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

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

By Chris Stone | Aug 15, 2017

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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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 19: Landry Shamet #11 of the Wichita State Shockers reacts to hitting a 3-point shot in the last mintute of regulation against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 19, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

5. Wichita State Shockers

The Shockers will almost certainly not top the preseason polls when they come out later this year, but there’s a perfectly reasonable case that they should if you value continuity and prior success as the criterion for selection of a preseason No. 1 team.

Last season, Wichita State ranked No. 8 in the country based on KenPom’s adjusted efficiency margin despite earning a No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Shockers were one of the top two-way teams in the country, nailing a high percentage of their 3-pointers while holding opponents to a 43.8 effective field goal percentage on the other end.

Now, for 2017-18, they return every important rotation piece except backup point guard Daishon Smith. The result? Wichita State is ranked as the No. 1 team in the country by at least one metric. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI), which doesn’t yet include transfers (including Smith), has the Shockers at the top of its initial attempt to rank Division I programs for the coming season.

Wichita State has consistently fared well in aggregate statistical measured under head coach Gregg Marshall, but this season they also have the talent to match the projections. Sophomore point guard Landry Shamet and junior wing Markis McDuffie are legitimate candidates to be first round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft should they decide to leave school early. At 6-foot-6, senior Zach Brown gives the team another versatile wing to pair with McDuffie while 6-foot-8, 265-pound senior Shaquille Morris is the quintessential college big man. Add in senior shooting guard Conner Frankamp, a career 39.2 percent 3-point shooter, and the Shockers have a starting lineup that can go toe-to-toe with anyone in the country.

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As the newest member of the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Wichita State will face tougher tests this season than at any time during Marshall’s tenure. So, while the Shockers may not start the year at the top of the polls, if they handle the AAC like they did the Missouri Valley Conference, don’t be surprised if they end up ranked No. 1 sometime this season.