There is going to be a dip next season

This isn't crying wolf nor climbing into a Chicken Little suit (doesn't the latter create quite the visual?). It's cold, hard reality. WAC basketball, while still being fun and full of rivalries, is going to be a one-team-to-the-Big-Dance entity again in 2010-2011. Digging even further, the overall conference talent level is going to drop from the current season.

That's because it's adios to Mac Hopson, Jared Quayle, Kyle Gibson, Jonathan Gibson, Sylvester Seay, Magnum Rolle, Roderick Flemings, Ike Okoye, Steffan Johnson, Chris Oakes and probably a few more notables worthy of inclusion.

There is also the possibility/probability of Luke Babbitt, Armon Johnson, Adrian Oliver, Jahmar Young and Paul George moving on to new destinations in the play-for-pay arena. Based on absolutely nothing concrete, our guess is at least three of the five make the leap.

The early take is this year's NBA draft is going to be a weak one and that will only further entice the WAC underclassmen -- as well as otherselsewhere and even abroad -- to come out.

Thankfully, Tai Wesley isn't going anywhere. Neither is Greg Smith. It's anyone's guess with Troy Gillenwater and Wendell McKines. The recruiting classes for each WAC team are incomplete at this point so time will tell how many future league stars are coming in to bolster the talent inventory.