Scoop Jardine and the Orange check in just outside our top 20 at #21 in our rankings
Just a few years ago the Syracuse Orange (30-5, 15-3 Big East) could not get a ticket to the Big Dance. In 2007 and 2008, after the loss of three key starters, the Orange went to the NIT twice. But last year they were back in the NCAA Tournament mix. Syracuse won the Big East regular season title and although they got knocked out of Big East Tournament in round one, losing to Georgetown 91-84, they did end up in Match Madness.

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Jon Leuer and the Wisconsin Badgers check in at #22 in our basketball rankings
The Wisconsin Badgers (24-9, 13-5 Big Ten) ended the regular season fourth in the Big Ten. They were out of the conference tournament in round one after losing to Illinois 58-54. They made it to the NCAA Tournament, beating Wofford 53-49 in round one and then losing to Cornell 87-69 in the second round. That marked the third time in five appearances that Wisconsin was knocked out of the Big Dance in round two. The deepest they’ve gone in those five years is the Sweet 16 in 2008. The Badgers have won one NCAA Championship. That was in 1941. This season they will go to the tournament for the 16th time. They have a strong string of appearances, having appeared at every tournament since 1999.

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Malcolm Lee and the UCLA Bruins check in at #23 in our power rankings
It was back in the 1960s and 1970s that the UCLA Bruins (14-18, 8-10 Pac-10) dominated the college basketball tournament, winning championship after championship. But that was long before the NCAA went to the almost 70-team and 70-game format. The field has expanded greatly, making even a repeat championship bid very rare.

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Kim English and the Missouri Tigers check in at #24 in our preseason rankings
Head coach Mike Anderson starts his fifth season with the Missouri Tigers (23-11, 10-6 Big 12) having gotten the team to the Big Dance two of the last four seasons. In 2009, they went to the Elite Eight and last season the Tigers went two and out. When Anderson took over at Missouri, they had missed the tournament two years running. The Tigers had a long tradition of NCAA Tournament play, having been there a total of 22 times. With their new head coach, they’ve started another string of appearances. This is a team that has gone to the Elite Eight four times. They are still searching for their first National Championship.

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Isaiah Thomas leads the Washington Huskies
Which club will be the best team in the Pac-10? It may just be the Washington Huskies (26-10, 11-7 Pac-10), who welcome back a whole group of seniors and juniors with a lot of experience. Last season, the Huskies finished third in the Pac-10. The team went to the Pac-10 Tournament, beating Oregon State 59-52, Stanford 79-64 and California 79-75 and winning the title. At the NCAA Tournament, the Huskies made it to the Sweet 16. On the way, they were victorious over Marquette 80-78 and New Mexico 82-64. It all came to an end when West Virginia beat them 69-56. 

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We are predicting more of the same, Kobe and the Lakers win the 2010-2011 NBA Championship
The Los Angeles Lakers (56-26) finished first in the Pacific Dvision and first in the Western Conference. In the postseason, they made it to the NBA Finals where they beat their longtime rivals, the Boston Celtics, four games to three. It was a very good year for this team that is talented, skilled and well coached.

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We like most are drinking the Oklahoma City Kool Aid and expect them to be the #3 seed in the West this season
If you’re looking for a team that’s moving up, it’s the Thunder of Oklahoma City (50-32). Last season, they were fourth in the Northwest and eighth in the Western Division. That number eight seed allowed them to meet the number one seed Los Angeles Lakers in round one of the playoffs. They lost that series four games to two. But the team had made major progress from the year before when they went 23-59, finishing 13th in the West.

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Lead by 37 year old Jason Kidd the Mavs are starting to get a little long in the tooth, but are good enough to make the playoffs and give it one last run before reloading around Dirk
Last year, the Dallas Mavericks (55-27) finished first in the Southwest and second in the West Division. Dallas beat San Antonio in the first round of the playoffs and then they were eliminated in round two by the Denver Nuggets. It was, once again, another disappointing end to the postseason for Dallas. This season, the Mavs will continue to be competitive in the West.

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Some think the Spurs are old and done, with some better luck with injuries and the development of Hill and Blair San Antonio is a title contender once again.
The Spurs of San Antonio (50-32) ended the regular season second in the Southwest and seventh in the Western Conference. In the first round of the playoffs, San Antonio beat Dallas four games to two, but in round two Phoenix took the Spurs out in four. That was the end to what had been an up and down regular season and a postseason showing that was disappointing.

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Everyone is touting Oklahoma City as the next power of the West, but we see the Blazers as that team
The Portland Trailblazers (50-32) were third in the NBA’s Northwest Division and sixth in the Western Conference last year. Their playoff run was a short sprint as they met the Phoenix Suns, losing to them four games to two. This season, the Blazers could be the dominant team in their divison if they do one thing differently from last year—stay healthy.

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