No sense in knocking champs from the top spot

On the morning of Midnight Madness, the first Power Rankings of 2006-07:

NCAA Basketball Power Rankings Rank LW Team 1 - Florida Gators No need to waste space justifying this pick. Instead, I offer the latest reason to love Joakim Noah: "Ndongo," the unofficial patron saint of the Gators -- and a verbal rallying cry for the Noble One and his teammates -- was apparently created as part of a hoax on Taurean Green. During the team's media day this week, Noah said he once told his point guard that his Cameroonian grandfather had already arranged a marriage for him in Africa. And, as Noah said (in this story), "You know Taurean's a stupid-a**! Taurean goes, 'What's her name?' And I'm like, 'Her name is Ndongo.'" From there, I guess they just made the logical progression from fictional bride to patron saint ... 2 - Kansas Jayhawks The Jayhawks have the nation's best backcourt, but that topic has already been covered, so we'll take a closer look at the young'un of that bunch: Sherron Collins. First, watch this YouTube of Sherron throwing a left-handed pass to himself off the backboard at the McDonald's All-American Game, catching it in mid-air and finishing with a lefty slam. It provides zero insight on his point-guard skills, but there are two key things that should enhance your level of appreciation for Sherron's Air Show: 1. Collins is listed at 5-foot-11, which means he's 5-10, max. 2. Collins is right-handed. 3 - North Carolina Tar Heels The Power Rankings are always lookin' out for the little guy. Well, maybe not always, since we only rank the upper 4.8 percent of the nation's college basketball teams -- but here we are. Our cause is Tar Heels senior Wes Miller, who amid UNC's incoming wave of backcourt talent -- point guard Ty Lawson and shooting guard Wayne Ellington, both the No. 1-ranked players at their position -- must not become an afterthought. The 5-11 two-guard, a walk on-turned-scholarship athlete-turned walk on again, was UNC's best three-point-shooter last year and became an unlikely defensive force on the perimeter. He's also a dream player in the kenpom.com world: Miller's 132.4 offensive efficiency rating was No. 2 overall in the nation, behind only Marquette's Steve Novak. Best to keep Wes in mind, even while salivating over the baby superstars. 4 - UCLA Bruins The consensus opinion is that the Bruins will be just fine with Darren Collison replacing Jordan Farmar at the point. I believe in Collison, too; he's a speedy guard who'll create a lot of opportunities for Josh Shipp and Arron Afflalo. The only thing I worry about for Collison -- and this is way down the road, mind you -- is that he'll have limited international marketing opportunities as a pro. See, in Europe, there's already a pro athlete named Darren Collison (at right), an 8-ball pool player in the U.K., and he's one sexy mother. 5 - LSU Tigers They lack a 7-footer or a freakish athlete (after Tyrus Thomas went from Bengal-to-Bull in June), but is there a team with more top-to-bottom size than the Tigers? Of the first seven players in their projected rotation for this season, only one -- 5-11 point guard Tack Minor -- is under 6-5. And after the first semester concludes, they'll gain the services of Texas Tech transfer Terry Martin ... who's 6-6. Big guards and Big Baby, though, will only equal another Final Four trip if LSU can find someone to replace the clutch shooting of Darrel Mitchell.

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