Trying to figure out next year’s top 10 teams with nearly 1,200 players in the transfer portal and rosters 100 percent in flux likely, well, everywhere is no small feat. A fool’s errand? Almost assuredly. But college basketball writer
and Associated Press Top 25 voter Scott Richey does it anyway. Check back on April 5, 2022 to see how he fared:
1. Michigan
➜ Hunter Dickinson will anchor the Wolverines’ hopes in 2021-22, but he’ll have plenty of help. Michigan is bringing in the No. 1 recruiting class in the country — anchored by five-stars Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate — and could be a prime transfer destination, too.
2. Gonzaga
➜ Hard to bet against Mark Few and the Bulldogs at this point. Drew Timme’s not seen as an NBA lock this summer, so his return coupled with finding a Jalen Suggs replacement in five-star guard Hunter Sallis means the title might run through Spokane, Wash., again.
3. Alabama
➜ How many guards is too many? For Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats, there’s no such thing. Alabama is bringing in five-star guard JD Davison and possibly transfer Nimari Burnett to pair with Jahvon Quinerly, Jaden Schackelford and Josh Primo. Guards on guards on guards.
4. ArkanSas
➜ Few coaches have mined the transfer portal quite as effectively as Eric Musselman (both with the Razorbacks and previously at Nevada). His ability to fill out his roster with seemingly the perfect pieces on top of a solid base in Fayetteville, Ark., keeps Arkansas dangerous.
5. UCLA
➜ Mick Cronin could, in theory, return basically everyone from his Final Four team. Holding on to Johnny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez after their stellar tourney runs might be a challenge, but the Bruins have something, well, brewing in Westwood (with a small, but good, incoming class).
6. Baylor
➜ There’s bound to be some dip without guys like standout guards Jared Butler and MaCio Teague, but pairing a few key rotation pieces with a top 10 class, including five-star wing Kendall Brown, should keep the Bears relevant both in the Big 12 and nationally.
7. Kansas
➜ New lifetime contract in hand, Kansas coach Bill Self can build next year’s team around guys like David McCormack, Jalen Wilson and Bryce Thompson. A trio of four-star freshmen (and probably a dip into the transfer pool) will provide an infusion of talent.
8. Duke
➜ The Blue Devils can’t be mediocre two seasons in a row, right? It will be another fresh start for Mike Krzyzewski, but a trio of five-star freshmen (Paolo Banchero, AJ Griffin and Trevor Keels) plus the chance for more (looking at you Patrick Baldwin Jr.) could be impressive.
9. Michigan State
➜ The Spartans addressed their “we don’t really have a point guard” issue by adding Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker, should return their key role players and have a top 10 recruiting class ready to soar if Emoni Bates (also known as the next Kevin Durant) reclassifies.
10. Illinois
➜ This one comes with a rather sizable caveat. A 7-foot, 285-pound caveat. If Kofi Cockburn returns to keep catching alley-oops from Andre Curbelo, the Illini can make a real case as a legitimate top 10 team. Cockburn hasn’t left yet, so there’s hope in C-U this still happens.
{p class=”card-about”}Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
Scott Richey is a reporter covering college basketball at The News-Gazette. His email is srichey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@srrichey).
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