Extremely Early Top 25 list

[BleedHuskyBlu]

Duke headlines Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for 2016-2017

Only hours after the game, ESPN posted their 2016-2017 early rankings.

UConn comes in at 20 if you dont feel like scrolling through.

 

[mauconnfan]

What's amazing to me is how these guys think Amile Jefferson will get a medical redshirt? I mean he played a 3rd of a year, 9 games, and averaged 11/10 helping them win some games. I feel bad he wastes a year getting hurt but isn't 9 games too many to get that year back?

Maybe not if he's from Duke though LOL

 

[jibsey]

Do we know that Purvis is not playing for money somewhere? Because without him I'd like to know who is consistently knocking down 3's for us?

 

[upstater]

Outside of Duke, Xavier and maybe Villanova, none of the teams listed seem formidable to me. It's the kind of top 25 where you can't guarantee teams will even be in the top 25 at the end of the year. Take Maryland. Without Stone and Trimble, there is no way they are "at worst a top 25 team."

I will say that I think UConn, Cincy and Syracuse are being underrated in that ranking. Gbinjie is a big loss, losing Cooney is going to be addition by subtraction, but with any improvement from Lydon and Malachi, and Cuse will be very tough.

 

[Leebo]

Do we know that Purvis is not playing for money somewhere? Because without him I'd like to know who is consistently knocking down 3's for us?

Considering that he declared without an agent, why would we get confirmation of him staying before the withdrawal deadline?

 

[blkknight1]

Sportingnews
19. Connecticut Huskies

Why they’re here: UConn is another team that’s tough to place right now, with Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Amida Brimah all going through the draft evaluation process. Even if all three leave (which doesn’t really seem likely), the Huskies will be solid next year because Jalen Adams is ready for a bigger role after a solid freshman season, and coach Kevin Ollie has a brilliant recruiting class arriving in the fall (Scout.com ranks it seventh in the country).

NBC Sports puts us outside the top 25

SB Nation
18. Connecticut Huskies

2015-16 Record: 25-11

2015-16 Finish: Second Round

Connecticut was something of an underachiever in 2015-16, but they'll have an opportunity to rectify that so long as Rodney Purvis, Daniel Hamilton and Amida Brimah all come back. Jalen Adams will also step into a much larger role as a sophomore, and then there's also that top five recruiting class that Kevin Ollie is bringing in.

USA Today
10. UConn Huskies (25-11, 11-7)
There's a good chance Daniel Hamilton and Rodney Purvis will both be back for coach Kevin Ollie, who's hauled in an impressive freshman class. This team will be the cream of the crop in the American Athletic Conference. Hamilton, in particular, is a special talent, averaging 12.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.7 rebounds a game. He'll gauge his NBA future with the new rules, but a return could forecast a Buddy Hield-like rise as a junior. His 32 points in a 4-overtime win against Cincinnati in the AAC tournament is just a glimpse of his takeover abilities.

► Recruiting grade: A. The No. 6 recruiting class features a high-motor players and a star in the making in McDonald’s All American Alterique Gilbert, who comes from a dominant high school program in Miller Grove (Lithonia, Ga.).

Campus Insider
17. Connecticut Huskies
Kevin Ollie welcomes a pair of top-30 freshmen to a roster that already is in pretty good shape. If forward Daniel Hamilton returns and VCU transfer Terry Larrier makes his presence felt, the Huskies are going to be a favorite.

Bleacher Report
17. Connecticut
Why They're Here:The Connecticut program is one that likes to feature a two-point guard attack, and head coach Kevin Ollie will be able to do so next season with the addition of freshman point guard Alterique Gilbert to go along with Jalen Adams. Both players are strong off the bounce, and Ollie is going to be able to spread the floor with creators, especially if he plays Daniel Hamilton as a small-ball forward.

The Huskies are always one of the stingier defenses in the country, and they figure to be better offensively with the addition of Gilbert, who is more of a true point guard than Adams.

Will Change If...Hamilton and center Amida Brimah decide to stay in the NBA draft. Both players have declared but haven't hired agents. Brimah wasn't as consistent as the Huskies hoped he would be in his junior season, and he missed 11 games after breaking a finger on his right hand.

Expect both players to return to school.

 

[Jerry1714]

CBS

Duke is No. 1 in the Ridiculously Early Preseason Top 25 (and one)

16. CONNECTICUT

• Notable players definitely gone: Sterling Gibbs, Shonn Miller, Omar Calhoun, Phillip Nolan, Sam Cassel
• Others expected to leave: N/A
• Notable players we expect to return: Daniel Hamilton, Rodney Purvis, Amida Brimah, Jalen Adams, Kenta Facey, Steven Enoch
• Others we expect to join the roster: Juwan Durham, Terry Larrier, Alterique Gilbert, Vance Jackson, Mamadou Diarra

Why the Huskies are ranked here: The Huskies could go from ranked to unranked if Daniel Hamilton, Rodney Purvis and/or Amida Brimah enter and remain in the NBA Draft. But none of them project as first-round picks. So, odds are, they'll be back at Connecticut, at which point the Huskies will be the favorites in the American Athletic Conference.

 

[Jerry1714]

Outside of Duke, Xavier and maybe Villanova, none of the teams listed seem formidable to me. It's the kind of top 25 where you can't guarantee teams will even be in the top 25 at the end of the year. Take Maryland. Without Stone and Trimble, there is no way they are "at worst a top 25 team."

I will say that I think UConn, Cincy and Syracuse are being underrated in that ranking. Gbinjie is a big loss, losing Cooney is going to be addition by subtraction, but with any improvement from Lydon and Malachi, and Cuse will be very tough.

Kentucky's recruiting class is ridiculous, as is Duke's, those two teams appear to be a tier above everyone else to start the year.

 

[cowboysnation]

Do we know that Purvis is not playing for money somewhere? Because without him I'd like to know who is consistently knocking down 3's for us?

Vance Jackson is 6 8 and has a great shot...can easily get his shot off

 

[ConnHuskBask]

Goes without saying as we all would love for Hamilton, Purvis and Brimah to return (if that's the right decision for them to make).

But with our two headed back court in place with Adams and Gilbert in addition to returning a lot of other key players and recruits.

Definitely think we could be poised for a top 25 season and make noise in the dance.

 

[BoatShow]

Makes no sense to do this with half the college players floating in draft limbo.

 

[Leebo]

Makes no sense to do this with half the college players floating in draft limbo.

You might almost say it's "too early" (which they basically all do).

 

[tcf15]

From 247:

13. Connecticut — UConn closed the year on a bit of a hot streak, and three underclassmen: wings Daniel Hamilton,Rodney Purvis and Amida Brimah have declared for the NBA Draft. None picked an agent, and as Hamilton is the top-rated of the three at No. 95 on Vecenie’s list (there are 60 spots in the NBA Draft), all three *should* probably return. If two return, the Huskies have a shot to hit this spot with a strong recruiting class coming in.
247Sports Composite Class Rank: 5

 

[upstater]

Kentucky's recruiting class is ridiculous, as is Duke's, those two teams appear to be a tier above everyone else to start the year.

I put a premium on upperclassmen. I think the results of the last several years bear this out. Anthony Davis and the Jahlil Okafor class are the exceptions. More often than not, the teams with the stud frosh recruits who are one and done will not make the F4.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

I think you will see some really strange outcomes from the new draft evaluation process. I think you will see some off the radar kids stay in the draft, and some kids that were locks to leave, come back.

 

[Walker11]

I put a premium on upperclassmen. I think the results of the last several years bear this out. Anthony Davis and the Jahlil Okafor class are the exceptions. More often than not, the teams with the stud frosh recruits who are one and done will not make the F4.

I think it depends on how good the freshman are. Its no surprise that UK's best teams were led by Davis and Towns, 2 of the best talents in the NBA. But these all-NBA caliber players don't appear every year and I have no idea if either Duke or UK have one of these studs.

 

[intlzncster]

What's amazing to me is how these guys think Amile Jefferson will get a medical redshirt? I mean he played a 3rd of a year, 9 games, and averaged 11/10 helping them win some games. I feel bad he wastes a year getting hurt but isn't 9 games too many to get that year back?

Maybe not if he's from Duke though LOL

Med Redshirt rules say a player has to be injured in the first half of a team's respective season (total games divided by 2). And he can't have played more than 30% of the teams games. Post season games count.

Duke played 36 games. So the 30% cutoff is 10.8, which is rounded up to 11 games.

Jefferson was hurt Dec 12th in the first half of the season. Check. Jefferson played in 9 games, which is less than 30% (11). Check.

Looks like he's good to go.

 

[Jerry1714]

I put a premium on upperclassmen. I think the results of the last several years bear this out. Anthony Davis and the Jahlil Okafor class are the exceptions. More often than not, the teams with the stud frosh recruits who are one and done will not make the F4.

Well UK has been to the final four 4 of the last 6 years so discounting them based on their 1 and dones does not make much sense.

 

[JSM1970]

Besides Duke, KU, UK, Zona I think it's open and UConn could be top 10 or higher by season's end.

Outside of Duke, Xavier and maybe Villanova, none of the teams listed seem formidable to me. It's the kind of top 25 where you can't guarantee teams will even be in the top 25 at the end of the year. Take Maryland. Without Stone and Trimble, there is no way they are "at worst a top 25 team."

I will say that I think UConn, Cincy and Syracuse are being underrated in that ranking. Gbinjie is a big loss, losing Cooney is going to be addition by subtraction, but with any improvement from Lydon and Malachi, and Cuse will be very tough.

 

[Leebo]

Med Redshirt rules say a player has to be injured in the first half of a team's respective season (total games divided by 2). And he can't have played more than 30% of the teams games. Post season games count.

Duke played 36 games. So the 30% cutoff is 10.8, which is rounded up to 11 games.

Jefferson was hurt Dec 12th in the first half of the season. Check. Jefferson played in 9 games, which is less than 30% (11). Check.

Looks like he's good to go.

oh no now we can't bash duke while being lazy

 

[Jerry1714]

I think it depends on how good the freshman are. Its no surprise that UK's best teams were led by Davis and Towns, 2 of the best talents in the NBA. But these all-NBA caliber players don't appear every year and I have no idea if either Duke or UK have one of these studs.

In what people project to be a loaded draft class, Duke has 1 and 2 and UK has 4, 9, 15, so indications are these kids are legit NBA players

DraftExpress: Mock Draft

Who knows how they pan out, but Duke won a title with 1 and dones last year, and UK has been to 4 final fours in the last 6 years with 1 and dones so there is nothing to suggest they wont be very very good.

 

[Matrim55]

In what people project to be a loaded draft class, Duke has 1 and 2 and UK has 4, 9, 15, so indications are these kids are legit NBA players

Legit NBA players don't always make for great college players, though. And while you're correct that you can't argue with Calipari's or K's record with one-and-dones, it does still hold up that 3 of the last 4 titles have been won by upperclassmen-heavy teams.

That said, I do think Duke enter next year as prohibitive favorites (though that could change if Kansas get Josh Jackson).

As for UK, I think they'll miss Ulis way more than people realize.

 

[intlzncster]

oh no now we can't bash duke while being lazy

I did forget my 'duck fuke' at the end. Def my bad.

 

[intlzncster]

As for UK, I think they'll miss Ulis way more than people realize.

He's definitely going?

 

[Matrim55]

He's definitely going?

Not official yet, but he's projected to be a first round pick by most sites. He'd be stupid to stay.