B101's Bold Prediction No. 1

No. 1: The Bracket - Preseason Edition
Over the years, we have shied away from putting together a preseason bracket, only because preseason brackets - like preseason polls when they eventually come out - won't end up meaning jack in a few weeks. Our first bracket of the year has traditionally come out after a couple of weeks of games - usually in mid-to-late November...well, until now. After years of holding out, we decided to give the readers what they have e-mailed us about and wanted for three years now - a preseason bracket. We made it our Bold Prediction No.1 for the 2007-2008 college basketball season.

Here it is: B101's Preseason Field of 65:

Conference Breakdown
ACC (7), Big East (7), Pac-10 (7), SEC (6), Big XII (5), Big Ten (4), A-10 (2), Colonial (2), MVC (2), WAC (2)

Last Four In
Florida State, Missouri, California, Auburn

Last Four Out
Providence, Illinois, Vanderbilt, Houston

The Seeds
The 1s
UCLA, North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas

The 2s
Georgetown, Louisville, Tennessee, Indiana

The 3s
Michigan State, Washington State, Duke, Kentucky

The 4s
Marquette, Oregon, USC, North Carolina State

The 5s
Gonzaga, Texas, Arkansas, Southern Illinois

The 6s
Xavier, Arizona, Clemson, Texas A&M

The 7s
Ohio State, Connecticut, Butler, Stanford

The 8s
Virginia, Pittsburgh, Florida, Syracuse

The 9s
Wisconsin, Davidson, Mississippi State, Kansas State

The 10s
Maryland, Villanova, VCU, BYU

The 11s
Auburn, California, Missouri, New Mexico State

The 12s
George Mason, Bradley, Florida State, St. Joseph’s

The 13s
Utah State, Winthrop (Big South), Akron (MAC), Holy Cross (Patriot)

The 14s
Vermont (America East), Austin Peay (Ohio Valley), Western Kentucky (Sun Belt), UC-Santa Barbara (Big West)

The 15s
Siena (MAAC), Montana (Big Sky), Texas A&M-CC (Southland), IUPUI (Summit)

The 16s
Sacred Heart (Northeast), Cornell (Ivy), East Tennessee State (Atlantic Sun), Delaware State (MEAC, Play-In Game), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC, Play-In Game)

The Bracket
(Bracket courtesy Matt Reeves)













Questions? Comments? E-mail Bracketology 101 at bracketologyblog@yahoo.com

B101's Bold Prediction No. 2

No. 2: They Get To Play With Scissors
Our Bold Prediction No. 2 is a quick look at our preseason picks for the Final Four and the national championship game.

Final Four
UCLA
North Carolina
Memphis
Georgetown

Championship Game
UCLA 84, North Carolina 77

B101's Bold Prediction No. 3

No. 3: These Are The 1 Seeds
Our Bold Prediction No. 3 is a look at UCLA, the top No. 1 seed in our Preseason bracket.

UCLA
How does a team in the toughest conference in the country lose its best player and get tabbed by many – including us – as the preseason favorite to win it all the next year? Let us count the ways (this could take a while): The Bruins have the best point guard west of the Mississippi in Darren Collison, a future NBA swingman in junior Josh Shipp, two solid forwards in Lorenzo Mata and All-Name Team MVP Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and just for fun, the best rookie post player in the nation in Kevin Love. If preseason favorites are determined by potential pros on a team’s roster, UCLA would be a hands down choice. But pro prospects aside, it’s hard to imagine that even without the departed Aaron Afflalo and even with the schedule that comes with being a member of the Pac-10, that the Bruins wouldn't make a third straight Final Four appearance. UCLA also has the most tournament experience of any preseason title contender, has the added motivation of trying to avenge two straight disappointing Elite Eight losses, and perhaps most importantly, plays in a league that will have them as battle-tested as possible come postseason. In Collison, Ben Howland (how about the job he has done since arriving on the West Coast?) has a veteran floor general that can score and pass (he was freakishly consistent points-wise and averaged 5.7 assists per contest as a sophomore). Howland also has athleticism at every position and has a team that loves to play unselfishly despite its remarkable individual talent. And now, finally, Howland has something that UCLA lacked the last two years and something that 95 percent of college teams only dream of – a dominant presence inside. The 6’10” Love may not be Greg Oden on the defensive end, but his offensive exploits are already legendary and he hasn't even slipped on a powder blue jersey yet. He set every Oregon high school scoring record as a senior and has also received rave reviews from scouts for his passing ability, especially to start the fast break. Comparisons to Bill Walton and Wes Unseld have already been thrown Love’s way, and in anticipation of his debut, the Bruin faithful are expecting nothing less than a title game appearance. Frankly, even if Love is half as good as advertised, there’s no reason why those lofty expectations shouldn’t become a reality. The Bruins have no noticeable holes, no real question marks, a chip on their shoulder, at least four draftable players on their roster, and perhaps most telling, they garner unanimous praise as the best team in the nation’s deepest league. That's good enough for the top No. 1 seed right now, and quite possibly, a Hollywood ending down the road.

B101's Bold Prediction No. 4

No. 4: These Are The 1 Seeds
Our Bold Prediction No. 4 is a look at North Carolina, the second No. 1 in our Preseason bracket.

North Carolina
In blowing a double-digit second half lead against Georgetown in last year’s regional final, the Tar Heels confirmed what many of their loyal fans had feared: North Carolina may have had the second-most talent (to Florida) of any team in the tournament, but it didn’t have the experience and veteran leadership necessary to advance to a Final Four. Carolina’s four best players – Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Brandon Wright, and Wayne Ellington – had a combined five regular seasons of college ball under their belts at that point, and that youth cost the Heels dearly late versus the Hoyas. As a new season opens, though, a renewed sense of anticipation has invaded Chapel Hill, as Roy Williams and Co. prep for what many believe will be a season full of sweet redemption. Yes, the Heels lost Wright to the NBA lottery, but top to bottom, North Carolina has a roster overflowing with talent and a team full of players who are amped to show everyone that they are now ready to win a title. The leader of this group is, of course, Hansbrough. The Wooden Award front-runner (and our preseason pick for POY) is a force in the paint and looks ripe for a 20-point, 10-rebound-per-game junior season. He will also – unofficially – lead the country in hustle plays, and may cause Dick Vitale’s head to finally explode if he drops 35 at the Dean Dome against Duke. Carolina also has the most explosive backcourt in the conference in the lightning-fast Lawson (the ACC’s second best guard) and the sharpshooting Ellington. Alex Stephenson and Deon Thompson will give Hansbrough all the help he needs down low, and the trio of Marcus Ginyard, Bobby Frasor, and Danny Green gives the Heels unparalleled flexibility, defense, and depth on the perimeter. Overall, the Heels appear to have no weaknesses. Most of the team’s core players are sophomores, but last year’s tourney run made this team a seasoned one quickly. A tough ACC schedule and an even more brutal OOC slate (UNC plays at Ohio State, at Kentucky, at Penn, and at Rutgers in one Major League Baseball-esque four-game roadie in Nov. and Dec.) will have the Heels ready to go come tourney time. As the season opens, an ACC title, a No. 1 seed, and a Final Four appearance look like pretty safe bets. The Tar Heels and their fans, want more than that, though; they want to leave San Antonio with a trunk full of hardware. With its talent pool, the Heels won’t have any built-in excuses if that doesn’t happen.