Baylor, Mizzou and Iowa State make Gottleib's best of the rest

[BigTime]

Doug broke down the top 30 teams that didn't make Dick Vitale's top 40 list.

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On Iowa State:

Iowa State brings back potential NBA lottery pick Craig Brackins (how often can you say you're bringing back a 20-10 guy?) and German national-teamer Lucca Staiger. With incoming talent such as Marquette transfer Scott Christopherson, Chicago high school product Chris Colvin and junior college transfer Marquis Gilstrap, the Clones' rebuilding job should finally be complete. Remember, lost in the mess that former coach Wayne Morgan left is an unreal home-court crowd at Hilton Coliseum and the coaching ability of Greg McDermott, who built Northern Iowa into an NCAA tourney team before heading to Ames.

On Missouri (looks like he would think differently now that DeWitt didn't make it:

Missouri was an Elite Eight team that won the Big 12 tournament this past season, yet it is garnering no love right now. Some might say rightfully so because the Tigers lost their interior twosome of Leo Lyons and DeMarre Carroll, plus sharpshooting Matt Lawrence. Coach Mike Anderson landed his most high-profile recruit since arriving in Columbia with 6-foot-10 athletic freak Keith DeWitt, but there's a question as to whether he will qualify academically. So with the entire backcourt of Zaire Taylor, defensive savant J.T. Tiller, Kim English and Marcus Denmon all back, only the NCAA Eligibility Center stands between Mizzou and another postseason tournament of some kind.

On Baylor:

Ask anyone in the Big 12 which team has great young talent and they'll tell you it's Baylor. So he won't have the pressure to score 25 a night, LaceDarius Dunn is surely pleased former Memphis signee Nolan Dennis is around to carry some of the load. A.J. Walton, ranked among the top 10 incoming freshman point guards, will compete with Tweety Carter for the starts at the 1 (they might play together some, too). Quincy Acy and newcomer Cory Jefferson make them much better inside than in years past, and Mark McLaughlin gives them yet another scorer. The Bears finished well and recruited well. If they will guard someone, they have the ability to make things interesting in the Big 12.

He also mentioned probably OU foe next season, Washington State:

• A funny thing happened on the way back to obscurity for Washington State: Klay Thompson stayed in Pullman. Thompson, whom Andy Katz wrote about this week, might just be the best all-around player in the Pac-10 this season. And perhaps the best thing to happen to him was that Tony Bennett left for Virginia. I know it's sacrilege to say so, but Wazzu landed Ken Bone from Portland State, and the two seem tailored more for each other than anyone could imagine. Bennett is a great young coach, and he and his father did the unthinkable in Pullman, but Bone plays faster and could unshackle Thompson, DeAngelo Casto and incoming Australian big Brock Motum. With Arizona, Arizona State and USC all down compared to the past two seasons, the Cougars -- despite the loss of Aron Baynes and Taylor Rochestie -- could end up being fine in the end.

 

[Capel's Mustache]

He didn't even mention Udoh

I didn't know Wazzu is a possible opponent. Where? When?

 

[DFWHoopster]

He didn't even mention Udoh?

Lazy reporting... Here's some more Udoh propaganda for you from a interview with Lomers:

“He’s a force to be reckoned with,” Lomers said of Udoh, who started as a sophomore at Michigan, leading the Big Ten with 2.91 blocks per game and being named to the league’s All-Defensive Team. “I think when he wants to score, there are very, very few people that can stop him. And when he wants to stop somebody, there are very, few people he can’t stop. He’s just a great player on both ends of the court and works his butt off. Even as a practice player last year, he made us exponentially better.

 

[campbest]

Lazy reporting... Here's some more Udoh propaganda for you from a interview with Lomers:

“He’s a force to be reckoned with,” Lomers said of Udoh, who started as a sophomore at Michigan, leading the Big Ten with 2.91 blocks per game and being named to the league’s All-Defensive Team. “I think when he wants to score, there are very, very few people that can stop him. And when he wants to stop somebody, there are very, few people he can’t stop. He’s just a great player on both ends of the court and works his butt off. Even as a practice player last year, he made us exponentially better.

a la Tim Duncan.

 

[thebigabd]

a la Tim Duncan.

I think he is like Tim Duncan on offense and Dwight Howard on defense.

 

[CarlWeathers]

For lomers, the wind is a force to be reckoned with.

I kid I kid. Baylor should be interesting this year. I'm still not convinced Drew can do much with what he has but we shall see.