Barnes had good players leave and good recruits arrive. Two returning starters--forwards P.J. Tucker and Jason Klotz--will play a major role in the Longhorns' success. Barnes has talent in the backcourt in Kenny Taylor, Kenton Paulino and Edgar Moreno, but he lost a lot of points and leadership with the departures of Royal Ivey and Brandon Mouton.

11. Arizona Ageless Lute Olson will again be working the sidelines for the Wildcats, and as usual he has the best team in the West. Channing Frye, at six-foot-11, will provide plenty of scoring punch and rebounds inside. Frontcourt mate Isaiah Fox returns after missing nearly all of last season with a knee injury. The perimeter will feature Hassan Adams, Mustafa Shakur and Salim Stoudamire, three guys who can nail it from beyond the three-point line and take it into the paint. How far the Wildcats go will depend on how well Shakur handles his role as floor leader.

12. Mississippi State Looking for a dark-horse contender for the national title? Bet on the Bull-dogs, thanks in large part to the return of Lawrence Roberts, who pulled his name out of the NBA draft. Roberts, a transfer from scandal-plagued Baylor, starred for coach Rick Stansbury and the Bulldogs last year. He thought he was ready for the pros until he scrimmaged at the NBA predraft camp in Chicago, where he learned otherwise. Good play from point guard Gary Ervin will be key to getting Roberts better looks at the basket.

13. Duke How many programs could lost two players (Luol Deng and Chris Duhon) and a top high school recruit (Sean Livingston) to the NBA and still be one of the best teams in the nation? Obviously Coach K still has his mojo. Maybe that's why he decided to stay at Duke as a millionaire college coach instead of accepting an offer to be a multimillionaire NBA coach. What does he have left? For starters, guard Daniel Ewing, big men Shavlik Randolph and Shelden Williams, and one of the nation's best shooters in J.J. Redick. Duke's stars of the future include McDonald's All-American DeMarcus Nelson and Connecticut High School Player of the Year David McClure.

14. Wisconsin With seven players on the roster who stand six-foot-eight or taller, the Badgers won't be outmuscled by many. So who will get the job done on the perimeter? Boo Wade is back, as is Alando Tucker, who was on the Big 10 All-Freshman team two years ago but sat out most of last season with a foot injury. Strong play from Penn State transfer Sharif Chambliss would provide a big lift. Chambliss averaged 14.7 points a game and led the Big 10 in three-pointers when he was in Happy Valley.

15. Florida Coach Billy Donovan has been licking his chops ever since Anthony Roberson, who averaged 17.9 points a game last season, decided to stay in Gainesville for another year. The Gators, in fact, have all five starters returning from last season's 20-win team. David Lee should be one of the best big men in the SEC, and Donovan's recruiting class, which features six-foot-eight Corey Brewer, is impressive.

16. Louisville Coach Rick Pitino can only hope that forward Ellis Myles returns full strength after missing last season because of a ruptured right patella tendon. A healthy Myles would make a big difference on the boards. The superstar of this team, however, is forward Francisco Garcia, who will be looking to improve on his average of 16.4 points a game. If star recruits Sebastian Telfair and Donta Smith had decided to take the school bus to Louisville instead of the fast track to the NBA, this team would have been a top-five choice.

17. North Carolina State Coach Herb Sendek considered a position in the NBA but realized he's happy where he is. One reason was the decision of stud guard Julius Hodge to stay another season rather than jumping to the NBA. At six-foot-seven, Hodge is silky smooth in the open court and has tremendous scoring ability from the perimeter and in transition. Big Ilian Evtimov hopes to come back at full strength after tearing up his knee two seasons ago, while in the backcourt Engin Atsür will run the show. Sendek also has promising recruits in the wings.

18. Kentucky Coach Tubby Smith has a team short on experience but long on talent. This is one of the Wildcats' youngest teams in years, but it could be ready to roll by March. The team features three McDonald's All-Americans--six-foot-11 Randolph Morris and guards Rajon Rondo and Joe Crawford--along with veterans Chuck Hayes and Kelenna Azubuike.

19. Maryland Coach Gary Williams likes to fret, but in the end he usually wins a lot of games. His primary ingredients this season are six-foot-eight Nik Caner-Medley, one of the best shooters in the nation, and six-foot-three jumping jack John Gilchrist, an outstanding point guard. A major setback for the Terps came last May when prize recruit Sterling Ledbetter was injured in a car accident. It's unclear whether he'll be able to play heavy minutes once the season gets rolling.

20. Alabama The Tide got to within a win of the Final Four last season, but coach Mark Gottfried is reluctant to set expectations as high this year because of the graduation of point guard Antoine Pettway, who spearheaded last year's attack. Gottfried hopes top recruit Ronald Steele can fill Pettway's leadership role and complement the fearsome frontcourt duo of Kennedy Winston and Chuck Davis.

21. Michigan Michigan hasn't made the field of 64 since 1998, thanks in part to NCAA penalties that contributed to the program's recent decline. But coach Tommy Amaker is eager to move the Wolverines in the right direction. They ended last season on a positive note by winning the NIT, often an indicator of NCAA tourney success the following season. With 13 players returning, Michigan looks ready to make its mark. Daniel Horton, Dion Harris and Lester Abram are the powers in the backcourt, while Graham Brown and Courtney Sims will man the middle.

22. Pittsburgh Pittsburgh isn't generally thought of as a national power in basketball, but the Panthers won 31 games last season and reached the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year. Despite the loss of key starters, Pitt has enough talent to make it four in a row. Reigning Big East Rookie of the Year Chris Taft is a six-foot-10 block of muscle and (concluded on page 200)Basketball(continued from page 152) skill who averaged 7.5 boards a game last season, and Chevy Troutman is another horse. The two make Pitt one of the best rebounding teams in the nation. Another returnee who will make a difference is guard Carl Krauser, who last year averaged 15.4 points a game.

23. Washington The Huskies return all five starters from last year's Pac-10 runner-up and NCAA tournament team, so optimism is running high. The key to Washington's continued success will be the play of guard Nate Robinson. He wowed NBA scouts at the predraft camp but changed his mind about going pro and returned to school. He'll get help from Will Conroy and Brandon Roy in the backcourt. Sharpshooter Tre Simmons and inside guys Bobby Jones and Mike Jensen will also contribute.

24. Boston College This will be the Eagles' last season in the Big East. Next year they'll move to the ACC, which figures to be a boon for their recruiting. Craig Smith, who averaged 16.9 points and more than eight rebounds a game last season, will lead the Big East lame duck. Jared Dudley, Sean Marshall and Louis Hinnant also should help keep the Eagles soaring. The club lacks depth past the first five, so injuries would hurt big-time.

25. Notre Dame Basketball in South Bend doesn't get the ink that football does, but that doesn't mean the Irish are hoops pushovers. Their high-powered offense will be led by Chris Thomas, a prodigious scorer who averaged 19.7 points a game last season. Forward Torin Francis and guard Chris Quinn each netted just over 14 points a game. Role players Jordan Cornette and three-point threat Colin Falls will also contribute. This team is good enough to keep coach Mike Brey smiling even after St. Patrick's Day.

2005 Top 25 Teams

1. Illinois

2. Kansas

3. Wake Forest

4. Georgia Tech

5. North Carolina

6. Connecticut

7. Syracuse

8. Oklahoma State

9. Michigan State

10. Texas

11. Arizona

12. Mississippi State

13. Duke

14. Wisconsin

15. Florida

16. Louisville

17. North Carolina St.

18. Kentucky

19. Maryland

20. Alabama

21. Michigan

22. Pittsburgh

23. Washington

24. Boston College

25. Notre Dame

Playboy's 2005 All America Team

Here are our selections for the best collegiate players in the nation this season

1. Julius Hodge North Carolina State senior guard, 6'7?, 205 pounds

2. Wayne Simien Kansas senior center, 6'9?, 255 pounds

3. Hakim Warrick Syracuse senior forward, 6'8?, 185 pounds

4. John Lucas Oklahoma State senior guard, 5'11?, 152 pounds

5. Deron Williams Illinois junior guard, 6'3?, 210 pounds

6. Chris Paul Wake Forest sophomore guard, 6'0?, 168 pounds

7. Channing Frye Arizona senior center, 6'11?, 248 pounds

8. Sean May North Carolina junior forward, 6'9?, 260 pounds

9. Ike Diogu Arizona State junior forward, 6'8?, 250 pounds

10. Francisco Garcia Louisville junior forward, 6'7?, 185 pounds

See the history of the Playboy All America basketball teams at Playboy.com.