ESPN's Andy Katz on Pastner's Staff, Scheduling and Recruiting

From ESPN's Andy Katz

• Memphis coach Josh Pastner interviewed former Rice head coach Willis Wilson and former Kentucky coach Glynn Cyprien as he begins to fill his first staff. Hiring Wilson would be a home run for Pastner. He needs an older coach who understands how to manage a program, including dealing with the rest of campus, scheduling, and organizing the daily routine.
Cyprien has had a number of assistant-coaching stints, from Kentucky to Oklahoma State to UNLV, and has plenty of connections.
• Pastner could be open to getting out of the series with Gonzaga. Mark Few said the decision on the series is up to Pastner.
• Pastner said the only person who could have kept the Memphis recruiting class intact was John Calipari, something he told athletic director R.C. Johnson. He said that while he was an assistant he sold the recruits on playing for Calipari, so he's not surprised that most of them will be bolting.

MaxPreps Reports Xavier Down to Kansas or Kentucky

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=250b40a9-de29-de11-a973-001cc494dda6

Dan Wolken - What the coaching staff could look like

What the coaching staff could look like

Posted by Dan Wolken

Right now, the smart money is on former Rice coach Willis Wilson and former Kentucky/Arkansas/UNLV assistant Glynn Cyprien filling two of the three positions. They both interviewed yesterday with Josh Pastner and athletic director R.C. Johnson. Wilson’s experience as a head coach for 16 years would be a tremendous asset, and his reputation as a teacher of the game is well-known. Cyprien is a very good recruiter and has lots of connections in the Southeast.

Pastner appears to be targeting Jack Murphy, the lead advance scout/video coordinator for the Denver Nuggets, for the third assistant spot. Murphy was previously the director of basketball operations at Arizona and has a close friendship with Pastner. Murphy, 30, is considered rising star in the Nuggets organization, so it’s no slam dunk Pastner will be able to get him away from the NBA. Most of the Nuggets top players including Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin and formerly Allen Iverson, swear by Murphy’s individual workouts.

If that ends up being Pastner’s staff - Wilson, Cyprien and Murphy - it’s a high-major caliber staff without question.

The director of basketball operations position could go to a junior college coach. Matt Eisele of Miami-Dade College has been mentioned, as well as Greg Heiar of Chipola Junior College.

So, in other words, it looks like the process is coming closer to conclusion of putting together a basketball staff. There could be some solid news on the assistants by the end of the week, but there are also some issues with job postings, official hiring procedures, etc., that could delay official announcements.

From Memphis Roar: Resist the Urge (On Will Coleman and Darnell Dodson)

Resist the Urge
Posted by Memphis Roar On April - 14 - 2009
http://memphisroar.com/2009/04/resist-the-urge/

Picture - Will Coleman #14

Anyone who tries to tell you that being a Memphis basketball fan right now is easy as pie is flat out lying to you. Well, after an interesting conversation last night, it is becoming increasingly harder to find a glimmer of hope in all of this Post-Calipari Era rubble. Prior to the ring of my telephone at 11pm last night, I felt comfortable saying that there was a good chance that Memphis had a chance in retaining signed 2009 players Darnell Dodson and Will Coleman from Miami-Dade Community College (MDCC).

Part of what has made this an up in the air topic has been the lack of public response to the Pastner hiring by the two players from MDCC. Roar has attempted on several occasions to contact Darnell Dodson, only to not receive a returned phone call or text message. In addition, Will Coleman is currently playing in Europe for the USA Elite team in FIBA pool play competition.

According to sources that Roar spoke with last week, it was merely a matter of time before Matt Eisele, head coach at MDCC, would be hired onto Josh Pastner’s staff. Sources said that it was a matter of figuring out “at what spot” and not a matter of yes or no. With the potential of Eisele’s hire, it was speculated that this move was done in an attempt to salvage the duo of Dodson and Coleman.

After last night’s conversation, it has become glaringly obvious that the new slogan for next year needs to be “Prepare for the worst, hope for the best”. The confidence from our sources regarding the retention of Dodson and Coleman has gone down significantly. In addition, one of Roar’s sources has said that close family members of each of the two players have expressed concerns and potentially would like out of their National Letters of Intent. No formal process to request the releases has been initiated as of today, but that’s not to say that it won’t.

According to Dan Wolken on The Memphis Edge, he believes that there is a good possibility that John Calipari may be or will be involved with these two if this does indeed happen.

“The question now is whether John Calipari would try to get involved (or if he already is). The answer is most likely yes. What Calipari has been telling people close to him is that he is worried he might win 15 or 16 games at Kentucky next year after seeing the lack of talent in that program. Whether he really believes that or not, he’s clearly laying the groundwork for a player-grab, even if it comes at the expense of his former assistant.”

So here’s the deal. As a Memphis fan, you MUST resist the urge to let this eat you up. Remain positive. We debated putting up an article on this mainly because there is such a need for positive press for Memphis basketball right now, and this is only the opposite. This is far from over. You can bet that Pastner will be fighting like heck to try to keep these two guys. If they leave, it had nothing to do with Pastner. If they stay, it had EVERYTHING to do with him.

* To add an interesting side-note to this story, Gary Parrish of CBS Sports reported this morning on his weekly radio spot that he has been told from industry sources that Calipari is actively recruiting Darnell Dodson and Will Coleman to the University of Kentucky. Remember, both of these guys are still signed with the University of Memphis. No release has been granted on these guys.

Dan Wolken - Brace Yourself

Brace yourself
Posted by Dan Wolken

There could be more bad news for Memphis on the recruiting front this week.

While most people have just assumed that hiring Miami-Dade coach Matt Eisele onto the Memphis staff would secure the two junior college players who signed last fall, multiple sources have indicated that’s not necessarily the case. That leaves a lot of things in limbo, including the Memphis staff and just how much of the recruiting class Josh Pastner will be able to salvage.

Though neither Darnell Dodson nor Will Coleman had asked to be released from their letters-of-intent as of last night, I wouldn’t be shocked if Dodson made that move in the near future. Coleman has been harder to get a read on because he’s out of the country right now playing basketball with an all-star team. The tough thing for Pastner is that he didn’t really recruit either player last year, so he’s got more ground to make up in re-recruiting them. Those guys were brought in primarily by Orlando Antigua, who is now on the Kentucky staff. And if Eisele can’t guarantee both players would come to Memphis, it’s unlikely Memphis would hire him.

The question now is whether John Calipari would try to get involved (or if he already is). The answer is most likely yes. What Calipari has been telling people close to him is that he is worried he might win 15 or 16 games at Kentucky next year after seeing the lack of talent in that program. Whether he really believes that or not, he’s clearly laying the groundwork to grab some players because he needs them. Perhaps even if it comes at the expense of his former assistant.

Meanwhile, if Pastner misses on Dodson and Coleman, I think he might hire a different coach or two who can actually guarantee players that would provide some immediate help next year. It’s late in the game, but there are a lot of recruiting dominoes that could fall.

Sports 56 WHBQ: Thoughts on Pastner

From Sports 56 WBHQ Blog

http://www.sports56whbq.com/

So all the hysteria and craziness that surrounded the University of Memphis basketball coaching position has officially died down now that Josh Pastner has been in the position for a few days. As I said when the hire was announced, it’s impossible to call this a great hire because we don’t know anything about Pastner as a head coach, but you really can’t call it a bad hire either, what I say is that it’s a hire that makes a lot of sense.

Throughout this whole process we heard a lot of names come up, some realistic, others not so much, and what I can say is that while I think some would have been better than Pastner, there were many that would have been worse than Pastner too.

The biggest criticism of the U of M during this coaching change, was their process in hiring the new coach, and I think much of the criticism is fair because this was definitely not the most well-run coaching search in history. In my opinion, the biggest mistake that R.C Johnson and the search committee made was grossly overestimating how attractive of a position they had. While they set out to make their “Wow” hire, they failed to realize the reality of what their position offered. In the end, this is still a “non-BCS” conference job and the folks at Memphis didn’t seem to realize that it is very rare for a coach to leave a BCS school for a non-BCS school. The original list of candidates simply included too many names that weren’t realistic. I said numerous times during the search that in order to “make a splash” you have to have water, and I didn’t think this program had that level of water.

What John Calipari did here, was raise the program above its conference affiliation and make it seem like a better job than what it is, but in doing so, he also raised expectations from the fans and any prospective coach can easily realize that it will not be easy to meet those expectations. Coach Cal was able to recruit the top players in the country, despite the conference, because of his ties to World Wide Wes and his ability to oversell his and the program’s ability to get players to the NBA. Not many coaches have the ability to do that, and when they are already making a couple million dollars a year somewhere else and they are winning and comfortable, they sure as hell aren’t going to take the chance of giving it up for a risky proposition like Memphis and CUSA. So Cal fooled the fans and even his own athletic department into thinking the job was a very attractive job in the college basketball landscape, but when it came down to it, the prospective hires saw through it all to what it is, a program in a mediocre conference that has played at a level far above that conference for four years, all the while creating expectations for continued success that may be impossible to meet.

Taking everything into consideration, Josh Pastner looks like a good fit for the Tigers. When you realize the field of possible coaches doesn’t include many proven head coaches, you might as well take a shot with a hot shot young coach who is a hard worker, great recruiter and has worked under great coaches while learning his craft(you’d have to learn a few things spending all those years as a player and assistant under Lute Olson wouldn’t you?). Pastner fits all of those descriptions and he was already a part of the program so the current players already know him and he was the man already selling the program to recruits. He is also a very likable guy with an engaging personality that plays well in the media which was a big part of Calipari’s success as well.

I still say that if I had been in charge of the hiring process, Andy Kennedy would be the Tigers head coach, but they elected to avoid him because of his ongoing legal proceedings in Cincinnati and if that is their choice then so be it. Not sure why an argument with a cab driver prevents you from being the coach of the team, but hitting a girl or getting in a fight at a club doesn’t prevent you from playing on the team, but that’s not my decision to make.

I do want to wish Pastner good luck and I hope the fans will be patient. Next year is going to be a rebuilding year and you shouldn’t expect the same level of success that Calipari enjoyed the last few years. Just remember that Calipari’s whole nine years were not like the last four, the first five years included NIT berths and numerous conference losses. Hopefully, Pastner’s recruiting ability will lead to more great players coming to Memphis and the Tigers continuing to dominate CUSA and advancing deep into the NCAA Tournament. If that does happen however, don’t get upset when Pastner then moves on to a bigger, better job, it’s just the nature of the business.

Dan Wolken - Willis Wilson to interview (and Coach's Response at the end, plus an excerpt on Wilson from Rice University)

Willis Wilson to interview
Posted by Dan Wolken

Former Rice head coach Willis Wilson will be in Memphis on Tuesday to interview for a position on coach Josh Pastner’s new staff, according to a source.

Pastner has been looking for a veteran coach to put on his bench next season who would not necessarily go out on the road to recruit but rather manage some of the day-to-day aspects of the program and help with scouting reports and gameplans, etc.

Wilson would fit the bill, as he coached Rice for 16 seasons, compiling a record of 219-246. Wilson is well-respected in the profession as a teacher of the game and served on numerous NABC boards. Wilson’s firing after the 2008 season was controversial, as it was widely recognized that he had little chance to succeed at Rice due to poor facilities and high academic standards. Wilson was fired in the wake of a disastrous 0-16 season in 2008 when he lost his top three players to injury and had to play home games at three different venues while Autry Court was being renovated. Another advantage to hiring Wilson for Pastner would be his familiarity with Conference USA.

Pastner has three assistant coaching positions to fill. If Wilson is hired, Pastner would likely look toward his other two spots with an eye toward recruiting prowess.

I expect to see Pastner use all of his Houston and Texas connections in setting up a staff. I’m also interested to see if Pastner will (or can) bring in a former Arizona player with NBA experience - sort of like the Rod Strickland of Calipari’s staff.

While I don’t expect Josh to duplicate Cal’s formula, clearly Cal’s NBA coaching and Strickland’s NBA playing were an attraction to kids wanting to reach the next level. Coach

Excerpt from Rice University on Willis Wilson

When you think of Rice University basketball the first thing that comes to mind is Willis Wilson, the school's head coach. The man lives and breathes basketball and Rice. He has spent 22 of his 47 years on earth at 6100 Main Street. A four-year basketball letterman, Wilson was team captain and graduated from Rice in 1982; he was a five-year Rice assistant coach, and is now starting his 16th season as the Owls' leader and mentor. When his time permits, Wilson often can be found playing full-court basketball, directing the offense, and even knocking down the occasional sweet, left-handed jumper he still possesses.

HE LOVES THE GAME.

"I think the spotaniety of college basketball is what makes it so great. Every season you get to play close to 30 games and it's never the same and it gets better with each passing year," says Wilson. "It's an indescribable satisfaction to play basketball and you have to play the game to know that feeling."

The span of 15 seasons that Wilson has coached at Rice is the longest tenure of any men's basketball coach in the 90-year history of the sport at the school. Suffice it to say, his 216 career victories are also the most in Rice history. In the past four years, the Owls have won 69 games, the fourth-highest total in school history.

Last season, Wilson coached the Conference USA Player of the Year, the nation's third-leading scorer, and first-round NBA draft pick Morris Almond. Almond was third in the country in leading all of C-USA in scoring for the second-staight season at 26.1 points per game after averaging 21.9 as junior in 2006.

During the 2005 season, the Owls won 19 contests and advanced to post-season action for the second consecutive season for only the second time in school history as Michael Harris and Jason McKrieth again were named all-conference.

The 2004 team was Wilson's most successful as it won 22 games including the BP Top of the World Classic championship. For his leadership in 2004, Wilson became the first Rice basketball coach to be selected as the National Association of Basketball Coaches District 9 coach of the year since the award began in 1970.

In 2004, the Owls were second in the Western Athletic Conference in field goal shooting at .474, third in assists (14.91), and first in steals (8.33).

Heading into the 2002-03 season, the Owls had some experienced starters graduate and some young ones coming back from injuries. The nine other head coaches in the Western Athletic Conference thought the season looked bleaked for Rice and picked the Owls to finish near the bottom in the annual preseason poll. With Wilson the glass isn't half-empty, it's half-full, and he again brought out the best in the team. By the end of the year his Rice squad was still in the hunt for the league's number-one seed for the conference tournament. On the last day of the regular-season, Rice thumped conference champion Fresno State by 21 points for its 19th win.
Wilson successfully guided the same Owl team that the WAC coaches picked for a low conference finish to the program's third-highest win total since 1946. Along the way his team handily beat a Colorado squad that went on to earn a bid to the NCAA tournament, claimed the first-ever Bayou Cup in a convincing win over cross-town rival Houston and lit up the scoreboard with 106 points in single game for the fourth-highest scoring barrage in school history. Rice won games by big margins (nine by 17 points or more) and narrow ones (six by six points or less), at home and on the road.

The 2002-03 Owls were 13-2 defending their home court, thanks in part to Wilson's high-octane offense that led the WAC in shooting percentage and three-point percentage. As a dedicated practitioner of fundamentals, he saw to it that the Owls also improved the little things, like free throw percentage, and sure enough Rice recorded its best percentage from the charity stripe (73.7) since the late 1960s. Two of his charges, Omar-Seli Mance and Harris, were named all-conference and another, Yamar Diene, was selected to the WAC's all-defensive team.

He orchestrated a nine-game turnaround from the year before. That 2002 season was marred by an injury situation where no less than six players missed a combined 20-plus games. Still, Wilson's Owls fought all the way. His team defeated Big 12 foe Baylor, WAC rival and postseason-bound foe Fresno State, as well as NCAA tournament participant Siena. Six losses were by five points or less, including four in conference. Wilson never gave up, and he didn't let the Owls do so either. At the end of the year Harris was named freshman all-America by CollegeInsider.com and the WAC's freshman of the year. Stockpiling honors and awards is nothing new to a Wilson-trained student-athlete. In 12 seasons he has guided 14 Owls to all-conference accolades. From all-SWC honoree and Rice career scoring leader Brent Scott to current NBA professional Mike Wilks, his Owls become polished players.

In 2000-01, the Owls posted a 14-16 mark despite missing two key starters with injuries for nearly half the season. When Rice was even semi-healthy, Wilson guided the Owls to impressive wins. The 59-56 victory over Tulsa at Autry Court was over the Golden Hurricane squad that went on to win the 2001 NIT championship in Madison Square Garden. Rice also registered a win over NCAA tournament-bound Hawaii and a blistering 20-point win over Houston that marked the Owls' largest margin of victory in the long-running, highly-emotional series.

Wilson has guided the Owls to winning records in seven of his 12 seasons, including 1998-99 when Rice finished 18-10 to equal the third-best turnaround in NCAA history. The Blue and Gray claimed sole possession of third place and went 13-1 at home, including a streak of nine straight victories. As the Mountain Division's third seed, Rice advanced to the WAC tournament where the team defeated San Jose State 64-61 before falling to 25th-ranked New Mexico in a two-point loss (51-49) in the second round. Wilson was the pick of the league media and coaches as the WAC Mountain Division coach of the year.

The 18 wins in 1998-99 equaled his previous best as a collegiate coach. In 1992-93, his first Rice team also went 18-10 with convincing regular-season sweeps over Southwest Conference rivals Texas, Houston and Texas Tech. The Owls finished the SWC race in second place and were the only conference team to win a postseason tournament game, reaching the second round of the NIT.

In 1994, he earned the distinction on the five-member list of "The Next Wave," America's hot young coaches by Inside Sports. He maintained that success in 1994-95 by guiding the Owls to the semifinals of the SWC Classic for the second straight year before dropping a controversial decision to Texas, the eventual tournament champion. The winning season was Rice's fifth consecutive, the longest SWC streak at the time.

Wilson's performance in shaping the team to a 14-14 record in 1995-96 was some of his finest coaching. Despite a rash of injuries that left the team with just seven healthy players, and only one player over 6-foot-5, Wilson coached the squad to upset wins at Texas and Vanderbilt and to the tournament title at the Michigan State Spartan Classic.

A five-year assistant coach at Rice under Tommy Suitts and Scott Thompson, Wilson spent one year away from Rice as an assistant coach at Stanford under Mike Montgomery. In that 1992 season Wilson and the Cardinal went "dancing" at the NCAA tournament against Alabama.

As a member of the Rice staff during the 1988-91 seasons, Wilson helped the Owls improve their SWC standing each year. During Wilson's final year as a Rice assistant (1991), the Owls finished fourth in the league and received a bid to the NIT. The winning record was Rice's first in 20 years and the postseason appearance marked its first in 21 seasons. He returned to the campus in 1992 as the school's 22nd head coach.

It was a move universally applauded for the hire of one of America's bright young coaches. The 46-year-old Wilson is now in his 22rd year at Rice overall. After arriving at the campus in August 1978, Wilson was a four-year letterman for the Owls under Mike Schuler (1979-81) and Suitts (1982). He co-captained the Owls to a 15-win season in 1982 and was a teammate of former NBA star and Rice athletic hall of fame member Ricky Pierce.

Wilson, a Will Rice College Fellow and member of the college court, graduated on time with a bachelor's of arts degree in political science in 1982. He also participated in the Rice NCAA Volunteers for Youth program.

His first collegiate coaching experience came at Rice as an assistant during the 1985-86 season. In 1986, he left Rice to become the head coach at Houston's Strake Jesuit College Preparatory before returning one year later. Wilson also was an assistant basketball and track coach at Strake (1982-84).

Wilson won all-metro Washington and all-county honors for Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Springs, Md. As a junior, he led Blair to the 1977 Maryland state championship. He was the most valuable player in Montgomery County as a senior and captained the McDonald's Coaches Scholarship all-star team in the Capital Centre Classic.

Wilson is currently a member of the NABC Board of Directors and is second-vice-president and also serves as chairman of the NABC All-America Committee. He formerly served four years on the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee and was chairman during his final year. He also served on the NABC Academic Committee and was a voter for the USA Today/ESPN top 25 poll. He is a member of the joint NABC/NCAA Special Committe on Recruiting and Access. He is a member of the College Basketball Partnership, which is chaired by NCAA President Myles Brand. Wilson has also participated in the NCAA Youth Education through Sports (YES) Clinic at the Final Four and previously was a member of the board of directors for the Houston-area Boys and Girls Club. He is on the board of directors for TIRR Foundation.

Willis and his wife, Vicki, have three children, daughter, Kristin, and twin sons, Zachary and Keenan.

Personal: Full Name: Willis Thomas Wilson, Jr. Born: March 22, 1960, at Indianapolis, Ind. Wife: Vicki. Daughter Kristin. Twin sons: Zachary and Keenan.
Education: High School: Montgomery Blair H.S., Silver Spring, Md., 1978. College: B.A., political science, Rice University, 1982.

Memphis forward Shawn Taggart enters NBA draft

Memphis forward Shawn Taggart enters NBA draft

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis junior forward Shawn Taggart has submitted his name for the 2009 NBA draft.

Taggart said in a statement Monday from the university that he wants to test the waters and see what feedback he gets following encouragement from the team's new coach, Josh Pastner. He graduates in May but still has one year of college eligibility.

He says he'll make a decision later whether to remain in the draft or return for a final year at Memphis.

The 6-foot-10 player started in 27 games last year and averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. Taggart led the Tigers in rebounding and free-throw percentage and was second in field-goal percentage and blocks and third in scoring.

Frank Murtaugh, Memphis Flyer: Pastner is Present

Monday, April 13, 2009

Pastner is Present

There's a more than decent chance that you know the new Memphis Tiger basketball coach better than I do.

Posted by Frank Murtaugh on Mon, Apr 13, 2009 at 9:39 AM

I met Josh Pastner at the Finch Center in late February, our introduction coming between interviews with Tiger players and Pastner's former, more famous boss. The conversation went like most do between new acquaintances, with emphasis on the weather. Having come to the Tiger program after a long stint at the University of Arizona, Pastner tried to define "dry heat" for me. And he told me how much he preferred winters in Arizona to the chill we were then experiencing in Memphis. "But I don’t mind now," he added, "because we’re winning."
Tiger Nation won't mind Pastner’s youth (he's 31), his inexperience (the Memphis post will be his first head-coaching gig), or his desert roots ... as long as the Tiger program is winning. I, for one, like the hiring, and for three reasons:

1) It feels fresh. There's nothing worse for a fan base than recycled coaches. And hiring the likes of Leonard Hamilton, Scott Drew, Mike Anderson, or Tim Floyd would have been precisely that. U of M athletic director R.C. Johnson would be investing in past performance by a coach in a setting entirely different from the one that coach would find in Memphis (and there's no other setting like this one in the country).

It took nine years, but Tiger fans have forgotten that when John Calipari was hired, he had lost his coaching legs, cast aside by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets and four years removed from his grand success at Massachusetts. He was a recycled coach. A recycled coach, mind you, exceptionally prepared to make the Memphis program part of the Calipari brand. This is a brand -- with national identity -- that young Pastner now must try to extend and make his own. But his slate his clean (barring any developments in the recruiting allegations from his days as an assistant to Lute Olson at Arizona). Pastner has the chance to establish his coaching credentials entirely in Memphis. And that feels fresh.

2) There's a sense of continuity. He may have spent but one season at Calipari's side, but one season as an apprentice to a Naismith Coach of the Year is better than a dozen alongside a second-tier basketball mind. And let's remember that Pastner was hired by Calipari in large part for his skills and energy as a recruiter.

The kid is in over his head, particularly if he's held to the standard Calipari left behind. A record of 137-14 over the last four years is the stuff of fiction at the Division I level. But Pastner was eyewitness to the management of a program at its greatest heights, so he's unlikely to overlook details that mattered in reaching those heights. If the link to Calipari retains a prized recruit or two, Tiger Nation should consider it a bonus. But Pastner should not be judged by the stars he retains for the next season or two. Which brings me to the third element I like about his hiring.
3) Pastner can be long term. Feelings were damaged when Calipari bolted for Kentucky, but the truth is the move just took longer than Calipari anticipated (making the breakup all the more painful for his former partner). Had Kentucky called in, say, 2002, do you doubt he would have gone then? Or 2006? Timing is everything, and John Calipari received everything he asked for in Memphis except the chair once occupied by Adolph Rupp.

I don’t get the impression Pastner will treat his new gig like a stepping stone. (Along the same lines, there is a danger if the Tiger fan base -- or worse, the U of M administration -- considers Pastner merely a stopgap until a "wow" coach makes himself available.) Using the year under Calipari as his foundation, Pastner can build a house in Memphis all his own. If he pays attention to detail -- and, importantly, asks the right questions -- that baby face can become the face of the Tiger program rather quickly. Calipari, after all, was but 29 when UMass hired him in 1988. The first lesson for Josh Pastner: if the New Jersey Nets call, don't answer.

Summary Article on Last Weekend's Nike Hoops Summit game

Write up on this weekend's Nike Hoops Summit in Portland, Oregon where both Xavier Henry and John Wall played.

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/article.aspx?articleid=f48fc84d-b327-de11-a973-001cc494dda6

2009-10 Preview: Mid Majors, Part III

Next Year Projects by Jeff, a blogger from Wisconsin.

(I don't know him from Adam, but he was willing to write about C-USA, so he must be a dedicated basketball fan, ed.)

http://basketballpredictions.blogspot.com/2009/04/2009-10-preview-mid-majors-part-iii.html

Conference USA

I've talked for a few years about how the C-USA situation was unsustainable. You can't have one team so much better than everybody else. Either the pack was going to start improving, or Memphis was going to fall back to the pack. With John Calipari heading to Kentucky, it looks like it'll be the latter. Their only chance was going to be hiring away some other big named coach that could save the recruiting class, but they couldn't pull that off. So the blue chippers appear to all be gone. The only incomers, to the best of my knowledge, are Juco transfers Darnell Dodson and Will Coleman. Tyreke Evans is going pro, and Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier graduate. Of course, there will still be plenty of talented players there for now: Shawn Taggert, Willie Kemp, Doneal Mack, Roburt Sallie and Wesley Witherspoon will likely be the starting lineup next season, and that's a pretty athletic and talented bunch. But they will have almost no bench, and a lot of uncertainty as to how many of the recruits in the pipeline will stay there, and where this program will be headed in the future. Memphis should return to the Tournament, but their days as a Final Four contender are over.

Of the teams in Conference USA that have plateaued, probably none is more surprising than a UAB team that seemed to be in a good position with Mike Davis, who had brought many of his best Indiana players with him. And while he was known as a good recruiter, he just could not get anybody to come to UAB. And they had four regular starter this past season (the fifth starter position rotated between two different players), and all four graduate. They have a decent recruiting class, led by Dexter Fields (Scout: 32 SG), but I don't see any way that this team doesn't get far worse next season. My understanding is that they want Mike Davis out, but that it would simply be too expensive. So UAB is stuck in a bad place now, heading in the wrong direction with a dead man walking leading the squad.

The other Bubble team from the conference was Tulsa, and they're in a far better position to make a Tournament run again next season. They lose one starter and a key player off the bench, but retain their two highest scorers, their best rebounder and their leading assist man. The one question for them will be 7-footer Jerome Jordan, and whether he sticks around for his Senior season. From the reports I've seen, he'd be a marginal draft pick, and certainly not a first-rounder. If he can really dominate Conference USA next season and lead his squad into the Tournament he could play his way into the first round of the draft, which is why his best decision would be to stay in school one more year. At this point I will assume that he does that, but know that I will drop them in my projections if Jordan does go pro.

One very interesting squad to look for is UTEP. They had a Senior starter, and a key bench player will also be graduating. But other than that, every single player on the roster was a Freshman or Sophomore, which means that they've got a great young base. The trio that will lead the team for the next two years is Randy Culpepper (18 ppg, 3 rpg, 2 spg), Julyan Stone (6 ppg, 5 rpg, 6 apg) and Arnett Moultrie (9 ppg, 8 rpg). Of course, one of their graduations is leading scorer Stefon Jackson (24.5 per game), so the team might not be quite as good next year as they were this past year. But they could potentially win the whole conference in 2011, when this great Sophomore class has turned into a great Senior class.

Another team that might take a small step back next season but that has a great set of young players is UCF, which also loses a 25+ point per game star (Jermaine Taylor), but got a ton of production from Freshmen and Sophomores. They've also got a very nice recruiting class coming in, including Michael Jordan's son Marcus (Scout: 27 SG). Unlike UTEP, Central Florida is probably more than a year away from contending to win Conference USA. Kirk Speraw is an example of what happens when a school shows trust in a coach and stands behind him during a tough year or two. He's taken the school to its only four Tournament appearances, and he appears to be building up the program yet again for something special.

There are a couple of other teams to keep an eye on. One is Marshall, which loses only one starter and brings in a big man who can contribute immediately: 6'11" Hassan Whiteside (Scout: 13 C). Another real dark horse is a Rice team that had a very deep rotation but no stars last season. They bring in an outstanding and deep recruiting class, which means that they'll probably have something like a ten man interchangeable rotation. They won't have the overall talent or experience to compete with the best teams in the conference, but they should be much better. Here's how I see the top of the conference playing out:

1. Memphis
2. Tulsa
3. UTEP
4. Central Florida
5. UAB
6. Houston

Link to Read John Calipari's New Kentucky Contract

In case you enjoy this type of stuff, here is a link to John Calipari's new contract at the University of Kentucky.

http://seclivenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/calipari-contract1.pdf

If at some point the link fails to work, just send me an email and I can send you a pdf copy of the contract.

Coach

Dan Wolken - Don’t freak out about assistant coaches

Don’t freak out about assistant coaches
Posted by Dan Wolken

OK, it’s Sunday and new Memphis coach Josh Pastner is still a one-man show.

Don’t freak out, Tiger fans. Pastner is going to get assistants, and I imagine we’ll start hearing some solid stuff this week. But a couple things to remember:

- Pastner is starting from scratch, which is way more complex than an established head coach being able to take his staff with him to a new job.

- He’s a diligent guy who is going to think out everything and not make rash decisions.

- Perhaps one reason why he doesn’t have anyone hired yet is that he’s going after some really good people who are in good situations, so he’s waiting to hear from them before moving down the list.

- There have definitely been talks with Matt Eisele of Miami-Dade college, but don’t expect that to happen right away. After all, the main connection with Eisele is the two Miami-Dade players, Darnell Dodson and Will Coleman. Now, let me ask you? At this moment (and for the next few weeks), is Eisele more helpful in that regard in Miami or in Memphis?

Dan Wolken - Memphis Tigers coach Josh Pastner takes time filling staff

Memphis Tigers coach Josh Pastner takes time filling staff
By Dan Wolken, Memphis Commercial Appeal
Originally published 06:05 p.m., April 12, 2009

Monday afternoon will mark a week on the job for new University of Memphis coach Josh Pastner, but he’s still running the program essentially by himself.

When John Calipari left for Kentucky, he took practically everyone with him including assistant coaches, administrative staff and even his secretary. Pastner, who was surprised to get the job on Monday, immediately went into scramble mode and spent a mostly sleepless first week on the job tending to the current players on the roster and what’s left of Memphis’ recruiting class.

While Pastner acknowledges the need to bring in some assistant coaches – and soon – he said Sunday he hasn’t reached any decisions on a staff.

“I am really taking my time, and I want to be calculated on it and analyze it,” Pastner said. “But I also know I need to get guys sooner than later because I need some help, and I’m aware of that, and I’m in the process of doing that.”

When established head coaches change jobs, they usually just bring their assistants with them and can hit the ground running at the new school. One of the main obstacles for Pastner, 31, is that he’s a first-time head coach trying to assemble a staff from scratch. That’s not as easy as it sounds, especially when there are so many factors to weigh.

Does Pastner want assistant coaches with recruiting ties in certain parts of the country, for instance, or does he attempt to hire someone he’s more familiar with personally? Those are just two of the things Pastner has been thinking about in recent days.

“The most important thing is to get the best staff we can get, and I don’t want to rush,” Pastner said. “I don’t want to take guys just to take guys. It’s the same thing in recruiting. I am not going to take a player just because he’s available if he’s not good enough. I want to make sure guys are good enough whether it’s on the staff or a player for this program.”

Pastner will be able to hire three full-time assistants, a director of basketball operations and then perhaps some other administrative positions. He would like to fill one assistant’s slot with a veteran coach who can give him some guidance, help with scouting reports and run some of the day-to-day aspects of the program in much the same way John Robic did for Calipari.

Pastner would like to fill the other two spots with aggressive recruiters who can go out on the road and help sell players on coming to Memphis.

Pastner said money wouldn’t be an obstacle in pursuing who he wanted for assistants; the previous Memphis staff was among the most well-compensated in the country.

Though Pastner declined to discuss names, one person who could figure in the mix is Miami-Dade Junior College coach Matt Eisele. Memphis signed two Miami-Dade players last fall, forward Will Coleman and wing Darnell Dodson, and Pastner might consider putting Eisele on the staff in some capacity if it helps secure their services next fall.

Though neither Coleman nor Dodson has asked to be released yet from their letters-of-intent, Pastner has already spent time re-recruiting them. The only other recruit Memphis might be able to retain is shooting guard Xavier Henry, who has been released from his letter but listed Memphis with Kansas and Kentucky among his final three choices.

His brother, point guard C.J. Henry, missed all of last season with a foot injury and is awaiting word whether the NCAA would waive the transfer year penalty if he went elsewhere.

If Dodson and Coleman come to Memphis, there are only a handful of players available in the 2009 class that Pastner would likely try to recruit with the notable exception of top-50 forward Latavious Williams. Pastner also will try to get another point guard for next year – especially if C.J. Henry leaves – with the likely target being James Beatty from Miami-Dade.

When Pastner gets his staff assembled, most of the focus will then turn to the 2010 recruiting class. For his sake, hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.

“I don’t want to guarantee anything,” Pastner said, “but I’ll have much more clarity over the next few days of what I want to do.”

Excellent Article on Josh Pastner from the Commercial Appeal - The Prodigy: For coach Josh Pastner, basketball bug bit early

The Prodigy: For coach Josh Pastner, basketball bug bit early
At age 9, he knew he wanted to be a basketball coach. As a high school sophomore, he was one, for an elite-level Houston AAU team. As a college sophomore, he applied to coach the NBA's L.A. Clippers.

By Scott Cacciola / cacciola@commercialappeal.com
Sunday, April 12, 2009

By the summer of 2002, Prairie View A&M had cemented its status as one of the worst programs in college basketball. The Panthers had won 29 games in four seasons, their coach had been fired and athletic director Charles McClelland knew the team faced major hurdles to reach respectability.

"At that point in time, the program was so down that we knew we needed to make the right hire," McClelland said. "My thing was, the guy could be green with antennas coming out of his head -- he could be from Mars -- and I wouldn't care as long as he could coach."

McClelland received 85 applications for the position, and one candidate in particular was relentless. He called McClelland every three days. He sent self-designed fliers and brochures and scouting reports. He outlined his plans for the program. He was excited, enthusiastic, jacked!

Josh Pastner made himself impossible to ignore. He was just 23, a Jewish kid from the suburbs who was working as the recruiting coordinator at Arizona, but he believed he could build something special at Prairie View, a predominantly black school about 40 miles northwest of Houston.

Pastner had visualized the possibilities -- top recruits, conference championships, packed gymnasiums. And he had spent 14 years preparing for such an opportunity.

"He was so ambitious, so knowledgeable, so convincing," said McClelland, now the athletic director at Texas Southern. "He was one of five finalists. I think at one point he said, 'Hire me now, because you don't want to wind up playing against me.' I definitely don't want to play against him now."

In the week since Pastner was hired by the University of Memphis to fill the crater-sized void left by John Calipari, he has been praised as a 31-year-old wunderkind who knows everyone in the business, as a recruiting cyborg who can go days without sleep, as a fresh-faced source of hope in a dire situation.

"I believe to have success, you have to be a visionary," Pastner said Thursday morning in his new office, two cell phones on his desk, his walls bare. "I really believe that. A visionary is someone who sees things that you want to happen and then makes them happen."

He was working on two hours of sleep -- since Monday, when his life changed. Unkempt and wearing sweats, he had been packing up so he could join Calipari in Kentucky when athletic director R.C. Johnson called. Two hours later, Pastner agreed to a 5-year, $4.4 million contract to coach the Tigers.

Everything had been designed for that moment, which might sound like an exaggeration until you consider that he landed his first recruit at age 14. Or that he coached his first AAU team at age 16. Or that he applied to become the head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers at age 19. Or that he graduated from Arizona in five semesters, in part to bolster his case that he cared about academics when college jobs opened up.

"I believe in myself," he said. "I've prepared my whole life for this."

* * *

He planted himself in front of the television at his family's home in Kingwood, Texas, and here was the seminal moment: Josh Pastner, age 9, watches the Houston Rockets defeat the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs, and he realizes what he wants to do with his life.

He was a precocious and energetic little boy, and his mind was made up: He would become a basketball coach. It became his great ambition, and when he relayed his feelings to his parents, they had no choice but to believe him. He spoke with such conviction. His father, Hal, began to dream right alongside him.

AAU basketball was still an emerging concept back then, and Hal Pastner -- a businessman who worked for manufacturing companies -- launched the Houston Hoops so his son would have an opportunity to cultivate his passion year-round. The team grew into a power, year by year. Josh found games to scout each weekend, and he recruited the best players to join the Hoops. At 14, he discovered a rare talent at a gymnasium in Port Arthur.

"He goes, 'Dad, that kid's going to be a great player,'" Hal Pastner said. "So he goes up and talks to him and talks to the mother. 'We've got to have him on our team.' And the mother goes, 'Who are you? Is there an adult involved?'"

Stephen Jackson's mother relented, and he spent parts of the next four summers with the Pastners. When Josh was old enough to drive, he would tackle the 204-mile roundtrip to Port Arthur in his Toyota Corolla twice each weekend, first to pick Jackson up and then to drop him off after a full slate of games.

"He and I would always battle, because he'd blast the radio," Pastner said.

Jackson, now an NBA veteran with the Golden State Warriors, has given Pastner a lot of credit for his success. He never would have gotten so much early exposure without him, and his game might not have matured. Pastner was coaching the Hoops by then, his father having handed him the keys to the team.

He also had begun to publish "The Josh Pastner Scouting Report," a freakishly detailed 50-page booklet that he sent to every Division 1 coach in the country. Whenever the Hoops hit the road for a tournament and had an off day, most of the players would head to the mall or back to the hotel. Hal Pastner would drop his son off at the gym at 8 a.m., then return at 10 p.m. to pick him up. In the meantime, Josh would scout games and make evaluations.

"He never got more excited than when he saw a great player nobody knew about," Hal Pastner recalled.

As for his own game, Josh developed into a solid point guard at Kingwood High, where he averaged 16 points and eight assists as a senior. This he owed to hard work, to countless hours practicing with his younger sister, Courtney, a future star who revered him. They often worked out together at 5 a.m.

"We'd sneak into the gym, sometimes we'd set the alarm off," said Courtney Pastner, Texas' high school player of the year in 1999. "He was just my role model, someone I idolized. He always told me, 'Friday nights, when your competition is out having fun, that's when you get ahead.'"

* * *

His first week at Arizona, he called home. Pastner had enrolled because he wanted to be mentored by coach Lute Olson, who had recruited him as a sort of player/coach (more of the latter, less of the former). Pastner was living in an athletic dorm, and the football players were giving him a hard time. Plus, he was taking eight classes. His father offered some familiar advice: Just work harder.

"Josh is a carbon copy of his father," said Jim Rosborough, a former assistant at Arizona. "Three cell phones on the interstate, driving with his knee? That's father and son. We've all kidded Josh about being obsessive, a little compulsive. But he learned everything from his dad."

Josh Pastner has long referred to his father as his "best friend," and his advice resonated that first week of school. Buoyed by some tough love, he befriended fellow freshman Mike Bibby, a McDonald's All-American, and they started shooting baskets at 7 a.m. Pastner then recruited Michael Dickerson, the team's high-scoring guard, to work with him at 11 p.m. He assured both that the extra time would pay off.

"A lot of the guys were like, 'Who does this kid think he is?'" said Justin Wessel, a backup forward. "Here's this 5-10 walk-on getting Mike Bibby out of bed. But everything he did was so perfect, so he wanted everyone else to be perfect. The fact that the two stars bought into it so fast changed everything."

Pastner believed the team could win a national championship, and he shared that opinion. He was so positive all the time -- here comes Mr. Sunshine -- that some of the veterans thought he was corny, even phony. Never a sip of alcohol? Not a drop of caffeine? No cussing? Then they realized something.

"That's really him," Wessel said. "I've known him for 15 years now, and he's never changed."

Pastner studied film, went to class, practiced, worked with teammates and slept little. He scored 12 points all season, and Arizona won the national title.

"He was absolutely one of the keys to our championship run," said Miles Simon, another teammate. "All he wanted was for us to get better."

During his four years as a student, he earned two degrees -- his bachelor's in family studies and his master's in teaching -- and started work toward a Ph.D. But he never lost sight of The Goal. To that end, he somehow unearthed two hours each afternoon to man the pay phone outside the locker room at the McKale Center with a jar full of quarters. These were the days before he owned a cell phone, and Pastner would dial and dial and dial.

Asked whom he was calling back then, Pastner said: "Just people, staying in touch. Keeping up on calls."

Pastner understood better than most the power of networking, the importance of reaching out to coaches, associates, players, friends, former teammates, distant cousins -- anyone and everyone. He sensed that maintaining those contacts would prove valuable someday.

He worked his way up the ladder, from player to undergraduate assistant to video coordinator to recruiting coordinator to assistant coach. His reputation as a top-tier recruiter ballooned. He helped land and develop Chase Budinger, Nic Wise, Jordan Hill and Jerryd Bayless.

"You know how people in the Army carry hand grenades on their belt? Josh would have cell phones," said George Kalil, a longtime Arizona booster and Tucson business owner. "I think at one time he had four phones, but I'm not sure. Maybe he had eight."

His dating life was a mess. Friends would set him up -- for failure. He was always fielding calls during lunch. Or at the movies. Or over ice cream.

"I was a bad date," Pastner said.

"Girls would come back and say, 'He's crazy,'" said Jack Murphy, a close friend and former Arizona manager who now scouts for the Denver Nuggets. "He's going to kill me for telling you this, but he'd take dates to dinner and he'd have a list of questions. He'd be like, 'Our son is 16 years old, and he wants to drink alcohol. What would you say to him?' Keep in mind, this is on the first date."

Pastner treated dating like recruiting: He was no-nonsense. His existence was so basic and devoid of frills -- borderline monastic, even -- that he slept on an air mattress for five years. He covered leaks with duct tape. He never cared enough to invest in a new one.

"I'd wake up on the floor every morning," he said, "because it'd be deflated."

When he first became part of the staff at Arizona, he asked Olson if he could drag the mattress into his office and sleep there. Olson vetoed the proposal. Pastner seldom turned on the air conditioning in his apartment. (Too expensive, he told friends who complained.) He never unpacked his boxes. Murphy, his roommate, owned all of their furniture, though Pastner did contribute by renting a dinette set, his lone concession to domestic life.

"I've always lived well below my means," Pastner said. "I guess I'm just a low-maintenance guy. I don't need much."

* * *

The basketball offices at Memphis were quiet last week, the second floor of the Athletic Office Building empty. Calipari had absconded to Kentucky with three of his assistants -- and even his office manager. Pastner must have felt like a listing dinghy on a stormy sea, and he pulled two straight all-nighters after Johnson hired him. He has friends who were Navy Seals, and they could go an entire week without sleep -- so no big deal.

Pastner sounded so upbeat when he said this, it was hard not to believe him. But his parents harbor some concern.

"He told me he's feeling some pressure," his father said. "He needs to take care of himself."

Pastner had to hire a staff, meet with his players, talk to recruits, embrace the community. He had so little mental preparation for what was ahead -- he had no idea he was even a candidate until Johnson called him Monday morning -- that he felt, for one of the first times in his life, disorganized.

"I feel really bad that I get this unbelievable opportunity, and I've gotten hundreds of text messages and calls that I haven't returned," said Pastner, who had joined Calipari's staff last summer. "I've always returned calls, because I just think it's the right thing to do. But I can't right now. And I don't want them to feel like I've forgotten them or gotten big time on them. I haven't. Everyone out there, please don't take this personally."

He continues to push forward, the only way he knows. His life has always been consumed by rigid discipline and mind-numbing extremes. Little sleep, all work. He spent 22 years working toward the past seven days, when the dream turned real and he became the second-youngest head coach in Division 1.

So now, after all that striving and planning, he has his own program, his own team, and he will continue to choke the minutes out of every day, burdened not by Calipari's legacy but by his own expectations, the life he always wanted.

THE PASTNER FILE

A closer look at new University of Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner:

Age: 31

Hometown: Kingwood, Texas

Personal: Engaged to Kerri Lamas, who has a 10-year-old son, Ethan

Education: B.A., Family Studies, Arizona, 1998; M.S., Teaching and Teacher Education, Arizona, 1999

Career highlights: As a reserve guard at Arizona from 1996 to 2000, Pastner was often referred to as a player/coach. He appeared in 42 games and averaged 0.9 points, but he made his contributions during practice and in the film room. After two seasons as a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator, Pastner joined Arizona's staff as a full-time assistant in 2002. He spent the next seven seasons in Tucson, where he developed a reputation as one of the country's top recruiters. He joined John Calipari's staff at Memphis last summer.

-- Scott Cacciola: 529-2773

Nike Hoop Summit Live Web Cast TODAY, April 11th, 10pm EST, 7pm PST

If you aren’t familiar with the event, the Nike Hoop Summit features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team, comprised of the top high school seniors, playing against a World Select Team, comprised of top players 19-years-old or younger from around the world.

Established in 1995, the game has featured NBA stars such as Kevin Garnett, Jermaine O’Neal, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Josh Smith, Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani, Derek Rose, Michael Beasley, OJ Mayo, Kevin Love and more.

This year’s game will be played this Saturday, April 11th, in Portland Oregon at the Rose Garden.

Time: 10pm EST, 7pm PST
TV: FOX Sports Net (FSN) Live National Broadcast
Live Webcast courtesy of Yahoo Sports / Rivals http://nikehoopssummit.rivals.com/

Check out the lead up trailer for the game as well as highlights from past games and highlight packages for players from this years roster at: http://www.youtube.com/nikehoopsummit

Here is a Q&A with Xavier Henry courtesy of USA Basketball.http://www.usabasketball.com/news_archive.php?news_page=09_hsum_feature_henry&page=mhs

Fox's Jeff Goodman - Ridiculously early 2009-10 preseason top 25

It's a nearly impossible task to try and figure it all out without knowing who is coming back to college and who won't be returning. But we're going to give it a shot, anyway.

You won't find Syracuse here because our gut says Jonny Flynn is history. And our No. 1 pick hinges on two stars returning to school.

Remember, this early preseason top 25 will be tweaked again after June 15 — which is the deadline for underclassmen to withdraw.

Ridiculously early 2009-10 preseason top 25

1. KANSAS

Record: 27-8 (Sweet 16)
Losses: None
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich
Key Returnees: Tyshawn Taylor, Brady Morningstar, Marcus and Markieff Morris, Mario Little
Newcomers: Thomas Robinson, Elijah Johnson, Jeff Withey (second semester), Xavier Henry (potentially)
This is a tough one to figure, but we're going under the theory that both Collins and Aldrich return to Lawrence. If that happens, the young Jayhawks will have another year under their belt. They will also add a talented freshman class with Robinson, an athletic forward, another guard in Johnson, and Withey — a skilled 7-footer who transferred from Arizona before ever playing a game. If Bill Self gets top-rated recruit Xavier Henry — which could happen — and everything else falls into place, they could be hanging another banner at Allen Fieldhouse.

2. MICHIGAN STATE
Kalin Lucas is just one of many returning to the Michigan State team, keeping the Spartans in strong contention.

Record: 31-7 (national runner-up)
Losses: Goran Suton, Travis Walton, Marquise Gray
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Kalin Lucas
Key Returnees: Kalin Lucas, Raymar Morgan, Delvon Roe, Durrell Summers, Chris Allen, Draymond Green, Korie Lucious
Newcomers: Derrick Nix, Garrick Sherman
Tom Izzo will miss his skilled big man, Suton, and the leadership and defense of Walton. But as long as everyone else is back — which should be the case — the Spartans can get back to the Final Four. Lucas has quickly become one of the nation's elite point guards, Summers has emerged and Roe will continue to get close to 100 percent. Michigan State may have to go small with Roe in the middle unless one of its freshman bigs — Nix or Sherman — progresses quickly.

3. VILLANOVA

Record: 30-8 (Final Four)
Losses: Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson, Shane Clark
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Reggie Redding, Corey Stokes
Newcomers: Dominic Cheek, Mouphtauo Yarou, Maalik Wayans, Isaiah Armwood
There's no doubt that the loss of the senior class will be felt on the Main Line. Cunningham, Anderson and Clark were team guys who won games. However, there's still plenty of talent back with a loaded backcourt that includes Reynolds and the Coreys — Fisher and Stokes. Redding has turned into a heck of a player, and Jay Wright adds a big-time freshman class with a trio of elite guys — guards Wayans and Cheek in addition to ultra-talented big man Yarou.

4. PURDUE

Record: 27-10 (Sweet 16)
Losses: None
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson, E'Twaun Moore, Chris Kramer, Keaton Grant, Lewis Jackson
Newcomers: Jeff Robinson, D.J. Byrd
For the second straight year, the core of the team remains intact. In fact, all five starters have played together for the past two seasons. Hummel's back won't be a concern next season as it was this year, and Johnson has taken a major step forward. Matt Painter's Boilermakers are now experienced, balanced and have all the pieces.

5. DUKE
Kyle Singler can drive the ball for Duke, but the Blue Devils face question marks in other key areas.

Record: 30-7 (Sweet 16)
Losses: Greg Paulus, David McClure
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Gerald Henderson
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Kyle Singler, Jon Scheyer, Lance Thomas, Nolan Smith, Elliott Williams
Newcomers: Ryan Kelley, Mason Plumlee
Duke's chances next season are heavily dependent on the decision of Henderson, who emerged as the Blue Devils star the second half of this season. Coach Mike Krzyzewski will still have Singler and Scheyer and a couple of talented freshmen forwards in Kelley and Plumlee, but will face the same question next year as it did this season: point-guard play and a lack of a low-post scorer.

6. CLEMSON

Record: 23-9 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: K.C. Rivers, Raymond Sykes
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Demontez Stitt, Terrence Oglesby, Trevor Booker, David Potter
Newcomers: Milton Jennings, Devin Booker, Donte Hill
The loss of Rivers will hurt in a number of ways, but Oglesby can provide the scoring punch from the perimeter. It'll be more a question of who picks up the leadership. Booker is one of the most underrated big men in the country, and his younger brother — incoming freshman Devin Booker — may be even better. Jennings is the most high-profile recruit the program has picked up in years, and Stitt and Oglesby are a formidable backcourt.

7. WASHINGTON

Record: 26-9 (second round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Jon Brockman, Justin Dentmon, Artem Wallace
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Isaiah Thomas, Quincy Pondexter, Venoy Overton, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Elston Turner, Darnell Gant
Newcomers: Abdul Gaddy, Clarence Trent, Charles Garcia, C.J. Wilcox
Brockman was a special player and Dentmon had a strong finish to his career, but incoming freshman Gaddy will waste no time showing he's one of the top pure point guards in the nation. Thomas and Gaddy will be fun to watch in the backcourt, and Lorenzo Romar has some other pieces. However, he'll need someone to step up on the frontline — whether it's Gant or Bryan-Amaning — and soften the blow of Brockman's loss.

8. NORTH CAROLINA

Record: 34-4 (won national title)
Losses: Tyler Hansbrough, Danny Green, Bobby Frasor
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Marcus Ginyard, Ed Davis, Deon Thompson, Tyler Zeller, Larry Drew II
Newcomers: John Henson, Dexter Strickland, Leslie McDonald, David and Travis Wear
North Carolina will lose one of the greatest players ever to wear a Tar Heels uniform in Hansbrough. Fellow seniors Green and Frasor are also gone — and it's unlikely that Lawson and Ellington will return for another go-around. However, Roy Williams will have Marcus Ginyard back after a medical redshirt season, Ed Davis will take on a prominent role, and size won't be an issue with starting forward Deon Thompson, reserve big man Tyler Zeller and talented freshman John Henson coming into the program. The key will be point-guard play — where Larry Drew II will likely take over for Lawson.

9. KENTUCKY
Will Jodie Meeks stay in Kentucky and help drive the Wildcats' team efforts?

Record: 22-14 (NIT)
Losses: Jared Carter
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Patrick Patterson
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Jodie Meeks
Key Returnees: Jodie Meeks, Darius Miller, DeAndre Liggins, Ramon Harris, Perry Stevenson, Kevin Galloway, Josh Harrellson, Matt Pilgrim
Newcomers: Daniel Orton (will likely opt out of letter-of-intent), DeMarcus Cousins, Jon Hood, John Wall (potentially)
New coach John Calipari's team has a bunch of question marks right now. Will Patterson and Meeks be back? Will Orton stick with his commitment now that Cousins has pledged to Kentucky? Will the Wildcats get John Wall or Xavier Henry? Whatever the case, they'll be a top 25 team — but it's hard to get a feel for exactly where UK stands at this point.

10. BUTLER

Record: 26-6 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: None
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Matt Howard, Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Ronald Nored, Avery Jukes, Shawn Vanzant, Zach Hahn
Newcomers: Andrew Smith
Brad Stevens will return four starters from a team that won 26 games and lost to LSU in the first round of the Big Dance. Howard, a sophomore, and three talented and productive freshmen — 6-foot-8 skilled forward Gordon Hayward and guards Shelvin Mack and Ronald Nored — will also be back for a team that will be heavily favored to win the Horizon.

11. XAVIER

Record: 27-8 (Sweet 16)
Losses: B.J. Raymond, C.J. Anderson
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Derrick Brown
Key Returnees: Derrick Brown, Jason Love, Terrell Holloway, Dante Jackson, Jamel McLean, Kenny Frease
Newcomers: Jordan Crawford (transfer from Indiana), Mark Lyons, Kevin Parrom
The Musketeers may have lost their coach and also Raymond and Anderson, but they have plenty of talent back. Brown and Love are experienced on the frontline, and Xavier adds two guards in Crawford and Lyons, who will see extensive playing time.

12. UCONN
Getting to the playoffs will be no slam dunk with a team full of newcomers, even with talent like Jerome Dyson returning.

Record: 31-5 (Final Four)
Losses: Jeff Adrien, A.J. Price, Craig Austrie
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Hasheem Thabeet
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Jerome Dyson, Kemba Walker, Stanley Robinson, Gavin Edwards
Newcomers: Alex Oriakhi, Jamal Coombs-McDaniel, Darius Smith, Jamaal Trice, Ater Majok
The Huskies will take a significant hit to graduation with seniors Price and Adrien. They almost certainly will watch Thabeet leave early to the NBA. However, UConn still has a strong backcourt with Walker and Dyson, Robinson up front and the addition of talented freshmen Oriakhi and Coombs-McDaniel.

13. WEST VIRGINIA

Record: 23-12 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Alex Ruoff
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Da'Sean Butler, Devin Ebanks, Darryl Bryant, Joe Mazzulla, Kevin Jones
Newcomers: Deniz Kilicli, Dan Jennings, Casey Mitchell, Dalton Pepper
The loss of Ruoff will hurt Bob Huggins, but the Mountaineers will get Mazzulla back from an early season injury that cut his year short. Butler and Ebanks give West Virginia a pair of accomplished scorers, and the Mountaineers also will add some much-needed size with Kilicli and Jennings.

14. WAKE FOREST

Record: 24-7 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Harvey Hale
Probable Early-Entry Departures: James Johnson
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Al Farouq-Aminu, Jeff Teague
Key Returnees: Al Farouq-Aminu, Jeff Teague, Ishmael Smith, Chas McFarland, Tony Woods
Newcomers: Ari Stewart, C.J. Harris
Johnson is history, while still unclear is the status of Teague and even Aminu (although it appears as though he'll be back). If they both return, the Demon Deacons will have a chance to be among the elite teams in the ACC again.

15. MINNESOTA

Record: 22-11 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: None
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Lawrence Westbrook, Damian Johnson, Al Nolen, Blake Hoffarber, Ralph Sampson, Colton Iverson, Devoe Joseph
Newcomers: Rodney Williams, Royce White, Trevor Mbakwe
Tubby Smith's team didn't exactly have a ton of talent last year, and he still led them to the Big Dance. Now he'll add three talented guys — probably the three most talented on the team — in White, Williams and Mbakwe.

16. LOUISVILLE
Louisville is lucky to retain its prized guards, including Edgar Sosa. But will the loss of Williams and Clark overwhelm the Cardinals' chances?

Record: 31-6 (Elite Eight)
Losses: Terrence Williams, Andre McGee
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Earl Clark
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Samardo Samuels, Preston Knowles, Jerry Smith, Edgar Sosa, Terrence Jennings
Newcomers: Peyton Siva, Rakeem Buckles, Mike Marra
The loss of Williams and Clark will be difficult to replace, but Rick Pitino still has Samuels in the middle and a core of experienced guards in Smith, Sosa and Knowles. The recruiting class may not feature a sure-fire NBA guy, but Siva will come right in and make an impact, and Marra is a big-time shooter.

17. TEXAS

Record: 23-12 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: A.J. Abrams, Connor Atchley
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Damion James
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Dexter Pittman, Justin Mason, Dogus Balbay, Varez Ward
Newcomers: Jai Lucas (transfer from Florida), Jordan Hamilton, Avery Bradley, Shawn Williams, J'Covan Brown (potentially)
It's still a toss-up on James and whether he stays or not, but the Longhorns will be able to take the hit with the young talent they have coming into the program. Pittman has emerged as he's gotten into shape, Mason and Ward are capable wings and now Rick Barnes will have a couple of point guard options — Balbay and Lucas, who becomes eligible in the second semester. Hamilton and Bradley are two of the elite freshmen in the nation and will make immediate impacts.

18. ILLINOIS

Record: 24-10 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Trent Meacham, Chester Frazier, Calvin Brock
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Demetri McCamey, Mike Davis, Mike Tisdale, Dominique Keller
Newcomers: D.J. Richardson, Tyler Griffey, Brandon Paul, Joseph Bertrand
No one expected the Illini to accomplish as much as they did this past season. Bruce Weber will lose underrated guards Frazier and Meacham, but he'll bring in a ballyhooed recruiting class headlined by Richardson, Griffey and Paul. McCamey is a quality guard, and Davis and Tisdale have both developed much more quickly than anyone anticipated.

19. OHIO STATE

Record: 22-11 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: B.J. Mullens
Probable Early-Entry Departures: B.J. Mullens
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Evan Turner, William Buford
Key Returnees: Evan Turner, William Buford, David Lighty, Jon Diebler, Dallas Lauderdale, Jeremie Simmons, P.J. Hill
Newcomers: None
The only loss is that of the 7-foot Mullens, who has unlimited potential but didn't exactly set the world on fire in his one season in Columbus. Turner and Buford are a formidable 1-2 punch, but the key is the return of Lighty, who missed most of last season with an injury. Actually, the key to how far the Buckeyes can go is their point-guard situation.

20. TENNESSEE

Record: 21-13 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: None
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Tyler Smith
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Tyler Smith, Wayne Chism, Bobby Maze, J.P. Prince, Scotty Hopson, Brian Williams, Cameron Tatum, Josh Tabb, Renardo Woolridge, Emmanuel Negedu
Newcomers: Kenny Hall
The Vols aren't sure whether Tyler Smith will be back, but Bruce Pearl will still have plenty of talent back in the fold. Chism and Williams give UT size, and the Vols have wings with guys like Prince, Hopson and Tatum. The key comes at the point-guard spot — where Maze didn't live up to expectations last season.

21. GONZAGA
Matt Bouldin is just one reason the Bulldogs remain a favorite contender, even with heavy losses in the form of Pargo and Heytvelt.

Record: 28-6 (Sweet 16)
Losses: Jeremy Pargo, Josh Heytvelt, Micah Downs, Ira Brown
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Austin Daye
Key Returnees: Austin Daye, Steven Gray, Matt Bouldin, Robert Sacre, Demetri Goodson
Newcomers: Sam Dower
The 'Zags lost some key pieces with Pargo and Heytvelt, but Mark Few's team has quality guards with Bouldin, Gray and Goodson. Daye will likely return to school, and a healthy Sacre will be more than serviceable up front. Gonzaga won't be quite as talented, but should still be the clear favorite in the WCC.

22. SIENA

Record: 27-8 (second round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Kenny Hasbrouck
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Edwin Ubiles, Alex Franklin, Ryan Rossiter, Ronald Moore, Clarence Jackson
Newcomers: Oderah Anosike, Jonathan Breeden, Denzel Yard
The only major loss for the Saints was that of Kenny Hasbrouck. Fran McCaffery still has four starters from a team that has plenty of postseason experience.

23. MICHIGAN

Record: 21-4 (second round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: C.J. Lee
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: Manny Harris
Key Returnees: Manny Harris, DeShawn Sims, Stu Douglass, Laval Lucas-Perry, Zack Novak, Zack Gibson
Newcomers: Darius Morris. Matt Vogrich, Jordan Morgan, Blake McLimans
The Wolverines went to the second round of the Big Dance and didn't really lose anything of note. Harris, Sims and Douglas are back, Lucas-Perry will improve and John Beilein will add point guard Darius Morris and big-time shooter Matt Vogrich.

24. CALIFORNIA

Record: 22-11 (first round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Jordan Wilkes
Probable Early-Entry Departures: None
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Jerome Randle, Patrick Christopher, Theo Robertson, Jamal Boykin, Jorge Gutierrez
Newcomers: Bak Bak, Markuri Sanders-Frison, Brandon Smith
Mike Montgomery brings back his core of Randle, Christopher and Boykin. These guys have a year of postseason experience under their belt and also a year under Montgomery's system.

25. UCLA

Record: 26-9 (second round of the NCAA tournament)
Losses: Darren Collison, Josh Shipp, Alfred Aboya
Probable Early-Entry Departures: Jrue Holiday
Potential Early-Entry Departures: None
Key Returnees: Nikola Dragovic, Drew Gordon, Michael Roll, Malcolm Lee, James Keefe, Jerime Anderson
Newcomers: Tyler Honeycutt, Reeves Nelson, Mike Moser, Anthony Stover, Brendan Lane
Ben Howland loses three seniors who were critical in their trio of Final Four appearances, but the key may be whether freshman guard Jrue Holiday comes back. He had a so-so season, but still could be a first-round pick. The Bruins have a young group next season with guys like Gordon, Lee and Anderson set to receive expanded roles — and UCLA also will welcome in a stellar class led by skilled big man Tyler Honeycutt.

Ten more to watch

MISSISSIPPI, KANSAS STATE, FLORIDA, DAYTON, OKLAHOMA, VANDERBILT, NOTRE DAME, GEORGETOWN, CREIGHTON, UNLV

Fox's Jeff Goodman - Grading all the coaching carousel moves (Memphis/Josh Pastner "B")

Grading all the coaching carousel moves

The coaching carousel was fairly quiet this year. In fact, there were only 25 changes — a far cry from the total of the past few offseasons.

We'll give you a rundown of each and also grade them.

KENTUCKY
Athletic director Mitch Barnhart made up for his blunder two years ago by luring John Calipari from Memphis. Calipari wasn't the first choice, but is ideal for the program and the diehard fans in Lexington. He can coach, recruit and will love dealing with the fans and boosters. Calipari has wasted little time showing he can get big-time players to UK with the addition of talented big man DeMarcus Cousins.
FORMER: Billy Gillispie
CURRENT: John Calipari
Grade: A

ARIZONA
Things looked bleak for the Wildcats after AD Jim Livengood struck out with Jamie Dixon, Jay Wright and a few other big names. He even brought USC's Tim Floyd to Tucson and got rejected. But Livengood, who was down to his final strike, hit a home run with the addition of Xavier's Sean Miller — a young guy who can recruit and coach. It may take Miller some time to get up to speed on the West Coast, but he'll get it done.
FORMER: Russ Pennell (interim)
CURRENT: Sean Miller
Grade: A

ALABAMA
This one was a no-brainer. The Crimson Tide went out and identified VCU's Anthony Grant as their top target and then brought him to Tuscaloosa and got their guy. Grant was just waiting to see what happened and whether Billy Donovan left Florida for Kentucky before tying the knot with 'Bama. This was as good a pickup as 'Bama was going to get. Grant is one of the elite young coaches in the game.
FORMER: Mark Gottfried
CURRENT: Anthony Grant
Grade: A

BOSTON UNIVERSITY
For a while there, it looked like BU was going to screw this one up. However, the Terriers made a quality choice by bringing former Jay Wright and Villanova assistant Pat Chambers on board. He can recruit, is a Northeast guy and has learned from one of the best in Wright. His prep school connections won't hurt, either.
FORMER: Dennis Wolff
CURRENT: Pat Chambers
Grade: A-

ELON
It appeared as though the administration was infatuated with bringing on someone with North Carolina ties, but in the end they went with a Davidson guy in Matt Matheny — who was key in the Wildcats recent success. Elon has a similar profile, so it shouldn't be all that much of an adjustment for Matheny — other than the fact he won't have a guy named Stephen Curry in the program.
FORMER: Ernie Nestor
CURRENT: Matt Matheny
Grade: A-

WASHINGTON STATE
Here's another one that almost screwed things up. The administration looked hard at UAB's Mike Davis and even took a peek at former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie, but at the end of the day, decided to go with a guy familiar with the area in Portland State's Ken Bone, who has been to two straight NCAA tournaments. Good move.
FORMER: Tony Bennett
CURRENT: Ken Bone
Grade: B+

HIGH POINT
Scott Cherry was key in George Mason's magical run a few years back and then was on Darrin Horn's staff at Western Kentucky and South Carolina. He'll do a nice job at High Point and was a solid hire.
FORMER: Bart Lundy
CURRENT: Scott Cherry
Grade: B+

GEORGIA
Mark Fox is a terrific coach, but it's certainly an interesting out-of-the-box hire that had some scratching their heads. Georgia missed on Jeff Capel and Mike Anderson and went with a Midwest guy who has spent the last few years as the head coach at Nevada. My suggestion to Fox — go out and hire a couple of guys who are plugged in to the South. If he does that, with his ability to coach, the Bulldogs can be a player in the SEC.
FORMER: Dennis Felton
CURRENT: Mark Fox
Grade: B

MEMPHIS
This might have been the biggest shocker of the coaching carousel. It wouldn't have floored me quite as much if Arizona had hired alum Josh Pastner, but the 31-year-old was hired to replace John Calipari after spending one season as an assistant with the Tigers. He's a proven recruiter on the national level, but was selling Lute Olson and Calipari. Now he'll have to sell himself. Pastner's work ethic is unparalleled, but the program was going to take a hit — no matter who took over.
FORMER: John Calipari
CURRENT: Josh Pastner
Grade: B

NEVADA
The Wolf Pack made the right move and handed the keys to the program to associate head coach David Carter. All you had to do was watch Carter on the sidelines in a win against VCU after Mark Fox was tossed to realize the guy can coach. Carter was the right man for this job.
FORMER: Mark Fox
CURRENT: David Carter
Grade: B

GEORGIA SOUTHERN
Charlton Young is a former star at the school and is familiar with the landscape, so this one looks like the right call. He has bounced around quite a bit, but has spent the last four years with Paul Hewitt at Georgia Tech.
FORMER: Jeff Price
CURRENT: Charlton Young
Grade: B

NORTH FLORIDA
Matthew Driscoll is a veteran who has head coaching experience in the small college ranks and has also been an assistant at Wyoming, Clemson and the last six years at Baylor.
FORMER: Matt Kilcullen
CURRENT: Matthew Driscoll
Grade: B

VCU
It's hard to question the administration at VCU with all the homework they've done over the last few years, but this one surprised me a bit because I thought Shaka Smart was still a couple years away. He is extremely bright and has one of the elite mid-major jobs in the country, so the Rams should be in good shape.
FORMER: Anthony Grant
CURRENT: Shaka Smart
Grade: B-

NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
LeVelle Moton was a star at the school in the early 1990s and is considered a bright, up-and-coming coach.
FORMER: Henry Dickerson
CURRENT: LeVelle Moton
Grade: B-

VIRGINIA
First of all, I think Tony Bennett is a terrific coach and that's clear with what he did at Washington State in his three years since taking over for his dad. However, this hire made little sense. It's not an easy job, anyway, but to bring a guy whose comfort zone is in the Midwest and Northwest makes little sense. How in the world do you not take a hard look at current Oklahoma coach and former VCU head man Jeff Capel?
FORMER: Dave Leitao
CURRENT: Tony Bennett
Grade: C+

CAL POLY
Joe Callero certainly had success at Seattle University, but I would have gone with an up-and-coming Pac-10 assistant who is already plugged into the AAU programs and can get players. The jury is out on this one.
FORMER: Kevin Bromley
CURRENT: Joe Callero
Grade: C

TENNESSEE STATE
John Cooper got the gig and his former college coach, Eddie Fogler, certainly helped get him the job. Cooper has been an assistant at Auburn, Oregon and South Carolina.
FORMER: Cy Alexander
CURRENT: John Cooper
Grade: C

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI
Guys weren't exactly standing in line for this job because, well, it's a difficult one to begin with and now there's an NCAA investigation hanging over their head. Dickey Nutt did a decent job at Arkansas State, going 189-187. I would personally have gone with a young assistant instead of the 49-year-old Nutt.
FORMER: Scott Edgar
CURRENT: Dickey Nutt
Grade: C

HAMPTON
Your guess is as good as mine on this one. I don't know much about Edward Joyner other than the fact that he was on Kevin Nickelberry's staff for the past three years.
FORMER: Kevin Nickelberry
CURRENT: Edward Joyner (Interim)
Grade: Incomplete

Fox's Jeff Goodman - Sources: Memphis' Taggart to test draft waters

Sources: Memphis' Taggart to test draft waters

Memphis big man Shawn Taggart is expected to declare for the NBA Draft, but will not hire an agent.

According to sources close to the situation, the 6-foot-10 junior — who transferred to Memphis from Iowa State after his freshman season — will send in the paperwork to the NBA to test the waters.

Taggart averaged 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season as Memphis advanced to the Sweet 16.

Taggart is not expected to be a first-round pick, according to multiple NBA executives.

Andy Katz ESPN.com - 2009-2010 Preview: Jayhawks the team to beat ... for now

Jayhawks the team to beat ... for now
By Andy Katz ESPN.com

North Carolina wasn't No. 1 a year ago at this time. The Tar Heels were staring at losing Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green to the NBA draft. They had no shot to win the 2009 title without those guys.

And then those guys didn't hear what they wanted to at the Orlando pre-draft camp. They weren't going to be selected in the top 15. So they came back in mid-June. Once that happened, there was no question the Tar Heels were going to be the consensus No. 1.

The deadline to declare for the draft is April 26, and the deadline to withdraw not until June 15. The Top 25 will change multiple times between now and November. Wake Forest didn't make the cut because James Johnson and Jeff Teague declared. If Teague returns, the Demon Deacons are assuredly a Top 25 team. Florida has the same issue. The Gators are waiting to see whether Nick Calathes stays in the draft. If he returns, he joins Kenny Boynton and Vernon Macklin, and the Gators suddenly become one of the favorites in the SEC.

Teams that were hard to leave out but easily could make an appearance here in addition to Florida and Wake Forest were Kansas State, Missouri, Siena and Wisconsin.

The hardest teams to figure out were Pitt and Connecticut. The Panthers will be good, but losing seniors Levance Fields, Sam Young, Tyrell Biggs and now DeJuan Blair makes it hard to predict how good the Panthers will be early in the season. The recruiting was strong, and the rebuilding will begin in earnest. The Huskies are expected to lose Hasheem Thabeet to go along with the departure of seniors A.J. Price, Jeff Adrien and Craig Austrie. Stanley Robinson could declare, too, and stay in the draft. That would leave Kemba Walker and the return of a healthy Jerome Dyson on the perimeter as the most productive returning players. The gaping hole inside made it hard to be sold on the Huskies -- yet.

USC was on this list before the mass defection to the NBA led by DeMar DeRozan and Daniel Hackett, and likely Taj Gibson, before the deadline. UCLA could lose Jrue Holiday, and with the departures of Darren Collison, Josh Shipp and Alfred Aboya, it is too much to give the Bruins an April Top 25 slot.

Memphis and Tulsa were also under consideration, but we'll have to wait and see how the draft affects these two teams. Florida State will have Top 25 talent, but losing Toney Douglas means the Seminoles might have to earn it a bit more, since Douglas was such a force on the team last season. Ohio State and Minnesota were also on the fence.

Expect this Top 25 to change quite a bit between now and November as players shuffle in and out of the draft. Here is the first of at least four Top 25 lists before the opening tip.

1. Kansas: The Jayhawks bring back all five starters, assuming Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins don't change their minds and depart. The Jayhawks stunned the Big 12 by winning the league outright. The Jayhawks were close to knocking off Michigan State in the NCAA tournament. This team is primed for another deep run with experienced stars in 2010.

2. Michigan State: The Spartans do lose key players Goran Suton and Travis Walton but retain the backcourt of Kalin Lucas and Chris Allen. Wing Durrell Summers and shooter Korie Lucious are back, and, assuming Lucious is OK after foot surgery, Raymar Morgan and Delvon Roe inside should make the Spartans the favorite in the Big Ten and a threat to get to Indianapolis.

3. North Carolina: The Tar Heels will likely say goodbye to juniors Lawson and Ellington, who are expected to declare for the draft. Tyler Hansbrough, Green and Bobby Frasor are also gone, but that won't crush this team. North Carolina should have the best frontcourt next season with Ed Davis, Deon Thompson and Tyler Zeller. The Wear twins, David and Travis, and John Henson aren't bad backups, either. Larry Drew II is the likely point, with Marcus Ginyard, the team's top defender, on the wing. Newcomers Dexter Strickland and Leslie McDonald on the wing should get plenty of run. UNC will once again be one of the most talented teams in the country.

4. Texas: The Longhorns lose their top scorer and shooter in A.J. Abrams. But the rest of the crew returns in Damion James, Dexter Pittman, Gary Johnson, Justin Mason, Varez Ward, Dogus Balbay and two of the top players at their respective positions -- shooting guard Avery Bradley and small forward Jordan Hamilton. Texas should be primed to challenge Kansas for the Big 12 title and a deep March run.

5. Villanova: The Wildcats were one of the most improved teams in the country. Regardless of who returns to Syracuse, Villanova should be the pick in the Big East. Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher and Reggie Redding provide the core for Nova with an infusion of talent arriving led by Maalik Wayns and Dominic Cheek. Losing Dante Cunningham hurts, but the Wildcats' incoming class can make up for the departure.

6. Syracuse: Point guard Jonny Flynn wants to return to Syracuse, at least according to the staff. But that could easily change in the coming weeks as he likely will continue to hear that he could go high in the draft. He declared but didn't sign with an agent. Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris declared for the draft, too. But if Flynn returns with Andy Rautins, Arinze Onuaku and Iowa State transfer Wesley Johnson, the Orange will be one of the top teams in the Big East.

7. Duke: Gerald Henderson is likely to leave since he'll be in the lottery. But Kyle Singler will probably stay. If he does, the Blue Devils still might be the second pick in the ACC with Jon Scheyer back to join Elliot Williams, Nolan Smith and Brian Zoubek.

8. Purdue: The Boilermakers continue to get better each year under Matt Painter. Next season should be no different with the return of E'Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and a healthy Robbie Hummel.

9. West Virginia: Still don't know whether freshman Devin Ebanks is going to stay or go. Alex Ruoff was a senior. But several players are returning, led by big-time scorer Da'Sean Butler, a healthy Joe Mazzulla and fleet-footed point Darryl Bryant. Bob Huggins should have the Mountaineers primed for another NCAA run.

10. Cal: The Bears return all five starters from an NCAA tournament team now that Patrick Christopher isn't declaring for the draft. Jerome Randle and Christopher provide the Bears one of the top backcourts in the country. Theo Robertson, Jamal Boykin and Jorge Gutierrez picked up Mike Montgomery's system quite well. Give Montgomery another season, and the Bears are the pick to win the Pac-10.

11. Michigan: John Beilein has made the Wolverines relevant again. He got the Wolverines to the NCAA tournament and won a game. Expect even more from Michigan with a true Michigan State-Michigan rivalry in hoops. These should be the two top teams in the league. Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims might flirt with the NBA draft, but both are unlikely to stay in it. If they return with sharp-shooting guard Stu Douglass and quickly developing players Zack Novak and Laval Lucas-Perry, the Wolverines will be a good watch.

12. Kentucky: This might be a bit of a reach with the Wildcats. But give them time. Jodie Meeks probably won't hear what he wants and will return to Kentucky. Patrick Patterson may do the same. If they do -- and with DeMarcus Cousins now on board -- the Wildcats will have the necessary offensive pop for John Calipari to make a huge splash in his first year. The Wildcats still need a true point guard, and that will be an issue if they can't get John Wall. But Calipari will have Kentucky in the mix.

13. Tennessee: The Vols could never find a consistent stride this past season. Tyler Smith declared for the draft, and coach Bruce Pearl didn't sound optimistic that Smith would return. But there is still plenty to work with to make the Vols one of the top teams in the SEC. Brian Williams and Emmanuel Negedu will have to do a better job of being reliable inside scorers next to Wayne Chism, the anchor inside. The perimeter shouldn't be an issue with Bobby Maze, Renaldo Woolridge, Cameron Tatum, J.P. Prince and Scotty Hopson back. The key will be how well the Vols defend, something that went missing at times last season.

14. Xavier: Forget the coaching situation. The talent is too good for the Musketeers to drop. They will be the pick in the Atlantic 10 despite losing seniors B.J. Raymond and C.J. Anderson. If there are no defections, the Musketeers will be fine with Derrick Brown, Dante Jackson and Terrell Holloway providing the scoring pop and Jason Love and Kenny Frease the beef inside. An impact newcomer in Kevin Parrom is also expected to arrive.

15. Butler: The Bulldogs were a year ahead of schedule with their youthful team. Butler was a consistent Top 25 team this season and gave LSU fits before losing by four in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Matt Howard and Gordon Hayward are both back for a Butler squad that should be once again a tough out.

16. Gonzaga: Yes, seniors Josh Heytvelt, Jeremy Pargo and Micah Downs are gone. But the Zags should have just as tough a starting five with Matt Bouldin, Demetri Goodson, Steven Gray in the backcourt and Austin Daye (assuming he doesn't declare and stay in the draft) and Robert Sacre inside. The Zags would still be able to score at all five positions and notably would have quickness with Goodson (see Western Kentucky bucket for the last-second win) and shooting with Bouldin and Gray.

17. Washington: The Huskies will lose their anchor inside in Jon Brockman and a leader on the perimeter in Justin Dentmon. But the Huskies add point guard Abdul Gaddy to go along with Isaiah Thomas, giving the Huskies a difficult backcourt to disrupt. Thomas and Gaddy could provide quite a 1-2 pop on the perimeter with a third guard in Venoy Overton to make them an even tougher matchup. Quincy Pondexter will be featured more inside with Darnell Gant and newcomer Clarence Trent sharing the production there.

18. Oklahoma: The Sooners will have a decidedly different look without Blake Griffin and Taylor Griffin. But if Willie Warren returns, the Sooners will still have a star. The Sooners have a top defender in Tony Crocker, too. Expect more run for Juan Pattillo and Cade Davis. Newcomers Keith "Tiny" Gallon, Tommy Mason-Griffin, Andrew Fitzgerald, Steve Pledger and Kyle Hardrick will all get serious attention from the first practice. This is a highly touted class with expectation to contribute from the outset.

19. Clemson: The Tigers do lose guard K.C. Rivers, but the rest of the crew is back. Trevor Booker decided against declaring for the draft. Having Booker and Raymond Sykes inside means the Tigers should have one of the better frontcourts in the ACC behind North Carolina. Terrence Oglesby is still the biggest game-changer of any shooter in the country. Demontez Stitt has to become a better playmaker for the Tigers to excel.

20. Boston College: The Eagles lose scoring point guard Tyrese Rice. But that's it. And when the Eagles were most successful this season, Rice wasn't always on the court. Biko Paris should fit in seamlessly as the starting point with scorers Reggie Jackson, Rakim Sanders and Joe Trapani around him. The key will be the continued offensive development, especially on the backboard, of Corey Raji, Josh Southern and a potential sleeper in Evan Ravenel. The Eagles' staff believes he can really blossom next season. Role players Tyler Roche and Cortney Dunn don't make many mistakes.

21. Mississippi State: The Bulldogs came on strong at the end of the season, winning the SEC tournament with a bubble-busting win over Tennessee in the title game. If shot-blocker and high-flying dunker Jarvis Varnado returns, the Bulldogs will be the favorite in the SEC West. Barry Stewart provides experience as a senior in the backcourt, and the addition of freshman shooting guard Shaunessy Smith gives the Bulldogs a productive perimeter.

22. Ole Miss: Andy Kennedy did a phenomenal job with the Rebels despite season-ending injuries to Chris Warren and Eniel Polynice. In Warren's absence, freshman Terrico White shined by averaging 13.7 points a game. Warren, White and David Huertas give the Rebels the best backcourt in the SEC West. The Rebels simply need to ensure they can board. If they can rebound, they will be one of the surprise teams in the country.

23. Dayton: The Flyers were second to Xavier this season, and next season might be more of the same. That's OK. That shouldn't keep them out of the Top 25. Dayton will be one of the more experienced teams with Chris Wright, Marcus Johnson and Rob Lowery, the latter two rising seniors. Dayton coach Brian Gregory doesn't have superstars, but he has players who understand his system and are winners.

24. Illinois: The Illini shouldn't be heading back to the NIT anytime soon. Getting into the NCAA this season is the direction this program will continue. Mike Davis will be even more featured, and Demetri McCamey will continue to improve. Give Alex Legion an offseason to get more acquainted with Bruce Weber's system. The Illini's recruiting class has been highly anticipated; four players -- D.J. Richardson, Brandon Paul, Tyler Griffey and Joseph Bertrand -- rate in the top 50 at their respective positions.

25. Texas A&M: The Aggies do lose 3-point shooter Josh Carter. But everyone else is back for the Aggies, led by Donald Sloan, Bryan Davis, David Loubeau and Chinemelu Elonu. The recruiting class is loaded with top 30 players at their positions like Naji Hibbert, Khris Middleton, Kourtney Roberson and Jeremy Adams. Mark Turgeon should have the Aggies in the NCAAs yet again.

Andy Katz is a senior writer for ESPN.com.