Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Ranking teams before they have even played a minute of meaningful basketball is a tough job, but one the Associated Press must undertake every season. The Top-25 is certain to shift throughout the ups and downs of the season, and while some teams will rise above their current position, others will surely fall. Figuring out which direction each squad will go is the challenge. No. 25 Harvard - Lower With five straight 20-win seasons, four consecutive Ivy League titles and back-to-back wins in the NCAA Tournament, Harvard has been one of the top mid- major programs in the country of late. However, the Crimsons schedule is rather weak. While that is simply part of being in the Ivy League, just a few losses will likely keep them from spending all season in the national rankings, although it wont keep them out of the field of 68 come March. No. 25 Utah - Higher Utah also earned 98 points in the preseason poll, tying them with Harvard for No. 25. If you havent already heard of Delon Wright, its only a matter of time. The 6-foot-6 guard is one of the most versatile performers in the country, posting team-highs in scoring (15.5 ppg), assists (5.3 apg), steals (2.5 spg) and blocks (1.3 bpg) for a 21-win Utah team last season. Wright isnt the only top-notch player the Utes have, as Jordan Loveridge (14.7 ppg, 7 rpg) and Brandon Taylor (10.6 ppg) are back for another go. No. 24 Michigan - Higher There is talent to burn in the backcourt for John Beileins squad, which is coming off its first outright Big Ten title since 1986, and thats even with the departure of Nik Stauskas. Caris LeVert seems destined for stardom and Spike Albrecht, Zak Irvin and Derrick Walton, Jr. will all fight for time on the floor. If the Wolverines get anything positive from a young group up front, they will be tough to stop. No. 23 Syracuse - Lower The Orange have risen to No. 1 in this poll in three of the last five seasons, but that wont happen this time around. Syracuse lost too many key pieces, including clutch point guard Tyler Ennis (12.9 ppg, 5.5 apg), leading scorer C.J. Fair (16.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and highlight reel stud Jerami Grant (12.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg). Trevor Cooney (12.1 ppg) and Rakeem Christmas (5.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg) remain, but Jim Boeheim needs to get a lot out of a young group. No. 22 SMU - Higher It is interesting that SMU is ranked lower than Connecticut in the preseason poll. Obviously, the Huskies are defending national champions, but the Mustangs have the most potential among teams in the American Athletic Conference. All-conference guard Nic Moore (13.6 ppg, 4.9 apg) and defensive enforcer Markus Kennedy (12.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.2 bpg) lead the way for a team that won 27 games last season. They will be even hungrier following last seasons NCAA Tournament snub. No. 21 Nebraska - Lower Five returning starters, including Big Ten scoring champ Terran Petteway, make the Cornhuskers seem like an easy bet to return to the NCAA Tournament. However, it is worth noting this is a program that has not made it to the Big Dance in consecutive seasons in 20 years. The Cornhuskers also got into the field in 2014 by the skin of their teeth, finishing at 19-13 overall. Some degree of regression appears to be on the horizon. No. 20 Ohio State - Higher The Buckeyes find themselves in a different position than fellow Big Ten member Nebraska, as they must replace a number of key players, including point guard Aaron Craft and leading scorer LaQuinton Ross. Fortunately, there are reinforcements and excellent ones at that. Shannon Scott averaged 3.4 assists and two steals per game last season. His style of play mirrors Craft, who he no longer has to back up. Anthony Lee, a transfer from Temple, and highly- touted recruit DAngelo Russell make for an even deeper talent pool. No. 19 Oklahoma - Higher There is a lot to like about the team that Lon Kruger has assembled. The Sooners, who finished at No. 21 in last seasons AP poll are taking aim at a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and with nearly every piece back they could do more than that. While the loss of Cameron Clark stings, the Sooners still have Buddy Hield, Ryan Spangler, Isaiah Cousins and Jordan Woodard. If Houston transfer TaShawn Thomas, who was a double-double waiting to happen with the Cougars, is granted eligibility, the Sooners will trot out one of the best starting fives in the country. No. 18 Michigan State - Lower Gary Harris is gone. So is Adreian Payne. Oh, and Keith Appling no longer calls East Lansing home. Those are three major hits to take, even for a Tom Izzo-coached squad. Thats not too say the Spartans streak of 17 seasons with an NCAA Tournament is in jeopardy. Denzel Valentine and Branden Dawson will make sure of that. It just may be another year before the Spartans are back rubbing shoulders with teams in the top-10. For instance, next season when West Virginia transfer Eron Harris is eligible to play. No. 17 Connecticut - Lower Led by Shabazz Napier and his clutch shooting, the Huskies won the national championship last season. The encore will feature a change to the cast, as Ryan Boatright is now the go-to guy in the backcourt, with Napier now cashing checks in the NBA. Boatright is a blur on the floor, but he isnt the scorer that Napier was. Neither is promising center Amida Brimah, who is going from DeAndre Daniels understudy to primary post option. No. 16 San Diego State - Higher Does San Diego State have another Sweet 16 run in it? Obviously the AP thinks so, and for good reason. Winston Shepherd and the Aztecs ran to 31 wins last season, taking home the regular season title in the Mountain West Conference. They did so by playing tough defense, ranking second in the country in points allowed (57 pg). Shepherd doesnt have point guard Xavier Thames or leading rebounder Josh Davis to help him this season, but the Aztecs will be among the nations best anyhow, especially if they stay strong on the defensive end. No. 15 VCU - Lower The Rams started in the 14th position in this poll last season. They were at No. 10 three weeks in, but then fell from the rankings altogether, not to reappear until March when they lifted themselves to No. 23 before ending at No. 24. This seasons squad has the tough task of replacing some important parts, with Rob Brandenberg and Juvonte Reddic gone. Shaka Smart is still the mastermind and that alone makes VCU dangerous. With Briante Weber and Treveon Graham ready to go as well, the Rams will still be good, just not top-15 good. No. 14 Iowa State - Higher How did Fred Hoiberg deal with the loss of Big 12 Player of the Year Melvin Ejim and potent scorer DeAndre Kane? Why, he just picked up several coveted transfers, who will keep the Cyclones on an upward trajectory. Bryce DeJean- Jones comes in from UNLV, Hallice Cooke brings his shooting touch from Oregon State, and forward Jameel McKay (Marquette) adds even more depth. All that is new will fit with all that is familiar (Georges Niang, Monte Morris, Dustin Hogue) to create an enviable roster and one that will bring plenty of wins to Ames. No. 13 Gonzaga - Higher The Bulldogs wont fall into the same trap as other mid-major programs, although at this point its tough to group them there as their schedule presents plenty of chances to pad their resume. Mark Fews squad will play Arizona, UCLA and Memphis in non-league play, and two bouts with West Coast Conference rival BYU wont be easy. With an experienced backcourt led by Kevin Pangos and Gary Bell Jr, as well as frontcourt titan Przemek Karnowski, Gonzaga has a chance to win every one of those contests, and the other 30 on the schedule as well. No. 12 Villanova - Higher Creighton no longer has sharpshooter Doug McDermott, and no team is happier about that than the Wildcats. Villanova was the best team in the Big East last season, finishing with a 16-2 mark in conference play en route to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, the Wildcats two losses in league play came against the Bluejays, by an average margin of 24.5 points. While Creighton, and many other teams in the conference are retooling this season, the Wildcats have four starters back. Expect them to dominate their league and be a bigger factor in the NCAA Tournament. No. 11 Wichita State - Lower The Shockers finished at No. 2 in this poll last season. Thats what winning 35 straight games will do for you. Greg Marshall has led his team to at least 27 wins in four straight seasons, including back-to-back 30-win finishes. He also has Fred VanVleet, who may just be the best point guard in the country, as well as Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton back. However, the loss of Cleanthony Early cannot be understated. Wichita State is still the best team in the Missouri Valley Conference, but it is not one of the 11 best in the country. No. 10 Texas - Higher Rick Barnes quickly turned things around following a disastrous 16-18 finish in 2013, leading the Longhorns to a 24-11 record last season as well as a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The expectations are set much higher this time around, with the Longhorns expected to challenge for the Big 12 title and perhaps more. Its easy to imagine UT playing deep into March with the returning talent on the roster. Isaiah Taylor, Javan Felix and Jonathan Holmes highlight the group, which gets a major boost with the addition of prized recruit Myles Turner. No. 9 Virginia - Lower Tony Bennett has done an incredible job at Virginia, turning a program that went 10-18 the season before his arrival into the Atlantic Coast Conference champions. Bennetts squad may not have been the flashiest, but its dedication on defense made the Cavaliers difficult to topple. They led the country in scoring defense (55.7 ppg), while holding foes to 38.8 percent shooting. Bennett has a number of key components back, including all-league guard Malcolm Brogdon, but improved squads at Duke and North Carolina, as well as the addition of Louisville to the ACC, may push the Cavaliers back, albeit slightly. No. 8 Louisville - Lower In each of the last three seasons, the Cardinals have won at least 30 games. They also have won three conference titles and a national championship in that span. They are now a member of the ACC, which is a murderers row compared to the diluted American Athletic Conference. Montrezl Harrell is the key for this squad and a strong candidate for All-American honors. However, Rick Pitino has a huge hole to fill with Russ Smith gone. Finding another scorer (or two) may take some time, and could lead to a less prosperous campaign. No. 7 Florida - Higher One of the few teams in the nation equipped to deal with major roster turnover, Florida is poised for another year of domination. Without the likes of Casey Prather, Scottie Wilbekin and Patric Young, most teams would be ready to go into rebuilding mode. Not the Gators, who will attempt to make up for last seasons Final Four letdown with proven commodities (Michael Frazier II and Dorian Finney-Smith), promising youngsters (Kasey Hill and Chris Walker), a key transfer (Jon Horford) and a healthy Eli Carter, who was a double-digit scorer at Rutgers before a fractured fibula slowed him down. No. 6 North Carolina - Lower It has been a turbulent time in Chapel Hill recently. There was the P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald debacle last year, followed by former star Rashad McCants damaging claims in the spring. Then, just a few weeks before this season is set to begin, a report was released detailing past academic wrongdoing. Setting aside all that, the Tar Heels are pretty talented this season, led by Marcus Paige, who is at his best in big moments. If they can push the distractions aside, this team could be great, but it remains to be seen if it can be elite. No. 5 Kansas - Higher Bill Self has himself another pair of freshmen that will make Lawrence a frequent destination for NBA scouts. After Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid were key parts of last seasons Big 12 regular-season title team, Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander are the key components of this years recruiting class and squad in general. Oubre, at 6-foot-7, is an athletic specimen and Alexander is a bully down low. They will team with Wayne Selden, Jr. and Perry Ellis to form yet another immensely-skilled Kansas squad. No. 4 Duke - Higher Another team that is ready to compete at a high level because of a number of talented freshmen is Duke. The Blue Devils brought in Jahlil Okafor, widely considered the top recruit in the country, as well as Tyus Jones and Justise Winslow. The young trio will have Blue Devils fans forgetting about the loss of Jabari Parker and a painful setback to Mercer in the NCAA Tournament in no time. Rasheed Sulaimon and Quinn Cook, who have actually played for Duke, will be important contributors as well. No. 3 Wisconsin - Lower Four starters return from last seasons Final Four squad. None is bigger, both literally and figuratively, than center Frank Kaminsky, an early favorite for Naismith Player of the Year. Sam Dekker, who suffered a minor leg injury near the end of October, should be good to go, and Traevon Jackson and Josh Gasser are each capable players as well. If there is any reason to believe Wisconsin will fall back from the No. 3 spot it is the programs history. The Badgers have never finished in the AP top-five. No. 2 Arizona - Higher One of the teams Wisconsin beat on the way to the 2014 Final Four was Arizona, which was the No. 1 seed in the West Region and probably will be again this season. It really speaks to how well Sean Miller can recruit when a team that lost Pac-12 Player of the Year Nick Marshall and talented freshman Aaron Gordon is expected to be better than it was a year ago. Top recruit Stanley Johnson will be one of the best freshmen in the country, and hes only the beginning. Brandon Ashley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Gabe York, T.J. McConnell and Kaleb Tarczewski make for one of the deepest rosters in the country, and one that is capable of winning the national title. No. 1 Kentucky - Lower This is a familiar spot for the Wildcats, who also topped last years preseason poll. They fell from their lofty place during the regular season, but wound up making a run to the national championship game anyway. For once, John Calipari wont have to start over following a mass exodus of one-and-done stars. This season he gets back Willie Cauley-Stein, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Alex Poythress, Marcus Lee and Dakari Johnson, to go with big-time recruits Trey Lyles and Karl-Anthony Towns. If there is any concern it is a lack of depth in the backcourt, which is admittedly a stretch, but it could be a factor should one of the Harrison twins endure a sophomore slump. ... as usual. Even with the salary cap being set lower than many general managers expected and hoped for at $69 million and whats considered a shallow pool of top-end players available, this unrestricted-free-agent period figures to follow the familiar script of teams bidding up prices to keep up with each other. . As each game passes (each has played close with the exception of last night) it becomes clearer just how evenly matched these two teams are and how one mistake, or one bad inning, is likely to sway the result.
http://www.cheapbruinsjerseysauthentic. ... nak-jersey. Seriously. Seven years of losing has brought many different faces, players and management, to the annual pre-season get-to-know-the-team round up. . - Houston defensive end J. .C. -- Al Jefferson knows few people will be giving the Charlotte Bobcats a chance to upset the Miami Heat in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.Each week, The Reporters put their thumbs out to the good and the bad in the world of sports. This week, they discuss the NBA Draft Lottery, the Redskins name, Donald Sterling, and fights in the playoffs. Dave Feschuk, Toronto Star: My thumb is down to the NBA Draft Lottery, which once again rewarded one of the worst franchises in pro sports with another No. 1 pick. Im talking about the Cleveland Oilers, I mean the Cleveland Cavaliers. Or, same thing. And same question: how many more Canadians have to suffer thanks to a dated draft model that rewards incompetence? Well, probably one more. Chances are good Cleveland will use the pick to select Canadas Andrew Wiggins next month. Third time in four years theyll pick No. 1. Theyve also got Canadas Anthony Bennett and Tristan Thompson in the lottery, Not to mention Kyrie Irving. And howve they been doing? Theyve averaged 26 wins the past three years. Hey, these are the guys who tanked for LeBron James and couldnt figure it out. The NBA needs to look hard at tank-proof alternatives to the lottery. They might not save the worst franchises from themselves, but they might save the best players from having to play for them. Gary Lawless, Winnipeg Free Press: My thumb is down to the Washington foot-draggers. Its down to the 50 senators who tried to make political hay out of this sad and tired situation after years of slurping martinis in luxury suites watching the football team not to be named here. Now theyre offended? What changed? Certainly not their moral stance but only the winds of public opinion. Its down to the NFL, who pretends the use of a racial slur is ok because its been used for so many years. Down to Daniel Snyder, who profits from said slur and ignores his own role in the spread of racissm.dddddddddddd NBA players were outraged when Donald Sterlings racism was laid bare. NFL players should take the opportunity to halt another affront. Demand change, NFLers. Rid your league of this slur and shame Snyder, Roger Goodell and the rest of the leagues owners to enact change. Steve Simmons, SUN Media: My thumb is up to Donald Sterling, yes up, to that old, disgraceful bigot who is barely hanging on to the Los Angeles Clippers, for apparently conceding defeat. Or what certainly seems from the outside like defeat. Far be it for the cloudy-minded Sterling to see clearly but ESPN has reported that Sterling has agreed to allow his wife, Shelly, to negotiate a sale of the team, which is exactly what the NBA wants. The quicker Sterling goes away, frankly, the better. The sooner the Clippers are sold, the happier NBA players will be. Should the team be sold for $1 billion, which is possible, the Sterlings would be taxed more than $328 million on the sale. It would be an expensive ending, but ending this is where the NBA wants to be. Dave Naylor, TSN Radio 1050: My thumb is up to the New York Rangers Derek Dorsett and the Montreal Canadiens Brandon Prust for reminding us what we havent been missing for most of these Stanley Cup Playoffs: fights. The tilt between Prust and Dorsett during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final was the first fight of the playoffs since Round 1 and the first since the calendar turned to May. In fact, there were 2,113 minutes of great playoff hockey played without a single fight. Which only proves that fighting is meaningless when it comes to winning hockey games, because if it was meaningful, coaches would send their players out do it more. When the games matter most. That would be the playoffs. ' ' '
