crossedsabres8's Ballot for Preseason of 2016-17
Submitted on Sunday, October 23, 2016 at 12:55PM EDT
FYI: This is a provisional ballot. It does not count towards this poll's results.
| Rank | Team | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
 Duke
|
They're just absolutely stacked.Just a crazy combination of freshman and veteran talent. |
| 2 |
Oregon
|
Assuming Brooks will be 100% healthy by conference play, Oregon's team is very talented and returning pretty much everyone. |
| 3 |
Kansas
|
The more I look at this team, the more I like the talent they have coming back. They're going to need a good front court presence though. |
| 4 |
Kentucky
|
If this team can shoot the three, they're F4 favs. Need to make sure all the guys step up and avoid injury because I don't like their depth. |
| 5 |
Wisconsin
|
I'm pretty high on the Badgers because of what they're returning. Hayes will have to get back to shooting the ball better however. |
| 6 |
Villanova
|
I would have put them #2 if Spellman was eligible, who I think will be a stud. They don't really have a center, but still a great team. |
| 7 |
Xavier
|
Losing the underrated Farr will hurt but this team is still very similar to the successful top 10 team last year, & Sumner will be healthy. |
| 8 |
Indiana
|
Assuming everyone is healthy, Indiana has a fantastic team this year, lead by young stud Thomas Bryant and vets Johnson and Blackmon. |
| 9 |
Arizona
|
Really like the Cats this year. They have a lot of roster turnover but some very good young players, and Trier should be a Pac-12 beast. |
| 10 |
North Carolina
|
Brice Johnson was perhaps the best player in the country last year, and he will not be easy to replace. Still lots of talent here, however. |
| 11 |
Louisville
|
Losing Onuaku was disappointing, but Louisville has a lot of young guys who have tons of potential to fill the void left by Lee and Lewis. |
| 12 |
Gonzaga
|
With Karnowski back and some stud transfers coming in, the Zags should be fine even without Wiltjer and Sabonis. |
| 13 |
Syracuse
|
They made the Final Four last year and their team is better this season. Gbinije and Richardson are tough losses but this team is talented. |
| 14 |
Purdue
|
Swanigan and Haas could be the best front court in the country. If they get some good guard play they'll be a top ten team. |
| 15 |
Virginia
|
This is a young team that will take a bit to come together. London and Nichols will be studs, but we lost a lot last year. In Tony We Trust. |
| 16 |
Michigan State
|
They lose there 4 best players from last year and Schilling just went down with an injury. A good recruiting class and Izzo make them top 20 |
| 17 |
Saint Mary's
|
I love teams that return everyone, but I'm unsure if the Gaels can keep up there torrid shooting from last year. Still a very solid team. |
| 18 |
West Virginia
|
The talent doesn't really even matter for the Mountaineers it seems, that press is just always good. |
| 19 |
NC State
|
With Yurtseven seemingly eligible, this is a fantastic team. Smith is a stud, and potentially the best freshman in the country. |
| 20 |
URI
|
Another team that returns a ton, URI should be A10 favorites this year. EC Matthews needs to be more efficient, however. |
| 21 |
Cincinnati
|
Ellis and Cobb are tough losses but this team has a lot of talent, including Gary Clark who is an absolute stud. |
| 22 |
UConn
|
Excited for Jaylen Adams to break out this year, but losing Hamilton, Miller and Gibbs are big losses. UConn defense is always stellar. |
| 23 |
Miami (FL)
|
Losing Hernandez, Jekiri, and McClellan will be tough, but Miami still returns and adds a lot of talent, and Larranaga is a fantastic coach. |
| 24 |
Texas
|
Roach should break out, and Shaka is establishing his program in Texas. |
| 25 |
Florida State
|
They disappointed me last year, but hopefully Hamilton can finally get everything in order with his two studs (Bacon, Isaac). |