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The Blue Devils were a runaway choice for No. 1, the sixth time they have started the season atop the rankings. Bolstered by the return of All-America guard J.J. Redick and all-conference center Shelden Williams from a team that went 27-6 and reached the third round of the NCAA tournament, Duke received 61 first-place ballots and 1,785 points from the 72-member national media. They had a seven-year run of at least one week at No. 1 snapped last season, reaching as high as second.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski welcomes a quintet of acclaimed freshmen to go along with his returning stars. Greg Paulus was considered the nation's best point guard prospect among last year's recruiting class. He's expected to step in and fill that role for Duke, enabling senior Sean Dockery to focus on being a defensive stopper. Forward Josh McRoberts, considered the top player in Duke's signing class is expected to make Duke fans forget about underperforming Shavlik Randolph, who never lived up to hype.
The second ranked Texas Longhorns, which has four double-figure scorers back from a 20-11 that was beaten by Nevada in the NCAA's opening round, was second with six first-place votes and 1,652 points. It matches the highest ranking in school history. The return of F P.J. Tucker and C LaMarcus Aldridge is encouraging, especially since both were lost around midseason last year and the Longhorns still reached the NCAA Tournament. Among those who logged a full season, PG Daniel Gibson is the top returnee after taking over as the lead scorer following the loss to Tucker and Aldridge. Gibson also ran the show, a load that never unnerved the freshman. G A.J. Abrams could be key if he proves he can handle some obligations at point guard and relieve pressure on talented returnee Daniel Gibson. Abrams could also give Texas a solid outside threat. Another potential bomber is G J.D. Lewis, who transferred after playing one season at Midland (Texas) Junior College. Duke and Texas meet Dec. 10, in East Rutherford, N.J.
In at third is UConn. Not very many teams enter the season with as much talent as the Huskies. But there are some significant questions that need to be answered. The Huskies are very strong in the frontcourt. Josh Boone likely would have been a first-round pick in the NBA Draft, and Rudy Gay had a shot at being the No. 1 pick overall. Both elected to return to Storrs, giving Jim Calhoun two rocks to lean on and easing the pain of Charlie Villanueva's early departure to the NBA. Big man Hilton Armstrong also serves as an anchor in the middle. A freshman will likely get the reins of this Final Four contender when the games start counting in November. Craig Austrie and Rob Garrison will each get a chance to win the vacated starting slot at the point. Marcus Johnson will be a major contributor as well, if he can continue to impress the coaches in practice. Jeff Adrien is arguably the most physical of the newcomers.
Michigan State starts the season ranked fourth. Tom Izzo's team returns four of five starters and is probably the best team in the nation this side of Duke when it comes to the fundamentals of the game. The Spartans are the favorites to win the Big Ten this year and many observers think they have a good chance of getting to the Final Four once again and perhaps win the national championship. Starting guards Maurice Ager and Drew Neitzel are strong fundamental players who bring an edge and passion to their game. Ager is simply a great athlete who is difficult to guard. He is a fine shooter who averaged 14.1 ppg and can also take care of business inside. Center Paul Davis has NBA-type skills, but he hasn't shown it to this point. He is a fine passer and shooter who averaged 12.3 ppg and shot 54.1 percent last season. The Spartans don't have a lot of veteran depth in the backcourt, so they will look to freshmen Travis Walton and Maurice Joseph to fill in. Walton is tough, smart and ready to sacrifice his body, but shooting could be an issue. Joseph has a solid all-around game and should be able to hit from the outside.
It's been a long offseason for fifth ranked Villanova, who came closer than anyone expected to a berth in the Final Four. If the officials had called a foul instead of a travel on Allen Ray's last shot, the Wildcats would have taken heavily-favored North Carolina into overtime. Jay Wright's crew returns almost everybody from a team that shined on both ends of the court last season. Mike Nardi, Allen Ray and Randy Foye all return to the backcourt, as does key reserve Kyle Lowry. The frontcourt relies on the recovering Jason Fraser and Curtis Sumpter, with Will Sheridan also returning. Fraser and Sumpter both spent the offseason rehabbing injuries, and their health will be critical to the team's hopes for a national championship. While Sheridan and Chris Charles contribute off the bench, neither have the type of impact of the seniors. Villanova may have the best backcourt in the country in terms of both talent and depth. The Wildcats are intense for 40 minutes a night, and attack on the defensive end like few other teams can do. Amazingly enough for a program with little immediate playing time to offer, the Wildcats brought in four freshmen this offseason. Forwards Frank Tchuisi and Dante Cunningham, and swingmen Dwayne Anderson and Bilal Benn will compete for playing time.
That sums up the top five teams of the AP poll. The next five are Oklahoma, Louisville, Gonzaga, Kentucky, and Arizona. Kansas, the preseason No. 1 last year and another regular in the poll, also was not among those teams ranked Monday. North Carolina becomes the first defending national champion not to be in the preseason poll the next season since Kansas in 1988-89. The Tar Heels lost their top seven scorers from last season, three to graduation and four underclassmen as NBA lottery draft picks. The Big East leads the conferences with five ranked teams: Connecticut, Villanova, Louisville, West Virginia and Syracuse, the first three in the top seven. The ACC and Big Ten each had four teams in the Top 25. The season starts Tuesday night with No. 16 Syracuse playing Bethune-Cookman in the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer
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