College football is only a couple weeks away. But while all the excitement is around the gridiron, NCAA basketball fans are brewing with quiet anticipation of the upcoming NCAA hoops slate.
If you’re one of those hoops heads counting down the days until November, here are some teams to watch during the 2009-10 schedule. They may not make the Final Four but they will definitely make some money this season:
Cincinnati Bearcats (+10,000 to win NCAA title)
The impact of the NBA’s one-year rule has made select schools instant contenders with the addition of top recruits that should be lacing them up in the pros. Cincinnati became one of those teams this summer when it shocked the country by landing guard Lance Stephenson.
Whether Stephenson’s talents outweigh the black cloud that seems to follow him will be on head coach Mick Cronin. But if they can keep the slashing guard out of trouble and in the spotlight, the Bearcats will surprise the Big East.
Coming back to Cincy is scoring guard Deonta Vaughn, junior forward Yancy Gates and playmaker Cashmere Wright, who missed last year after tearing his ACL. The Bearcats frontcourt will get a boost come conference play when Oklahoma State transfer Ibrahima Thomas is eligible to play.
Purdue Boilermakers (+2500 to win NCAA title)
The Big Ten is this year’s power conference and Purdue is a big reason why. The Boilermakers return five starters, Robbie Hummel, Chris Kramer, E'Twaun Moore, Lewis Jackson and JaJuan Johnson, and have a dangerous 3-point threat in Keaton Grant coming off the bench.
Injuries and illness really slowed this squad down last year, but if Hummel’s back can hold up for an entire season, Purdue is a great sleeper pick to make the Final Four. The Boilermakers need more scoring to go along with their grimy defense. That offense should come with the maturation of Johnson and Moore, who combined for almost 27 points a game in 2009.
Washington Huskies (+4000 to win NCAA title)
The Pac-10 can sometimes get overlooked. But anyone who braved the late nights to watch the conference’s contests had the pleasure of seeing WU’s Isaiah Thomas do his thing. The diminutive guard led the team in scoring and assists in his first year and returns alongside swingman Quincy Pondexter, who was a monster for the Huskies in the second half of the season.
Washington does lose major cogs in big Jon Brockman and inconsistent guard Justin Dentmon. But coach Lorenzo Romar returns athletic talent in the frontcourt with Matthew Bryan-Armstrong and Darnell Gant and brings in a Top-25 recruiting class, featuring coveted point guard Abdul Gaddy.
Iowa State Cyclones (+20,000 to win NCAA title)
Betting the Cyclones to win the national championship this upcoming season is stupid. But taking them to cover against Big 12 opponents should earn you an honorary degree from ISU. The program caught a huge break when Craig Brackins pulled out of the NBA Draft and returned for his junior year.
The versatile 6-foot-10 forward averaged over 20 points in 2009 and will finally get the recognition he deserves this year. Behind Brackins is a solid core of returnees including passing point guard Diante Garrett, German shooter Lucca Staiger and bruising forwards Justin Hamilton and Jamie Vanderbeken. Iowa State also has a Top-100 recruit in freshman guard Chris Colvin coming in.