Rankings: AP: 2; Coaches: 2; BlogPoll: 3.
Predicted Pac-10 finish: Media: 1; FanHouse: 1
Last year: 30-6 overall, 15-3 in the Pac-10; lost in national semifinals of NCAA tournament.
Key returners/newcomers: Darren Collison; Josh Shipp; Luc Richard Mbah A Moute; this girl/Kevin Love; Chase Stanback
Key losses: Arron Afflalo
Why they might be good: Back-to-back Final Fours. Great point guard in Collison. Perhaps the best freshman in the country in Love. And all the other parts of the puzzle. Losing Afflalo will be tough, but his loss will go unnoticed when the Bruins keep winning -- and they'll do that with Collison's leadership and a formidable inside presence with Love and Mbah A Moute. Anything short of a third-straight Final Four would be a bit surprising.
Why they might suck: Unless Collison gets hurt, Love puts on a freshman 50 and coach Ben Howland gets caught with a transsexual hooker, the Bruins will be nowhere near sucking.
