The Associated Press has dropped off their annual preseason ranking for the upcoming college basketball season, with no surprises at the top. After their dramatic showdown in the Final Four last season, Gonzaga and UCLA enter the new season as heavyweight favorites. Gonzaga secured 55 of 63 first-place votes, with UCLA taking the other 8.
Gonzaga controlled the number one ranking for nearly all of last season. The Bulldogs came up one win short of becoming the first unbeaten national champion since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. Mark Few’s team starts the year in the same position, with their eyes set on finishing the job this time around. Zags’ stars Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard are joined by top recruits Chet Holmgren and Hunter Sallis. Holmgren, the number one ranked player in the class of 2021, is the highest-ranked recruit to ever commit to Gonzaga. The twin towers of Timme and Holmgren on the inside will frustrate opponents all season long.
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For the Bruins, all five starters from last year’s Cinderella squad are back for another run. Led by March Madness hero Johnny Juzang, UCLA looks to build on their surprising success from last season. Third-year coach Mick Cronin has the Bruins on a meteoric climb. The program was slipping into irrelevance prior to Cronin’s arrival. Since then, he’s instituted a revitalized culture of intense defense and pace control. UCLA adds five-star recruit Peyton Watson to an already deep lineup. The Bulldogs and Bruins face off in a neutral-site rematch on November 23rd.
Kansas, Villanova, and Texas round out the top 5, respectively. Defending national champion Baylor comes in at No. 8 despite losing four of their five starters from last season.
The college basketball season tips off on November 9th. You can check out the full preseason Top 25 rankings here. Let us know your thoughts on the rankings in the comments below! Lastly, for more sports news from WavyPack, Candace Parker Leads Chicago Sky to First WNBA Title.
