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Duke Blue Devils – Head Coach: Mike Kryzewski - Atlantic Coast Conference
Duke will be returning four of last year’s starters to the 2008-09 squad. Coach Kryzewski looks to lead his team to another successful season and take over ACC reigns from the pre-season national champion favorite North Carolina. With scoring leader DeMarcus Nelson graduated, Duke will look to Freshman All-American Kyle Singler to take over as a team leader. The program also has many new additions to look forward to such as the 6th ranked shooting guard and 18th ranked player in this past year’s recruiting class, Elliot Williams (according to scout.com).
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UCLA Bruins – Head Coach: Ben Howland - Pacific 10
Although UCLA will only be returning two starters, no one from their frontcourt, and only four with more than 15 minutes per game logged, the Bruins have little to worry about. Seniors Darren Collison and Josh Shipp chose to back out of the NBA draft and return to LA for their final year and one last chance at a National Championship. Joining the team will be an incredible freshman class that includes Jrue Holiday (#2 SG), Drew Gordon (#9 PF), J’Mison Morgan (#4 C), Malcolm Lee (#4 PG) and Jerime Anderson (#5 PG) (according to scout.com). Ben Howland will add a brand new frontcourt, implement the incoming freshman and once again be a major contender for the NCAA National Championship.
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Michigan Wolverines – Head Coach: John Beilein - Big Ten
Although last year’s season was one to forget, the Wolverines certainly have a lot to look forward to this season with three starters returning. Sophomore Manny Harris returns from a strong freshman campaign (All-Big Ten Freshman team and All-Big Ten Second Team). Michigan’s young team still has a lot of growing to do (three seniors; only one averaged more than 14 minutes per game last season), but will be a fun “up and down the court” team to watch.
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Southern Illinois Salukis – Head Coach: Chris Lowery - Missouri Valley Conference
After a successful 2007-08 campaign with a trip to the NIT, Head Coach Chris Lowery looks to build on that success even though three starters graduated from last year’s squad. MVC Defensive Player of the Year and All-MVC Second Team honoree Bryan Mullins will lead the Salukis in his senior campaign. With five new incoming freshmen to implement, Coach Lowery will have the depth needed to compete in the MVC.
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University of Massachusetts Minutemen – Head Coach: Derek Kellogg - Atlantic 10
After three years of dramatically improving the UMass program, Travis Ford moved on to the SEC to coach Oklahoma State. Enter former Memphis Assistant, John Calipari student, and UMass ’95 Alum Derek Kellogg. As a first year head coach, Kellogg will take over a team that nearly won the NIT Championship last season. Although the biggest weakness is the team’s frontcourt, Sr. Chris Lowe will lead the Minutemen with the help of Ricky Harris and Wake Forest transfer Anthony Gurley to create one of the most feared backcourts in the A-10.
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Houston Cougars – Head Coach: Tom Penders - Conference USA
With three of their top four scorers graduated, Tom Penders and the Cougars will need younger players to step up. Looking to capitalize on their CBI semi-final ending last season, Kelvin Lewis and DaShaun Williams will lead the Cougars in Conference USA. With the exception of Lewis and Williams, no other Houston player logged over 15 minutes per game last season.
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IUPUI Jaguars – Head Coach: Ron Hunter - Summit League
IUPUI is returning just two starters from last year’s team. The 2007-08 Summit League Player of the Year, George Hill, was drafted in the first round of the NBA draft by the San Antonio Spurs with the 26th pick overall. The Jaguars look to improve on last year’s success (26-7) with help from Gary Patterson and Billy Pettiford. Coach Hunter’s squad finished last year at #19 in the final Mid-Major Top 25. They established new school records in wins (26) and winning percentage (.787). IUPUI was also nationally ranked in field goal percentage (4th, 50.3%), free throw percentage (4th, 77.6%) and three-point percentage (2nd, 42.3%).
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Weber State Wildcats – Head Coach: Randy Rahe - Big Sky
The Wildcats of Weber State have a lot to look forward to this season with three starters returning to the team. After a fantastic showing and experience in Greece, Steve Panos looks to hone his skills and show his ability to score as he did over the summer in Greece. Coach Rahe recruited PG Damian Lillard who some consider “the steal of the year.” Lillard will add much needed depth to this Wildcats and will most likely have a chance to start throughout the season.
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Miami (Oh.) Redhawks – Head Coach: Charlie Coles - Mid-American Conference
While Miami will have big shoes to fill with the graduation of Tim Pollitz, a three-time all-MAC honoree and one of the most prolific players in program history, the RedHawks return a wealth of talent and nearly all their starters from 2007-08. The RedHawks return four starters in senior forward Michael Bramos, senior guard Kenny Hayes, senior center/forward Tyler Dierkers and senior guard/forward Eric Pollitz. Bramos was the RedHawks' top scorer a season ago, averaging 16.3 ppg, and has big-game potential, amassing 30 or more points four times last season.
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Georgia Southern Eagles – Head Coach: Jeff Price - Southern Conference
Georgia Southern will be returning just two starters to this year’s roster, which may mean a rebuilding year for the Eagles. SoCon All-Rookie Willie Powers looks to grow on his success from last year (11.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and with the help of Julian Allen (only other returning starter) and JUCO transfer Antonio Hanson, the Eagles hope to surprise in the Southern Conference.
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Northeastern Huskies – Head Coach: Bill Coen - Colonial Athletic Association
After a 2007-08 campaign with three of their four top scorers graduated from the program, Northeastern has a much better outlook going into the 2008-09 season. With all five starters are returning, including junior Matt Janning (All-CAA Second Team) and sophomore Chaisson Allen (CAA All-Rookie Team), the Huskies look to continue their success and challenge for the CAA crown.
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Presbyterian Blue Hose – Head Coach: Gregg Nibert - Big South
In their first year as part of a Division I conference, Presbyterian will face a full Big South schedule for the first time this season. Led by last year’s NCAA D-I Independent Newcomer of the Year Al’Lonzo Coleman, the Blue Hose will take a young team and try to compete in the Big South in their second season in Division I. Coleman led the team in four major statistical categories last season; points per game (11.2), rebounds per game (5.0), field goal percentage (51.6%) and steals (58).
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Prairie View A&M Panthers – Head Coach: Bryon Rimm II - Southwestern Athletic Conference
With only one regular starter returning this season, PVAMU will depend on its backcourt to lead this team. Senior Derek Johnson, who led the team in average minutes last season will welcome JUCO transfer Chris Jones to the starting line-up in effort to move up the ranks in the SWAC. According to Coach Rimm, “with [Chris] and Derek in our backcourt [this] season we fell like we will have one of the stronger guard tandems in the SWAC.”
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Arkansas-Monticello Boll Weevils – Head Coach: Mike Newell - Gulf South Conference
It is a rarity when a college basketball team doesn't lose anyone to graduation, but that is the case for Arkansas-Monticello Head Coach Mike Newell. He returns all 13 players off a 17-12 team a year ago. The Boll Weevils have a nice "inside-out" combination in seniors Raymond Wright and Deron Brown. Wright nearly averaged a double-double for the season last year (16.6 pts., 9.4 reb.), while Brown did an excellent job at point guard (12.2 pts., 3.7 ast.). Brown was also the leading three-point shooter on the team, making 53 on the year. D'Angelo Dean is coming off a strong freshman campaign averaging 11.8 pts and 7.2 reb. per contest.
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California (Pa.) Vulcans – Head Coach: Bill Brown - Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
The Vulcans are coming off a 28-6 campaign for Head Coach Bill Brown and a trip to the NCAA D-II "Elite Eight". Their 28 wins gives Brown eight 20-win seasons and a school-record 258 victories as he enters his 13th season this year. Offense will be the true test for the Vulcans as they lost their top four returning scorers to graduation. Junior Julian Logan (8.6 pts., 3.5 reb.) take on much of the work load, along with point guard Jesse Brooks (6.4 pts., 3.1 ast.).
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Michigan Tech Huskies – Head Coach: Kevin Luke - Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic
The Huskies of Michigan Tech enter this season with four players returning who played regularly last season including All-GLIAC North Second Team honoree Robby Springborn and All-GLIAC Defensive Team player Sean Geary. Coach Kevin Luke’s squad played well enough last season to earn a #2 ranking in the GLIAC North Division, but could not put it together in the conference’s post-season tournament, losing in the quarterfinals. However, with a seven man freshman class, Michigan Tech will look to surprise in Division II.
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