Quote Originally Posted by Chicago 1995 View Post
25 teams that will be better?

OSU, MSU, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, NC State, UNC, UK, UF, Arizona, Stanford, Syracuse, Louisville, Cincinnati, Texas, Kansas, Memphis

That's 17. I want to look at some Big East, Pac 10 and A10 rosters and recruiting classes.
You might want to rethink that list.

OSU will lose Sullinger and Buford. Wisconsin loses Jordan Taylor. UNC loses virtually their entire starting 5. Syracuse loses their top 2 scorers and their PG, and they may also lose Fab Melo. Cincy lost 11 games this year and loses their best player and their second leading scorer. Texas lost 14 games this year and loses both of their centers and may lose their best player as well. MSU loses the only difference-maker on their team and also their 2 best perimeter shooters. Kansas loses the only 2 guys that could score consistently. Memphis lost 9 games this past year and may very well lose their difference maker. Michigan adds a stud big man but loses at least 3 of their six regulars (waiting to see about Hardaway and Burke). Florida lost 10 games this year and will lose at least 1 and possibly 3 of their starters (including their only inside guy and their best player). Arizona has a stud recruiting class but they lost 12 games in an awful Pac-12 and they lose 2 of their 3 best players.

I'm not saying we'll clearly be better than all of those teams. But I'd say that those teams are all likely to be facing the same challenges we'll be facing. So I think it's unfair to expect us to struggle and them to not struggle. Only UK (who will reload), Louisville (who returns almost everyone), NC State (if Leslie returns), and Indiana (if Zeller returns) are clearly ahead of Duke on your list. The rest all have substantial questions to address just like Duke.