by Jeff Goodman

Goodman's Countdown

Who are the nation's best teams? We'll find out as the season starts this week. For now, here's Jeff Goodman's preseason Top 25 Countdown. Check our college basketball page for more features and news.

Jeff Goodman's Top 25

1. North Carolina Tar Heels
2. Michigan State Spartans
3. Louisville Cardinals
4. Gonzaga Bulldogs
5. Connecticut Huskies
6. Duke Blue Devils
7. UCLA Bruins
8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
9. Pittsburgh Panthers
10. Purdue Boilermakers
11. Texas Longhorns
12. Georgetown Hoyas
13. Memphis Tigers
14. Tennessee Volunteers
15. Miami Hurricanes
16. Arizona State Sun Devils
17. Oklahoma Sooners
18. Marquette Golden Eagles
19. Villanova Wildcats
20. UNLV Runnin' Rebels
21. Florida Gators
22. Wake Forest Demon Deacons
23. USC Trojans
24. Wisconsin Badgers
25. Syracuse Orange

Season Outlook

Pittsburgh's season hinges on the health of Levance Fields' foot and the development of a reliable perimeter shooter.

Plain and simple.

Fields is a 5-foot-10 senior point guard who missed a dozen games with a broken left foot last season, but returned for the stretch drive. He had another surgery late in the summer after experiencing pain in the foot and is being monitored closely by the staff and medical personnel.

While Fields is hopeful of being ready for the season opener, his long-term health is still a concern — and Jamie Dixon's club will need their floor leader in order to do any damage in the NCAA tournament.

The Panthers are 52-12 when he starts.

If Fields is 100 percent, there's not a whole lot that Dixon & Co. are lacking. They have a potential All-American in senior forward Sam Young, one of the elite self-made and versatile players in the nation.

Young (18.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) will have some help on the glass from sophomore wide body DeJuan Blair (11.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg).

The second big concern is who will replace Ronald Ramon, the team's top perimeter shooter last season. Gilbert Brown should get extended playing time, but the redshirt sophomore is more of a slasher.

Ramon's role could fall to junior college guard Jermaine Dixon, brother of former Maryland standout Juan Dixon.

The Panthers should have enough depth to suffer an injury just about anywhere, except at point guard. Tyrell Biggs could start at power forward at times alongside Blair and Young, who would move to small forward. If not, Biggs will be valuable as the first big man off the bench.

Pittsburgh also has a few young and talented players on the perimeter — sophomore Bradley Wanamaker, and freshmen Ashton Gibbs, Travon Woodall and Nasir Robinson.