College Basketball Top 25
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Bankroll Sports NCAA Basketball Top 25 Poll
These Rankings Were Released & Updated on November 7, 2009

**Records Below are as of Sunday, March 8, 2009

1. Kansas Jay Hawks (0-0) - The Jay Hawks come in as the nation’s best team to start the 2009 - 2010 season. Kansas garnered 55 first place votes in the Associated Press Pre-season Top 25. The Jay Hawks were downed in last years NCAA Tournament 67-62 to Michigan State. Kansas will have two pre-season All Americans in their starting lineup to start the season. Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins both garnered votes. The Jay Hawks were in a few off-season controversies including DUI charges and fights with members of the football team. Coach Bill Self has stated his team has grown up and focused on basketball. The Jay Hawks will need to be focused to get through their Big 12 slate unmarked. Kansas starts the regular season on November 13th against Hofstra. The Jay Hawks non conference key affairs include November 17th against Memphis, December 6th against the Bruins of UCLA, December 19th with Michigan and December 22nd against California. Kansas will open the Big 12 portion of their schedule on January 13th; at Nebraska.

2. Michigan State Spartans (0-0) - The Spartans received 5 of the 65 first place votes when the Associated Press put together their pre-season poll. Tom Izzo’s Spartans took an 89-72 loss at the hands of North Carolina in the national title game in March of 2009. The Spartans look to be the top team within the Big-Ten, followed by Purdue, state rival Michigan, Ohio State, Minnesota and Illinois. Michigan State will start their regular season schedule on November 13th against Florida Gulf Coast. The Spartans will see a huge test early on the season when the Spartans on November 17th host the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Michigan State plays their first five games at home, including a November 27th game against the Florida Gators. December 1st in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels, the 2009 Champions. Another key non conference game for the Spartans will take place on December 22nd when they take on the Texas Longhorns. The Spartans will start their chase for the Big Ten title on January 2nd when they travel to Evanston, IL to take on the Northwestern Wildcats.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels (0-0) - The defending champions lost the heart and souls of their 2009 national title run. Tyler Hansbourgh and Ty Lawson are now in the National Basketball Association. Tar Heel fans fear not though, the roster is still stacked with a great nucleus of ultra talented athletes. Marcus Ginyard, a 6’5 senior out of Alexandria Virginia should lead the way. Freshmen Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, John Henson, and David and Travis Wear look to get significant time for Roy Williams’ crew. North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference appear to be the favorite coming in, but are always on the look-out for rivals Duke, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Clemson. North Carolina starts the 2009 season on November 9th against Florida International University. The Tar Heels’ first game away from Chapel Hill comes on November 19th when they take on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Back-to-back  games on December 1st and 5th with Michigan State and at Kentucky will test the young Tar Heels. December 19th, North Carolina and Texas will square off. The Tar Heels open the Atlantic Coast Conference play on January 10th against the Virginia Tech Hokies.

4. Duke Blue Devils (0-0) - The Duke Blue Devils look to compete at the top with their longtime rivals North Carolina. The Blue Devils were 23 point victims to Villanova in last years tournament play. This season, Duke will look to ride senior guard Jon Scheyer’s coat tails, along with Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith and Brian Zoubek. Transfer Seth Curry, the younger brother of Stephen Curry, from Davidson is not enrolled and on the squad at Duke. The Blue Devils start the season on November 13th against the Spartans of UNC Greensboro. The first game away from Coach K court will take place on December 2nd when the Blue Devils take on Wisconsin. Duke and Gonzaga meet up on December 19th. Georgia Tech will host the Blue Devils on January 9th for the first Atlantic Coast Conference affair.

5. Texas Longhorns (0-0) - Rick Barnes and the Texas Longhorns enter the top five to start the 2009 - 2010 season. The Longhorns were downed in last years tournament by Duke, in a tight five point decision in the second round.  This season, Damion James, Dexter Pitman, Dogus Balbay and Justin Mason return from the starting lineup. A.J. Abrams, the Longhorns top scorer is the lone starting not returning. The Longhorns will be tested by the Big 12 with the likes of Kansas and Oklahoma up at the top. Texas will also compete against a very competitive non conference slate. The Longhorns will open the season on November 15th against the Anteaters of UC Irvine. November 23rd the Longhorns will host Big 12 representative Iowa, and then on December 3rd, Pac Ten foe USC will come to town. Back to back contests with North Carolina and Michigan State will lead the Longhorns into Christmas quite tested. The Longhorns and Tar Heels meet on December 19th, while Texas and Michigan State will face off December 22nd. The Longhorns open the Big 12 season on January 9th, at home, against Colorado.

6. Villanova Wildcats (0-0) - The Villanova Wildcats come into 2009 - 2010 season as the Big East favorite. The Wildcats made a run to the elite 8 last season, only to fall to North Carolina 83-69. Scottie Reynolds leads a crew of four seniors returning this season along with an impressive freshman class for Jay Wright’s Wildcats. Reynolds scored 15 points per game last season as a junior, and hopes to improve upon that for this season. Villanova opens on November 13th against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights. The Wildcats play a stretch of four straight road games in the month of December; starting December 6th at Maryland, and finishing December 19th at Fordham. Villanova makes trips to St. Joseph and Temple in between. The Wildcats conference slate will start on January 2nd, 2010 against Marquette. They will play the Golden Eagles twice in a span of a week to start Big East action.

7. Purdue Boilermakers (0-0) - The Purdue Boilermakers under the leadership of Matt Painter will open the season as the dark horse in the Big Ten. Purdue will be looking towards knocking off the Michigan State Spartans for the top spot in conference action. Purdue lost last season 72-60 in Sweet 16 action. Robbie Hummel, E’Twaun Moore, Lewis Jackson, JaJuan Johnson and Chris Kramer return from that starting line-up that played in the sweet 16. The Boilermakers also have a crew of freshmen that expect to contribute heavily by the season’s end. Purdue starts the season on November 13th when they host Cal State Northridge. The Boilermakers will play their first six games at Mackey Arena, before taking on Alabama on December 12th. One of the home games early in the season will be the Big Ten/ACC challenge affair between Purdue and Wake Forest. The Boilermakers start the Big Ten play on December 29th in Iowa City, to face off with the Iowa Hawkeyes.

8. Kentucky Wildcats (0-0) - There is plenty of excitement in Lexington Kentucky. Firing the controversial firing of former coach Billy Gillespie, and the hiring of long time nemesis John Calipari, the Wildcats come into this season with renewed hope. The Wildcats boast one of the nation’s best freshman classes, featuring point guard John Wall, along with Jon Hood, DeMarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton. Patrick Patterson returns to the Wildcats after pouring in nearly 18 points per game last season. The Wildcats start the season with six non conference home games that should prepare them for their December 5th game with the North Carolina Tar Heels. The season starts on November 13th against the Morehead State Eagles, followed by home games with Miami Ohio and Sam Houston State coming into Rupp Arena. Along with the North Carolina tilt, the Wildcats will play back to back road games at Connecticut and Indiana on December 9th and 12th. A huge rivalry game for the Wildcats falls on January 2nd, 2010 when they take on Louisville. The Wildcats will begin their quest to win the SEC title on January 9th when they host Georgia.

9. Tennessee Volunteers (0-0) - Bruce Pearl and the Volunteers look to rebound after their first round last season. The Volunteers appear to be among the front runners in the SEC. Returning starters Tyler Smith, Bobby Maze and Wayne Chism, along with top scorer J.P. Prince hopes to lead the Vols to a deep tournament run. Tennessee begin the 2009 - 2010 season on November 13th against the Austin Peay Governors. Tennessee sees a relatively soft non conference schedule, with just three major tests: December 19th against USC, December 31st against Memphis and January 10th against Kansas. Tennessee starts the SEC portion of their schedule on January 14th when they host the Auburn Tigers.

10. West Virginia Mountaineers (0-0) - The Mountaineers enjoy one of their top pre-season rankings in years. West Virginia comes into the 2009 - 2010 season ranked # 10. The Mountaineers were upset last season in a 68-60 game at the hands of the Dayton Flyers. Head coach Bob Huggins received bad news recently when the NCAA suspended freshman forward Deniz Kilicli for the first 20 games for violating an amateurism rule. The Mountaineers will compete with the likes of Uconn, Georgetown, Syracuse, Louisville and Villanova at the top of the ultra competitive Big East. The Mountaineers should enjoy a soft non conference schedule that starts November 15th against the Loyola (Maryland) Greyhounds. The Mountaineers first major test comes on December 23rd when they take on Mississippi. The Mountaineers start their Big East slate on December 26th when they travel to Seton Hall.

11. Butler Bulldogs (0-0) - The first non-major school to enter the rankings; the Butler Bulldogs. Butler enjoyed a 26-6 2008-2009 season that ended in an abrupt end; 75-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs return all five of their starters from that tournament game; Willie Veasley, Matt Howard, Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored. The Bulldogs kick-off the 2009-10 season on November 14th as they host the Davidson Wildcats. Butler will then go on the road for two games; at Northwestern and Evansville. The Bulldogs will host Minnesota on November 26th, and play at Georgetown on December 8th. Other non conference games with Ohio State and Xavier spark the non conference slate. The Bulldogs will start their Horizon Conference run on December 31st when they take on Wisconsin-Green Bay.

12. Oklahoma Sooners (0-0) - The Sooners will sorely miss their star player from a year ago; the top pick in the 2009 NBA Draft Blake Griffin. But the Sooners will surely not sulk, as they have all hopes on a return trip to the elite 8. Last season, Oklahoma was downed by champion North Carolina in Memphis. The Sooners will rely on returning starters Tony Crocker and Willie Warren to carry the load. Crocker scored 10 points per game last season, as Warren added just fewer than 15. Oklahoma will compete with the likes of Kansas and Texas atop the Big 12 Conference. The Sooners start their 2009 - 2010 run on November 14th against Mount St. Mary’s. Oklahoma’s non conference schedule boasts a trip to Houston, back to back games with Arkansas and Arizona, along with trips to Utah, Utep and Gonzaga. Oklahoma and Baylor will tip-off on January 9th to get the Big 12 schedule started.

13. Connecticut Huskies (0-0) - Jim Calhoun leads the Connecticut Huskies back from their 82-73 upset loss at the hands of Michigan State last season. The Huskies finished the season 31-5, one game short of the Final Four.  The Huskies will miss their big man in the middle Hasheem Thabeet, and dynamic guard A.J. Price, but will have plenty of firepower to compete in the Big East. Jerome Dyson, Stanley Robinson and  Kemba Walker will look to carry the load for the Huskies. Connecticut will play their first eight games at home, starting on November 13th against the Tribe of William + Mary. The Huskies will take on the Wildcats of Kentucky on December 9th as their key non conference game. Connecticut and Cincinnati will square off December 30th to start both their Big East schedules. Connecticut will go out of conference on January 17th against Michigan and January 23rd when they take on Texas.

14. Washington Huskies (0-0) - Another group of Huskies look for a deep March run; Washington. The Huskies last season were downed by two at the Rose Garden in Oregon to Purdue. The Sweet 16 berth for Washington was just the start of what they hope becomes a basketball tradition. The Huskies will certainly be able to put the ball in the hoop with the likes of Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter and Darnell Gant, returning. Justin Dentmon, the Huskies top scorer last year will not return. The Huskies look to be one of the favorites at the top of the Pac-Ten conference. California and UCLA are also pre-season favorites, in a wide open league. The Huskies start their 2009 - 2010 season on November 13th against the Wright State Raiders. Washington’s first road game is December 3rd at Texas Tech. Washington will take on Georgetown on December 12th as their prime non conference game. Washington will start the Pac-Ten season on New Years Eve night when they host to Oregon State Beavers.

15. Louisville Cardinals (0-0) - Yet another Big East team comes into the top 25; as the Louisville Cardinals enter at # 15. The Cardinals fell 64-52 to Michigan State in the elite 8 last season. That loss completed a 31-6 season for Rick Pitino’s Cardinals. Pitino returns starters Samardo Samuels and Jerry Smith. Samuels, a 6’9 sophomore scored just under 12 points per game last season, while Smith, played 21 minutes a game last season, scoring just under 8 points per game. The Cardinals will complete in the ultra competitive Big East. Louisville, along with Connecticut, Georgetown, Syracuse, Villanova and West Virginia all are looking for the conference title; as contenders. The Cardinals start their run on November 17th when they host the Arkansas Razorbacks. Louisville will head out west on November 28th and take on the Running Rebels of UNLV. The rivalry game with Kentucky will take place January 2nd, and then the Big East slate tips-off January 6th at Providence.

16. Minnesota Golden Gophers (0-0)  - Tubby Smith’s Minnesota Golden Gophers hope this is the year they can bring a title to Minneapolis. The Big Ten race will start with Michigan State, but a slew of teams, including the Gophers will be on the doorstep, looking in. The Gophers fell last season 76-62 in round one of the NCAA Tournament. Minnesota finished the season 22-11.  Al Nolen, Lawrence Westbrook, Damian Johnson and Ralph Sampson III all return this season, after starting most of last season. Westbook, the senior out of Arizona, scored just under 13 points per game, while Sampson, a 6’11 sophomore out of Georgia played just 20 minutes per game last season, scoring just 6 points per game. The Gophers will start the 2009 - 2010 season on November 13th when they host the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles. Minnesota’s non conference slate will include Butler and Miami (FL). Minnesota will start their Big Ten schedule on December 29th, hosting the Nittany Lions of Penn State.

17. California Golden Bears (0-0) - The Golden Bears have been ranked as high as # 11 in pre-season circulations. California lost 84-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to Maryland, in Kansas City last season. The Golden Bears return point guard Jerome Randle who led the team with 18.3 points per game and 5 assists per game last season. Randle has started 98 games in his California basketball career. Jamal Boykin,  Theo Robertson, and Patrick Christopher also return as starters last season. Boykin, a senior, scored 10 points per game last season, playing 24 minutes per  game. The Golden Bears are one of a few looking to take a stranglehold on the Pac-Ten Conference, along with UCLA and Washington. California will host the Murray State Racers on Monday November 9th, and not play a road game until December 2nd at New Mexico. The Golden Bears will play a huge non conference game on December 22nd at the Phog Allen Field House, against the Kansas Jay Hawks. California and Stanford will hook up on January 2nd, to begin the Pac-Ten schedule.

18. Georgetown Hoyas (0-0) - The Hoyas hope to improve upon one of their most disappointing seasons in college basketball last year. Georgetown lost their final game of the season to Baylor, 74-72 in the NIT. The Hoyas, with that lost finished the season with 15 losses in 31 games. Georgetown returns Nikita Mescheriakov, Greg Monroe and Austin Freeman from the starting lineup in the final game of the season. Georgetown will start the season on the road, as they travel to Tulane on November 13th to take on the Green Wave. The Hoyas non conference schedule will feature Temple, Butler, Washington and St. Joseph. Georgetown will start the Big East schedule on December 31st against the St. John’s Red Storm.

19. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-0) - Out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons check in at # 19. The Demon Deacons were upset last season; 84-69 at the hands of Cleveland State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Wake Forest finished the season 24-7, but a little disappointed, as some felt they could make a deep run to the final four. The 2009 - 2010 season will feature Al-Farouq Aminu, Tony Woods, and Chas McFarland; all who saw significant time last season. Aminu scored just under 13 points per game as a freshman for the Demon Deacons. Woods, a 6’11 sophomore, only played 11 minutes per game, but is expected to contribute heavily this season. McFarland, out of Lovington Illinois, played just over half the game last season, averaging 9 points and 6 rebounds per game. Wake Forest will start the season on November 13th, at home, against Oral Roberts. The Demon Deacons will play back-to-back games away from home on December 1st and 5th against Purdue and  Gonzaga. The Demon Deacons start their Atlantic Coast Conference play before Christmas, as they host the Wolf pack of North Carolina State on December 20th. Wake Forest and Xavier will play a non-conference game on January 3rd.

20. Michigan Wolverines (0-0) - The Michigan Wolverines look to build off their 24-14 season last year. The Wolverines were downed 73-63 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan returns starters Zack Novak, Stu Douglass, Manny Harris, and DeShawn Sims. Harris, a Junior out of Detroit leads the crew in scoring with just under 17 points per game, playing 33minutes per game. Michigan will look to compete in the Big Ten Conference at the top with state rival Michigan State, along with Purdue, Ohio State and Illinois. The Wolverines start the 2009 - 2010 season on November 14th against Northern Michigan Wildcats. The Wolverines take on Creighton on November 26th, Boston College on December 2nd, and at Utah on December 9th. Michigan and Kansas will play a non conference tilt of powers on December 19th. The Wolverines will play at Indiana on New Years Eve, to start their Big 12 slate.

21. Clemson Tigers (0-0) - Clemson looks to dethrone the perennial powers North Carolina and Duke within the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers took a 62-59 loss in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament.  Demontez Stitt and Trevor Booker, both started in that tournament loss; return this season for the Tigers. Booker scored 15.3 points per game, picking up just under 10 rebounds per game. Clemson starts the season on November 13th when they Presbyterian Blue Hose come to town. The Tigers will take on  Texas A+M on November 26th, and travel to Illinois on December 2nd. Clemson will play their first conference game on January 3rd, at Duke.

22. Maryland Terrapins (0-0) - The Terrapins, under Gary Williams, are another Atlantic Coast Conference team settling into the Top 25. Maryland finished the 2008 - 2009 season with a 21-14 season record. Maryland won their first round tournament game, but then were downed 89-71 to Memphis. Back from that team, Landon Milbourne, Sean Mosley, Grevis Vasquez, and Adrian Bowie. Vasquez, the 6’6 senior, had an excellent junior season, scoring 17.5 points per game for Maryland. The Terrapins will start this season on November 13th when they host Charleston Southern. The Terrapins will play in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on December 1st against Indiana. A December 6th affair with Villanova also is a feature game on the Maryland non-conference schedule. The Terrapins will host the Florida State Seminoles on January 10th.

23. UCLA Bruins (0-0) - The Bruins look to rebound after their 26-9 season a year ago. The Bruins fell victims 89-69 to the Villanova Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Bruins lose a lot of fire power from the 2008-2009 team, but look for  youngsters such as Drew Gordon, Tyler Honeycutt and Brendan Lane to keep the Bruins in contention for yet another Pac-Ten title. UCLA gets their season underway on November 17th against Cal State Fullerton. After the Titans leave town, UCLA hosts three other mid major opponents, before their December 6th affair with Kansas. The Bruins will also play non-conference games with Mississippi State and Notre Dame. UCLA starts the conference portion of their schedule on December 31st with Arizona State, followed by a January 2nd home game with Arizona.

24. Ohio State Buckeyes (0-0) - The Ohio State Buckeyes will look to build on their tournament appearance last season, despite the 74-72 loss to Siena. The Buckeyes finished the season 22-11 overall. Ohio State will welcome back Evan Turner, Dallas Lauderdale, P.J Hill, Jon Diebler and William Buford; all five starters from the tournament game. David Lighty, who started several games for the Buckeyes returns as well, scoring 10 points per game last season. Turner led Ohio State in scoring last season scoring just over 17 points per game. The 6’7 guard/forward out of Chicago also grabbed just over 7 rebounds per game. The Buckeyes play a fairly light non-conference schedule, with a couple exceptions. The main exception is the November 19th game with the Tar Heels of North Carolina. Ohio State plays Florida State in the Big-Ten/ACC Challenge. The Buckeyes will play at Butler on December 12th. Ohio State starts the Big Ten season on New Years Eve in Madison Wisconsin against the Badgers.

25. Illinois Fighting Illini (0-0) - The Fighting Illini hope their 76-72 upset loss to Western Kentucky last season is out of the memory of players and coaches. The Illini finished the season 24-10. Illinois looks to compete with Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State and Michigan atop the Big Ten Conference. Bruce Weber will see returning starters Demetri McCamey and Mike Tesdale, along with a very talented crew of under classmen. D.J Richardson, a 6’3 freshman out of Peoria Illinois expects to see a heavy workload for the Illini in the back court. Mike Davis and Alex Legion are going to be counted on to help put points on the board; something the Illini struggled to do at times last season. Illinois will start their season on November 13th against Southern Illinois - Edwardsville. A home game with Utah on November 27th, and the Big-Ten/ACC Challenge (against Clemson) are highlights on a relatively weak non conference slate. The final portion of the schedule before Big Ten play sees the Illini take on Georgia and Missouri in back-to-back games. Illinois will take on Northwestern on December 30th to start conference action.

Best of The Rest in NCAA Basketball: 

Mississippi State Bulldogs (0-0)  
Dayton Flyers (0-0)
Syracuse Orange (0-0)
Notre Dame Fighting Irish (0-0)
Florida Gators (0-0)
Gonzaga Bulldogs (0-0)
Xavier Musketeers (0-0)  
Northern Iowa Panthers (0-0)