Early Preseason Top 25 NCAA College Basketball
Is the addition of Chet Holmgren enough for Gonzaga to win it all next year? With the loss of Johnny Juzang, does UCLA still have enough to run it back? What are Baylor's chances of repeating?
It’s hard to believe that it’s been over a month since the madness ended. The 2021 NCAA tournament was one to remember with so many upsets including #15 seed Oral Roberts’ memorable run starting with an Ohio State upset and finishing with a tough 72-70 loss to a very good Arkansas team. Both Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor could play at the NBA level with some further development and there is no doubt in my mind that they will make another run next year if those two guys return to school, which is likely.
It was also a tournament that saw the Pac-12 finally showing its dominance and demanding the respect that no one gave the conference over the past decade. Oregon State, UCLA, and USC all made the Elite 8, while both Colorado and Oregon made strong runs as well(Colorado making the Round of 32 and Oregon making the Sweet 16). Most notably UCLA came out of nowhere barely making it in the tournament in the first four to making it all the way to the Final Four. UCLA was so close to upsetting then-undefeated Gonzaga, which would have gone down as one of the biggest upsets in the history of college basketball. Speaking of that game…that is a game we will all remember for the rest of our lives. UCLA vs. Gonzaga was a true classic, and don’t be surprised if those teams meet in the Final Four again in next year’s tournament.
#14 seed Abilene Christian had an amazing upset over #3 seed Texas, while #13 seeds Ohio and North Texas also picked up upsets over #4 seeds Virginia and Purdue respectively. Overall, it was a very fun tournament and undoubtedly one of the best tournaments we have seen in a while. Undefeated Gonzaga ended up losing to the incredible and turns out disrespected Baylor Bears in the National Championship game. Everyone thought that this 2021 Gonzaga team was one of the best teams in college basketball history, but we were woken up to reality, and the whole time the conversation should have been centered around Baylor. Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler are both special players who will easily go in the first round of the upcoming NBA draft, while their bench depth was fantastic which included MaCio Teague, Mark Vital, Adam Flagler, and Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua.
Baylor won its first title ever and a huge congratulations to them. So, now we transition to predicting an “Early NCAA College Basketball Top 25” to see who has the best shot as of now to make noise in the tournament next year. However, a lot is subject to change since some top recruits and transfers have yet to make their decisions. Regardless of what happens in the transfer portal and with recruits, as I said before, Gonzaga and UCLA will be right in the mix for the #1 spot, while bluebloods Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina could make some serious noise as well. Ohio State, Michigan, Baylor, Purdue, Alabama, Maryland, and Villanova will be quite good as well.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG- Andrew Nembhard
SG: Hunter Salis (5-star recruit)
SF: Ben Gregg
PF: Chet Holmgren (5-star recruit)
C: Drew Timme
After Chet Holmgren committed to Gonzaga(which was widely expected), it all but solidified the Bulldogs’ as the #1 team in the country heading into next season. Holmgren is a special player and with the addition of 5-star recruit, Hunter Salis, and the return of star big man Drew Timme, this Bulldogs team could be even better than last year. They will have point guard Andrew Nembhard and forward Ben Gregg coming back as well. Ben Gregg was a top 70 recruit and can shoot the ball pretty well at 6-10, which is why he slots in at the 3 instead of Dominick Harris. Even after losing Jalen Suggs, Corey Kispert, and possibly Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga will run it back and have another good shot at the school’s first title.
UCLA Bruins
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup:
PG: Tyger Campbell
SG: Peyton Watson (5-star recruit)
SF: Jaime Jaquez Jr.
PF: Chris Smith
C: Cody Riley
UCLA has a great recruiting class coming in led by 5-star recruit Peyton Watson and a pair of ESPN top 100 recruits in Will Mclendon and Mac Etienne(who will get another Freshman season after playing last year when he was supposed to be in high school). They are also returning everyone who played on the team from the Final Four run other than Johnny Juzang, who many assume is going to stay in the NBA draft, assuming he continues to project as a first-rounder. Juzang had a legendary tournament where he put on a scoring exhibition every single game, fueling UCLA's offense and leading them to the Final Four.
Chris Smith may return next season after being hurt all of last season. Smith was arguably UCLA’s best player other than Juzang before the injury. Jalen Hill has retired from basketball so he is not going to be suiting up next season, but Jules Bernard, David Singleton, Jaylen Clarke, Mac Etienne, Will Mclendon, Jake Kyman, and Kenneth Nwuba will bring a lot of talent off of the bench. They also have 6-11 Myles Johnson coming in, who is a transfer from Rutgers. UCLA could also get a couple more players via the transfer portal or through uncommitted recruits. Whether Juzang stays in the draft or not, UCLA will be one of the best teams in the country either way next season and will easily be the favorites over USC and Oregon to win the Pac 12.
Michigan Wolverines
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Frankie Collins
SG: Zeb Jackson
SF: Caleb Houston (5-star recruit)
PF: Moussa Diabate (5-star recruit)
C: Hunter Dickinson
Michigan will be fantastic regardless of how they do with the rest of the recruiting class and the transfer portal because they have one of the best coaches(Juwan Howard) and players(Hunter Dickinson) in the country. They already have what many people consider to be the top recruiting class for 2021 led by a pair of 5-star recruits in Caleb Houston and Moussa Diabate. Dickinson will easily be a preseason All-American and will help lead this team to be right in the mix for a Big Ten title and another deep tournament run.
Caleb Houston, Moussa Diabate, and Frankie Collins will bolster this teams talent and depth immediately, while Brandon Johns is poised for a really good year as he will become a bigger part of the Wolverines gameplan even with Diabate and Houston coming in. Many projections have the Wolverines taking a step back, but I don’t see that happening with their experience and talent. They are too good of a program and are my favorites to win the Big Ten next year.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Jamari Wheeler
SG: Duane Washington Jr.
SF: Justice Sueing
PF: E.J. Liddell
C: Kyle Young
Ohio State could still do a lot in the transfer portal, but Jamari Wheeler who averaged 7 PPG at Penn State last season was already a good pickup. They will still have their two stars Duane Washington Jr. and E.J. Liddell on the roster next year, and they will be hungry for more after the embarrassing loss to #15 seed Oral Roberts. The Big Ten will be probably the best conference in the country next year and Ohio State will be in the mix to win it all as I think they will be even better next year.
Duke Blue Devils
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Jeremy Roach
SG: Hunter Keels (5-star recruit)
SF: Wendell Moore
PF: A.J. Griffin (5-star recruit)
C: Paolo Banchero (5-star recruit)
Duke will be one of the most interesting teams in the country next season. They had an awful 2020-2021 campaign, especially after 5-star recruit Jalen Johnson quit the team to train for the upcoming draft. Last season was nothing less than a catastrophe for the Blue-Devils who even missed the NCAA tournament. I mean how many times can you say Duke and Kentucky missed the tournament in the same year. Yeah, probably never again. Duke has one of the best recruiting classes in the country, a lot of sites even rank it as #1 or #2 as they have 3 5-star recruits coming in who should all start right away along with Wendell Moore and Jeremy Roach. Duke can only go as far as their star freshman coming in who will have to be the core of the team immediately as they will be the 3 most important players on the team.
Paolo Banchero could be the #1 pick in next year’s draft, assuming the NBA won’t change the draft rule to let Emoni Bates and Amari Bailey go to the NBA straight out of high school. That is a whole other story, but players are already dipping for the G-league for one year before entering the draft so the league might as well waive the college requirement. Let these guys become pros when they are ready and the system in place right now is a joke. We will see what happens with both NBA draft changes and how Duke turns out to be this upcoming season, but I am betting that the Blue-Devils talent will lead them to a #2 or #3 seed in the next NCAA tournament. Maybe even a #1 seed if they win the ACC, which they will be right in the mix for.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Jahvon Quinerly
SG: J.D. Davidson (5-star recruit)
SF: Jaden Shackelford
PF: Joshua Primo
C: James Rojas
Alabama has a lot of their starters leaving, but don’t expect them to be a one-hit-wonder. They have 5-star J.D. Davidson coming in and they have top-tier transfer, Nimari Burnett, from Texas Tech coming in as well. This is a well-coached team with a ton of depth that will continue to win a ton of games in the SEC next year. Quinerly, Shackelford, Davidson, and Burnett will be enough to compete for an SEC title again next year.
Baylor Bears
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: James Akinjo
SG: Adam Flager
SF: Kendall Brown (5-Star recruit)
PF: Matthew Meyer
C: Jonathan Tchamwa-Tchatchoua
Baylor is coming off of its first national title in the history of its program, but don’t expect them to go back-back. They still have some veterans like Flager, Meyer, and Tchamwa-Tchatchoua plus a 5-star recruit in Kendall Brown and a 4-star recruit in Langston Love so they will still be very good. They also got Arizona’s leading scorer last year in James Akinjo from the transfer portal, which bolstered this team into the top ten. However, with Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler heading to the NBA, and MaCio Teague also going pro, they won’t be nearly as good as last year. Either way, the Baylor Bears should be able to compete for another Big-12 title.
Villanova Wildcats
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Collin Gillespie
SG: Justin Moore
SF: Caleb Daniels
PF: Jermaine Samuels
C: Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree
It was great news for the Wildcats when both Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels decided to return for next season. This will be one of the best teams in the country next season regardless of what they do in the rest of the transfer season. Jay Wright is one of the best coaches in basketball and he also has Justin Moore, Caleb Daniels, and Brandon Slater returning. Villanova also has a good recruiting class coming in led by 3 4-star recruits Jordan Longino, Nnanna Njoku, and Angelo Brizzi. The Wildcats have a lot of talent, depth, and they have Jay Wright so don’t be surprised if they rise into the top 5.
Maryland Terrapins
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Fatts Russell
SG: Eric Ayala
SF: Aaron Wiggins
PF: Donta Scott
C: Qudus Wahab
Fatts Russell and Qudus Wahab were two of the most talented players in the transfer portal and they both chose to join the Terrapins. Aaron Wiggins should return to campus as many believe he isn’t ready for the NBA yet, while Eric Ayala and Donta Scott were two of the best players on last year’s team along with Wiggins. Maryland is in a very tough conference, but they have the talent and the experience to hang with Michigan, Ohio State, and Purdue. I wouldn’t be surprised if this team finishes in the top 4 by the end of next season.
Florida State Seminoles
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Caleb Mills
SG: Jalen Warley
SF: Matt Cleveland
PF: Anthony Polite
C: Balsa Kopravica
It really doesn’t matter that Scottie Barnes is heading to the league or the uncertainty about who will fill into next season’s lineup. Whoever ends up being in the rotation for next season does not matter either. Leonard Hamilton will coach any team into a top 25 team and in recent years even a top 10-15 team. I know Hamilton rotates 8-9 different guys and there is a lot of team basketball, where no one is expected to score more than 12 or 13 PPG, but man it works.
This system that values defense, toughness, team camaraderie, and selflessness play has resulted in the Seminoles not only being a high seed in the NCAA tournament in recent years but also with lottery picks year after year. I can’t say enough about how much I love Lenoard Hamilton’s coaching, and because of that I see the Seminoles yet again being a top 10 team next season.
Texas Longhorns
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Devin Askew
SG: Andrew Jones
SF: Timmy Allen
PF: Brock Cunningham
C: Jericho Simms
Greg Brown and Kai Jones are entering the draft. And guess what, Chirs Beard is the coach so it doesn’t really matter how this roster compares to last year. I personally think it will be better though, and definitely better coached. With the additions of transfers Devin Askew and Timmy Allen, and with the commitment of 4-star recruit Jaylon Tyson, this team has the makings of an experienced and talented team that could do serious damage in the NCAA tournament.
Chris Beard has yet to finalize his roster but other than Tyson, Askew, and Allen coming in, he already has prolific scorer Andrew Jones committed to coming back for another season. Jace Febres and Brock Cunningham have also decided to return instead of entering the portal, while it is also likely that talented big man Jericho Simms will return for another season as well. Courtney Ramey will probably transfer but that doesn’t matter. I’m betting on the Longhorns to be a top 10-15 team immediately under Chris Beard, regardless of the roster changes.
Kansas Jayhawks
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Joeseph Yesufu
SG: Christian Braun
SF: Ochai Agbaji
PF: Jalen Wilson
C: David McCormack
Kansas is still filling out their roster through the transfer portal, but they already picked up Joseph Yesufu, a talented Point Guard from Drake. As long as Bill Self is the head coach, they will be contenders regardless. They have some great players coming back like David McCormack, Christian Braun, and Ochai Agbaji and they have some talented recruits like K.J. Adams and Zach Clemence coming in who should provide valuable minutes right away. Kansas will be toward the top of the Big 12 conference per usual.
Purdue Boilermakers
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Eric Hunter
SG: Brandon Newman
SF: Jaden Ivey
PF: Sasha Stefanovic
C: Trevion Williams
Purdue has pretty much everyone returning and they were pretty good last year, so it only makes sense that they will be really good again next season, perhaps even better. Trevion Williams will carry the load on both ends of the floor, but they do have a lot of perimeter talent on this roster as well. A lot of people have the Boilermakers as a top #5 team heading into next season, but I just don’t see that happening as at least two teams in the Big Ten are undoubtedly better than them in Ohio State and Michigan. Purdue has their work cut out for them.
Arkansas Razorbacks:
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Chris Lykes
SG: Davonte Davis
SF: Au’diese Toney
PF: Stanley Umude
C: Jaylin Williams
The Razorbacks have proven to have a great scheme implemented by a great coach in Eric Musselman. Sure it helped to have lottery pick Moses Moody and experienced seniors Justin Smith and Jalen Tate last season, but they will still have a really good team next year because of the culture and scheme that the program has created.
They have arguably the best transfer class coming which includes Stanley Umude(21.6 PPG at South Dakota), Chris Lykes(15.5 PPG at Miami), and Au’diese Toney(14.4 PPG at Pittsburgh). All of these guys will come up big time for the Razorbacks and give them a serious shot to win the SEC. They have a couple of solid players returning as well including JD Notae, Davonte Davis, and Jaylin Williams. After a brilliant transfer period, the Razorbacks will be back in the tournament and will surely be a top 4 seed just like last season.
USC Trojans
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Ethan Anderson
SG: Boogie Ellis
SF: Isaiah White
PF: Isaiah Mobley
C: Chevez Goodwin
Evan Mobley has declared for the draft, which was a foregone conclusion before he ever stepped on campus at Southern California. Mobley will be a top 3 pick in the upcoming draft and he did more than enough in his lone season at USC, helping them reach their first Elite-8 since 2001. Mobley also swept the big Pac-12 conference awards, winning player of the year, defensive player of the year, and freshman of the year. His brother Isaiah Mobley had a fantastic year as well, and he is testing NBA waters right now. I think Isaiah will return to USC next year, which is part of the reason they maintain in the preseason top 25 rankings.
Losing Tahj Eaddy to professional basketball hurts as well, but at least they have Isaiah White and Chevez Goodwin confirmed to return. White and Goodwin both had a bunch of great games in the NCAA tourney and will both be two of the Trojans’ top options next season. The addition of 4-star recruit Malik Thomas and coveted transfers Boogie Ellis from Memphis and KJ Allen from East LA College, who will all immediately boost this team’s depth. Assuming Isaiah Mobley returns, this team will be very good again, and since they have a great coach in Andy Enfield, there is no telling what this team is capable of.
St. Bonaventure Bonnies
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Kyle Lofton
SG: Jaren Holmes
SF: Dominick Welch
PF: Jalen Adaway
C: Osun Osunniyi
Everyone knows that this experienced Bonnies team will be one of the best teams in the country next season. They have talent, experience, and depth, and will easily win their conference and be a top 6 seed in the NCAA tournament in my opinion. Kyle Lofton, Jaren Holmes, and Jalen Adaway are ready to establish themselves as three of the best players in the country and they are all talented enough to put on an NBA draft campaign. I am high on the Bonnies just like everyone else.
Oregon Ducks
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Will Richardson
SG: De’Vion Harmon
SF: Eric Williams
PF: Nate Bittle (5-star recruit)
C: Franck Kepnang
Losing Chris Duarte will hurt, but they have a ton of talented and experienced players still able to lead this roster including Will Richardson and Eric Williams, who were both amazing last season. They have De’Vion Harmon, a top-tier transfer from Oklahoma coming in, which will make this Ducks team even better than they already were. They have 5-star recruit Nate Bittle coming in, who should be able to be one of the best players in the Pac-12 right away. The Ducks should also see a massive improvement from former 4-star recruit Franck Kepnang, who is a premier shot-blocker and rebounder. Don’t sleep on the Ducks as they seem to make a run in the tournament almost every year.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Caleb Love
SG: R.J. Davis
SF: Kerwin Walton
PF: Leaky Black
C: Armando Bacot
Another enigma is how gauging how good the Tar Heels can be. No one really knows after a disappointing 2020/2021 season. I don’t think Roy Williams’ departure matters that much, because everyone knows that Hubert Davis will be a great coach, and he has been with the program for years. They have a ton of talented guys coming back including Caleb Love, Armando Bacot, Kerwin Walton, and R.J. Davis.
They have a pair of 4-star recruits also coming in with Dontrez Styles and D’Marco Dunn. They seem to have a mix of experience and talent, which will help guide them to a winning season and a tournament berth. I have them at #18 because it remains to be seen if this team can live up to its talent, but by the end of next season, they could be sitting much higher than this.
Syracuse Orange
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Joseph Girard III
SG: Buddy Boeheim
SF: Alan Griffin
PF: Quincy Guerrier
C: Jesse Edwards
Syracuse made a huge run in the tournament thanks to their star player and the coach’s son Buddy Boeheim and his lights-out shooting. He is going to be a preseason ACC all first-team player and will have another fantastic season for the Orange. They also have top-tier two-way players Quincy Guerrier and Alan Griffin who should compliment Boeheim again next season very well. I see Orange as contenders for the ACC title next season.
Houston Cougars
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Marcus Sasser
SG: Tramon Mark
SF: Kyler Edwards
PF: Jamal Shead
C: Reggie Chaney
Houston is, unfortunately, losing Caleb Mills, Quentin Grimes, and others from last year’s team, but they have created a winning culture and are poised to have another great season. They have Texas Tech’s Kyler Edwards coming in who will be huge for them on both ends of the floor right away. Will they be a top ten team? No, probably not, but we would all be lying to ourselves if we didn’t think they would be in the top 25. Kelvin Sampson is a great head coach and has proven to succeed with whoever he has on his roster.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Kedrian Johnson
SG: Sean McNeil
SF: Jalen Bridges
PF: Gabe Osabuohien
C: Derek Culver
Although the Mountaineers are losing Jordan McCabe and Emmit Matthews as they are transferring, they still have Derek Culver who is easily one of the best big men in the country. He will be one of the most dominant players in college basketball again next season. Alongside Culver is the sharpshooting McNeil, and to me, those two players plus some depth is enough for them to be a top 25 team. Bob Huggins is also a very good coach with a fantastic defensive game plan implemented every year regardless of who is on the team.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Storm Murphy
SG: Tyrece Radford
SF: Nahiem Alleyne
PF: Justyn Mutts
C: Keve Aluma
Virginia Tech is definitely a top 25 team if Keve Aluma withdraws from the NBA draft, which I think is likely. Storm Murphy is a big-time scorer and is coming back as well. Overall, this team has a ton of talent and depth and I would not be surprised if they were to rise into the top 10 by the end of the season. That is how talented this team is.
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Max Abmas
SG: Carlos Jürgens
SF: Francis Lacis
PF: Deshang Weaver
C: Kevin Obanor
There are scouts who believe that Kevin Obanor and Max Abmas will leave Oral Roberts for professional basketball, but I just don’t see that happening. Abmas could even be a first-rounder and it may be smart for him to leave, but I think the Golden Eagles have some unfinished business to attend to and Abmas will want to be a part of that before leaving to the NBA.
Oral Roberts should have the exact same starting 5 as last season, and they will be a force to be reckoned with against whoever they play. Watch out for the Golden Eagles because they are definitely not a one-hit-wonder and should get back to the Round of 32 and even the Sweet-16 next season assuming their roster stays the same.
Tennessee Volunteers
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Kennedy Chandler (5-star recruit)
SG: Justin Powell
SF: Victor Bailey Jr.
PF: Josiah-Jordan James
C: John Fulkerson
A lot of people have the Vols higher on their preseason lists than I do, but other than Kennedy Chandler, I am not sold on them being more than just an average top 25 team. For example, they had top recruits Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer last season, but couldn't make it past the first round of the tournament.
This team may not even be as talented as last year’s team so there are still a ton of questions on how good this Vols team can be. It will be interesting to see if Chandler, along with Justin Powell(11.7 PPG at Auburn) and Victor Bailey Jr. can put it all together and win this team some meaningful games.
Kentucky Wildcats
Projected 2021/2022 Starting Lineup
PG: Kellan Grady
SG: Dontaie Allen
SF: Keion Brooks
PF: Daimion Collins (5-star recruit)
C: Oscar Tshiebwe
First off, I want to give my condolences to Terrance Clarke’s family, the Kentucky basketball family, and everyone who knew the great person he was. Such a devastating loss and it is affecting everyone. I know playing next season will be hard for the Wildcats, but they will be much better next season. They have 5-star recruit Daimion Collins coming in to join Keion Brooks and coveted transfer Kellan Grady who averaged over 17 PPG at Davidson last season.
However, the de-commitment of Nolan Hickman and the loss of Devin Askew leaves the wildcats without a Point Guard, which is why Kellan Grady has to slot in as of right now at that position even though he is a shooting guard. I am sure Coach Calipari will find a replacement for Hickman, and because of that, I still think Kentucky will be a top 25 team next season regardless of their inconsistencies from last season.