[New post] TVS NCAAM Power Rankings, Preseason; Gonzaga Leads a Competitive Pack
Staff posted: " College basketball is back! A new season of Men's College Basketball is upon us as some of the blue-bloods of College Basketball match up on Tuesday, November 9. The State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, kicks of"
A new season of Men's College Basketball is upon us as some of the blue-bloods of College Basketball match up on Tuesday, November 9. The State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, kicks off with No. 3 Kansas facing Michigan State followed by No. 9 Duke against No. 10 Kentucky.
Writers Dylan Jespersen, Gabbi Lumma, Evan Brooks, Jake Serrano and Fawaad Farooq collaborated to bring you the preseason edition of the TV Sports NCAAM Power Rankings. Check out the inaugural list below.
1. Gonzaga
After years of fighting for respect from the College Basketball world, Gonzaga spent the entirety of last year on top of the polls following an undefeated regular season. However, they could not slay that last dragon, falling to Baylor in the National Championship game and giving further credence to the 'Gonzaga is not a national power' narrative.
They will have another shot to slay that dragon again this year, entering the 2021-22 season as the unanimous favorites and on top of every preseason poll. However, outside of big man Drew Timme, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will look very little like they did last year after the departure of Jalen Suggs and others.
Still, Gonzaga's roster includes the consensus No. 1 overall recruit, Chet Holmgren. The seven-footer has No. 1 overall pick written all over him and should fit right into the Gonzaga program. Until something changes, the Bulldogs are the overwhelming favorites to win it all.
2. UCLA
Last year's Cinderella story should not be the last invite to the dance this year. The Bruins went from the play-in game to the Final Four in last year's March Madness. Riding the sensational performances from Kentucky-transfer Johnny Juzang, Mick Cronin's took Gonzaga to overtime before Jalen Suggs's overtime buzzer-beater sent them home.
This year, UCLA returns almost all of last year's Final Four squad, making them the overwhelming favorites on the Pac-12 and a National Title contender. With Juzang paired with Tyger Campbell, UCLA is poised to have one of the best backcourt duos in the country. Add in Jaime Jaquez Jr. (averaged 14.4 points per game in the tournament) and Rutgers-transfer Myles Johnson and UCLA could be scary good this season.
3. Kansas
The Jayhawks Big 12 streak may have ended last season (14 straight Big 12 Championships since 2004), but they are poised to pick right back up with a new streak this season. Arizona State-transfer Remy Martin is poised to lead an electric group of Jayhawks back to the top of the Big 12 ranks this season.
4. Michigan
Jerome Miron
Head coach Juwan Howard has assembled a group that should compete for back-to-back Big Ten Championships and possibly, a National Championship. Howard signed the No. 2 ranked recruiting class according to 24/7 Sports, headlined by five-stars Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate.
Those players should just bolster a roster that returns Big Ten Freshman of the Year Hunter Dickinson, veteran guard Eli Brooks and surging forward Brandon Johns Jr. Look for Michigan to be among the nation's elite throughout the year.
5. Texas
It's not often a team that parted ways with their head coach in the offseason ends up ranked higher in the polls than they were to start the previous season. However, these are not normal circumstances.
Shaka Smart did not struggle to recruit players in his six seasons as the Texas head coach; guys like Greg Brown (five-star forward, 2020) and Tamar Bates (four-star guard, 2021) jump off the page as top-tier talent. The problem was in the results; Smarts' Texas teams went 51-56 in Big 12 games under the former VCU head coach.
Now, they are under the control of a proven winner in Chris Beard. Texas Tech teams 112-55 and appeared in a National Championship game over Beard's five seasons.
6. Purdue
Coming in at No. 6 in the AP preseason Top 25 poll and in the TV Sports Power Rankings, the Purdue Boilermakers are looking for a successful season and to come back stronger after being knocked out in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Purdue has some key players returning for the 2021-2022 season. Returning standout players include forward Trevion Williams, who was named First-Team All-Big Ten and Honorable Mention All-America. Williams started in 26 games last season, averaging 15.5 points per game, ranking ninth in the Big Ten conference for scoring.
Guard Jaden Ivey will also be returning to the team after a successful first year, being named Big Ten's All-Freshman Team. During the offseason, Ivey won a gold medal for Team USA in the FIBA Cup in Latvia. Ivey ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.3 points per game in 2020-21. Ivey is currently dealing with an ankle injury and plans to recover quickly, according to head coach Matt Painter.
Another player who played overseas during the offseason was sophomore center Zach Edey. Edey also competed at the FIBA Cup in Latvia as the native Canadian joined Team Canada. The big man was also named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team with Ivey, as well as being named to the freshman All-American team.
In Purdue's 86-64 win against the University of Indianapolis in an exhibition game, Edey led the team with 20 points. Williams was key in picking up the team's energy after a slow start and ultimately led to the win. The Boilermakers begin their regular season on Nov. 4 at home against the University of Bellarmine. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on B1G+.
7. Villanova
Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
After making it to the sweet sixteen in the 2021 NCAA tournament, the Villanova Wildcats welcome back fifth-year players Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels, only losing one player (Jeremiah Robinson-Earl) from last year's team.
Gillespie, a guard for Villanova, was named an AP preseason first-team All-American and one of the nation's top 20 guards by the Athletic. Gillespie's 2020-2021 season was cut short after a torn MCL; he will be returning to the court for the first time since the end of last year's regular season.
Samuels, a 6-foot-7-inch forward, is now one of the 20 forwards on the 2022 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year watchlist. Samuels stepped up in big ways last season when Gillespie was out with his injury and was one of the team's best contributors.
The team welcomed back fans to the arena on Oct. 29 for Hoops Mania, which introduced the 2021-2022 men's and women's basketball teams. Their regular season begins on Nov. 9 at home against Mount Mary University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on FS1.
8. Ohio State
Ranked at No. 8, the Ohio State Buckeyes are returning with star forward and First Team All-Big Ten player, E.J. Liddell.
Liddell is back for his junior year at Ohio State after being named one of the 20 breakout players during the 2020-2021 season. He was also named a First Team All-Big Ten player and made the 2021 All-Big Ten Tournament team. Liddell will be a big part of the Buckeyes' team this year.
On Nov. 1, the Buckeyes hosted the University of Indianapolis for an exhibition game and earned a staggering 82-26 win. Meechie Johnson Jr., Zed Key, E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham all scored in the double digits for the Buckeyes.
Two players that are out with injuries are Seth Towns and Kyle Young, who are hopeful to return after the start of the season.
The Buckeyes' regular season begins on Nov. 9 at home against the University of Akron. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN 2.
9. Kentucky
As the highest-ranked SEC team in the NCAA, Kentucky comes in at No. 9 after missing the NCAA tournament for the first time in eight years. The Wildcats are showing some promise after wins in both of their exhibition games. Keion Brooks Jr. and TyTy Washington Jr. both led the team with 18 points throughout their exhibition against Kentucky Wesleyan, and Savhir Wheeler shined in the second game against Miles College.
Kentucky's first regular-season game is rather a big one to kick off the season. The Wildcats will travel to Madison Square Garden in New York City to face one of their rivals, Duke, in the Champions Classic game on Nov. 9. Neither team will have a home-court advantage, which could work in Kentucky's favor, as it is looking to outperform their last season. Tipoff is
scheduled for 9:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcasted on ESPN.
10. Illinois
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The University of Illinois Fighting Illini rounds out the top ten. Illinois made their mark last year after winning the Big 10 tournament and making it to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
The team welcomes back arguably one of the best players in the NCAA, center Kofi Cockburn, who entered the NBA Draft and transfer portal after last season. They only lost two players from the team last year; however, one was star player Ayo Dosunmu.
Though Cockburn will be returning, he will miss the first three games of the season after he was penalized by the NCAA on Nov. 1 for selling memorabilia in June of 2021, before the NIL policy was in place.
The Illini do look promising after they won both of their exhibition games by double digits, but had Cockburn to help with both wins before he was suspended.
Their regular season will begin on Nov. 9 at home against Jackson State University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST and will be broadcast on BTN.
11. Duke
The Blue Devils are looking to bounce back in the 2021-2022 season after a subpar season the previous year by Coach K's standards. After finishing with an overall record of 13-11 (9-9, 10th in ACC), they're relying on a stellar recruiting class to lift them back to a position they're more accustomed to. Duke has filled the void of non-returning players such as Jalen Johnson and DJ Steward by bringing in a five-star, ESPN top-three recruit in Paolo Banchero.
They've also added key pieces in AJ Griffin (No. 9 in ESPN Top 100), Trevor Keels (No. 20 in ESPN Top 100), and Jaylen Blakes (No. 89 in ESPN Top 100). Look for these young studs to bring back the excitement that's surrounded Duke basketball for decades.
12. Baylor
Considering Baylor is coming off an NCAA Tournament victory, it could seem odd that they would be listed here. However, this is normal in college basketball, as a champion's best players rarely stay to play another year anymore. This held true in this case, with Jared Butler and top-five draft pick Davion Mitchell heading to the NBA.
After finishing at the top of the mountain last year (28-2, 13-1 ACC), BU should still have a shot to make noise this season with the likes of top recruit Kendall Brown and additional pieces added to the roster.
13. Houston
Many would probably consider last season a success for the Cougars, who reached the Final Four for the first time since 1984. They seemed to hang their hat on experience, with upperclassmen being a huge key to their success. This could explain their 2021 recruiting process – one which sees only three freshmen, all carrying a three-star rating from 24/7 Sports, plus three transfers of at least senior status. With all five sophomores averaging less than 10 points in their freshman campaigns, it will be interesting to see who steps up for this team in the 2021-2022 season.
14. Memphis
AP
The Tigers are expected to be one of the most exciting teams in all of college basketball this season. Former NBA great and now Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway managed to put together one of the best recruiting classes with five-star recruits such as Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren.
However, a great class has not always translated to a winning season. Hardaway learned this with his 2019 team that featured James Wiseman and Precious Achiuwa. Last season, the Tigers failed to make the NCAA tournament but righted at least some of that wrong by winning the NIT tournament title. Look for a hungry Hardaway and company to make a statement this season.
15. Alabama
The Crimson Tide saw some success in the 2020-2021 season, winning its first SEC championship since 1992. This program has seemed to be headed in the right direction with the hiring of Coach Nate Oats, and 'Bama is blessed with the return of last year's leading scorer, Jaden Shackelford. Playmakers such as swingman Herbert Jones as well as guards Joshua Primo and John Petty are no longer with the program, raising the question of whether the Tide can match the success of last season. However, fans can remain optimistic with incoming freshman Charles Bediako and redshirt-freshman Alex Tchikou stepping into key roles. Five-star recruit JD Davidson also joins as the focal point of their backcourt.
16. Tennessee
An 18-9 season in 2020-21 and the No. 5 seed heading into the tournament, the Volunteers season ended abruptly with a 70-56 first-round upset-loss to Oregon State Beavers.
With Jaden Springer, Keon Johnson, and Yves Pons off to the NBA, the Volunteers went out and recharged with their recruiting class. The Volunteers landed two four-star recruits and two five-star recruits in Kennedy Chandler and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield.
Guard Victor Bailey Jr. returns along with John Fulkerson, who were No. 3 and No. 4 on the team in scoring last year, only behind Johnson and Springer. The Volunteers will look to return to the tourney this year and forget last year's first-round defeat.
17. Oregon
After a dominant season in the Pac-12 and a loss in the Sweet Sixteen to USC, the Ducks look to recapture that same magic this season. The Ducks lost three of last season's starters to the NBA, but return leaders like Eric Williams Jr. and Will Richardson.
The Ducks brought in five-star recruit Nathan Bittle from Crater High school. Not only that, the Ducks acquired four transfers who averaged 10 points per game or more last season. Those transfers include Jacob Young from Rutgers, De'Vion Harmon from Oklahoma, Rivaldo Soares from South Plains Jr. College and Quincy Guerrier from Syracuse.
18. Florida State
Orlando Sentinel
Florida State came in second in the final Atlantic Coast standings in 2020-21 and was a No. 4 seed going into the 2020-2021 NCAA tournament. The Seminoles were defeated by Michigan 76-58 in the Sweet Sixteen.
Looking ahead to the 2021-2022 season, the Seminoles will be without some of their top scorers from last season. Scottie Barnes, Raiquan Gray and M.J. Walker, are just a few names that departed the team.
The Seminoles pulled in a solid recruiting class along with a couple of transfers. Five-Star Matthew Cleveland was the No. 24 ranked recruit nationally. Cam'ron Fletcher and Caleb Mills transferred to the team as well, giving this Seminoles team a boost. Mills had an amazing freshman season with over 400 total points, but his 2020-21 season he was cut short due to an ankle injury. If he can get back to form, the Seminoles will have snagged a dominant transfer.
19. Arkansas
The Razorbacks concluded the 2020-2021 season with a loss to the eventual National Champions, the Baylor Bears, in the Elite Eight.
The Razorbacks said goodbye to Moses Moody, who was drafted by the Golden State Warriors in the 2021 NBA Draft. Moody totaled 539 points last season and was the team's top scorer.
The Razorbacks will only be returning two top-scoring starters from a season ago in Davonte Davis and JD Notae.
The offseason included four transfers and Chance Moore, a four-star recruit, joining the team. Chris Lykes, the transfer from Miami, averaged 15.5 PPG last season and has consistently put-up points for Miami throughout his career. With an injury last year, Lykes will look to bounce back and give the Razorbacks the firepower they hope he still has.
20. Michigan State
A less than stellar 15-13 season for the Spartans in 2020-21 ended in a first-round tournament loss to UCLA.
Aaron Henry led the team in multiple categories. He would end up being taken by the 76ers in the NBA draft this year, meaning they will need to replace their top player in almost every category. Henry put up 168 more points than the next closest scorer on the team, so the Spartans have a challenge ahead of themselves without Henry going forward.
Recruiting-wise, the Spartans brought in five-Star Max Christie, who was ranked No. 19 in the nation. The Spartans also brought in transfer Tyson Walker from Northeastern, who averaged 18.8 PPG in 2020-21.
Head Coach Tom Izzo is entering his 27th season for the Spartans with over 640 wins. If there is anyone that can get Michigan State back on their feet, it's Izzo.
21. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Texas Tech will look a lot different this year. After their best player, Mac McClung, declared for the NBA draft after last season, the team looks to be in rebuild mode. Former head coach Chris Beard left the team after five seasons to take the head coaching position for the Texas Longhorns.
The team finished with an 18-11 record last year and were 9-8 in Big 12 games. Texas Tech did bring in Kevin Obanor, a transfer out of Oral Roberts. Obanor played a big role last year for his team, averaging 18.7 points per game along with 9.6 rebounds per game.
He looks to help head coach first-year head coach Mark Adams get Texas Tech back on the right track following a second-round exit to Arkansas last year in the NCAA tournament.
22. UConn Huskies
The Huskies were able to go 15-8 last season under fourth-year head coach Dan Hurley. They finished 11-6 in Big East play last year, which was third-best in the league. With the departure of last season's leading scorer James Bouknight, who declared for the NBA Draft, the team will have a huge void to fill on the offensive end.
With R.J Cole and Tyrese Martin returning, this team has a great group that can play some good basketball. They were able to recruit some great young talent and bring them in; their recruiting class is led by Sampson Johnson, a guy with a great burst of speed that can pull up from three in transition and dunk with ease.
It will just be a matter of how Dan Hurley will be able to have Cole, Martin, and Johnson out on the court together. How well they will gel with each other and get their chemistry going will determine the team's success.
23. Iowa Hawkeyes
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen
The Hawkeyes finished third in the Big Ten in 2020-21 with a record of 22–9 overall and 14–6 in Big Ten play. They defeated Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals before falling to Illinois in the second round. Iowa was the No. 2 seed in the West Region in the NCAA Tournament.
The centerpiece of the team's success was Luka Garza, who was named Big Ten Player of The Year and a consensus All-American for the second consecutive season. Garza would be drafted in the second round after four successful years in the Iowa program. With Jordan Bohannan returning, head coach Fran McCaffery looks to make him the centerpiece of the offense.
It is uncertain how the team will be able to make up for Garza's production and efficiency.
24. USC Trojans
The USC Trojans finished the 2020–21 season with an overall record of 25-8 and a conference record of 15-5, finishing second in the Pac-12 Conference.
They would bring in two recruits over the offseason in shooting guard Malik Thomas and power forward Harrison Horney. It will be tough for the team to fill the role Evan Mobley played last year; he was the team's leader in points, rebounds, and blocks. However, Isaiah Mobley is now getting his shot to play a big part for the team with his older brother now playing in the NBA. He looks poised to lead this team to success; he was the second leading rebounder on the team behind his brother.
With head coach Andy Enfield entering his ninth season as the USC head coach, he looks to put this team in a position to win some games this season.
25. Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins had a season to forget last year, finishing 17-14 overall and 9-11 in Big 10 play. However, they were able to upset the No. 7-seeded UConn in the first round before losing to Alabama in the second round.
The departure of Aaron Wiggins leaves many questions as to who the second scorer will be behind Eric Ayala. Donta Scott played a big role on the team as the team's third-leading scorer behind Ayala and Wiggins. He averaged 11 points and nearly six rebounds per game in 2020-21. The question is how much of a jump his game will take, and if it will translate to wins.
Head coach Mark Turgeon is in his 11th season as Maryland's head coach, and this may be his most challenging season thus far as the team struggled last year. With Aaron Wiggins's departure, it's unknown how the team will replace his production.
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