Rivals.com began its 1-347 countdown of Division I basketball teams for 2009-2010.Cornell is ranked No. 86.
Cornell is ranked ahead of some major heavyweight BCS conference programs and is the only Ivy League team to crack the Top 150. The rankings include the following teams:
1. Kansas
Cole Aldrich can't help but smile when talking about this season. "There's a good chance," he said, "that we could have a lot of fun this year." With Aldrich and Sherron Collins leading the way, Kansas is No. 1 in our preseason countdown of all 347 teams.
51. Virginia Tech
52. Western Kentucky
53. La Salle
CONFERENCE: Atlantic 10
BEST PLAYER: G Rodney Green
QUICK TAKE: The Explorers have the firepower and experience to make noise in the A-10 - and nab an NCAA bid.
BUZZ: The Explorers were just 1-6 against teams that made the NCAA field last season. If freshman big man Aaric Murray is as good as expected, La Salle could contend for the regular-season title. Expectations are high because all five starters return. Murray is the No. 35 prospect in the country and the top incoming freshman in the A-10.
54. Old Dominion
55. UTEP
56. Niagara
57. Florida
58. UNLV
59. Boston College
60. Nevada
64. Notre Dame
65. LSU
67. Northwestern
68. Arizona
75. Missouri
76. New Mexico
78. Penn State
79. Oregon
80. Seton Hall
CONFERENCE: Big East
BEST PLAYER: G Jeremy Hazell
QUICK TAKE: Hazell, a junior, is a big-time scorer. If three transfers come through, the Pirates could be NCAA-bound.
BUZZ: Predicting an NCAA tournament berth might be wishful thinking, but after finishing 11th in the Big East last season, the Pirates will make a push to finish in the top half of the Big East. It all depends on how well Seton Hall's three transfers jell on the court with their new teammates.
81. Virginia
83. Marquette
86. Cornell
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: G/F Ryan Wittman
QUICK TAKE: All five starters are back from a team that has made back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.
BUZZ: The Big Red ran away with the Ivy League title before falling 78-59 to Missouri in the first round of the NCAA tournament. A better NCAA showing is the focus this season. The Big Red should cruise to another bid behind Wittman (18.5 ppg), guard Louis Dale (13.0 ppg), center Jeff Foote (11.8 ppg) and the playmaking of Chris Wroblewski.
88. Houston
89. Providence
90. Texas Tech
91. Arizona State
92. Louisiana Tech
93. Utah
94. Iowa State
95. Buffalo
97. Temple
99. Bradley
101. Charlotte
104. Binghamton
105. Saint Mary's
106. Alabama
CONFERENCE: SEC
BEST PLAYER: F JaMychal Green
QUICK TAKE: New coach Anthony Grant has to roll up his sleeves and bring more talent to Tuscaloosa.
BUZZ: Alabama would love to follow the LSU model of making a surprise run at a league title in its first season with a new coach. The Tide certainly made a popular hire with Grant, who led VCU to two NCAA tournament bids in the past three years. Grant inherits a team that returns four starters and features plenty of potential. The Tide weren't that bad last year; they won five of their last seven games to finish 18-14 after Mark Gottfried's midseason departure.
109. New Mexico State
110. George Mason
112. Arkansas
113. Wyoming
114. Rhode Island
115. Miami (FL)
117. Saint Joseph's
CONFERENCE: Atlantic 10
BEST PLAYER: F Idris Hilliard
QUICK TAKE: A lot of young guys have to come through if the Hawks are to contend in the Atlantic 10.
BUZZ: Relying heavily on Ahmad Nivins, the league's player of the year, and Tasheed Carr didn't help Saint Joseph's land a postseason berth last season. Many members of this season's team will be learning on the fly. That combination could lead to some growing pains as the Hawks return to a refurbished home arena.
119. USC
121. N.C. State
122. TCU
123. Massachusetts
CONFERENCE: Atlantic 10
BEST PLAYER: G Ricky Harris
QUICK TAKE: Harris can fill it up, but the Minutemen don't have enough complementary talent.
BUZZ: UMass is going to need a season or two to get back into A-10 title contention. Harris' offense could lead to some upsets this season, but the frontcourt doesn't look as if it will scare anybody.
124. St. John's
CONFERENCE: Big East
BEST PLAYER: F/G Anthony Mason Jr.
QUICK TAKE: Remember when St. John's was contending for Big East titles? Yeah, neither do we.
BUZZ: St. John's went 16-18 in 2008-09 and has had just one winning season in five years under Norm Roberts, who might be in trouble if things don't turn around soon. A quick glance at the Red Storm's roster suggests that good things may be in store. St. John's returns all five starters from last year's squad - and that doesn't include Mason, who learned in August that the NCAA had granted him an extra year of eligibility following an anterior cruciate ligament tear three games into last season.
125. Auburn
126. Indiana
129. Nebraska
134. Iowa
140. Stanford
144. South Florida
145. Hofstra
CONFERENCE: Colonial
BEST PLAYER: G Charles Jenkins
QUICK TAKE: Jenkins is the main reason the Pride could win 20 games for the fifth time in the past six seasons.
BUZZ: If the Pride are going to win 20 again, Jenkins (19.7 ppg, All-CAA first-team pick) must have another huge season. Jenkins needs help from guard/forward Nathaniel Lester and center Greg Washington.
147. Rutgers
151. Vermont
CONFERENCE: America East
BEST PLAYER: F Marqus Blakely
QUICK TAKE: Blakely is looking to sweep America East player of the year and defensive player of year honors for the third year in a row.
BUZZ: Blakely (16.1 ppg, 9.0 rpg) is a star, although he certainly will miss the help of departing PG Mike Trimboli. F Colin McIntosh is gone as well, so the Catamounts will need much more from Michigan State transfer guard Maurice Joseph (8.1 ppg).
155. DePaul
156. Princeton
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: G Doug Davis
QUICK TAKE: Coach Sydney Johnson slowly is getting the Tigers back to the top of the Ivy League.
BUZZ: The Tigers leaped from last place in the Ivy in 2007-08 to second a year ago, and they nearly made a run at Cornell - thanks in part to a blowout of the Big Red and a win over Penn at the Palestra. Can Johnson's team make it a race in the Ivy League this season? If Davis (12.3 ppg) can build on his terrific freshman season and center Pawel Buczak keeps developing, there's a chance.
159. Saint Louis
160. UAB
163. Georgia
164. Southern Miss
171. Holy Cross
CONFERENCE: Southern
BEST PLAYER: F/G William Archambault
QUICK TAKE: Where have you gone, Stephen Curry? A sad fan base turns its lonely eyes to you.
BUZZ: Curry led the Wildcats to an average of 28.3 wins in his three seasons, but he's not the only loss for the Wildcats. Second-leading scorer Andrew Lovedale and league defensive player of the year Max Paulhus Gosselin also are gone. Archambault (8.3 ppg) is the top returning scorer. Look for J.P. Kuhlman, a three-star guard who can light it up from deep, to make an early impact.
178. San Diego
184. Colorado
191. Fresno State
193. St. Bonaventure
199. Colorado State
200. Drake
203. George Washington
212. Harvard
CONFERENCE: Ivy
QUICK TAKE: Former Duke guard and Seton Hall and Michigan head man Tommy Amaker is entering his third season as coach.
BUZZ: Amaker's team upset Boston College and got a win over Cornell - and most important, a win over Yale - in his second season with the Crimson. The next step is becoming a legitimate league contender. Harvard should move closer behind the high-scoring play of Lin (17.8 ppg) and promising sophomore Keith Wright (8.0 ppg). Amaker has more solid recruits on the way, but his team needs to defend and rebound better.
213. Air Force
222. Drexel
BEST PLAYER: G Gerald Colds
QUICK TAKE: Five of the Dragons' eight CAA losses last season were by one point or in overtime.
BUZZ: Bruiser Flint was named CAA coach of the year after guiding the Dragons, picked in the preseason to finish last, to a 10-8 league finish. Colds (9.0 ppg), a junior, is the top returning scorer for the defense-minded Dragons.
226. San Jose State
227. Fordham
230. Hawaii
231. Missouri State
241. Columbia
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: G Patrick Foley
QUICK TAKE: If the frontcourt develops, the Lions could contend for a top-four finish in the league.
BUZZ: Injuries piled up last season and limited a potentially promising conference season to a 7-7 finish. Foley (10.9 ppg) missed nine games and must find a way to stay healthy. He has a nice backcourt complement in Noruwa Agho (9.1 ppg). The question is whether coach Joe Jones can get anything out of a rebuilding frontcourt, and former La Salle forward Brian Grimes may be the answer.
250. Penn
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: F Tyler Bernardini
QUICK TAKE: Believe it or not, Penn used to be one of the best programs in the Ivy League.
BUZZ: Rosen (8.1 ppg, 5.0 apg) is one of the top young point guards in the Ivy League, and he knows to get the ball to Bernardini (13.7 ppg). Unfortunately for coach Glen Miller's Quakers, G Harrison Gaines (9.9 ppg) has decided to transfer and the frontcourt is starting over with unproven players.
CONFERENCE: Patriot
BEST PLAYER: F Patrick Behan
QUICK TAKE: The Bison were last in the Patriot League last season, but they appear to be slowly climbing back into the mix.
BUZZ: Expect a significant leap from last season's last-place showing. The young Bison lose Justin Castleberry, but Behan (13.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg) should be one of the league's top scorers. Sophomore guard Bryan Cohen (11.8 ppg) is terrific as well. He and wing forward G.W. Boon (9.8 ppg) combined for 104 3-pointers last season.
262. SMU
267. Yale
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: G Alex Zampier
QUICK TAKE: The Bulldogs are going to struggle offensively, which likely means a second-division finish in the Ivy League.
BUZZ: The Bulldogs lose their No. 1 and No. 3 scorers, Ross Morin and Travis Pinick, so No. 2 on the list - Zampier (13.2 ppg) - will face a lot of defensive attention this season. Porter Braswell's ability to assume command at point guard will determine whether Yale can stay in the upper half of the league.
270. South Dakota
CONFERENCE: Independent
BEST PLAYER: F Tyler Cain
QUICK TAKE: The Coyotes, who are looking for their second consecutive 20-win season, like to get up and down the floor.
BUZZ: The up-tempo Coyotes had five players average in double figures last season. Three return, including leading scorer Cain (15.4 ppg, 11.0 rpg). He's a good shot blocker, and if he gets some offensive help up front, the Coyotes could win 20 games again.
274. William & Mary
285. Brown
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: F Matt Mullery
QUICK TAKE: Mullery and Peter Sullivan are solid forwards, but they don't have much help.
BUZZ: With forwards such as Mullery (16.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg) and Sullivan (14.3 ppg), how is it that the Bears are picked this low? Basically, because they went 3-11 a year ago despite the production of those two. Mainstays Scott Friske and Chris Skrelja are gone, and that hurts. If Brown can find someone to shoot the ball, it can exceed expectations.
287. Bryant
CONFERENCE: Northeast
BEST PLAYER: F Cecil Gresham
QUICK TAKE: The Bulldogs will be playing a full Northeast Conference schedule this season, but they are ineligible for the league tournament.
BUZZ: The Bulldogs will be led by Gresham, a senior, and there's a lot of size in the recruiting class. Massachusetts transfer Pap Lo, a 6-9 forward/center, has the potential to be a big-time shot blocker.
304. Centenary
318. Dartmouth
CONFERENCE: Ivy
BEST PLAYER: G Jabari Trotter
QUICK TAKE: The Big Green are coming off a solid season, but an Ivy League slide looks likely with the loss of their best player.
BUZZ: One of the league's pleasant surprises a year ago with a 7-7 finish, the Big Green now must face life without superb F Alex Barnett, the league's player of the year. Barnett scored (19.4 ppg), rebounded (5.6 rpg), hit 3-pointers (54 at 40.9 percent) and free throws (100 at 82 percent). Jabari Trotter (7.0 ppg) and David Rufful (6.3 ppg), a pair of solid freshmen a year ago, are due for a role expansion.
332. Toledo
CONFERENCE: Mid-American
BEST PLAYER: F/C Justin Anyijong
BUZZ: Toledo's freshman class provides hope for the future, but the Rockets could take their lumps this season while the newcomers gain experience. Toledo will have a tough time staying out of the MAC West Division basement one year after sharing last place in the division and posting the conference's worst overall record (7-25).
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