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The Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for next season in college basketball have been updated, and with that, weve decided to look beyond the on-the-court talent and see what lies in the future. Hydro Flask Outlet Store . Just because they are in the top 25, it doesnt mean it will be clear sailing for these coaches. Its time to look at the challenges ahead.1. Duke Blue Devils Quality and quantity are supposed to be dichotomous. Every now and then, though, a truly special roster bends this talent calculation into an all-you-can-eat-buffet. Mike Krzyzewski will lead one of the latter group in 2016-17, and thus his greatest coaching challenge will be in balancing the individual expectations of stellar freshmen with those of veterans, who either starred in last seasons shallow rotation (Grayson Allen, Luke Kennard, Matt Jones) or want redemption from variously disappointing seasons (Amile Jefferson, Chase Jeter). Fortunately for Duke, Coach K has some experience in this field. -- Eamonn Brennan2. Villanova Wildcats Pretty simple: expectations. Jay Wrights team will have a target on its back all year after returning a significant portion of a team that cut down the nets last April. Sure, the Wildcats lost Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu -- but they still have Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins?and?Jalen Brunson?and will be put in a class with Duke and Kentucky this season in terms of favorites. A year ago, Villanova snuck up on people. That wont happen this year. -- Jeff Goodman3. Kentucky Wildcats John Calipari will have the task of getting talented freshmen to play like talented veterans. If any coach in Division I should be able to dispense with clichés about veteran leadership, its Calipari. Yet history suggests that, even in Lexington, returning experience matters, and this season Isaiah Briscoe?is the only returnee who averaged more than 19 minutes a game in 2015-16. The NBA potential of freshmen like DeAaron Fox and Bam Adebayo is clear, but UKs 2016-17 season will rise or fall depending on whether their college performance is closer to Jamal Murrays or Skal Labissieres. -- John Gasaway4. Kansas Jayhawks Oh, to have Bill Selfs problems. Devonte Graham and Frank Mason are back, Josh Jackson is in town and winning another Big 12 title is likely. Selfs biggest issue? Controlling the hype. He has seen players struggle, if not entirely wither, under the weight of expectation. It happened recently, with Andrew Wiggins and Cheick Diallo. So keeping the hype machine down around Jackson will be key. As good as he is, he is not a reliable senior, as Perry Ellis?was. There will be a growth curve. It could be small or intermittent, but it will happen and Self has to help Jackson weather whatever storm he encounters. -- Dana ONeil5. Virginia Cavaliers The Cavs lost all-everything guard Malcolm Brogdon?and interior threats Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey. How important was Brogdon? The 39-percent shooter from the 3-point line finished 12-for-51 from beyond the arc in Virginias eight losses. When he went cold, things fell apart for Virginia. Gill and Tobey were critical in the pack-line schemes aim to disrupt everything inside and dominate the defensive boards. Now theyre all gone. But Tony Bennetts roster features the talent and potential to limit the drop-off from last seasons Elite Eight squad. Memphis transfer Austin Nichols (13.3 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.4 BPG) is eligible. And Kyle Guy, a McDonalds All American wing, anchors a top-10 recruiting class. Plus, London Perrantes returns. But how will that all come together for Bennett? Can Nichols help the Cavs limit opponents touches in the paint and play an effective offensive role in Virginias pass-first-second-and-third offense? Will Guy and his freshman teammates defend and play with the toughness required in the ACC? Yes, most coaches replace veterans each season. But Virginia lost a special class of seniors. Bennetts newcomers might need some time to adjust to their roles and the burden theyll inherit once the season begins. -- Myron Medcalf6. North Carolina Tar Heels The Tar Heels will again have a strong inside game with the return of Kennedy Meeks, the expanded role of Isaiah Hicks and the addition of freshman Tony Bradley. But Roy Williams has faced the same question the past few seasons: Who will prevent opponents from packing it in the lane? Carolina got just 20 percent of its scoring from 3-point range last year, which ranked 342 among Division I schools according to Ken Pomeroy. Even more than his leadership, its the area where Marcus Paiges absence will hurt the most. -- C.L. Brown7. Oregon Ducks Motivation is hard enough when you have no laurels to rest on. Imagine how much harder it must be for a group of players -- still basically intact -- that just won the Pac-12 regular-season and conference titles en route to an Elite Eight appearance. Oregon will enter 2016-17 with no obvious challenger to its Pac-12 throne, with an NCAA tournament appearance seemingly guaranteed. While weve seen teams like this take a year-over-year leap (the Frank Kaminsky-era Wisconsin Badgers come to mind) a single-minded focus on postseason glory can present a coach with unforeseen challenges along the way. -- Brennan8. Wisconsin Badgers Last season was a roller coaster, on and off the court. The Badgers started slow, then Bo Ryan abruptly retired, Wisconsin got rolling and interim coach Greg Gard got the permanent gig. Gards biggest challenge will be to get the most he can out of the duo of Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes. The two need to feed off one another and play like a pair of first-team Big Ten guys. -- Goodman9. Xavier Musketeers Last week,?Myles Davis was suspended indefinitely?after a judge issued a protective order on behalf of the senior guards ex-girlfriend. (Davis denies the allegations that led to the judges order.) Even with Edmond Sumner on hand, there is now uncertainty attached to what figured to be an exceptionally strong XU backcourt. -- Gasaway10. Michigan State Spartans Tom Izzo has arguably the most talented recruiting class of his Hall of Fame career. He has terrific returning talent in the form of Eron Harris and Lourawls TumTum Nairn Jr. But Denzel Valentine is not walking through that door. And its not Valentines scoring (first on the team), assists (also tops) or rebounds (second) that is the most difficult for Izzo to replace. Its his leadership. When Michigan State is at its best, a player leads the charge -- Steve Smith to Mateen Cleaves to Draymond Green to Valentine. Finding someone to take those reins from Valentine will be the key to the Spartans success. -- ONeil11. Indiana Hoosiers Thomas Bryant had a chance to secure a first-round, guaranteed contract in last summers NBA draft. He returned, however, to elevate his stock and work on his defensive edge and rebounding. Few freshmen rivaled his production in his first season in Bloomington. He made 70.7 percent of his shots inside the arc, seventh in the country. He finished 35th in KenPom.coms efficiency rankings. Still, the 6-foot-10 forward lacked the frame and, at times, the desire to make the same impact as a defender and rebounder. He finished outside the top 150 in offensive rebounding rate (153rd), defensive rebounding rate (289th) and block percentage (276th) last season. Hes capable of evolving into one of the nations most complete players, a great force on both sides of the floor. Some of that depends on the muscle he added to his body since last season. And part of that is attitude. The guy who put up 19 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block during Indianas win over Kentucky in the Sweet 16 needs to show up every night for Tom Creans team. He has that potential. -- Medcalf12. Arizona Wildcats Talent? That has never been the problem for Sean Miller in Arizona. Hes welcoming three five-star-caliber players: power forward Lauri Markkanen, guard Kobi Simmons and small forward Rawle Alkins. And thats in addition to last years marquee recruit, Allonzo Trier, deciding to stick around another year instead of turning pro. The Wildcats who just exhausted their eligibility -- Ryan Anderson, Gabe York and Kaleb Tarczewski among them -- gladly accepted their roles and didnt try to played outside of their capabilities. Can Miller convince the members of this freshman class, who individually are used to being the center of attention, to do the same? -- Brown13. Louisville Cardinals This seems like the kind of thing that proves challenging to a coach. Just a hunch. -- Brennan14. Purdue Boilermakers This one is easy. Its all about getting quality point guard play for Matt Painter. That will ultimately determine how far the Boilermakers go this year. The addition of Michigan grad transfer Spike Albrecht will certainly help. The question with Albrecht is his health. Then there is holdover P.J. Thompson, who was solid a year ago. Can these guys -- along with freshman Carsen Edwards -- form a group that is effective enough in West Lafayette? Thats Painters biggest challenge. --Goodman15. West Virginia Mountaineers The Press Virginia defense worked beautifully last season, forcing league opponents to commit turnovers on 22 percent of their possessions. And with Jevon Carter, Daxter Miles and Tarik Phillip all returning, its likely opposing offenses will once again struggle to take care of the rock. The challenge now for coach Bob Huggins is to improve an offense that ranked fifth in Big 12 play -- and to do so without the numerous offensive boards previously recorded by Devin Williams. -- Gasaway16. Gonzaga Bulldogs What Mark Few needs most is entirely out of his own control. He needs a healthy Przemek Karnowski. With Nigel Williams-Goss, Johnathan Williams III and Zach Collins, Few could have more weapons than he did a year ago, but how Karnowski recovers from back surgery will be key to the Zags success. Hes not just talented, hes experienced and smart, the glue that can help connect all the unique pieces that make up Gonzagas roster. Karnowski has been cleared for basketball activities, but is understandably taking his rehab slow. -- ONeil17. UCLA Bruins After last years turbulence, Steve Alford returned his previous extension when some of the schools supporters demanded his firing. That didnt happen. But everyone knows Alford enters 2016-17 with an uncertain future. Still, his recruiting class should eliminate any negative chatter if it matches the preseason hype. There is a problem, though. His point guard and son,?Bryce Alford, is the kind of floor leader who plays best when hes in control (25.2 assist rate) -- although, hes reckless too often (13.6 percent turnover rate). He is a senior who understands his fathers expectations and schemes. Lonzo Ball, however, did not sign with the Bruins to defer. Sure, he will when necessary. But if you have a 6-5, five-star point guard who could make millions in the NBA as a lottery pick in 2017, you give him the ball. Hes the most promising talent on the UCLA roster. And he, like Bryce Alford, is also a point guard. How will the head coach deal with that if it becomes a dilemma during the season? -- Medcalf18. Maryland Terrapins Mark Turgeons challenge starts with getting his star players confidence back. As a sophomore, Melo Trimble wasnt quite the same player he was as a freshman. His shooting percentage from 3-point range dipped by 10 percent. Although he was still the Terrapins leading scorer, he struggled with balancing whether he should hunt for his own shot or if he needed to distribute. That shouldnt be the case this season, as the Terps go from a team loaded with talent and experience to a young team of role players. The Terps will go as Trimble goes. -- Brown19. Saint Marys Gaels In a word? Scheduling. In March, notoriously polite Gonzaga coach Mark Few told the Spokesman-Review that it was time for some of these other [West Coast Conference] institutions to start picking it up because they were really dragging the top three down. The Gaels absence from the NCAA tournament, despite their surprise WCC regular-season title, was an indictment of much of their league, sure, but a weak nonconference schedule did them no favors. This will be a good team, but it needs chances to prove it before January. -- Brennan20. Creighton Bluejays Greg McDermott has a quality point guard, Mo Watson, and some nice pieces around him, but the key will be whether he can get former Kansas State scoring guard Marcus Foster back on track. Remember, Foster averaged 15.5 points as a freshman at K-State before a disappointing sophomore campaign. If McDermott can get Fosters head straight, the Bluejays will have a chance to remain in the Top 25 all year. -- Goodman21. Rhode Island Rams Two seasons ago, in 2014-15, URI came within an eyelash of making the NCAA tournament, and that was from a team that shot just 26 percent (not a typo) on its 3s in Atlantic 10 play. In other words, Dan Hurley really knows how to coach defense. In 2015-16, that knowledge was insufficient, as E.C. Matthews missed all but the seasons first 10 minutes with a knee injury. Now Matthews is reportedly healthy, Indiana transfer Stanford Robinson is eligible and the Rams are bringing back Jared Terrell, Jarvis Garrett, Kuran Iverson and Hassan Martin. If this group stays healthy, Hurley has a great shot at getting Rhody into its first NCAA tournament since 1999. -- Gasaway22. Cincinnati Bearcats The Bearcats are always tough. They always defend. They always rebound. They dont always score. Cincinnati averaged 73.2 points per game last year, just 176th in the nation. To win games, eventually the ball has to go in the basket with some version of regularity. If Troy Caupain, Gary Clark and NC State transfer Kyle Washington can elevate the Bearcats numbers, they will be even tougher than they already are. -- ONeil23. Florida State Seminoles Leonard Hamilton lost Malik Beasley to the NBA draft, but that departure didnt ruin Florida States plans for 2016-17. Dwayne Bacon (15.8 PPG) and Xavier Rathan-Mayes (11.8 PPG) are both back. And Jonathan Isaac, a 6-10 freshman forward, is a projected lottery pick for the 2017 NBA draft. Trent Forrest is a top-50 player, too. Hamilton, again, has a team that will play fast. Florida State has missed the NCAA tournament the past four seasons, however, due to defensive issues. In ACC play in 2015-16, FSU collected 1.06 points per possession but surrendered 1.07 PPP. The program hasnt registered a winning season in conference play since 2011-12, despite a recruiting haul thats included multiple four- and five-star recruits. This is an important season for Hamilton. And he needs his explosive scorers to commit to defense. -- Medcalf24. Connecticut Huskies The Huskies werent exactly an explosive team offensively last season, and three of their top four scorers are no longer around. Rodney Purvis, who led UConn with 12.8 PPG, is back. But outside of Purvis, the Huskies have no proven scorers in the rotation. Kevin Ollie will have to find a few from his five-man recruiting class that RecruitingNation ranked ninth. Freshman point guard Alterique Gilbert and VCU transfer Terry Larrier could be among the newcomers to start, and preferably for UConn theyll bring a scoring punch to the lineup. -- Brown25. Syracuse Orange Tyler Roberson is a rebounding machine. Tyler Lydon, a 40 percent 3-point shooter on the offensive end, had 17 blocks in three games in Syracuses Final Four run last March. Which is to say: Jim Boeheims frontcourt will be just fine. The challenges for Boeheim will entirely center on the backcourt, where the departures of Michael Gbinije, Trevor Cooney?and Malachi Richardson will force huge responsibilities -- both offensively and in that trademark 2-3 zone -- on freshman Tyus Battle, Nebraska transfer Andrew White and little-used rising sophomore Franklin Howard. -- Brennan Cheap Hydro Flask Water Bottle . -- Ty Montgomery had 290 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, and fifth-ranked Stanford held on to beat No. Hydro Flask Cheap Ombre .com) - The Chicago Blackhawks aim for their third three-game winning streak of the season when they host the struggling Edmonton Oilers in Sundays battle at the United Center. http://www.cheaphydroflask.net/ . Anthony Davis had 31 points and 17 rebounds in his seventh straight game with more than 20 points, but that was only enough to keep the Pelicans competitive into the final minutes. Andrew Bogut had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Golden State, which rebounded from a loss a night earlier in Oklahoma City and snapped a two-game skid. ELON, N.C. -- Harold Cooper ran for 155 yards and a touchdown to help Rhode Island beat Elon 44-14 on Saturday to stop a 23-game losing streak on the road.This was the first meeting between the schools and both had been struggling. Rhode Island (2-8, 1-6 Colonial) had dropped four consecutive games and Elon (2-8, 1-6) has now lost six straight. The Rams had also lost 10 straight conference games.Jordan Vazzano threw for 226 yards and two touchdowns as Rhode Island dominated the second half, 31--7. Hydro Flask Water Bottle Sale. Cooper, who had a 99-yard kick return two weeks ago, returned a kickoff 98 yards for a score in the final quarter. Cooper now has 1,204 career return yards.Justin Rohrwasser totaled 14 points as he booted three field goals, the longest being 42 yards, and kicked five extra points.Daniel Thompson led the Phoenix, passing for 193 yards and one touchdown. ' ' '