61. Minnesota, 60. Providence

61. Minnesota
The Golden Gophers graduated its top three scorers from a 20-win team a year ago which made their first postseason berth under Tubby Smith’s first season as head coach. Lawrence McKenzie, Dan Coleman and Spencer Tollackson combined for 33 points per game, half of the Gopher total. Minnesota started out the season 12-3 before coming back to reality during the conference play, winning one game against the upper tier of the conference.
When a team must replace their top three scorers it never figures to be a positive atmosphere nor does it promise very much success, but this Minnesota team may be an exception. New acquisitions of a pair of 6’11 freshman bigs, Ralph Sampson III (son of UVA great Ralph Sampson) and Colton Iverson will make immediate impacts within the Big 10 and will make the back end of the Minnesota defense along with fifth year senior, 6’9 Jonathan Williams tough to crack. Junior Lawrence Westbrook and Blake Hoffarber return in the backcourt and both will move into prominent starting roles this year. An X-factor for Tubby Smith this season may be 6’8 juco-transfer forward Paul Carter. Carter adds height and athleticism to the frontcourt and swing game similar to a Tayshaun Prince-type player who Smith would love to emulate. Carter should see significant minutes as a big three for the Gophers this year.
This team will be incredibly young and could end up foiling and going 12-18 or so; but I really feel Smith will put this team together very quickly and let the newcomers gain confidence. With only two seniors on the team, and only one (Williams) expects to see time, this team will grow up quickly in the conference. Without question the best thing for this squad will be not leaving Minneapolis more than once in the non-con. Look for Minny to be rolling again and growing up as a team before crashing a little in the Big Ten season. I will not say an NCAA appearance is an expectation but with the talent here it is a realistic goal and possibility.

60. Providence
A high amount of talent combined with a high amount of experience normally yields the greatest kind of success a collection of individuals can have on a basketball court. Unfortunately for the Providence Friars and Tim Welsh, great expectations do not always warrant great success. Preseason expectations were set very high as Welsh was on the hotseat with all of his top scorers returning and garnering preseason top 25 votes. An opening week upset of then number 18 Arkansas showed the Friars could play with the most athletic teams in the country. After a victory at Boston College on Dec. 1, the wheels fell off. Going 10-16 the rest of the way, only six of the victories coming in conference threw the Friars in 12th place and almost missed the Big East tournament. As a result, a change was demanded and Tim Welsh was showed the door.
Enter former Drake coach Keno Davis. Davis resurrects Drake in one season and cashes in, getting a job which could change the landscape of the Providence program. Five of the top six scorers are back; the entire starting lineup returns promising another season of high expectations where they must come to play every night in an incredibly difficult Big East. They have size, 6’11 Randall Hanke and 6’11 Ray Hall both return however neither were forces on the defensive end, hurting the Providence frontcourt when in foul trouble. The guards are there and will be one of the deepest, best backcourts in the league. Jeff Xavier, Weyinmi Efejuku, Brian McKenzie and Geoff McDermott all return accounting for 45 points per game. Xavier will be the biggest piece to this Friar enigma as he must lead the team again but continue to score against the best defenses in the league. Luckily this season he should have help running the point with more experience around him.
One freshman on this Friar team means this team should come out clicking on all cylinders and ready to really turn some heads this season. So much experience, so much talent, so much athleticism and a new face at the head of the table means the sky is the limit for this squad. The schedule will get dicey quick as they travel out to the Anaheim Classic over Thanksgiving and they then will face a challenge every night in the league. Nothing should surprise this squad after last season’s debacle. I think this is a possible sweet-16 team on paper, but will in all reality be a bubbler come March.