CONFERENCE USA

1. Cincinnati

(See UC's preview)

2. Marquette

Coach: Tom Crean (83-41, fifth season; same overall)

Key player: Travis Diener (Jr., G)

Outlook: The Golden Eagles, who advanced to the Final Four last season, won't have All-American Dwyane Wade to take over down the stretch. They also lost center Robert Jackson but they still have plenty of talent, including a highly regarded recruiting class led by junior-college transfer Marcus Jackson, a 6-foot-8 power forward.

3. Louisville

Coach: Rick Pitino (44-20, third season; 396-144, 18th overall)

Key player: Francisco Garcia (So., F)

Outlook: The Cardinals will miss guard Reece Gaines, who was not only a great player but also a steadying influence. They have a potential star in Garcia and another quality youngster in guard Taquan Dean. A pair of 6-10 players, junior-college transfer Nouha Diakite and senior Kendall Dartez, will battle for the starting center position.

4. Memphis

Coach: John Calipari (71-31, fourth season; 264-102, 12th overall)

Key player: Antonio Burks (So., G)

Outlook: This will be a quicker, more athletic team than the one built around power forward Chris Massie last season. The Tigers will run and fire 3-pointers after setting school records last season for 3-pointers made and attempted.

5. UAB

Coach: Mike Anderson (21-13, second season; same overall)

Key player: Morris Finley (Sr., G)

Outlook: Under Anderson, a former Nolan Richardson assistant, the Blazers displayed some of the old Arkansas defensive full-court aggressiveness last season. The new approach resulted in a 21-13 season and a berth in the NIT.

6. DePaul

Coach: Dave Leitao (16-13, second season; 38-48, fourth overall)

Key player: Andre Brown (Sr., C)

Outlook: The Blue Demons improved from nine wins to 16 and an NIT berth in Leitao's first season, but they still have ground to cover to catch the league's upper-echelon teams. Brown (6-9, 245) is a bruising rebounder who also can score inside.

7. Charlotte

Coach: Bobby Lutz (93-66, sixth season, 274-157, 15th overall)

Key player: Demon Brown (Sr., G)

Outlook: The 49ers always seem to have a 3-point shooter who can light it up. The current long-range specialist is Brown, who finished second nationally last season in 3-point field goals with 117. He'll be joined this season by Brendan Plavich, a transfer who led the Southeastern Conference in 3-point shooting as a sophomore at Vanderbilt.

8. Saint Louis

Coach: Brad Soderberg (16-14, second season; 147-87, 10th overall)

Key player: Josh Fisher (Sr., G)

Outlook: The Billikens will miss guard Marque Perry. Villanova transfer Reggie Bryant will attempt to pick up the slack in the backcourt, along with Fisher. The Billikens will have a big frontcourt.

9. Southern Miss

Coach: James Green (110-96, eighth season; same overall)

Key player: Charles Gaines (Sr., F)

Outlook: The Golden Eagles return four starters. Power forward Brannon Hayes, a junior-college transfer, should provide help for Gaines this season.

10. East Carolina

Coach: Bill Herrion (48-65, fifth season; 215-136, 13th overall)

Key player: Derrick Wiley (Sr., G)

Outlook: The Pirates are counting on freshman Japhet McNeil to replace Travis Holcomb-Faye at point guard. Wiley, their leading scorer last season, is one of four returning starters from a team that started fast, then faded.

11. South Florida

Coach: Robert McCullum (first season; 44-45, fourth overall)

Key player: Jimmy Baxter (Sr., G/F)

Overall: This program has been making promises for years but never fulfilled them under Seth Greenberg, who left for Virginia Tech. Baxter (14.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) is a talented player, but there's not much beyond him.

12. TCU

Coach: Neil Dougherty (9-19, second season; same overall)

Key player: Corey Santee (Jr. G)

Outlook: The Horned Frogs lost three starters and don't appear to have found replacements for them.

13. Tulane

Coach: Shawn Finney (39-51, fourth season; same overall)

Key player: Wayne Tinsley (Sr., G)

Outlook: The school shot its own program in the foot when it conducted a review of the athletic department to determine if it wanted to remain at the Division I level. In the meantime, recruiting was hindered - not very good timing for a program that has to replace five seniors and four starters.

14. Houston

Coach: Ray McCallum (35-45, fourth season; 161-131, 11th overall)

Key player: Andre Owens (Jr. G)

Outlook: It looks like another long year for the once-mighty Cougars. Freshman Lanny Smith, Houston's prep player of the year, might be the starting point guard.

Bill Koch