finalfourcuse's Week Pre-Season Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kansas | The talent at the top is pretty even. Kansas gets the edge for having Bill Self as coach. |
| 2 | UConn | A few key departures, but their returners are strong and I expect Donovan Clingan to make the biggest jump of any player in college basketball. |
| 3 | Purdue | It's a quality supporting cast, but Zach Edey needs to someone to step up big time. |
| 4 | Marquette | An elite group surrounds All American Tyler Kolek, even with the loss of O-Max Prosper. |
| 5 | Creighton | Extremely talented offensive group. |
| 6 | Houston | LJ Cryer was a big addition for Houston to make. They'd be outside the top 10 otherwise. |
| 7 | Michigan State | High level backcourt, but waiting to see what they make of the rest of their elite talent. |
| 8 | Duke | Their returners are all set to make a big jump, and one or two freshman can make significant contributions. They're in 8th, but they have title potential. |
| 9 | Gonzaga | It's an intriguing reload. It'll be up to how well they mesh together. Might be bumpy early. |
| 10 | Villanova | Same story, but with a less experienced coach. They have an impressive roster, but it might be while for it to appear that way. |
| 11 | Arizona | Oumar Ballo might be an All American now that he'll have Tubelis' touches. |
| 12 | Florida Atlantic | FAU returns virtually everyone from a Final Four team. |
| 13 | Tennessee | The roster is strong, but I feel the Vols did not make up enough for their departures. |
| 14 | TCU | TCU hit the portal well and are back in a good position to break in among the top teams. |
| 15 | Texas A&M | A&M has elite potential. |
| 16 | Texas | Built from the transfer portal, you know what that means. |
| 17 | Arkansas | Khalif Battle and El Ellis are nice additions to a team that had a few losses this offseason. |
| 18 | Kansas State | Tylor Perry is an underrated transfer. |
| 19 | Saint Mary's | Returning their starters. |
| 20 | Miami (FL) | Norchad Omier and Nijel Pack lead a team that has a few breakout candidates. |
| 21 | Alabama | Lots of talent. |
| 22 | USC | USC has loads of potential. |
| 23 | Northwestern | They might go under the radar to start, but I think they have a good roster. |
| 24 | San Diego State | A few key departures, but there are a few players who can make a jump. |
| 25 | North Carolina | A good offseason for the Tar Heels. They added a few good transfers. |
Overall Rationale
Also Considered: Memphis, Kentucky, St. John's, Illinois, Baylor, New Mexico, Maryland, Auburn, Indiana, Colorado, Florida, UCLA, Wisconsin, Dayton