Ray Glier

Keep that *asterisk* handy. There are agents out there, lurking, who will tell very good college players they can get guaranteed money in the NBA draft.

Pssst. It’s not all true, kids. Think ahead.

In the meantime, we will try and handicap the 2005-06 college basketball season and provide some insight on what teams to look for while we watch for underclassmen to foolishly declare for the draft. Things could change if the not-ready-for-the-NBA players (that’s a lot of them) take the bait of agents and declare for the draft.

So where do we start?

Villanova, for one. North Carolina was a shoe-in for another Final Four until Sean May, Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Marvin Williams all declared for the NBA Draft.

I wonder what might have happened if ’Nova forward Curtis Sumpter had stayed on stage and played on? I wonder what might have happened if Allan Ray had rediscovered his jump shot to go with his pesky defense?

If Sumpter had been healthy and Ray on target, I wonder if agents would have been all over the Villanova juniors telling them, “Hey, you went to the Final Four, you’re hot. Go pro. You’re ready.”

But Sumpter got hurt and Ray was a miserable shooter in the tournament (3-for-32). They are not going anywhere. Bad news for this tournament for Villanova. Good news for next year’s tournament. Villanova has to be an early choice to get into the Final Four in 2006.

Duke is going to have something to say about the national title. UCLA’s freshmen are going to blossom and Kentucky has a Final Four profile.

Texas and Oklahoma should rule the Big 12, but Iowa State could be a factor. Michigan State has center Paul Davis returning.

But few teams are going to have the depth of talent of Villanova.

Just remember that feisty, brash little guard Alan Lowry, the little trash talker. Remember how good he was in this tournament. That kid doesn’t even start for Nova.

The top seven players are back from a team that was 24-8 and should have whipped North Carolina in a regional semifinal — and that was without Sumpter, who wrecked his knee in a second-round win over Florida.

Point guard Mike Nardi manages the game well and hands off to Lowry, a fearless combo guard. Ray and Randy Foye can light it up from three-point range and Sumpter is a versatile 6-foot-7 guard/forward who creates matchup issues.

Will Sheridan is a strong post presence with his rebounding. And Jason Fraser? The often-hurt big man has the most upside because he has been injured so much. His 21-point, 15-rebound effort against Florida showed his value.

For all the offensive qualities of this team the one thing ’Nova received little credit for was its ferocious defense. It held Carolina, a team with NBA players dotting the roster, to 67 points.

Villanova will be the beast of the new Big East, which will include Louisville, among others. UConn will be good; Georgetown could be all the way back; West Virginia has proved itself … but no team in the Big East will have anything on ’Nova’s Wildcats.