College basketball Top 25: Gonzaga makes title game again, but this time Zags win
John Clay’s preseason Top 25 for 2021-22
1. Gonzaga: The Zags reached the NCAA Tournament championship game a year ago before throwing up a dud against Baylor to finish as the national runner-up. With Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard returning to join five-star prospects Chet Holmgren and Hunter Sallis, Mark Few’s club is a good bet to be right back in the title game. And this time, Gonzaga could easily climb the ladder and cut down the nets.
2. UCLA: Ex-Cat sharpshooter Johnny Juzang sparked a tournament run that carried the Bruins all the way to the Final Four. Five-star prospect Peyton Watson and Rutgers transfer Myles Johnson join mighty Mick Cronin’s already loaded roster. May we see a replay of last year’s epic national semifinal game with Gonzaga? Only this time in the national finals?
3. Kansas: It doesn’t pay to count out Bill Self, and the Jayhawks have four of five starters returning from last year’s team. Plus former Arizona State guard Remy Martin and former Drake star Joseph Yesefu decided to relocate to Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks could be back in the Final Four after a second-round knockout last season.
4. Villanova: Collin Gillispie and Jermaine Samuels both opted to keep playing in Philadelphia, which will keep Jay Wright’s team in the Final Four hunt. Four of the Wildcats’ top five scorers return, including the dependable Caleb Daniels. And we all know Wright knows how to win a national title, or two.
5. Texas: Be ready. Combine Chris Beard’s coaching skills with Texas’ ridiculous resources and the Longhorns promise to be a hoops powerhouse for years to come. The coach who took Texas Tech to the national title game in 2019, Beard has lured five impact transfers to Austin. Former Minnesota star Marcus Carr should lead the way.
6. Memphis: Penny Hardaway can recruit, but can the Memphis coach actually, you know, coach? Besides freshmen phenoms Jalen Duren and Emoni Bates, Hardaway has added Larry Brown and Rasheed Wallace as assistants. Landers Nolley II is Memphis’ top returnee.
7. Michigan: Getting the big guy Hunter Dickinson back was big for Juwan Howard and the Wolverines. Eli Brooks adds experience to a roster that added a pair of five-star prospects in Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate. Michigan should be the favorite to win the Big Ten again.
8. Baylor: Don’t count out the Bears just because Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler are no longer in Waco. The defending national champions return Adam Flagler and Matthew Mayer, plus the winning culture built by Scott Drew. Former Arizona star James Akinjo should continue Drew’s success in the transfer department.
9. Kentucky: If last season’s 9-16 disaster was a “blip” according to John Calipari, this season should be a bounce-back. Another highly touted freshman class will help, but the Wildcats’ success will depend on transfers Kellan Grady (Davidson), Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia), Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia) and CJ Fredrick (Iowa).
10. Purdue: Coach Matt Painter has his top eight scorers returning from last year’s team. That’s right, eight. Star center Trevion Williams figures to improve on his 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds from a year ago. Jaden Ivey could be the Boilermakers’ breakout star.
11. Arkansas: Eric Musselman is flying high in Fayetteville, bringing in top prospects and transfers alike. Losing smooth scorer Moses Moody to the pros hurts, but Musselman plucked impact players Chris Lykes (Miami) and Au’Diese Toney (Pittsburgh) from the transfer portal. Bud Walton will be buzzing again.
12. Duke: The success of Mike Krzyzewski’s farewell tour will again rely on freshmen as the Blue Devils welcome Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin to Durham. But Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward departing from Durham a year before Coach K hurts the Blue Devils’ chances of sending the sport’s all-time winningest coach out with another title.
13. Alabama: Losing three of its top five scorers means it may be difficult for the Crimson Tide to repeat as SEC champions. Still, Nate Oats recruited a top-10 class to go with transfers Nimari Burnett (Texas Tech) and Noah Gurley (Furman). Newcomer to watch: freshman guard JD Davison.
14. Oregon: Much like Scott Drew at Baylor, Oregon’s Dana Altman was ahead of the curve when it came to making optimal use of the transfer portal. This year, former Oklahoma star De’Vion Harmon and ex-Syracuse star Quincy Guerrier should help the Ducks challenge UCLA in the Pac-12.
15. Ohio State: Six of Chris Holtmann’s top eight scorers return to Columbus. E.J. Liddell leads that list. Louisiana transfer Cedric Russell should boost the Buckeyes, who are looking for a fifth straight 20-win season.
16. Tennessee: Given its talent, Tennessee underachieved in 2020-21. Rick Barnes hopes to rebound with another loaded roster, led by the ever-present John Fulkerson. Kennedy Chandler should be one of the best freshman point guards in the nation. Kentucky native and former Auburn guard Justin Powell should add scoring.
17. Illinois: Brad Underwood took some departure hits that would otherwise be debilitating had not Kofi Cockburn opted to return to the Illini after a short stay in the transfer portal. Look out for Andre Curbelo, the energetic guard who should have a super sophomore season.
18. Auburn: How far the Tigers go may depend on the development of big man Walker Kessler, who never quite caught fire at North Carolina. Bruce Pearl should have his usual deep bench. And forward Jabari Smith should team up with Kessler to keep the Tigers in the SEC hunt.
19. North Carolina: Rookie head coach Hubert Davis takes over after Roy Williams decided he’d rather be on the golf course than chasing transfers. This isn’t a traditionally top-notch Tar Heels roster, but returnees Armando Bacot, Caleb Love and Leaky Black will help with the transition.
20. Houston: The Cougars can be counted on to be a consistent threat thanks to Kelvin Sampson’s emphasis on defense. Houston isn’t likely to make a return trip to the Final Four, but Texas Tech transfer Kyler Edwards should help a roster led by Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark.
21. Florida State: Leonard Hamilton will have to work his coaching magic down in Tallahassee, where four of FSU’s top five scorers departed. Anthony Polite and Malik Osborne are the top returnees for Hamilton. Ex-Kentucky Wildcat Cam’Ron Fletcher is among the newcomers for the Seminoles.
22. Maryland: Mark Turgeon had some holes to fill on the Terrapins roster. Ex-Rhode Island guard Fatts Russell and ex-Georgetown center Qudus Wahab should help, but the Terps figure to be among the second tier of Big Ten teams.
23. Michigan State: The 66-year-old Tom Izzo is just 37-22 over his last two seasons. Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker and five-star guard Max Christie should help, but the Spartans will need an unexpected spark to get back in the national title hunt.
24. St. Bonaventure: The Bonnies return all five starters from the team that swept the Atlantic 10 regular season and tournament titles last year. Wake Forest transfer Quadry Adams helps a team lead by Kyle Lofton, who averaged 5.5 assists last season.
25. LSU: Might have picked Will Wade’s Tigers higher had not Adam Miller, a transfer from Illinois, not torn his ACL. He’s out for the year. Missouri transfer Xavier Pinson should help a team that did get Darius Days back for another year.
