College basketball rankings: Way-too-early Top 25 for 2019-20

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

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LOUISVILLE, KY – MARCH 30: From left – Ty Jerome #11, Kyle Guy #5, De’Andre Hunter #12 and Mamadi Diakite #25 of the Virginia Cavaliers celebrate during overtime against the Purdue Boilermakers in the Elite Eight round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

Talk about one of the greatest turnarounds in sports. How do you shut your rivals up after being the first-ever No. 1 seed to lose to a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament? You go right back out the next season, finishing 35-3 with two of those losses coming to Duke and you win the national title.

Tony Bennett had to live with the ‘lost to a No. 16 seed’ nightmare all offseason, but he returned a talented squad and the Cavaliers were able to get the job done.

But what do they bring back in 2019-20? A lot, actually.

De’Andre Hunter is the only player they can bank on leaving for the NBA early as a projected lottery pick but Kyle Guy could consider that option, too. I believe he’ll stay as well as Ty Jerome, but nothing is for certain just yet.

If both come back, along with Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key, this team is going to be the favorite to win it all again when the season tips off.

The Cavaliers are introducing two new four-star prospects to the roster and the depth won’t be an issue, but more offense would almost certainly be welcomed. This team isn’t going anywhere and it’ll almost surely be No. 1 to start the season.

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