A Look at Kentucky
The Wildcats are 2-2 with wins over Delaware State and Longwood and losses to VMI and at North Carolina. The Wildcats return 3 starters off of a team that went 18-13 (12-4 in the SEC) in 2007-08.
The Wildcats are lead by G Jodie Meeks and F's Patrick Patterson and Ramon Harris. Meeks averages 24 points/game (leads the team), 5 rebounds/game and 2 assists/game. Patterson averages 16 points/game, 9 rebounds/game (leads the team) and 4 assists/game (co leads the team with G DeAndre Liggins). Harris averages 11 points/game, 4 rebounds/game and 1 assist/game.
This is a much better Kentucky team then it was last season. The biggest reason for that is that they're healthy. This is a team capable of pushing Florida and Tennessee for the top of the SEC. I know that I can't wait to see my Cats match up with a storied program like Kentucky.
A Look at Iowa
The Hawkeyes are 5-0 with wins over Charleston Southern, Texas San-Antonio, at The Citadel, Oakland and Southeast Missouri State. The Hawkeyes return 2 starters off of a team that went 13-19 (6-12 in the Big 10) in 2007-08.
The Hawkeyes are lead by G's Anthony Tucker and Matt Gatens and F Cyrus Tate. Tucker averages 16 points/game (leads the team), 4 rebounds/game and 1 assist/game. Gatens averages 11 points/game, 4 rebounds/game and 5 assists/game (leads the team). Tate averages 10 points/game and 8 rebounds/game (leads the team).
The Hawkeyes are a team in transition in the Big 10 and it works to their advantage that the Big 10 should be down this season. All that said.....The Hawkeyes should struggle this season but when coach Todd Lickliter gets his system into place the Hawkeyes could be a tough program for years to come.
A Look at West Virginia
The Mountaineers are 3-0 with wins over Elon, Longwood and Delaware State. The Mountaineers return 2 starters off of a team that went 26-11 (11-7 in the Big East) in 2007-08.
The Mountaineers are lead by G's Alex Ruoff and Darryl Bryant and F Da'Sean Butler. Ruoff averages 19 points/game (leads the team), 4 rebounds/game and 2 assists/game. Butler averages 14 points/game, 6 rebounds/game (leads the team) and 2 assists/game. Bryant averages 13 points/game, 3 rebounds/game and 5 assists/game (leads the team).
The Mountaineers are predicted to be pretty good this year. They have a nice mix of returning players and quality newcomers. The problem is that the Big East is expected to be a very good conference (they have 16 teams so you can be good and still finish as an unknown) so it's easy to get lost in all of the talk about the marquee teams. All that being said this should definitely be an NCAA Tournament team.
