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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TULSA, OK – MARCH 22: Ohio State Buckeyes walk up court during the first round NCAA Tournament game against the Iowa State Cyclones on March 22, 2019 at BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma (Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

If you’re an Ohio State fan, you have to feel good about the future of the basketball program. Chris Holtmann has done an impressive job in just a short time with the Buckeyes, turning them into a team that struck out come tourney time to one that made the Big Dance regularly.

The Buckeyes finished the 2018-19 season with a 20-15 record and made the NCAA Tournament as a No. 11 seed, beating Iowa State in the first round. The Buckeyes did put up a fight against No. 3 seed Houston in the second round, but almost everyone is back.

Ohio State will lose C.J. Jackson, which will hurt, along with Keyshawn Woods, but Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson, Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr., Kyle Young and the No. 1 recruiting class in the Big Ten will ease matters.

This team is going to strike fear into some folks next season and I wouldn’t be all that surprised to see the Buckeyes get some preseason votes as Big Ten favorites.

Watch out for this team next year.