Preseason Top 25 - AthlonSports.com

2008 North Carolina Tar Heels Hoops Preview

The Tar Heels have improved each year with their current seniors, and they see no reason why they shouldn’t take the final step. Anything can happen in a single-elimination tournament, but anything short of a return to the Final Four would be a major disappointment in Chapel Hill. The trick for UNC now is to go from preseason No. 1 to postseason No. 1.

2008 Connecticut Huskies Hoops Preview

The Huskies, owners of 10 regular-season crowns, could challenge for their first championship since 2005-06. Their roster has a potent mix of talent, athleticism, experience and impact freshmen. Four of five starters are back.

2008 Louisville Cardinals Hoops Preview

Rick Pitino won a national championship during the seventh season of his eight-year run at the University of Kentucky. Believe it or not, Pitino will coach his eighth team at the University of Louisville this season. And Pitino says that this group has the ability to be as good as any team he’s coached at Louisville.

2008 UCLA Bruins Hoops Preview

UCLA had two players taken among the top five picks of the NBA Draft and lost a three-year starter in the second round. Time to rebuild? Never. Not these Bruins. An exceptional recruiting class and the proven defensive philosophy of coach Ben Howland mean a fourth successive trip to the Final Four is possible.

2008 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Hoops Preview

The days of Notre Dame sneaking up on the Big East frontrunners are over. Two years ago, with the Irish projected to finish in the bottom third of the league, Notre Dame went 24–8 overall and landed in the No. 4 spot in the conference. Last year, expected to finish in the bottom half of the Big East, the Irish went 25–8 overall and tied for second in the conference. Sorry, Notre Dame, no more sneak attacks.

2008 Texas Longhorns Hoops Preview

After watching LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant go No. 2 overall in back-to-back NBA Drafts, Texas became the only school in the nation with a top 10 pick each of the last three years when sophomore point guard D.J. Augustin was selected No. 9 by the Charlotte Bobcats. While that is a source of pride for Longhorn fans and nice for coach Rick Barnes’ résumé, where does that leave Texas heading into this season?

2008 Pittsburgh Panthers Hoops Preview

Sam Young, Levance Fields and DeJuan Blair carried the Panthers to a Big East Tournament title last season, and the hopes are even higher in 2008-09.

2008 Gonzaga Bulldogs Hoops Preview

Jeremy Pargo’s return means the Zags are loaded once again, with an experienced player — several, in some cases — at every position. Bottom line: Gonzaga is primed to continue its dominance of the West Coast Conference.

2008 Purdue Boilermakers Hoops Preview

Matt Painter knows his team will get plenty of attention. He realizes many prognosticators will not only pick the Boilermakers to compete for a Big Ten championship but also rank them among the nation’s elite. But they must maintain the motivation and work ethic that contributed to the meteoric rise last season and not wilt under the pressure of expectations. And with master motivator Painter at the helm, there’s little reason to believe the group will have trouble staying focused.

2008 Oklahoma Sooners Hoops Preview

The Sooners need the new faces to blend in and contribute, which is never a given. But if the chemistry is right, OU should challenge Texas and Kansas for Big 12 supremacy and charge deep in the NCAA Tournament.

- Recruiting: National Notebook

Athlon updates fans on all the latest happenings from the recruiting trail. UCLA, Iowa and... more