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College basketball 2017-18 preseason Top 25

By Chris Stone

BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 16: Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats dribbles Sigu #1 of the Mataro All-Stars during the Arizona In Espana Foreign Tour game between Mataro All-Stars and Arizona on August 16, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/Getty Images)
BARCELONA, SPAIN - AUGUST 16: Allonzo Trier #35 of the Arizona Wildcats dribbles Sigu #1 of the Mataro All-Stars during the Arizona In Espana Foreign Tour game between Mataro All-Stars and Arizona on August 16, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. (Photo by Alex Caparros/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)
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) /

No. 4 Wichita State Shockers

Notable departures: Daishon Smith
Notable returnees: Zach Brown, Conner Frankamp, Rashard Kelly, Markis McDuffie, Shaquille Morris, Rauno Nurger, Austin Reaves, Landry Shamet, Darral Willis
Notable newcomers: Samajae Jones, Asbjorn Midtgaard

If continuity matters in college basketball — and studies suggest that it does, in fact, mean something on both sides of the ball — then the Wichita State Shockers have a great argument to be a preseason top-five team. Outside of backup guard Daishon Smith, Gregg Marshall returns every major piece of a rotation that finished last season ranked in the top 10 at KenPom. The roster is also loaded with experience. Marshall’s starting lineup will likely consist of a redshirt sophomore, a junior and three seniors.

Make no mistake, though. This isn’t just about continuity and experience. Wichita State is also immensely talented. Point guard Landry Shamet and wing Markis McDuffie could both end up as first round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft while Conner Frankamp and Shaquille Morris were both named third team All-Conference in the Missouri Valley last season. The team’s fifth starter, Zach Brown, made the league’s All-Defensive team as well.

Now in the American Athletic Conference, the Shockers should be positioned to help the NCAA’s Selection Committee avoid any awkward seeding decision this season, too. In 2017, despite its success on the court, Wichita State earned just a No. 10 seed before losing to the Kentucky Wildcats in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a game that oddsmakers pegged as a near coin flip. Although the AAC will bring a higher level of competition, the Shockers should be up to the challenge, which will hopefully improve their position come March.

The other big question with Wichita State is just how much more they can actually improve. The Shockers’ coaching staff is going to be reliant on the internal development of the team’s players and it’s unlikely that many roles will change. Familiarity with one another should yield some progress, but whether or not individual players can make a leap remains to be seen.

Read our full Wichita State preview here.