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NCAA basketball 2020-2021: Preseason Top 25 college basketball rankings

By Mike Phillips

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - JANUARY 30: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes in action against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Xfinity Center on January 30, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - JANUARY 30: Luka Garza #55 of the Iowa Hawkeyes in action against the Maryland Terrapins during the first half at Xfinity Center on January 30, 2020 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /
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Preseason Top 25 college basketball rankings feature a flood of Big Ten and ACC teams near the top but they’re all behind a team from the West Coast.

It has certainly been a long time, but college basketball is finally back. After last season was cut short due to the pandemic, it will be fun to have an admittedly different year ahead of us leading to the first-ever bubbled NCAA Tournament. There’s a long way between now and March, however, so let’s take our first step towards the return of March Madness by looking at FanSided’s preseason Top 25.

Preseason Top 25 college basketball rankings

25. Oregon Ducks

One of the favorites to win the Pac-12 this season, Oregon should easily make the NCAA Tournament but does face questions with the loss of point guard Payton Pritchard. The Ducks offense ran through Pritchard, who led Oregon in scoring and assists last season while serving as the last link to their Final Four squad from 2017.

Dana Altman does have a very experienced group returning, however, that includes the addition of high-impact transfers like Eugene Omoruyi, Eric Williams and L.J. Figueroa. If Will Richardson can step into Pritchard’s massive shoes at the point this team could well be a sleeper to reach the Final Four.

24. LSU Tigers

This will be a big year for Will Wade as he looks to get LSU into contention for an SEC title. The loss of Skylar Mays will sting but the Tigers have a strong nucleus in place with Ja’vonte Smart and Trendon Watford set to lead the offense going forward. Wade will also have to work six newcomers into the mix, including a pair of four-star freshmen in point guard Eric Gaines and wing Mwani Wilkinson, which could take a bit to get rolling. The key to real success for LSU this year will be a significant improvement on the defensive end, which would have hurt them dearly if they had played in the NCAA Tournament.

23. Ohio State Buckeyes

The first of six Big Ten teams in these rankings, Ohio State is just a tad below the top tier of teams in their league. The Buckeyes actually started last season 11-1 and looked like one of the top teams in the country before coming back to Earth, finishing with a 21-10 record that was trending towards a 4 or 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Chris Holtmann loses three key starters in Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson and D.J. Carton but should be fine on that front as C.J. Walker, Kyle Young and E.J. Liddell assume more responsibility. The upside of this team will be determined by the impact of transfers Seth Towns and Justice Sueing, who can emerge as legitimate starters but have had injury concerns in recent years.

22. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Few teams were more disappointed to see the NCAA Tournament canceled than Rutgers, which was poised to make its first trip to the dance since 1991. Seven members of the Scarlet Knights’ rotation return this season, including the backbone of Ken Pom’s sixth most efficient defense, as Rutgers can now expect to build on their success and go dancing again. One of the big keys to watch with Rutgers this season is how they perform away from the RAC. The Scarlet Knights went just 2-8 in true road games last season, a percentage they will have to improve upon if they want to avoid ending up as an 8 or 9 seed in March.

21. Texas Longhorns

Shaka Smart’s team finished the season strong and the pandemic likely gave him another year to show that he is the right man for the job with Texas. The positive here is that literally, everyone from last year’s team is back, providing continuity at a key juncture considering how topsy-turvy preparation for this season has been due to the pandemic. The one new addition here is a big one in five-star freshman Greg Brown, who could look to follow in the footsteps of former Longhorns like Mo Bamba and Jarrett Allen that became elite shot blockers. Texas is immensely talented and anything short of a tournament bid will likely spell the end of Smart’s tenure in Austin.