Joining with other top-25 lists following the results of who returned to school. Jeff Goodman at FoxSports has Georgetown #6, Louisville #8, Marquette #10, Pitt #12, Villanova #21 and ND #24
Sure, the Panthers will lose 7-foot senior Aaron Gray. But Jamie Dixon still has a pair of experienced starting guards in Keith Benjamin and Ronald Ramon — as well as Mike Cook on the wing and Sam Young at power forward. The key will be whether Tyrell Biggs can step in and replace Gray in the middle. Big freshman DeJuan Blair will also help ease the loss of Gray.
He also adds Syracuse in the “10 on the verge.” I think the ‘Cuse are getting lowballed a bit after writers let Boeheim convince them that Paul Harris was going to blow up as a freshman. Syracuse has a lot of incoming talent, but still lost a lot of leadership and upperclass starters.
Andy Katz at ESPN.com also has his list. Georgetown #5, Louisville #6, Marquette #13 and Pitt #14:
The Panthers lose big men Aaron Gray and Levon Kendall but add Dejuan Blair, who might be another under-the-radar superstud coming to Pitt. The Panthers return the core of their perimeter as well as their wings and Jamie Dixon quite simply doesn’t lose too often. This team will move quicker, play defense perhaps a bit tighter and will not lose too many, if any, home games. Expect the Panthers to be in the thick of the Big East race.
It’s going to be hard to claim Pitt is being disrespected going into the 2007-08 season at this rate.
Wannamaker/Brown will most likely will have to play time at SG, with Wannamaker even playing some PG because of his quickness.
I see Diggs being servicable in the middle, not spectacular. Also, I am hoping that Wallce suprises.
I see them pressing more this year, running a lot more off of TOs. With a few breaks who knows. It will be exciting nonetheless!!!
We will be faster and, I think, play better D.
Probably score more too because of the speed.