Tyler Hansbrough has UNC looking good

But before we get down there, let’s take a look at the top of the ladder. The AP Top 25 ranks North Carolina above UCLA, while ESPN places UCLA above North Carolina. Experts believe that the two teams are evenly matched. Though the Bruins did finish with one less first place vote, they had the edge with four more total points. Talent wise, it appears that both teams have emerging superstars. UNC’s junior Tyler Hansbrough shined in the Las Vegas Invitational Championship in which UNC defeated Brigham Young by a score of 73 to 63. In addition, the team hopes to receive significant contributions from junior Danny Green. The Tar Heels are off to their first 5-0 start since coach Roy Williams took over in 2003.

On the other hand, the UCLA Bruins are expecting much production from Kevin Love. It is clear that this young athlete has a devout passion for the game, as was seen in his performance against Yale last Friday. After suffering an ankle injury after a tip in, Love sprinted back into the gym and took his seat right on the bench with just 3:45 left to play in regulation.

"He wanted me to put him back in," UCLA coach Ben Howland said.

The Bruins are also hoping that their star guard Russell Westbrook has a break-through season. After posting a career-high 15 points against the Bulldogs, Westbrook demonstrated that he is ready to excel on the perimeter. He is known for his ability to contribute in all aspects of the game, as he is currently averaging 12.3 points/game, 6 assists/game, and 3.2 rebounds/game. After securing the win against the Yale Bulldogs, UCLA increased its home winning streak to 24 games.

But enough about the top two teams. As mentioned earlier, the tournament served as a roller coaster ride for some teams at the lower end of the bracket. According to the Associated Press’ men’s college basketball poll, 13 ranked teams lost at least once last week. As a result, 5 schools were removed from the Top 25 while certain sleeper teams experienced significant leaps and bounds. These teams that made it in include Wisconsin, BYU, NC State, and Xavier. It is a shame that Southern Illinois, Villanova, Syracuse, Virginia, and Florida all lost their spots in the rankings, but the way things are going, it would not be surprising to see at least one of them climb back up the ladder soon. After all, who would have thought that the returning NCAA Champion Florida Gators would be struggling to reach the top 25? Evidently, there are several reasons to look forward to this year’s match ups. Come March, we may see a few surprises in the NCAA Tournament brackets.

With a current ranking at #15, experts predict that the Longhorns will be playing in a transition year. While the absence of Kevin Durant will unquestionably make a significant difference, there is no reason not to believe that this team can’t compete with the best from the nation. Though the Big 12 is looking to be extremely competitive, the Longhorns have the talent to make them a contender.

It all starts around the perimeter. Sophomore D.J. Augustin and junior A.J. Abrams are projected to have huge seasons, and their shooting skills make them a legitimate threat from three point range. The two both put up phenomenal numbers in the Legends Classic preseason tournament, and based on the statistics, there is every reason to believe that these two are going to have breakthrough seasons.

"We've got a group of unselfish guys," quoted Longhorns coach Rick Barnes. "They appreciate what Kevin did and what he did for us, but if you watch the tape of last year's game against Tennessee [a 111-105 loss in overtime in Knoxville on Dec. 23], we're a much better team at this point than we were a year ago.''

Many of the athletes on the Longhorns will have the opportunity to gain more exposure this season with the absence of Durant. Last year, Augustin averaged just 14.4 points per game, and Abrams averaged 15.5. What’s fascinating is the fact that Durant took 647 shots last season, while Augustin and Abrams combined for a total of 787 attempts. Evidently, there will be much more opportunity for these players to improve.

Going 5-0 to start their season, the Longhorns also hope for big production from both Connor Atchley and Justin Mason. Coach Rick Barnes has big expectations for his players, and he feels that they have matured substantially since last season. With three sophomores and two juniors making up the starting lineup, Texas fans are definitely in for a surprise. The team’s next game is against the Texas Southern Tigers this Wednesday. After defeating #7 Tennessee, the Longhorns hope to continue their undefeated streak and prove that they are still competitors. The Durant era is over, and the post-Durant era has officially begun.

Rewind two weeks ago. The Fighting Illini were entering Buckeye territory, and it seemed that #1 Ohio State would not let anyone stop them from reaching the National Title game. In what many have regarded as a Saturday night shocker, the Illini, led by sophomore quarterback Juice Williams, took down the Buckeyes in a 28-21 victory. Dating back to 1956, Illinois had never defeated a #1 team. The victory opened up the doors for several contending teams to reach #1 and become eligible for a trip to the National Title.

That same week, the Michigan Wolverines suffered a devastating loss to the Wisconsin Badgers. Thanks to the Badgers’ fifth year quarterback, Tyler Donovan, Michigan’s eight game winning streak came to a drastic end. The loss unquestionably stifled the momentum that the team was gaining just a week before their highly-anticipated match up against rivaling Ohio State.

Michigan wasn’t the only team who had to kiss their national title dream good bye. Later that week, #2 Oregon took the hit against the unranked Arizona Wildcats. Next to suffering a tragic loss, the injury to superstar Dennis Dixon hindered the chances of the Heisman candidate. Oregon fell into the same boat as several other #2 teams, including USC, California, South Florida, and Boston College, who were not able to maintain their ranking. With little hope of Dixon returning, the Ducks could do nothing but lower their heads in dismay.

Just when the surprises seemed to end, Texas Tech stepped into the mix. Graham Harrell threw for an astounding 420 yards to lead the Red Raiders to a 34-27 victory over the Sooners. Sam Bradford, the nation’s leading passer, left the game in the first quarter after experiencing a concussion. The Red Raiders gained an advantage offensively, scoring 24 straight points after Bradford left the game. Similar to the misfortunes of Oregon, Oklahoma could not rebound after losing their star quarterback early in the game. The loss also opened up the doors for other contenders, including Ohio State, to jump back into the mix.

After more than a handful of disappointments, it became clear that the season was turning into one huge toss up between several teams. Not many knew what to expect from Week 13.

Like the old saying goes, you’re lucky if you are given a second chance. Unfortunate for the #1 LSU Tigers, they let their second chance slip away. In what many have considered the most exciting game of the season, the Arkansas Razorbacks battled the Tigers to 3 overtimes and surprisingly managed to come out on top. Darren McFadden showcased his range of skills on the field, rushing for three touchdowns and throwing for another. The Razorbacks’ victory put the Tigers’ chances of reaching the BCS championship game in doubt, and it is safe to say that LSU Coach Les Miles did not expect his team to blow their chance – again. The Tigers have already clinched the SEC West Division and will play in the championship game on December 1. However, it is evident that Tigers’ confidence has sunk a level after being defeating by the unranked Razorbacks.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of the season pans out. On Saturday, Missouri secured the #1 position with a win over Kansas. Will quarterback Chase Daniel and the Tigers get a shot in the BCS championship game? After a season filled with leaps and bounds, there is no telling what to expect.

Skip Prosser

Led by long time assistant and good friend Dino Gaudio, the Demon Deacons look to dedicate this season to their deceased coach and mentor, and are united under the slogan created by Skip a few weeks before his death “One team. One Fight.” Wake Forest has put up a banner for Prosser in the rafters of their court, and on the jersey of every sport that plays for Wake has a patch that says, “Skip”. The basketball team, feeling that that tribute was not enough to honor someone who meant so much to the program, has a patch that says only “Coach”.

Despite the strain the passing of Prosser has left on the program, things are looking up for the Demon Deacons. According to Rivals.com, Wake Forest has just signed the top recruiting class in the country for next year consisting of three 5-star recruits. These recruits include versatile wing Al-Farouq Aminu, a versatile 6’8” forward from Georgia who can score inside and out and is an excellent defender. Tony Woods is a 6’10” power forward from Georgia as well is a fantastic athlete with great size who can run the floor and rebound. Lastly Ty Walker is a 7’0” center from North Carolina has a 7’6” wingspan and will be an instant contributor to the Demon Deacons next year with his tremendous shot blocking ability and offensive potential. Many people doubted if these recruits would stay committed to Wake Forest after the death of Prosser, as he had recruited all three players. However, the sentiment among them was that sense of community that Wake showed after his death and the continuity of hiring the top assistant as head coach only cemented their plan of coming.

While there is certainly promise for the upcoming years with the recruiting class, Wake is looking to prove something with this year’s team. After Friday night’s victory, they are 3-0 and are averaging wins by just over 20 point per game. Their current roster shows a great deal of promise and they are playing well. L.D. Williams, the 6’4” sophomore who started every game as a freshman last year is the clear leader on the team and is averaging 15 points per game and always shows defensive intensity. Ishmael Smith, a sophomore point guard who led the ACC in assists last year is running the point for the Deacons last year and is complimented by sharp shooting junior Harvey Hale and a pair of talented freshmen in Jeff Teague, and dark horse pick for Rookie of the Year in the ACC in versatile James Johnson, a wing averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds. Coach Gaudio is emphasizing defense and execution and so far Wake has responded.

This year’s Demon Deacon’s haven’t been truly tested against the type of competition they will see in the ACC, but this talented team often picked to finish last in the ACC could surprise some teams and possibly contend for a tournament bid. They have some tough non-conference games in the next couple weeks including playing on the road against Iowa, Charlotte and two SEC foes, Georgia and Vanderbilt. While Wake Forest may not make the tournament this year or win many games against marquee teams, it is certain that they will be leaving it all on the court, fighting for the memory of their coach.