The 2011-2012 NCAA basketball season should be an
interesting one to say in the least. Players like Kemba Walker
have decided to take their talents to the NBA while some seniors and
underclassmen remain in college.
North Carolina - The Tarheels return four key players from last
years squad and will be a difficult team to beat in the upcoming season.
Harrison Barnes (15.7 points, 5.8 rebounds), Tyler Zeller (15.7 points, 7.2
rebounds), John Henson (11.7 points, 10.1 rebounds), and Kendall Marshall (6.2
points, 6.2 assists) makes North Carolina a real contender to win the NCAA
Championships. It is very rare nowadays that a team has 4 returning formidable
players as the Heels do.
Kentucky - Sophomore forward Terrence Jones (15.7 points, 8.8
rebounds ) and senior guard Darius Miller (10.9 points, 4.6 rebounds) return.
Kentucky has one of the top recruiting classes and that will put them where
they usually are, near the top of the top 25 poll
Ohio State - Jared
Sullinger (17.2 points, 10.2 rebounds) the best big man in the country returns
for his sophomore season. Having Sullinger in the lineup makes the Buckeyes an
instant contender and a team to look for in NCAA basketball betting. They were ranked number 1 for most of last season. Sophomore
guard Aaron Craft (6.9 points, 4.8 assists) and senior William Buford (14.4
points, 3.9 rebounds) also return. The Buckeyes will be a tough matchup for any
team in the league.
Syracuse - Has a lot of highly regarded recruits and have
only lost one starter from last season. This should put the Syracuse Orange at the top
of the Big East. Seniors Kris Joseph (14.3 points, 5.2 rebounds) and Scoop
Jardine (12.5 points and 5.9 assists) return. Junior guard Brandon Triche also
returns (11.1 points per game). This trio should give the Orange a legitimate
chance to go far with all of their experience.
Duke - The Blue Devils took a big hit as 3 significant
players won't be on their roster this season. All world guard Austin Rivers
will look to fill the void. Junior guard Andre Dawkins (8.1 points) is
returning for Duke and guard Seth Curry (9 points per game) will also be
returning. Curry can come up with some big shots. Duke will be laced with
talented freshman and another Plumlee will be joining Coach K's squad. Talent
will make up for inexperience.
Connecticut - The champs and Calhoun will miss Kemba but
will be returning a lot of players that have won the title. Sophomore Jeremy
Lamb (11.1 points, 4.5 rebounds) will be taking a leading role for the Huskies.
Sophomore Shabazz Napier (7.8 points, 3 assists) makes his return and big man
Alex Oriakhi (9.6 points, 8.7 rebounds) will give UConn a presence on the
inside. Don't underestimate the Huskies. People did last year and you know what
happened.
Vanderbilt - The Vanderbilt Commodores look to be in a good spot as 3
big time players are returning. Junior John Jenkins returns with his 19.5
points per game that's sure to give Vandy's offense a boost. Jeffery Taylor
(14.7 points, 5.5 rebounds) returns for his senior campaign, and senior center
Festus Ezeli (13 points, 6.3 rebound, 2.6 blocks) is back. This is a tough group of guys.
Vanderbilt will be a major force in the SEC.
Memphis - The Conference USA tournament champs bring back
practically their entire team. Guard Will Barton (12.3, 4.9 rebounds), guard
Joe Jackson (9.9 points, 3.1 assists), forward Tarik Black (9.1 points,
5.rebounds), and senior Wesley Witherspoon (9 points, 4.3 rebounds) are all
returning. Look for major improvement from the Tigers.
Louisville - The Cardinals will have some young talent in to
join sophomore guard Kyle Kuric (10.8 points, 3.9 rebounds). Rick Pitino and
staff will find a way for the Cardinals to be a team to be reckoned with.
Arizona - The Wildcats
are stacked. Sean Miller decided to stay and lot's of top recruits are coming
in. Not only that, a lot of players are returning for the 2011-2012 season.
Lamont Jones (9.7 points) will bring high energy to the team. Senior Kyle Fogg
(8.1) will look to improve upon his shooting in his final season, and junior
forward Soloman Hill (8 points, 4.7 rebounds) returns. The Wildcats are the
class of the Pac-10.
Some of the top contenders have lost some players but have
managed to keep a few top names with the addition of quality freshman coming in for the NCAA
Basketball 2011-2012 season. This should be a very competitive year.