As much as I'd like to believe our entire readership has been with this college hoops season from its basic-cable opener (Gardner-Webb over Kentucky, Nov. 8!) and its Pay-Per-View debut (Florida over North Dakota State, Nov. 9!), I am aware that is not the case. As bowl season fades away, casual hoop fans come trickling in with dire need of a catch-up course. The Power Rankings are here to provide it, tuition-free, in three parts per team:
1) '07 Surprise: Something even the pundits didn't expect to see out of these powers.
2) '08 Need: What still must happen in order to make it to San Antonio.
3) Early-Season Signature: A fashion statement, event, or saying to remember.
Hardcore hoopheads, don't fret: there's still enough meat here for you, too -- including a new member of the top five, creeping back into the Final Four conversation.
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Memphis Tigers (11-0)
'07 Surprise: That the Tigers will be undefeated heading into Conference USA play is not stunning. That they've done it despite shooting so poorly from the field is. Memphis ranks 218th in the country in three-point percentage (33.7) and 325th in free-throw percentage (60.2), but compensates for it by having one of the nation's most efficient defenses.
'08 Needs: Aside from target practice? For freshman point guard Derrick Rose to become a steadier distributor. He can score like a veteran, but he's had more turnovers than assists in six of the Tigers' 11 games, and his A-to-TO ratio is just 1.2-to-1.
Early-Season Signature: "That's Mister Dorsey To You."
Next three: 1/3 vs. Siena, 1/5 vs. Pepperdine, 1/9 vs. East Carolina
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UNC Tar Heels (13-0)
'07 Surprise: The emergence of Danny Green as the nation's best sixth man. Buoyed by an increase in playing time and the relief of knowing his father will soon be released from prison, Green is the Tar Heels' fourth-leading scorer (12.9 ppg) despite playing just 20.6 minutes per game.
'08 Need: A championship-caliber D to match their elite offense. The Heels aren't bad defenders, but auxiliary big men Deon Thompson and Alex Stepheson must take some interior heat off Tyler Hansbrough.
Early-Season Signature: Concussive T.
Next three: 1/6 at Clemson, 1/9 vs. UNC-Asheville, 1/12 vs. N.C. State
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Kansas Jayhawks (13-0)
'07 Surprise: That Darnell Jackson -- and not Darrell Arthur -- would be the Jayhawks' most efficient big man. Jackson may not look as smooth as Arthur on the floor, but the 6-foot-8 Oklahoman leads KU starters in field-goal percentage (67.4) and rebounding (6.5) as well as being their third-leading scorer.
'08 Need: The fully healthy versions of Brandon Rush (recovering from an offseason ACL tear) and Sherron Collins (recovering from a fractured foot). They're both averaging around 10 points per game thus far, but are capable of much more when they're in peak form.
Early-Season Signature: The questionable Trajan Invasion.
Next three: 1/5 at Boston College, 1/8 vs. Loyola (Md.), 1/12 at Nebraska
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Michigan State Spartans (12-1)
'07 Surprise: That sophomore Raymar Morgan would be averaging more points (17.5) than Drew Neitzel (14.5). Neitzel has an absurdly good 4.3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, but coach Tom Izzo would prefer his senior star be greedier. Said Izzo earlier this month, "I tell [Neitzel], 'You can do that when you're 80, passing the ball over to your grandkids. Right now I need you to shoot it in the basket.'"
'08 Need: For freshman point guard Kalin Lucas to keep playing like he did in the final two games of '07, averaging 17.5 points, 7.5 assists and 0.5 turnovers in wins over Texas and Wisconsin Green Bay.
Early-Season Signature: That Grand Exhibition.
Next three: 1/5 vs. Minnesota, 1/8 vs. Purdue, 1/12 at Iowa
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Tennessee Vols (12-1)
'07 Surprise: That the newcomers, Arizona transfer J.P. Prince and Iowa transfer Tyler Smith, would be more valuable than Chris Lofton. Who knew there would be enough quality shots to share in Knoxville? Prince is averaging 14.0 points on 59.4 percent shooting -- and has a 5.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio since becoming eligible on Dec. 15. Smith leads the team in rebounds (5.5 per game) and is averaging 12.9 points on 56.1 percent shooting. Lofton, meanwhile, is taking almost exclusively 3s: 75.8 percent of his shots are from long-distance, and he has only hit 33.6 percent of them.
'08 Needs: A good (non-shirtless) Pearl stunt, and Lofton to play like the consensus All-America we expected him to be at the season's outset.
Early-Season Signature: 3X The Smiths, all in the same starting lineup.
Next three: 1/9 vs. Ole Miss, 1/12 at South Carolina, 1/17 vs. Vanderbilt
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