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College basketball’s preseason No. 1: 5 teams stake their claim

By Chris Stone

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats dunks the ball against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 16: Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats dunks the ball against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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There are plenty of contenders for college basketball’s preseason No. 1 spot

Marvin Bagley III’s commitment to Duke and announcement that he plans to re-classify into the Class of 2017 sent shockwaves through the college basketball landscape. As the top high school player in the country and arguably the best high school prospect since Anthony Davis, Bagley’s decision will have a significant effect on who tops the preseason polls should the NCAA approve of his re-classification plans.

Back in May, the Arizona Wildcats topped our early preseason top 25 list, but Bagley and the Blue Devils as well as a couple of other teams have a claim to make for the No. 1 spot. Here’s a look at the five teams (in alphabetical order) with the best arguments to be college basketball’s preseason No. 1 team.

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats dunks the ball against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 16: Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats dunks the ball against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Vivint Smart Home Arena on March 16, 2017 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1. Arizona Wildcats

The Wildcats were not a unanimous choice in early preseason top 25 polls. However, they were a pretty consistent selection for good reason. This Arizona team won’t fully resemble the 2016-17 squad that went 32-5 and bowed in the Sweet Sixteen — Lauri Markkanen, Kadeem Allen and Kobi Simmons are all gone — but it has the most impressive collection of returning experience and incoming talent in the country.

Arizona’s 2017 recruiting class is ranked No. 3 in the nation, according to 247Sports, and it’s spearheaded by 7-footer DeAndre Ayton. The 5-star prospect represents the proverbial basketball unicorn, the big man who can dominate a game defensively while spreading the floor on the offensive end. There are questions about his motor, but early reports suggest he’s assuaging those concerns during summer workouts in Tucson.

Head coach Sean Miller also reeled in 5-star prospect Emmanuel Akot and 4-star swingman Brandon Randolph to give the Wildcats the deepest collection of talented wings in the country. Akot and Randolph will likely be forced to play second fiddle to returning wings Allonzo Trier and Rawle Alkins. Trier led the team in scoring last season at 17.2 points per game on a 61.2 true shooting percentage while Alkins shot 37.0 percent from deep as he developed the rest of his game.

If the NBA has taught us anything recently, it’s that having a quartet of wings like the one Miller will be able to rotate next season is incredibly valuable. It gives a roster significantly more flexibility in lineup construction and offers switchability on the defensive end that can be tough for opposing offenses to beat.

The hype surrounding Marvin Bagley III’s commitment to Duke will likely topple the Wildcats from their near unanimous No. 1 ranking. Don’t let that fool you. Arizona has national title aspirations this season, too.