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New York Post, Sunday, November 12, 2006 nypost.com R R
MADNESS BEGINS
POST COLLEGE 2007 HOOPS PREVIEW
PRESEASON
1. FLORIDA
33-6, beat UCLA for NCAA title
Coach: Billy Donovan (261-118)
Hot stock: F/C Joakim Noah
Buy: Five starters return.
Sell: Overexposed stock. Buy low/sell high: Gators looking to become first team since Duke to repeat.
2. N. CAROLINA
23-8, lost to George Mason in 2nd round
Coach: Roy Williams (493-124)
Hot stock: C Tyler Hansbrough
Buy: The nation’s best recruiting class.
Sell: David Noel’s glue.
Buy low/sell high: The most talented 12.
3. KANSAS
25-8, lost to Bradley in 1st round
Coach: Bill Self (279-
129)
Hot stock: F
Brandon Rush
Buy: Great talent and depth
Sell: Are there enough balls to go round?
Buy low/sell high: Haunted by two straight first-round ousters.
4. GEORGETOWN
23-10, lost to Florida in region
Coach: John Thompson III (110-65)
Hot stock: F Jeff Green
Buy: Hoyas have a legit big man in Roy Hibbert.
Sell: Loss of versatile F Brandon Bowman.
Buy low/sell high: That Princeton offense is a mystery.
5. UCLA
32-7, lost to Florida in title game
Coach: Ben Howland (229-134)
Hot stock: Tourney experience.
Buy: G Aaron Afflalo.
Sell: Lost PG Jordan Farmar.
Buy low/sell high: Better offense complements defense.
6. PITTSBURGH
25-8, lost to Bradley in 2nd round
Coach: Jamie Dixon (76-22)
Hot stock: N.Y. backcourt of Fields and Ramon.
Buy: C Aaron Gray
Sell: Loss of Carl Krauser’s leadership.
Buy low/sell high: Who’s the go-to guy?
7. OHIO STATE
26-6, lost to G’town in 2nd round
Coach: Thad Matta (148-49)
Hot stock: C Greg Oden, the nation’s top recruit.
Buy: Versatility.
Sell: Hype and chemistry.
Buy low/sell high: Great talent/little experience.
8. DUKE
32-4, lost to LSU in region semis
Coach: Mike Krzyzewski (753-250)
Hot stock: Coach K is energized.
Buy: F Josh McRoberts
Sell: No more J.J. Redick 3s.
Buy low/sell high: It’s Duke, which means another great frosh class.
9. MARQUETTE
20-11, lost to ‘Bama in 1st round
Coach: Tom Crean (141-76)
Hot stock: PG Dominic James
Buy: The best backcourt in the Big East.
Sell: No big man.
Buy low/sell high: Marquette was 6-2 in games decided by four points or less.
10. ALABAMA
18-13, lost to UCLA in 2nd round
Coach: Mike Gottfried (229-120).
Hot stock: PG
Buy: C Jermareo Davidson
Sell: Poor 3-point shooting.
Buy low/sell high: Underachievers last year; overachievers this year.
11. WISCONSIN
19-12, lost to Arizona in 1st round
Coach: Bo Ryan (142-76)
Hot stock: SF Alando Tucker
Buy: Big, bad Badgers in the paint.
Sell: Offensive struggles.
Buy low/sell high: C Brian Butch must be a consistent force.
12. LSU
27-9, lost to UCLA in semis
Coach: John Brady (256-188)
Hot stock: PF Glen Davis
Buy: Great front line.
Sell: Loss of unselfish Darrel Mitchell.
Buy low/sell high: Can Tigers adjust to return of PG Tack Minor (knee).
13. ARIZONA
20-13, lost to ‘Nova in 2nd round
Coach: Lute Olson (761-269)
Hot stock: PG Mustafa Shakur
Buy: C Ivan Radenovic
Sell: Lousy defense.
Buy low/sell high: Loss of Hassan Adams and Chris Rodgers means better chemistry.
14. FLA. ST.
20-10, lost in NIT 2nd round
Coach: Leonard Hamilton (265-268).
Hot stock: F Al Thornton
Buy: Auburn transfer G Toney Douglas
Sell: 30 points and 13 per boards don’t return.
Buy low/sell high: Hamilton’s teams are tough.
15. TEXAS A&M
22-9, lost to LSU in 2nd round
Coach: Billy Gillispie (73-51)
Hot stock: Gillispie is top young coach.
Buy: G Dominique Kirk’s defense.
Sell: Poor rebounding.
Buy low/sell high: Improved play from Joseph Jones, Acie Law.
16. WASHINGTON
26-7, lost to UConn in region semis
Coach: Lorenzo Romar (177-130)
Hot stock: Frosh C Spencer Hawes
Buy: Rugged F Jon Brockman
Sell: No go-to scorer.
Buy low/sell high: Romar will make this a dangerous second-semester team.
17. KENTUCKY
22-13, lost to UConn in 2nd round
Coach: Tubby Smith (365-133)
Hot stock: C Randolph Morris
Buy: F Bobby Perry
Sell: How to replace 281 assists?
Buy low/sell high: The loss of Patrick
Sparks is addition by subtraction.
18. SYRACUSE
23-12, lost to Texas A&M in 1st round
Coach: Jim Boeheim (726-253)
Hot stock: Experienced front line.
Buy: G Eric Devendorf
Sell: No clutch Gerry McNamara.
Buy low/sell high: If frosh Paul Smith is the real deal, it’s an Orange crop.
19. SO. ILLINOIS
22-11, lost to W. Virginia in 1st round
Coach: Chris Lowery (49-19)
Hot stock: Defense.
Buy: Top eight players return.
Sell: Lousy shooting.
Buy low/sell high: Jamaal Tatum suspended three games.
20. MEMPHIS
33-4, lost to UCLA in region final
Coach: John Calipari (341-130)
Hot stock: Athleticism.
Buy: Elite recruits.
Sell: Darius Washington + Rodney
Carney + Shawne Williams = 44 points.
Buy low/sell high: Second-half teams.
21. VILLANOVA
28-5, lost to Florida in region final
Coach: Jay Wright (226-144)
Hot stock: F Curtis Sumpter
Buy: Sr. PG Mike Nardi
Sell: Three guards to the NBA.
Buy low/sell high: Wildcats will still cause matchup nightmares.
22. CREIGHTON
20-10, lost in NIT 2nd round.
Coach: Dana Altman (321-197)
Hot stock: Great inside/outside offense.
Buy: C Anthony Tolliver
Sell: Josh Dotzler’s rebuilt knee.
Buy low/sell high: G Nate Funk (shoulder) is healthy.
23. GA. TECH
11-17, no postseason
Coach: Paul Hewitt (173-110)
Hot stock: C Ra’Sean Dickey
Buy: F Thaddeus Young
Sell: No proven point guard.
Buy low/sell high: Anthony Morrow led the ACC in 3-point shooting.
24. XAVIER
21-11, lost to Gonzaga in 1st round
Coach: Sean Miller (38-23)
Hot stock: F Justin Cage
Buy: Steady frontcourt.
Sell: Weak conference.
Buy low/sell high: Oklahoma transfer PG Drew Lavender leads the break.
25. NEVADA
27-6, lost to Montana in 1st round
Coach: Mark Fox (52-13)
Hot stock: C Nick Fazekas
Buy: Four starters return. Sell: Depth.
Buy low/sell high: Not tested in regular season.
FINAL FOUR
N. Carolina Tar Heels
Kansas Jayhawks
Marquette Golden Eagles
Florida Gators
TITLE GAME
Florida over Marquette
RECORD WATCH
BOBBY KNIGHT
Needs 11 wins to pass Dean Smith (879) for most in D-I history.
SURPRISE TEAMS
ACC – Virginia
Big East – Villanova
Big Ten – Indiana
Big XII – Texas
Pac 10 – Oregon
SEC – Tennessee
POST PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
SF – Brandon Rush, Kansas
PF – Joakim Noah, Florida
C – Tyler Hansbrough, North Carolina
PG – Ronald Steele, Alabama
SG – Aaron Afflalo, UCLA
UNDERPUBLICIZED TEAM
SF – Morris Almond, Rice
PF – Grant Stout, Northern Iowa
C – Joseph Jones, Texas A&M
PG – Jared Jordan, Marist
SG – Loren Stokes, Hofstra
ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
PF – Kevin Durant, Texas
SF – Paul Harris, Syracuse
C – Greg Oden, Ohio State
G – Wayne Ellington, North Carolina
G – Ty Lawson, North Carolina
