UK's non-conference opponents

Virginia Military Institute

Last season: 14-15 (6-8 in the Big South Conference).

Outlook: Keydets return eight of top nine players, but gone is the Big South's career scoring leader Reggie Williams. The Sporting News picked VMI to finish eighth in the Big South. VMI averaged 91.3 points and hoisted 2,125 shots last season (UK took 1,566). Chavis and Travis Holmes are the fourth set of twins in NCAA history to each score 1,000 points.

North Carolina

Last season: 36-3 (14-2 in the ACC); the 36 wins were a school record. Lost to Kansas in the national semifinals.

Outlook: The starting lineup and top six scorers return from a Final Four team. In all, returnees accounted for 91.7 percent of the scoring and 86.5 percent of the rebounding last season. Tyler Hansbrough needs 602 points to become the ACC's career scoring leader. Coach Roy Williams added three top 100 prospects.

Delaware State

Last season: 14-16 (10-6 in the Mid-Eastern Conference)

Outlook: Veteran backcourt (Trevor Welcher led the league in assist-to-turnover ratio) must compensate for the loss of all-league player Roy Bright (19.1 ppg).

Longwood

Last season: 9-22; second straight season with nine wins.

Outlook: Coach Mike Gillian is slowly building a program — emphasis on slowly. His five-season record is 34-116. Top players are seniors Kirk Williams and Ryan Bogan. Williams led the team in points (16.9), rebounds (6.5) and steals (53). Bogan averaged 30.5 minutes and 11.7 points.

Kansas State

Last season: 21-12 (10-6 in the Big 12); lost to Wisconsin in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Outlook: The Wildcats return 10 players (point guard Jacob Pullen made 40 three-pointers), but that's overshadowed by the loss of All-American Michael Beasley (26.2 ppg, 28 double-doubles) and Bill Walker (16.1 ppg).

West Virginia

Last season: 26-11 (11-7 in the Big East); lost to Xavier in the NCAA region semifinals.

Outlook: The transition continues from fitting players into John Beilein's system to Bob Huggins' collection of top 100 prospects. Gone is forward Joe Alexander, but WVU got a nice pickup when Devin Ebanks bolted from the mess at Indiana. Point guard Darris Nichols will be difficult to replace. Da'Sean Butler may emerge to fill Alexander's production.

Iowa

Last season: 13-19 (6-12 in the Big Ten).

Outlook: The Sporting News picked Iowa to finish 10th in the league. An impotent offense (56.1 ppg) got weaker with the loss of guards Tony Freeman and Justin Johnson, who accounted for a combined 25.6 points. Return of injured forward Jarryd Cole gives Iowa hope.

Lamar

Last season: 19-11 (won East Division of the Southland Conference with a 13-3 record).

Outlook: Nine players return, including leading scorer and point guard Kenny Dawkins. He's a potential all-league player.

Miami (Fla.)

Last season: 23-11 (8-8 in the ACC); lost to Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Outlook: Four starters return. All-league guard Jack McClinton leads what might be the ACC's best-shooting team. Dwayne Collins and Jimmy Graham are each 6-8 and 250 pounds.

Mississippi Valley State

Last season: 17-16 (12-6 in Southwestern Athletic Conference).

Outlook: New coach Sean Woods (the former UK point guard) inherits a team that lost its top four scorers.

Indiana

Last season: 25-8 (14-4 in the Big Ten); lost to Arkansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Outlook: First-year coach Tom Crean inherited the mess left by the fired Kelvin Sampson. Gone are Eric Gordon, D.J. White and 10 other players. Three-year letterman Kyle Taber (1.3 ppg) and walk-on Brett Finkelmeier (11 total minutes) are the "veterans." One-time UK prospect Verdell Jones is among the freshmen.

Appalachian State

Last season: 18-13 (13-7 in the Southern Conference).

Outlook: Veteran guards Donald Sims, Ryann Abraham, Kellen Brand and Eduardo Bermudez man an experienced perimeter. Sims set a school record for freshmen with 67 three-pointers. But the frontcourt is a mystery. Ike Butts (whose weight is down from 340 to 285) and junior-college transfer Josh Hunter are top candidates.

Tennessee State

Last season: 15-17 (10-10 in the Ohio Valley Conference).

Outlook: Top scorer Bruce Price (17.6 ppg) is gone, but Gerald Robinson (15.2 ppg) and Jerrell Houston (11.6 ppg) make for an inside-outside combo.

Florida Atlantic

Last season: 15-18 (8-10 in the Sun Belt Conference).

Outlook: New Coach Mike Jarvis led Boston U, George Washington and St. John's to post-season play in his first seasons. He's got three returning starters (two guards and 6-8 Carlos Monroe, the reigning conference Player of the Year) to try to continue that streak. Jarvis will try to join Lefty Driesell in taking four different schools to the post-season in his first year on the job.

Central Michigan

Last season: 14-17 (8-8 in the Mid-American Conference).

Outlook: Six players who led the team in scoring at least once last season return. But is that good? The Chippewas ranked last in field-goal defense and third-worst in points allowed among MAC teams. Better defense and rebounding are keys.

Louisville

Last season: 27-9 (14-4 in the Big East Conference); lost to North Carolina in the NCAA region finals.

Outlook: The loss of center David Padgett removes the team leader and glue-guy from the picture. It also inserts a question about intangibles. The Cards have a deep, veteran backcourt (Terrence Williams, Edgar Sosa, Andre McGee, Jerry Smith and Tony Delk's nephew Reginald), but will count on freshman Samardo Samuels to aid potential All-American Earl Clark inside. Final Four contender.

Jerry Tipton