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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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6. Villanova

The last remnants of the Villanova dynasty left campus this spring, with Eric Paschall and Phil Booth graduating. Even with the pair back to try and defend Villanova’s second national championship in the last three years, the Wildcats suffered through a tough year.

A tough year for Villanova was a year most programs in America would sign up for, with the Wildcats winning the Big East Tournament and picking up a win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Villanova’s run on top of the college basketball world came to an end in the very next round, when Carsen Edwards shot Purdue well past the champs and into the Sweet 16.

It may seem odd off of that year to declare Villanova is a top-10 team, but Jay Wright is still around and he has a lot of talent at his disposal. A significant part of Villanova’s roster was young a year ago, and having a year under their collective belts should make everyone that much better.

The top returning player is junior Collin Gillespie, who lends a relatively experienced hand at the point. With solid forward talent in Saddiq Bey and Jermaine Samuels, there is a good nucleus here for Wright to work with, and there is plenty of talent to form a deep rotation.

How this group meshes will determine its ultimate upside, and no one should doubt Wright’s ability to get the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament. Whether that upside is closer to last season or the national title years remains to be seen, but our ranking here is a reflection in our belief it is more likely the latter.