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Articles By David Fox
The coaching carousel is funny sometimes. Last season brought a few major job openings — chief among them, UCLA — but few big names moving to new jobs.
This season seems to be the opposite. The names involved in the coaching carousel arguably are bigger than the jobs they filled.
Buzz Williams' name had surfaced in coaching searches before, but Virginia Tech, a program that has made the NCAA Tournament once since 1996, ended up being his landing place. Bruce Pearl, once one of the top coaches in the SEC before his NCAA-hastened departure, starts over at one of the toughest jobs in the league. And Kelvin Sampson, who led Oklahoma to the Final Four, landed at Houston.
Another big name could have been in the carousel as three-time Final Four coach Ben Howland was on the job hunt, but he'll likely have to wait for next season after pulling out of the Oregon State search.
Since the coaching carousel has essentially ended, now is a good time to review the new coaches for 2014-15.
The Elite Eight Hires for 2014-15
1. Buzz Williams, Virginia Tech
Williams was so desperate to get away from Marquette, a school without a president and an athletic director, that he grabbed the first halfway decent major conference job. That job turned out to be Virginia Tech. Positions at Tennessee and Missouri would open after Williams landed in Blacksburg, so the hire has to be seen as a coup for the Hokies. What Virginia Tech gets is a coach who reached the NCAA Tournament in five of six seasons at Marquette and reached the Sweet 16 or better three times. He'll be unconventional, something Virginia Tech will need to be competitive in the ACC. At Marquette, Williams built a program that could go toe-to-toe with Syracuse, Louisville and Pittsburgh — all teams he'll face in the ACC.
2. Bruce Pearl, Auburn
If Pearl can't revive Auburn basketball, or at least interest in Auburn basketball, it's worth asking if anyone can. Auburn is taking a bit of a risk in hiring Pearl, who was fired at Tennessee after he lied to NCAA investigators about hosting then-high school junior Aaron Craft at the coach's home during an unofficial visit. Pearl is still under a show-cause penalty that prohibits him from any contact with recruits until August. The potential payoff is worth it, though. Pearl went to the NCAA Tournament every season at Tennessee, including a 31-5 season in 2007-08. His biggest task will be to fill seats in Auburn's new basketball arena.
3. Donnie Tyndall, Tennessee
Tyndall arrives at Tennessee with arguably a better track record than Cuonzo Martin did three years ago. Tyndall led Morehead State two a pair of NCAA Tournaments, including a 2011 upset of Louisville behind the play of Kenneth Faried. He picked up where Larry Eustachy left off at Southern Miss, taking the Eagles to a pair of NIT appearances. Tyndall is a former LSU and Middle Tennessee assistant, so he's familiar with some of the terrain in Knoxville.
4. Kelvin Sampson, Houston
Auburn wasn't the only school to hire a coach with a checkered NCAA past to revive the program. Sampson's five-year show cause stemming from impermissible calls to recruits while the coach at Oklahoma and Indiana expired just in time for Houston to make this move. The Cougars are getting a coach who took OU to the Final Four in 2002 and spent his exile from college basketball as an NBA assistant. Even better, the calls that cost him his job at Indiana are now OK by NCAA rules. Houston desperately needs any kind of credibility it can get. The Cougars are 0-4 in the NCAA Tournament since the Phi Slama Jama days.
5. Danny Manning, Wake Forest
Manning, the 1988 National Player of the Year and No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick, has two seasons of head coaching experience, but his second season at Tulsa yielded Conference USA regular season and tournament titles. It's going to be tough for Wake Forest to be one of the top programs in the ACC, but hiring Manning, a 47-year-old with plenty of name recognition, is the kind of risk the Demon Deacons need to take.
6. Cuonzo Martin, Cal
Even after a Sweet 16 appearance and Tennessee's first NCAA bid in three years, Martin knew his days were numbered in Knoxville. Martin tried for Marquette before ending up at Cal, replacing the retired Mike Montgomery. This may be a risky hire for the Bears as Martin hasn't coached anywhere west of Missouri State. Martin's teams, though, have improved progressively each season at both Missouri State and Tennessee.
7. Saul Phillips, Ohio
Phillips, a former Tim Miles assistant at North Dakota State, led the Bison to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009 and first NCAA win in 2014. Far from a one-year NCAA Tournament wonder, North Dakota State twice won Summit League regular-season titles and went 24-10 two years ago.
8. Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State
Reached the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five seasons at Montana, including a pair of Big Sky regular season titles. Oregon State is one of the toughest jobs in a major conference with only two winning teams in the last 25 years. Montana, though, has a knack for turning out successful coaches, including Larry Krystkowiak (now at Utah), Blaine Taylor, Stew Morrill, Mike Montgomery and Jud Heathcote.
5 Notable First-Time Coaches
Orlando Antigua, USF
Manhattan's Steve Masiello would have been a fine hire, but Plan B could be just as interesting. USF is the latest program to roll the dice with a John Calipari assistant, all of which have been lauded as great recruiters.
Jason Gardner, IUPUI
The former Arizona star and Indiana Mr. Basketball will be 34 when the season starts. A former assistant at Loyola-Chicago and Memphis, Gardner replaces Todd Howard struggled to fill the shoes left by Ron Hunter, who left for Georgia State.
Kevin Keatts, UNC Wilmington
UNC Wilmington has struggled to find its way since Brad Brownell left in 2006, but this could be a big-time hire. The Seahawks mined the Rick Pitino coaching tree for Louisville's top recruiter.
Chris Jans, Bowling Green
Bowling Green hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 1968. Unlike his predecessors, Jans, a former Wichita State assistant, has the benefit of more resources thanks to a $20 million donation from Bill Frack.
Steve Wojciehowski, Marquette
Marquette is a big job for a first-time head coach, even though the last two coaches (Buzz Williams and Tom Crean) had a grand total of one year as a head coach before taking over. Wojo is as experienced as any assistant, serving under Mike Krzyzewski since 1999-2000.
4 Most Questionable Hires
Jim Christian, Boston College
Christian is a good MAC coach. Boston College is not in the MAC. His last job at a tough spot in a major conference was an 18-44 stint in the Mountain West at TCU.
Kim Anderson, Missouri
He won a national title last season — in Division II. Not many coaches make the leap from Division II to a major Division I program at age 59, but he is a former Missouri assistant.
Dan D'Antoni, Marshall
Mike D'Antoni's brother hasn't coached in college since 1971 at Marshall and hasn't been a head coach other than in high school. Dan D'Antoni been in the NBA for nearly a decade, albeit on his brother's staff.
Michael Curry, FAU
FAU loves coaches who have had bigger jobs (Mike Jarvis, Matt Doherty), so at least Curry fits a profile. He spent one season as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons, but this is his first college gig as an assistant or otherwise.
3 "Boomerangs" (i.e. coaches who returned to a level lower than their last job)
Frank Haith, Tulsa
Given heavy personnel losses at Missouri, Haith probably made a wise move to get out before the Tigers could fire him. Haith lands in the American Athletic Conference at Tulsa, a program that made the NCAA Tournament eight times from 1994-2003.
Ernie Kent, Washington State
Kent's Oregon teams were streaky in his 13 seasons, going both 29-8 and 8-23 in his final four year in Eugene. Wazzu, one of the toughest places to win in the Pac-12, will gladly take the happy medium.
Doc Sadler, Southern Miss
Sadler sat out a year before returning to the Conference USA level. Sadler was 48-18 as the coach at UTEP from 2004-06, and now he takes over a Southern Miss program that is one of the better jobs in C-USA thanks to the last two coaches.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Maybe the best situation for Lane Kiffin is for his players to talk for him.
First off, Alabama's players are saying nice things about the new Crimson Tide offensive coordinator. That's a good place to start. Center Ryan Kelly said the reputation that preceded the former USC and Tennessee head coach to Tuscaloosa was one of an "offensive mastermind."
Secondly, Kiffin didn't have anything to say during the spring, which isn't bad for a man with his track record. Kiffin was quiet by rule by Nick Saban's longstanding edict that his assistants will not meet with the media. In theory, the off-field foibles that clouded Kiffin's time as a head coach will be kept to a minimum in the controlled atmosphere of Saban's program.
Granted, Kelly, a junior and a returning starter, probably knows better than to admit that he knows anything else of Kiffin's background — that Kiffin needled Urban Meyer while the coach at Tennessee or a stepped into a series of mini-controversies at USC.
"It's going to be different. ... It's going to be a lot more flexible with the passing game and getting the running backs involved."
-Alabama wide receiver Christion Jones
Nope, Kelly only speaks to optimism for what Kiffin can do on the field.
"Now that he's been here for one spring, I'm looking forward to the fall with him," Kelly said.
So there's excitement at Alabama for Kiffin, who was one of the more compelling hires of the offseason. The move pairs Saban, who has a firm grip over the program, with an offensive coordinator with a rebellious streak that couldn't be fully contained by the Oakland Raiders, Tennessee or USC.
Those traits were enough to raise the eyebrows of Alabama athletic director Bill Battle, who told the Anniston (Ala.) Star his initial reaction to Saban seeking out Kiffin "wasn't very positive." Battle eventually warmed to the idea after speaking to USC athletic director Pat Haden and former Tennessee senior associate AD David Blackburn, who is now the AD at UT Chattanooga.
Besides, Saban needed an offensive coordinator with experience calling plays in a pro-style offense. Those coaches at the college level aren't as plentiful as they once were.
"We tried to keep some of the things we're doing and allow Lane to do the things he wants to do," Saban said. "We've bought into that and he's doing really, really well. I think he's a great asset to our staff in terms of knowledge and experience."
Saban and players said some of the changes have been subtle, but the receivers, at least, seemed to embrace the new approach as much as anyone.
That's with good reason.
Under Kiffin in 2011, USC receivers Robert Woods and Marqise Lee both had 1,000 yards and at least 10 touchdowns. In 2012, Lee caught 118 passes for 1,721 yards and 14 touchdowns en route to the Biletnikoff.
Even though, Alabama's projected starting quarterback, Jacob Coker, isn't yet on campus, receivers are expecting a more dynamic passing game under Kiffin.
"It's going to be different," wide receiver Christion Jones said. "It's usually Alabama, run game, run game, run game, pass here or there. It's going to be a lot more flexible with the passing game and getting the running backs involved. It's flexible enough where everyone can get a touch."
That won't be all that's tweaked. Even though Kiffin brings the pro-style background Saban likes, he also brings hurry-up elements to the table.
"Coach Kiffin likes a lot motion and wants us to get up to the ball, not an Oregon-type offense," Kelly said. "Late last year we were snapping the ball with six, five, four seconds left on the play clock. (Now it's) Not so much of the no-huddle, but something to get our procedures up running ... to make the offense more effective."
More than that, Saban said Kiffin can be a sounding board.
The Alabama coach has never been wary of hiring former head coaches to his staff. Bobby Williams (Michigan State), Kevin Steele (Baylor) and Mario Cristobal (FIU) all ran their own programs before arriving at Alabama.
None, though, was at a powerhouse program like Alabama. Between his time as an assistant and head coach Kiffin spent 10 seasons at USC, six years of which when the Trojans were the dominant program of the early part of the decade.
"It's been great for me too to have a guy who's had some of the issues and problems we have," Saban said. "I really feel good about his addition to our staff."
The SEC-Big 12 Challenge doesn't have the long-standing status of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, but at least in 2014, the event could match in marquee games.
We had a hard time picking between Texas-Kentucky and Florida-Kansas as the top game in the event. In the end, it doesn't really matter. This will be an excellent double header featuring potentially four top-10 teams early in the season. Both are can't-miss games.
Those are the key matchups, but the some of the others offer compelling reasons to watch in December. Here are all of them, ranked.
1. Texas at Kentucky (Dec. 5)
Expect a battle of big men with freshman Myles Turner joining Cameron Ridley at Texas to face Kentucky's massive front line that includes Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson, Marcus Lee, Trey Lyles and Karl Towns. The Longhorns can make an early statement as a top 10 team that returns everyone from last year's squad.
2. Florida at Kansas (Dec. 5)
Both teams have heavy personnel losses but plenty of reasons to believe they can contend in 2014-15. Florida had two McDonald's All-Americans waiting their turn in Kasey Hill and Chris Walker plus a handful of transfers. Kansas expects Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden to take over while adding elite freshman forward Cliff Alexander.
3. Arkansas at Iowa State (Dec. 4)
Is Arkansas ready to turn the corner to become an NCAA Tournament team? Mike Anderson has his top three scorers back from a team that finally learned how to win on the road. This will be a tough one against a preseason top 25 team.
4. LSU at West Virginia (Dec. 4)
Shouldn't we expect more out of both programs? LSU lost Johnny O'Bryant to the draft but has highly touted recruits Jordan Mickey and Jarell Martin who are now veterans. West Virginia will return high-scoring point guard Juwan Staten, but fellow guard Eron Harris left via transfer.
5. Kansas State at Tennessee (Dec. 6)
New Volunteers coach Donnie Tyndall has to figure out how to fill his roster before worrying about Kansas State, which will be led by the sophomore backcourt of Marcus Foster and Jevon Thomas.
6. Baylor at Vanderbilt (Dec. 4)
Expectations won't be high for Baylor next season as the Bears lose Cory Jefferson, Brady Heslip and Isaiah Austin. Vanderbilt is just treading water in the middle of the SEC.
7. Missouri at Oklahoma (Dec. 5)
Missouri is starting from scratch with a coach new to Division I (Kim Anderson) and a a roster without its top three scorers. Oklahoma will be as solid as you'd come to expect from a Lon Kruger team.
8. Oklahoma State at South Carolina (Dec. 6)
The big three for Oklahoma State is down to Le'Bryan Nash. This could be a chance for an early season statement for a Gamecocks team led by exciting sophomore guard Sindarius Thornwell.
9. Auburn at Texas Tech (Dec. 3)
If anything, this will be an interesting coaching matchup between Bruce Pearl and Tubby Smith.
10. TCU at Ole Miss (Dec. 4)
Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers were Ole Miss' only double-figure scorers last season. Only Summers returns.
Never mind that the games won't occur for another seven months. Three of the teams involved in the ACC-Big Ten challenge aren't even officially in their new leagues.
If, in some way, Virginia and Maryland played a basketball game today, they would meet in an ACC league game. By December, it's a non-conference showcase. Louisville officially joins the ACC on July 1. Same for Rutgers and Maryland in the Big Ten.
Either way, we can start looking forward to the key games, particularly the marquee game in the 2014 edition of the challenge between Duke and Wisconsin. The Blue Devils take their star-studded freshman class into Madison to face a team that returns all but one key player from a Final Four team.
That won't be the only key matchup. Here are all of them ranked.
1. Duke at Wisconsin (Dec. 3)
This may be the top non-conference game of the year as both will be in the preseason top five. All eyes will be on potential All-America freshman Jahlil Okafor, a superstar prospect and a traditional center for Duke, and NCAA Tournament standout Frank Kaminsky, who is not a a traditional center for the Badgers.
2. Ohio State at Louisville (Dec. 2)
Two traditional powers must replace invaluable seniors — Aaron Craft for Ohio State and Russ Smith for Louisville. The Buckeyes' Shannon Scott and the Cardinals' Chris Jones step into the spotlight, but at least Jones can feed the ball to center Montrezl Harrell.
3. Syracuse at Michigan (Dec. 2)
These won't be the teams you saw for most of last season. Syracuse and Michigan were decimated by NBA Draft early entries, perhaps more than Jim Boeheim and John Beilein expected.
4. Michigan State at Notre Dame (Dec. 3)
The Spartans are rebuilding around Branden Dawson while Notre Dame looks to put a losing season in the rearview mirror. The Irish get Jerian Grant back after he missed most of last season to an academic issue.
5. Iowa at North Carolina (Dec. 2)
The Tar Heels will be one of the top teams in the ACC in the preseason while the Hawkeyes may take a step back without Roy Devyn Marble. This could be a mismatch at this stage of the season.
6. Pittsburgh at Indiana (Dec. 2)
Neither team will show up in many preseason top 25 countdowns after Pitt enters 2014-15 without Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna and Indiana heads into the year without Noah Vonleh and Will Sheehey. Both teams are relying on veteran point guards (Cameron Wright and Yogi Ferrell) to shepherd these squads early in the year.
7. Nebraska at Florida State (Dec. 1)
Perhaps Nebraska deserved a better matchup than Florida State after reaching the rare NCAA Tournament last season. The Seminoles, though, could be a tough out in Tallahassee even without Ian Miller and Okaro White.
8. Minnesota at Wake Forest (Dec. 2)
Richard Pitino takes the NIT champions on an interesting road trip against a junior-laden Wake Forest team under first-year coach Danny Manning.
9. Virginia at Maryland (Dec. 2)
Yes, that's a meeting between two charter ACC members in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Virginia will be on the fringe of the top 10 after winning the league while Maryland is facing questions with four recent transfers, including point guard Seth Allen.
10. Illinois at Miami (Dec. 2)
Thanks to a handful of newcomers, Illinois and Miami are both looking to rebound after they missed the NCAA Tournament last season. The Illini add two transfers (Ahmad Starks from Oregon State and Aaron Cosby from Seton Hall) while the Hurricanes get Angel Rodriguez eligible from Kansas State.
11. NC State at Purdue (Dec. 2)
The Wolfpack faces an early road trip, adding Alabama transfer Trevor Lacey stepping into the shoes of T.J. Warren in a backcourt with Anthony Barber. Purdue is still in rebuilding mode after going 5-13 in the Big Ten last season.
12. Georgia Tech at Northwestern (Dec. 3)
A former ACC assistant is coaching the Big Ten team (Chris Collins), and a former Big Ten assistant (Brian Gregory) is coaching the ACC team. It will be a long time before either takes on their former employers (Michigan State and Duke) in the conference challenge.
13. Virginia Tech at Penn State (Dec. 3)
Virginia Tech has Buzz Williams. Penn State has D.J. Newbill. That's a little interesting.
14. Rutgers at Clemson (Dec. 1)
Maryland draws Virginia while fellow newcomer draws a Clemson team without K.J. McDaniels.
Larry Johnson says he hasn't inadvertently introduced himself as "Larry Johnson from Penn State" since he landed at Ohio State on Jan. 14. That said, he's still adjusting to referring to Michigan as the pejorative "team up north."
But if Johnson caught himself, in passing, uttering Penn State as part of his title, could anyone blame him?
Before January, Penn State had been the only collegiate employer Johnson had known. For nearly 20 years, Johnson introduced himself as a Penn State assistant to recruits and high school coaches up and down the mid-Atlantic and through Pennsylvania.
"I try hard not to do that," Johnson said while on the road recruiting for Ohio State in Connecticut in recent weeks. "It's easy to do, but I've been pretty good."
In the last month, Johnson has patrolled the same recruiting area he ruled at Penn State, now in scarlet and gray. His departure from Penn State to Ohio State in January could emerge as one of the most important assistant coach moves through the entire college football calendar.
"If you know about the East you know about Larry Johnson."
-Ohio State coach Urban Meyer
"If you know about the East you know about Larry Johnson," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said.
Johnson won't be alone in aggressively recruiting Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, the Northeast and Washington, D.C., for Big Ten territories.
New Penn State coach James Franklin, who offered Johnson spot on his first staff, has vowed to own not just Pennsylvania in recruiting, but Maryland and New Jersey as well. His staff has already picked up four top-100 commitments from the region for 2015.
Meanwhile, new Big Ten member Maryland has been able to protect its home turf since 2012 with the return of Mike Locksley, now offensive coordinator. After landing the top two prospects in the state of Maryland, Locksley was 247Sports' top recruiter in the Big Ten in 2014, followed by four Ohio State assistants.
And in 2012, 247Sports named Johnson and Locksley two of the top 10 recruiters in the Big Ten for that year's recruiting cycle, quite the feat considering Penn State at that time had just begun its NCAA sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal and Maryland was coming off a 2-10 season.
Despite all the accolades and expectations for Locksley and the new Penn State staff, few have been more effective recruiting this region of the country than Johnson was at Penn State.
He was Rivals.com's national recruiter of the year for the 2005-06 cycle. His haul that year included NaVorro Bowman from Suitland, Md., Aaron Maybin from Ellicot City, Md., and Jared Odrick from Lebanon, Pa. All three were first-round picks. A year earlier, Johnson helped Penn State land national No. 1 recruit Derrick Williams from Greenbelt, Md.
In a 2011 ranking, Rivals named Johnson the No. 5 recruiter of the previous decade.
He was the only coach in the top five never to land a head coaching gig, which leads us to why he's at Ohio State rather than Penn State. (In the end, the track record of elite recruiters-turned-head coaches is checkered. Three of the four recruiters listed ahead of him were fired from their head coaching jobs in less than five years — Larry Porter at Memphis, Ed Orgeron at Ole Miss and Tim Brewster at Minnesota. The fourth, Jimbo Fisher, just won the national title.)
Johnson twice interviewed for the head coaching position at Penn State, once to replace Joe Paterno and again to replace Bill O'Brien. Ironically, O'Brien opened the door for Johnson to defect to the border rival. O'Brien hired Ohio State defensive line coach Mike Vrabel to coach linebackers with the Texans, opening a spot on the Meyer's staff for a line coach and ace recruiter.
Johnson checked both boxes.
"Larry just fits right in where everyone on the staff is hard-working recruiter," 247Sports Director of Recruiting Steve Wiltfong said. "Where he was at, there were times where he was on a coaching staff where not everyone was excited about recruiting as he was."
That sets up two traditional Big Ten powers (Ohio State and Penn State) and one star recruiter (Locksley) competing for prospects in the talent-rich area of Maryland, D.C., North Carolina, Pennsylvania and the Northeast. And two of these coaches have good reason to recruit with an edge — Johnson was twice passed up for the Penn State job, Franklin was once Maryland's coach-in-waiting before a new athletic director reversed course.
Ohio State rarely dipped into these areas in recent years, but Johnson gives Meyer instant credibility to cast his recruiting net East.
"Everyone is recruiting those states," Johnson said. "There are outstanding players here. The area is saturated with good coaches. The ACC is there, the Big Ten is there. That's a good sign because it means you're on the right guy."
Near the end of his Penn State tenure, Johnson was on the right recruits, but the instability in Happy Valley meant he had trouble landing all of them. Now, he'll have a chance to coach them at Ohio State.
For the Nittany Lions, he recruited linemen Noah Spence, Joey Bosa and Tommy Schutt. All picked Ohio State. Schutt had been a Penn State commitment before switching to Ohio State. Spence was a five-star prospect from Harrisburg (Pa.) Bishop McDevitt who opted for the Buckeyes.
Even though he's on the same field with players who spurned Penn State years ago, Johnson said there's no hard feelings.
"I never really get upset at things like that," Johnson said. "They have a right to change their minds. It's got to be a fit for them. Your chance to be successful is where you're a good fit."
Besides, Johnson's job — other than reeling in top recruits — is to prepare a line that will be the anchor of the defense. Spence and Bosa at end and Michael Bennett at tackle combined for 39 tackles for a loss last season.
With a secondary that struggled last season and a linebacker group that will miss Ryan Shazier, the line has to set the tone, and Johnson intends to do that with an active eight-man rotation.
To do that, Johnson kept his players in constant movement in spring practice. Meyer said his linemen were as active as any group he's had.
"The way he runs his drills, non-stop movement, some drills are long, some drills are short," Bennett said. "It gets you ready for hurry up, going back and forth from sidelines. You've done it again, again and again. Your body is ready for it."
The movement may be normal for Johnson, but it was a change of pace at Ohio State during the spring.
In other words, what was old hat for Johnson is new again.
"At the end of the day, sometimes you have to move forward," Johnson said. "I will never forget where I started. I will never do that."
His present, though, may be far more interesting.
The 2014 NFL Draft first round took a few twists and turns but ended up where many projected it to be (with Johnny Manziel and Teddy Bridgewater in the first round) and with the same big winner from a college perspective (the SEC).
Jadeveon Clowney, subject of the dissection that comes with any high draft pick, was the No. 1 overall pick, the same spot he seemed destined for after his sophomore season.
Clowney was the SEC's fourth No. 1 overall pick since 2007, and the first non-quarterback during that run (Cam Newton, Matthew Stafford and JaMarcus Russell were the others).
As usual, he was just the start for the league, as the SEC had double-digit first-round picks again. The final pick of the first round, however, signaled one of the major winners with Teddy Bridgewater representing the third first-round pick from the newest team in the ACC.
11. First-round picks from the SEC
Stop us if you've heard this before: Draft Day is the SEC's day. The league produced 11 first-round picks. That's three more than any other league, and that's counting Louisville in the ACC's tally. If Louisville's first-round delegation is counted for the American, it's a different story:
SEC West by itself produced more first-round picks (8) than any other conference.— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) May 9, 2014
64. First-round picks from SEC schools since 2009
The SEC has more than double the first-round picks of any conference in the last five drafts, using the 2014 alignments. That's more than the next two leagues, the ACC and Big Ten, combined. The major conferences shake out like this since 2009:
26 Big Ten
25 Big 12
22 Pac-12
0. Top 10 picks from Alabama
Alabama had to wait until C.J. Mosley went to the Ravens at No. 17 to celebrate, the longest wait for Nick Saban since 2008. Without a top 10 pick in 2014, Alabama from 2009-13 merely tied USC from 1993-97 for five consecutive years with a top 10 pick.
1. No. 1 overall pick for Steve Spurrier
Spurrier has won a Heisman Trophy, coached a Heisman winner, won a national championships and revived three college football programs. One thing he never did until Thursday was coach a No. 1 overall draft pick. Perhaps unexpectedly, Spurrier's top three draft picks are all defensive linemen: Clowney, Florida's Gerard Warren (No. 3 in 2001) and Florida's Kevin Carter (No. 6 in 1995)
3. First-round picks from Louisville
Two notes from Louisville: First, the Cardinals had no draft picks a year ago. Second, two players were selected before quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, and the Minnesota Vikings had to trade back into the first round to get him. The former wasn't too much of a surprise since few Cardinals were draft eligible after 2012. The latter, though, was a little more of a shocker for anyone who watched the season. Still, three first-round picks tied Texas A&M for most first-round draft picks. Maybe Louisville will find a way to thrive in the ACC.
3. First-round picks from Texas A&M
At one point, Texas A&M realistically could have had three consecutive picks in the top 10 when offensive tackle Jake Matthews went sixth to the Falcons and wide receiver Mike Evans went seventh to the Buccaneers. Quarterback Johnny Manziel didn't go to Cleveland with the eighth pick, but he ended up there anyway at No. 22. That gave the Aggies' offense three first-round picks, the most of any team in the SEC.
4. Players who tied or became their school's highest draft pick in the first five selections
South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney matched 1980 Heisman winner George Rogers as a No. 1 overall pick. Jacksonville made No. 3 pick Blake Bortles UCF's second first-round pick after fellow quarterback Daunte Culpepper went 11th overall in 1999. Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins went third overall to Buffalo, one spot higher than defensive end Gaines Adams in 2007 and running back Banks McFadden in 1940. Khalil Mack, the fifth overall pick, wasn't just Buffalo's highest pick in school history. He was the Bulls' first pick in the first or second rounds.
2. Top-five picks from the MAC
MACtion, indeed. Mack joined Central Michigan offensive tackle, the No. 1 overall pick last year, as top-five picks from the MAC in the last two drafts. Quite impressive, especially since Central Michigan and Buffalo aren't flagship programs for the league.
8. First-round picks from Florida high schools, most from any state
And the most surprising part is that only two of them played in state. Oviedo quarterback Blake Bortles stayed local with UCF, and Glades Central wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin went to Florida State. The others went to college out of state: Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins (South Fort Myers), Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack (Fort Pierce Westwood), Louisville safety Calvin Pryor (Port St. Joe), Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier (Plantation), Alabama safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix (Orlando Dr. Phillips) and Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (Miami Northwestern).
6. Consecutive years without a top 10 pick for the Big Ten
The last top 10 pick to play in the Big Ten was No. 1 overall pick Jake Long from Michigan in 2008. The forthcoming Big Ten alignment has produced two top 10 picks since then — Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh in 2010 and Maryland's Darrius Heyward-Bey — but that's still a troubling number from a maligned major conference.
We've reached the end of our preseason rankings debate with the Pac-12. Oregon and Stanford have ruled this league for four years, but we have a handful of reasons to wonder if that reign can continue.
Washington has a new coach and a new quarterback and may be poised to continue the progress made under Steve Sarkisian. Sark may have a contender of his own at USC, but we discuss how depth — or UCLA — may hinder the Trojans' Pac-12 title hopes.
But Oregon and Stanford continues to be the favorites as the Athlon staff again debated between the Ducks and Cardinal to win the North and perhaps the Pac-12. We discuss where we leaning on today's Cover 2.
We also continued a new, not-so-subtle pitch for you to get involved at [email protected]. As always, you can reach our hosts at @BradenGall, @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or at [email protected].
The second part of our SEC rankings and preseason preview continues with the West Division, home of four of the last five national champions. The SEC West was the toughest division for Athlon Sports to pick this season, especially in the middle.
The power resides in the state of Alabama, but the team with more reason for optimism may be under debate. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are both in good position, one of the rare times both Egg Bowl rivals go into a season with high hopes.
The X-factor may be LSU, a team that has been a lock for 10 wins in recent years. The Tigers are replacing some key cogs on defense and will be young at skill positions on offense.
We also introduced a new, not-so-subtle pitch for you to get involved at [email protected]. As always, you can reach our hosts at @BradenGall, @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or at [email protected].
The NBA draft early entry deadline has come and gone for college players. The last major recruit has picked his school. Transfers are starting to settle.
In other words, teams are starting to have a better idea of their rosters for 2014-15.
We last posted a top 25 after the national championship game, a top 25 that operated under a few assumptions regarding the draft. Not least of which, we assumed Kentucky would lose far more to the draft than the Wildcats did. The Harrison twins, Willie Cauley-Stein and others said they'd return to Lexington to compete for a national title.
That vaulted Kentucky to the No. 1 spot in our early rankings. We made a few other adjustments, including a boost to a Texas team that landed five-star prospect Myles Turner on Wednesday. Certainly, we'll make a few more before we arrive at our final conclusion in the Athlon Sports preseason annual in the fall.
For now, here's how teams stack up at the start of May.
1. Kentucky (29-11, 12-6 SEC, national runner up)
Gone: F Julius Randle, G James Young
Top returning players: C Willie Cauley-Stein, G Aaron Harrison, G Andrew Harrison, F Dakari Johnson, F Marcus Lee, F Alex Poythress
New arrivals: G Devin Booker, F Trey Lyles, C Karl Towns, G Tyler Ulis (freshmen)
The Harrison twins announced last week they will return to school, giving Kentucky nine total McDonald's All-Americans and a veteran core (by Kentucky's standards) that reached the national title game.
2. Arizona (33-5, 15-3 Pac-12, Elite Eight)
Gone: F Aaron Gordon, G Nick Johnson
Top players returning: F Brandon Ashley, F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, G T.J. McConnell, C Kaleb Tarczewski, G Gabe York
New arrivals: G Kadeem Allen (junior college transfer), G Parker Jackson-Cartwright, F Stanley Johnson, F Craig Victor (freshmen)
Returning Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is huge as is a full healthy season from Brandon Ashley. Nick Johnson leaves a major backcourt void that won't be filled easily.
3. Duke (26-9, 13-5 ACC, Round of 64)
Gone: G Andre Dawkins, F Rodney Hood, F Jabari Parker, G Tyler Thornton
Top players returning: G Quinn Cook, F Amile Jefferson, G Matt Jones, F Semi Ojeleye, C Marshall Plumlee, G Rasheed Sulaimon
New arrivals: G Grayson Allen, G Tyus Jones, C Jahil Okafor, F Justise Winslow (freshmen)
Duke matches Kentucky with nine McDonald's All-Americans on the roster, including four in the nation's No. 1 signing class.
4. Wisconsin (30-8, 12-6 Big Ten, Final Four)
Gone: G Ben Brust
Top players returning: F Sam Dekker, G Josh Gasser, F Nigel Hayes, G Traevon Jackson, F Frank Kaminsky, G Bronson Koenig
As we saw in the Final Four, Bronson Koenig could slip right into the role vacated by Ben Brust, the only major departure.
5. Kansas (25-10, 14-4 Big 12, Round of 32)
Gone: F Tarik Black, C Joel Embiid, G Naadir Tharpe, F Andrew Wiggins
Top players returning: F Perry Ellis, G Conner Frankamp, G Brannen Greene, G Frank Mason, G Wayne Selden
New arrivals: F Cliff Alexander, G Deveonte Graham, G Kelly Oubre (freshmen), F Hunter Mickelson (Arkansas transfer)
Kansas missed out on Myles Turner, but the Jayhawks still have two 247Sports Composite top-five players arriving on campus. Kansas announced Thursday Naadir Tharpe would transfer, leaving the point guard job to Frank Mason or Devonte Graham, who committed to KU on May 2
6. Louisville (31-6, 15-3 American, Sweet 16)
Gone: F Luke Hancock, G Russ Smith, F Kevin Ware
Top players returning: G Wayne Blackshear, F Montrezl Harrell, G Chris Jones, G Terry Rozier
New arrivals: F Shaqquan Aaron, G Quentin Snider (freshmen)
Montrezl Harrell's return was one of the most significant decisions leading up to the draft deadline. With Chris Jones and Terry Rozier at guard, Louisville will have a standout inside-out game.
7. Wichita State (35-1, 18-0 Missouri Valley, Round of 32)
Gone: C Kadeem Coleby, F Cleanthony Early, G Nick Wiggins
Top players returning: G Ron Baker, F Darius Carter, G Tekele Cotton, F Tevin Glass G Fred VanVleet
Leading scorer Cleanthony Early is a big loss, but the Shockers return one of the top backcourts in the country in Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton.
8. Florida (36-3, 18-0 SEC, Final Four)
Gone: F Casey Prather, G Scottie Wilbekin, F Will Yeguete, C Patric Young
Top players returning: G Eli Carter, G Michael Frazier II, G Kasey Hill, F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Chris Walker
New arrivals: G Chris Chiozza (freshman), G Brandon Francis (freshman), F Jon Horford (Michigan transfer) Alex Murphy (Duke transfer), F Devin Robinson (freshman)
The core of seniors is gone, but the Gators have two of the top 2013 prospects (Kasey Hill and Chris Walker) ready for full-time roles along with a slew of transfers from the last two seasons.
9. North Carolina (24-10, 13-5 ACC, Round of 32)
Gone: F James Michael McAdoo, G Leslie McDonald
Top players returning: G Isaiah Hicks, G Brice Johnson, F Kennedy Meeks, G Marcus Paige, F J.P. Tokoto
New arrivals: G Joel Berry, F Justin Jackson, G Theo Pinson (freshmen)
The return of guard Marcus Paige and forward Brice Johnson give North Carolina a veteran core heading into 2014-15.
10. Texas (24-11, 11-7 Big 12, Round of 32)
Gone: None
Top players returning: G Javan Felix, G Demarcus Holland, F Jonathan Holmes, F Connor Lammert, C Cameron Ridley, G Isaiah Taylor
New arrivals: C Myles Turner (freshman)
Myles Turner was the last major recruit to pick a school, picking Texas over Kansas and SMU. He'll be an immediate help in the defensive end as the Longhorns return to form in the Big 12.
11. Virginia (30-7, 16-2 ACC, Sweet 16)
Gone: G Joe Harris, F Akil Mitchell
Top players returning: G Justin Anderson, G Malcolm Brogdon, F Anthony Gill, G London Perrantes, F Mike Tobey
New arrivals: G Devon Hall (redshirt), G B.J. Stith (freshman)
Top scorer Malcolm Brogdon and point guard London Perrantes are back for the ACC regular season and tournament champions.
12. Villanova (29-5, 16-2 Big East, Round of 32)
Gone: G James Bell
Top players returning: G Ryan Arcidiacono, G Dylan Ennis, G Josh Hart, G Darrun Hilliard, F Daniel Ochefu, F JayVaughn Pinkston
Big East champion Villanova loses its leading scorer, albeit from a balanced group.
13. SMU (27-10, 12-6 American, NIT runner up)
Gone: G Nick Russell
Top players returning: G Keith Frazier, F Markus Kennedy, G Ben Moore, G Nic Moore, C Yanick Moreira
New arrivals: G Emmanuel Mudiay
Emmanuel Mudiay is the No. 1 prospect in the 247Sports Composite, making Larry Brown's team one of the most interesting upstarts in college basketball next season.
14. Iowa State (28-8, 11-7 Big 12, Sweet 16)
Gone: F Melvin Ejim, G DeAndre Kane
Top players returning: F Dustin Hogue, G Naz Long, G Monte Morris, F Georges Niang, G Matt Thomas
New arrivals: G Bryce Dejean-Jones (UNLV transfer), F Jameel McKay (Marquette transfer), F Abdell Nader (Northern Illinois)
Another season and more impact transfers in Ames. UNLV graduate transfer Bryce Dejean-Jones will join point guard Monte Morris in the backcourt.
15. Michigan (28-9, 15-3 Big Ten, Elite Eight)
Gone: F Jon Horford, F Mitch McGary, F Jordan Morgan, F Glenn Robinson III, G Nik Stauskas
Top players returning: G Spike Albrecht, G Zak Irvin, G Caris LeVert, G Derrick Walton
New arrivals: F Kameron Chatman (freshman)
John Beilein will figure out something, but the positive drug test that forced Mitch McGary's hand into the NBA draft leaves Michigan thin in the frontcourt.
16. UConn (32-8, 12-6 American, national champion)
Gone: F DeAndre Daniels , G Niels Giffey, G Lasan Kromah, G Shabazz Napier, F Tyler Olander
Top players returning: G Ryan Boatright, C Amida Brimah, G Omar Calhoun, F Phillip Nolan, G Terrence Samuel
New arrivals: G Daniel Hamilton (freshman), G Rodney Purvis (NC State transfer)
DeAndre Daniels capitalized on his NCAA run to go to the draft. UConn will have a solid backcourt with Ryan Boatright and Rodney Purvis, but repeating will be tough.
17. San Diego State (31-5, 16-2 Mountain West, Sweet 16)
Gone: F Josh Davis, G Xavier Thames
Top players returning: F J.J. O'Brien, F Dwayne Polee, G Aqeel Quinn, F Winston Shepard, F Matt Shrigley, F Skyler Spencer
Xavier Thames and Josh Davis are major losses, but the Aztecs return plenty of seniors plus rising star junior Winston Shepard.
18. Michigan State (29-9, 12-6 Big Ten, Elite Eight)
Gone: G Keith Appling, G Gary Harris, C Adreian Payne
Top players returning: F Matt Costello, F Branden Dawson, F Kenny Kaminski, G Travis Trice, G Denzel Valentine
Branden Dawson's return was key. He'll be the star player on a team looking to turn role players into starters.
19. Oklahoma (23-10, 12-6 Big 12, Round of 64)
Gone: G Cameron Clark
Top players returning: G Isaiah Cousins, G Buddy Hield, F Ryan Spangler, G Jordan Woodard
New arrivals: F Khadeem Lattin (freshman)
Even without Cameron Clark, this will be a veteran team with rising juniors Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler leading the way. OU went 12-6 in the rugged Big 12 behind a freshman point guard, Jordan Woodard, who will have a year of experience.
20. VCU (26-9, 12-4 Atlantic 10, Round of 64)
Gone: G Rob Brandenburg, F Juvonte Reddic
Top players returning: G Jordan Burgess, G Treveon Graham, G Melvin Johnson, G JeQuan Lewis, G Briante Weber
New arrivals: F Michael Gilmore, F Terry Larrier, F Justin Tillman, G Jonathan Williams (freshmen)
What little bulk VCU had is gone with the departure of 6-9 forward Juvonte Reddic. The Rams will try to make up for it with three freshman 6-7 or taller, all ranked in the top 100.
21. Kansas State (20-13, 10-8 Big 12, Round of 64)
Gone: G/F Shane Southwell, G Will Spradling
Top players returning: G Marcus Foster, F Thomas Gipson, F Wesley Iwundu, F D.J. Johnson, F Nino Williams
New arrivals: G Justin Edwards (Maine transfer), C Stephen Hurt (junior college transfer)
Losing those two seniors will hurt. Kansas State, though, will have one of the top point guards in the Big 12 in sophomore Marcus Foster. The Wildcats will need to prove something in a hurry. K-State lost its last four and six of its last nine.
22. Ohio State (25-10, 10-8 Big Ten, Round of 64)
Gone: G Aaron Craft, G LaQuinton Ross, G Lenzelle Smith
Top returning players: G Shannon Scott, F Sam Thompson, C Amir Williams
New arrivals: G Keita Bates-Diop (freshman), F Anthony Lee (Temple transfer), G D'Angelo Russell (freshman), G Kam Williams (redshirt)
Shannon Scott takes over at point guard, but double-double threat Anthony Lee was a major addition from Temple.
23. Nebraska (19-13, 11-7 Big Ten, Round of 32)
Gone: G Ray Gallegos
Top players returning: G Terran Petteway, F Walter Pitchford, G Shavon Shields
Nebraska returns almost anyone from a fringe NCAA Tournament team. Did the Cornhuskers' late-season wins over Michigan State and Wisconsin signal a team ready for more?
24. UCLA (28-9, 12-6 Pac-12, Sweet 16)
Gone: G Kyle Anderson, G Jordan Adams, G Zach LaVine, F David Wear, F Travis Wear
Top players returning: G Bryce Alford, F Wanaah Bail, F Tony Parker, G Norman Powell
New arrivals: G Isaac Hamilton (ineligible last season), F Kevon Looney (freshman)
The Bruins were hit hard an unexpectedly by the NBA Draft, but they will add a McDonald's All-American in Isaac Hamilton, who was ineligible last season after backing out of his letter of intent to UTEP. Norman Powell and Tony Parker will need to take lead roles.
25. Syracuse (28-6, 14-4 ACC, Round of 32)
Gone: G Tyler Ennis, F C.J. Fair, F Jerami Grant
Top players returning: F Rakeem Christmas, F DaJuan Coleman, G Trevor Cooney, F Tyler Roberson
New arrivals: F Chris McCullough (freshman)
Point guard will be an issue for Syracuse as Jim Boeheim's last two floor generals, Tyler Ennis and Michael Carter-Williams, left earlier than anticipated.
Others of Note
Gonzaga (29-7, 16-3 West Coast, Round of 32)
Gone: G Drew Barham, C Sam Dower, G David Stockton
Top returning players: G Gary Bell Jr., G Gerard Coleman, G Kyle Dranginis, C Przemek Karnowski, G Kevin Pangos
Newcomers: F Kyle Wiltjer (Kentucky transfer)
Harvard (27-5, 13-1 Ivy, Round of 32)
Gone: F Kyle Casey, G Brandyn Curry, G Laurent Rivard
Top returning players: G Siyani Chambers, F Steve Moundou-Miss, G Wesley Saunders
Colorado (23-12, 10-8 Pac-12, Round of 64)
Gone: G Spencer Dinwiddie
Top players returning: G Askia Booker, F Wesley Gordon, F Xavier Johnson, F Josh Scott, G Xavier Talton
Dayton (26-11, 10-6 Atlantic 10, Elite Eight)
Gone: F Matt Kavanaugh, F Devin Oliver, G Vee Sanford
Top returning players: F Dyshawn Pierre, G Khari Price, F Jalen Robinson, G Jordan Sibert, G Scoochie Smith
Memphis (24-10, 12-6 American, Round of 32)
Gone: G Chris Crawford, G Michael Dixon, G Joe Jackson, G Geron Johnson, F David Pellom
Top returning players: F Shaq Goodwin, F Kuran Iverson, F Austin Nichols, G Nick King
Minnesota (24-13, 8-10 Big Ten, NIT champion)
Gone: G Austin Hollins, G Malik Smith
Top returning players: G Andre Hollins, F Joey King G Deandre Mathieu, F Maurice Walker
Utah (21-12, 9-9 Pac-12, NIT first round)
Gone: G Ahmad Fields, F Renan Lenz, G Princeton Onwas
Top returning players: C Dallin Bachynski, F Jordan Loveridge, C Jeremy Olsen, G Brandon Taylor, G Dakarai Tucker, G Delon Wright
The SEC is too big for one podcast, so our preseason rankings and debate series continues with the SEC East.
As we start to break down the preseason rankings, we look at the trends that will shape the East. Missouri won the division a year ago and has the consensus top quarterback in the East, but can the Tigers repeat? We're not sold.
Florida may be an X-factor with a healthy Jeff Driskel, but Georgia and South Carolina have the most complete teams aside from quarterback questions.
We also took reader questions this week from Twitter and Facebook. Have a question you'd like to have answered on the podcast? Tweet us at @AthlonSports or email [email protected].
John Calipari likes to make a big deal of NBA Draft day. That's with good reason. No current coach has quite the track record he does of ushering players from college to the draft.
This year, the early entry deadline was reason for celebration for Calipari.
When Kentucky reeled in the most highly touted recruiting class of all time, did anyone expect Julius Randle and James Young to be the only two to leap to the draft? Thanks to the return of the Harrison twins, Kentucky emerged from the draft deadline as the biggest winner of the last month or so of players deciding to stay in school or go pro.
Kentucky made the biggest news surrounding the draft deadline, but dozens other teams saw key developments that will shape their 2014-15 seasons, whether it's players leaving, players staying or players transferring.
Here's a roundup of the news you need to know from the early entry deadline:
1. Kentucky stocks up for another NCAA run
For the first time during the John Calipari era, Kentucky will not have a mass exodus of freshmen to the NBA Draft. The decisions were made over the course of a few weeks since Kentucky's run to the title game, culminating with the Harrison twins' announcement Friday that they would return to school. Their return — plus that of Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress, Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee — will give Kentucky a roster that includes nine McDonald's All-Americans and NCAA Tournament experience. Another preseason No. 1 ranking awaits, and this one may stick a little longer.
2. Louisville is not far behind its rival
The Cardinals were going to lose seniors Russ Smith and Luke Hancock no matter what, so the return of Montrezl Harrell is key for the Cardinals' prospects for 2014-15. Chris Jones and Terry Rozier will form a solid backcourt, but Harrell, who was unstoppable at the end of last season, gives Louisville a key big man.
3. Mitch McGary has a decision made for him
Michigan lost Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III to the draft, but the Wolverines were optimistic that McGary would get a full season under his belt before moving onto the pros. That changed when McGary learned he would be suspended for the 2014-15 season for failing an NCAA-mandated drug test at the Tournament. Guards Caris LeVert, Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin all will be back for Michigan, but the departures of McGary and Jon Horford, who transferred to Florida, will leave a gap in the frontcourt.
4. North Carolina returns two big names
James Michael McAdoo went to the draft after his breakout junior season. Guard Marcus Paige and forward Brice Johnson could have taken the leap, but they will return to school for a team that should contend for an ACC title. Johnson could be one of the nation's breakout players after averaging 10.3 points and 6.1 rebounds in less than 20 minutes per game.
5. Good news, bad news at UConn
The senior Shabazz Napier played his final game in the national championship, and DeAndre Daniels seized upon his NCAA Tournament performance to to go to the draft. Ryan Boatright, though, elected to stay at UConn, forming a solid backcourt with NC State transfer Rodney Purvis.
6. Florida's frontcourt will have Chris Walker and Jon Horford
Walker arrived at Florida as one of the top recruits in the class, but he didn't become eligible until late January. By that point, he was not in position to become a major contributor for the Gators, not that Florida needed him with the veteran roster. Next season, the forward Walker will have an opportunity to go through the entire offseason program before playing major minutes. Florida also added Horford, who will be eligible immediately after his transfer from Michigan. Duke transfer Alex Murphy also will be eligible.
7. Ohio State fills its gaps with transfers
Aaron Craft and Lenzelle Smith were seniors last season, and LaQuinton Ross left after his junior season. The Buckeyes hope to fill some of those spots with transfers. Anthony Lee averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds at Temple last season. Seven-footer Trevor Thompson transferred from Virginia Tech and is hoping for a wavier to play immediately. Shannon Scott takes over Craft's spot at point guard.
8. UCLA is hit hard
Losing Kyle Anderson wasn't a shock. The 6-9 guard is a rare talent. Jordan Adams thought about returning to school before changing his mind to enter the draft. The most surprising departure from UCLA was that of Zach LaVine, who averaged 9.4 points per game. The Bruins will be without three of their top four scorers in 2014-15.
9. Syracuse loses big
Jim Boeheim has lost his point guard two years in a row in Michael Carter-Williams and Tyler Ennis. Both were gone earlier than Boeheim probably expected, leaving Syracuse with only one point guard on the roster. Jerami Grant will join Ennis off last year's squad in the draft. Grant averaged only 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds, but he may be a first-round pick on his athleticism. That leaves Syracuse without its top three of its top four scorers off a team that couldn't score late in the season.
10. Arizona stands pat
Aaron Gordon's departure after one season wasn't much of a surprise. Neither was Nick Johnson's after earning second-team All-America honors as a junior. After that, Sean Miller won't have to scramble to replace anyone unexpected. Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson all elected to return to a likely top-five team in 2014-15.
11. Branden Dawson returns to Michigan State
The Spartans are rebuilding with seniors Adreian Payne and Keith Appling and junior Gary Harris all departing. Michigan State, as usual, will have veterans to carry the team as Branden Dawson elected to return. Michigan State won't be the Big Ten favorite, but Dawson's return means the Spartans likely will be a top-25 squad to start the season.
12. Colorado's Spencer Dinwiddie plays it safe
The Buffaloes were a potential Pac-12 contender had the Dinwiddie returned. Instead, the point guard declared for the draft. It's tough to blame him after he lost most of his junior season to a torn ACL.
13. Two puzzling exits and one transfer from UNLV
UNLV might not have lost a first-round pick, but the Runnin' Rebels lost three major pieces. Khem Birch, UNLV's best big man and interior defender, entered his name in the draft, where he's a likely second-round pick. Roscoe Smith, who averaged a double-double, also declared, though his prospects are probably overseas. Guard Bryce Dejean-Jones also left UNLV, transferring to Iowa State. The Rebels have a highly ranked signing class coming in, but those are the top three scorers and three would-be seniors at that.
14. There's not much left at Missouri
Guards Jabari Brown and Jordan Clarkson both declared for the draft, and coach Frank Haith got out ahead of the hot seat talk when he took the Tulsa job. Missouri will rebuild with Kim Anderson, an alum and former assistant who comes from the Division II ranks.
15. Utah has a chance to compete in the Pac-12
Larry Krystkowiak has quietly put together one of the country's best rebuilding jobs as Utah won 21 games last season and broke even in the Pac-12. Statsheet-stuffing guard Delon Wright elected to return to Utah on a team that returns its top eight scorers.
As usual, Kentucky will have talent, and Kentucky will have guards.
Now, Kentucky will have experience.
On Friday, Andrew and Aaron Harrison announced they would return to Kentucky for their sophomore seasons, meaning only Julius Randle and James Young will head to the NBA Draft from a team that reached the national title game.
The return of the Harrisons to a roster that also returns Willie Cauley-Stein, Alex Poythress, Dakari Johnson and Marcus Lee and adds another highly regarded signing class means Kentucky again will be a national title contender, and probably a preseason No. 1.
Before Friday, Kentucky already knew it would have one of the most imposing frontcourts in college basketball, and now it has guards to match. That won't make this a unique team for Calipari in Lexington. Instead, the experience will.
Calipari will have four players who started at least 18 games, five sophomores and two juniors to go with three freshmen who were McDonald's All-Americans.
Expectations at Kentucky will be sky-high again. Here's why Kentucky will be a preseason No. 1 and why the Wildcats might not live up to that ranking.
|2014-15 Kentucky Roster
|PG Andrew Harrison (6-6/215, So.)*
PG Tyler Ulis (5-8/150, Fr.)*
SG Aaron Harrison (6-6/218, So.)*
SG Devin Booker (6-5/180, Fr.)*
SG Dominique Hawkins (6-0/193, So.)
|F Alex Poythress (6-8/239, Jr.)*
F Marcus Lee (6-9/215, So.)*
F Trey Lyles (6-10/245, Fr.)*
F Derek Willis (6-9/209, So.)
C Willie Cauley-Stein (7-0/244, Jr.)
C Dakari Johnson (7-0/265, So.)*
C Karl Towns (6-11/240, Fr.)*
|*McDonald's All-American
Three things that will scare opponents
• Talent. Count them: Nine McDonald's All-Americans on Kentucky's roster. One more and Kentucky could host its own intrasquad McDonald's All-American game. Kentucky had six McDonald's All-Americans last season, and one of them, Marcus Lee, didn't see much playing time until he was an X-factor in the Elite Eight against Michigan.
• Size. Kentucky likely will have the biggest frontcourt in the country with two seven-footers (Willie Cauley-Stein and Dakari Johnson) and two freshmen 6-10 or taller. When Kentucky "goes small," the 6-8 Alex Poythress and 6-9 Marcus Lee may be in the lineup. The Wildcats were second in the country in offensive rebound rate last season, largely thanks to Cauley-Stein.
• Experience. Kentucky needed the entire regular season to round into form in part because of the freshman-laden lineup. The Wildcats in 2014-15 will have plenty of experience to go with all that talent. The Harrisons, Johnson and Lee are sophomores, and Cauley-Stein and Poythress will be juniors. This will be John Calipari's most experienced team in Lexington since 2011.
Three things to scare Kentucky
• Point guard. It always starts with the point guard for Calipari, and for him, he'll have rarity in a point guard with experience in the system. Andrew Harrison, though, struggled until the NCAA Tournament. Will he continue that level of play though the course of the season? Calipari will have a McDonald's All-American as a backup point guard (Tyler Ulis), but he probably entertained the idea of starting until Friday.
• Playing time. Calipari often talked of the issue of his team coming together through the course of the 2013-14 season. Now, he'll have an even deeper roster of players who could start — and star — for any team in the country. Calipari will have to find a way to keep everyone satisfied, especially his all-star frontcourt.
• Expectations. Kentucky's dream of 40-0 didn't last out of November, and the Wildcats couldn't even make easy work of the SEC. This group would probably have high expectations even if Kentucky returned from a round-of-64 loss in the NCAA Tournament. Making the title game, largely on the improved play of the Harrisons, only raises the bar. This team may be a preseason No. 1 again. How will Kentucky handle potentially unreasonable expectations for the second consecutive year?
Athlon's Braden Gall and David Fox split up A-Day duties, spending time at Auburn and Alabama through each school's spring game.
At Auburn, the fan base (and athletic director) is enjoying the rebound, but Gus Malzahn is busy at work trying to ramp up the tempo of the offense while plugging holes on defense.
At Alabama, the fans have moved on from the 0-2 finish to last season, but the losing streak exposed some cracks in leadership and culture in the Alabama locker room. Nick Saban spent the spring trying to reinforce those things.
In the spring games, both teams learned a bit about their quarterbacks. Nick Marshall may be on his way to being a standout passer while Blake Sims might not be the top guy for much longer.
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Please send any comments, questions and podcast topics to @AthlonSports, @BradenGall, @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or email [email protected].
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For a fan base not always known for its sense of perspective, the Alabama faithful seem to be taking the events of the last four months well.
A-Day at Tuscaloosa was 140 days since Auburn ended Alabama's bid to win four national titles in five years and 108 days since Oklahoma stunned the Crimson Tide for a 45-31 loss in the Sugar Bowl. For two losses that put a halt to national championship ambitions and temporarily derailed a dynasty, the topic isn't a total conversation-killer in the quad outside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
"We don't think too much about it," said Luke Kiszla, an Alabama junior from Mobile.
Kiszla's friend at his tailgate, Jordan Yue, completed the thought.
"Not as much as we used to," Yue said.
Inside the program, though, the 0-2 finish is inescapable. At the start of spring, Alabama coaches placed motivational posters throughout the locker room indicating the losses to Auburn and Oklahoma.
At the end of January, quarterback AJ McCarron pinpointed the problems that contributed to losses that ended the 2013 season. Complacency, McCarron said, was Alabama's undoing long before the Auburn game, too many players who didn't fully appreciate all it took to get to three national championships from 2009-12. No one rushed to dispute the assessment of Alabama's championship quarterback.
For most programs, spending every week of the season until December at No. 1 would be a major success. At Alabama, that wasn't enough, especially given the stakes.
"From the Alabama fan perspective, they can't wait until next season," said former Alabama quarterback Jay Barker, who led Tide to the 1994 championship and co-hosts the morning show on WJOX in Birmingham. "Everything that built to the three-peat boiled down to that Auburn game. Then you get to Oklahoma. You've got to finish stronger than last year. This is a team that had a chance to create history."
For the optimist, even a disappointing finish in 2013 isn't a bad development in the long run. The 2008 Alabama team had the national championship in its sights before a loss to Florida in the SEC title game and a flop in the bowl game.
"What the players need to understand is that it's never-ending. The process is never-ending."
-Alabama coach Nick Saban
The Crimson Tide went 14-0 the next season and won the first national championship of the Saban era.
The veterans from that team, though, remembered going 7-6 in Saban's first season, including a home loss to Louisiana-Monroe.
If Alabama is going to maintain its dynasty — rather than ending it — the issue won't be talent as much as culture.
Alabama has finished first in the 247Sports Composite team rankings every signing day from 2009-14 and have the current No. 1 class for 2015. That figure does not include potential 2014 starting quarterback Jacob Coker, who will arrive in fall after a transfer from Florida State. But all that talent can't guarantee another championship.
"I think they got by on talent last season," Barker said. "When it came to the Auburn game, it all caught up to them. All the things they didn't do in the summer caught up to them."
Now is the chance to atone for it. Saban said he's been encouraged by the change in attitude during the spring, but responding when the coach is on the same practice field is one thing. Doing the same during summer conditioning or passing drills is another.
"What the players need to understand is that it's never-ending," Saban said. "The process is never-ending.
"One thing I like about this group, when you talk about it, they respond well. Last year, I felt we talked about some of the issues we had and we acknowledged them, but we didn't really respond like you'd like."
Alabama's focus is two-fold. On the one hand, Saban needs his team to adopt the process-oriented culture. On the other, Saban needs credible leaders to replace McCarron and his counterpart on the other side of the ball, former linebacker C.J. Mosley.
On the defensive side, that may fall on senior linebacker Trey DePriest. The answers on the opposite side of the ball might not be clear until a quarterback is determined. Still, Alabama may have some of the best skill position talent in the country in running backs T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry and wide receiver Amari Cooper.
"We're getting back to the basics, and when coach says something, we've got to be there to back him up," DePriest said. "We're there to tell (a young player) that he's not hollering at you and trying to put you down. He's trying to make you better."
In many ways, this is a 11-2 top-10 team that's in the process of starting over, including the eye-opening hire of controversial former Tennessee and USC coach Lane Kiffin as offensive coordinator.
At least for some fans, they've responded. A hire that first garnered skepticism is now greeted with cautious optimism.
Alabama, after all, has made it this far with on the coaching approach by Saban.
"I don't make $7 million a year to make those decisions," Lolley said. "In Saban we trust."
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The last two Alabama quarterbacks couldn't be missed in Tuscaloosa for the spring game. Greg McElroy spent time with the ESPNU broadcast crew, and AJ McCarron marked his spot in the Walk of Fame in a pregame ceremony.
The next Alabama quarterback, though, could soon be back in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Crimson Tide finished spring practice with an offensively challenged scrimmage that ended in a 17-13 win for the White team, which comprised the first-string players on defense.
While Alabama coach Nick Saban noted the limitations now-first-string quarterback Blake Sims faced in a spring game situation, a 6-5, 235-pound shadow in the form of Jacob Coker will loom over the offense until the fall.
Sims, a 6-foot senior who backed up McCarron the last two seasons, distanced himself in the quarterback race in the spring. In a spring game with a limited offensive playbook, Sims was 13-of-30 for 178 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
The performance of the offense, which included 15 punts and six turnovers, wasn't enough to stop anyone from wondering what Coker could bring to the table.
Coker lost a competition with eventual Heisman winner Jameis Winston before last season and will finish his undergraduate degree at Florida State to become eligible immediately at Alabama. During his spring break, the Mobile, Ala., native working out and studying in Tuscaloosa. He returned Saturday to observe the spring game.
The scrimmage shouldn't be an indictment on Sims, even if he did struggle with the two turnovers and passes bounced off his receivers. On the pick six, Saban said freshman Cam Robinson, running with the first team offense, contributed to the pick by blocking the wrong player on a screen.
"The game (sped) up today, and (Sims) tried to speed up with it rather than stay in his rhythm," Saban said. "There are a lot of things Blake can do as a quarterback that we didn't do today."
Through the spring, Saban praised Sims' command of the offense, and Sims eventually secured himself as the best quarterback in camp, beating out Cooper Bateman and Alec Morris.
Saturday appeared to be an aberration.
Neither Alabama squad scored an offensive touchdown for the first 38:27 when T.J. Yeldon rushed for a one-yard score. And even that came with a caveat — backup tailback Kenyan Drake, on the opposing White team, fumbled to set up a seven-yard scoring drive for the Crimson.
Until then, Alabama's offense had been operating in the red. Sims threw an interception returned for a touchdown earlier in the third quarter.
Not since 2011 has Alabama had a quarterback competition. That's when when McCarron beat out Phillip Sims by the second game of the season. Now, Alabama coaches will have to wait until fall to get a complete picture for 2014.
That Sims and Coker are competing for the same job is not lost on the quarterback who was able to play during the spring.
"Blake knows this and Blake embraced (Coker) before the game," Saban said. "They're going to compete through the summer and fall camp."
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — For a day or so, two of the most beloved Tennessee sports figures were in the state of Alabama.
Bruce Pearl, of course, is the new coach at Auburn. And now Peyton Manning and Nick Saban are trading football tips.
Follow @DavidFox615 for updates from Alabama and @BradenGall for updates from Auburn and stay tuned for game coverage Saturday and through the week.
Also follow Athlon on Instagram for images from the Iron Bowl rivals.
Both Saban and Manning are coming off shocking postseason losses ' Alabama losing 45-31 to Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl and the Broncos losing 43-8 to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl.
"To be honest with you, he was just trying to learn so he could be a better player," Saban said at his post-practice press conference. "I think a lot of people would say, 'Wow, the guy is one of the best, if not the best, and certainly from a career standpoint probably about as good as anybody's been in the history of the league.' After all the experience and knowledge that he has, he's going out and trying to seek more knowledge and understanding of the game of football so he can play better."
Saban said he talked to Manning about the no-huddle offense and what gives him trouble from a defensive standpoint. Alabama, of course, faces its share of up-tempo teams in the SEC West. Not to mention the team in Knoxville.
Tennessee fans seem to be taking it well:
SERIOUSLY PEYTON MANNING! ! BAMA AND SABAN.... WHY PEYTON WHY?!?!— shane (@bigshane8329) April 18, 2014
The real party to be a little upset, though, might be the NFLPA. By meeting with Gase, Manning may have committed a violation of the CBA, according to Pro Football Talk. The Collective Bargaining Agreement forbids players from meeting with their NFL coaches before the official start of the offseason program.
Manning isn't the only figure to visit. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano also visited Saban and his staff during the spring.
"I guess the best way to answer the question is who's doing who a favor?" Saban said "Sometimes we have people that we ask to come in because we want to learn from them. The goals that you have for next year are basically the things that you struggled with last year. You make a list of those things through your quality control, and then you go out and look for people who might be able to help you develop a little more expertise, a better way to teach, a better way to coach some situation."
Alabama is coming off the kind of disappointing season most teams would envy.
The Crimson Tide were No. 1 and undefeated until Nov. 30 and reached the Sugar Bowl. But the glaring number here is 0-2, as in losses to Auburn and Oklahoma to finish the season.
The theme of spring practice in Tuscaloosa has been to rediscover the magic that started to fade, players say, well before the heartbreaking loss to Auburn. The two-touchdown loss to Oklahoma was the culmination of the complacency that Alabama feared going back to spring 2013.
As spring 2014 comes to a close, Alabama coach Nick Saban is not only looking for a change of attitude in his team, but also some key personnel moves, starting with the replacement of quarterback AJ McCarron.
Follow @DavidFox615 for updates from Alabama and @BradenGall for updates from Auburn and stay tuned for game coverage Saturday and through the week.
Also follow Athlon on Instagram for images from the Iron Bowl rivals.
Alabama won't have a true picture of who will replace career-leading passer and two-time national championship quarterback AJ McCarron until the fall when Florida State transfer Jacob Coker arrives. Credit senior quarterback Blake Sims, though, for making the most his spring in the spotlight. Alabama coach Nick Saban has praised Sims' "command" of the offense. This will be Sims' final audition before competing for the job yet again when Coker arrives. Coker, a Mobile, Ala., native, competed with Heisman winner Jameis Winston before last season at Florida State. Coker is still finishing his final semester in Tallahassee before he'll be eligible immediately at Alabama.
T.J. Yeldon and Derrick Henry on the same team
Saban has been generous in his praise of Henry, who was one of the breakout players of bowl season with 100 yards and a touchdown on eight carries against Oklahoma. He and incumbent T.J. Yeldon are both on the Crimson team for first-stringers on offense. That means Yeldon and Henry will both run into the No. 1 defense. Both are capable of being a feature back — and a star feature back, at that — so the rotation and 1-2 punch will be worth watching.
The unveiling of Lane Kiffin, offensive coordinator
One of the more intriguing coaching moves of the offseason was the addition of Kiffin to the Alabama staff as offensive coordinator. By Alabama policy, Kiffin shouldn't be as much as a lightning rod as an assistant in Tuscaloosa. Alabama assistants do not conduct media interviews. That means the Alabama offense will have to speak for the former Tennessee and USC coach. Receivers, including Amari Cooper, have said Kiffin has a knack for getting the ball into the hands of his playmakers. But Kiffin is also one of a dwindling group of college coordinators who embrace the kind of pro-style offense Saban wants to run. How will that manifest itself on A-Day?
The attendance battle with Auburn
Everything is a competition with the Iron Bowl, so why not put the spring game attendance figures head to head. During the Saban era, Alabama has demolished Auburn in spring game attendance, at least until last season when the Tigers set a school record with 83,401 at their spring game. Alabama's spring game attendance has leveled off to sub-80,000 (by the way, how many coaches are wishing they had a 78,000 at their spring games?). Maybe the added mystery — a new quarterback, a new offensive coordinator — and good weather will draw more Alabama fans for the scrimmage. Remember, Alabama set a record in the 2011 spring game, another game after a non-championship year.
|Spring Game Attendance
|*school record
The fan reaction
Perhaps no fan base in the SEC has had quite the swing in emotions. Alabama went into the Iron Bowl undefeated with hopes of a fourth national championship in five seasons. Then came the Kick Six. Then came the flop against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. Hiring Lane Kiffin was puzzling. Is this a fragile fan base? With Auburn on top as well, no state will have a more interesting offseason than Alabama.
The state of the secondary
The secondary is the biggest question on the defense with positions open at spots not manned by safety Landon Collins. This brings up the classic question for spring games — if Sims has a good day passing is that good for him or bad for the defense and vice versa.
Trey DePriest steps up
The defense also needs its quarterback with C.J. Mosley gone. Middle linebacker and multi-year starter Trey DePriest takes over at signal-caller on the defense. He'll also need to shepherd a young linebacker corps.
Nick Saban, having fun?
The tradition at Alabama, as it is for a handful of schools, is to treat the winning team in the spring game to a lavish dinner while the losing team receives, let's say, more standard fare. In the case of Alabama, it's steak with wait service for the winning players and coaches and buffet-style franks and beans for losing team. Saban, the "commissioner" of A-Day, always gets steak. "The players say I have to choose a team because they get tired of me being over there eating steak and not being on team," Saban said. "But it's not just the steak. It's the tablecloth, the roses on every table, waitresses waiting on you. The other side of it is paper plates, one pot, beans, paper towels, plastic silverware."
Related: What might get under Saban's skin?
Saban's not above sending a message through the media, particularly when he's unhappy. When asked why running backs Kenyan Drake and Altee Tenpenny, two of the tree running backs on the White team, were absent from the open portion of practice, Saban tone ticked up for a bit: "They didn't do what they were supposed to do in school this week, so I sent them to study table for four hours and they didn't come to practice," Saban said. "If they don't stay over the for four hours, the probably won't play in the spring game. There's no update, just a fact. ...
"I'd rather do it now than during the season. You know, all these players need to learn that they have a responsibility and obligation to do the right thing for themselves."
Freshman offensive lineman Cam Robinson
In a mild surprise, freshman Cam Robinson will play left tackle with the first-team offense on Saturday while Brandon Greene, his competition, will be with the second unit.
See the sights
Colleague Braden Gall ran down a few of the sights he's looking to take in at A-Day over at Auburn including Toomer's Corner and tailgates. I've covered games at most SEC programs, but Bryant-Denny is a glaring blind spot on my stadium resume. I'm looking forward to taking a stroll around the stadium to check out the national champion coach statues. There has to be a line for taking photos with the Bear and Saban, right?
From the beat:
AL.com reporter Andrew Gribble joined us to talk about what he's seen around Alabama spring football.
Athlon Sports: A major point at spring practice this season has been rediscovering the edge and attention to detail that derailed last year's national championship hopes. How much as that been an issue this spring?
Andrew Gribble: I think they realized they lost their identity at some point last season. Many of the players said that happened before the Auburn loss. That's been the key talking point from Saban and the players. I think he's been pleased with what they've been able to do. The attitude has been better this year. I think they're still looking for leaders because they lost a few big ones. The vibe has been back on the right path. That's been the key theme. Last year, they talked about avoiding complacency. That never really happened this year.
Athlon: How has the messaging been different from Saban compared to years past?
Gribble: He entered this year saying they were going to start over. That's been the theme, and he's been pretty positive with many of the players. He's been more open with the quarterback competition than he was with the McCarron and (Phillip) Sims one. He's been pretty transparent on that. He's been very high on praise for Amari Cooper and Derrick Henry and guys like that. There's been moments when he's been more positive than in past years.
Athlon: What has been the reaction to Lane Kiffin's hire, both from the team and the fan base?
Gribble: The fan base has bought into it. I think they were skeptical initially. But I think they kind of trust that Saban knows what he's doing. The players have really responded well to him. Amari Cooper especially has talked about how the offense is simpler and playmaker-friendly. That's good news for all the running backs and Cooper and O.J. Howard. Kiffin has a good track record with quarterbacks and they recognize that. It's been overwhelmingly positive. We've heard a lot about tempo. They're not going to look like Oregon anytime soon, but there are going to be situations where they pick up the pace a little bit.
Athlon: How much will the quarterback situation change when Jacob Coker gets here?
Gribble: They're not going to have an answer by the end of spring, and Coker is the main reason for that. It's kind of clear that Blake Sims has emerged as the top guy for this current group. He's had a good spring. The players really like him. He worked with a quarterback coach over spring break, so he's gotten a lot better. But Jacob Coker wouldn't have signed with Alabama if he wasn't going to compete. I think he's still the frontrunner because he has the skills that Alabama likes in its quarterbacks, and he's mobile, too. It's really going to get started once fall camp starts. Saban's said it could go into the season. I don't know if it's going to last that long, but he said the same thing with McCarron even though it was pretty clear McCarron was the guy.
Athlon: What are you looking for in the spring game, especially since most of practice has been closed?
Gribble: Quarterbacks obviously is the big one. The quarterback who has been No. 2 to Sims, Cooper Bateman, is going to be on the other side. He's going to be able to throw a lot. The offensive line, it looks like a true freshman, Cameron Robinson, is going to be with the first team at left tackle. That's following in the footsteps of Andre Smith in 2006. Secondary is a big issue. The loss of (cornerback) Eddie Jackson was really significant. He was emerging as one of the top corners. I don't know how much they're going to do with special teams. Alabama has one kicker now (Adam Griffith), and he's been inconsistent. He didn't have many opportunities last year, but he's going to have to be the guy this year. Outside of what happened in the Iron Bowl, Alabama has been very good on field goals since 2011.
Athlon: How might the Yeldon/Henry tandem play out?
Gribble: I think Henry is going to be very involved in the offense, but Yeldon is very good. I think the ideal situation for Alabama is going to be to replicate what they had in 2012 with Yeldon and (Eddie) Lacy. They both split carries through the season, and when they got to Georgia and Notre Dame, they were fresh and had huge games. Maybe last year, Yeldon carried the ball a lot and he may have run out of gas. Having those two is a good option for them. It's a good problem to have. I think (Kenyan) Drake is involved as well because he brings a different element with his speed. But Henry has received the most praise of anyone from Saban. He's had a great spring, and he knows how to play running back now. Last year, he just knew how to run the ball.
The debate concerning preseason rankings has started around the Athlon Sports offices, and we're giving you an inside look at all the things that will shape the 2014 countdown.
Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan take you inside the process of the rankings meeting as they talk through the teams in the ACC.
Will anyone challenge Florida State in the Atlantic? Will Louisville be a factor in Bobby Petrino's return? And how do we sort out the mess that is the Coastal Division?
The podcast can be found on athlonsports.com, iTunes and our podcast RSS feed.
Please send any comments, questions and podcast topics to @AthlonSports, @BradenGall, @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or email [email protected].
When UCLA and Stephen F. Austin met in the Sweet 16, the game represented two of the success stories for first-year coaches.
UCLA coach Steve Alford, whose hire received lukewarm reviews, advanced the Bruins to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in six years. Meanwhile, Stephen F. Austin's Brad Underwood became one of the top first-year coaches in NCAA history by going 32-3.
Those two coaches were in the minority, though. Of the 42 new coaches on the job in Division I in 2013-14, only four reached the NCAA Tournament. The other two to join Alford and Underwood in the field lost in their first games in the Tournament — one of those losses was not a surprise (Jeff Jones at No. 15 seed American) while the other was one of the major upsets of the round of 64 (Craig Neal at New Mexico).
The NCAA Tournament didn't tell the entire story for first-year coaches as two men making their debuts won the NIT (Richard Pitino at Minnesota) and the College Basketball Invitational (Jimmy Patsos at Siena).
These coaches shouldn't graded completely after one season, but the new hires for 2013-14 were quite the mixed bag. Here's how the most notable first-year coaches fared:
Brad Underwood, Stephen F. Austin
Stephen F. Austin enjoyed its best season as a Division I member in the first season for Underwood, a longtime Frank Martin assistant. Stephen F. Austin was one of the top defensive teams in the country on the way to an 18-0 record in the Southland and a win over fifth-seeded VCU in the NCAA Tournament. Underwood's 32 wins in his first season is the third-most in Division I history and his 91.4 percent win rate ranks sixth. Underwood's next task is to maintain the foundation laid by Danny Kaspar, who left for Texas State before last season.
Steve Alford, UCLA
Alford didn't put UCLA back where the Bruins probably should be — in national title contention — but he delivered on a number of fronts. UCLA reached the Sweet 16 and won the Pac-12 tournament, both for the first time since 2008. Meanwhile, Alford offered up a more exciting brand of basketball. UCLA ranked 13th in offensive efficiency on KenPom and topped 80 points per game for the first time since winning the national title in 1995. Now, he'll have to add two big-time recruits, Isaac Hamilton and Kevon Looney, to a roster that will be hit by NBA Draft defections.
Tubby Smith, Texas Tech
Texas Tech went 6-12 in the Big 12, but Smith gave the Red Raiders some much-needed stability after the Billy Gillispie fiasco. The six wins in a tough Big 12 shouldn't be shrugged off, either. That's two more league wins than the last two seasons combined. Texas Tech defeated four NCAA Tournament teams (Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Texas) and put a scare into league champion Kansas.
Mike Brennan, American
Brennan engineered a 10-game turnaround from 10-20 to 20-13 in his first season. The Eagles reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009 before a lopsided loss to Wisconsin. Well-schooled in the Princeton offense, Brennan played for Pete Carril and served as an assistant under John Thompson III at Princeton and Georgetown.
Jeff Jones, Old Dominion
Old Dominion had been one of the most consistent teams in the Colonial before falling apart at 5-25 in Blaine Taylor's last season. Jeff Jones, the former coach at Virginia and American, stepped in to rebuild in Conference USA. The veteran coach led the Monarchs to a 9-7 debut in C-USA and an appearance in the College Basketball Invitational. The roster included no seniors among its regular rotation, so Old Dominion could be back in NCAA Tournament contention in 2014-15.
Jimmy Patsos, Siena
Siena can be one of the top mid-majors as Fran McCaffery and Paul Hewitt proved during their tenures. Patsos, one of the most colorful characters in coaching, has the Saints back on that trajectory. In his first season, Patsos turned Siena from 8-24 to 20-18 and CBI champions, ending a streak of three consecutive losing seasons in the MAAC.
Chris Collins, Northwestern
The record wasn't drastically improved from the end of the Bill Carmody era, but Collins injected some energy into the Northwestern program. The Wildcats finished 6-12 in the Big Ten, but that tally included road wins over Indiana, Wisconsin and Minnesota, plus a win over Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. Northwestern loses only one senior, but Drew Crawford a big departure.
Bobby Hurley, Buffalo
Buffalo won between 18 and 21 games from 2008-09 to 2011-12 before slipping to 14-20 last season. Hurley, the former Duke point guard, stepped in during his first season as a collegiate head coach and led Buffalo to a first-place finish in the MAC East. Buffalo finished at No. 100 on KenPom.com, the highest ranking for any MAC team.
Will Wade, Chattanooga
Wade, a former VCU assistant, installed at Chattanooga what he calls "Chaos," a homage to VCU's "Havoc." The Mocs improved from 8-10 in the Southern to 12-4 in his first season. Wade's team gave the home crowd reason for excitement: Scoring is up by more than six points per game and the Mocs went 11-2 at home.
Casey Alexander, Lipscomb
Alexander is on his second quick turnaround in the Atlantic Sun. In his first season at Lipscomb, the Bisons improved from 7-10 in the league to 10-8 as they won eight of their final 11 games. At Stetson, Alexander led the Hatters from a 9-20 (6-12 A-Sun) season in his first year to 15-16 (11-7 A-Sun) in his second. Alexander was a player and long-time assistant at crosstown rival Belmont, so he knows how to build a winner at this level.
Richard Pitino, Minnesota
Minnesota had the same Big Ten record (8-10) in Pitino's first season as the Gophers had in Tubby Smith's last. The Gophers also traded a round of 32 loss in the NCAA Tournament for an NIT championship. Is that progress? Maybe. The real answer may be next season when Pitino has a veteran-laden team in a Big Ten that may have only one Final Four contender (Wisconsin).
Craig Neal, New Mexico
The Lobos quietly had one of their best conference seasons in school history, setting a school record with 15 Mountain West wins and a conference tournament title. Perhaps the passing of the baton from Steve Alford to his longtime assistant Neal was a little too smooth, down to the early exit from the NCAA Tournament against No. 10 seed Stanford.
Joe Dooley, Florida Gulf Coast
Nothing could have topped the 2013 run to the Sweet 16, but Florida Gulf Coast proved it could remain a factor despite losing its coach. The Eagles actually improved their Atlantic Sun record by one game (from 13-5 to 14-4) in Dooley's first season and earned a bid in the NIT by winning the Atlantic Sun.
Brandon Miller, Butler
Personnel losses meant this was going to be a difficult season even if Brad Stevens were still the coach. Miller's first team went 4-14 in the Big East and endured the first losing season at Butler since 2004-05. Miller will try to continue to rebuild around Kellen Dunham, but Butler's foray in a major conference could continue to be rocky.
Andy Enfield, USC
The Trojans went 2-16 in the Pac-12 in Enfield's first season, but at least USC was better than its 6-26 overall mark in 2011-12. USC will rely on newcomers Kaitin Reinhardt (transfer from UNLV) and Darion Clark (transfer from Charlotte) and two four-star freshmen to put a more competitive team.
Eddie Jordan, Rutgers
Jordan's tenure started with the revelation that he never finished his undergraduate degree at Rutgers. It didn't get much better from there. Rutgers finished at 5-13 in the American, the same conference record as Mike Rice's final team in a more competitive Big East. Rutgers' final game, a 92-31 loss to Louisville in the American tournament, was the worst offensive performance by any team during the season at 42 points per 100 possessions. Up next is the Big Ten.
The NCAA Tournament ended with one winner and 67 losers in the bracket, but not all of those results are created equal.
Kansas' loss in the round of 32 isn't exactly the same as Mercer's, for example.
The true winner, in both the men's and women's tournament, was the school in Storrs, even though both programs took different paths to get there. UConn cemented itself as one of the most unlikely national champions, Kevin Ollie as a star in the coaching world and Shabazz Napier as one of the most legendary players in Huskies history.
Ollie wasn't the only coach to establish himself as young up-and-comer in coaching. Dayton's Archie Miller surely will be on the radar for major programs after his team's run to the Elite Eight.
Elsewhere, Bo Ryan reached his first Final Four and the SEC found some basketball bragging rights, making them two of the bigger winners in this year's field.
The Big 12 and Doug McDermott weren't so lucky.
Winner: Kevin Ollie's status
When the NCAA Tournament started, the coaching legacy discussion revolved around Billy Donovan cementing his status as a Hall of Fame coach or Sean Miller or Bo Ryan reaching their first Final Four. Kevin Ollie notching his spot among the national elite coaches was not one of the popular talking points. Now, the storyline that emerged after this Tournament may be the most interesting of all. What's in store for Ollie in his coaching career? At 41, Ollie is younger than Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo, Bill Self and Roy Williams when they won their first national championships. He's already at a national power, but UConn's conference alignment has taken a step back in the American compared to the Big East. And with his credibility in the NBA, Ollie may be a popular target there. Possibilities abound, including a long tenure at his alma mater.
Loser: The freshman class
Kentucky alone saved the star-studded freshman class from being a complete washout. Julius Randle and the Harrison twins carried Kentucky from a No. 8 seed to the title game and likely boosted their NBA Draft status. Jabari Parker and Andrew Wiggins may be top-three picks, but their NCAA Tournament legacy is forgettable. Parker went 4-of-14 from the field in a round of 64 loss to Mercer, and Wiggins scored four points in a loss to No. 10 seed Stanford in the round of 32. Kansas' Joel Embiid was a no-show with a back injury, and Syracuse's Tyler Ennis was bounced in the round of 32 by No. 11 seed Dayton. Arizona's Aaron Gordon had a solid performance in the Tournament ... until he ran into Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky in the Elite Eight.
Winner: Bo Ryan's legacy
In a matchup with Arizona's Sean Miller, another great coach without a Final Four appearance, Ryan was the one who was able to check the box of reaching the final weekend of the Tournament. And more may be in store for Wisconsin. Shooting guard Ben Brust is the only major departure from Wisconsin next season, meaning the Badgers will have the look of a national title team.
Loser: Doug McDermott's stat line
McDermott completed one of the greatest careers in college basketball history as the fifth-leading scorer of all time and a three-time consensus All-American. But the National Player of the Year struggled in his lone NCAA Tournament game, a loss to Baylor. The Bears held McDermott to 15 points in his third NCAA exit before the Sweet 16. McDermott scored 15 points or less only three times as a senior and 15 times in his final three years.
Winner: Kentucky's transformation
By one count, Kentucky played in three of the top four games of the NCAA Tournament. Decades from now, this year's Tournament may be remembered for Shabazz Napier and UConn's title run from a No. 7 seed, but also for the excitement Kentucky brought. And to think this team underachieved for most of the season. Kentucky defeated three teams from last year's Final Four, including undefeated Wichita State and rival Louisville. And that was before facing Wisconsin in the Final Four. Every step of the way, Kentucky defeated a team good enough to win the title before running into Napier and UConn. Oh, and the Wildcats had a flair for the dramatic.
Loser: Wichita State's opportunity for credibility
Notice that says Wichita State's opportunity for credibility not credibility in and of itself. The 35-1 record and a toe-to-toe battle with the eventual national runners up may be enough to make fans forget about all the hand-wringing about the Shockers' schedule. But at the same time, Wichita State was unable to advance into the second weekend, and that will be enough for detractors to doubt Wichita State's season.
Winner: Archie Miller's job prospects
If not for Ollie, Miller might be the biggest coaching superstar to emerge from this NCAA Tournament. The 35-year-old led Dayton to wins over NCAA stalwarts Ohio State and Syracuse on the way to the Elite Eight. Sure, Dayton got hot for two weeks, but the Flyers also defeated Gonzaga and nearly knocked off Baylor in the Maui Invitational. With his bloodlines, Miller may already have been a major coaching prospect, but this Tournament sealed it. The question is if and when he might make the jump. Dayton can be the flagship program and the Atlantic 10. With administrative and fan support and a good recruiting base, there's no reason for Miller to jump at the first opportunity. Could he prove to be as difficult to pry from Dayton as Shaka Smart has been at VCU. Remember, it took the Boston Celtics to pull Brad Stevens away from Butler, too.
Loser: The selection committee's handling of the AAC
On Selection Sunday, the American Athletic Conference was a clear loser. Louisville, a top-three team in the rankings, was hammered with a No. 4 seed. UConn received a No. 7, Memphis received a No. 8. SMU didn't even make the field. The Huskies won the national title, Louisville fell in the Sweet 16 to eventual national runner up and rival Kentucky, and SMU reached the NIT championship game.
Winner: The SEC's bragging rights
Eleven SEC teams didn't even make the NCAA Tournament field. Three SEC teams didn't make it out of the NIT quarterfinals. Is that going to stop SEC fans from bragging about two Final Four teams and three in the Sweet 16? No way. Kudos to Kentucky and Tennessee playing to the level their talent suggested. It almost made us forget that teams like Arkansas, Missouri and LSU didn't do the same.
Loser: The Big 12's bragging rights
The Big 12's batting average was not nearly as high as the SEC's. Only two of the league's eight teams with NCAA Tournament bids reached the Sweet 16. Two teams lost to double-digit seeds with Kansas falling to No. 10 Stanford and Oklahoma falling to No. 12 North Dakota State. Iowa State played two games without one of its top three players before losing to UConn in the Sweet 16. Texas and Oklahoma State lost to higher-seeded teams. Baylor carried the banner for the league before losing by 17 to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight.
Winner: The Atlantic Sun
Between Florida Gulf Coast and Mercer, the Atlantic Sun is 3-2 in the last two NCAA Tournaments. Not bad for a league that lost its top program, Belmont, two years ago.
Loser: Injuries
Injuries are part of the season, but a few deprived a few teams from being at their best in the NCAA Tournament — Joel Embiid at Kansas, Georges Niang at Iowa State and Willie Cauley-Stein at Kentucky. Kansas and Iowa State were teams with Final Four potential with all their pieces in place, and Cauley-Stein could have been a difference-maker in the title game.
Winner: Johnny Dawkins' job security
The Stanford coach seemed to be on an NCAA Tournament-or-bust trajectory. He did more than what could be expected by taking a No. 10 seed to the Sweet 16 thanks to wins over New Mexico and Kansas. Stanford's first NCAA Tournament trip since 2008 isn't the only reason Dawkins can breathe a little easier: Mike Montgomery retired at rival Cal.
Loser: Another vote of confidence in BYU
For the second season in a row, BYU was a questionable selection in the NCAA Tournament. Only a wild comeback against Iona in the First Four last season prevented BYU from going one-and-done the last two seasons. Once in the 64-team field, BYU lost by 19 points to Oregon in 2014 and 20 points to Marquette in 2013.
Winner: Harvard's momentum
For the second consecutive season, Harvard upset a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson hadn't won an NCAA Tournament game since 1946, and now it has reached the field in each of the last three seasons. Harvard could ride that momentum into 2014-15, already showing up on a few early top 25 lists. Not only does Harvard return its top three scorers, the Crimson also held onto coach Tommy Amaker, who has led the turnaround.
Loser: Mark Gottfried's game management
Little was expected of NC State this season, but the Wolfpack were one of the last teams in the field and won a game in the First Four. Mark Gottfried kept fans wanting more though. His team flopped in the round of 64 against Saint Louis by losing a 14-point lead in the second half to lose in overtime. NC State shot 54.1 percent from the line, and Gottfried kept his star player, T.J. Warren, on the court, vulnerable to foul out when NC State needed to stop the clock. Warren fouled out with 27.9 seconds left.
Winner: Steve Alford's reputation
Let's give credit where it's due. The Alford hire at UCLA wasn't an unqualified success, and it's still unclear if he'll be able to match Ben Howland. Still, Alford answered a few questions by advancing to the Sweet 16. His teams at New Mexico and Iowa had been eliminated by double-digit seeds in four of his last five trips to the NCAA Tournament. Avoiding upsets to No. 12 Tulsa and No. 13 Stephen F. Austin is what he's supposed to do at UCLA, but he deserves credit for reversing an ugly trend.
Loser: The Big East
During the course of the season, the Big East looked at times like it could be a two-bid league, so it's probably a positive development that four teams made it. None, however, made it to the second weekend when No. 2 seed Villanova and No. 3 seed Creighton lost in the round of 32. There's no shame in No. 11 seed Providence losing to North Carolina, and Xavier was in a virtual coin flip game against NC State in the First Four. Making matters worse, though, was the departure of Buzz Williams from Marquette to Virginia Tech. In essence, one of the top coaches for one of the new league's flagship programs left for one of the worst jobs in the ACC. Not a great week for the league.
When Northwestern's Trevor Siemian heard the question about one of his receivers, Miles Shuler, the Wildcats quarterback sighed in relief.
"Awesome, a football question, great," Siemian said.
Northwestern's spring practice will come to a close Saturday, but Wednesday was another clear indication what happens on the field for the Wildcats continues to be the secondary story in Evanston.
Siemian on the Big Ten spring football teleconference reiterated his stance against unionization on Wednesday. Northwestern players filed for employee cards in January, but Siemian said he will vote against forming a union, a plan set in motion by Siemian's former teammate, Kain Colter.
"We filed for employee cards; it doesn't mean a union is right for this university or this school," Siemian said. "I think that distinction needs to be made. Just because you're an employee, it doesn't necessarily mean that a union is the right avenue."
Siemian, who split time with Colter at quarterback the last two years, faulted himself for not gathering information as much as he could when he and a majority of his teammates signed employee cards in efforts to form a union. The regional director of the National Labor Relations Board ruled members of College Athletes Players' Association are employees and may unionize.
"This all began with the best intentions."
-Northwestern quarterback Trevor Siemian
"This all began with the best intentions," said Siemian, a fifth-year senior. "I'm treated far better than I deserve here. Introducing a third party or somebody else — our main goals when this began, there were issues with the NCAA we thought we could address and that was one of the ways we could do it."
Goals declared by CAPA include increased stipends, guaranteed sports-related medical coverage, improving graduation rates, allowing players to receive compensation for commercial sponsorships and more.
Siemian said those goals were not addressed with Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald or athletic director Jim Phillips before the move to unionize.
"To say 'I don't trust you enough to help us out to address these changes,' I don't think that's the way to go," Siemian said. "I can only speak for myself, but I feel pretty confident there are other guys on the team that feel pretty similar to me."
Fitzgerald opened his portion of the teleconference with a request to speak only about football topics. He said his comments Saturday — when he urged Northwestern players to vote against unionizing — stood on their own.
"Out of respect to our players and out of respect to our program, what I said on Saturday is enough to be said," Fitzgerald said.
That same day, four Northwestern players including Siemian said they were against forming a union.
Four is hardly the 50.1 percent majority vote from Northwestern players required to create a union. However, Fitzgerald, when prompted, gave a ringing endorsement for Siemian's "leadership."
Of the four players on record against a union, all are upperclassmen and three are returning starters.
"There's no question that Trevor is our leader," Fitzgerald said. "There's a lot of great leadership now being demonstrated in our locker room. From what I've seen from when we got back in January, it's that there's no doubt that this is Trevor Siemian's football team."
Siemian acknowledged the strange circumstances around Northwestern, including the vote at the end of April that could have a lasting impact in college athletics.
"You're not going to have everyone on the same page," Siemian said. "You have different religions, different political views, but at the end of the day you're teammates. Everyone's had each other's back and it's just a mature locker room."
For a few minutes and for a small sliver of the college football world, the national championship game was of secondary concern.
In Lincoln, Nebraska coach Bo Pelini sat down to watch the BCS championship game between Florida State and Auburn and fired off this Tweet to his cat-loving doppelganger.
@FauxPelini ok enough is enough... I want my cat back. You've had her long enough!— Bo Pelini (@BoPelini) January 7, 2014
Pelini is not a coach known for his sense of humor, so this public acknowledgement of his own parody account came as a shock. The spur-of-the-moment post garnered more than 10,000 retweets.
"I was aware of it — I don't know how you couldn't be aware of it," Pelini said on Wednesday's Big Ten coaches' teleconference. "My wife reminds me of it all the time. I was just sitting around one night thought, what the heck?
"I was surprised how viral it went. I was surprised to see the amount of attention it got."
It wasn't the last time Pelini showed he's just like the rest of us when he's not in the heat of football season. The Cornhuskers coach, who has been quite vocal with football officials, slyly complained about officiating during Nebraska's NCAA Tournament loss to Baylor.
Can I get fined if I comment about basketball officiating?— Bo Pelini (@BoPelini) March 21, 2014
Now that the NCAA Tournament is complete, the Athlon editors can take a deeper look at the upcoming college football season. The rankings discussion for the preseason magazines is in full swing as spring practice is in its final weeks.
Braden Gall, David Fox and Steven Lassan take you inside the process of the rankings meeting as they talk through the teams in the Big Ten.
Who can challenge Ohio State? Will Michigan State continue to be a contender for the title? Can teams like Michigan and Nebraska return to power house status?
The podcast can be found on athlonsports.com, iTunes and our podcast RSS feed.
Please send any comments, questions and podcast topics to @AthlonSports, @BradenGall, @DavidFox615 and @AthlonSteven on Twitter or email [email protected].
The 2014 national championship was not a good one for the numbers people.
A No. 7 seed and a No. 8 seed reached the national championship game, a development that in some ways rendered the regular season moot. UConn also didn't fit the statistical profile of a team to win the national championship, falling short of efficiency ratings that have been the trademark of every national champion for more than a decade.
This was even a loss for the numbers kept for the NCAA. Only a year after a postseason ban due to poor academic numbers, UConn was on college basketball's biggest stage — and the Huskies' best player made sure we took note of the NCAA's questionable way of tracking academic performance.
We're still going to look at all the key numbers anyway, the figures that proved this was one of the most unlikely national championship runs in NCAA history.
No. 7. UConn's seeding on Selection Sunday, lowest to win a title since 1985.
Kentucky would have matched No. 8-seed Villanova's title in 1985, the first year the field expanded for 1985. Still, UConn is the first team seeded this low to win a championship since Rollie Massimino's team upset Georgetown 29 years ago.
No. 18. UConn's rank in the final AP poll of the regular season.
While NCAA Tournament seeding aims to reflect the body of work for a season, the AP poll tends to reward recent performance and momentum. The Huskies ranked 18th in the final AP poll prior to the Tournament, marking the lowest rank for an eventual champion since Danny Manning and an unranked Kansas team won the title in 1988. UConn is the first team outside of the top 10 to win a title since 2003 Syracuse.
21.2. Points per game in the NCAA Tournament for Shabazz Napier.
How close did Napier come to matching his point guard predecessor, Kemba Walker? Pretty darn close. Napier scored 22 points in the championship game to raise his average to 21.3 points per game in the NCAA Tournament, 2.3 less than Walker during his championship run in 2011. The raw numbers were lower for Napier, but the 2014 Most Outstanding Player was a more efficient guard during his run to the title.
|Kemba vs. Shabazz
|Kemba Walker, 2011
|Shabazz Napier, 2014
|Points per game
|Rebounds per game
|Assists per game
|Steals per game
|43-of-107 (40.2 percent)
|Field goal shooting
|38-of-82 (46.3 percent)
|32-of-69 (46.9 percent)
|2-point field goals
|18-of-39 (46.2 percent)
|11-of-38 (28.9 percent)
|3-point field goals
|20-of-43 (46.5 percent)
|44-of-49 (90 percent)
|Free throw rate
|31-of-33 (94 percent)
|45.3 percent
|Effective field goal rate
|58.5 percent
|54.8 percent
|True shooting percentage
|65.8 percent
7-0. Kentucky's edge in McDonald's All-Americans over UConn on Monday.
The Huskies became the first team since 2002 Maryland and only the second since 1979 to win a national title without a McDonald's All-American. Granted, UConn has a McDonald's All-American on the roster in Rodney Purvis, who sat out the season after a transfer from NC State.
3. Players with two national titles from UConn.
This isn't exactly 2006-07 Florida when every key player returned to win back-to-back titles, but the list of players with two titles in the 64-team era is a short one. Shabazz Napier was an up-and-coming freshman on UConn's 2011 title team. Niels Giffey and Tyler Olander were seldom used in 2011, but became valuable role players in 2014.
31 points. Margin of defeat for UConn against Louisville on March 8.
The Huskies became a No. 7 seed in part because of an 81-48 loss to Louisville on March 8. Before UConn, no eventual national champion lost a game by 30 points during the regular season. Only seven national champions endured a 20-point loss during the season, according to Patrick Stevens of d1scourse.com.
For those wondering, the full list of national champs who lost by 20+ (which will probably take three tweets) ...— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) April 8, 2014
2014 UConn (lost 81-48 to Louisville) | 1965 UCLA (lost 110-83 to Illinois) | 1993 North Carolina (lost 88-62 to Wake Forest) ...— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) April 8, 2014
1985 Villanova (lost 85-62 to Pittsburgh) | 1975 UCLA (lost 103-81 to Washington) | 1991 Duke (lost 96-74 to North Carolina) ...— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) April 8, 2014
2002 Maryland (lost 99-78 to Duke). Seven champions total with a 20-point loss to their name prior to the NCAA tournament.— Patrick Stevens (@D1scourse) April 8, 2014
0-2. Record for the NCAA champion against the NIT runner up.
Perhaps this is yet another sign UConn's title is a shock or a sign that Selection Sunday snub SMU should have been in the field. Either way, NIT runner-up SMU twice defeated UConn during the regular season. The Mustangs defeated the Huskies by nine points in each game at home and on the road.
39. UConn's rank in Ken Pomeroy's ratings on offense.
If the seeding, the record against SMU and the Louisville rout weren't enough to make UConn an unlikely national champion, UConn bucked the trend in advanced statistics, too. Every national champion since 2003 ranked in the top 20 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency. At least until UConn. UConn ranked only 39th nationally in offensive efficiency on KenPom, making the Huskies the least-balanced national champion in at least 11 years.
8-of-25. UConn's performance from the field in the second half against Kentucky.
Perhaps this speaks to UConn's defense, the Huskies' hot start in the first half (50 percent from the field) or Kentucky's free throw shooting. In any event, UConn shot 32 percent from the field in the second half, including 5-of-16 from 2-point range and still won.
62.5. Free throw shooting rate by John Calipari teams in national title games.
John Calipari has led three teams at two programs to the national championship game, and two included subpar performances from the free throw line. On Monday, Kentucky went 13-of-24 from the line, reminiscent of Memphis' 12-of-19 performance, including 1-of-5 in the final 1:15, that allowed Kansas to force overtime for the 2008 title. Calipari's 2012 Kentucky team went 15-of-21 from the line in the championship game against Kansas.
97.5. Free throw shooting rate by Kentucky's opponents in the Final Four.
Kentucky's failures at the free throw line were only magnified by their opponents' success. The Wildcats didn't foul late against UConn as the Huskies went 10-of-10 from the line. Two days earlier, Wisconsin went 19-of-20 from the line and still lost to Kentucky.
87.8. UConn's free throw shooting rate in the NCAA Tournament.
Not to belabor the point on free throws, but the Huskies missed only 14 free throws in the entire NCAA Tournament, going 101-of-115 from the line. By the time UConn got to the Final Four, Florida and Kentucky knew better than to send UConn to the line. The Huskies attempted at least 20 free throws in each of their first four games of the Tournament before attempting 23 total in the Final Four.
5. Freshman starters for Kentucky.
That number didn't surprise anyone, but it's a notable mark for the Wildcats. Kentucky's Julius Randle, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, James Young and Dakari Johnson became the first all-freshman starting five in the title game since Michigan did it in 1991.
2. Coaches in their first or second season to win a national title.
UConn's Kevin Ollie joined Michigan's Steve Fisher in 1989 as the only two coaches to win a national title in only their first or second year as a head coach. Fisher, now at San Diego State, won his title when he replaced Bill Frieder in 1989. Frieder had accepted the Arizona State coaching job after the 1989 season but was fired by athletic director Bo Schembechler. Frieder's replacement Fisher went on to win the national championship.
889. UConn's four-year Academic Progress Rate as of 2011.
Napier's mention of the postseason ban probably wasn't the image the NCAA wanted in the afterglow of a national championship. UConn is a year removed from NCAA sanctions due to poor performance in the Academic Progress Rate, which the NCAA uses to measure athletes' progress toward earning a degree. UConn dipped below the required four-year score of 900 from 2007-08 through 2010-11 and missed the 2012-13 Big East and NCAA tournaments.
The 2014 national champion has been crowned, so now it's time to take a quick look ahead at next season.
Consider this a quick snapshot of the 2014-15 season. A handful of developments still need to happen before there's a clearer picture of the season ahead.
McDonald's All-American Myles Turner has yet to commit, and he's down to a handful of power players — Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, SMU and Duke.
NBA Draft early entries also have a deadline coming up before may. Prospects can enter the draft any time before April 27, but those who declare and do not hire an agent must withdraw by April 15 to retain their eligibility.
1. Arizona (33-5, 15-3 Pac-12, Elite Eight)
Gone: None
Undecided: F Aaron Gordon, F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, G Nick Johnson
Top players returning: F Brandon Ashley, G T.J. McConnell, C Kaleb Tarczewski, G Gabe York
New arrivals: G Kadeem Allen (junior college transfer), G Parker Jackson-Cartwright, F Stanley Johnson, F Craig Victor (freshmen)
The best case is that Gordon is the only player to leave for the Draft. Hollis-Jefferson is Arizona's next best prospect, and he's a fringe lottery possibility. If Johnson returns to team with McConnell and York in the backcourt. Stanley Johnson, the No. 3 prospect in the 247Sports Composite rankings, could step into Gordon's shoes. He'll be a more well-rounded offensive threat.
2. Wisconsin (30-8, 12-6 Big Ten, Elite Eight)
Gone: G Ben Brust
Top players returning: F Sam Dekker, G Josh Gasser, F Nigel Hayes, G Traevon Jackson, F Frank Kaminsky, G Bronson Koenig
The Badgers stand to lose only the sharpshooting Brust from a team that was one possession from playing for the national title. The Badgers always seem to have players waiting in the wings, so more minutes from rising sophomores Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig could make this an improved team from one that won 30 games in 2013-14.
3. Kansas (25-10, 14-4 Big 12, Round of 32)
Gone: F Tarik Black, C Joel Embiid, F Andrew Wiggins
Top players returning: F Perry Ellis, G Conner Frankamp, G Brannen Greene, G Frank Mason, G Wayne Selden, G Naadir Tharpe
New arrivals: F Cliff Alexander, G Kelly Oubre (freshmen), F Hunter Mickelson (Arkansas transfer)
Most teams would have trouble recovering from the departures of talent like Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. Kansas has a knack of grooming the next group while, of course, recruiting at a high level. Perry Ellis and Wayne Selden could become stars. The freshman class has only two players (for now), but both are top-five prospects in the 247Sports Composite. The Jayhawks also are in the running for top-five prospect Myles Turner.
4. Kentucky (29-11, 12-6 SEC, national runner up)
Gone: None yet
Undecided: C Willie Cauley-Stein, G Aaron Harrison, G Andrew Harrison, F Dakari Johnson, F Alex Poythress, F Julius Randle, G James Young
Top returning players: F Marcus Lee
New arrivals: G Devin Booker, F Trey Lyles, C Karl Towns, G Tyler Ulis (freshmen)
The outlook will be more complete when John Calipari's group sorts out who will — in his words — succeed and proceed to the NBA Draft. Expect major losses after a run to the title game, but if any of the veterans from this year's team return, Calipari may have fewer the headaches he had during the season. This freshman group isn't the historic group that singed a year ago, but Trey Lyles and Karl Towns are impressive big men. Tyler Ulis should be a solid point guard.
5. Duke (26-9, 13-5 ACC, Round of 64)
Gone: G Andre Dawkins, G Tyler Thornton
Undecided: F Rodney Hood, F Jabari Parker, F Rasheed Sulaimon
Top players returning: G Quinn Cook, F Amile Jefferson, F Semi Ojeleye, C Marshall Plumlee
New arrivals: G Tyus Jones, C Jahil Okafor, F Justise Winslow (freshmen)
Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood have not declared, but either returning would be a surprise. The Blue Devils return their point guard and best offensive rebounder to go with the No. 1 freshman class. Center Jahlil Okafor is the nation's No. 1 prospect in the 247Sports Composite while Jones is the No. 2 point guard.
6. Michigan (28-9, 15-3 Big Ten, Elite Eight)
Gone: F Jordan Morgan
Undecided: F Mitch McGary, F Glenn Robinson III, G Nik Stauskas
Top players returning: G Spike Albrecht, F Jon Horford, G Zak Irvin, G Caris LeVert, G Derrick Walton
New arrivals: F Kameron Chatman (freshman)
Michigan has three key players pondering a jump to the draft with Nik Stauskas the closest to being a lottery pick. Caris LeVert and Derrick Walton emerged late in the season, so they could be breakout candidates in 2014-15.
7. Wichita State (35-1, 18-0 Missouri Valley, Round of 32)
Gone: F Cleanthony Early, G Nick Wiggins
Top players returning: G Ron Baker, F Darius Carter, C Kadeem Coleby, G Tekele Cotton, G Fred VanVleet
Leading scorer Cleanthony Early is a big loss, but the Shockers return one of the top backcourts in the country in Fred VanVleet, Ron Baker and Tekele Cotton.
8. North Carolina (24-10, 13-5 ACC, Round of 32)
Gone: F James Michael McAdoo, G Leslie McDonald
Top players returning: G Isaiah Hicks, G Brice Johnson, F Kennedy Meeks, G Marcus Paige, F J.P. Tokoto
New arrivals: G Joel Berry, F Justin Jackson, G Theo Pinson (freshmen)
The foundation of the Tar Heels will be juniors Marcus Paige, Brice Johnson and J.P Tokoto, but the Tar Heels have standout sophomore and freshman classes to fill out a team that will challenge for an ACC title.
9. UConn (32-8, 12-6 American, national champion)
Gone: G Niels Giffey, G Lasan Kromah, G Shabazz Napier, F Tyler Olander
Undecided: F DeAndre Daniels
Top players returning: G Ryan Boatright, C Amida Brimah, G Omar Calhoun, F Phillip Nolan, G Terrence Samuel
New arrivals: G Daniel Hamilton (freshman), G Rodney Purvis (NC State transfer)
UConn is understandably curious what life will be like post-Shabazz Napier. If DeAndre Daniels returns, this is a team that will challenge for the AAC title. Adding Rodney Purvis, a decorated recruit who averaged only 8.3 points at NC State, may keep the Huskies in the mix.
10. Florida (36-3, 18-0 SEC, Final Four)
Gone: F Casey Prather, G Scottie Wilbekin, F Will Yeguete, C Patric Young
Top players returning: G Michael Frazier II, G Kasey Hill, F Dorian Finney-Smith, F Chris Walker
New arrivals: G Eli Carter (Rutgers transfer), G Chris Chiozza (freshman), G Brandon Francis (freshman), F Devin Robinson (freshman)
For a team that lost a group of seniors that played in four consecutive Elite Eights, Florida is well-positioned to stay competitive. Kasey Hill and Chris Walker, who didn't become eligible until midseason, were five-star recruits. Michael Frazier II can still shoot lights out. The Gators will need more from Dorian Finney-Smith.
11. Virginia (30-7, 16-2 ACC, Sweet 16)
Gone: G Joe Harris, F Akil Mitchell
Top players returning: G Justin Anderson, G Malcolm Brogdon, F Anthony Gill, G London Perrantes, F Mike Tobey
New arrivals: G Devon Hall (redshirt), G B.J. Stith (freshman)
The Cavaliers lose their second-leading scorer and top rebounder, but they may be built to last under Tony Bennett. Malcolm Brogdon emerged as the Cavs' MVP, and London Perrantes was an underappreciated point guard. Virginia also redshirted its top recruit, Devon Hall, last season.
12. Villanova (29-5, 16-2 Big East, Round of 32)
Gone: G James Bell
Top players returning: G Ryan Arcidiacono, G Dylan Ennis, G Josh Hart, G Darrun Hilliard, F Daniel Ochefu, F JayVaughn Pinkston
Leading scorer James Bell is gone, but the Wildcats have two other scorers who topped 14 points per game, plus point guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who was on the fringe of double figures. Nova will miss his 6.1 rebounds, but the good news is that Doug McDermott is gone from Creighton, one of four teams to beat the Wildcats last season.
13. SMU (27-10, 12-6 American, NIT runner up)
Gone: G Nick Russell
Top players returning: G Keith Frazier, F Markus Kennedy, G Ben Moore, G Nic Moore, C Yanick Moreira
New arrivals: G Emmanuel Mudiay
SMU responded to its Selection Sunday snub by reaching the NIT title game. The Mustangs have a chance to get into the NCAA Tournament next season with little drama. SMU adds the No. 2 recruit and No. 1 point guard, Emmanuel Mudiay, to a team that loses only one significant contributor. That gives SMU two five-star guards in Mudiay and Keith Frazier.
14. Louisville (31-6, 15-3 American, Sweet 16)
Gone: F Luke Hancock, G Russ Smith, F Kevin Ware
Undecided: F Montrezl Harrell
Top players returning: G Wayne Blackshear, G Chris Jones, G Terry Rozier
New arrivals: F Shaqquan Aaron, G Quentin Snider (freshmen)
Like a few other teams, Louisville is in rankings limbo. If Montrezl Harrell returns, the Cardinals could be a top-10 team. A major question will be how Chris Jones and Terry Rozier fill the shoes of Russ Smith in Louisville's first season in the ACC.
15. Michigan State (29-9, 12-6 Big Ten, Elite Eight)
Gone: G Keith Appling, G Gary Harris, C Adreian Payne
Undecided: F Branden Dawson
Top players returning: F Matt Costello, F Kenny Kaminski, G Travis Trice, G Denzel Valentine
The losses of Keith Appling, Gary Harris and Adreian Payne are major, but Michigan State has enough returning to be competitive in the Big Ten, especially if Branden Dawson returns to school. Travis Trice and Denzel Valentine thrived in their roles, but they'll need to be the No. 1 or No. 2 option next season.
16. Texas (24-11, 11-7 Big 12, Round of 32)
Gone: None
Top players returning: G Javan Felix, G Demarcus Holland, F Jonathan Holmes, F Connor Lammert, C Cameron Ridley, G Isaiah Taylor
The Longhorns were one of the surprise teams of 2013-14, turning Rick Barnes from a hot seat coach to Big 12 Coach of the Year. With no seniors on the 2013-14 rotation, Texas will be expected to contend for the Big 12 title in 2014-15.
17. Iowa State (28-8, 11-7 Big 12, Sweet 16)
Gone: F Melvin Ejim, G DeAndre Kane
Top players returning: F Dustin Hogue, G Naz Long, G Monte Morris, F Georges Niang, G Matt Thomas
New arrivals: F Jameel McKay (Marquette transfer), F Abdell Nader (Northern Illinois)
Losing Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane will hurt, but Georges Niang's value was clear in the Elite Eight loss to UConn. Monte Morris was a sure-handed point guard as a freshman, but he'll have the ball in his hands more with Kane gone. As usual, transfers will play a key role for coach Fred Hoiberg.
18. Oklahoma (23-10, 12-6 Big 12, Round of 64)
Gone: G Cameron Clark
Top players returning: G Isaiah Cousins, G Buddy Hield, F Ryan Spangler, G Jordan Woodard
New arrivals: F Khadeem Lattin (freshman)
Even without Cameron Clark, this will be a veteran team with rising juniors Buddy Hield, Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler leading the way. OU went 12-6 in the rugged Big 12 behind a freshman point guard, Jordan Woodard, who will have a year of experience.
19. VCU (26-9, 12-4 Atlantic 10, Round of 64)
Gone: G Rob Brandenburg, F Juvonte Reddic
Top players returning: G Jordan Burgess, G Treveon Graham, G Melvin Johnson, G JeQuan Lewis, G Briante Weber
New arrivals: F Michael Gilmore, F Terry Larrier, F Justin Tillman, G Jonathan Williams.
What little bulk VCU had is gone with the departure of 6-9 forward Juvonte Reddic. The Rams will try to make up for it with three freshman 6-7 or taller, all ranked in the top 100.
20. Kansas State (20-13, 10-8 Big 12, Round of 64)
Gone: G/F Shane Southwell, G Will Spradling
Top players returning: G Marcus Foster, F Thomas Gipson, F Wesley Iwundu, F D.J. Johnson, F Nino Williams
New arrivals: G Justin Edwards (Maine transfer), C Stephen Hurt (junior college transfer)
Losing those two seniors will hurt. Kansas State, though, will have one of the top point guards in the Big 12 in sophomore Marcus Foster. The Wildcats will need to prove something in a hurry. K-State lost its last four and six of its last nine.
21. Syracuse (28-6, 14-4 ACC, Round of 32)
Gone: G Tyler Ennis, F C.J. Fair
Undecided: F Jerami Grant
Top players returning: F Rakeem Christmas, F DaJuan Coleman, G Trevor Cooney, F Tyler Roberson
New arrivals: F Chris McCullough (freshman)
Point guard will be an issue for Syracuse as Jim Boeheim's last two floor generals, Tyler Ennis and Michael Carter-Williams, left earlier than anticipated. The return of Jerami Grant may be the difference between Syracuse contending for the ACC or the NCAA Tournament bubble.
22. UCLA (28-9, 12-6 Pac-12, Sweet 16)
Gone: G Kyle Anderson, G Zach LaVine, F David Wear, F Travis Wear
Undecided: G Jordan Adams
Top players returning: G Bryce Alford, F Wanaah Bail, F Tony Parker, G Norman Powell
New arrivals: G Isaac Hamilton (ineligible last season), F Kevon Looney (freshman)
The Bruins will be hit hard by the NBA Draft, but they will add a McDonald's All-American in Isaac Hamilton, who was ineligible last season after backing out of his letter of intent to UTEP. Norman Powell and Tony Parker will need to take lead roles.
23. Ohio State (25-10, 10-8 Big Ten, Round of 64)
Gone: G Aaron Craft, G LaQuinton Ross, G Lenzelle Smith
Top returning players: G Shannon Scott, F Sam Thompson, C Amir Williams
New arrivals: G Keita Bates-Diop (freshman), F Anthony Lee (Temple transfer), G D'Angelo Russell (freshman), G Kam Williams (redshirt)
Despite a leadership void without Aaron Craft, Ohio State will have the roster to contend in the Big Ten. Anthony Lee will be eligible immediately after transferring from Temple, where he averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds. A solid freshman class plus two guard Kam Williams returning from a redshirt year will keep Ohio State interesting.
24. Nebraska (19-13, 11-7 Big Ten, Round of 32)
Gone: G Ray Gallegos
Top players returning: G Terran Petteway, F Walter Pitchford, G Shavon Shields
Nebraska returns almost anyone from a fringe NCAA Tournament team. Did the Cornhuskers' late-season wins over Michigan State and Wisconsin signal a team ready for more?
25. Colorado (23-12, 10-8 Pac-12, Round of 64)
Gone: None
Undecided: G Spencer Dinwiddie
Top players returning: G Askia Booker, F Wesley Gordon, F Xavier Johnson, F Josh Scott, G Xavier Talton
The Buffaloes' ranking depends almost entirely on the return of Spencer Dinwiddie. Colorado is a top-15 team with him, a Pac-12 also-ran without him.
Also considered: Dayton, Gonzaga, Harvard, Memphis, Minnesota, Oregon