The Spartans have it all. They have the best point guard in the country: Mateen Cleaves. They had the best sixth man in the country last year, and he is expected to be a major force this year: Morris Peterson. With Andre Hutson returning and Jason Richardson, a touted freshman, possibly coming in, it will be all nightmares for opposing coaches. However, as quickly as things go right, they can go wrong. Cleaves will be out for the first few weeks of the season, because of an injury. Richardson may not be eligible for this season. It remains to be seen how effective Peterson will be as a starter instead of a bench player. Mike Chappell, who is expected to make a great impact as a transfer from Duke, was inactive last season, and may not be at full form right away. Finally, a tough Big Ten could make Michigan State's schedule even more difficult, with teams like Ohio State, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota. However, if the Spartans get all of their pieces together by March, they will have a great chance of blowing away the competition.
Several teams get the nod at No. 2. The defending champs, Connecticut, lost the best scorer in the country, All-American Richard Hamilton, and the best defender, Ricky Moore, last year. But if you look at this year's version of the Huskies, you see a young, dangerous team waiting to repeat. Khalid El-Amin, slimmer, quicker, and smarter, may be the only point guard who can compete at the same level as Cleaves, if not better. Last season, in the meeting between the Spartans and Huskies, El-Amin led the team with 20 points, while he and Moore combined to shut down Cleaves. Late in the season, these two teams will meet again in perhaps the best regular season matchup of the year. Other returnees are the warrior Kevin Freeman, Jake Voshkuhl, and excellent bench scorer Albert Mouring. However, the greatest impact may come from Sudan native Ajou Ajou Deng, who at 6'11", may turn out to be the best player UConn turns out. Highly touted freshmen Doug Wrenn, Tony Robertson, and Marcus Cox will be ready to help. But if a reliable scorer does not emerge to replace Hamilton, the Huskies may not breeze to the Final Four.
Go To Page: 1 2
