And The Numbers are In....Part III

Hello again hoops fans! I apologize for the delay as I have been extremely busy lately, but I am back and ready to dissect our next set of 5. Its great to see that we have the first follower here and that some comments are starting to come in the on the posts, and very insightful comments I might add. Keep up the good work. Alright, enough small talk, lets get down to what you came here for. This is what we have at 11-15.

11. California
12. Mississippi State
13. Michigan
14. Washington
15. Butler

Now as I said before the farther we go down this list, the less I will have to say. So do not be too surprised if you see a little less analysis here.

11. California- This season Cal is going to be playing in a Pac-10 conference that is going to be at its weakest point in a few seasons, and you can expect the Golden Bears to be at the top of it. The Bears bring back Jerome Randal, Patrick Christopher, and Theo Robertson, the trio that combined for 45.9 ppg last year and as you may be able to guess that was the bulk of Cal's scoring.

Strengths: I can't imagine anyone being able to argue that returning basically your entire team from the previous season isn't a huge advantage. I still think the biggest thing that will work in Cal's favor this season is going to be the competition within the Pac-10. Although Washington will give them a couple good games, they won't be up against the UCLA and Arizona teams they are used to seeing or even the Arizona State they saw last season. Like most other people, the Golden Bears are my pick for Pac-10 champs.

Weaknesses: Although you may not see a lot of weaknesses out of Cal during the season, you will see them in March. The committee will take into account Cal's weak schedule, but if they walk away with the Pac-10 regular season and the Pac-10 tournament, they will more than likely get a 3 or 4 seed. After seeing less than powerful competition all season, the Golden Bears may be primed for an upset. However, I do suggest you do tune in for their December 22nd match up at Kansas. Even if they lose, which they most likely will, pay attention to how they play under pressure against a good team. This will show if Cal is for real or not.

12. Mississippi State- I cannot tell a lie, my knowledge of the Bulldogs is somewhat limited. However, I do know that they are returning Jarvis Varnado, and from the little I saw last season he blocks shots like it is his job (I guess it kinda is?). Being second in this conference says something, because the SEC is going to be a dog fight this season. From what I am hearing about Mississippi State combined with the fact that I am not sold on Kentucky, prompts me to put the Bulldogs on the top of my SEC list.

Strengths: As I said before, Varnado can block shots. Last season he also added a nice 12.9 ppg to his shot blocking average of 4.7 bpg. I personally believe the Bulldogs will reap the benefits of all eyes being focused on Kentucky this season. For awhile at least, Mississippi State should be able to fly under the radar before everyone notices that they may be the ones the beat in the SEC and not Kentucky.

Weaknesses: First of all, Mississippi State only gets Kentucky once. Although it is at home, if the Bulldogs don't play well in that in game and come out on the wrong end, it may have bad psychological effects for the team. The Bulldogs are also not a program that is used to being in the spotlight. It's going to be interesting to watch this year's Mississippi State team unfold as they are actually expected to win every time they step on to the court.

13. Michigan- Although Michigan has cracked the top 15, the Big Ten is still a 2 team league in my mind. The Wolverines did however make a little noise in the NCAA tournament last season, knocking out a Clemson team that many though would roll them. Manny Harris and his 16.9 ppg will be returning to lead Michigan, and don't be surprised if you see the Wolverines deal Michigan State or Purdue a loss in the Big Ten.

Strengths: The Wolverines are starting to gel again under coach John Beilein, and this is a good year for them to be doing so. Although the Spartans and Boilermakers may be the teams to beat in the Big Ten, the Wolverines the top of the next tier. This is a good season for Michigan to regain some confidence and pride in their basketball program (oddly enough they are doing the same on the gridiron). It is teams like this years Michigan team that I usually watch for to sneak in and win their conference tournament, slip into the NCAA's as a 7-9 seed, and bust some brackets when they make their way into the Sweet 16.

Weaknesses: All season long Michigan is going to be overshadowed by Michigan State and Purdue. The Wolverines may be on their way back up, but they aren't quite there yet. Although I said they have the potential to make some noise late in the season, doesn't mean they will. If they roll quietly through the season and can't come up with any big wins, their tournament resume will be a whole lot weaker than they hope for.

14. Washington- The Huskies will be the main competition for Cal in the Pac-10 this season. My pick to click for the Huskies this season is Quincy Pondexter. Pondexter should have a huge year inside for the Huskies and open up play for their tremendous guards led by Isaiah Thomas. Pac-10 basketball will be defined this season by the match-ups between between Washington and Cal.

Strengths: The guard play is going to be the biggest strength for the Huskies. Thomas (15.5 ppg) will be in the running for Pac-10 player of the year. The leadership that Pondexter will bring to the table will be crucial for this team in both finding themselves at the beginning of the season and gearing up for the stretch run in February and March. Just like Cal, Washington will be benefiting from the weakened state of their conference this season.

Weaknesses: The biggest problem that the Huskies will have is finding a way to replace Jon Brockman and his 14.9 ppg and more importantly his 11.5 rebounds a game. As much as I think Pondexter will do for Washington, its going to be a tall order for him to fill the gap made left by Brockman. The Huskies are also a very young team. There is a lot of inexperience on this roster and it may end up biting Washington down the stretch.

15. Butler- Its about time the Bulldogs stop flying under the radar and quit getting called a Cinderella team. It seems like every season Butler makes a ton of noise in the tournament and everyone seems surprised. Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward (combined 27.9 ppg) both return for the Bulldogs this season. Butler is looking to be more than a Cinderella story this year and should easily win the Horizon league with their eyes closed.

Strengths: Well playing in the Horizon league is definitely a strength. As much as I love mid-majors (I went to school at one) a team of Butler's caliber may just run through this conference untouched. The Bulldogs will get big early season tests when they meet Ohio State and Georgetown, where they will get a chance to help toughen up their teams and show the world that they deserve their ranking.

Weaknesses: Playing in the Horizon league isn't exactly going to work in the Bulldog's favor. All season long they are going to be playing against competition that will more than likely be of less quality than 90% of the teams they will see in the tournament. It will also be looked down upon by the selection committee when they seed Butler in March. If the Bulldogs are going to make any noise, they are going to have to make it themselves.

There you have it! 15 down and 10 to go as we creep ever closer to the start of our season. I for one have already put my order in for ESPN Full Court and am mapping out what games I can watch and how many more I can record to make sure I do miss a second of the action. Some may call me obsessed, I say they just don't understand the magic of this game like we do! Please weigh in your thoughts and keep your eyes peeled for 16-20!