The new NCAA basketball season officially kicked off when schools across the nation hold open practices in front of packed gyms – an event better known as Midnight Madness. ESPNU's broadcast featured the Southern Illinois Salukis, Davidson Wildcats, Memphis Tigers and Georgetown Hoyas.
Here’s a preview of those teams and a breakdown of what to expect this season from four of the country’s most interesting programs.
Memphis Tigers: +700 to win national championship
Memphis is one of the top five teams in the land heading into this season. Coach John Calipari has 10 players returning from last year’s squad including star guard Chris Douglas-Roberts.
The Tigers’ up-tempo style has a new driver at the wheel this season with the addition of top-rated point guard recruit Derek Rose, who’ll add his playmaking abilities to a Memphis backcourt of Douglas-Roberts and defensive standout Antonio Anderson.
What this team’s frontcourt lacks in size it makes up for in fight. Six-foot-9 forwards Robert Dozier and Joey Dorsey are a great duo on the blocks. Dozier is a leaper with finesse around the key and Dorsey, who was named CUSA Defensive Player of the Year last season, relies on brute strength to get his looks under the basket.
Calipari arranged for a tough non-conference schedule this year in order to silence critics that say the CUSA doesn’t test the Tigers enough. Memphis has possible meeting with Oklahoma, Kentucky and UConn, as well as scheduled dates with Georgetown, Arizona, Cincinnati and Gonzaga.
Southern Illinois Salukis: +20000 to win national championship
The kings of the Missouri Valley are once again in the hunt for March glory after making the tournament field six years in a row. The Salukis return seven everyday players from last season’s team that made it to the Sweet 16.
Southern Illinois is packed with upper classmen including MVC Defensive Player of the Year Randal Falker. The bruising 6-foot-7 forward will be just as much of a force with the ball this season as he is guarding it.
Falker is joined by fellow returning starters Matt Shaw and Bryan Mullins. The comeback of redshirt freshman Christian Cornelius from injury and freshman addition Carlton Fay will keep SIU on top of the Missouri Valley Conference.
Head coach Chris Lowry also penciled in a tough non-conference schedule. His team has showdowns against Indiana, Butler, Western Kentucky and St. Louis to go along with an always-competitive MVC calendar.
Georgetown Hoyas: +1500 to win national championship
Roy Hibbert’s return to D.C. makes Georgetown an immediate contender for the national title. The Hoyas’ big man is the main option on offense this season but has to be more consistent if he’s going to carry the team deep into March.
Also returning to the starting lineup is backcourt tandem Jonathan Wallace and Jessie Sapp. Both improved in every game last year and now have another season’s experience under their belts. Swingman DaJuan Summers is ready for a bigger role in the Princeton offence and coach John Thompson III believes Summers can fill the big shoes left empty by Jeff Green.
Georgetown’s frontcourt is deep, which also helps with the loss of Green who piggybacked the team in the Big East and national tournaments. Forwards Patrick Ewing Jr. and Vernon Macklin will battle for the final starting spot. Freshmen backcourt additions Chris Wright and Austin Freeman will also fight for time off the bench, two top recruits who will replace Wallace and Sapp as next season’s one-two guard punch.
Coach Thompson made sure the Hoyas would stay sharp despite the lethal Big East schedule. He arranged non-conference games against Michigan, Alabama and the Memphis Tigers.
Davidson Wildcats: No odds available to win national title
Davidson seems like the outcast in this group of four. This isn’t a top-10 team like Memphis and Georgetown, and it doesn’t have the reputation of Southern Illinois. However, the Wildcats are one the nation’s best-kept secrets. That’s why they’re in the national spotlight.
One reason for the buzz around Davidson is sophomore scoring machine Stephen Curry, who was introduced to the country during the opening round of last year’s tournament. The sharp-shooting Curry played in the shadow of Texas freshmen star Kevin Durant last season, keeping his 21.5 points per game under the radar.
With Curry and returning point guard Jason Richards in the backcourt, Davidson is primed to run the table in the SoCon’s South division. Senior forwards Boris Meno and Thomas Sander are effective under the hoop. Tweener Max Paulhus Gosselin and reserve William Archambault provide added scoring for the Wildcats.
Head coach Bob McKillop opens his schedule with four teams that will be still playing in late March. Davidson has dates with national championship faves North Carolina and UCLA as well as games against ACC standouts Duke and North Carolina State.