LagJetGameThe's Week Pre-Season Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzaga | Gonzaga had a very strong ending to the season last year, and on top of all that, they added 3 transfers I really liked (Ajayi, Battle, and Smith). Especially Battle, who ended the season great. |
| 2 | Duke | This team is stacked, with maybe the best player in college basketball. Top freshman class in the country and some top returning players. The only reason why they're not #1 is because of experience. |
| 3 | Kansas | Dickinson is returning, which gives Kansas a huge boost. I really like Zeke Mayo, and I think he's going adjust well to Big 12 play. |
| 4 | UConn | We've learned to never count the huskys out. After losing key pieces like Clingan and Castle, they rebuilt the roster well using the portal. |
| 5 | Indiana | This year might by IU's year. They got Oumar Ballo from the portal, and Mgbako is a player that I'm expecting to break out. |
| 6 | Tennessee | Dubar and Lanier are 2 transfers that can put up a lot of points. Having Zakai Zeigler back is huge too. |
| 7 | Baylor | Norchad Omier was a top player on the final 4 miami team, and as a duke fan, I know that Jeremy Roach will be amazing for Baylor. |
| 8 | Houston | Houston will have the best defence in the nation again, and they return most of the top players from last year's team. |
| 9 | Rutgers | They of course have top recruits like Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, but Tyson Acuff is going to be an elite player too. |
| 10 | North Carolina | UNC is going to be good again. RJ Davis is going to be great again, and Cade Tyson was a great portal pickup. |
| 11 | Maryland | With a strong transfer portal class, and a very underrated freshman in Derik Queen, Maryland is going to be good. |
| 12 | Alabama | This team might take some time to gel, but this team could go really really deep again. |
| 13 | Auburn | Auburn has 8 seniors including transfer JP Pegues. This team should be able to get past a 13 seed this time. |
| 14 | Arizona | Caleb Love is a name that I'm still scared of, and he's going to be great for Arizona. They might finally make the final four again. |
| 15 | Purdue | Fletcher Loyer is going to break out. He's going to be one the top 3 point shooters in the big 10. |
| 16 | Kentucky | Mark Pope did a great job of rebuilding the team through the portal. Kriisa might finally be consistent, and Robinson is going to be elite. |
| 17 | Syracuse | Starling, Lampkin, and Davis are all great pickups through the portal. Syracuse will be a fun team this year. |
| 18 | Florida | Walter Clayton Jr. returning was huge for Florida, and they should replicate the success they had last year. |
| 19 | Texas | Texas is a solid team with experience and no real holes at any positions. |
| 20 | Boise State | Tyson Degenhart and O'Mar Stanley both returned, and I think even though they lost Max Rice, they should still be really good this year. |
| 21 | Saint Mary's | Another team with great returning players. Marciulionis and Saxen will both improve, and St. Mary's should be able to contend with Gonzaga for top of the WCC. |
| 22 | Nevada | Nick Davidson really broke out at the end of lsat year, and paired with Kobe Sanders amd Tre Coleman, it might make up for the loss of Lucas and Blackshear. |
| 23 | Miami (FL) | I watched Blackmon a lot last year, and he's going to be great in the ACC. Returning Pack and Cleveland are big too. |
| 24 | West Virginia | 2 words: Tucker DeVries |
| 25 | UCF | Very talented team. Sellers, Hall, Williams, and Taylor are the key pieces in probably the most talented team Dawkins has coached. |
Overall Rationale
26. Iowa State 27. St. Joe's. 28. Michigan State 29. Memphis 30. Saint Louis 31. Marquette 32. Pittsburgh 33. Villanova 34. George Mason 35. Creighton Notes: Wow, its been half a year since our last userpoll. Feels good to do it again. The most controversial take of my ranking was not ranking Iowa State in the top 25. I love Gilbert and Lipsey, but I don't see any other players on the team that I'm that high on. I still expect them to do fairly well, around a 7-10 seed. George Mason is going to be a surprise team with Johnson and Haynes. Dain Dainja will be great with Memphis.