balconesescarpment's Week Pre-Season Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama | |
| 2 | UConn | |
| 3 | Kansas | It's a 4-team race for the top of the revamped Big 12, with #3, #4, #6 and #7 all vying for the top spot in the conference. |
| 4 | Houston | |
| 5 | Duke | |
| 6 | Iowa State | |
| 7 | Baylor | Baylor looks to be a championship contender in 2024-25 if all pieces fall into place. |
| 8 | North Carolina | |
| 9 | Gonzaga | |
| 10 | Tennessee | |
| 11 | Arizona | |
| 12 | Auburn | |
| 13 | Purdue | |
| 14 | Creighton | |
| 15 | Texas A&M | Strong veteran presence, but outside shooting remains a liability. Remains to be seen if Manny Obaseki can replace the presence of Tyrece Radford. |
| 16 | Arkansas | |
| 17 | Marquette | |
| 18 | Kentucky | |
| 19 | Cincinnati | |
| 20 | Indiana | |
| 21 | Texas | |
| 22 | Illinois | |
| 23 | UCLA | |
| 24 | Rutgers | |
| 25 | Ole Miss |
Overall Rationale
Alabama brings back offensive fire and Nate Oats feels poised to break out beyond last year's F4 appearance. Houston, UConn, Duke, and Tennessee all need to retool after losing their respective best players to the draft in 2024, but all 4 look to remain competitive and scary.