| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Florida | |
| 2 | Duke | |
| 3 | Illinois | |
| 4 | UConn | |
| 5 | Texas | |
| 6 | Louisville | |
| 7 | Houston | |
| 8 | Virginia | |
| 9 | Arkansas | |
| 10 | Michigan State | |
| 11 | Kansas | |
| 12 | Missouri | |
| 13 | Kentucky | |
| 14 | Arizona | |
| 15 | Tennessee | |
| 16 | Miami (FL) | |
| 17 | Gonzaga | |
| 18 | Alabama | |
| 19 | Texas Tech | |
| 20 | Texas A&M | |
| 21 | UCLA | |
| 22 | Vanderbilt | |
| 23 | Iowa State | |
| 24 | BYU | |
| 25 | Purdue |
I’m not sure I have a preaching rationale other than this is how I perceive the teams relative strengths coming into the year.