Fansided

College basketball rankings 2022-23: UNC, Gonzaga headline FanSided preseason Top 25

By Mike Phillips

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Chase Center on March 24, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 24: Drew Timme #2 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs reacts against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the second half in the Sweet Sixteen round game of the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Chase Center on March 24, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 9: Ryan Kalkbrenner #11 of the Creighton Bluejays dribbles the ball against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the first round of the 2022 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 9: Ryan Kalkbrenner #11 of the Creighton Bluejays dribbles the ball against the Marquette Golden Eagles during the first round of the 2022 Big East Men’s Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Porter Binks/Getty Images) /

FanSided Preseason Top 25 College Basketball Rankings

10. UCLA Bruins

A trendy Final Four pick last season, the Bruins slept-walked through the regular season and never reached their full potential before getting bounced in the Sweet 16 by North Carolina. Johnny Juzang went pro after the NCAA Tournament but Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez, two key members from the Final Four team in the 2021 Tournament, are back to try and take a leap forward.

The reason that UCLA is the Pac-12 favorite is its stellar freshman class, headlined by guard Andrew Bailey and five-star big man Adem Bona. There will be some growing pains for the Bruins, who will replace six key rotation players from last year’s team, but this team has a national title ceiling if all breaks right.

9. Arkansas Razorbacks

Eric Musselman has made quite the mark at Arkansas since coming over from Nevada, guiding the Razorbacks to consecutive Elite Eight appearances over the past two years. Junior guard Davonte Davis is the only player from last year’s nine-man rotation returning to Arkansas this season, which is usually not a good thing in college basketball, but Musselman has kept the expectations raised thanks to the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class.

Point guard Nick Mitchell has a chance to be the nation’s top freshman while Anthony Black has dynamic potential in the frontcourt. There are also key transfers to work into the mix, including Makhei and Makhel Mitchell from Rhode Island alongside Arizona State import Jalen Graham, so Musselman will have to work quickly to get these disparate pieces to gel into a title contender.

8. Duke Blue Devils

Mike Krzyzewski officially retired after the season, handing the reigns of his program off to long-time assistant and former player John Scheyer. Shooting guard Jeremy Roach is the only rotation player returning to Duke after a litany of Blue Devils turned pro, but the good news is that Scheyer’s elite recruiting skills have brought another talented class of freshmen to Durham.

Dariq Whitehead, Kyle Filipowski and Dereck Lively II are oozing with talent as they look to form an all-freshmen frontcourt for the Blue Devils. The most important incoming player may well be Illinois transfer Jacob Grandison, who helped the Fighting Illini win the Big Ten’s regular season title and offers key experience to a very young Duke team.

7. Kansas Jayhawks

The reigning national champions suffered plenty of defections in the offseason as Ochai Agbaji, Christian Braun, David McCormack and Remy Martin are all gone. DaJuan Harris and Jalen Wilson are the key returners for Kansas but Bill Self has assembled a strong recruiting class headlined by forward Gradey Dick and center Zach Clemence, who should both be starters immediately.

Kansas also added a key transfer in former Texas Tech guard Kevin McCullar, who is a plug-and-play guy with plenty of experience in the rugged Big 12. A lot may have to go right for Kansas to be the first repeat national champion since the 2007-08 Florida Gators but another Final Four appearance is a strong possibility.

6. Baylor Bears

Baylor’s attempted defense of their national championship ended in the Round of 32 but Scott Drew has assembled a roster that should challenge Kansas for the Big 12 regular season title. Seniors Adam Flagler and Flo Thamba offer significant experience while LJ Cryer’s foot injury at the end of the season likely prevented the Bears from making a deeper run in the NCAA Tournament.

The top transfer coming to Waco is senior forward Jalen Bridges, who was a key player in West Virginia’s rotation last season. Baylor’s upside may come down to how fast freshman Keyonte George, a potential lottery pick, can achieve his full potential in a lineup filled with upperclassmen.