Plenty has changed since UNC cut down nets

Oh, how the landscape has changed since we last attempted this rankings business, on the morning after Roy Williams won his first national title. The great UNC exodus was only speculation then, and the Tar Heels were slotted at No. 2 for 2005-06; it was assumed that Kelenna Azubuike and Randolph Morris weren't foolhardy enough to bolt early from Kentucky, and the 'Cats were No. 3. Every team has moved either up or down as a result of offseason fluctuations -- every team, that is, other than Duke. The Blue Devils didn't fluctuate; they had no major injuries, no draft-defections, no off-court drama. And therefore they remain exactly where they were on April 5: No. 1.

NCAA Basketball Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 - Duke Blue Devils (27-6) The Blue Devils have been shielding their stellar freshman class -- which includes the No. 1 incoming point guard, Greg Paulus, and No. 1 power forward, Josh McRoberts -- from the media until after Midnight Madness, but J.J. Redick jokingly offered me this preview in the summer, aimed mostly in McRoberts' direction: "I thought my [recruiting] class was weird, but theirs is much weirder." How weird, exactly, we shall find out, but their talent is no secret: The addition of this diaper duo makes Duke a slam-dunk preseason No. 1. McRoberts is viewed as an even better professional prospect than current Blue Devils All-Americans Redick and Shelden Williams, and could presumably go to the NBA with them after this season if he lives up to his billing. Because, as a late, literary Duke would often say, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." 2 - Texas Longhorns (20-11) Only two teams in the nation can claim to have both an elite point guard and a formidable trio at the 3-4-5 positions: Texas (with PG Daniel Gibson, SF P.J. Tucker, PF Brad Buckman and C LaMarcus Aldridge) and UConn (PG Marcus Williams, SF Rudy Gay, PF Hilton Armstrong and C Josh Boone). So why are the 'Horns No. 2 in these rankings, while the Huskies are further down? Aside from the obvious -- that Gibson is eligible while Williams is likely to be suspended for LaptopGate -- Texas' front line is far superior offensively. With Aldridge returning from an injury-marred '04-05 and Tucker back in good academic standing, the 'Horns just need to get used to playing together again in time for their showdown with the aforementioned Dukies on Dec. 10. 3 - Michigan St. Spartans (26-7) Tom Izzo did not invent the concept of Midnight Madness (the credit belongs to Lefty Driesell) but the Michigan State coach should be considered its reigning monarch. Izzo has, at previous events, • Been lowered from the Breslin Center rafters dressed like Bruce Springsteen, while the speakers blasted a spoofed version of the Boss' Born in the USA entitled Born in the UP, for Izzo's Upper Peninsula roots (2002) • Ridden in on a horse while wearing a Davy Crockett costume (2003) • Driven a monster-truck school bus named "Cool School" into the arena and dropped off his wife and children, with Springsteen's Glory Days playing and no special costume (2004) Izzo's plans for tonight are top-secret; if he's superstitious, however, he'll notice that when he entered on the biggest vehicle and wore the most normal clothing, his team went to the Final Four. My recommendations for '05, coach, are an MSU sweat suit and an Abrams tank. 4 - Villanova Wildcats (24-8) Illinois made most preseason prognosticators look bad last season (except for Lindy's) and I think partly as a result of that, 'Nova, the most veteran, backcourt-rich squad in the nation, is not sneaking by anyone in the early '05-06 polls. The Wildcats, like last year's Illini, start three guards -- Allan Ray, Randy Foye and Mike Nardi -- and return everyone (their top nine scorers) but the comparisons should stop there. Coach Jay Wright's team runs a much less structured offense than Bruce Weber's motion scheme, and doesn't shoot nearly as many 3s; the 'Cats actually owe their success to phenomenal work on the offensive glass (they ranked 7th in the nation in offensive rebounding percentage last year) and strong defense (No. 3 overall in defensive efficiency). 5 - Oklahoma Sooners (25-8) Sooners forward Taj Gray is a projected late first-rounder for the '06 draft, but he could very well be a Lottery Pick once NBA scouts get more familiar with his game. Oklahoma's tenuous backcourt situation (both PG Drew Lavender and SG Lawrence McKenzie transferred away in the offseason) shouldn't have too much of an effect on the production of both Gray and fellow frontcourt star Kevin Bookout. Combo guard Terrell Everett is primed for a breakout season and Gray told me in the offseason that he was excited about the addition of juco transfer Chris Walker, a lefty point guard from San Joaquin Delta College whom Gray said was already looking impressive in pickup games. 6 - Memphis Tigers (22-16) This is the year the Tigers morph from a soap-opera cast into a real team. Their '04-'05 season was a mix of hype, self-destruction and, after a late-season rally, heartbreak in the C-USA tournament. But now Memphis can start afresh with two bad seeds (Sean Banks and Jeremy Hunt) gone; and though it was left behind in the C-USA, it should post an absurdly good record as a result. Moreover, coach John Calipari, in an effort to take advantage of the athleticism of Darius Washington, Rodney Carney and a fine crop of freshmen, is implementing a new, high-octane offense called "Attack Attack Skip Attack Attack" -- a subtle way of indicating the Tigers will be spreading the floor and attacking the basket much more than they have in years past. Coach Cal is borrowing the scheme from, of all places, a juco in Fresno. 7 - Connecticut Huskies (23-8) Plenty of talk this offseason, and justifiably so, about the uncertain futures of Huskies guards Marcus Williams and A.J. Price after their laptop-theft scandal (the school's decision on the players' fate is expected in the next two weeks). And plenty of talk, also justified, about small forward Rudy Gay, the projected No. 1 pick in the '06 NBA Draft. But what about Rashad Anderson? The senior guard, who suffered through a life-threatening leg infection last season and missed seven of the Huskies' final 11 games, could end up being the team's biggest impact player. Anderson led UConn in scoring in eight of its first 20 contests in '04-05 and actually outscored Ben Gordon in seven games of the '03-04 title campaign. Coach Jim Calhoun wants Gay to be the Huskies' go-to-guy, but I wouldn't be shocked if Anderson frequently assumes that role. 8 - Louisville Cardinals (33-5) At some schools, admission to Midnight Madness is free. At Louisville, it's $50, but for a good cause: the (former Cards star) Derek Smith Memorial Fund that will build a practice court in his honor. Those with delicate sensibilities may want to pass on this charitable affair, however. "It's not for entertainment," coach Rick Pitino said in the Louisville Courier-Journal. "It's going to be a very intense practice. We're not going to hold back because you are there. We're not going to watch our language, so if that bothers you, don't come." Cards forwards Juan Palacios and David Padgett, both of whom suffered foot injuries in the offseason, will be spectators -- but they won't be required to ante up a c-note for a pair of ducats.

Read on for teams 9-16 ...