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Sporting News, The, Nov 8, 2004

BIG dates

There's more to the season than March:

November 22-24

Maui Invitational. This year, the games will be good enough to draw you from the beach.

Last year's Maui was the worst ever; the Division I entrants finished 113-110, and only champion Dayton reached the NCAAs. This time, there are four entrants among TSN's Top 25: Louisville, Texas, Stanford and North Carolina. Filling out the field are Iowa, Tennessee, BYU and host Chaminade. This will be another of those years in which the fifth-place game here is better than a lot of other tournaments' championship games.

December 7

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Jimmy V Classic. Think John Calipari might want to do a little damage to Pittsburgh, the school that once employed him as an assistant but declined to consider hiring him in 2003? And as much fun as Memphis-Pitt will be, that's only the undercard. The second half of the doubleheader at Madison Square Garden matches Syracuse and Oklahoma State, two of TSN's top five teams.

January

Trent hits the road. The Pacific-10 Conference welcomes back Stanford coach Trent Johnson, a former Cardinal assistant, with a schedule that demands his team play five of its first seven league games on the road. It starts December 31 with a road game against Washington State. The other road foes in that stretch are Washington, rival California, UCLA and USC. Whether Stanford can claim its fifth Pac-10 title in the past seven years will be determined in this period.

February 26

Super Saturday. Warm up the remote, ice down the beverages and keep the pizza delivery number handy. This will be the best day of the conference season, with showdown games in the Big East (Connecticut at Pittsburgh), SEC (Kentucky at Alabama), Conference USA (Louisville at Memphis) and Pac-10 (Arizona at Washington). If you're able to handle more on Sunday, the Big 12 championship could be decided when Oklahoma State visits Kansas.--M.D.

TSN's PRESEASON TOP 25 Mike DeCourcy's breakdown

1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: Power forward Vytas Danelius returns to the all-league form of his sophomore year after a season wrecked by injuries. His presence makes Wake deeper. BIG-TIME ISSUE: The Deacons finished last in the ACC last season in field-goal defense. They need better ball pressure and less foul trouble from center Eric Williams.

2 Kansas Jayhawks

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: Sophomore wing J.R. Giddens emerges as the team's No. 2 option. Forward Wayne Simien is the main man. But getting back to the Final Four will require a greater contribution from Giddens. BIG-TIME ISSUE: David Padgett's transfer left three freshmen to play center. All are talented but have weaknesses, and none is a lock to excel.

3 North Carolina Tar Heels

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: Center Sean May proves himself as a reliable post scorer. With freshman Marvin Williams around to absorb defensive pressure, May might encounter more single coverage. BIG-TIME ISSUE: Point guard Raymond Felton's scoring and shooting accuracy declined in his first season under Roy Williams. In Williams' fast-break attack, Felton should have improved.

4 Syracuse Orange

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: Freshman Josh Wright or junior Billy Edelin functions consistently at point guard, freeing Gerry McNamara to score. McNamara had to do too much last season. BIG-TIME ISSUE: No one from last year's great recruiting class appeared consistently comfortable as a freshman. Syracuse won't reach the Final Four without at least one contributing.

5 Oklahoma State Cowboys

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: Joey Graham develops into the star so many expect him to be. As good as wing Tony Allen was, Graham is stronger and more athletic and a better pure shooter. BIG-TIME ISSUE: The defensive chemistry will change as the Cowboys get bigger up front. That could put pressure on guard John Lucas to defend better.

6 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: More minutes for guard Will Bynum rums the energy level so high opponents buckle. Tech lost a shooter in Marvin Lewis but will be able to rely even more on speed and attacking the basketball. BIG-TIME ISSUE: The Jackets are not a great perimeter shooting team, and it's hard to last long in the NCAAs without that threat. Rebounding is another concern.

7 Mississippi State Bulldogs

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: New point guard Gary Ervin can harness his speed for the good of the Bulldogs. This is a halfcourt team, and Ervin has been an end-to-end player. He has to make good decisions. BIG-TIME ISSUE: It's hard to believe a player with Marcus Campbell's size and physical gifts has yet to make significant contributions. MSU will be better if he can produce as a 25-minute player.

8 Duke Blue Devils

THEY'LL HIT IT BIG IF: Junior Sean Dockery or freshman DeMarcus Nelson proves to be an acceptable point guard. Dockery has to be a shooting threat, and Nelson must show he can run an offense. BIG-TIME ISSUE: The Devils have only two inside players. Football refugee Reggie Love and Lee Melchionni must spell Shelden Williams and Shavlik Randolph or Duke will have to go small.

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Sporting News, The, Nov 8, 2004

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