You turn me right 'round, baby, right 'round

The hoops carousel is spinning faster than Bob Huggins' wheels as he peels out in front of his Manhattan, Kansas home. And I have to be honest, some of the decisions won't reap benefits right away.

The biggest job opening in the off-season, obviously, was at Kentucky. I've often said that Kentucky, right there with UCLA and Indiana, is one of the top three jobs at this level. These schools have the history, the mystique and the shine that the Alabama A&M job lacks. First, let's rank the top 10 jobs in college hoops. They get to that level because regardless of the coach, the program will be good. You'll notice most of them are basketball-first schools, too. Coincidence?

1. UCLA
2. Kentucky
3. Indiana
4. North Carolina
5. Kansas
6. Duke
7. Georgetown
8. Ohio State
9. Michigan State
10. Cincinnati
10a. Louisville
10b. Michigan
10c. Connecticut
10d. Syracuse

So, naming No. 10 turned out to be harder than I thought. And Nos. 7-9 are debatable, too.

Nonetheless, let's shake down the teams that hired newbies and how they'll fit in at their new schools.

Kentucky hired Texas A&M boy wonder, Billy Gillispie, took bring the Wildcats into a new era -- the post-Tubby Smith, first-round-and-done era. Granted, Smith won the title in his first year. And he won five SEC titles and five SEC Tournament championships. And he went to six Sweet 16s and four Elite Eights. So...why were fans so furious with him again?

Because he didn't add to his ring collection. And for that reason alone, Smith escaped the pressure of the job for the sweet air of the Greater Midwest. Now he will coach in a much friendlier atmosphere and work hard to bring a program back fromt he dead at Minnesota.

Gillispie's style is similar to Smith's. But Gillispie might be a better developer of talent. Smith got great recruits. Any coach at Kentucky can get great recruits. But Gillispie's style might help players, McDonald's All-Americans no less, improve their games to a higher level. While I think it'll be hard for Gillispie to win a title his first year, he certainly has the players in place to play his style of ball -- a grind it out, defensive game -- and be successful.

Michigan got the best coach in college basketball -- yeah, I said it -- in John Beilein. Beilein left his extremely comfortable job in West Virginia, where he turned dirt into diamonds three years in a row, for the ho-hum neighborhoods of Ann Arbor, Michigan. (I guess Morgantown, West Virginia is ho-hum, too).

But will Beilein's style of play be instituted with the athletic group of guys he's going to inherit? I just don't see the Wolverines winning a bunch the first season. You don't just learn the 1-3-1 and execute right away. And the two most prolific 3-point shooters on last year's Michigan team are leaving. So Beilein, whose teams never had a boat load of talent, will have his work cut out for him. But still, Beilein will get them to be competitive. Give him one year, and in the 2008-2009 season, Michigan will be among the top dogs in the Big 10.

West Virginia hired its prodigal son Bob Huggins. Huggins will take over a team filled with Beilein's unathletic, rag-tag misfits. Beilein got the most of them. Can Huggins? His style, a man-to-man defense with brutal toughness and physical emphasis, might not fit these guys. But, like Beilein, he is a very good coach. He will develop them and bring in his style players with his first recruiting class.

It's time to start shaking, Pitt fans.

Michael Beasley got screwed. The No. 1 power forward on Scout.com and No. 1 overall player on Rivals.com is headed to Kansas State.

He signed with Huggins. Huggins left. Beasley wants out of his committal. Kansas State doesn't allow players to pull out. Trouble ensues. He told reporters last week that he liked Memphis, Florida State and NC State. I mean, that's weird, but I guess when you are strange enough to pick Manhattan, Kansas -- Huggins or no Huggins -- as your college of choice, FSU and NC State wouldn't look so bad after all.

I'm out. E-mail me at jag59@pitt.edu and we'll chat hoops.