Barstool Sports Speaks The Truth About College Hoops. Again.

At the start of each college basketball season, Barstool Sports doesn't take the easy way out and write love poems to Roy Williams and Coach K. We give you the truth about the upcoming college basketball season. Here are ten truths for the 2006-07 season.

1. Tyler Hansbrough is beloved because he's white. No player in America is as dearly loved by the national media as Hansbrough and I'm convinced that a lot of the adoration flowing his way has to do with his skin tone. No, I'm not saying that his pasty white skin makes Jay Bilas and Dick Vitale long for the days of Adolph Rupp but I am more and more convinced that the Hansbrough's ruddy cheeks and easily identifiable bruises make him look to be working even harder than he actually is. Does he work hard? Absolutely. But does he work just "that much harder" than hundreds of other players in college hoops? Absolutely not. But when Hansbrough's baby face starts getting all blotchy and he starts huffing and puffing, sports commentators from Bristol to Boise can't help but get all hot and bothered.
2. Florida won't make it past the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Lets not forget that the Gators weren't exactly a popular pick to win it all when last season's tournament started. Repeating in college basketball is incredibly difficult and Florida isn't a juggernaut. They are a solid team that figured out a way to play its best when it mattered most. But this year, Florida will sneak up on no one and opponents will be gunning to take down the champ. Mark it down. No repeat and no Elite Eight. The Gators go home early.
3. Joakim Noah is an idiot. When NBA teams want to start throwing stupid money your way, you don't go back to college. Not when the only thing you can do is hurt your draft standing. Noah would probably have been the top pick last year. By the time this season is over, he'll be lucky to stick in the lottery. Last year, NBA scouts loved Noah. But this year, they'll spend every game figuring out what's wrong with him. Didn't he read about the NBA requiring high school players to suit up for one year of college ball? All those frosh superstars along with the handful of international players and underclassmen who come out of nowhere every season are going to steal the Gator's guaranteed lottery slot. Idiot. Always take the money. Don't think that Noah is slipping? Scouts from both the Lakers and Kings claim that they have Corey Brewer ahead of Noah on their draft board. And that's a Barstool exclusive.
4. I know what I'm talking about. In our November 16, 2005 issue, I predicted this year's Elite Eight field a full season in advance. I wrote that Wisconsin, Duke, Ohio State and Oklahoma would bow out in the regional finals with Louisville, Kansas, Syracuse and UCLA advancing to the Final Four. Kansas was my choice to cut down the nets in 2007. I think that I'm looking pretty good. Oklahoma was blindsided by the Kelvin Sampson to Indiana hire which robbed the Sooners of some big time freshmen talent that would have pushed OU over the top. And Louisville may be a reach but I never doubt Rick Pitino's ability to turn phenoms into superstars in March. But other than those two picks, I feel fine about my predictions. Especially since Florida is going to get knocked out of this year's tournament early.
5. Duke PG Greg Paulus is the most overrated player in America. First, I find it hard to believe that this kid ever had any legitimate offers to quarterback Division I football teams. He's about 5'9" and 170 pounds. Duke can list him at 6'1" but that's just a flat-out lie. I've stood next to Paulus and I'm taller than him and I'm about 5'10". No way this kid was going to Notre Dame. But back to hoops and why Paulus is overrated. Good modern college point guards control games and knock down open 3's. Paulus does neither. If he wasn't playing for Duke, Paulus' "enthusiasm" would be exposed for what it really is: a never-ending parade of cheap shots, show-boating and instigating that often ends up with the point guard rolled up in the fetal position on the court, pretending to be dying because some opponent boxed him out, while Coach K has a conniption fit on the sideline because his fair-haired boy has a booboo. Paulus does a poor job controlling the tempo and setting up Duke's offense and is coming off a season in which he hit just 31% of his three point attempts.
6. BC may finish as low as 7th in the ACC. I love Jared Dudley's game and I really want to see the Eagles succeed but after watching some of the middle-of-the-road ACC teams early in the season, I have plenty of doubts about BC's ability to complete in the league this year. Obviously, BC can "compete" in the league but I think that most Superfans expect the team to compete for the league championship and a top four NCAA seed and I don't see that happening. Duke and UNC are much better than BC and Maryland, Florida State, Georgia Tech and Virginia all look capable of beating the Eagles head-to-head. With little depth, poor outside shooting and an inconsistent up-tempo game, BC may be in over its head this season in the ACC.
7. UMass may just be back. Rashuan Freeman is a player and the team has a schedule that may be tailor-made for a NCAA run. First, the A-10 isn't particularly strong this year so the Minutemen should be solid in conference. And the team's remaining out of conference tilts- BC, Kentucky, Louisville and Miami- look like games that UMass could score an upset or two in. Even just competitive outings against nationally known teams like Kentucky and BC should help boost the team's media appeal while also improving its RPI.
8. The Big East is the nation's best conference. Sure, there may be some rough teams at the very bottom of the rankings. But the worst teams in the Big East are similar to the worst teams in the ACC, Big Ten and SEC. But it's once again the depth of talented teams at the top of the conference that separates the Big East from the other power conferences. Pitt, Georgetown, Marquette, Syracuse, UConn and Louisville will all be high NCAA seeds. I would rank the ACC next followed by the SEC, Pac-10 and Big Ten. The Big 12 brings up the rear.
9. The best local hoops story that no one is talking about may be over at UMass-Boston where the DIII Beacons are one of the top teams in the nation. Tony Barros, Dana's cousin, is the team's star and the Beacons are stocked with local talent. There is no reason that UMass-Boston shouldn't be one of the top DIII teams every year with all the available talent around Greater Boston.
10. I nailed my 2007 Elite Eight picks so now it's time to tackle the 2008 season. The teams that bow out in the regional finals- Georgia Tech, Memphis, UConn, Washington. Final Four- Kansas, Ohio State, Arizona, Duke. That little overrated weasel, Greg Paulus, and the Dookies cut down the nets.

Jamie Chisholm