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The Rest Of The Best
Here are the 45 other schools that SI projects will fill out the
NCAA tournament field of 64. If our math seems fuzzy, bear in
mind that there's a play-in game on Tuesday, March 13, between
the two lowest-rated teams for the 64th spot
21 Wake Forest--ACC--Move from point to shooting guard should
boost scoring of Robert O'Kelley (13.0 average was down 4.5 from
'98-99) and help get NIT champs back to the Big Dance
22 Missouri--Big 12--Tigers, with smooth swingman Kareem Rush
(14.7 points a game) and guard Clarence Gilbert (13.7), will get
a boost when McDonald's All-America Travon Bryant joins team in
December
23 Marshall--Mid-American--The Herd will raise some thunder
with the inside-outside duo of sweet-shooting Tamar Slay (19.9
points a game) and big man J.R. VanHoose (17.5)
24 Cincinnati--Conference USA--Bearcats lost a lot (Kenyon
Martin, DerMarr Johnson), but they're still stocked with point
guard Kenny Satterfield and juco transfers Jamaal Davis and
Antwan Jones
25 St. John's--Big East--Freshman point Omar Cook is star in
the making, and added strength up front will allow 6'6" Anthony
Glover to move from pivot to forward, where he belongs
26 Indiana--Big Ten--Post-Bobby Knight era begins with freshman
Andre Owens starting at point for interim coach Mike Davis, but
all eyes will be on Indiana's Mr. Basketball, Jared Jeffries
27 Utah--Mountain West--Strength is inside with menacing front
line of 6'11" center Nate Althoff, 6'9" forward Britton Johnsen
and a new addition, 6'10" transfer Chris Burgess, from Duke
28 Oklahoma--Big 12--Juco All-America Aaron McGhee will try to
fill the void left by forward Eduardo Najera, but Sooners will
rely on backcourt strength of Nolan Johnson and J.R. Raymond
29 Virginia--ACC--Junior forward Chris Williams (15.5 points a
game) and sophomore center Travis Watson (11.4) will lead the
Cavaliers back to the tournament after a three-year absence
30 Iowa--Big Ten--Superb playmaker Dean Oliver (4.2 assists a
game) will find a perfect complement at shooting guard in
two-time transfer (Indiana and Arizona) Luke Recker (16.1 average
in '98-99)
31 Temple--Atlantic 10--Guards Quincy Wadley (12.8 points a
game) and Lynn Greer (12.3) will lead the way as the Owls qualify
for their 12th consecutive NCAA tournament
32 Memphis--Conference USA--John (Refuse to Lose) Calipari is
back in the college game and relying on Kelly Wise (14.5 points,
8.6 boards a game) to lead the Tigers back to prominence
33 Alabama--SEC--Tide has stellar forward duo in lanky
sophomore Rod Grizzard (13.2 points a game) and blue-chip
freshman Gerald Wallace, who could be NBA-bound in a year
34 Creighton--Missouri Valley--Bluejays love to jack the ball
up; last season they made 8.5 three-pointers a game (ninth best
in the nation) and connected on 41.6% of their attempts
35 Iowa State--Big 12--Senior point guard Jamaal Tinsley (11.0
points, 6.6 assists a game) will pick up part of slack left by
departed Marcus Fizer but must get help from juco transfer Tyray
Pearson
36 Pepperdine--West Coast--Waves bring back only two starters
from squad that demolished Indiana in NCAAs but have a star in
junior guard Brandon Armstrong, who averaged 14.4 points
37 UNLV--Mountain West--Runnin' Rebels' strategy: get the ball
to 6'9", 250-pound senior forward Kaspars Kambala, who averaged
18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds last season
38 Texas--Big 12--Starless Longhorns welcome high-scoring
Wichita State transfer Maurice Evans to augment talents of guard
Darren Kelly (10.0 points a game) and forward Chris Owens (9.4)
39 Butler--Midwestern Collegiate--Bulldogs bring back four
starters--led by LaVall Jordan--from team that nearly knocked off
Florida in first round of NCAA tournament
40 Kent--Mid-American--Junior guard Trevor Huffman, who led the
Golden Flashes with 13.1 points a game last year, moves from
sixth man to starter for this deep and dangerous MAC power
41 SMU--WAC--Senior guard Jeryl Sasser (17.3 points a game)
declared for NBA draft, then came to his senses and returned to
work on improving his 37.8% shooting from the field
42 UMass--Atlantic 10--Jackie Rogers, junior college transfer
extraordinaire, arrives to give inside punch and help Monty Mack,
who averaged 19.8 points a game at guard
43 South Florida--Conference USA--Junior power forward B.B.
Waldon (17.3 points, 7.9 rebounds a game) is team's star, but
Bulls get instant offense from Altron Jackson (18.2)
44 Detroit--Midwestern Collegiate--Senior point guard Rashad
Phillips is the most excitin' Titan, averaging 23.0 points and
5.3 assists while also drilling 102 three-pointers at a 40.5%
clip
45 BYU--Mountain West--All five starters are back, led by
senior forward Mekeli Wesley, who averaged 16.8 points and 5.8
rebounds, but watch out for top in-state recruit, 6'8" forward
Garner Meads
46 Penn--Ivy--Quakers lost 42% of their scoring with graduation
of guards Michael Jordan and Matt Langel, but forward Ugonna
Onyekwe (11.7 points a game) now has latitude to pick up the
slack
47 Tulsa--WAC--Golden Hurricane lost three starters and coach
Bill Self from a 32-5 team, but there's still plenty left for
tournament berth, including leading scorer David Shelton (13.5
points a game)
48 South Alabama--Sun Belt--Jaguars will pound the ball inside
to 6'10", 275-pound junior center Virgil Stanescu of Romania, who
averaged 13.4 points and 6.9 rebounds
49 Long Beach State--Big West--UCLA transfer Travis Reed, a
6'8", 240-pound center, and forward James Williams, who averaged
12.2 points and 7.3 rebounds, are formidable inside
50 Winthrop--Big South--Well-balanced Eagles, led by senior
forward Greg Lewis (15.7 points a game), will be the first team
in the conference to win three consecutive titles
51 Murray State--Ohio Valley--Isaac Spencer, the favorite for
league MVP, averaged 19.9 points and 8.2 boards last year and
should benefit by move from power to small forward
52 Hofstra--America East--The Dutchmen won't fly as high
without Speedy Claxton, but senior forward Norman Richardson
(16.2 points a game) figures to be more productive
53 George Mason--Colonial--Patriots, led by star George Evans,
make NCAAs because best team, Richmond, and two other
conference-jumping lame ducks are barred from Colonial tournament
54 College of Charleston--Southern--Guard Jeff Bolton (15.8
points a game) and center Jody Lumpkin (15.1) will lead the
Cougars into the NCAAs for the fourth time in five years
55 Utah State--Big West--With four starters returning,
including forward Shawn Daniels (12.0 points, 7.9 rebounds a
game), the Aggies have a chance to again go unbeaten in
conference play
56 Gonzaga--West Coast--Senior forward Casey Calvary, who
averaged 13.4 points, is lone returning starter, but experience
of going to Sweet 16 in each of the last two years will help
other holdovers
57 Cal State Northridge--Big Sky--Matadors have four starters
back from 20-10 team, including favorite for league's player of
the year--center Brian Heinle (14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds a game)
58 Central Connecticut State--Northeast--Junior Corsley Edwards
(12.2 points a game) and senior Dean Walker (10.6) will lead the
Blue Devils back to the tournament
59 Valparaiso--Mid-Continent--Here's a surprise: Crusaders will
win their seventh straight conference title, this time behind
junior swingman Lubos Barton (11.6 points a game)
60 Iona--Metro Atlantic--Gaels have a premier shot blocker in
6'9" Nakiea Miller and a potent backcourt in Dyree Wilson (14.6
points a game) and Rutgers transfer Earl Johnson
61 Alabama State--SWAC--Defense-minded Hornets have all five
starters back and vow to pick up offensive tempo; forward and top
scorer Tyrone Levett (14.9 point average) will set that pace
62 Georgia State--Trans Am--Onetime Georgetown guard Shernard
Long, who averaged 16.9 points for the Panthers last year, could
help Lefty Driesell get to the NCAAs for first time in seven
years
63 Navy--Patriot--Midshipmen went 23-6 last season, only to be
stunned in conference tournament final. With four returning
starters, led by 6'4" forward Chris Williams, that won't happen
again
64 McNeese State--Southland--Cowboys were just 6-21 last year
but bring back star Demond Mallet, who missed all but two games
last season, and welcome juco transfer Jaeson Maravich, Pete's
son
65 Hampton--MEAC--Guard Marseilles Brown (16.0 points, 5.5
assists a game) gives the Pirates a top floor leader, and 6'9"
Tarvis Williams gives them a presence in the middle
COLOR PHOTO: DAVID E. KLUTHO Hurricane Warning Tulsa has a new coach, a new cast and a high-scoring holdover in Shelton (33).
