College Basketball's Biggest Preseason Questions: 17 for the Midwest Region [1]

Our top questions for the Big Ten, Atlantic 10 and MVC

With Midnight Madness less than two months away, our look at some of the biggest questions in college basketball for 2012-13 continues into its second week.

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College Football's Top 10 Non-Conference Games of September [27]

The season is close, and these matchups belong on your must-see list.

The much-anticipated college football season is almost here, and we cannot wait for toe to meet leather on the gridiron. From Cowboys Stadium to the Rose Bowl to the Georgia Dome, here are the top intersectional games to put on your calendar for August and September.

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Ranking the nation's top college basketball coaches [47]

Tom Izzo headlines our list of 30 coaches for 2012-13

Through the last two weeks, Athlon Sports ranked each coach in the ACC, Atlantic 10, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC along with the top 20 coaches from outside those seven conferences.

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Ranking the Big Ten's Basketball Coaches [74]

Top half of league's coaches include some of the nation's best

The seventh-ranked coach in the Big Ten has a national title ring. That’s what kind of challenge ranking the Big Ten coaches presents.

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Sweet 16: Toughest Path to the Final Four [76]

Syracuse, Michigan State both have a tough road

Kris Joseph

The editors at Athlon Sports debate some of the hot topics surrounding the NCAA Tournament.

What No. 1 seed has the toughest remaining path to the Final Four?

Nathan Rush: Syracuse has not been the same since Fab Melo was suspended. The Orange were lucky to avoid becoming the first No. 1 seed to fall to a No. 16 in their nail-biter against UNC-Asheville. Coach Jim Boeheim’s team had the talent to advance to the Sweet 16, but beating a tough Wisconsin club and either Ohio State or Cincinnati will be too tall a task without the 7-foot Brazilian big man Melo on the floor.

Mitch Light: Tough call. I don’t think it’s North Carolina, even with Kendall Marshall’s injury. I will go with Michigan State. The Spartans will be tested by Louisville in the Sweet 16, but I’ll take Tom Izzo over Rick Pitino in the showdown of coaching legends. Then, Marquette — assuming it beats Florida — awaits. The Golden Eagles are very talented and are playing with a ton of confidence. The most intriguing matchup will be Jae Crowder vs. Draymond Green, two of the most versatile big men in the nation. Marquette was my Final Four pick out of the West before the Tournament began, and I’m sticking with Buzz Williams’ club.

Patrick Snow: I think it’s close between Michigan State and Syracuse, but the Spartans look to have a slightly more difficult road to New Orleans. First up for MSU is Louisville, a red-hot team with a coach who has taken three different schools to the Final Four. The Cardinals have been a very streaky team, and the Big East Tournament champions currently seem to be on a UConn-like tear from last season. If Tom Izzo’s bunch beats Louisville, it would face the winner of Marquette and Florida. The Golden Eagles have lost only three games since Jan. 11, and they have a pair of high-scoring seniors in Darius Johnson-Odom and Jae Crowder. Meanwhile, the Gators destroyed their competition in the first two tourney games and have five players who average in double-figures. I still expect the Spartans to make the Final Four, but the Phoenix regional will be difficult.

Braden Gall: Easily the Syracuse Orange. Wisconsin lives and dies by the 3-point shot, and we all know the easiest way to beat a zone is to knock down shots from the outside. They are physical, experienced and won’t back down from the challenge. Jim Boehiem is also staring at a matchup with either Cincinnati or Ohio State in the Elite 8. The Buckeyes offer both the interior strength to take advantage of the Melo-less defense and the outside shooting and perimeter defense to slow the outstanding trio of Syracuse guards. Even the defensively minded Bearcats have played the Orange tough this season, losing a close one at home during the regular season and knocking off the Orange in the Big East tourney. North Carolina will likely have to face Kansas, and Michigan State is staring at a brutal match-up with Marquette, but no team faces a potential two-game combo like Syracuse could endure — all without the Big East Defensive Player of the Year.

Mark Ross: Just as soon as North Carolina gets John Henson back against Creighton, Kendall Marshall fractures a bone in his right wrist in the win against the Bluejays. He hasn’t been ruled out of Friday’s game against Ohio, but even if Marshall does play, you have to assume he will be limited at the very least, perhaps even to the point of playing basically one-handed. As talented as the Tar Heels are, Marshall, who ranks second in the nation in assists, is clearly the engine that makes this offense run. Marshall has also been more assertive when it comes to scoring, as he has scored 11 or more points in each of the last six games. But Roy Williams doesn’t need Marshall to score — he needs him to run the offense, because the only options behind Marshall with any experience running the point are Stilman White and Justin Watts, who combined to average less than 12 minutes per game. Marshall, not surprisingly, leads the team at 33 minutes per game. Should Carolina get by Ohio, with or without Marshall, then an even tougher task looms against the winner of the Kansas-NC State tilt. Bottom line: The one time of the year you need to be at full strength is March and Carolina is anything but at this point.

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NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Preview: West Region [77]

Michigan State held on, while Florida chomped along thanks to Norfolk State's upset of Missouri.

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Preview: West Region

Top Dog — Michigan State (1)

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NCAA Tournament: West Region Preview [87]

Michigan State and Missouri are the teams to beat, but Murray State could rise in Phoenix.

2012 NCAA Tournament

WEST REGION
Phoenix

Top Two – Michigan State (1), Missouri (2)

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College Basketball: Players of the Year [93]

Athlon takes a conference-by-conference look at the top players

By Mitch Light

Athlon Sports is in the business of preseason prognostications, so let’s look back at who we tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year in the nation’s top conferences and who deserves the award in the postseason.

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Kentucky's Davis and Kansas' Robinson lead POY Candidates [100]

Top 25 matchups highlight a stellar weekend around college basketball.

Each college basketball [108] weekend is taking on more meaning with less than a month to go until league tournaments begin.

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2011-12 Athlon Sports College Basketball Preseason Top 25 [109]

Team previews for our top teams entering the 2011-12 season

2011-12 Athlon Sports Preaseason Top 25

Click on each team for their preview

1. North Carolina [115]

2. Kentucky [116]

Michigan State Spartans

College Basketball's Biggest Preseason Questions: 17 for the Midwest Region [1]

COMMENTS

College Football's Top 10 Non-Conference Games of September [27]

COMMENTS

Ranking the nation's top college basketball coaches [47]

COMMENTS

Ranking the Big Ten's Basketball Coaches [74]

COMMENTS

Sweet 16: Toughest Path to the Final Four [76]

COMMENTS

NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Preview: West Region [77]

COMMENTS

NCAA Tournament: West Region Preview [87]

COMMENTS

College Basketball: Players of the Year [93]

COMMENTS

Kentucky's Davis and Kansas' Robinson lead POY Candidates [100]

COMMENTS

2011-12 Athlon Sports College Basketball Preseason Top 25 [109]

COMMENTS