College basketball rankings: Preseason men’s top-25, previewed by our experts

The top-25 teams in men’s college basketball for 2022-2023 season, previewed by our experts

College basketball is the most sprawling sport in America, but it’s also the most fair. Every team in DI men’s and women’s college basketball gets the chance to play elimination games until they lose at the end of the season. A postseason format like that often leads to chaos before a champion is ultimately crowned in early April, but the last time we saw the men’s game, four of the most iconic programs in the sport were the last four teams standing.

College hoops is going to feel a little bit different this year on the men’s side. Coach K is finally retired, and Duke is now under the supervision of 35-year-old head coach Jon Scheyer. Jay Wright rode off into the sunset at Villanova, too. The one-and-done freshmen that often get so much attention coming into the year have mostly been replaced by veterans who have stuck around college now that they can profit because of NIL rules. The Big Ten also doesn’t have a school in the top-10 of the preseason rankings after another poor showing in the NCAA tournament last year.

At the start of the new season, we’ve enlisted the experts from the SB Nation team communities to help preview the top-25 coming into the year. Here’s what you need to know about this season’s top teams.

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No. 25 Texas Tech Red Raiders

Projected rotation: G De’Vion Harmon, G Kerwin Walton, F Jaylon Tyson, F Kevin Obanor, C Daniel Batcho

Mark Adams has a squad with a lot of new pieces heading into his second season as head coach of Texas Tech. This year’s team has a mix of solid returning pieces, some highly touted transfers, and a lot of new young prospects. With some good experienced veterans in Kevin Obanor and De’Vion Harmon paired with some elite young talent in Jaylon Tyson and Elijah Fisher, this team is gonna look to make some noise in the Big 12.

This squad will be your typical Tech team. Elite defense with some talented players on offense that will just need to put it together. One thing that isn’t typical is the youth of this Red Raider squad. Some young players like Pop Isaacs and Lamar Washington will be looking to make an early impact. This team will take some time to put everything together, but with some talented underclassmen and some really solid veteran leaders, don’t be surprised if this team is competing for a higher seed come March. — Kendall Phipps, Viva the Matadors

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No. 24 Dayton Flyers

Projected Rotation: G Malachi Smith, G Kobe Elvis, F/G R.J. Blakney, F DaRon Holmes II, F Toumani Camara

In the age of the transfer portal, continuity is a rarity in college basketball, but that’s the key to what makes Dayton so dangerous. The Flyers return all five starters from last year’s team that went 14-4 in the Atlantic 10 and reached the second round of the NIT. Anthony Grant’s squad was named the conference favorite and features three Preseason All-Atlantic 10 selections in DaRon Holmes II, Malachi Smith and Toumani Camara.

Holmes was the conference Rookie of the Year last season, ranked second in the nation in field goal percentage at 64.9% and led the team with 12.8 point per contest. Smith, not to be confused with the player who transferred from Chattanooga to Gonzaga, serves as the floor general for the Flyers and registered a 2.61 assist-to-turnover ratio last season. Camara averaged 10.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game in his first season with Dayton after transferring from Georgia. — Ian Sacks, Mid-Major Madness

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No. 23 Illinois Fighting Illini

Projected Rotation: PG Skyy Clark, G Terrence Shannon Jr., F Matthew Mayer, F Coleman Hawkins, C Dain Dainja

It’s a “new” era for Illinois Basketball following the departure of veterans Trent Frazier, Da’Monte Williams and All-American Kofi Cockburn. Without the fifth-year shooters (Frazier & Williams) and the big 7-footer in Cockburn, Brad Underwood has to adjust. The way he did that? Picking up the top transfer class in the country, highlighted by Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer. Add in a star-studded freshman class — including Skyy Clark and Ty Rodgers — and the potential for this team is “Skyy”-high. The only question mark is how fast this team can gel in Underwood’s system amid a very challenging non-conference schedule. But certainly keep the Illini in mind for their third Big Ten regular season or tournament title in as many years. — Stephen Cohn, The Champaign Room

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22. Michigan Wolverines

Projected Rotation: G Jaelin Llewellyn, G Kobe Bufkin, G Jett Howard, F Terrance Williams II, C Hunter Dickinson

One of the best centers in college basketball is returning to the Wolverines, which is a blessing for this young squad. Michigan lost seven of its top 10 scorers from last season to the pros and the transfer portal, so it will need Dickinson to take on more of a workload, along with a vocal leadership role.

Terrance II Williams and Kobe Bufkin are both expected to take on bigger roles as well. Both came off the bench last season, with Williams II being the sixth man and Bufkin struggling to crack the rotation consistently. Both will likely be in the starting lineup to start the year, but could lose that spot to one of the young guys off the bench.

The Wolverines’ season will be defined by the play of their new arrivals. This will be the third season in a row they will start a transfer at point guard, as former Princeton Tiger Jaelin Llewellyn is expected to be a top playmaker and three-point shooter. Duke transfer Joey Baker will come off the bench and provide spot-up shooting and leadership. The members of the 2022 recruiting class will also make their presence felt, as Jett Howard will likely start at the 3, plus big man Tarris Reed Jr. and point guard Dug McDaniel will be two of the first guys off the bench.

Last season was a roller coaster ride for a squad that barely made the NCAA tournament, partially because of how much they had to rely on their youth. I would expect the same this season for Michigan. — Kellen Voss, Maize n Brew

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No. 21 Oregon Ducks

Projected rotation: G Will Richardson, C N’Faly Dante, F Quincy Guerrier, G Tyrone Williams, G Rivaldo Soares, C Kel’el Ware, C Nate Bittle

After a 2022 in which his team underachieved given its talent, Dana Altman brings back what appears to be an even more loaded roster than before. With returning veteran seniors Will Richardson, Quincy Guerrier, and N’Faly Dante, the Ducks will have plenty of leadership for their star-studded upcoming recruiting class to learn from.

On paper this should make Oregon an instant contender for the conference championship and a lock for the NCAA tournament. However, first they must prove themselves on the court. Defensive rebounding and outside shooting were major lapses for the Ducks in 2022, and are a point of emphasis for 2023. Team chemistry got a head start with an exhibition journey through Canada over the summer, and Altman teams have a history of jelling by season’s end, even after rocky starts. — Adam Holland, Addicted to Quack

No. 20 Alabama

Projected lineup: Mark Sears, Nimari Burnett, Dominick Welch, Brandon Miller,

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After a roller coaster ride of a season in 2022, Nate Oats and company went out and completely revamped Alabama’s roster. Only four players return from last year’s group (five if you include former Texas Tech wing Nimari Burnett, who missed all of last season with a torn ACL), an inconsistent bunch that struggled with turnovers, perimeter shooting, and defense for too long of stretches. Still, returning point guard Jahvon Quinerly was a Preseason First Team All-SEC selection by the league’s coaches, and the Crimson Tide returns a pair of post players who played heavy minutes in Noah Gurley and Charles Bediako.

What will really make or break this season though will be the newcomers — and Alabama has some serious talent incoming. Five star wing Brandon Miller has been the talk of the preseason, and he’s even started to show up on top ten boards for the upcoming NBA Draft. He’s got elite size and skills, and he dropped 30 points on TCU in a preseason scrimmage after averaging 22 PPG overseas this August during the Tide’s foreign tour. He’s joined by fellow five star point guard Jaden Bradley, First Team All-MAC guard Mark Sears, four-year starting wing from St. Bonaventure Dom Welch, and a pair of other four stars in Noah Clowney and Nick Pringle as additions to this year’s squad.

The SEC should be brutal at the top this season, and Alabama is again playing a top-tier non-conference schedule that includes Gonzaga, Memphis, a road trip to Houston, and a loaded Phil Knight Invitational field that includes an opening tip against Michigan State, but Alabama’s ceiling is among the best in the country, with Miller and Bradley joining Quinerly and Burnett to form a quartet of former McDonald’s All Americans. Can they reach that potential this season? Between a lack of experience playing together and some lingering issues from last season, there are some questions to be addressed, but Nate Oats and Alabama have some fantastic possible answers. — Joshua Chatham, Roll Bama Roll

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No. 19 San Diego State

Projected Starters: G Darrion Trammell, G Lamont Butler, G Matt Bradley, F Keshad Johnson, F Nathan Mensah

The Aztecs return four of their five starters and two key bench players that contributed at least 15 minutes or more per night. They add guard Darrion Trammell, a first-team All-WAC member with Seattle University, who averaged 17.4 points per game and led the conference in assists. The duo of Trammell and Matt Bradley should give San Diego State the one-two scoring punch it’s looking for. This is one of the deepest teams Brian Dutcher has had during his tenure, it’s also one of his most experienced with eight seniors and five juniors. The experience should give the Aztecs across a Mountain West Conference that might have taken a step back from last year. Don’t expect four teams to make the tournament, but look for San Diego State and Wyoming to run away from the rest of the pack and battle it out for the Mountain West title. — Alex Wright, MWCConnection

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No. 18 Virginia Cavaliers

Projected starters: PG Reece Beekman, PG Kihei Clark, SG Armaan Franklin, PF Jayden Gardner, C Kadin Shedrick

After a mediocre season culminating in a loss in the NIT Quarterfinals, Virginia returns its top-six minute getters from last year’s squad while also adding Tony Bennett’s best recruiting class since the group that won a National Championship and Ohio transfer Ben Vander Plas. As such, improvement is expected both via internal development as guys like Kadin Shedrick and Reece Beekman should make significant jumps and from what Vander Plas and freshmen Isaac McKneely and Isaac Traudt bring to the table. The team should have more versatility and depth this season, potentially culminating in a return to the top of the ACC. — Zach Carey, Streaking the Law

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No. 17 Arizona Wildcats

Projected rotation: PG Kerr Kriisa, SG Courtney Ramey, SF Pelle Larsson, PF Azuolas Tubelis, C Oumar Ballo

Arizona was one of the biggest surprises of 2021-22, reaching No. 2 in the final AP poll and running away with the Pac-12 regular-season and conference tournament titles under first-year coach Tommy Lloyd. The Wildcats got a No. 1 seed but ran into a buzzsaw in the Sweet 16 in Houston.

Gone from that squad are four of the top eight contributors, including three players taken in the 2022 NBA Draft. Lloyd reloaded by adding a pair of veterans from the NCAA transfer portal in Ramey (Texas) and wing Cedric Henderson Jr. (Campbell) as well as four freshmen, two of which come from Europe to add even more international flavor to a roster where eight of 12 scholarship players are foreign-born.

Arizona led the nation in assists last season and played at one of the fastest paces. Both those traits should continue in 2022-23, with an added emphasis on physicality on both ends of the floor. Picked second in the Pac-12, another conference title and high NCAA tournament seed are plausible. — Brian Pedersen, AZ Desert Swarm

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No. 16 Villanova Wildcats

Projected lineup: Mark Armstrong, Caleb Daniels, Cam Whitmore, Brandon Slater, Eric Dixon

Jay Wright’s sudden retirement was the biggest surprise of the offseason, and throws the future of Villanova into question. As 37-year-old Kyle Neptune takes over the program as head coach, he’ll have to figure out how to handle the departure of several key veterans, including Big East Player of the Year Collin Gillespie, frontcourt stalwart Jermaine Samuels, and Brandon Slater. With the roster in flux, freshman forward Cam Whitmore is poised to become the program’s next superstar. Whitmore is an incredibly strong and athletic 6’6 forward who put on monster showings in the offseason with his above-the-rim attacks. Mark Armstrong is another freshman who will play a big role as the 4-star recruit takes over for Gillespie at point guard. If key shooter Justin Moore can get healthy from his Achilles tear at some point, there’s enough talent here for another run atop the Big East. — Ricky O’Donnell

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No. 15 Auburn Tigers

Projected lineup: Wendell Green, KD Johnson, Allen Flanigan, Yahon Traore, Johni Broome

Bruce Pearl has revitalized Auburn basketball like no coach before him. Pearl had already led to the program to the Final Four in 2019 before leading them to their first ever No. 1 ranking in the AP Poll last season. Unfortunately, the Tigers flamed out in the round of 32, and now have to replace top-3 draft pick Jabari Smith Jr. and fellow first rounder Walker Kessler in the front court. Without their twin towers, Auburn will now likely be led by the holders in the backcourt. Wendell Green and KD Johnson are capable of explosive performances, but both suffer from inconsistency. Allen Flanigan is a sweet-shooting wing that led the team in scoring two years ago, and he should now be fully back from an Achilles tear. Five-star freshman Yahon Traore is Smith’s replacement, but he will do his work on the inside instead of at the three-point arc. There are a lot of questions for this team, but Pearl has a way of usually finding the right answer. — Ricky O’Donnell

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No. 14 TCU Horned Frogs

Projected lineup: Miles Jr., Damion Baugh, Chuck O’Bannon Jr., Emanuel Miller, Eddie Lampkin

This is the most anticipated TCU basketball campaign of all time. Last season TCU won its first tournament game since 1987, when head coach Jamie Dixon was the Horned Frogs’ point guard. And this season the Frogs have sights set on an even deeper run in March. The Frogs return the majority of the roster, including the entire starting lineup, from an NCAA tournament team that fell just short in OT to 1-seed Arizona in the Round of 32. TCU is led by point guard Mike Miles, who was named the 2022-23 Big 12 Preseason player of the year after averaging 15.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game last season. Center Eddie Lampkin Jr. is the vocal leader and a force to deal with on both ends of the court, with a national stage breakout performance of 20 points and 14 rebounds against Arizona. His frontcourt partner Emanuel Miller is an athletic workhorse, leading the Frogs in blocks and rebounds while averaging over 10 points per game. TCU’s wings are the perfect complement, with Damion Baugh the facilitating playmaker and Chuck O’Bannon Jr. as the squad’s top returning 3-point shooter. Outside of the headlining returning starters, Jamie Dixon will have a deep bench to pull from: defensive stoppers Micah Peavy and Rondel Walker, scoring Guards Shahada Wells and PJ Haggerty, and veteran big men Souleymane Doumbia, JaKobe Coles, and Xavier Cork all expected to be key contributors.

The Big 12 schedule will be a gauntlet as always, but the Horned Frogs appear to be in their best position to compete since joining the league. A program traditionally fighting to prove preseason projections wrong, finds itself with an opportunity to prove that the hype is warranted and win multiple NCAA tournament games for the first time in program history. — Anthony North, Frogs O’ War

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No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers

Projected Rotation: G Xavier Johnson, G Jalen Hood-Schifino, F Miller Kopp, F Race Thompson, F Trayce Jackson-Davis

Indiana men’s basketball brought program legend Mike Woodson back to Bloomington last offseason as the Hoosiers’ head coach. In his second year, he’s returned the favor and brought high expectations back to a program that has underachieved for years.

With plenty of returning experience from last year’s group and an impressive first true recruiting class under Woodson, Indiana is the favorite to win the Big Ten by most media outlets and polls. Headlining the Hoosiers is Trayce Jackson-Davis, who is more than familiar with being Indiana’s brightest star. This is Jackson Davis’ fourth and likely final year in Bloomington and he’s never had more talent around him as he seeks to cement his legacy as a program great. Speaking of that talent, 5-star freshman Jalen Hood-Schifino is likely to start in his first season at Indiana alongside last year’s breakout star, Xavier Johnson. Rounding out the starting rotation are forwards Race Thompson and Miller Kopp, who will both look to take more shots beyond the perimeter as the Hoosiers seek a title.

Indiana’s chief concern is a lack of 3-point shooting with the Hoosiers’ best shooter from last year’s team, Parker Stewart, leaving in the transfer portal and no vaunted shooting talent arriving via the portal in turn. To solve this issue, Woodson has turned to what he has and will look to get consistent shots out of players like Hood-Schifino, Thompson, Kopp and others from the bench.

With the Big Ten appearing weaker than it usually is, Indiana should have few issues finishing near the top of the conference if not as conference champions. — L.C. Norton, The Crimson Quarry

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No. 12 Texas Longhorns

Projected rotation: G Tyrese Hunter, G Marcus Carr, F Dillon Mitchell, F Timmy Allen, F Dylan Disu

High expectations accompanied the first season under Chris Beard on the Forty Acres as the former Texas Tech head coach tried to integrate seven transfers into his first roster at Texas. A poor non-conference schedule did little to prepare the Longhorns for the grind of Big 12 play and Texas was ultimately unable meet those lofty hopes in a deep, gritty conference as Disu struggled to recover from the knee injury that ended his Commodores career, Beard had no rim protector for his continually proliferating no-middle defense, and the slow pace offensively meant few easy baskets from Beard’s motion offense thanks to an extreme athleticism deficit.

Now Disu is healthy, Mitchell brings a high dose of athleticism in the open court or cutting off the ball, and Hunter’s speed can push the pace in transition, aided by his elite on-ball defense. Culturally, Texas should be in a better place in Beard’s second season after attrition hurt the Horns last year with two in-season departures and two post-season departures. Beard gonna Beard like that — the forever hope is for addition by subtraction.

Other than still lacking a strong rim protector, the biggest question is whether Texas can space the court offensively with a paucity of proven, efficient three-point shooters, leaving Beard hoping for major steps forward from Hunter, Disu, and senior glue guy Brock Cunningham, along with steady contributions from New Mexico State transfer Sir’Jabari Rice. The Longhorns achieved that feat in an exhibition against the Razorbacks, making 10-of-16 attempts, an obviously unsustainable mark. But the improved transition play is more sustainable, so there should be more exciting basketball from Texas as the Moody Center opens and the Longhorns face the more modest expectations of harrying the heels of the Jayhawks and Bears to set up a run into the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. — Wescott Eberts, Burnt Orange Nation

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No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers

Projected lineup: Zakai Zeigler, Santiago Vescovi, Julian Phillips, Josiah Jordan-James, Oliver Nkamhoua

Tennessee closed the year as perhaps the hottest team in the country, but once again came up short in the NCAA tournament. Rick Barnes lost point guard Kennedy Chandler from last year’s team, but Zakai Zeigler proved that he’s more than capable of running the show last season as a freshman. Zeigler returns with season veterans like Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James, while big man Olivier Nkamhoua returns from injury. 5-star, potential one-and-done wing Julian Phillips joins this year’s team as well, along with senior transfer sharpshooter Tyreke Key. The Volunteers ran Gonzaga out of the gym in a preseason scrimmage, and they’re poised to make another run at the SEC and a top seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Vols are experienced and deep, they’re going to be stout defensively, and now Barnes has the most shooting that he’s ever had. This group has a real shot to do something special this year. — Terry Lambert, Rocky Top Talk

No. 10 Arkansas Razorbacks

Projected lineup: Nick Smith, Devo Davis, Anthony Black, Jordan Walsh, Trevon Barzile

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Arkansas has gone to the Elite Eight each of the last two seasons, but this year is head coach Eric Musselman’s most exciting group yet. It’s a completely new roster after so many key departures over the offseason led by big man Jaylin Williams, but three McDonald’s All-Americans enter the fold give the Razorbacks a rare injection of NBA talent. Nick Smith projects as a potential top-5 draft pick who will draw comparisons to Jordan Poole for his deep scoring bag at combo guard. Anthony Black is a more traditional floor general with size and playmaking skills that can’t be taught. Jordan Walsh is a big, athletic wing comfortable handling the ball out of the perimeter. There’s also some sneaky-good depth here for such a new roster, including wing scorer Ricky Council IV, a Wichita State transfer. There’s so many new and young pieces here that it’s hard to say exactly how good Arkansas will be, but the team should be must-see TV all year. — Ricky O’Donnell

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No. 9 Creighton Bluejays

Projected Starters: C Ryan Kalkbrenner, G Ryan Nembhard, G Baylor Scheierman, G Trey Alexander, F Arthur Kaluma

Creighton is once again not only looking to be the top dog in the Big East but possibly in the nation. For years Greg McDermott and his crew have been one of the top teams in the region and this year they very well could be challenging the elites of the top five. The pre season talk is that this team could not only win the Big East but also make a fairly decent run in the NCAA tournament. Something that has evaded Greg though his tenure in Omaha.

The Bluejays return three starters from last year’s team that ended up in fourth place in the Big East. They ended their year with a loss to eventual NCAA champion Kansas in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

In total, there are five of their top seven scorers returning in all for the upcoming season.

The first of note is center Ryan Kalkbrenner. This 7-foot, first team all Big East and Big East Defensive Player of The Year averaged 13.1 points, a whopping 7.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game in 2022-23.

Next to him would be Ryan Nembhard at guard who ended his season early with a broken wrist. However, he still ended up as the Big East Freshman of the Year. Nembhard ended up averaging 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a team high of 4.4 assists per game.

The big addition to the Bluejays is Baylor Scheierman. Baylor is a transfer from South Dakota State who averaged 15.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for the Jackrabbits before heading to Omaha. He is a huge score for Creighton and should very well be starting. — Patrick L. Gerhart

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No. 8 UCLA Bruins

Projected lineup: Tyger Campbell, Amari Bailey, Jalen Clark, Jaime Jacquez, Adem Bona

UCLA’s dream of making back-to-back Final Four runs came up short last season in the Sweet 16, but the Bruins are primed to be a contender again even with some offseason roster turnover. Johnny Juzang moved onto the NBA, and he’s replaced by Amari Bailey, a top-five overall recruit who starred on Bronny James’ Sierra Canyon team the last few years. Bailey and fellow five-star freshman Adem Bona, a bouncy rim runner, will have to play significant roles if UCLA is going to thrive this season, but there remains plenty of veteran support in place. Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jacquez were the backbone of that 2021 Final Four run, and should be primed for huge years. Jacquez has First-Team All-American potential after emerging into a go-to scoring option during the stretch run last season. The front court is a bit of a question mark, but there’s enough talent here for UCLA to be thinking big in March once again. — Ricky O’Donnell

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No. 7 Duke Blue Devils

Projected lineup: G Jeremy Roach, F Dariq Whitehead, G Tyrese Proctor, C Kyle Filipowski, C Dereck Lively

Duke has been one of the better teams in the nation for decades. This year, it’s also one of the most interesting. Not only has Jon Scheyer replaced the GOAT, Mike Krzyzewski, he has almost an entirely new team, with only two scholarship players returning and just one regular in Jeremy Roach. But Duke has reloaded and Scheyer is building with versatile athletes who can shoot, drive, pass and defend.

Jeremy Roach is back at point. Otherwise, Duke brings in four transfers, featuring former Illini wing Jacob Grandison and former Northwestern big Ryan Young. Freshmen bigs Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively will likely start up front and fellow freshmen Dariq Whitehead, when he’s healthy, and Tyrese Proctor will also likely start. Mark Mitchell is going to be hard to keep out of the lineup and Jaylen Blakes, Duke’s other returnee, appears to be significantly improved. This is a deep and very flexible lineup and we’re only beginning to know how Scheyer will coach them. But this much seems true: there is enough talent to keep Duke among the elite. — JD King, Duke Basketball Report

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No. 5-tied Baylor Bears

Projected Rotation – G Adam Flagler, G LJ Cryer, G Keyonte George, F Jalen Bridges, C Flo Thamba

The Baylor Bears — a season after winning the national title — had a bit of a letdown season in 2021-22. Of course, earning a No. 1 seed and a Round of 32 upset to the eventual runner-up now qualifies as a letdown in Waco.

This season’s expectations for the Bears are sky high. Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer, plagued by injuries last season, are healthy and prepared to shoot the lights out. Add Keyonte George, a consensus top-10 projected lottery pick in the next NBA draft, and you’ve got three all-conference guards ready to shred opposing defenses at all three levels.

A stat to watch: the Bears shot only 36% from three last season. This season that could rise back near the 41% the Bears shot en route to a natty in 2021.

The guard depth is unbelievable — Langston Love, a top 50 recruit in 2021-22, is back from an ACL injury, Dale Bonner has a year of D-I experience and should shoot better while locking down on defense and Dantwan Grimes, a NJCAA national champion, has burst off the dribble to bend opposing bench defenses. Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Scott Drew has an experienced front court to balance with the guard talent. That front line includes Jalen Bridges, the transfer from West Virginia, who will have a massive impact on both ends with his shooting and athleticism, super senior Flo Thamba and Caleb Lohner, transfer forward from BYU. The balance, experience, and shot-making talent make Baylor a favorite to three-peat as Big 12 champions on the way to another No. 1 seed and chance to win the program’s second national title in three seasons. — Michael Nichols, Our Daily Bears

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No. 5-tied Kansas Jayhawks

Projected lineup: Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar, Gradey Dick, Jalen Wilson, Ernest Udeh

The Kansas Jayhawks, reigning national champs, hope to defend their title in the upcoming 2022-2023 season. Returning starters Jalen Wilson and Dajuan Harris lead a roster with a great mix of returning talent, high-profile freshmen, and transfers. All eyes will be on freshman guard Gradey Dick this season. Dick comes to KU as the 2022 Gatorade Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. He is deadly from the three point line shooting with a 46.7% his senior year.

Redshirt senior, Kevin McCullar Jr, comes to KU as a transfer from Texas Tech. McCullar hopes to be the spark the Jayhawks need to go on a title run this March. McCullar was a Naismith Defense Player of the Year semifinalist in the 2021-22 season and was a starter at Texas Tech the last two seasons.

Time will tell if the Jayhawks can recreate the magic from last season but Bill Self is the best in the business for a reason. — Andrew Freeman, Rock Chalk Talk

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No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats

Projected rotation: G Sahvir Wheeler, G Cason Wallace, G CJ Fredrick, F Jacob Toppin, C Oscar Tshiebwe

Kentucky teams under John Calipari has typically been freshman-heavy, but for the second-straight year, the Wildcats will field one of the more experienced teams in college basketball. If you follow KenPom, their preseason rankings tend to favor teams with a lot of returning production, and they have Kentucky No. 1 entering the 2022-23 season.

A major part of that is getting back the reigning National Player of the Year in Oscar Tshiebwe. As long as Kentucky’s Big O is healthy, the Wildcats will be one of the toughest teams in America, and that’s before you factor in one of the sport’s best defensive guards in Sahvir Wheeler, and one of its best 3-point shooters in CJ Fredrick.

Of course, Kentucky has likely one-and-done first-round NBA Draft picks in guard Cason Wallace and forward Chris Livingston, but these Wildcats will rely heavily on their veterans to make this team reach its full potential.

The real key will be how well senior forward Jacob Toppin performs in what many expect to be a breakout campaign for the younger brother of Obi Toppin. If Jacob becomes the two-way combo forward Kentucky believes he can be, this will truly be one of the classic Calipari teams that run teams off the floor with their size, athleticism, and overall talent. — Jason Marcum, A Sea of Blue

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No. 3 Houston Cougars

Projected Rotation: G Marcus Sasser, G Tramon Mark, G Jamal Shead, F Reggie Chaney, F Jarace Walker

Expectations are through the roof for this Houston team. Kelvin Sampson has his most talented Cougar bunch and has legitimate national championship aspirations. Last season, Houston lost Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark to season-ending injuries in December and still came within a couple of possessions of reaching its second consecutive Final Four. Both guards are back and are looking to make up for lost time. Sasser, who was named to the AP Preseason All-America Team, averaged a team-best 17.7 points and 2.2 steals per game in 2022. He shot 44% from 3-point range. Mark played in just seven contests last season and posted 10.1 points, including a 22-point, four-assist performance against Bryant.

The Cougars add freshman Jarace Walker, who was named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List. He was just one of three freshmen among the 20 selected to the preseason watch list for the award presented to the top power forward. He tallied 16.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for IMG Academy last year. — Ian Sacks, Mid-Major Madness

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No. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs

Projected rotation: G Nolan Hickman, G Rasir Bolton, G Julian Strawther, F Drew Timme, F Anton Watson

In perhaps the biggest tweet in Gonzaga history, on June 1, at 8:14 pm PT, Drew Timme simply stated “I’m back.” With those two words, the Zags maintained their position as one of the top teams in college basketball and one of the many favorites this year to take home the national championship…finally. Of course, a lot has to go right for this team to make it all work. This year, there are a lot of teams at the top of the pack, as proved by four different teams receiving first-place votes in the preseason AP Poll. I know, I know. You are probably sick and tired of the Zags getting all this preseason hype with nothing to show for it. There is no denying that last season ended much shorter than it should have. However, like North Carolina, Gonzaga returns virtually its entire roster, save for two very important individuals. How they fill the gaps left by Chet Holmgren and Andrew Nembhard will determine how long this team hangs around in March. Drew Timme is around to do Drew Timme things. He very well might be the second-leading scorer on the team behind Julian Strawther. The Zags picked up Malachi Smith and Efton Reid in the transfer portal, the former the 2022 Southern Conference Player of the Year and the latter a five-star recruit from LSU.

The question will be how the young guys develop. Nolan Hickman is going to be leaned on a lot as a sophomore. Hunter Sallis is a defensive menace but needs to show consistency on offense. Dominick Harris, a high-level scorer and defender who sat out all of last year with an injury, is ready to make his impact. An exhibition game against Tennessee already demonstrated a lot of progress is required. But with non-conference games against the likes of Kentucky, Texas, Baylor, and others, Gonzaga will have plenty of opportunities to test themselves in front of a large national audience. Will this finally be the year? Who knows, but like most years as of late, the Zags should be in the thick of things for the whole season. — Peter Woodburn, The Slipper Still Fits

Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images

No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels

Projected rotation: G Caleb Love, G RJ Davis, F Leaky Black, F Armando Bacot, F Pete Nance

The North Carolina Tar Heels are in championship-or-bust mode under second year head coach, Hubert Davis. Last year they made an unexpected run to the Final Four, where they beat their hated rival Duke, but fell short against the eventual national champions, the Kansas Jayhawks. Thankfully, most of the roster is back this season, and they are highly motivated to get what the 2017 team managed to get: redemption.

The engine of this team is senior forward Armando Bacot, who played most of the Final Four injured. He didn’t do enough during the 2021-22 season to warrant NBA attention when it came to proving how versatile his game was, but it sounds like we will see him shoot away from the rim more this season. Caleb Love and R.J. Davis are also going to be huge factors this season, with Davis ready to take on more of a leadership role. Northwestern transfer Pete Nance was a massive acquisition this past offseason, and should help fill in the large hole that Brady Manek left after he graduated. This team is built for another crack at the national championship, but we will have to wait and see if the hype is for real, or if they will take a few steps backwards. — Brandon Anderson, Tar Heel Blog