The Bum's Previewing College Basketball Teams 2018 - 2019 !

[StarDust Bum]

Xavier Preview-Capsule
October 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 29-6, lost to Florida State in second round of NCAA Tournament.

Nickname: Musketeers.

Coach: Travis Steele.

Conference: Big East.

Who's gone: Coach Chris Mack (Louisville), guard Trevon Bluiett, guard J.P. Macura, forward Kerem Kanter, forward Kaiser Gates, forward Sean O'Mara.

Who's back: Junior point guard Quentin Goodin (8.7 point per game) is Xavier's most experienced returning player and will be one of the team's leaders, along with sophomore forward Naji Marshall, who started 18 games last season. Marshall averaged 7.7 points and is Xavier's most diverse offensive player. Forward Tyrique Jones (7 ppg, 4.5 rebounds) is counted on to play a bigger scoring role on the front line. Sophomore guard Paul Scruggs (4.9 ppg) also moves into an expanded role.

Who's new: Three graduate students. Forward Zach Hankins set school records for blocked shots and field goal percentage at Ferris State. Guard Ryan Welage set the school record for 3-pointers in three seasons at San Jose State. Guard Kyle Castlin is a team captain after coming over from Columbia, where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.

The Skinny: Xavier is in a transition season with a new head coach and a significantly different roster. The Musketeers lost five of their top seven scorers including Bluiett, who averaged 19.3 points per game. Xavier was ranked as high as No. 3 last season, won its first Big East regular season title and got its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before blowing a 12-point lead and losing in the second round. Steele was Mack's top assistant and moved up when Mack went to Louisville.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Xavier as a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, on par with Louisville, St. John's and Butler. Defending national champion Villanova is one of the top favorites at 10-1.

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Cincinnati Preview-Capsule
October 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 31-5, reached second round of NCAA Tournament.

Nickname: Bearcats.

Coach: Mick Cronin.

Conference: American Athletic.

Who's gone: Guard Jacob Evans III (NBA), forward Gary Clark, forward Kyle Washington.

Who's back: Junior guard Jarron Cumberland, the top returning scorer at 11.5 points per game, leads a roster that will rely heavily on perimeter play. Senior point guards Cane Broome (7.9 ppg) and Justin Jennifer (4.8) are counted on for leadership and more points. The Bearcats' front line is undergoing a major overhaul as it tries to replace Clark - the Bearcats' best player who averaged 12.9 points and 8.7 rebounds - and Washington, who averaged 11.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. Junior forward Tre Scott (3.1 ppg) is expected to move into a bigger role, along with sophomore Eliel Nsoseme (0.9).

Who's new: Swingman Rashawn Fredericks is expected to contribute right away as a transfer from Motlow State Community College in Tennessee. Freshman forward LaQuill Hardnett averaged 17 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists at Perry Hall High School in Philadelphia. Freshman guard Logan Johnson averaged 22 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists at St. Francis High School in California. How quickly they learn to fit Cincinnati's defensive schemes will determine how much they play.

The Skinny: Cincinnati had its best team under Cronin, winning the conference and going 15-1 at Northern Kentucky University while its on-campus arena was renovated and finishing No. 6 in the AP poll. The Bearcats blew a 22-point lead with 11 minutes left and lost to Nevada in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, matching the second-biggest meltdown in tournament history. They're always a defense-oriented team. Their biggest question is whether they can score enough with Evans - their top scorer - and Clark gone.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers give Cincinnati an 85-1 shot at winning the NCAA Tournament, the same as Ohio State - the opponent that opens their renovated arena on Nov. 7. They and Wichita State are expected to compete for the AAC title again.

[StarDust Bum]

Villanova Preview Capsule
October 24, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 36-4, won third national championship in school history.

Nickname: Wildcats

Coach: Jay Wright

Conference: Big East

Who's gone: Point guard Jalen Brunson, F Omari Spellman, F Mikal Bridges, G Donte DiVincenzo are all in the NBA.

Who's back: Guard Phil Booth, the last major link to the 2016 title team, returns for a fifth season. He averaged 10 points and made 10 starts for the Big East Tournament title team. He's going to be counted on to lead a team that will try and develop four sophomores into stars. Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels, Dylan Painter and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree all need to emerge into solid rotation players for the Wildcats to have a shot at a repeat.

Who's new: Freshman Jahvon Quinerly, a five-star recruit, is expected to follow Brunson as Villanova's next great point guard and graduate transfer Joe Cremo is expected to provide needed depth after he scored 1,469 points in three years at Albany.

The Skinny: The Wildcats are ranked ninth in The AP Top 25 and should again contend to win the Big East. The Wildcats are reloading after losing four stars to the NBA. But an elite program like Villanova just replaces talent with talent and the Wildcats are expected to keep rolling deep into March.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Villanova as a 10-1 shot to win the NCAA Tournament. But no team has been able to repeat since Florida in 2006 and 2007.

[StarDust Bum]

West Virginia preview capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 26-11, lost to Villanova in East Region semifinals.

Nickname: Mountaineers

Coach: Bob Huggins

Conference: Big 12

Who's gone: G Jevon Carter, the team's leading scorer and two-time Big 12 defensive player of the year; G Daxter Miles Jr.; F Teddy Allen; F Maciej Bender.

Who's back: F Sagaba Konate, 10.8 PPG. 7.6 RPG; F Esa Ahmad, 10.2 PPG; F Lamont West, 9.4 PPG; G James ''Beetle'' Bolden, 8.7 PPG; F Wes Harris, 5.3 PPG; F Logan Routt; G Chase Harler.

Who's new: G Jordan McCabe; F Emmitt Matthews Jr.; G Jermaine Haley; F Andrew Gordon; F Derek Culver; G Trey Doomes; G Taevon Horton; G Brandon Knapper, who redshirted last season due to a preseason knee injury. Haley and Gordon are junior college transfers.

The Skinny: Losing playmaker Carter was big, especially on the defensive end, but Huggins recruited a stack of guards and forwards to bolster his ''Press Virginia'' defensive mentality. Size might be the most noticeable change this season. West Virginia has nine players who are 6-7 or taller. The Mountaineers have finished second in the Big 12 the past three seasons and have been picked third behind perennial power Kansas and Kansas State.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have West Virginia at 30-1 to win the NCAA Tournament, the second-best among Big 12 teams behind Kansas.

[StarDust Bum]

Baylor Preview-Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 19-15, lost in second round of NIT.

Nickname: Bears.

Coach: Scott Drew.

Conference: Big 12.

Who's gone: Point guard Manu Lecomte, forwards Jo Lual-Acuil Jr., Terry Maston and Nuni Omot.

Who's back: Senior guard King McClure (8.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.7 apg), sophomore forward Tristan Clark (6.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg), sophomore guard/forward Mark Vital (6.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.2 apg).

Who's new: Mario Kegler is a 6-7 transfer from Mississippi State, where he started 31 games as a freshman in 2016-17. Guard Makai Mason is the first graduate transfer ever at Baylor, the team he scored 31 points against in the 2016 NCAA Tournament while with Yale. Matthew Mayer is a 6-9 freshman shooter from Austin Westlake who can cause matchup problems with his size. Jared Butler is a top recruit who originally chose Alabama but was given his release and joined Baylor in August.

The Skinny: Drew goes into his 16th season at Baylor with nine newcomers on the roster, and only three lettermen from last season available to play. The top four scorers from last season are gone.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Baylor as a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, the same as Big 12 rival TCU, but well below five other conference foes, including league favorites Kansas at 17-2 and West Virginia at 30-1.

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TCU Preview-Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 21-12, reached first NCAA Tournament since 1998.

Nickname: Horned Frogs.

Coach: Jamie Dixon.

Conference: Big 12.

Who's gone: Forward Kenrich Williams (NBA), forward Vladimir Brodziansky (pro league in Spain).

Who's back: Senior guard Alex Robinson averaged 9.7 points and a team-best 6.1 assists per game last season. Forward J.D. Miller averaged 7.9 points and 3.8 rebounds. Guard Desmond Bane was the Big 12's best 3-point shooter, making 46 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Point guard Jaylen Fisher averaged 10.7 points and 4.4 assists per game, but missed the end of each of his first two seasons because of injury and is hurt again. His sophomore season ended last January because of a torn meniscus in his right knee, and had arthroscopic surgery on the same knee in September. Kouat Noi, a 6-7 forward, averaged 10.2 points and 3.9 rebounds as a freshman.

Who's new: Kaden Archie is a 6-6 freshman forward from nearby Midlothian, Kevin Samuel is a 6-11 center from Barbuda, and 6-11 forward Yuat Alok is a junior from New Zealand.

The Skinny: After making it to their first NCAA Tournament in 20 seasons, the Frogs are No. 20 in this year's preseason AP poll. With five returning players and eight newcomers for Dixon's third season, the coach says that ranking is based on what they can become, but not what they are now.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have TCU as a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, the same as Big 12 rival Baylor, but well below five other conference foes, including league favorites Kansas at 17-2 and West Virginia at 30-1.

[StarDust Bum]

Rutgers Preview-Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 15-19, surprised many by reaching quarterfinals of Big Ten tournament.

Nickname: Scarlet Knights.

Coach: Steve Pikiell.

Conference: Big Ten.

Who's gone: Guard and leading scorer Corey Sanders opted for the NBA and was not drafted. G Mike Williams, F DeShawn Freeman, F Candido Sa, F Matt Bullock and G Souf Mensah.

Who's back: Sophomore guard Geo Baker started 29 games as a freshman, averaging 10.8 points and 2.2 rebounds. Among Big Ten freshmen, ranked top five in minutes, assists and 3-point field goal percentage. Junior forward Eugene Omoruyi started the final seven games, averaging 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds. Junior swingman Issa Thiam started 33 of 34 games, averaging 29 minutes, 7.0 points and 4.4 rebounds. Graduate center Shaquille Doorson made his four starts in the final five games. He averaged 12 minutes, 1.8 points and 2.9 rebounds. Sophomore center Mamadou Doucoure started 29 games, averaging 2.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13 minutes.

Who's new: Sophomore G Peter Kiss, who averaged 13.3 points and 5.6 rebounds as a freshman at Quinnipiac, is eligible after sitting out a transfer season. Freshman center-forward Myles Johnson will play after redshirting last season. The Scarlet Knights have three freshmen who should see action: guards Caleb McConnell, Montez Mathis and swingman Ron Harper Jr. McConnell averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals as a senior SPIRE Institute in Ohio. Mathis was a consensus four-star recruit at John Carroll High School in Baltimore. Harper averaged 20.8 points for Don Bosco Prep in New Jersey. JUCO transfer F Shaq Carter will see action.

The Skinny: Rutgers has not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1990-91. It has only had five winning seasons since that time, the last in 2005-06. Since joining the Big Ten in 2014-15, it has won nine regular-season games. No wonder Vegas says their odds of winning the national title are 6,000-1.

Expectations: They lost a little too much and they are too young. A .500 season would be great.

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[StarDust Bum]

Texas Tech Preview-Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 27-10, reached NCAA Elite Eight for first time in school history

Nickname: Red Raiders

Coach: Chris Beard

Conference: Big 12

Who's gone: Keenan Evans, Zhaire Smith, Niem Stevenson, Zach Smith, Tommy Hamilton IV and Justin Gray.

Who's back: Jarrett Culver is a 6-5 sophomore guard from Lubbock who is the only one of Tech's top six scorers back from last season. Beard said Culver, who averaged 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game last season, has a chance to be one of the top players in college basketball. Brandone Francis is a senior guard who started his career at Florida. Senior center Norense Odiase started 29 of 37 games last season.

Who's new: Graduate transfers Matt Mooney and Tariq Owens, who are both eligible to play immediately. Mooney is the first-team shooting guard from the Summit League, where he averaged 18.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season at South Dakota. Owens is a 6-10 post player who had a Big East-leading 2.8 blocks per game last season.

The Skinny: After making it to the Elite Eight for the first time last season and being the Big 12 runner-up, the Red Raiders lost a lot of scoring from a year ago. The Red Raiders will depend on hometown player Culver and the two graduate transfers.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers list Texas Tech as 70-1 to win the NCAA Tournament. The only Big 12 teams with better odds are league favorites Kansas at 17-2 and West Virginia at 30-1.

[StarDust Bum]

Texas Preview Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 19-15, lost in first round of NCAA Tournament

Nickname: Longhorns

Coach: Shaka Smart

Conference: Big 12

Who's gone: Center Mo Bamba (NBA)

Who's back: Guard Kerwin Roach returned for his senior season and is Texas' best two-way player. He averages 12.3 points and consistently draws the toughest defensive assignment. Senior forward Dylan Osetkowski averaged 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds. Andrew Jones returned to the team as he continues to get treatment and recover from last season's leukemia diagnosis but whether he will play is undecided. Just his appearance on the bench will be an inspiration.

Who's new: Junior guard Elijah Mitrou-Long transferred from Mount St. Mary's, where he averaged 10.7 points and was a 37 percent 3-point shooter.

The Skinny: Smart got Texas winning again but the Longhorns still couldn't make any noise in the postseason with another first-round NCAA Tournament loss. Smart is 50-50 heading into his fourth season at Texas.

Expectations: Texas is expected to be one of the top six teams in the Big 12, which should be good enough for another NCAA Tournament berth.

[StarDust Bum]

Iowa St-Preview Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 13-18

Nickname: Cyclones

Coach: Steve Prohm

Conference: Big 12

Who's gone: Guard Donovan Jackson, who averaged 15 points a game a year ago.

Who's back: Pretty much everyone else, led by sophomore guard Lindell Wigginton. He scored 16.7 points a game and was a first-team preseason All-Big 12 pick in 2017-18. Senior Nick Weiler-Babb averaged 11.3 points, 7 rebounds and 6.8 assists as a point guard, but he struggled with knee tendinitis toward the end of last season. Sophomore Cam Lard (12.6 points, 8.1 rebounds a game) is a candidate for a breakout season if he can stay out of trouble off the court.

Who's new: Four talented freshmen led by Chicago wing Talen Horton-Tucker, a top-50 recruit who will probably start. Watch out for freshman Tyrese Haliburton, a 6-foot-5 point guard who likely earned time in Prohm's tight rotations with a strong offseason.

The Skinny: The Cyclones should be back in the mix for the NCAA Tournament after an expected rebuilding season. There will be a lot of moving parts, but Iowa State also has enough talent to make some noise in the Big 12 and beyond.

Expectations: Oddsmakers have listed Iowa State's national title hopes at 225-to-1.

[StarDust Bum]

Oklahoma State Preview Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 21-15, sixth in Big 12, reached NIT quarterfinals.

Nickname: Cowboys.

Coach: Mike Boynton.

Conference: Big 12.

Who's gone: Forward Jeffrey Carroll (NBA G-League), guard Kendall Smith, guard Tavarius Shine, center Mitchell Solomon, guard Brandon Averette, center Yankuba Sima, center Lucas N'Guessan.

Who's back: Guard Lindy Waters III, the team's top returning scorer who averaged 8.7 points per game last season; forward Cameron McGriff, who averaged 8.4 points and 5.4 rebounds; guard Thomas Dziagwa, who made 37 3-pointers.

Who's new: Guard Michael Weathers. The redshirt transfer from Miami, Ohio, has been charged with grand larceny, and the school has suspended him indefinitely as he awaits a court date. He's still listed on the roster. He was the Mid-American Conference Freshman of the Year in 2016-17 after averaging 16.7 points per game. Guard Mike Cunningham, a graduate transfer from USC Upstate, scored 1,181 career points for the Spartans. Curtis Jones, a transfer from Indiana, should be available at the end of the first semester. Boynton said freshman guard Isaac Likekele has been impressive.

The Skinny: Oklahoma State doesn't look like much on paper, but they didn't last year, either. They ended up beating six ranked teams and got Boynton a contract extension. The Cowboys will be competitive if Boynton can instill his principles in a group that includes nine newcomers.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers give Oklahoma State a 350-1 shot at winning the national title, the worst odds in the Big 12.

[StarDust Bum]

Oklahoma Preview Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 18-14, lost in first round of NCAA Tournament.

Nickname: Sooners.

Coach: Lon Kruger.

Conference: Big 12.

Who's gone: Guard Trae Young (NBA), guard Kameron McGusty (transfer), center Khadeem Lattin.

Who's back: Guard Christian James started every game last season and averaged 11.9 points and 4.4 rebounds; forward Brady Manek averaged 10.2 points and made 59 3-pointers, center Jamuni McNeace split time with Lattin last season and was second on the team with 46 blocks; guard Rashard Odomes averaged 7.2 points per game; forward Kristian Doolittle averaged 2.9 points last season, but he averaged 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds two seasons ago as a freshman.

Who's new: Guard Aaron Calixte, a graduate transfer who scored 1,125 points for Maine; guard Jamal Bieniemy, a four-star recruit; and guard Miles Reynolds, who averaged 13.3 points per game for Pacific last season.

The Skinny: The Sooners are experienced and could be very good if their point guard play pans out. It will be difficult to replace Young, but the holdovers will be motivated by a chance to have more of an impact.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers give Oklahoma a 225-1 shot at winning the national title, the second-worst odds in the conference.

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Wisconsin preview capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 15-18, missed NCAA Tournament for first time in 19 years.

Nickname: Badgers.

Coach: Greg Gard.

Conference: Big Ten.

Who's gone: Reserve forwards Aaron Moesch and Andy Van Vliet (transferred to William & Mary).

Who's back: The Badgers get 95 percent of their scoring back from last season, led by senior forward Ethan Happ. The 6-foot-10 Happ (17.9 points per game, 8.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists) has been working on foul shooting and developing a mid-range jumper. Three important pieces in the backcourt are back from injuries, starting with guard Brad Davison. He emerged as an emotional leader during a freshman season in which he was hampered by a shoulder injury. D'Mitrik Trice (foot) and Kobe King (knee) give Gard depth and options at the perimeter. Getting guard Brevin Pritzl to hit consistently from 3-point range might make foes think twice about doubling Happ. Six-5 senior Khalil Iverson is the team's best athlete and embraces opportunities to guard an opponent's best scorer. Six-11 sophomore forward Nate Reuvers can hit jumpers but Badgers can get a boost if he can help Happ and Iverson on the boards.

Who's new: Trevor Anderson gives Gard another backcourt option after transferring from Wisconsin-Green Bay, where he averaged 9.8 points and 28 minutes in 20 games. He shot 37 percent from 3-point range. The Badgers added two scholarship players in their freshman class: guard Tai Strickland, who is the son of former NBA player Rod Strickland; and 6-8 forward Taylor Currie from Clarkston, Michigan.

The Skinny: With Happ leading the way, the Badgers have the ingredients of a team that should return to the NCAA Tournament. Happ, along with key upperclassmen Iverson and Pritzl, played on tourney teams that included Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig. The backcourt should be stronger with a healthy Davison, Trice and King. The Badgers won five of their last eight games last season because of better defense. They're stressing defense again going into this season.

Expectations: Wisconsin was a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers. It's on par with other Big Ten teams Maryland and Penn State. Michigan and Michigan State are the top favorites out of the league at 35-1.

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Northwestern Preview Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 15-17

Nickname: Wildcats

Coach: Chris Collins

Conference: Big Ten

Who's gone: Point guard Bryant McIntosh, guard Scottie Lindsey, forward Gavin Skelly.

Who's back: Forward Vic Law, the top returning scorer at 12.0 points per game last season, said he feels 100 percent for the first time after battling injuries throughout his career. With McIntosh gone, the offense figures to run more through center Dererk Pardon. He averaged 11.3 points and 7.1 rebounds last season. Senior Jordan Ash and freshman Ryan Greer figure to get a look at point guard.

Who's new: Graduate transfer guard Ryan Taylor led the Missouri Valley in scoring last season at 21.3 points per game for Evansville. Greer bypassed his senior year of high school. He spent his junior season at Northfield Mount Hermon in Massachusetts after attending The Lovett School in Atlanta the previous two years.

The Skinny: The Wildcats are back on campus in a renovated Welsh-Ryan Arena after playing home games last season about 15 miles away at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Don't underestimate that. Northwestern is banking on a return home to a sparkling arena to help restore the buzz that fizzled last season coming off the program's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Northwestern as a 350-1 shot to win the NCAA Tournament.

[StarDust Bum]

Indiana Preview Capsule
October 25, 2018
By The Associated Press

Last season: 16-15, lost to Rutgers in first round of Big Ten Tournament.

Nickname: Hoosiers.

Coach: Archie Miller.

Conference: Big Ten.

Who's gone: Guard Robert Johnson, guard Josh Newkirk, forward Colin Hartman, forward Freddie McSwain Jr.

Who's back: Juwan Morgan returns after declaring for the NBA draft following his best season (16.5 points per game, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 blocks). Forward De'Ron Davis (9.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) started 15 games before a torn Achilles tendon cost him almost the entire conference season. Forward Zach McRoberts started his career at Vermont before becoming Indiana's best defensive player last season. Guard Devonte Green finished his sophomore season strong 7.6 ppg, 2.5 assists) and demonstrated he could be a key player in an even stronger rotation this season.

Who's new: The Hoosiers welcome one of the Big Ten's top freshmen classes, the prize being guard Romeo Langford - the state's reigning Mr. Basketball Award winner and the best in-state recruit to choose Indiana since Cody Zeller. Guard Rob Phinisee and forward Damezi Anderson also earned all-state honors after scoring more than 2,000 points in high school. Forwards Jake Forrester and Jerome Hunter also could be in the mix. Graduate transfer Evan Fitzner, a 6-foot-10 forward from St. Mary's (California) can stretch the floor after making 41.4 percent of his 3-pointers in three seasons.

The Skinny: This roster looks far different from the one Miller inherited. Morgan is the tested leader. McRoberts will be the defensive stopper. Davis, if healthy, provides size inside and Green, Justin Smith and Aljami Durham each possess enough athleticism to make a difference. With the addition of the five talented freshmen and Fitzner, Miller has more depth and overall talent than last season.

Expectations: The Las Vegas oddsmakers certainly expect the Hoosiers to be better. They're giving them a 40-1 shot of winning a sixth national title. Michigan and Michigan State, at 35-1, are the only Big Ten schools listed ahead of Indiana.