NothingBurgerNoCals's Week Pre-Season Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Purdue | |
| 2 | Kansas | |
| 3 | Houston | |
| 4 | UConn | |
| 5 | Gonzaga | |
| 6 | Baylor | |
| 7 | Arizona | |
| 8 | Duke | |
| 9 | Alabama | |
| 10 | Tennessee | |
| 11 | Marquette | |
| 12 | Michigan State | |
| 13 | Creighton | |
| 14 | Arkansas | |
| 15 | Auburn | |
| 16 | Kentucky | |
| 17 | North Carolina | |
| 18 | Texas | |
| 19 | Illinois | |
| 20 | Wisconsin | |
| 21 | USC | |
| 22 | Texas A&M | |
| 23 | Maryland | |
| 24 | Villanova | |
| 25 | Kansas State |
Overall Rationale
Analytically the top five teams are far and away better than the rest of the pack. Number six Baylor is closer to number 14 Arkansas than they are to number 5 Gonzaga. This ranking is more where I expect teams to finish the year than it is hype around what a team may be able to achieve at its peak during the season.