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College basketball rankings: Preseason Top 25 – Michigan State No. 1, ACC is loaded

By Mike Phillips

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Michigan State players and coach Tom Izzo at the end of the Div 1 Men's championship - elite eight game between Duke and Michigan State, on March 31, 2019, at Capital One Arena, in Washington D.C. (Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 31: Michigan State players and coach Tom Izzo at the end of the Div 1 Men's championship - elite eight game between Duke and Michigan State, on March 31, 2019, at Capital One Arena, in Washington D.C. (Photo by Tony Quinn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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15. Texas Tech

We’ve reached our second Final Four team from a year ago, and the Red Raiders have seen a lot of roster turnover. Only two players are back from last year’s national runners-up, but head coach Chris Beard has shown he can win with anyone, and Texas Tech does have plenty of talent coming in to replace all of the departed stars.

14. Oregon

This Oregon Ducks team is one of the most fascinating units to watch. A lot of players who had key roles on an extremely hot team entering March are gone, but Payton Pritchard (along with his Final Four experience) is back to serve as a stabilizing presence on another young but talented Ducks’ roster.

13. Utah State

Since it’s hard to really count Gonzaga as a mid-major anymore, the most dangerous team outside the big conferences is Utah State. The Aggies toppled a strong Nevada team to win the Mountain West a year ago, and center Neemias Queta is a legit NBA prospect, giving Utah State some serious star power.

12. Virginia

This is where we’ve decided to place the defending champs, who saw De’Andre Hunter, Kyle Guy, and Ty Jerome all go pro after winning the title. Kihei Clark and Mamadi Diakite now need to step up as the leaders on a younger Virginia team, but Tony Bennett has shown us that you can never count out the Pack Line defense.

11. Maryland

There hasn’t been a ton of Big Ten representation in these rankings, but Maryland is certainly worthy of this placement on the list. The loss of Bruno Fernando hurts, but the rest of the Terrapins’ squad that was a buzzer-beater away from the Sweet 16 is back and that experience should help them take a huge leap forward.