Sporting News Early 2009-10 Top 25

[ChuckyChip]

Mike DeCourcy's early Top 25 for next season:

1. Syracuse (if Flynn comes back)
2. Kansas
3. Michigan State
4. Kentucky
5. USC
6. Xavier
7. North Carolina
8. Texas
9. Duke
10. Purdue
11. Pitt (if Blair comes back)
12. Washington
13. Wake Forest
14. Georgetown
15. Villanova
16. Butler
17. UCLA
18. Clemson
19. Michigan
20. Gonzaga
21. Oklahoma
22. Ohio State
23. Kansas State
24. Tennessee
25. Tulsa

[chapman]

That list is awful.  Gary Parrish just put up his Top 25, which is much more agreeable:

http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/story/11612659

[Badgerhater920]

I agree, Parish's list is much more reasonable - Nova is top 10, and UConn and WVU belong up there, along with Louisville if Samuels returns. However, where's Cuse? He must be assuming Devo, Harris and Flynn all leave. I think Harris and Devo are back for sure and even if Flynn leaves, Cuse is still top 25.

[wadesworld]

I agree, Parish's list is much more reasonable - Nova is top 10, and UConn and WVU belong up there, along with Louisville if Samuels returns. However, where's Cuse? He must be assuming Devo, Harris and Flynn all leave. I think Harris and Devo are back for sure and even if Flynn leaves, Cuse is still top 25.

Devonsdorf and Harris already hired an agent.  They're not coming back.

[nyg]

One poll has Cuse #1 and the other doesn't even have them in the top 25.  Johnnie Flynn is good, but really. 

[rocky_warrior]

6 B10 teams in the top 25.  I don't think so.

[Badgerhater920]

Devonsdorf and Harris already hired an agent.  They're not coming back.

Source? I thought the university wouldn't release whether they hired agents or not

[wadesworld]

Source? I thought the university wouldn't release whether they hired agents or not

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/draft2009/columns/story?columnist=ford_chad&page=InOut
Guess they haven't.  Thought I read somewhere on here that the deal was they could play the year and then they were being forced out of Syracuse.  Is there just a mistake next to Flynn's name?  There's no * when it says the * means the player has not hired an agent, but the text about him says "if he stays in the draft."  My guess is they just forgot the *.  Can anyone confirm?

[Pardner]

More on Cuse players from PIT...note the Gody talk

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Portsmouth-Invitational-Tournament-Day-Two-3172/

-There was quite a bit of talk about the three Syracuse players that entered their name in the draft this week--Jonny Flynn, Eric Devendorf and Paul Harris. Of the three, only Devendorf is planning on hiring an agent for now. According to sources close to the situation, he is graduating soon and is "ready to go pro." He will try and make the NBA, but if that doesn't work out, he is prepared to go to Europe.

According to the same source, Jonny Flynn will pull his name out of the draft if he's not firmly in the lottery by the time the deadline rolls around a week before the draft. If he's "16, 17, 18, he's definitely coming back to school." Regarding why he initially wavered on that decision based on his comments during the NCAA tournament, Flynn reportedly didn't realize that he was projected to be taken as high as he currently is, with most mock drafts having him between 20-30 at the time of the Big East tournament. Since he's "hearing he could be a top-10 pick," his situation has changed in turn. Despite rumors here in Portsmouth that he's already selected his agent, he is apparently still only testing the waters.

Paul Harris "may return to Syracuse" based on the information he receives over the next month or so. If he's not projected as a solid second rounder, he "will probably come back," we're told.

-Luke Harangody will reportedly be announcing soon that he's entering his name in the draft, and if he gets a solid indication that he will play in the NBA next year, he likely will not return to Notre Dame, even if that means being selected in the second round.

[nyg]

Numerous teams are being completely wiped out this year.  Just off top of my head, MU loses four starters, Pitt loses four starters, ND (if Gody) loses four, Cuse loses three, Providence loses four, Uconn loses three.  SoCal, which would have been a top 10 team, now will probably lose three of their top players and not be ranked.  Will be a big change in the world of college B-ball next season.   

[Brewtown Andy]

-Luke Harangody will reportedly be announcing soon that he's entering his name in the draft, and if he gets a solid indication that he will play in the NBA next year, he likely will not return to Notre Dame, even if that means being selected in the second round.

I do not understand the thinking there, as only the first round picks get guaranteed contracts.