ESPbeN's Week Pre-Season Ballot
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | |
| 2 | Houston | |
| 3 | Gonzaga | |
| 4 | Baylor | |
| 5 | Duke | |
| 6 | Kansas | |
| 7 | Kentucky | |
| 8 | Tennessee | |
| 9 | UCLA | |
| 10 | Creighton | |
| 11 | Texas | |
| 12 | TCU | |
| 13 | Arizona | |
| 14 | San Diego State | |
| 15 | Arkansas | |
| 16 | Virginia | |
| 17 | Xavier | |
| 18 | Auburn | |
| 19 | Illinois | |
| 20 | Indiana | |
| 21 | Miami (FL) | |
| 22 | Michigan State | |
| 23 | Dayton | |
| 24 | Villanova | |
| 25 | Notre Dame |
Overall Rationale
I am not a fan of preseason polls, as I think they create lasting bias that negatively impacts polls created during the season. That being said, this is an honest effort by me to rank the 25 best rosters/potential at the start of the year.