Brandeis comes into the season only losing one player to graduation. It is a big loss however, when its your team leader and star PG JosephRuszkowski. Their depth at the guard spot should overcome the loss of Ruszkowski, and the developement of Brandeis' big men over the summer will be key. If Elmo King and Dennis Phillips can take their game to another level this season, there's no telling how good Brandeis could be. What this reporter does know is that Brandeis is hungry and they are positioned to win one of the toughest divisions in college basketball.

Like Brandeis, NYU loses its top player in Gerald Domenico. It will be a transition for NYU, but with Matthew Kubik poised and ready to fill those shoes they shouldnt miss a beat. The "fab 5" recruiting class of season 18 now has two seasons under their belt and they are ready to make a name for themselves as well. Look for NYU to challenge Brandeis and Chicago for top spot in the South.

Chicago has the best starting lineup in all of DIII. Their starting five would rival that of many DII schools. And the abundance of talent doesnt stop there. They have a bench full of players that could be starting at most other schools. So how does this reporter rank them third in their division you ask? Easy, i recently visited the Windy City and sat in on a practice. And let me tell you, the team is in disarray. Players are bumping into each other, assistant coaches have no control over the team, its just madness. I even saw their coach looking over defensive plays and using a magic eight ball. Even in the state that they are in, they should get to 18 wins no problem. But this team has the potential to be in consideration for the top three in the nation, not their division. Only time will tell if Chicago can get things straitened out.

Washington comes off their best season in school history. A 26-6 record gave them their first 20 win season, their first confernce title, and their first postseason birth. With the loss of four starters it will be nearly impossible to duplicate those numbers, but the core of players returning will not give up on the season. The backcourt stays strong only losing starting SG Randall Brookins. The post is where the problems will come from for Washington this season. Untested senior Center Chris McBurnett will have to elevate his game and take on a big roll if Washington is to have any success this year at all. The team and coach are confident and are looking to get in a few upsets this season.

Rochester loses two starters from last season, the effects of which should not be felt by the team. They have a strong group of players returning for their senior campaign, and look for Rochester to break out this season. The key to their success lies in their senior SF Richard Dexter. If he finishes the season as one of the leagues scoring leaders, look for Rochester to possibly be making a late season push for the NT. It should be a great fight for the fourth spot between Rochester and Washington. If Stephen Bader steps up his game as well, look for Rochester to even nip into the top three. Its hopes ride on the combo of Dexter and Bader.

Finally we have Case Western. They have performed well on the court in the past few seasons, but its off the court trouble that has this school in some trouble. Investigative reporter for the AP, Pea Pingtom, says she has been on the trail of Case Western coach ampbyu for some time now. Pingtom has uncovered that the coach has had to take up a second job. Apperantly Case Western has not paid the coach for a couple seasons now and he has only stuck it out for his love of the game and devotion to his players. This has taken its toll on the team however, as ampbyu has not had ample time to devote to recruiting and is only returning 3 players this season. School AD, Penn E Pincher, did not answer our phone calls, but we have gotten reports that Coach Amp has began contract negotiations.