Previewing college basketball's top 100 teams for the 09-10 season (81-90)

November 10, 7:32 PMCollege Basketball ExaminerDave Ryan

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Glasser brings senior leadership to the Sun Devils (AP Photo)

Over the next few months I'll be taking a look at the best that college basketball has to offer heading into this upcoming season. Starting with number one and working my way to the century mark, I'll rank each team based on a number of factors (returning players, departed players, incoming freshmen, coaching staff, conference strength, etc.). If you have any issues with these rankings then feel free to let me hear about it in the comments section.

1-10   |   11-20   |   21-30   |   31-40   |   41-50   |   51-60   |   61-70   |   71-80   |   81-90   |   91-100

81. La Salle Explorers

The Explorers were buried in the middle of the A-10 standings last year, but with six of their top seven scorers returning they are definitely a team on the rise. La Salle faces off against some daunting competition early in the season (South Carolina, Villanova, Kansas, Oklahoma State), so we should be able to find out a lot about John Giannini's squad before A-10 play even kicks off. Having leading scorer Rodney Green back for his senior year helps, and the 6'5" guard could easily average 20 points a night . The Explorers should be able to contend as a top four school in the conference, but that's probably the ceiling for this team. Everything will come down to the A-10 Tournament in March.

82. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

After a woeful 2-16 Big East record last season, the Scarlet Knights have obviously set the bar pretty low for themselves heading into 09-10. Help will come from an improved duo of Mike Rosario and Greg Echenique, two standout freshmen from a year ago. Both were four star recruits back in 2008, and so it's not a surprise that they combined for nearly 39% of Rutgers' offense in their first year on campus. Rosario should eventually develop into one of the league's most consistent scorers, but the Knights are still a long way away from competing with the upper half of the Big East.

83. Nevada Wolf Pack

A smart pick for 09-10 WAC Player of the Year, Nevada sophomore Luke Babbitt could blow the competition out of the water for the prestigious award. The 6'9" forward averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds a year ago, but everyone who watched him play last season is expecting him to evolve into a 20-10 guy for Nevada very soon. Babbitt welcomes back junior guard Armon Johnson, Nevada's second leading scorer at 15.5 points a night. Johnson's offense is essential to take as much pressure off Babbitt, and it's safe to expect significant improvements from both guys in their second year playing together. The duo should be good enough for Nevada to compete with anybody in the WAC.

84. North Carolina State Wolfpack

Losing '09 recruit Lorenzo Brown was an unfortunate blow to North Carolina State's chances this season. Brown was rated as one of the top guard prospects in the nation, but needed another year of high school and will not join the team until 2010-11. Head coach Sidney Lowe has plenty of confidence in the future of his program, and a big reason for that is the play of 6'8" forward Tracy Smith. Although he only averaged 18 minutes a game last year, Smith scored 10 points and grabbed 4.5 rebounds a night. The junior big man also posted double figures in nine of NCSU's final ten games, and showed flashes that he can eventually become a top scoring option. Things are obviously getting better for Lowe's team, but they are still in a rebuilding mode, and ACC competition is still going to make them pay on most nights.

85. Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Cornhuskers were expected to be pretty bad last season, and yet they still found a way to go 18-13 and snag an NIT invite. Their top two leading scorers are both gone (Ade Dagunduro and Steve Harley), but senior guard Sek Henry looks capable of stepping up as the team's go-to guy. Plenty of legitimate opponents lie ahead in non-conference play (TCU, Creighton, USC, Oregon State, Tulsa), and Nebraska's defensive style could lend a helping hand in an upset bid or two. Anything the Cornhuskers can get before Big 12 play kicks off would be huge, because this team really doesn't have enough firepower to even compete with teams like Texas or Kansas. Another year at the bottom of the conference standings is in order

86. Vermont Catamounts

When it comes to filling up the box score, Vermont's Marqus Blakely is as good as it gets in the America East Conference. Now a senior, Blakely averaged 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks a game last season, and was named conference player of the year for the second straight time. Blakely will go for the hat trick in his final year of eligibility, and there's no reason why he can't lead his Catamounts to another NCAA Tournament appearance. With all of the turmoil that has rocked Binghamton as of late, Vermont remains a steady pick as the class of the America East.

87. New Mexico Lobos

Even though the Lobos lost their top three scorers, a strong crop of incoming freshmen coupled with the improved play of senior forward Roman Martinez (10.6pts, 6.4rbs) could keep this team relevant in the Mountain West. Freshman guard Jamal Fenton is talented enough to play right away, and he's the type of end-to-end player that the Lobos need desperately right now. The conference might not be as tough as it was last year, so it should be interesting to see how long it takes some of these young players to grow into their roles under head coach Steve Alford.

88. Old Dominion Monarchs

It wasn't quite the biggest stage in the world, but the Monarchs took home a title of their own last spring when they won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament over the Bradley Braves. Every single player who started in that game is back for Old Dominion, so it's obvious why they are viewed as an early favorite to win the CAA title. Junior forward Frank Hassell could be the key for this team. Hassell played sporadically last season, but he was crucial down the stretch for Old Dominion during their postseason run. Even though the CAA will only send one team to the Big Dance, the Monarchs should be right in the mix.

89. Indiana Hoosiers

Kentucky and John Calipari stole the headlines, but Indiana's Tom Crean did a marvelous job of bringing in new talent with his '09 recruiting class. All six of Crean's freshmen are good enough to play immediately. Forward Christian Watford looks like a first round draft pick, and shooting guard Maurice Creek a future 20 point scorer. The Hoosiers finished with a horrible 6-25 record last year, but they won't be losing games for much longer once some of these top recruits start to get going. Crean's team is still probably a year away from NCAA Tournament consideration.

90. Arizona State Sun Devils

The Sun Devils didn't just lose James Harden to the NBA this past spring, they lost big man Jeff Pendergraph too. Those two combined for 34.6 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last season for Herb Sendek's team, so it's obvious that he will need some guys to step up if they even want to have a chance at competing in the Pac-10. Freshman Trent Lockett should be able to score right away and senior Derek Glasser should provide a calming influence at point guard, but there isn't enough proven size on this roster. The Sun Devils are clearly in a rebuilding year, and anything over eight wins in the conference should be considered a success.