Mailbag: Top point guards, Calipari, Wells and more

College basketball season tips off Friday night with a boatload of great games (pun intended). You've sent in lots and lots of questions, and our college basketball reporters Nicole Auerbach and Eric Prisbell have lots and lots of answers, so here we go.

Also, here's a reminder to send questions for next week's mailbag to Nicole at nauerbach@usatoday.com.

Alex P: We've got a handful of quality point guards - Canaan, Burke, Jackson, Siva, Craft. Of those five, who do you project will make the most noise in college basketball this year and why?

Prisbell: Good question. Among those five, I like Trey Burke to create the most noise this season because he is very talented and has a good amount of talent around him. That said, we are seeing a resurgence of elite point guard guards this season, and those are just five of the best guys.

Auerbach: I think you're going to hear a lot about Burke, Siva and Craft – mostly because they play for preseason top-five teams. Siva has a fascinating back story, and he's survived a rough childhood to get to this point, so he's a guy to root for. Last season, Burke played with as much poise as you can hope for from a freshman, so he'll be fun to watch mature and take a leadership role this year. And Craft, who led the Buckeyes deep into March, is exactly the kind of floor general you'd want on your team. This isn't to say anything bad about Canaan and Jackson – they're both extremely talented, too – but I think because the others are going to be playing in a bigger spotlight this season, they'll make the most noise.

Tim Newhard: How will ucla do this year?

Prisbell: Tell me if Shabazz Muhammad is playing and I will tell you how UCLA will do. If Shabazz plays all season, UCLA is one of the two best teams in the Pac-12, Shabazz is an All-American candidate and coach Ben Howland may not have to worry about job security quite as much. This UCLA season is a boom-or-bust situation, and has looked that way for a while.

Auerbach: It depends on Shabazz Muhammad's health and eligibility. If he recovers from his shoulder injury quickly and the NCAA clears him to play, UCLA could be scary good. So much talent in that freshman class. But it's also a make-or-break year for coach Ben Howland, so if the Bruins underachieve, there will be a lot of frustrated fans.

Warren Sparks: Why is it so hard for a coach like Todd Lickliter to get another D1 job? He has gone from Coach of the Year at Butler to Iowa to an asst. at Miami OH to D3 Marion.

Prisbell: We're in the midst of a changing landscape when it comes to these issues. It has become more difficult more many BCS conference teams to hire a coach because more accomplished coaches at small schools want to stay put. And for good reason; there are cautionary tales like Lickliter and remember Dan Monson left Gonzaga for Minnesota and it did not work out.

Auerbach: I agree. As we see more smaller schools perform well in the NCAA tournament and in non-conference play, more smaller-school coaches realize they can win and get noticed at smaller schools. It's not that simple, of course, but that is part of it.

Jack Allen: Will the Iowa Hawkeyes be better or worse than advertised this year?

Prisbell: Depends on what advertising you are looking at. They have a chance to find themselves on the NCAA bubble if they play their cards right, but they have little margin for error. The top of the league is stacked and they need to avoid RPI-crushing losses during non-league play and then hope for a near .500 record in the Big Ten with a couple wins over teams in the top five of the league.

Auerbach: Better. I haven't seen or read much about the Hawkeyes, but I think this is the season we'll see them take a step forward under coach Fran McCaffery -- into the NCAA tournament.

@TCUFan1: will Arkansas make a return to the men's NCAA tournament?

Prisbell: Yes. One of the reasons I think the SEC is underrated as a whole is because of sneaky good teams like Arkansas. Of course I like BJ Young and Mardracus Wade, but I'll be looking to see how much depth Mike Anderson has.

Auerbach: Let's see how the Razorbacks play against Syracuse (Nov. 30) and Michigan (Dec. 8). Those are two great opportunities for big non-conference wins, which the selection committee loves to see. Beating either of those teams will put Arkansas in excellent position heading into conference play.

@jbtweet22: what should Ohio State fans make of an unimpressive 12 pt win in exhibition vs Walsh? uneasy about Marquette?

Prisbell: I'd be uneasy about the Marquette game because Marquette is a quality team and Buzz Williams always gets his players to play extremely hard, but not because of the exhibition game performance. Ohio State will be fine this season and Deshaun Thomas should put up some gaudy scoring numbers.

Auerbach: Exhibitions are tough. Even though college basketball coaches were able to work with players a bit this summer thanks to a rule change, it doesn't mean that teams are going to be 100% ready to go at by the end of October. Teams need time to develop chemistry and younger players need time to learn how to fit into a coach's system. With that said, I'm sure Ohio State is doing its homework for Marquette. It's a high-profile game and a good litmus test to see how good the Buckeyes are. If they overlooked some aspects of Walsh because they were preparing for Marquette – and it pays off Friday night – I think fans will be pretty OK with a mediocre exhibition performance.

@jotamjota: Will #cuse's DaJuan Coleman be a bust his Frosh year like Melo was...until Boeheim kicks his butt into gear this summer?

Prisbell: I don't think Coleman will be a bust but I understand your concern. I've been watching Coleman since he was 15 and I kept waiting for him to take the next step and really dominate. Personally, I have not seen it but would not be surprised if he has a big year on a team that could win the Big East.

@ArunDas: Post MSU's exhibition game last night, what do you think of Dawson's return and Harris/Valentine's freshman play?

Prisbell: I see that Dawson has been up and down some in preseason. Seems like Michigan State is uneven in exhibition play every year but Tom Izzo figures it out by March. I do think Harris and Valentine will help immensely. Both also have great attitudes and are willing to learn and listen to veterans.

Auerbach: I'm really excited to see Harris play. I think he and Valentine are reasons the Spartans are going to be even better than everyone thinks this season.

@johnsaldijr: how bout some good news for UNC fans on Wiggins & Meeks? #TarHeels

Prisbell: I can talk about Wiggins. While I was in Huntington, W.Va., a couple weeks ago, the good news was that Roy Williams was also there. He met with Wiggins and watched him practice. So they are in the hunt and have been in the hunt. Williams was just the third head coach to go to Huntington Prep to watch Wiggins play.

@jeremytroutman: Is Indiana going to hang banner #6 this season?

Prisbell: Indiana has as good a chance as anybody, especially with Cody Zeller taking the next step as a sophomore. The Hoosiers sold me when I covered their entertaining Sweet 16 battle with Kentucky last season. It was clear then that they should be the preseason No. 1 this season.

Auerbach: Though we haven't seen them play yet – so we don't know how good the Hoosiers actually are – it's hard to imagine that any team will be as dominant throughout the regular season and postseason as last season's Kentucky team. Still, I think Indiana will be among the top teams all season, and the Hoosiers will be tested throughout conference play, which will be good for them. We should see them playing late in March.

@SirColbyBrown What are the chances of Aaron Gordon leaving the West Coast?

Prisbell: Without having talked to him, maybe 50-50. He is considering some West Coast schools but also Kentucky, etc. With the decision not until spring, many, many things could influence how this one turns.

@Mister_Flerx @adamhhammer with Dez Wells not playing this season, what are Maryland's chances at making the tournament?

Prisbell: Let's revise that question. Now that Wells is cleared to play, Maryland has a great shot to finish as high as fourth in the ACC. And at this point, I would expect that Maryland fields an NCAA tournament team. That's how big of a difference Wells makes.

Auerbach: What Eric said. I also want to point out that I'm predicting some excellent games when the Terps play the top three in the ACC -- Duke, N.C. State and UNC. Can't wait for those games.

@AronCanter Can teams just recruit in state and compete? I'm interested in different recruiting strategies.

Prisbell: If you coach in Texas or California or the Washington, D.C./Baltimore and you get your share from that state/area, you are set. You don't need to get every five-star guy. Just one or two. That's how talent-rich those areas are, and how heavily those areas are recruited.

Auerbach: It depends on the state/region you're talking about, but you can certainly focus on one area. Just this week, Mark Turgeon was talking about how Maryland is focusing on the D.C. area, which is a talent-rich region and he can surely build a roster off home-grown talent and compete with the best of the ACC -- if he gets the top guys.

@AronCanter Top 5 recruiters right now are who?

Prisbell: Calipari. Gottfried, Drew, Sean Miller. Pastner. Did I mention Calipari?

Auerbach: Can I say John Calipari five times? Kidding. Obviously, Calipari is the clear No. 1. The recruiting classes he's been building have been ridiculously good, and next year's could be his best yet. I'd say Josh Pastner is next – have you seen the group he's putting together for next year? – and after that, it's less clear. Sean Miller has done a great job recruiting at Arizona the past couple of years. Scott Drew at Baylor, Rick Pitino at Louisville and Tom Crean at Indiana (particularly in-state recruiting) also come to mind.

@codymiller1 Chances Cal takes us to Atlanta twice this year?

Prisbell: Sure. I say a 35 percent chance that Kentucky returns to the Final Four. They have as good a chance as almost anyone. But let's remember how hard it is to get a brand new group of guys to make a run, regardless of how talented they are.

Auerbach: Neither Eric or I picked Kentucky in our preseason Final Four picks, but that's mostly because we think last year's team and next year's team will overshadow this squad. But I wouldn't be shocked one bit if we saw Kentucky in the Final Four again. Calipari has a special way of getting extremely talented and highly touted players to play unselfishly, and if he can do that once again, the talent on this team will carry it far.

@afeld8912 If you had to compare Andrew Wiggins to any current or past NBA player, who would it be and why?

Prisbell: Others may disagree, but he reminds me of a more athletic version of Kevin Durant without the shooting ability right now. Wiggins expects to grow to 6-foot-10. And his athleticism is hard to match. He will refine his shot as he progresses.

@pgawannabe Why is the NCAA playing hardball with the Terps over the Dez Wells situation?

Prisbell: Not easy to win these appeals and many people I talked to in college basketball were surprised Maryland did. On a broader note, there was no conspiracy against Maryalnd. Mark Turgeon is not Jerry Tarkanian.

Auerbach: This question was submitted before Wells won his appeal, but we'll tackle it anyway. Because Wells was expelled from his previous school amid sexual assault allegations, many people did not expect the NCAA to rule that he could play immediately. The NCAA says it doesn't adhere to precedents and looks at every waiver request on a case by case basis, but this will be referenced any time a player who is expelled tries to play immediately somewhere else. It might be a slippery slope, and I can see why the NCAA would initially deny the waiver.

@JoeMoney333 I'm going to a UK game at Rupp. Which game should I go to? Team most likely to make Final Four run not in Top 25.

Prisbell: The last game of the regular season against Florida stands out to me. Both teams are good enough to reach the Final Four. The unranked team most likely to make the Final Four, in my mind, is Ohio. The key pieces, player-wise, are back from the Sweet 16 appearance last season. Watch for another run.

Auerbach: The two games that jump out at me are the Baylor game (Dec. 1) and Tennessee (Jan. 15). I know Baylor is ranked in preseason polls, so they kind of don't count, but I'm going to mention them because don't you miss basketball so much you want to go as soon as possible?

@TheOldManPar Do you think NC State is for real this year?

Prisbell: I do. The same core returns from the squad that reached the Sweet 16. Add in three McDonald's All-Americans. The Wolfpack is rightly picked to win the ACC. I have them in the Final Four.

Auerbach: I think a lot of hoops fans like the idea of a non-Duke-or-UNC team winning the ACC, so they've been feeding the buzz about N.C. State. This team certainly has the talent to play with the top teams in the nation, but I'm waiting until I see the Wolfpack win some big games before I consider them among this season's elite teams.

@zacmenshouse Where do you think Wiggins ends up in college?

Prisbell: Wiggins has told me that he is pretty wide open. But I still think it will come down to Kentucky or Florida State. It could ultimately be a head vs. heart type deal because UK may offer the quickest path to the NBA but FSU offers ties to where his parents went.

@wexlerworld Anything new with the NCAA investigation into Muhammed and Anderson?

Prisbell: Anderson is cleared. His father told me he knew all along the NCAA would find nothing because his son was innocent. The NCAA probe of Muhammad continues, with a focus on his family's ties to two financial agents.

Auerbach: This question came in before the news that UCLA freshman Kyle Anderson was cleared to play by the NCAA, so that part of this has been resolved. Shabazz Muhammad is a different story, and from comments Muhammad's lawyer has made, it seems like that investigation is moving slowly. We'll have to wait and see with Muhammad.