Gonzaga Remains Atop the College Basketball World
It has been a while! However, we have just a couple weeks until collegiate men play some ball against other college-age men. I'll be honest that I don't really pay much attention to college ball during the off-season, so I thought I'd give an "outsider's" perspective on the pre-season rankings.
I really like seeing Gonzaga and UCLA in the top two slots. Their final-four matchup was an absolute classic and will be rewatchable for decades to come. Despite coming up just short of a perfect season last year, the Zags added top recruit Chet Holmgren (along with a few other studs), whose combination of size, mobility, and shot-blocking remains unparalleled.
The team the Bulldogs beat in that overtime thriller, the UCLA Bruins, are no slouch either. This historically successful squad retains Johnny Juzang, the NCAA tournament's top scorer, along with most of their starting lineup. UCLA really came out in the tournament, unleashing their potential that everyone knew they had. They also added Peyton Watson, and their rematch against Gonzaga will be the non-conference game to watch this season.
It seems that blue bloods have returned in full force to this preseason top 25. Recent juggernauts in Duke and Kentucky both missed out on the dance last year, but we see both of them rounding out the top 10. In terms of mid-majors, I wonder if Memphis will finally live up to the preseason expectations. They've been an NIT-level team two seasons in a row despite being projected solidly in the tourney. Maybe superstar forward Emoni Bates is the answer for this Tigers team that seems to consistently underperform as the season progresses.
I have a soft spot for mid-majors, so I'm hopeful that those ranked in and near the top 25 will actually live out their tournament dreams. These include the aforementioned Gonzaga and Memphis, but also fellow AAC powerhouse Houston, WCC sidekick in BYU, a couple A10 teams (St. Bonaventure and Richmond), and Colorado State joining San Diego State as another highly projected team out of the Mountain West. The Drake Bulldogs, who managed to squeak into the first four as an at-large out of the valley, also find themselves within the mix. I know I'll be looking out for these teams in particular to make a statement this season.
