Tar Heels ranked #1 in pre-season poll

[dlb]

Personally, I don't think it means very much. Preseason polls are more about last year than this, but the 'Heels are legitimate National Championship contenders.

Tar Heels Preseason No. 1 In Blue Ribbon Poll :: Three other ACC teams are ranked in the top 25.

2007-08 Blue Ribbon Pre-Season Rankings

1. North Carolina
2. UCLA
3. Georgetown
4. Tennessee
5. Memphis
6. Michigan State
7. Kansas
8. Louisville
9. Indiana
10. Marquette
11. Kentucky
12. Washington State
13. Oregon
14. Duke
15. Arizona
16. USC
17. NC State
18. Wisconsin
19. Texas
20. Stanford
21. Clemson
22. Gonzaga
23. Syracuse
24. Arkansas
25. Villanova

I think Duke is overrated at 14. I expect them to have trouble staying in the top 25 this year. And I'm confused about G'town. They beat us pretty good in the Regional Final last year. If they lost Green and/or Hibbert, I don't see how they stay in the top 5. If they kept both players, I don't see why they're not #1.

NC State will be a team to watch this year - and over the coming 5 seasons. Sidney Lowe has installed a pro-style offense that gives college defenses fits and should attract higher-caliber players to Raleigh. This could be the start of a new golden age for the Wolfpack.

[bedir than average]

dlb, Green is now a Seattle Supersonic. I don't know what happened to Hibbert. G'Town shouldn't be that high.


A lot of preseason respect for the West with that PAC-10 having 6 ranked teams and Gonzaga still getting respect. Oddly if 6 PAC-10 teams get votes, why is Washington left out considering their youth last year?

[dlb]

I agree, without Green (I think Hibbert stayed), they don't seem like a Top 5 team to me. Man, with both Green and Durant, your Sonics are setting up nicely.

[bedir than average]

Setting up nicely to be in another city though. With all of the youth on the team and the questions about where it will play in 2009 attendence will often be under 10k

[dlb]

On your other comment - yes, there's a lot of respect for the Pac10 here. The Big 10 and Big East look down. The ACC gets four, but I expect Duke, State and Clemson to struggle to stay in.

Who do you think is being missed?

[BravesRule22]

Hibbert is still there, GTown is going to be good not as good as last year but should be a top 15 team

MY LVille Cardinals have EVERYONE back & a great recruiting class, watch out

[dlb]

So, who do y'all think are the legit National Championship contenders? I'd say there are six at the beginning of any year, but I'm not sure I know who this year's are. So, in no particular order, here are my guesses:

NC
Memphis
L'ville
UCLA
MISt
KS

With USC as a possibility.

[BravesRule22]

Teams I think can win it all :

UNC - pretty much enough said, you know the deal

LVille - Everyone is back, they have a great core of talented players and a top recruiting class coming in. If it wasnt for 2 missed free throws they would have been in the Sweet 16 last year

Kansas - Same as LVille, they have every back but Julian Wright but he should be replaced by someone from their recruiting class. If they can put it all together they have a veteran group that could be poised for a deep run.

Tennessee - They also have a veteran team with everyone coming back and with the big men they have inside and Lofton on the outside its a deadly combo that should see them make a run past the sweet 16 and should contend for a title.

GTown - Yes they lost Green, but they have everyone else and they still have the big man inside in Hibbert. If a few of the recruits step up then I can see them being right back where they left off last year.

Honestly, as of right now.....thats all I can see winning it.

Im not sure how UCLA is going to be without Affalo and Id to see how they replace him before I make a judgment on them.

Michigan St has been touted as having a extremely great core of young recruits that are ready to contribute but young kids you just dont know how they will step up.

So I would add these two to the list depending on they respond

[djwhokid]

I think Memphis will go all the way. Derrick Rose is going to pull a Carmelo and lead his team to a title. They play in a weak conference so I would be stunned if they don't get at least a second seed.

Besides the obvious teams -- Duke, North Carolina, UCLA... I really like Kansas State. Michael Beasley and Bill Walker could be lethal.