Topics in this week’s episode include:

• Michigan State’s win over Wisconsin
• Seton Hall’s win over UConn
• A look at teams like Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Louisville, Marquette, Pitt, LSU, Miami, Kansas State and more.
• Plus we spend time talking about Rob and Troy’s upcoming road trip of college games.

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Instead, it’s time to make some predictions about the landscape of the league this year.

Before I undertake the task of ranking all 16 teams, here’s a rundown of key news items since my two-part look at the conference back in June.

Latest Offseason News

Cincinnati

Freshman Shaq Thomas will be ineligible during what is essentially a mandatory redshirt thanks to the academic shenanigans at NIA Prep, which the NCAA called into question in August.  Thomas will be allowed to practice with the team following the fall semester and will still have four years of eligibility remaining.

Connecticut

There was no shortage of news around the Huskies over the summer and even into this week.  The biggest story surrounded the signing of Andre Drummond, a top center who was expected to attend prep school for one more season.

In late August, Drummond tweeted out his plans to enroll at UConn, but the Huskies had to get a little creative to find a scholarship for him since they were down to just 10 schollies this year thanks to the Nate Miles saga and poor APR performance.  Enter redshirt freshman Michael Bradley, a 6-foot-10 forward, who is able to qualify for other forms of financial aid based on the fact he spent most of his teenage years in a group home.  Whatever your feelings on the ethics of the situation, Drummond vaults the Huskies right into the mix as potential national title contenders.  In a strange twist, Bradley recently broke his ankle and will miss six weeks.

Prior to the addition of Drummond, the biggest change had been the signing of DeAndre Daniels in June.  Daniels is a highly rated small forward prospect with a variety of skills that will help bolster the UConn frontline.  Finally, there was a recent release announcing freshman guard Ryan Boatright will be held out of games while the NCAA reviews his eligiblity.  The fact that the review is not related to academics is a potential red flag.

DePaul

There wasn’t much in the way of good news for the Blue Demons as they try to climb out of the Big East cellar.  First, Eric Wallace, who was expected to return after a medical redshirt, decided to leave the program.  Forward Tony Freeland, who averaged around 10 points and five rebounds last year, will miss the season with a shoulder injury.  Freshman Macari Brooks was ruled academically ineligible, while fellow freshman Shane Larkin elected to transfer to Miami.  And just in case that wasn’t enough, freshman Montray Clemons injured his knee during warmups at the team’s opening practice.  He will also miss the season.

Georgetown

Outside of your run of the mill brawl during their exhibition tour in China, it was an uneventful offseason for the Hoyas.  The other item of note is that sophomore center Moses Ayegba tore his ACL in a summer league game and will miss most (if not all) of the year.

Louisville

Freshman Wayne Blackshear injured his shoulder in practice, and while initial reports referenced him missing the entire season, recent news suggests he could return in a couple months.  Blackshear was a McDonald’s All-American who had just recently been cleared to play this year.  Fellow freshman Kevin Ware was ruled ineligible but may enroll and play following the fall semester.  He originally committed to Tennessee and then to Central Florida before eventually pledging to the Cardinals.  In addition, Rakeem Buckles is still out at least another six weeks while continuing rehab from the torn ACL he suffered last season, and big man Stephan Van Treese is still recovering from a knee injury that has limited his ability to practice this fall.

Marquette

This was actually the only team who had a quiet summer.  Well done, Golden Eagles.

Notre Dame

Forward Tim Abromaitis will miss the first four games of the season due to the fact that he played in two exhibition games before redshirting in 2008-09.  NCAA rules dictate that players can participate in exhibitions games and still redshirt without losing eligibility only in their freshman year, which was not the case with Abro.  Freshman Eric Katenda was blinded in his left eye after a fluke injury in a pickup game.  Coach Mike Brey has said Katenda will come to school in January and be evaluated at that time relative to his athletic future.

Pittsburgh

For the second straight season, forward Nasir Robinson suffered a preseason knee injury that required surgery.  He’s expected to be out 3-4 weeks and should be back for the season opener, but it’s worth noting that it’s the same knee he injured last year.

Providence

Freshman guard Kiwi Gardner has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA, although the school has appealed the decision.  This would be a fairly large blow to a team with very limited backcourt depth.  Big man Kadeem Batts sat out the Friars’ first exhibition game for disciplinary reasons.  It’s unknown if Batts will miss additional time.

Rutgers

Redshirt freshman Kadeem Jack broke a bone in his foot in early October and will miss 3-4 months following surgery.  He’s expected to join the team in the middle of Big East play, but the injury leaves the young Scarlet Knights even thinner on the inside.

Seton Hall

Freshman center Kevin Johnson was recently ruled ineligible for this season.  The university has filed an appeal that would allow him to practice with the team while he sits out this year.  Brandon Mobley is recovering from a shoulder injury but is expected back in early December, which is important for a team with few options inside.

South Florida

A lingering back injury is expected to sideline guard Jawanza Poland until early December.  He first sustained the injury on a dunk last season, but even the offseason wasn’t enough for it to fully heal.  Juco center Andre Johnson failed to qualify and will not suit up for USF.  Freshman big man Jordan Omogbehin seemed likely to head to prep school at one time, but he was able to enroll and will redshirt this season.

St. John’s

Since the team is pretty much comprised entirely of newcomers, the fact that three freshmen, Amir Garrett, Norvel Pelle, and Jakarr Sampson, were deemed ineligible reduces the Red Storm to just eight scholarship players.  The good news is that fellow freshman Maurice Harkless was cleared.  Coach Steve Lavin missed the team’s first exhibition game as we continues his recovery from surgery related to prostate cancer.  It’s unclear when Lavin will return to the bench, and Assistant Mike Dunlap is running practices in his absence.

Syracuse

Fab Melo is due back in court on November 30 stemming from his fourth-degree criminal mischief charge related to an incident with his girlfriend.

Villanova

Forward Isaiah Armwood has left the program and is transferring to George Washington.  He had recently been named a team captain and started every game on Nova’s trip to Europe.  Freshman guard Tyrone Johnson broke his foot over the summer and missed the team’s exhibition tour in Europe.  His recovery is going well, and he’s expected to be ready for the start of the season.  Finally, JayVaughn Pinkston’s legal woes appear to be behind him, and he is expected to suit up (and possibly start) this year.

West Virginia

Freshman Tommie McCune was charged with shoplifting from Walmart over the summer, but it is not expected to impact his availability to start the season.  There were some questions about the eligibility of fellow freshman Jabarie Hinds, but he has been cleared by the NCAA and will play this year.

OK, that was exhausting.

Now, onto the predictions!  (In the interest of space, I’m going to scale back my comments once I get past the top ten teams below.  Stupid huge conference.)

Big East Predictions: Standings

1. Connecticut

It’s hard to believe the Huskies are ranked atop the league after losing a talent as dynamic as Kemba Walker, but the addition of Andre Drummond gives them an element that last year’s championship team lacked inside.  He’s a terrific complement to the defense and rebounding prowess of Alex Oriakhi inside, and those two should form one of the best frontcourt tandems in the country.

After a breakout performance in the post-season, Jeremy Lamb led the USA Basketball U19 team in scoring this summer and is poised for a terrific sophomore year.  Shabazz Napier will run the point after posting solid assist and steal numbers last season, and an improvement in his shooting will help him get to the next level.

DeAndre Daniels is the likely starter at small forward, but Jim Calhoun has a number of lineup options at his disposal.  If he wants to go big, Roscoe Smith could slide in after showing some flashes in his first season, but if he wants a quicker unit on the floor, ultra-quick freshman Ryan Boatright would give them a three-guard look assuming he is deemed eligible.

While there are a few other options to provide additional depth inside, the potential weaknesses for this team are outside shooting (besides Lamb) and backcourt depth, particularly with Boatright’s future uncertain.  Even so, there is plenty of talent on the roster for a team that has the look of a Top Five squad nationally.

2. Syracuse

Big man Rick Jackson will be tougher to replace than people may think, but the good news is that he’s the lone loss from last year’s 27-win team.  The trio of Scoop Jardine, Kris Joseph, and Brandon Triche provide a solid foundation at guard and on the wing.

Jardine boasts a terrific assist rate and averaged six dimes last season, but the knock on him has been decision-making, which has led to a high turnover rate and poor shot selection at times.  Joseph led the team in scoring last year, and his versatility and ability to draw fouls make him a tough matchup for opposing defenses.  Triche saw his shooting fall as a sophomore, but he had 16 double-figure games during one 20-game stretch last year.  Guard Dion Waiters has tons of talent, but playing time is the big question mark given the guys in front of him.

Up front, Jim Boeheim needs Fab Melo to bounce back from a disappointing freshman year both on and off the court.  The breakout performer on the front line will be sophomore C.J. Fair, who posted a solid offensive rebounding percentage last season.  Fair played his best basketball down the stretch and should start this year.  Freshman Rakeem Christmas and soph Baye Moussa Keita will both factor into the mix in the post, particularly if Melo falters again.  The other freshman to watch is Michael Carter-Williams, who gives the team yet another talented scorer in the backcourt.

Syracuse may well join UConn in the Top Five, but they’ll be there based more on depth than pure star power.

3. Pittsburgh

The Panthers will be replacing three key players from last season’s squad, but Jamie Dixon has cultivated a “next man up” mindset during his time at Pitt, which means the team should once again rank among the league’s best.

It all starts with guard Ashton Gibbs, who scored nearly 17 points per game and canned 49 percent from beyond the arc.  There has been talk of him playing the point this year, but given the solid assist numbers Tray Woodall contributed last year, that doesn’t seem like the best use of his talent since Gibbs is so effective coming off of screens.  Either way, the backcourt is in good hands.

Up front, Dixon has a number of pieces to mix and match.  Dante Taylor was highly rated coming out of high school and posted solid efficiency numbers last year, which could indicate a breakout season is on the horizon.  Talib Zanna and Nasir Robinson have also shown flashes, and freshmen Khem Birch and Malcolm Gilbert give them even more height, with Birch being the highest-rated newcomer on the squad.  No matter who is in the game, expect them to be hard-nosed defensively and attack the glass.  On the wing, watch out for J.J. Moore who has the ability to finish second to Gibbs in scoring this year.

Pitt’s toughness and defense will keep them in every game, and there’s virtually no chance they finish any lower than fourth.

4. Louisville

Despite the rash of injuries I described above and the loss of last year’s leading scorer, there are still plenty of options on the Cardinal roster.

Point guard Peyton Siva is the team’s leader and catalyst on the offensive end.  He is fearless attacking the rim and is a terrific on-ball defender who sets the tone for the team’s defense.  Chris Smith and Kyle Kuric both knocked down over 40 percent from three-point range and provide a steadying influence for the team.

Up front, look for a breakout year from sophomore Gorgui Dieng.  He’s continued to bulk up over the summer and is poised to take advantage of an expanded role.  Last season he posted stellar rebounding and block percentages and shot over 60 percent from the field.  Jared Swopshire returns from a medical redshirt and will team with Rakeem Buckles and Stephan Van Treese to provide depth inside, but freshman Chane Behanan may well be the starter alongside Dieng.  Pitino has called him the best freshman he’s coached since Jamal Mashburn, so the expectations are already high.  The aforementioned injury to Wayne Blackshear hurts the team’s backcourt depth, but they do have options, including Mike Marra and Elisha Justice.

The Cardinals ranked fourth in defensive efficiency last season, and if they’re able to maintain a similar level this year, a Top 10 finish is within reach.

5. Marquette

The Golden Eagles have become “Team Bubble Watch” over the last couple seasons, but this year they have the makings of a Top 25 squad.

Expect Darius Johnson-Odom to pace the team offensively thanks to his ability to knock down three-pointers or put the ball on the floor and get to the stripe.  The undersized Jae Crowder is the picture of toughness inside and posted solid offensive and defensive rebounding percentages.  He can also step out and hit jumpers, which he’ll need to do more of this season.

There is no shortage of breakout candidates on the roster.  Oregon transfer Jamil Wilson is a terrific athlete and should start at small forward, and soph Vander Blue is expected to bounce back after a disappointing freshman year.  Throw in versatile freshman Juan Anderson and point guard Junior Cadougan, who finished second on the team in assists last year, and you have a plethora of options in the backcourt and on the wing. Down low, big man Chris Otule will be counted on to rebound and block shots, and a slimmed down Davante Gardner is the x-factor.

Buzz Williams has earned praise as an up-and-coming coach who gets the most out of his players, and while Marquette won’t win the conference title, they should breathe a little easier come Selection Sunday.

6. Cincinnati

The Bearcats bring back a strong nucleus from a team that snuck up on people last year.  That won’t be the case anymore, but then again, they won’t have to.

Yancy Gates is a beast inside who led the team in points and rebounds.  He responded well to being left home for a road trip and finished the season by averaging 15.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks over the final nine games.  Gates is complemented by the backcourt trio of Dion Dixon, Sean Kilpatrick, and Cashmere Wright.  Dixon posted a terrific offensive rating en route to averaging 11.6 points, while Kilpatrick played well as the team’s sixth man last year.  He was the team’s top three-point shooter and posted 9.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game.  Wright led the team in assists and posted a strong steal percentage as a disruptive on-ball defender.

Outside of those four guys, there are a number of options but no one with proven experience.  Juco transfer Cheikh Mbodj seems like the best bet to contribute inside, but Justin Jackson and Kelvin Gaines will be in the mix as well.  With Shaq Thomas ineligible, fellow freshman Jermaine Sanders, who was named the All-Manhattan Player of the Year, may see additional playing time on the wing.

Mick Cronin knows what to expect from the quartet of Dixon, Gates, Kilpatrick, and Wright, but it will be the performance of the team’s other role players that will ultimately determine UC’s fate.

7. Villanova

The next four teams are a toss-up.  While I am not as high on Maalik Wayns as others seem to be, I do like the Nova frontcourt, namely Mouphtaou Yarou and JayVaughn Pinkston.  Yarou averaged 8.4 points and 7.1 boards last season, and his play on the team’s exhibition tour suggests the best is yet to come from him inside.  His offensive and defensive rebounding percentages are terrific, and he’s  also an above average shot-blocker who provides an imposing presence in the lane.  Pinkston is a former McDonald’s All-American who missed last season while waiting for a legal matter to be resolved.  He has some rust to work off, but his ability to play and guard multiple positions gives Jay Wright some flexibility.

In the backcourt, Wayns scored nearly 14 points per game last season to go with 4.5 assists.  His shooting percentages fell, but his ability to get to the line helped to offset that.  There are still turnover concerns with him, and I have questions about how productive he can be without Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes in the backcourt with him. However, Wayns has spent time working on his shot over the summer and seems ready to embrace a leadership role this year.  James Bell and Dominic Cheek also return at guard.  Injuries hampered Bell last season, but he gained valuable experience with Team USA over the summer and has proven to be a lock-down defender.  Both he and Cheek will need to step up their offensive games this season.  Look for Maurice Sutton and freshmen Tyrone Johnson and Markus Kennedy to be key reserves.

The two keys for the Wildcats will be finding consistent outside shooting and how Wayns evolves as a leader.

8. Notre Dame

After losing three players from what was essentially a six-man rotation last year, Mike Brey has his work cut out for him.  That said, he’s shown an ability to tailor his game plan in a way that allows him to do more with less, so you can’t write off the Irish entirely.

Tim Abromaitis finished second on the team in scoring and rebounding and has an intriguing skill set for a guy who stands 6-foot-8.  He canned nearly 43 percent from beyond the arc last season and uses that shooting touch to pull opposing bigs away from the basket.  Scott Martin has been in college for what feels like eight years, but he needs to consistently score 12 or 14 points per night for this team and avoid some of the single-digit efforts from last season.

In the backcourt, look for a breakout year from point guard Eric Atkins.  He finished second on the team in assists as a freshman, but he will shoulder more of the scoring burden with Ben Hansbrough gone.  Thanks to his quickness off the bounce, Atkins was agressive driving to the basket and posted a solid free throw rate in the process.  Big man Jack Cooley hit over 65 percent from the field and had a stellar offensive rebounding percentage.  Redshirt freshman Jerian Grant and true frosh Pat Connaughton are the other players most likely to contribute, with Grant bringing defense and athleticism to the wing and Connaughton providing the team with another sniper outside.

The Irish aren’t particularly deep, but there are a number of intriguing pieces on the roster, which should place them firmly in the middle of the pack.

9. West Virginia

The Mountaineers lost a lot from last season’s team, leaving just three returning contributors on the roster.

Guard Darryl “Truck” Bryant averaged 11.3 points and finished second on the team with 3.0 assists, but his shooting percentages and shot selection simply have to improve for this team to compete.  Kevin Jones flirted with entering the NBA Draft but is back and looking to rebound from a disappointing season.  Even though he averaged 13.1 points and 7.5 rebounds, his scoring and three-point shooting both dropped off from the prior year, but he continued to be relentless on the offensive glass.  Expect bigger and better things from Jones as he finishes his WVU career.  Joining him up from will be Deniz Kilicli.  He has shown flashes the last couple seasons (see: 19 points in 26 minutes against Pitt), but it is imperative that he become more consistent on the offensive end given the team’s limited experience inside.

There are six newcomers on the roster along with redshirt freshman Kevin Noreen, so competition for playing time will be fierce.  Noreen and Pat Forsythe will provide depth inside with Tommie McCune, Keaton Miles, and Aaron Brown battling it out on the wing.  The two best newcomers may well be guards Jabarie Hinds and Gary Browne, both of whom should see time at the point.

With so much roster turnover, Huggins has his work cut out for him, but the team could outperform this ranking if things gel quickly.

10. Georgetown

Like so many other squads in the Big East, the Hoyas lost a ton of production from last year’s team.  Consequently, Jason Clark and Hollis Thompson will be the focal points of the offense.

Clark did a little of everything for the team last year, and his 62.6 percent two-point shooting helped offset a drop in his success from beyond the arc.  With Chris Wright gone, he’ll be asked to spend more time at point guard given his familiarity with the offense.  Expect Thompson, a 6-foot-7 swingman with a sweet stroke from the outside, to have a breakout season in an expanded role.  He ranked 38th in offensive rating last season thanks in part to stellar effective field goal and true shooting percentages.

Inside, Henry Sims and Nate Lubick are back.  Sims hasn’t shown much progress offensively over his career, but he should help on the glass.  Lubick shot over 53 percent from the field, but the Hoyas need more consistent offense production from him in addition to his work on the boards.

Redshirt freshman Markel Starks was highly rated coming out of high school and should slide in at the point, while Aaron Bowen and Jabril Trawick will see time as reserves in the backcourt and on the wing.  The top newcomer is forward Otto Porter whose size and versatility make him a great fit for the offense.  Fellow freshmen Mikael Hopkins, Tyler Adams, and Greg Whittington give John Thompson III more big bodies off the bench.

The Hoyas simply need too many unproven players to step up to rank them much higher than this.

11. Rutgers

Coach Mike Rice has things headed in the right direction for the Scarlet Knights, but he’ll be relying heavily on a talented recruiting class for depth since the team is nearly all freshmen and sophomores.

Dane Miller and Gilvydas Biruta give Rutgers a talented tandem up front.  Miller failed to improve his scoring as a soph, but he continues to be an effective rebounder and defender who can stuff the stat sheet.  Biruta averaged 9.6 points and 5.6 boards as a freshman last year, and he posted strong rebounding percentages while showing a knack for getting to the stripe.  The other returnees of note are Mike Poole, Austin Johnson, and Austin Carroll, all of whom should see more playing time this year.

Eight newcomers bring an infusion of talent to the program, and many of them should contribute right away.  Point guard Myles Mack has a good shot to start, while the trio of Kadeem Jack, Derrick Randall, and Greg Lewis will provide a physical presense inside.  Keep an eye on Malick Kone, whose defense and hustle will endear him to the fiery Rice.

If there’s a team outside of the league’s Top 10 that has upward mobility, it’s Rutgers.

12. St. John’s

At 3.3 points per game, Malik Stith is the team’s top returning scorer, which should tell you all you need to know about the team’s complete lack of returning depth.  A talented recruiting class will help Steve Lavin reload, but the fact that three of them are ineligible is a huge blow.

Juco transfer Nurideen Lindsey is the likely starter at the point, while true freshmen D’Angelo Harrison gives them a solid scorer at the two-guard spot.  Forwards Dom Pointer and Maurice Harkless should start up front, and both are terrific athletes who can finish around the rim.  God’s Gift Achiuwa was named a juco All-American after averaging 22.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks last season, so look for him to be the team’s top post presence.

There are only eight scholarship players on the roster and a myriad of questions, which ultimately means this team is at least a year away from rivaling last season’s success.

13. Seton Hall

The Pirates lost six players who played over 14 minutes per game, but the trio of Jordan Theodore, Herb Pope, and Fuquan Edwin give them a decent nucleus.

Theodore is a talented point guard who averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals last season.  He’ll be counted on to provide leadership and stability as one of the team’s only seniors.  Pope averaged a double-double in 2009-10 but struggled last year following a serious health scare over the summer.  He is a phenomenal rebounder but needs his offensive game to come around during his final year as a Pirate.  Edwin had a solid freshman season and should find it easier to get shots without Jeremy Hazell around.

Big man Patrick Auda will see more playing time with Kevin Johnson ineligible.  The top newcomers should be guards Aaron Cosby, who is more of a scorer than a true point guard, and Haralds Karlis, a Latvian sharpshooter who should help a team that struggled to consistently make shots last year.

14. Providence

Unlike many of their leaguemates, the Friars didn’t lose many players from last year’s team.  The bad news is that one of those departed players, Marshon Brooks, scored nearly 25 points per game and also led the team in rebounding.  New coach Ed Cooley has already made a significant impact on the recruiting trail, but that won’t help this year’s squad.

The strength of this team is its backcourt as Vincent Council, Gerard Coleman, and Bryce Cotton all return.  Council averaged 13.7 points, 4.2 boards, 5.9 assists, and 1.7 steals, but he shot poorly and will miss having Brooks on the other end of his passes.  Coleman suffered through similar shooting woes but managed to average in double figues as a freshman, while fellow frosh Cotton gained valuable experience.

Kadeem Batts and Bilal Dixon form the starting frontcourt, and both had strong offensive rebounding percentages last year.  Dixon was equally effective on the defensive glass and provides a shot-blocking presence inside.  Outside of that starting five, keep an eye on freshman LaDontae Henton, who scored 14 points in the Friars’ first exhibition game.

15. DePaul

Things seemed to be looking up for DePaul, who was returning its top five scorers from last year, and while the losses mentioned above hurt, there is still some reason for optimism.

That starts with sophomores Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young, who led the team in scoring as true freshmen.  Melvin averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds and hit 52.4 percent from the field.  He could stand to get to the line more, but he’s effective on the offensive glass and as a shot-blocker.  Young scored 12.6 per game to go with a strong assist rate.  Jeremiah Kelly gives them a solid defender, distributor, and shooter in the backcourt, and big man Krys Faber is a tenacious rebounder inside.  Forward Moses Morgan played his best basketball down the stretch and should slide into a starting role.

Outside of that, the roster is full of question marks.  Miami transfer Donnavan Kirk is eligibile mid-season, while freshmen Charles McKinney and Derrell Robertson will also be in the rotation.

16. South Florida

The good news is that the Bulls return six of their top seven scorers and five of their top six rebounders.  The bad news is that core group of players went 3-15 in the league.  They also had 89 more turnovers than assists and lost their top assist man.

Augustus Gilchrist led the team in scoring, finished second in rebounding, and has the potential to be one of the better big men in the league.  However, clashes with Stan Heath and attitude issues have hindered his progress.  Ron Anderson Jr. and Toarlyn Fitzpatrick both return up front after posting strong rebounding percentages last season.

In the backcourt, Jawanza Poland is the top returning scorer, but he’ll miss the start of the season as mentioned above.  He was one of many USF players to post brutal efficiency numbers last year.  Guard Shaun Noriega had one of the best offensive ratings on the team and is the squad’s best shooter by a fairly wide margin.  Hugh Robertson brings additional depth to the wing, and true freshman Anthony Collins and juco transfer Blake Nash will split time at the point.

Big East Predictions: POY and All-Conference Team

All-Conference

• Tim Abromaitis, F, Notre Dame
• Yancy Gates, F, Cincinnati
• Ashton Gibbs, G, Pittsburgh
• Kris Joseph, F, Syracuse
• Jeremy Lamb, G, Connecticut

Player of the Year: Ashton Gibbs, G, Pittsburgh

Regardless of whether Gibbs plays the point, his play will be the biggest reason Pitt winds up in the Top 10 again.  He’s a marvel of advanced metrics after ranking 36th in effective field goal percentage, 25th in true shooting percentage, and 17th in overall offensive rating.

Without question, Gibbs is one of the nation’s top shooters and does a nice job taking care of the basketball.  Look for him to more aggressive off the dribble this season, which should lead to more trips to the free throw line, where he knocked down nearly 90 percent of his attempts last season.

Gibbs is one of the most fundamentally sound players you will find, and it’s a joy to watch him use screens and move without the ball.  There are certainly other players in the Big East who are more athletically gifted, but few mean more to their team than Gibbs.

Freshman of the Year: Andre Drummond, C, Connecticut

I nearly placed Drummond on the All-Conference team, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he winds up there by the end of the season.  He is a tremendous athlete who is effective around the rim, facing up, or off the dribble.  Drummond should be a huge factor on the glass and gives the Huskies another intimidating shot-blocker to team with Alex Oriakhi.

He was criticized for inconsistent effort at the high school level, but Jim Calhoun and Big East competition will bring the best out of him.  Look for a monster year from Drummond in his first (and likely his only) season at UConn.

**********

Follow me on Twitter (@andybottoms) for more thoughts on college hoops, and check out the latest edition of the Bottoms Line podcast.

* – Andre Drummond photo credit: NBADraft.net

* – Ashton Gibbs photo credit: BigEastHoops.com

* – Scoop Jardine photo credit: Beyond That Arc

We three hoopsheads discuss the latest in college hoops, including: UCONN’s use of a loophole to get phenom recruit Andre Drummond into school and what the NCAA should do about it; expansion talk; some breakout sophomores; and a survey of this year’s impact mid-majors.

Click play on the player below to listen:

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While I doubt any of us will apologize for the latter, we were all proven wrong on the former.

So on behalf of the MSF team, which worked extremely hard this March to provide tournament coverage, let me say this about our title game predictions: we were wrong.

Congratulations to Connecticut. Any team that goes from Big East Tournament 9 seed to National Champion, without losing in between, is a deserving champion. This was an historic run that will most likely never be duplicated, and the Huskies should be unequivocally commended.

Congratulations Connecticut Huskies and UConn fans. There are conversations to be had about your coach, but they are better left for another night.

Tonight, you are national champions, and you earned it by playing the biggest under the brightest lights. For that, the UConn players deserve to have the spotlight solely on them tonight.

Butler, thank you for making the last two Marches exciting despite the Hoosiers being out of it. You gave everyone from Indiana something to cheer for, and losing tonight doesn’t diminish it one bit.

Update: This post was originally published on March 4th. It has been updated slightly and republished because the women’s tournament selection show is tonight. Get the complete women’s NCAA Tournament bracket breakdown right here at MSF.

Admit it: when I say “March Madness” you immediately think of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.

It’s okay, I do the exact same thing.

This is not a particular knock on women’s basketball, but facts are facts and the facts are that men’s basketball is much more popular than women’s.

However, the likelihood that you are far more excited about the impending men’s tournament does not mean that you should ignore the women’s tournament. In fact, I can think of some pretty compelling arguments for why you absolutely should pay attention to this year’s female version of March Madness.

So call it the women’s NCAA borenament if you want to. Refer to it as “March Padness” if you must. I personally always end up filling out a bracket, becoming intrigued, and tuning in by the Sweet 16 or Elite 8.

If you are planning to attend any games during the 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, whether because I convince you below or because you were already predisposed to do so, here are some relevant ticket links for your convenience. At the bottom of this post you will find the schedule and site info.

2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Tickets

• StubHub: 2010 NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament Tickets – all dates and sites
• RazorGator: 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Tickets – all available dates and sites
• TicketsNow: 2010 NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament Tickets – all available dates and sites
• TickCo: 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Tickets – all available dates and sites (Save $10 on Orders of $100 or More at TickCo.com. Use Promo Code ORDR10TC)

And now, here are five reasons why you should not ignore the 2010 Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament.

1. The UCONN Lady Huskies are historically good.

This absolutely has to be reason #1.

If you are a men’s basketball fan in your 20s, 30s, or even early 40s, have you ever said to yourself, “boy, it sure would have been fun to watch those old John Wooden UCLA teams.” I know I have. Think about how exciting it would have been to be able to marvel at the historic crew that won a ridiculous 88 straight games and all of the teams with Alcindor, Walton, et al, that basically owned an entire decade of college basketball.

The current edition of the UCONN women are that dominant.

With a win in their first round of the Big East Tournament, the UCONN Lady Huskies will tie the women’s Division I record of 70 straight wins. 70!

My Indiana Hoosiers have won four Big Ten games in the last two years. The UCONN Lady Huskies haven’t lost in 70 f’ing games! Furthermore, no one has even come within 11 points of beating them this year.

I don’t care what sport it is, watching one of the all-time great teams play is compelling. Plus, think about the drama if anyone does actually come close to beating them. I doubt it will happen, but what an exciting game it will be if it does. Definitely worth watching.

2. The Nebraska Lady Cornhuskers are working on an undefeated season

It’s hard to carve out many slices of recognition with UCONN and their historic run hogging all of the limelight, but an undefeated regular season is nothing to take lightly.

If the Lady Cornhuskers can keep on winning, they will do just that. Currently sitting at 28-0 and ranked #3 in the nation (behind UCONN and one-loss Stanford), the Huskers are five games better than anyone else in the Big 12.

Are they good enough to battle toe-to-toe with UCONN? Who knows. Probably not. But as they say, that’s why they play the games, and a title game matchup pitting two undefeated teams against eachother would make for a compelling game in any sport.

Update 3/15: Well, this one didn’t work out so well. The Lady Cornhuskers lost in their conference tournament.

3. As long as Pat Summitt is coaching, Tennessee is interesting

And Pat Summitt is still coaching and going strong, very strong.

Despite a rough year in 2009, Summitt has the Lady Vols back atop the SEC and near the top of the national rankings with a 25-2 record. Barring a late season collapse, the Lady Vols will be a #1 seed and will be seen as one of the prime challengers to UCONN’s run towards more history.

Considering the fact that very little love is lost between Summitt and UCONN head coach Geno Auriemma, a potential title game matchup between the two biggest titans of women’s basketball would be even more compelling than UCONN-Nebraska. You just know that Summitt would be burning to beat Auriemma and remind him who still reigns supreme in women’s basketball; and, of course, vice versa.

Independent of all of that, Summitt is a college basketball coach with an astounding 1,030 career wins. She has won 8 – 8! – women’s college basketball national championships. Say whatever you want about where women’s college basketball ranks in the sports hierarchy, but Summitt is one of the best coaches in the history of college sports…bar none, and you cannot really argue that point.

Just as watching a historically great team go to work is compelling, watching a historically great coach work his or her magic is compelling. Pat Summitt is definitely a reason to pay attention this year’s women’s tournament.

4. It’s college, it’s a tournament, it features a bracket, and there are upsets

Let’s not forget about the most important reasons why we love the men’s NCAA tournament:

• It features the passion and tradition of college sports.
• It is a winner-take-all tournament.
• It gives us a chance to fill out a bracket and enter pools, which everyone loves.
• There are thrilling games, exciting upsets, and unexpected twists and turns.

Guess what: all of these apply to the women’s tournament too.

If you’re the kind of person who has more fun watching sports when you have money on the line, fill out your bracket and throw some money down on it. If you simply fill out a bracket for the potential pride boost of being right, then fill it out and track it. You can even enter one of the bracket challenges on a site like ESPN.com.

The point is, you love doing this for the men’s tournament so do it for the women too.

The game may be played at a slower pace and much further below the rim than the men’s game, and you may not be as familiar with the players and teams, but don’t forget that the men’s and women’s tournaments share many of the same elements of excitement. So why not double your March Madness enjoyment?

5. You never know when Brittney Griner might unleash a thunderous dunk…or punch someone in the face

You’ve seen this, right? (Kudos to loyal Baylor Bear and MSF reader Jake for the tip.)

That is Baylor center Brittney Griner straight up punching Jordan Barncastle from Texas Tech in the face. You’ll remember Griner as the girl who dunked twice in a game earlier this year that Baylor won by a score of…99-18.

Here is more video of Griner, which shows just how easy she can dunk.

So yeah, between the dunking and the punching, I’d say that Brittney Griner alone makes this year’s Women’s NCAA Tournament worth watching…assuming she isn’t suspended after last night’s display of aggression.

Women’s basketball fans, what did I miss? The comment section is yours to list other compelling reasons to watch this year’s women’s NCAA tournament.

2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Schedule and Key Dates

• March 14: Selection Sunday
• March 20 & 21: First Round Games
• March 22 & 23: Second Round Games
• March 27 & 28: Sweet 16 Games
• March 29 & 30: Elite 8 Games
• April 4: Final Four
• April 6: 2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship Game

2010 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sites and Locations

(H/T: much of the following information was taken directly from the Wikipedia page for the 2010 NCAA Womens Basketball Tournament.)

1st and 2nd Round Sites and Locations (March 21-24)

StubHub: 2010 NCAA Womens Tournament 1st and 2nd Round Tickets – all sites and locations

• Frank Erwin Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
• Haas Pavilion, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California
• Thompson-Boling Arena, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee
• Williams Arena, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota
• Ted Constant Convocation Center, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia
• Edmund P. Joyce Center, University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
• Wells Fargo Arena, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
• Freedom Hall, Louisville, Kentucky (Host: University of Louisville)
• The Pit, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
• Lloyd Noble Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma
• Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
• Petersen Events Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Cintas Center, Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Donald L. Tucker Center, Tallahassee, Florida (Host: Florida State University)
• Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa
• Maples Pavilion, Stanford, CA (Host: Stanford University)

Regional Sites and Locations for Sweet 16 and Elite 8 Games (March 27-30)

StubHub: 2010 NCAA Womens Tournament Regional Tickets – all locations and sites

• Dayton Regional, University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio.
• Kansas City Regional, Sprint Center, Kansas City, Missouri (Host: Big 12 Conference).
• Memphis Regional, FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee (Host: University of Memphis).
• Sacramento Regional, ARCO Arena, Sacramento, California (Host: University of the Pacific).

Women’s Final Four Site and Location (April 4th and 6th)

• The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas (hosted by University of Texas-San Antonio)

StubHub: 2010 NCAA Womens Final Four Tickets
RazorGator: 2010 NCAA Womens Final Four Tickets
TickCo: 2010 NCAA Womens Final Four Tickets (Save $10 on Orders of $100 or More at TickCo.com. Use Promo Code ORDR10TC)
TicketsNow: 2010 NCAA Womens Final Four Tickets

**********

* – Geno Auriemma photo credit: Brian Pohorylo/Icon SMI via Fan Nation

* – Pat Summitt photo credit: Wade Payne / AP via NBC Sports

Midwest Sports Fans (MSF) Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means that MSF makes a small percentage of anything purchased upon a click-through. That said, MSF only writes about stories that we believe will interest our readers, and we only link to and endorse sites and services that we would use or have used ourselves. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Note: This post is from 2009. To view our 2010 March Madness coverage, use the following links:

• March Madness 2010 Schedule, Sites, and Tickets
• MSF Bracket Challenge
• Mens NCAA Tournament Bracket, TV Schedule, Announcers, Spreads
• Midwest Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
• East Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
• South Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
• West Region Bracket Picks, Predictions, TV Schedule, Sites, Announcers
• History of Final Four in Indianapolis
• Women’s NCAA Tournament Schedule, Sites, Tickets

——————–

This post will analyze the UConn-Missouri Elite 8 game using a statistical analysis provided by the Game Predictor at ESPN.com, which is powered by TeamRankings.com. For an analysis of how this program works, hop over to the first individual game Sweet 16 preview I put out for UConn-Purdue. The methodology is all explained there.

One of these two teams I expected to get this far. The other one not so much. One of these teams was my championship pick on my original bracket. The other team I had getting bounced in round two.

So you would think that this would be an easy prediction right?

Wrong.

The horse I decided to ride all the way through the brackets to the championship was UConn. I didn’t necessarily “decide” on them, per se, as much as I was led to picking them because of the bracket picking system I devised. Still, I wasn’t too upset or surprised. UConn is a very good team that is extremely strong at point guard and center. The loss of Jerome Dyson certainly hurt, but this appeared like a team with enough juice to go all the way.

And I still think they can. But I’m a little worried.

All of the hubbub over the investigation into potential recruiting violations has to be a distraction. It obviously did not affect them too much against Purdue, but it might start to as the story gains steam. Maybe it won’t affect the team as much as it will Jim Calhoun, but I think UConn needs their fiery coach at his best to navigate through the defensive scheme and intensity of Missouri.

Which brings me to the real reason I’m worried: Missouri is a damn good team. I underestimated them in the Big 12 Tournament. I underestimated them in the NCAA Tournament, and now here they are, ready to play for a shot at the first Final Four in school history.

Let’s outline the particulars of the game and then we’ll jump right into a prediction.

UConn-Missouri Elite 8 Regional Final Preview

• StubHub: West Region Elite 8 Regional Final Tickets
• West Regional Breakdown
• Date: Saturday, March 28
• TV Time: 4:40 PM on CBS
• Site: University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ
• Announcers: Dick Enberg and Jay Bilas
• Point Spread: UConn -5 (according to ESPN Game Predictor)
• Over-Under: 150 1/2

Before I offer my own first impressions and prediction for this game, let’s see how Game Predictor views the action, based on the same five statistical categories we used to analyze the Sweet 16 games.

• Offensive Efficiency: UConn – 1.098 | Missouri – 1.100
• Defensive Efficiency: UConn – 0.888 | Missouri – 0.918
• Assist/TO Ratio: UConn – 1.284 | Missouri – 1.538
• Free Throw %: UConn – 0.674 | Missouri – 0.668
• Defensive Field Goal %: UConn – 0.374 | Missouri – 0.418

Other than the significant advantage for UConn in terms of defensive field goal percentage, these two teams are very evenly matched across these five categories. My anticipation is that UConn will be a slight favorite by Game Predictor based on the SOS and higher seed (and I base this on the results of the Sweet 16 predictions). Let’s see:

• Odds to Win Game: UConn – 59.4% | Missouri – 40.6%
• Most Likely Final Score: UConn – 70.8 | Missouri – 68.2
• Odds to Cover Spread (MIZZOU +5): UConn – 45.9% | Missouri – 54.1%
• Confidence Level: 2 Stars

So a relatively solid vote of confidence for UConn, at least for an Elite 8 game where each team should be pretty evenly matched. Here the issues though:

1. UConn was not as good after the Dyson injury as they were before. However, the stats used in my original bracket analysis and this Game Predictor analysis take into account their performance with a healthy Dyson in the lineup.
2. Game Predictor obviously cannot factor in the swirling controversy about the recruiting violations. I don’t know to what extent this will affect UConn — no one does — but let’s put it this way: I don’t see it as a positive in any way.

Still, I can’t abandon the Huskies. Not yet anyway.

I really like this Missouri team. They obviously play a very frenetic style of defense and an up-tempo style, yet they have an impeccable Assist/TO ratio. Additionally, they have scoring balance on offense. All five starters scored in double figures against Memphis with JT Tiller leading the way with 23. Plus, the duo of DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons is outstanding. They had a combined 32 points and 18 rebounds against a Memphis team with a strong presence inside. This bodes well for their ability to compete against the inside presence of Hasheem Thabeet.

But, I am not going to get carried away yet and jump two-feet first onto the Missouri bandwagon. Yes, they had an impressive win over Marquette; but it was against a Marquette team playing with a hobbled Dominic James. And after jumping out to a big lead they had to hang on late. Their win over Memphis was obviously impressive as well; but I have not been a believer in Memphis all year so I am not ready to anoint them West Region champs simply because of that victory. And just like in the Marquette game, Missouri displayed an inability to shut the door by letting Memphis back into the game late — though they never relinquished the lead.

The fact of the matter is that a week ago, I would not have thought twice about who to pick in this game. After how well Missouri has played over the last three weeks, they have given me plenty of reasons to pause long and hard and consider their chances.

At the end of the day though, I am a sucker for experienced backcourts and teams that can control the paint defensive. UConn is led by a player I love, senior AJ Price, and his senior backcourt teammate Craig Austrie. And, of course, they have Hasheem Thabeet down low who has proven all year, and did again last night against Purdue, that if he stays out of foul trouble he is an absolute beast and gives UConn a huge advantage against every team in American that does not have a 7’3 center with great defensive timing — which is pretty much every team in America.

This is a fascinating game between two outstanding teams with plenty of compelling storylines to go around. In the end, this game will come down to what most UConn games come down to: can Hasheem Thabeet stay on the floor and can UConn get enough scoring from their backcourt. UConn beat Purdue because Thabeet played 36 minutes, grabbed 15 rebounds, scored 15 points, and controlled the paint with 4 blocks. UConn also got 32 points from Price and Austrie on 9-21 shooting, plus 11 assists against only 4 turnovers from the duo. If these three guys produce like that against Missouri, UConn will win.

But if Thabeet gets in foul trouble, or Price and Austrie get out of their comfort zone against the Tigers’ D, Missouri has a great chance to win. Mix in the prospect of the Huskies being distracted as a result of the recruiting violation story, and the game gets ever so close to being a complete toss-up in my mind — and I start to think that Missouri may even be the “safer” pick.

There are lots of variables on the UConn side, but they are also the better team when they are at their best. I’m not ready to say that I am still 100% committed to them as the eventual national champions, but I am willing to say that they’ll at least reach the Final Four. Missouri will put up a great fight, and UConn better be ready. I think they will be. I like Missouri with the points (assuming the spread stays at 5, and I’ve only seen it listed on ESPN), but UConn to win straight up. And I can’t wait to see how this one actually unfolds once the ball is tipped.

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Demarre Carroll photo credit: Jon Goering/KANSAN