Previewing college basketball's top 100 teams for the 09-10 season (61-70)

November 5, 11:49 AMCollege Basketball ExaminerDave Ryan

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Tas Mitchell has the NBA in his sights (Photo by:www.LSUsports.net,LSU)

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

61. Virginia Tech Hokies

It's not very enjoyable to finish 7-9 in ACC play, and the Hokies learned that pretty quickly last year after dropping their final three conference games. Although he won't have a 20ppg guy like A.D. Vassallo around anymore, Seth Greenberg still has a trio of scorers (Malcolm Delaney, J.T. Thompson and Jeff Allen) at his disposal on offense. Delaney averaged 18 points, four rebounds and nearly five assists a game as a sophomore, and his numbers could balloon up with Vassallo out of the picture. The biggest problem with this team will be inconsistency. Everything needs to fit into place perfectly for Greenberg's team to even have a shot in the ACC this year, and I'm not sure that's going to happen.

62. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers

Not only does A.J. Slaughter have one of the coolest names in college basketball, he's also one of the nation's most dangerous offensive players. Slaughter scored in double figures in all but two games a year ago, and he's likely to average close to 20 a night as a senior. The Hilltoppers have capped off outstanding campaigns with NCAA Tournament success in each of the past two years, meaning they will be looking for the trifecta in 09-10. Five freshmen enter the mix, but this is still a team that should plow through the Sun Belt and give somebody a scare in March.

63. Wisconsin Badgers

If there's one thing I've learned from watching the Big Ten over the past half decade, it's that Bo Ryan is a heck of a coach. His teams might not light up the scoreboard, but the guy simply finds a way to grind you out and win basketball games. You don't rack up 81 victories over a three year span with luck. With that said, if there's a year where Ryan's Badgers are the most vulnerable, then this is probably it. The reason is that the two heart-and-soul players from last year's roster, Marcus Landry and Joe Krabbenhoft, are both gone. Big time recruits are on the way, but there doesn't appear to be a lot of offensive firepower with this current bunch. Ryan's NCAA Tournament streak is very much in jeopardy.

64. San Diego State Aztecs

Five seniors are no longer with the program, but that doesn't mean the Aztecs can't be optimistic following a 26 win season. Head coach Steve Fisher hauled in a remarkable top 15 recruiting class, featuring four star swingman Kawhi Leonard and three star point guard Eric Lawton. Leonard was recruited by virtually every Pac-10 school, and is widely considered as a top 50 prospect nationally. Fisher has obviously had plenty of success at the college level in his career, but it's still very intriguing to see him make such a large impact in the recruiting world with a team like San Diego State. Even with all this new talent, I think 6'8" junior forward Billy White needs to be their go-to guy. He shoots a ridiculously high percentage, and if he can learn to start rebounding at a high rate then his Aztecs will pose a serious threat to BYU in the Mountain West.

65. Providence Friars

How good can Sharaud Curry actually be? That's the big question facing Keno Davis' team right now. If the 5'10" Curry, who averaged 12 points and four assists a year ago, can get back to the level he was at in 06-07, then Providence is definitely a team that can surprise people in the Big East. Remember, these guys were very close to being on the bubble last year, and it's not like they have fallen off the face of the earth. Finding a way to stop some of the conference's elite big men should prove to be Davis' biggest hurdle in his second year on the job.

66. LSU Tigers

With the SEC in a down year, the Tigers cruised through conference play en route to a postseason berth. Unfortunately they were still given a poor seed (#8), and had to play North Carolina in the second round. Having a lights out scorer like Marcus Thornton gave Trent Johnson a fighting chance to stay competitive deep into games, but with Thornton gone that luxury goes right out the window. The majority of the offensive load should fall on guard Bo Spencer, the team's third leading scorer who played in Thornton's shadow for most of last season. Forward Tasmin Mitchell gave this team a boost when he decided to come back for another year, but I'm not sure he really wanted to come back to play on a team that probably won't reach the Big Dance.

67. Niagara Purple Eagles

The Purple Eagles were seven points away from a MAAC title last season, so it must have been a painful experience to watch Siena, the team they nearly beat, draw praise in the NCAA Tournament shortly thereafter. Knowing that there only might be one postseason bid on the line between these two schools this year really brings tension to a conference that has traditionally been pretty tame. On offense, Niagara should get plenty of help from Bilal Benn, a near-double-double guy a year ago who transferred in VIllanova following the 06-07 season. Unheralded point guard Anthony Nelson should also play a huge role for this team. Nelson can pass, score, rebound and also wreak havoc in the passing lanes, making him one of the most versatile point guards in the nation.

68. Marquette Golden Eagles

Due to some favorable Big East scheduling, the Golden Eagles stormed out of the gate last year and were briefly viewed as one of college basketball's elite teams. Then, point guard Dominic James went down with an injury, and it was like somebody pulled the rug out from underneath these guys. Now that James, Wesley Matthews and Jerel McNeal are all out of school, head coach Buzz Williams has a little bit of work on his hands. As usual, the Big East is stacked, and Marquette's first four games in conference play look nearly impossible on paper (at West Virginia, vs Villanova, vs Georgetown, at Villanova). Lazar Hayward should be able to post some impressive numbers, but I just can't see how that will be enough to carry this inexperienced squad for a full season.

69. Richmond Spiders

The Spiders return four starters from a team that won 20 games and nearly knocked off Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. Six foot guard Kevin Anderson is back, a junior now who led the team in scoring with 16.6ppg last season. Anderson needs to improve his three point accuracy, but as long as he's on the court he gives this team a great chance to win. No player is more important to Richmond's success than 6'9" big man Dan Geriot. A torn ACL kept him out of action all of last year, and a healthy Geriot down low gives Richmond a fighting chance against some of the toughest mid-majors in the country. Dayton and Xavier might be the frontrunners, but a slip-up by either team could open the door for Richmond to sneak into A-10 contention.

70. Washington State Cougars

The Cougars were probably a better team than their 17-16 record from last year might indicate, but it's hard to see much improvement entering after former head coach Tony Bennett bolted for Virginia. Thankfully, regardless of the outcome on most nights, fans should get to witness plenty of high flying dunks from 6'6" swingman Klay Thompson. Thompson's athleticism reminds you of current NBA player Chase Budinger, the same guy who played for Arizona last year and nearly dropped a triple double on the Cougars when the two teams met on January 31st. So it shouldn't surprise anybody if Thompson is considered for All-Pac-10 status by year's end. Winning half of their conference games should be an attainable goal for this young team, but anything more than that could be a real stretch.