Season Preview: Preaseason Tournaments

First a quick update: my wrist surgery went well but I am currently typing with one hand, making this a very slow process. I am still blogging but it will be slower than before. The show must go on, right? Anyway, continuing on with season previews, here's a look at the major preseason tournaments starting this week. A part two will begin next week for Turkey Day preseason tournaments. And here we go:

Coaches v. Cancer:

Nov. 9-13, 19-20

Favorite: UNC. The Tar Heels had no problems in their first two games. Plenty of talent and depth is present, and Larry Drew and Marcus Ginyard looked fine. Still the most athletic team in this tournament.

Others: Ohio State. Evan Turner can't do it all, but he'll try. This team is right on the border of "scary good" right now.

Cal. If they're shooting well, they can beat anyone in the country. Probably the best backcourt in this tournament with Randle and Christopher.

Sleeper: Syracuse. It's evident that they lost a lot of talent and will be fairly thin across the board. But if Rautins shoots well and they get significant offense from guys like Wesely Johnson and Rick Jackson, they could surprise.

Preseason NIT:

Nov. 16-17, 25, 27

Favorite: Duke. Until a young UConn squad proves themselves, I'll go with the more proven Blue Devils. Duke looked just fine on Friday even with Nolan Smith and Mason Plumlee out. Scheyer and Singler will log plenty of minutes and carry this team.

Others: UConn. Every starter logged 30 or more minutes in Friday's win over William & Mary. Dyson will be the star, but Kemba Walker will be the key for this squad after losing A. J Price to graduation.

Sleeper: Western Kentucky. A. J Slaughter and Stephon Pettigrew give the Hilltoppers two effective outside shooters and will spread out teams in this tournament. Do they have the size to handle bigger teams, especially Duke and UConn?

Cancun Challenge

Nov. 18-25

Favorite: Kentucky. With Wall out on Friday, Eric Bledsoe and Patrick Patterson led the team. Lots of turnovers, but lots of talent on this Wildcat team.

Others: None. Oral Roberts, Rider, Virginia, and Stanford isn't really the kind of competition that will keep John Calipari up at night (although Rider did just beat Kentucky's biggest competition for the SEC crown, Mississippi St.)

Sleeper: Rider. They shot lights out to take down the Bulldogs on Friday and may challenge Niagara and Siena in the MAAC this year.

Puerto Rico Tip-Off

Nov 19-22

Favorite: Villanova. No struggles for the Wildcats on Friday. The guards will carry this offense, but forwards Mouphtaou Yarou, Antonio Pena, and Taylor King will have to provide some support offensively.

Others: Georgia Tech, Dayton, Mississippi, Kansas State. There's a lot of teams that could take out the Wildcats and win this tournament. My money would be on either the Flyers or the Yellow Jackets.

Sleeper: Mississippi. This team returns three guys who were all hurt last year but played significant minutes the year before. It will be interesting to see how the Rebels fare this week.

Charleston Classic

Nov. 19-22

Favorite: South Carolina. The Gamecocks lead this somewhat depleted field. Finding a 2nd scorer to complement Devan Downey will be key for the Gamecocks if they want to make the tournament this year.

Others: La Salle. The A-10 will show its depth here, as the Explorers are expected to be one of the better teams in this conference and this tournament.

Sleeper: Miami (FL). Dwayne Collins and co. will look to pick up the production of Jack McClinton after his graduation.

Paradise Jam

Nov. 19-22

Favorite: Purdue. The Boilers looked strong on Friday. They will be thin at forward but the backcourt depth is impressive. Watch for frosh Kelsey Barlow, who has impressed in the early season and will fight for minutes in a crowded backcourt.

Others: Tennessee. If these two teams meet in the finals, it will be a classic battle if tempo. Look for the athletic Vols to push the pace more often this season.

Sleeper: Boston College. The Eagles have lots of weapons offensively and good wings with Sanders and Raji. They could emerge from a crowded middle pack in the ACC this year, and this tournament should be a good test of their overall strength.