This week I’ll be revisiting something I started last year by reviewing the bulk of the preseason college basketball magazines that proliferate the newsstands. I thought before publishing my first review of the new batch I would lay out a manifesto of sorts on what makes the perfect preview issue.

COMPREHENSIVE TEAM PREVIEWS This would appear to be obvious enough, but it’s a category frequently lacking in many of the highest profile preview magazines. I’m looking for information that I’ll be able to turn to throughout the season while I’m watching a game and learn enough quickly to watch the game with some understanding of both teams. I want rosters (with numbers!) and the basic stats from the year before. Player breakdowns (by position preferably) and recruiting analysis are also musts. Bonus points are given to publications that give equal time to mid-major and smaller conference schools as their importance and national exposure continues to grow.

FEATURES The best preview issues go beyond the team-by-team previews and provide interesting feature stories that illuminate the season ahead. Whether it’s rankings of the best backcourts or “Where are they now?” stories, I want stuff that’s not plainly obvious (last year, we more than exceeded the Billy Donovan story quota) and written with a modicum of skill.

PICTURES/GRAPHICS    As much as I enjoy reading a team preview or article, equally helpful are pictures of players (a few cheerleaders here and there don’t hurt either) so that a connection is made beyond simply reading.  I also group the overall graphical layout of a publication in this category.  Good graphical design makes for an easier read and enhances the later usability of a publication for reference throughout the season.  Bad or lazy design can make the entire publication suffer.

INTANGIBLES    The types of things that can’t be summarized but that enhance your general enjoyment of a preview.  Hard to categorize but you know them when you see them.

When the first of my review comes out tomorrow night (The Sporting News), I’ll be ranking it and each subsequent publication on these four criteria.