Preseason AP Top 25 Poll | The Boneyard
.

Preseason AP Top 25 Poll

HooperScooper

HooperScooper

Joined
Aug 17, 2011
Messages
18,256
Reaction Score
105,155
Just released a couple minutes ago. UConn is 4th. Got 2 first place votes.

St. John's is #5 and Creighton is #23.

apnews.com

NCAA College Basketball Rankings: AP Top 25 Basketball Poll

The official page for the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll. Keep up to date and view the latest NCAA men's basketball ranking updates each week for the 2023-24 season.
apnews.com apnews.com
 

4. UConn​

2024-25 record: 24-11 (lost to 1-seed Florida in round of 32)

Season opener: Nov. 3 vs. New Haven, 7 p.m., ESPN+

Biggest early-season game: Dec. 9 vs. Florida in New York (Jimmy V Classic), 9 p.m., ESPN

Projected starting lineup:
Silas Demary Jr. (13.5 PPG at Georgia)
Solo Ball (14.4 PPG)
Braylon Mullins (No. 17 in ESPN 100)
Alex Karaban (14.3 PPG)
Tarris Reed Jr. (9.6 PPG)

www.espn.com

Men's AP preseason Top 25 poll reaction: What to know about every team

Here's what to know about each team in the AP men's preseason Top 25, from No. 1 Purdue to No. 25 North Carolina.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
BTW I was watching a youtube video on UCONN - it was about 17 minutes long and had a section on each freshman and transfer. I was shocked that Reibe is so "big" (not fat, just a lot of mass). For some reason I thought he was more slender. Not at all. Practice battles between him and Reed will be incredible. and the PG's look REALLY good.

The chemistry and camaraderie on this team look really good too. Almost every player they highlighted said along the lines of "all I want to do is help this team win". They did not mention Elezaj or Paunovic.

With as much returning and new talent we have, I'm not surprised we are ranked in the top 5. Hoping for a great season.
 
superjohn said:
Florida is getting that post national championship bump, they're overrated.
Expand ...
Trying to forecast them isn't that different than StJ in my book because they have a brand new backcourt. Fland was a cancer on Arkansas last year and no idea how an Ivy League guard will translate to high D1, nevermind play together. I'd say overrated as well.

I personally think Purdue is as well. As good as their core is, they have little NBA talent. That's going to shine through at some point. They have a really high floor. Let's not forget that Purdue lost 12 games last year. They made the S16 by some luck of the draw. Houston has a higher ceiling.

4 is spot on for us. About where I'd expect any national poll to rank us preseason.

5 OOC top 20 matchups, 6 top 30.
 
Last edited:
RuffRuff said:
Trying to forecast them isn't that different than StJ in my book because they have a brand new backcourt. Fland was a cancer on Arkansas last year and no idea how an Ivy League guard will translate to high D1, nevermind play together. I'd say overrated as well.

I personally think Purdue is as well. As good as their core is, they have little NBA talent. That's going to shine through at some point. They have a really high floor. Let's not forget that Purdue lost 12 games last year. They made the S16 by some luck of the draw. Houston has a higher ceiling.

4 is spot on for us. About where I'd expect any national poll to rank us preseason.

5 OOC top 20 matchups, 6 top 30.
Expand ...
I think we're going to be the best team. St. John's scares me more than anyone.

My only concern with our team is our overall team athleticism and injuries but everyone has to deal with injuries.
 
Last edited:
BFieldHusky said:
Give me Big Ten teams all day long in March.

Houston scares me the most. St. Johns is missing a PG still.

Playing 5 ranked teams in non conference is great.
Expand ...
With you on Houston - they don't have many holes and a ton of upside with that freshman class. Give Samspon high end talent it's pretty scary what he can do. They'd be 1 on my preseason top 25, Purdue 2 out of respect for those seniors and Uconn 3. Tugler & Cenac together are a scary front line.

I like us & Houston this year.
 
ScottCT said:
People say Houston scares them every year but they never win.
Expand ...
Yet they are consistently among the best longer than anyone else. 3 starters from a team that had the NC in the bag, along with the 6th and 13th ranked freshmen. They have potential to be scary good. You could argue this is Kelvin's most talented roster ever.

From a total ceiling standpoint, I'd say they're the team to beat.
 
RuffRuff said:
Yet they are consistently among the best longer than anyone else. 3 starters from a team that had the NC in the bag, along with the 6th and 13th ranked freshmen. They have potential to be scary good. You could argue this is Kelvin's most talented roster ever.

From a total ceiling standpoint, I'd say they're the team to beat.
Expand ...
They're bringing in some great freshman talent but Cryer and Roberts are huge losses.
 
superjohn said:
Florida is getting that post national championship bump, they're overrated.
Expand ...
The defending champ always does.

We were overrated last year.
Kansas and runner up UNC badly overrated in 2023.

Going back further, we were like #4 to start 2012.

The only exception is us in 2023-24, where we might have been underrated if anything.
 
superjohn said:
They're bringing in some great freshman talent but Cryer and Roberts are huge losses.
Expand ...
That they are, but most experience some loss so it's all relative. Cenac & Harwell are considered lottery picks.

If I'm a betting man, I'd lay my $$ on Sampson to finally get his this year. He feels due. We play them in the NC. Their athletecism wins out.
 
RuffRuff said:
That they are, but most experience some loss so it's all relative. Cenac & Harwell are considered lottery picks.

If I'm a betting man, I'd lay my $$ on Sampson to finally get his this year. He feels due. We play them in the NC. Their athletecism wins out.
Expand ...
Yeah I think Houston is deservedly Top-2.
 
RuffRuff said:
That they are, but most experience some loss so it's all relative. Cenac & Harwell are considered lottery picks.

If I'm a betting man, I'd lay my $$ on Sampson to finally get his this year. He feels due. We play them in the NC. Their athletecism wins out.
Expand ...
Our first loss in a NC game ever?

Nope. Not buying it. Good guys by a million. Undefeated NC streak stays in tact.
 
HooperScooper said:
Article from CBS Sports. Most overrated and underrated teams in the Preseason Top 25.

Overrated: #5 St. John's, #25 UNC

Underrated: #11 Louisville, #14 Arkansas, #19 Kansas

www.cbssports.com

AP Top 25 poll reactions: North Carolina overrated, Kansas underrated in preseason college basketball rankings

Here are teams ranked too high or too low in the first AP Top 25 poll before the 2025-26 season
www.cbssports.com www.cbssports.com
Expand ...
Pretty popular takes.

That's why they play the games. I too think Kansas will be vastly improved now that they've shed the dead weight and plugged in Bidunga & DP.

We talk a lot about StJ, but Michigan is also almost an entirely new team no one is talking about. 3/5 starters are new, other 2 are second year transfers in - neither of which moved the needle much last year. I know Yaxel is good, but he's not superman. I'd push them down a bit - find them overrated.
 

Online statistics

Members online
488
Guests online
5,778
Total visitors
6,266
Totals may include hidden visitors.

Forum statistics

Threads
164,591
Messages
4,402,501
Members
10,216
Latest member
illini2013


.
..
Top Bottom