A Really Early Look at the 2013 College Basketball Season

   The 2013 season has more promise of excitement than any season in recent memory. The number of great teams set to take the stage exceeds perhaps the last three years combined. Superstars return from all over the country, and a new breed of big names enters the college plaza. Great rivalries are renewed, conferences are realigned, and the return of great basketball promises us much excitement and drama. Given the potential of next years possibly historic season, I feel that an early look into next year's gauntlet is merited.

   THE TEAMS

   Bluegrass State

   John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats boast yet another top flight recruiting class, this one perhaps, being the most remarkable in recent memory. The 2013 class reminds analysists of the Fab 5 from Michigan. The number of top rated players and five star athletes in unparalled by anything college sports has ever seen, and with the top rated point guard, shooting guard, power forward, and several other blue chip prospects, Kentucky has once again claimed most people's preseason top 25's. The level of talent present in Lexington will be like someone simply swapped some Kentucky jerseys with the given Jordan Brand Classic ones. All of this pageantry and yet, the returning national champion stands firm with a large portion of last year's title team in tact. Scorer extraordinaire Russ Smith returns, as does sharpshooter and Final Four MVP Luke Hancock. The only contributors lost are Gorgui Dieng and Peyton Siva, who can be replaced by Montrezl Harrell and Kevin Ware respectively. The Cardinals also bring in a talented recruiting class, albeit overshadowed by Kentucky's.

I will cringe every time this man jumps this year.

   ACC, SEC of Basketball

   It's sad to see a great conference like the Big East die, but through that death, we find hope. Not to dramatize or over react to a basketball conference meltdown, but the promise of such a good conference is tantalizing. The idea of a conference championship final four of Duke, North Carolina, Syracuse and Louisville in a few years is stupid good, and that of course is given Notre Dame, North Carolina State, Pittsburg, and Virginia were just eliminated. For this upcoming season, Duke introduces perhaps the second mostly highly touted and respected player coming out of high school since LeBron James, Jabari Parker. Parker is basically Carmelo Anthony if Carmelo didn't hold defense beneath contempt, and with potentially better athleticism. He has a similar basketball IQ to Melo, but a much high real one. Jabari is a model student and leader ready to lead Duke back to the promised land. Along side him will be battle tested point guards Quinn Cook and Tyler Thornton, sophomore phenom Rasheed Sulaimon, and a young but talented frontcourt including Amile Jefferson and the most recent Plumlee, Marshall. North Carolina returns most of its nucleus, and adds a solid recruiting class. Questions about P.J. Hairston will need to be answered this offseason as to avoid an in-season distraction.

I just really want to be friends with that.

   Rock Chalk- This really isn't fair, they need to be bad sometime- Jay Hawk.

   Remember roughly ten inches ago when I called Jabari Parker the second most highly touted guy since LeBron? The only reason he's rated even that lowly is because of this superstar in the making, Andrew Wiggins.

Clearly a born killer.

   Just when Kansas is on the precipice of slipping, just when it appears Rock Chalk might miss their usual high level of success, the best high school player since LeBron joins the program. That's simply ridiculous, and will be the main reason Kansas is likely to make a deep March run once again. Wiggins dunks with his eyes at rim level simply by lazily bouncing, if he applies his talent correctly, and past results suggest he will, Wiggins will be the best player in college basketball this year.

   The fairly decently sized 10.

   Michigan State is going to compete once again. Sparty returns all but Derrick Nix to this year's squad, a large physical hole but a replaceable one. Gary Harris could be the best 2-guard in basketball this year, and Tom Izzo always overachieves. The Wolverines return dominant big Mitch "Michelin Man" McGary, ( a name I coined) and all-around athlete Glen Robinson III. Ohio State will reload and play stifling defense behind Aaron Craft, but will rely on LaQuinton Ross to shoulder the scoring load given the departure of DeShaun Thomas. Indiana won't be up to last year's team, but freshman workhorse Noah Vonley could turn a few heads if he continues to develop. Overall, the Big 10 will lose a step, but should fill the role of second best conference.

  Soon enough we'll dive further into next year's crop of heroes who will compete for a trip to raise rafters, with a specific look at top tier mid-major programs. Thanks for reading!