Preseason College Basketball Rankings – Early Top 25, 2016-17
Preseason college basketball rankings for the 2016-17 season. Here's the early top 25, because it's never too soon to start looking ahead.
Way-too-early preseason college basketball rankings for the 2016-17 season, because it’s never too soon to start looking ahead.
The confetti is still settling in Houston, but the 2016 NCAA Tournament is old news.
Let the 2016-17 season officially begin.
Of course we know a top 25 for next season in early April is crazy. Who knows who is going to jump into the NBA Draft – that picture won’t be clear for weeks. Then you have transfers and injuries and off-the-court issues and everything else that could completely shuffle the deck long before next November rolls around.
But who cares. We’ll take a shot at it. Here’s our first look at the preseason college basketball rankings for next season, with most assumptions being that players who haven’t announced they’re headed to the NBA Draft won’t be doing so.
Early Top 25 Preseason College Basketball Rankings
1. Duke Blue Devils
2. Villanova Wildcats
Villanova won the title, and the beauty of ‘Nova is the Wildcats aren’t stocked with NBA jumpers. Losing Ryan Arcidiacono and Daniel Ochefu is a blow, but Josh Hart, Kris Jenkins and Jalen Brunson will be back, and this year’s depth will be ready to take on a bigger role.
3. Kentucky Wildcats
Of course UK is going to lose a pile of players. And of course Coach Cal is going to reload. John Calipari welcomes one of the best recruiting classes in college basketball, and he’ll have the size up front and the quickness in the backcourt to make his team dangerous in March yet again.
4. Kansas Jayhawks
Talent isn’t an issue for KU. Losing the likes of Wayne Selden and Perry Ellis hurts, but Frank Mason and Devonte’ Graham are back, and Cheick Diallo likely will return after NBA scouts kick his tires. There will be a lot of moving parts for the Jayhawks next season, but they’ll be better in March than they will be in November.
5. North Carolina Tar Heels
No Brice Johnson. No Marcus Paige. No problem. Roy Williams will welcome back a pile talent that will be experienced and ready to take their games to the next level. Don’t weep for the Tar Heels, who actually might bring more balance to the floor next season than they did this year and crack the top five of our early preseason college basketball rankings.
6. Indiana Hoosiers
Losing Yogi Ferrell robs IU of its leader, but Thomas Bryant and Troy Williams are huge talents, and a healthy James Blackmon Jr. will give IU a solid scorer. Freshmen De’Ron Davis and Curtis Jones will make an instant impact, and this team will get a boost from Pitt transfer Josh Newkirk.
7. Michigan State Spartans
MSU loses a bunch of talent with Denzel Valentine and Bryn Forbes moving on, but freshman Miles Bridges is a special player, and guards Eron Harris and Lourawls Nairn will take on bigger roles. Freshman Cassius Winston is an instant-impact guy.
8. Oregon Ducks
Dana Altman always does a great job with his team, and with four starters returning from an Elite Eight team, the Ducks won’t take much of a step back. This will be a deep, athletic, hungry team next season.
9. Virginia Cavaliers
UVA loses a lot of leadership with Malcom Brogdon and Anthony Gill moving on, but the Cavaliers welcome a top-10 recruiting class and will see point guard London Perrantes take on an even bigger role. Tony Bennett’s system will help keep UVA strong, too.
10. Wisconsin Badgers
Wisconsin returns everyone from this year’s squad, and it won’t have to adjust to life without Bo this time around. Nigel Hayes and Bronson Koenig are more than solid, and Ethan Happ is ready for a breakout season. On Wisconsin.
11. Louisville Cardinals
Opinions on Louisville are all over the map, but we like their ability to bounce back despite losing their two top scorers. This is a team built with plenty of size, and Penn transfer Tony Hicks should step into a much bigger role next season. The question of sanctions continues to be a bit of a dark cloud.
12. Xavier Musketeers
The core of the Musketeers returns intact, and XU will feel like it allowed an opportunity to slip away this year. If Trevon Bluiett and Jalen Reynolds return to school, this is going to be a Xavier team that will be tough to beat.
13. Texas Longhorns
Shaka Smart’s team is ready to take a leap, and a strong recruiting class is going to really give the Longhorns a boost. Isaiah Taylor and Kerwin Roach should be ready to take the next step, and if this team finds its footing on defense with any kind of consistency, look out.
14. Syracuse Orange
There’s no question losing Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney hurts. It hurts a lot. It will hurt even more if Malachi Richardson heads to the NBA. But with a good recruiting class coming in and Tyler Roberson and Tyler Lydon ready to take on bigger roles, the Orange will still be strong.
15. Arizona Wildcats
Sean Miller is going to see some turnover in his roster, but considering Arizona’s inconsistency this year, that might not be a bad thing. Freshmen Rawle Alkins and Kobi Simmons are going to hit the ground running, and Alonzo Trier and Ray Smith, who is coming off an ACL, should make an instant impact.
16. Maryland Terrapins
This spot really depends on what happens with the Terps’ roster. Diamond Stone and Melo Trimble both could bolt for the NBA, and they likely would be drafted. The same could to for Robert Carter. But if they return and if they can work out their chemistry issues, they’ll be an intriguing team.
17. Connecticut Huskies
Kevin Ollie welcomes a pair of top-30 freshmen to a roster that already is in pretty good shape. If forward Daniel Hamilton returns and VCU transfer Terry Larrier makes his presence felt, the Huskies are going to be a favorite.
18. Purdue Boilermakers
This will hinge on the return of Caleb Swanigan to the lineup, and that’s a very likely possibility. The departure of A.J. Hammons robs Purdue of a quality big inside, but 7-2 Isaac Haas is ready to take on a bigger role and be a dominant center in the Big Ten.
19. Oklahoma Sooners
Losing Buddy Hield will be tough, no question. You can’t replace his production with one guy. Isaiah Cousins and Ryan Spangler leaving will hurt, too. The good news is Jordan Woodard and Khadeem Lattin just learned from some talented seniors and gained Final Four experience.
20. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Mark Few gets the most out of his guys, and the addition of Nigel Williams-Goss and Jonathan Williams III is going to be huge. There are questions down low, but there will be time to work out the kinks. This will be a dangerous team by the end of the year.
21. UCLA Bruins
Yes, this year was ugly. But such adversity can also toughen a team, and the Bruins won’t be lacking talent. Everyone but Tony Parker returns, and Lonzo Ball and T.J. Leaf are top-20 freshmen who will make their presence felt. This could be a redemption year for the Bruins.
22. Michigan Wolverines
As long as the injury bug that has been killing Ann Arbor over the last two years stays away, UM will be in good shape. Six of the top seven scorers return, and Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin want to go out on a high note. They might get to do just that.
23. Seton Hall Pirates
The question mark here is the status of guard Isaiah Whitehead. If he bolts for the NBA, the Pirates will fall a bit, but if he returns, they should be loaded. Kansas State transfer Jevon Thomas and freshman Myles Powell will add to the depth.
24. USC Trojans
Six of the Trojans’ top seven scorers are back, and USC is a hungry team. Transfers have robbed this team of some of its mojo, but Louisville transfer Shaqquan Aaron should step right into the starting lineup.
25. Florida State Seminoles
With Dwayne Bacon and Xavier Rathan-Mayes coming back, FSU already has a solid foundation to turn in a special season. Adding top-15 talent Jonathan Isaac at forward will only help the Seminoles’ depth. Get ready for an interesting season from the Seminoles, who round out the top 25 of our early preseason college basketball rankings.
