NCAA Basketball Preseason Rankings 2014: Predicting Initial Top 25 Poll

If the NCAA tournament is like Christmas for college basketball fans, then the release of the initial Top 25 rankings are the equivalent of the first decorations and holiday music in the stores.

It may not be the real thing quite yet, but it reminds us of what we are so excited about in the first place.

The 2014-15 season is right around the corner, and some of the blue-blood programs in the country are stacked with talent. Teams like Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Kansas will be among the nation’s best, which should set the stage for a thrilling month of madness in March.

With that in mind, here is a look at a prediction for the initial Top 25 rankings.

Rank	Team	Conference
1	Kentucky	SEC
2	Duke	ACC
3	Wisconsin	Big Ten
4	Kansas	Big 12
5	Arizona	Pac-12
6	North Carolina	ACC
7	Louisville	ACC
8	Florida	SEC
9	Wichita State	MVC
10	Texas	Big 12
11	Gonzaga	WCC
12	Villanova	Big East
13	Virginia	ACC
14	Iowa State	Big 12
15	Connecticut	American
16	Oklahoma	Big 12
17	Ohio State	Big Ten
18	VCU	Atlantic 10
19	Iowa	Big Ten
20	Nebraska	Big Ten
21	Michigan	Big Ten
22	Harvard	Ivy
23	Michigan State	Big Ten
24	SMU	American
25	Kansas State	Big 12

Digging Deeper 

Duke

Sam Forencich/Getty Images

Ho hum, another season and another Duke team near the top of the polls.

This time Mike Krzyzewski has the Blue Devils among the nation’s best because of a loaded recruiting class that includes dominant big man Jahlil Okafor, point guard Tyus Jones and versatile weapon Justise Winslow. Throw in the returning veterans Amile Jefferson, Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon, and there is a lot to work with here for Duke.

Okafor is the name that immediately jumps out as the potential No. 1 pick in the next NBA draft.

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

He is incredibly strong and clears out space down low with some impressive post moves. He also controls the glass with his rebounding prowess and will shore up Duke’s interior defense, which was a major concern last year.

Winslow and Jones are also solid defenders who give the Blue Devils more potential stoppers on that end of the floor. The primary reason Duke went home so early in the NCAA tournament last season was the guards couldn’t prevent penetration and the big men couldn’t swat opposing shots away when the ball made its way to the basket.

Okafor, Jones and Winslow should take care of that this year. 

Scott Gleeson and Nicole Auerbach of USA Today had the Blue Devils at No. 1 in their early rankings and made many of the same points: 

"

Despite losing their two best players and most prolific scorers in Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood, the Blue Devils will be loaded once again come fall — enough to land as our preseason No. 1. They'll return veteran guards Quinn Cook and Rasheed Sulaimon as well as developing big man Amile Jefferson. Coach Mike Krzyzewski brings in the nation's top-ranked recruiting class, which includes the best high school prospect in the country — 6-10 center Jahlil Okafor. He's joined by two top-10 recruits in point guard Tyus Jones and versatile wing Justise Winslow. Duke's woes this past season stemmed in large part from of its lack of an interior presence. 

"

Wisconsin

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

We can talk about the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world all we want, but it was Wisconsin that made it to the Final Four last season and narrowly missed a shot at the NCAA title when Aaron Harrison drilled a gut-wrenching three-pointer in the final seconds of the semifinal.

The centerpiece, quite literally, of the Badgers’ attack in 2014-15 will be Frank Kaminsky, who will use his versatility to lead the team from the inside and out. Evan Flood of 247Sports noted that Kaminsky was named a preseason All-American in some circles:

Kaminsky won’t be all by himself, though. Sam Dekker and Nigel Hayes give Bo Ryan multiple options at the forward position, while Traevon Jackson and Josh Gasser will patrol the perimeter. 

Wisconsin’s starting five is the best combination of Final Four experience and talent in the entire nation. The Badgers appear to be the class of a Big Ten that has a number of good teams but no real great team (besides Wisconsin) and could very well seize a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Kentucky

James Crisp/Associated Press

The team that knocked Wisconsin out at the Final Four will also be among the nation’s best yet again.

Kentucky will have the familiar freshmen studs who always anchor its lineup, but there is an air of experience that is not always there for John Calipari teams. Aaron and Andrew Harrison are the recognizable names in the backcourt, and Willie Cauley-Stein, Dakari Johnson and Alex Poythress should anchor some of the big men and forward responsibilities.

It would still be a mistake to overlook the freshmen this year, especially with Karl Towns, Trey Lyles, Devin Booker and Tyler Ulis arriving on campus. Between the veterans and youngsters, Calipari has depth at every position and will likely have a more talented group of five on the bench at any given time than most teams have on the floor.

Chris Steppig/Associated Press

Towns is perhaps the most intriguing one of the bunch, and the big man captured the eyes of NBA scouts when he was named the 2014 Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 21.5 points, 13.7 rebounds and an astounding 6.4 blocks a game as a senior in high school.

One scout discussed Towns with Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports: "He's very skilled and has a very good feel for playing the game of basketball. He's strong. He plays his position well. There are not a lot of basketball players with his feel for the game. He can face up and make jump shots. He's special." 

The NBA will be the ultimate destination for Towns and plenty other Wildcats, but they will look to win a title in Lexington first.

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