TheRealHenryG's Week Pre-Season Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston | Best backcourt in the country, defensive and rebounding machines up front, and genuine NBA talent in their freshman class. Houston has a date with destiny in their hometown next April. |
| 2 | Gonzaga | A number of exciting breakout candidates, Strawther and Timme returning, and the exciting additions of Reid and Smith. I'm not betting against Mark Few to be great. |
| 3 | Baylor | Best 3 guard lineup in the country, great role players in the frontcourt, and elite coaching. They would be my #2 with JTT back, but for now Gonzaga has better depth. |
| 4 | North Carolina | I didn't want to believe the hype on these guys, but they really do bring back a ton of production and also enroll freshman who can contribute early. The hype is real. |
| 5 | Duke | Another team I don't want to believe in, Duke's talent is undeniable. When paired with an older, experienced backcourt, Duke has all the pieces for a deep tournament run, but expect some teething. |
| 6 | Tennessee | Trip to the dentist. The Vols won't be exciting, but their defending and depth will be a nightmare to play, particularly in the vortex of Thompson-Boling. The computers love them for a reason. |
| 7 | Kentucky | Great blend of freshman talent, returning stars, and transfer portal additions. I have some defensive concerns, but Kentucky will be must see TV once their freshman get their feet wet. |
| 8 | Arkansas | Typical Muss team. Tons of new transfers that will take a while to gel, but once they do Arkansas will once gain be one of the most underseeded teams in the tournament. |
| 9 | UCLA | Great mix of returning stars, elite freshman, and unselfish role players. Mick Cronin knows what to do, and the PAC-12 is his to lose. I'm not a rapper. |
| 10 | Kansas | Two returning strters from the National Championship team, a decent freshman class, and the great addition of McCullar. Huge questions at the C, typically a big position in the Self system. |
| 11 | Creighton | Bringing everyone back from the #51 team per Torvik. Scheierman is a great add, but Creighton's depth and lack of being that good last year give me pause. |
| 12 | Indiana | TJD and a great freshman class, but IU will need their role players to step into bigger spots if they want to be one of the elite teams this season. Shooting will still be an issue. |
| 13 | TCU | Gutsy, veteran squad of double digit scorers. Look for TCU to role earlier in the year while everyone else is still figuring it out, even if the Frogs don't have as high of a ceiling as some others. |
| 14 | Texas | Low floor, high ceiling. Texas was under-the-radar good last year, and they might have an even better roster. How the 5 stars, Carr, and Hunter mesh will determine their success. Teething likely. |
| 15 | Auburn | Green and Johnson are overhated. Broome and Traore are underrated. Auburn Arena is unrelenting. The death of Auburn is greatly exaggerated. |
| 16 | Dayton | Dayton was a top 25 team after November last year when they switched their point guard. They had a million freshman last year that may all take a leap this season. gooooo Dayton Fly-ERS! |
| 17 | San Diego State | Scariest defense in the country returns, and they've added DPOY talent from other conferences, as well as more scoring from Trammell. |
| 18 | Virginia | Speaking of scary defense, UVA should be back. Lots of returning starters, and Vander Plas is a great spacing addition. If the freshman can be relevant, look out for the #5 KenPom Hoos. |
| 19 | Alabama | Despite getting mollywhopped by TCU, Alabama has an interesting blend of freshman, up transfers, and returners. It may take a while to mesh, but Oats should have them humming by March |
| 20 | Xavier | Maybe the best frontcourt in the country, sweaty Sean Miller, and some intriguing up transfer / freshman potential. Zip 'em up. |
| 21 | Villanova | Daniels, Slater, and Dixon are as solid as they come, but guard play, injuries, and lack of Jay Wright will limit Villanova's effectiveness. |
| 22 | Michigan | Bufkin and Williams must break out for Michigan to be elite. If not Dickinson, Llewellyn, and perhaps even Jett Howard will need to be stars in the Big Ten. |
| 23 | Arizona | Kriisa and Ramey is a terrifying duo, even for Arizona fans. Larsson and Tubelis are good players, but the guards must learn to share for Arizona to function. |
| 24 | Texas Tech | The defense is always going to be legit with Adams, but this team will struggle to score the ball. With Aimaq out, Batcho must fulfill his evident potential to take TTU to the next level. |
| 25 | Saint Louis | Veteran squad of dogged guys who love to run. If tehy can bring that same energy to the defensive side of the ball, SLU will absolutely run over teams. |
Overall Rationale
It's the preseason, so a holistic review of the roster compared to the other teams, rather than last year's team.