Way Too Early 2022-2023 College Basketball Top 25

The 2021-2022 college basketball season has come to a close. Fans will be looking forward to next season, even if it is hard to forecast. Things will be even more up in the air this season with over 1,000 players in the transfer portal. Either way, here is the way too early 2022-2023 college basketball top 25.

25-21

25. USC Trojans

After making the 2022 NCAA Tournament, the Trojans will likely return Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Mobley. Andy Enfield will be able to compete in the Pac-12 next season.

24. Colorado State Rams

While David Roddy did enter his name into the NBA Draft, he will likely pull his name out and rejoin the Rams. They’ll have enough talent to win the MWC in 2023 if Roddy returns.

23. Texas Tech Red Raiders

The first year in charge for Mark Adams was a good one, but the roster does have some question marks. Kevin McCullar returning after showing he could do a little bit of everything in 2021-2022 gives some encouragement going into next season.

22. Illinois Fighting Illini

Will Kofi Cockburn stay or go? The NBA is moving away from traditional big men and NIL money could convince Cockburn to return. If he doesn’t Illinois will likely fall out of these rankings.

21. Alabama Crimson Tide

If any of J.D. Davidson, Jaden Shakelford or Jahvon Quinerly return, Alabama is in good shape. If they lose all three, they could be in danger.

20-16

20. Auburn Tigers

Wendell Green and K.D. Johnson return, but Walker Kessler and Jabari Smith are probably out the door. If the guards can progress and new bigs can develop, Auburn should be in solid shape.

19. Florida State Seminoles

Caleb Mills and Matthew Cleveland are back, but Florida needs to improve upon last season, when they didn’t make the NCAA Tournament.

18. Texas A&M Aggies

At the end of the season, the Aggies were one of the hottest teams in the country. The only projected losses for the team are Quenton Jackson and Ethan Henderson. Buzz Williams has done a solid job building the program and the NCAA Tournament is up next.

17. Michigan State Spartans

Losing Gabe Brown and Marcus Bingham will sting, but the Spartans have enough returning to really make things interesting in the Big Ten. Max Christie entered the draft, but returning is still an option.

16. Indiana Hoosiers

Having a one-two punch like Xavier Johnson and Trayce Jackson-Davis will help propel Indiana forward. If they get production from the wings, they could compete for a Big Ten title.

15-11

15. TCU Horned Frogs

Leading scorer Mike Miles is gone, but the Horned Frogs return most of their other key players. Jamie Dixon has improved the program and now they can take the next step forward after qualifying for the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

14. Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats had a great season in Tommy Lloyd’s initial year at Arizona. Bennedict Mathurin, Justin Kier and Christian Koloko are all likely gone, but Kerr Kriisa will be back for Lloyd’s squad.

13. Tennessee Volunteers

Kennedy Chandler and John Fulkerson are going to leave big voids behind. Tennessee, fortunately, has plenty of talent returning with Zakai Zeigler, Santiago Vescovi and Josiah-Jordan James back.

12. Creighton Blue Jays

Point guard Ryan Nembhard getting injured really hurt the Blue Jays’ chances of advancing far in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. He will be one of the better point guards in the country and can lead the team deep in March.

11. Michigan Wolverines

The great recruiting class didn’t exactly work out for Michigan in 2021-2022. With some of the players returning, including possibly Caleb Houstan, they may be able to improve. Frankie Collins, Houstan and Hunter Dickinson are all impact players.

10-6

10. Villanova Wildcats

It is never easy replacing a point guard like Collin Gillespie. Jermaine Samuels, Dhamir Crosby-Roundtree and Caleb Daniels are also gone. Justin Moore will lead the team once he recovers from his injury.

9. Baylor Bears

After dealing with injuries in 2021-2022, the Bears need to stay healthy and deal with the losses of James Akinjo and Matthew Mayer. L.J. Cryer and Adam Flagler will combine to create a great backcourt.

8. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Drew Timme may return for the Bulldogs. With Nolan Hickman running the point and Julian Strawther on the wing, Gonzaga will once again be one of the better teams in college basketball.

7. Kansas Jayhawks 

The defending national champions will have to replace a lot of good players including David McCormack, Ochai Agbaji and Remy Martin. Some other players got good experience this season, including Dajuan Harris and Christian Braun. With a solid recruiting class coming in, Kansas will make a run at the Big XII title.

6. Houston Cougars

Houston proved the doubters wrong by going to the Elite Eight in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. The guard play will be some of the best in the country with Tramon Mark, Marcus Sasser and Jamal Shead. That should be enough for them to win the AAC and get another decent seed in the NCAA Tournament.

5-1

5. North Carolina Tar Heels

Armando Bacot may return in the middle for North Carolina and that makes a world of difference. With RJ Davis and Caleb Love coming back in the backcourt, the Tar Heels can build off of their tournament run.

4. Duke Blue Devils

Who will stay and who will go? Jon Scheyer will take over with the top recruiting class in the country coming in. If a few players decide to stay in college, the Blue Devils could be National Championship contenders.

3. UCLA Bruins

The Bruins made a run in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, but weren’t so fortunate in 2022. It is likely that they return their two star players Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez. With another year under their belts, the Bruins should be able to improve.

2. Arkansas Razorbacks

A lot is likely walking out the door for Arkansas, including J.D. Notae. Arkansas has recruited well and Jaylin Williams may stay. Eric Musselman has put together teams quickly before and can have Arkansas competing nationally next season.

1. Kentucky Wildcats

There is a lot of momentum to the idea that Oscar Tshiebwe returning to Kentucky for another year. He and Sahvir Wheeler would star again at center and point guard respectively. With Shaedon Sharpe possibly getting to play on the wing for the Wildcats, the sky is the limit.

 

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