Wing Terance Mann can be one of the ACC’s best players or the guy who didn’t make a shot in the NCAA Tournament opener. But a team that can reach the Elite Eight after losing seven times to non-tournament teams - well, what would you call that? They can be incredibly dynamic or impossibly big, depending on how they want to play it. Why they’re here: Maybe it’s just a function of having a 7-4 center, but last year’s Seminoles were a weird team. Waters’ brilliance will be given a much better stage now that LSU has added a big man, Naz Reid, to complement his talents. Why they’re here: Sophomore guard Tremont Waters is the most exciting player that few college fans have seen, a situation that developed because last year’s Tigers were an NIT team. MORE: NCAA's 'sweeping' changes dropped ball on reform 20. And Fernando could be one of the Big Ten’s breakout stars. They will miss star wing Kevin Huerter, but point guard Anthony Cowan is a force at both ends. The Terps often were competitive early in consequential games, only to wilt later. Why they’re here: Last year’s squad was lifted by the pleasant surprise of freshman Bruno Fernando, only to be ruined by injuries that started with the team’s most talented player (Justin Jackson) and continued on to ravage any hope for squad depth. Perhaps 7-0 freshman Trey Jemison can help in that department. They will miss DeVoe’s shooting, but a bigger obstacle than their middling 3-point attack is that their bigs haven’t finished effectively enough. But they’re big, well-coached and hard to play against for just about everyone they meet. Why they’re here: The Tigers are never going to be mistaken for a Vegas magic show, especially not with versatile guard Gabe DeVoe finished after last year’s Sweet 16 run. The absence of a player comfortable in that role was an issue lately. Junior wing Jarron Cumberland will be eager for the opportunity to serve as No. The Bearcats will struggle to be as rugged on defense this year as they chase a ninth consecutive NCAA bid, but they could be more dynamic. Why they’re here: The Bearcats lost a ton from a team that enjoyed consecutive 30-win seasons as well as the dual 2018 championships in the American: NBA first-round pick Jacob Evans and the league’s player of the year, Gary Clark.
Coach Bob Huggins will need someone to at least function at point guard, but this could be his best defensive frontcourt since he coached a guy named Kenyon Martin back in Cincy. Why they’re here: For all that is missing from the backcourt - and it’s a huge, Jevon Carter-sized hole - the frontcourt again will be an impenetrable mountain that starts with center Sagaba Konate. This will be a better defensive team than last year’s - not a grand compliment, admittedly - and will at least be functional on offense. Most importantly, he landed point guard Brandon Williams. Coach Sean Miller attracted grad transfers Ryan Luther (to deepen the frontcourt) and Justin Coleman (for backcourt depth). Big man Chase Jeter has been waiting as a transfer for a chance to be a significant contributor. Why they’re here: Most have punted this program toward the Pacific with the loss of Allonzo Trier, Rawle Alkins and All-American DeAndre Ayton to pro hoops, but too many are ignoring wings Brandon Randolph and Emmanuel Akot, who were elite recruits. With that said, here are Sporting News' updated preseason rankings for the 2018-19 college basketball season. Villanova lost the majority of its title-winning team to the NBA, even though there wasn’t a single senior in the rotation.Īll of this portends an unpredictable season, and yet here we are to try again to predict how it all turns out. Duke is taking another trip along the one-and-done trail. Kentucky has its usual complement of elite freshmen, plus a grad transfer from Stanford. National title contender Kansas reached the Final Four last season, but some of the key guys who will pursue a championship this year last played at Memphis and California. MORE: New metric tries to make March less maddening The players in those uniforms are largely unfamiliar. If it seems like a lot of the same names at the top of the 2018-19 Sporting News preseason top 25 rankings, it’s only because you’re looking at the front of the jersey.
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