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Message: [QUOTE="HooperScooper, post: 5015961, member: 10"] From an ESPN article yesterday. [B][I]Kansas, Alabama and UConn have all made strong cases to hold the top slot in the preseason rankings. How intense is the race for preseason No. 1 after the withdrawal deadline?[/I][/B] [I] [B]Medcalf:[/B] Those three teams all have strong cases for the top spot entering the upcoming season, and their respective slots will come down to preference among voters. It's hard to deny that spot to UConn, which is seeking the first three-peat national title run since [URL='https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/26/ucla-bruins']UCLA[/URL] won seven consecutive national championships from 1967 to 1973, after [URL='http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4917149/alex-karaban']Alex Karaban[/URL] withdrew from the draft and returned to Storrs. But [URL='https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2305/kansas-jayhawks']Kansas[/URL] has three veterans from last season's team, former [URL='https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/275/wisconsin-badgers']Wisconsin[/URL] star [URL='http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/5105603/aj-storr']AJ Storr[/URL]and [URL='http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4897251/zeke-mayo']Zeke Mayo[/URL], the Lawrence native who transferred from [URL='https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/team/_/id/2571/south-dakota-state-jackrabbits']South Dakota State[/URL]. That's tough. Still, Nate Oats won big in the portal and [URL='http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4703530/mark-sears']Mark Sears[/URL], who also withdrew from the draft, will enter next season as a strong Wooden Award candidate. It's a competitive race for No. 1. [B]Borzello:[/B] Just a few weeks ago, there was a pretty sizable gap between Kansas and everyone else for the No. 1 spot. Then UConn landed top-10 recruit Liam McNeeley and Saint Mary's transfer [URL='http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4684628/aidan-mahaney']Aidan Mahaney[/URL] and Alex Karaban withdrew from the draft. And Alabama got [URL='https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4702670/grant-nelson']Grant Nelson[/URL] back, signed Rutgers transfer Cliff Omoruyi and had Mark Sears withdraw from the draft. I still lean Kansas. The Jayhawks have the fewest questions, return three starters and added three top-25 transfers. And the Jayhawks are still looking for another piece. But that gap between Kansas and the other contenders is essentially nonexistent now.[/I] [URL unfurl="true"]https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40269384/kansas-alabama-uconn-look-great-have-questions-nba-draft-withdrawal-deadline[/URL] [/QUOTE]

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