Long ways off, but we'll start this general discussion off with some significant news. Besides the recruiting thread was getting too much non-recruiting talk in there. UVA guard Sean Singletary has elected to return for his senior season. It's gonna be a tough road without Reynolds and Cain.

http://tinyurl.com/yrbj6a


Georgia Tech's Thaddeus Young will give up his eligibility and remain in the NBA Draft.

http://tinyurl.com/25o88r


This bodes well for the Wolfpack and Blue Devils. GT was thought to be one of the main challengers to UNC next year provided that Young and Crittenton returned. Why is it that GT is always projected to do well, yet they never live up to the hype? I'd love for the Pack to come in 2nd in the regular season next year. Let UNC have their stupid regular season championship banner, I want the championship that really matters, the ACC Tournament Championship. Doesn't the Pack play in Cameron next year?


My pre-season top 25 for next year:

1. North Carolina (begrudgingly have to put them here )
2. Memphis
3. UCLA
4. Louisville
5. Tennessee
6. Indiana
7. USC
8. Michigan State
9. Washington State
10. Kansas
11. Arizona
12. Duke (they'll get this due to hype, we'll see what Zoubek can do, probably a whole lot of nothing)
13. Syracuse
14. Texas
15. Marquette
16. Kentucky
17. Illinois
18. Mississippi State (they'll probably win the SEC West)
19. Alabama (the other team that will more than likely win the SEC West)
20. Gonzaga (due to hype)
21. Southern Illinois
22. Georgetown
23. UConn
24. NC State
25. Davidson


Now this is how I think the top 25 may start out. I think State will move up though.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXg1s1Hn_pk

mmm...can't wait to see them shaking their ass out at half court again.

[Edited on June 18, 2007 at 8:01 PM. Reason : ]

6/18/2007 8:00:52 PM

#5????



BWHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHHA

thanks for the support though

6/18/2007 8:15:42 PM

Quote :

"2. Memphis"

So basically another 30 win season and nothing to show for it.

This team is always overrated.

6/18/2007 8:21:47 PM

theres always a limit to how good you can be in Conference USA

which is why Calipari should have gone to a school in a power conference at some point

6/18/2007 8:37:31 PM

calipari can't recruit the players he needs in a conference with any integrity

6/18/2007 8:39:58 PM

Get this tarhole out of here. UNC wasn't #1 last year and they lost their most talented player and gained nothing. No way they are #1.

6/18/2007 8:42:13 PM

Quote :

"25. Davidson"

6/18/2007 8:43:53 PM

I think Tennessee wins the SEC this year. Lofton is one of the better shooters the college game has seen.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0MorNHUtTg
more to get you all pumped for next season. haven't seen this one posted on here before. pretty loud if i say so myself.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aodXAKomHBw&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9uiPS25ExU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5cR28PRpL0

Quote :

"Get this tarhole out of here."

ahahahahaha. do you know how much hate I have for that school. way to try and call out one of the most die hard State fans on here.

Davidson got a lot of press at the end of the year b/c of Curry being the #2 freshman in avg. PPG after Durant, and for how they took it to Maryland and nearly upset them. all while going undefeated in conference play with a whole new starting five. all the players that started last year were freshmen and sophmores. No one really thought that they would do very well. With games against UNC and Duke in the Bobcats arena, and against State in the RBC Center they will end up getting some tv love and more people will get to see them play this year. They probably won't win those three games, but if they play well, they will be kept on notice as a dangerous team.

[Edited on June 18, 2007 at 8:52 PM. Reason : ]

6/18/2007 8:46:00 PM

THE BEST!

6/18/2007 8:48:14 PM

Quote :

"Get this tarhole out of here. UNC wasn't #1 last year and they lost their most talented player and gained nothing. No way they are #1. "

They gained a year of experience... I see no problems with them being #1 preseason this year. They have tons of talent and won a few games against tourney teams handily w/o Wright playing last year even...

Experience is so key... which is why Louisville as a Top 5 team is probably a good choice. Though personally I'd put WVU in there over UConn at the start and knock 'Cuse down a few notches.

[Edited on June 18, 2007 at 8:52 PM. Reason : x]

6/18/2007 8:51:51 PM

Yeah I nearly put WVU in there where UConn was, but I thought that they might not receive any love b/c a lot of writers might think that them learning a new system will hamper them some at the beginning of the season. Syracuse has some great recruits, but I seriously thought about putting them lower.


In regard to Memphis being #2 I think Katz put it best...

Quote :

"...the Tigers are adding one of the best players in the country in big guard Derrick Rose. So add in Rose, along with another high school senior stud in wing Jeff Robinson, to a core of players like Chris Douglas-Roberts, Robert Dozier, Joey Dorsey, Antonio Anderson, Doneal Mack, Willie Kemp, Andre Allen and Kareem Cooper, and you have the makings of a potential national champ. Remember, this core group has been in back-to-back Elite Eight games. They have the experience. They are clearly winners. The only departure is senior Jeremy Hunt, whose toughness, according to Memphis coach John Calipari, will be replaced by Rose."

[Edited on June 18, 2007 at 8:59 PM. Reason : ]

6/18/2007 8:54:32 PM

I'm so tired of this school being LOADED with UNC fans. Its a joke.

Quote :

"They gained a year of experience"

O they must be the only one. Every champion in the last 10 years had gained a year of experience going into their championship year so this mean unc will win it all for sure!!!

Quote :

"Experience is so key"

HA HA HA

its funny you say that considering UNC lost all their seniors from last year guys like terry and miller that were their experience. Now what is it? Hansbrough and a bunch of sophmores? Quinton "lets turn it over to setup a break leading to the biggest dunk of the year" Thomas? Theres no way a team that isn't even that great to start with can lose 2 starters/3 key players, gain nothing and get BETTER relative to everyone else and we already know about it (ie not be UNC fans).

UNC beat who? Arizona without wright? Arizona???? Who'd they beat without wright and terry? who'd they beat without wright terry and miller?

What was unc's biggest problem last year? 3pt shooting and wing play. and what did they lose? their best 3pt shooter and their most clutch do it all guy who was arguably the 2nd best 3pt shooter. They also lose their most talented/unstopable player who o by the way took alot of pressure of the outside shooters, wing players and even Hansbrough. They may not only be not better...they could actually be alot worse than they were last year.

Sure they still have one of the nations great 1-2 punches and are the favorite to win the acc but to say they are #1 or even the lock in a deep conference like the acc is fanism. They don't have a single threat on the wing and no big time talent/athleticism like they got from Wright.
And don't give me crap about Ellington becoming the superstar he is because lets face it, the kids a bust, hasn't done anything, hasn't shown any flash of nba talent and is nothing but a unc version of Greg Paulus. NOT GREAT.

Unless something drastic happens

6/18/2007 9:25:16 PM

dude wtf, take the red blinders off. i hate that UNC is as good as they are every year, but fuck man be realistic. do you honestly think that PRESEASON, they're not a top-5 team?

6/18/2007 9:38:10 PM

HOWARD FOR PRESIDENT!

6/18/2007 9:39:51 PM

^^^ LOfuckingL

6/18/2007 9:54:00 PM

I know what UNC loses. I also know what other teams lose. UNC will be a top 3 team in nearly every pre-season poll next year. Who has shown in this past year that they have talent to match UNC for the long haul. I'm not talking one game here and there, where a lapse in determination can catch them off guard and out play them. Seriously name 5 teams that would run train on them greater than 50% of the time. Florida? They lose everyone. OSU? They lose Cook, Oden, and Conley. Georgetown probably loses Hibbert and Green. UCLA, may challenge, but they will need Love to come in big down low if they meet UNC in the tournament. Memphis has a lot of talent and will build up a gaudy record come tourney time. We'll see if they're for real win they play Tennessee at home. Indiana will have D.J. White and Eric Gordon, but I'd take Lawson in his sophmore year over Gordon as a freshman. I'd also take Hansbrough over White. Etc., etc.


1. Lawson, Thomas
2/3. Green, Ellington, Frasor, Ginyard, Graves
4/5. Hansbrough, Thompson, Stepheson, Copeland

Pretty much all of them are 4 and 5 star players, that are talented and some of the non-starters would start immediately at other programs.

Hey I'd love to see UNC lose every game for eternity, but it's not going to happen. Hmm...maybe I could sell my soul to the devil for the good of all the NC State fans. Nah that would never happen. Satan wouldn't go for it, since he's a Tar Heel fan.

6/18/2007 10:08:08 PM

OSU also lost Lewis and Harris but they have an insane freshman class coming in and retain Butler at the point. They'll be good again but won't compete for the national title.

Hibbert is returning for his senior season but Green is not.

UCLA will be nasty even with the loss of Afflalo. Love will be a beast on the block.

KU will be better than #10.


That player rotation isn't quite right for UNC. Should be.....

1 - Lawson, Frasor, Thomas
2/3 - Ellington, Green, Ginyard, Graves?
4/5 - Hansbrough, Thompson, Stepheson, Copeland, Graves?

Thomas and Copeland will see minimal minutes. We'll have to see exactly how Graves is utilized. He could play either forward position.

[Edited on June 18, 2007 at 10:41 PM. Reason : ]

6/18/2007 10:23:12 PM

Howard is correct. Lack of shooting and experience means that they are primed for early tourney exits.

6/18/2007 10:31:23 PM

FUCK UNC

6/18/2007 10:32:00 PM

Quote :

"We'll have to see exactly how Graves is utilized. He could play either forward position. "

No he couldn't. Graves was a wing player on his high school team. Roy Williams isn't going to put an undersized shooter with no experience playing in the post as his power forward.

[Edited on June 18, 2007 at 10:46 PM. Reason : htrjhrs]

6/18/2007 10:44:25 PM

Davidson is going to be a good team next year, they lost NOTHING from last year and Curry is going to be a force w/ a year of experience and more muscle.

I'm expecting them to make it to the 2nd round next year. They gave Maryland a scare this past year.

29-5 w/ a freshman, imagine what they are going to be like next year. This is one of those teams that will surprise a lot of people and won't get any respect until they earn it.

6/18/2007 10:45:26 PM

Howard, thanks for the laugh, put down the kool aid.. Since when did Wes Miller become such a valuable asset to UNC's overall success. He was used as a shot in the arm, to get the starters attention and was good for a wide open three created by post mismatches. I guess losing Mike Odonnell was catastrophic to our program as well, all things equal I'd rather have him over Miller. And Ray Terry, to say he is valuable and not replaceable is just laughable. And crashing on Wayne Ellington after one year, hilarious, I hope he doesn't improve, but let's face it, he will. I guess we at NC State only recruit superstars who are lotttery picks when they get on campus and no opponent of ours has room to improve and has a fixed skill set. With G. Tech losing Young and Crittenton, and Duke losing McRoberts, no one poses a threat to UNC to win the ACC reg season. I'm not even sure Duke with McBob would pose a threat. It's in their control, now if they have injuries and off the court issues, yea, it could be open, but from a talent standpoint, you'd have to assume they'll lose 4 games tops in conference, can anyone in the league top that? I would be thrilled if he went 11-5, and satisfied with 10-6, 9-7 would be borderline.

6/18/2007 10:53:09 PM

Quote :

"No he couldn't. Graves was a wing player on his high school team. Roy Williams isn't going to put an undersized shooter with no experience playing in the post as his power forward."

I'm well aware that Graves was a SF in high school but he's a big, strong body at 6'6" 260 lbs. and an excellent rebounder, pulling down 11 boards/game his senior season. He could create a lot of match up problems on the perimeter and going to the basket for most PFs and would have the strength to keep most opponents from getting too deep in the post. A 4 can still be perimeter-oriented. Graves also has an adequate inside game and his lack of height is offset by his strength and quickness. I think he will be used primarily at the 3 but could see stints at the 4 throughout the season. His position will be somewhat dependent on Copeland's ability to spell the other big men for short periods.

6/18/2007 11:31:13 PM

Georgetown would have been hands down #1 if Green returned, they still have an awesome class coming in (stupid chris wright...). They should be way higher than 22!

6/19/2007 1:23:54 AM

yeah

6/19/2007 1:32:42 AM

Quote :

"Quinton "lets turn it over to setup a break leading to the biggest dunk of the year" Thomas"

Ha ha I found this quote to be funny...

6/19/2007 9:18:29 AM

Quote :

"11. Arizona"

Lute Olsen is one of my favorite coaches ever, but he is slowly losing it I believe. These last few years his teams have badly underachieved. He has so much talent and little to show. They have probably one of the largest amounts of NBA players produced. He has a few more with Budinger and company now.

6/19/2007 10:55:43 AM

and for the record, going into the season I would have Tennessee around #17-25... if some of the young talent shows up then they could definitely be higher later on, but for now, I have them a quite a bit lower than 5

6/19/2007 10:57:44 AM

I see it this way, the winner of the SEC will be a top 10 team, and probably a top 5 team. Who is gonna really challenge Tennessee? Kentucky may be pretty good, but I don't think they have the returning talent that UT does. Florida is starting a whole new starting five. Vanderbilt sometimes looks great, then sometimes looks bad. South Carolina, yeah right. Georgia, don't make me laugh. Ole Miss, yawn. LSU, they weren't very good this year, and won't be very good next year. Arkansas is learning a new system. Auburn, haha. So that leaves Alabama with a hopefully healthy Steele, and Mississippi State out of the West that will likely meet them in the SEC Tournament. Kentucky is the only team I see possibly hanging with them from the East Division.

[Edited on June 19, 2007 at 6:50 PM. Reason : ]

6/19/2007 6:49:02 PM

http://www.wral.com/sports/ncsu/

over on the right they have interviews from the Jimmy V Celebrity Junior Golf Classic. Sidney Lowe is the first one being interviewed in the video. He talks a little about our three PGs for next year.

6/19/2007 7:13:13 PM

The Pac 10 is going to be freaking nasty this year. What happened to the ACC? Went from THE BASKETBALL CONFERENCE to mediocre.

6/19/2007 7:43:11 PM

Defections killed the conference. It could still be a strong conference next year, but one can only imagine how the conference would have been perceived had Duke gotten Patrick Patterson, if Wright, Young, and Crittenton had stayed, and if Clemson wouldn't have had the biggest meltdown ever ultimately costing them a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Things change from year to year. Look at Wake when they lost Chris Paul. That was only one player, but his departure pretty much cost them being in the NCAA Tournament that next year. In one year they went from one of the more feared teams in the league to a laughing stock.

6/19/2007 9:04:12 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=temXNAD-VAU

man Maryland's student section really messes up the Hey! You Suck chant. I'm specifically talking about the part where you chant "and we're gonna beat the hell out of you...and you...and you and you and you. It's not supposed to be so fast. It's supposed to go along with the beat of the song. Dumbasses. What's the deal with people pointing whenever they do the airball chant. We always just have the crowd wave their hands back and forth from side to side, which I think looks better.

6/19/2007 9:43:41 PM

ok, fuck it, Tennessee #1 bitches!


all the way

6/19/2007 11:02:59 PM

Quote :

"Howard, thanks for the laugh, put down the kool aid.."

I didn't read it because I know he was part of the Earl/Randy/hcnguyen group but I trust it was utterly worthless?

6/19/2007 11:51:07 PM

Quote :

"Defections killed the conference."

Yeah, but it really hasn't been the great ACC type since expansion and frankly probably never will be again. Don't get me wrong it's up there with the best year in and year out but like the Big East the larger the conference is the more the bottom will bring it down.

Defections kill everyone. UCLA lost Afflalo, who will be a marginal first rounder, Duke lost a few, UNC lost a few, etc, etc... We'll probably lose 1-3 this year early (I assume Hickson is one and done and Costner and possibly Fells if he develops -- he has the best 'nba body' of the bunch).

[Edited on June 19, 2007 at 11:54 PM. Reason : oops sorry for the double.. meant to edit]

6/19/2007 11:53:13 PM

Hickson wont be one and done

He'll um... stick around, and be a clown

[Edited on June 19, 2007 at 11:56 PM. Reason : d]

6/19/2007 11:55:58 PM

How can you compare the ACC to the Big East, or anyone to the big East, they have 16 teams, usually at least 1/3 more teams of most major conferences (12)?

6/20/2007 12:07:53 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUGoXwsR3Zg

UCLA Frisbee Cheer

6/20/2007 7:33:20 PM

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/bracketology

Lunardi drops State to a 3 seed.

6/20/2007 11:35:36 PM

oh noes

6/21/2007 7:42:27 AM

hater in the house!

6/21/2007 9:48:08 AM

well we haven't won a game in months, what do you expect???

6/21/2007 10:40:57 AM

http://www.wral.com/sports/ncsu/

the video with the 3 nc state qbs is funnny

6/21/2007 11:03:31 AM

^^ LOLOLOL

..

6/21/2007 11:12:24 AM

does he explain why anywhere?

6/21/2007 12:10:17 PM

He stopped smoking crack?

6/21/2007 12:14:45 PM

^ last time I stopped smoking crack we beat UNC

6/21/2007 7:11:33 PM

UCLA Frisbee Cheer

Is this a basketball?
Yes that's a basketball.
Is that the court?
Yes that's the court.
Is that the looooosing team?
Yes that's the looooosing team.
Is that the winning team?
Yes that's the winning team.
Are we the Bruins?
Yes we're the Bruins.
Basketball!
Basketball!
Court!
Court!
Looooosing team!
Looooosing team!
Two hands.
Looooosing team!
Winning team!
Winning team!
Bruins!
Bruins!
B! B! R! R! U! U! I! I! N! N! S! S!
What's that spell?
Bruins!
Who are we?
Bruins!
(often times followed up with an improvised
chant saying who the Bruins will beat/they're
going to the Final Four/win the Pac-10, etc.)
Hands up!
U...C...LLLLLL A!
U-C-L-A! Fight! Fight! Fight!

6/21/2007 7:45:22 PM

wow, thats horrible

6/21/2007 8:01:23 PM