Andy Katz's Preseason Top 25

[Cobb]

ESPN.com

 

1. Duke: There's no question the Blue Devils are the favorite with the return of Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith, Mason and Miles Plumlee and the addition to the backcourt of newcomers Kyrie Irving (freshman) and Seth Curry (transfer). Duke has a legit shot to win consecutive titles for the second time in program history (1991 and '92 was the first) and second time this century after Florida won in 2006 and '07. The questions will be how the Blue Devils handle being the target from day one, how much they will change defensively without Brian Zoubek (yes, that's relevant) and how much they will miss Jon Scheyer's 3-point shooting.

 

2. Purdue: You could go either way with Purdue or Michigan State at 2 and 3. I'm leaning toward Purdue here because of the big three -- Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. The drive of this squad to get to the Final Four after losing in the Sweet 16 in the post-Hummel period (ACL) will be relevant throughout the season. The issue will be how the Boilermakers replace Chris Kramer's defense and his overall toughness.

 

3. Michigan State: The Spartans return the core of their team except Raymar Morgan. While Morgan was inconsistent at times, he was still a major part of the team. His absence is the reason I have the Spartans a peg below Purdue. I'd also like to see how Kalin Lucas responds to his recovery. A ruptured Achilles injury hasn't been as common as an ACL, so let's see if Lucas loses a step. But with the talent returning and a stellar recruiting class, there's no reason to believe MSU won't be in contention for a third consecutive Final Four berth. The run put together by Tom Izzo's program since 1999 makes the Spartans, perhaps, the most consistent program in the country.

 

4. Baylor: Putting Baylor this high puts a lot on the shoulders of incoming freshman Perry Jones. Let's see if he lives up to the hype of being not just better than Ekpe Udoh, but the best big man in the country. The Bears also lost Tweety Carter, but return LaceDarius Dunn and can legitimately claim to be the team to beat in the Big 12. I'm sure this pick will get criticized, but let's not forget the Bears were an Elite Eight team that lost to the eventual national champion. This squad hasn't had to deal with being the target, however, so let's see how it handled this kind of prognostication.

 

5. Kansas State: I really could have flipped Kansas State and Baylor, and maybe I should have with Denis Clemente being the Wildcats' only major loss. Jacob Pullen will need to find a partner on the perimeter as proficient as Clemente, but the role players on the Wildcats like Jamar Samuels, Dominique Sutton and Curtis Kelly continue to improve and the depth will be hard to match. This is certainly a Final Four contender.

 

6. Ohio State

7. Pittsburgh

8. Villanova

9. Gonzaga

10. Florida

11. UNC

12. Washington

13. Kentucky

14. Missouri

15. Illinois

16. Kansas

17. Syracuse

18. Tennessee

19. Memphis

20. Butler

21. Georgetown

22. Virginia Tech

23. Temple

24. San Diego State

25. Georgia

Georgia in the Top 25??? Last I checked we sucked in College Basketball.