Seth Davis Updates Never-Too-Early Preseason Top 25

1. MICHIGAN STATE

Last week: 1

Losing: Jaxon Kohler, Trey Fort, Carson Cooper, Denham Wojcik

Retaining: Jeremy Fears, Kur Teng, Coen Carr, Cam Ward, Jordan Scott, Divine Ugochukwu, Jesse McCulloch, Kaleb Glenn

Incoming (3): Ethan Taylor (28), Jasiah Jervis (33), Carlos Medlock Jr. (46), Julius Avent (86)

Fears entered the NBA Draft, but since he is not projected to be selected, he is listed as a retained player. If he does come back, he could be the National Preseason Player of the Year. This is one of the few power conference programs that has not lost a player to the portal — yet. Tom Izzo is reportedly pursuing big men in the portal, starting with Alabama’s Aidan Sherrell and SMU’s Samet Yigitoglu. He is also bringing in one of the best freshman classes he has signed in a long time.

2. ILLINOIS

Last week: 2

Losing: Keaton Wagler, Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, David Mirkovic, Mihailo Petrovic, Toni Bilic

Retaining: Andrej Stojakovic, Tomislav Ivisic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Jake Davis, Mihailo Petrovic, Brandon Lee

Incoming (14): Quentin Coleman (34), Lucas Morillo (59), Ethan Brown (164), Landon Davis (243), Tony Bilic (Croatia), Stefan Vaaks (Providence)

Vaaks’ announcement on Sunday that he is transferring to Illinois strengthens the case for the Illini to be preseason No. 1. I’m not quite there yet, but this is a strong roster. Wagler’s announcement that he is entering the draft came as zero surprise. Mirkovic declared his intent to transfer. He had a chance to improve as a sophomore but was little-used as a freshman. Bilic, who played sparingly during three seasons as a professional in his native Croatia, arrived on campus midseason but did not play in any games. He is also transferring. Illinois is one of six schools in the hunt for Wisconsin’s high-scoring guard John Blackwell, as well as Chinese schoolboy Boyuan Zhang.

3. MICHIGAN

Last week: 4

Losing: Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, Roddy Gayle, Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter

Retaining: Elliot Cadeau, L.J. Cason, Trey McKenney

Incoming (2): Brandon McCoy (14), Quinn Costello (44), Joseph Hartman (95), Malachi Brown (169), Marcus Moller (Spain), Lincoln Cosby (45), J.P. Estrella (Tennessee)

Estrella’s commitment gives the Wolverines a nice frontcourt piece for next season, but he may not be the same level of needle mover they got last year in Mara and Lendeborg. Cadeau is not projected to be drafted, so his announcement that he is returning was welcome but not surprising. Michigan coach Dusty May is involved with Wake Forest guard Juke Harris, Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell and UNC Asheville guard Kameron Taylor, among others.

4. DUKE

Last week: 3

Losing: Cameron Boozer, Patrick Ngongba, Isaiah Evans, Maliq Brown, Nikolas Khamenia, Darren Harris

Retaining: Cayden Boozer, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr

Incoming (1): Cameron Williams (3), Bryson Howard (15), Maxime Meyer (84), Deron Rippey, Jr. (10)

Losing Khamenia to the portal is a bigger blow to the program than losing Harris, but Jon Scheyer seems intent on landing a big-money transfer or two. He went hard after Kansas forward Flory Bidunga but came up short. Wisconsin guard John Blackwell is a primary target. Cayden Boozer might have the toughest draft decision to make, but so far he has not declared his intentions.

5. GONZAGA

Last week: 5

Losing: Graham Ike, Tyon Grant-Foster, Jalen Warley, Adam Miller, Steele Venters, Emmanuel Innocenti, Braeden Smith

Retaining: Braden Huff, Davis Fogle, Mario Saint-Supery, Parker Jefferson

Incoming (21): Luca Foster (39), Sam Funches (89), Jack Kayil (Germany), Isiah Harwell (Houston)

The Zags lost Smith to the portal, but they found a pretty good replacement in Harwell, who announced his commitment on Sunday. It’s critical that Gonzaga gets Huff back to health after he missed the last three months of the season with a knee injury. Fogle is poised for a breakout sophomore season, but he’s going to need more help.

6. ARIZONA

Last week: 9

Losing: Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Montiejus Krivas, Jaden Bradley, Tobe Awaka, Anthony Dell’Orso, Dwayne Aristode

Retaining: Ivan Kharchenkov, Sid Gueye, Bryce James

Incoming: (29): Caleb Holt (4), Cameron Holmes (29)

The Wildcats took a hit when Aristode decided to enter the portal. He was set up for a huge sophomore season. Krivas has not announced his NBA Draft plans yet, but Wasserman projects him as the No. 29 overall pick, so for now he’s being counted as a loss. Holt was a standout performer at the Nike Hoop Summit and should have an immediate impact as a scorer, but it doesn’t look like Tommy Lloyd will be bringing in nearly the same number of freshmen as he did last season. He is focusing his transfer recruiting on Duke forward Nick Khamenia and Kansas forward Bryson Tiller. Lloyd has also had much success in international recruiting.

7. UCONN

Last week: 7

Losing: Braylon Mullins, Tarris Reed, Alex Karaban, Malachi Smith, Eric Reibe

Retaining: Solo Ball, Silas Demary, Jayden Ross, Jaylin Stewart, Jacob Furphy, Jacob Ross

Incoming (30): Colben Landrew (22), Junior County (36)

Reibe’s decision to enter the portal was a bit of a surprise. Apparently he is concerned that Dan Hurley won’t allow him to play on the perimeter enough. The big question in Storrs is whether Mullins returns for his sophomore season. It would mean turning down the chance to be a first-round pick, but Hurley is reportedly putting together a compensation package worth $4 to $5 million. Even if that happens, Hurley will still need size to make up for the losses of Reed and Reibe. He is reportedly trying to land Saint Mary’s 7-foot-3 center Andrew McKeever and/or Seton Hall’s 6-foot-10 forward Najai Hines.

8. IOWA STATE

Last week: 10

Losing: Joshua Jefferson, Dominick Nelson, Tamin Lipsey, Nate Heise, Eric Mulder, Cade Kelderman, Milan Momcilovic, Mason Williams

Retaining: Killyan Toure, Blake Buchanan, Jamarion Batemon, Dominykas Pleta, Xzavion Mitchell

Incoming (19): Dorian Rinaldo-Komian (103), Jackson Kiss (106), Christian Wiggins (120), Yusef Gray Jr. (188), Taj Manning (Kansas State), Leon Bond (Northern Iowa), Jaquan Johnson (Bradley), Tre Singleton (Northwestern)

Momcilovic’s decision to enter both the draft and the portal (he says he is committed to staying in the draft but wants to keep his options open) was a significant blow. On the other hand, few coaches moved as quickly and efficiently as T.J. Otzelberger did during the first few days of portal season in adding four players. Toure’s announcement that he is returning instead of entering the draft was not a surprise. Ditto for Bateman’s announcement that he is returning.

9. VIRGINIA

Last week: 15

Losing: Malik Thomas, Jacari White, Dallin Hall, Ugonna Onyenso, Devin Tillis

Retaining: Thijs De Ridder, Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Johann Grunloh, Elijah Gertrude, Martin Carrere, Silas Barksdale

Incoming: None

The Cavs moved up the rankings simply by staying put. They still don’t have a single player in the portal. Ryan Odom does not have any high school recruits, but he should have four of his top six scorers. Odom is also pursuing several transfers, including Duke guard Darren Harris, Wyoming guard Damarion Dennis and Kentucky forward Mouhamed Dioubate. De Ridder does not appear on Wasserman’s draft board but he is a tantalizing prospect. Barksdale redshirted last season for development purposes.

10. ALABAMA

Last week: 8

Losing: Labaron Philon, Amari Allen, Latrell Wrightsell, Houston Mallette, Noah Williamson, Taylor Bol Bowen, Jalil Bethea, Aiden Sherrell

Retaining: Aden Holloway, London Jemison, Davion Hannah, Keitenn Bristow, Collins Onyejiaka

Incoming (10): Qayden Samuels (18), Jaxon Richardson (21), Tarris Bouie (40), Brandon Garrison (Kentucky)

The Crimson Tide dropped because Sherrell and Bethea entered the portal. Garrison’s commitment on Sunday is a solid replacement in the paint. Alabama coach Nate Oats is also waiting on a decision from Allen, whom Wasserman projects as the No. 22 overall pick. Allen hasn’t announced his intentions yet but is likely to test the waters. The other big question is Holloway, whose season ended early after he was arrested on drug charges but recently announced his intentions to return.

11. HOUSTON

Last week: 19

Losing: Kingston Flemings, Milos Uzan, Chris Cenac Jr., Emanuel Sharp, Isiah Harwell, Ramon Walker, Kalifa Sakho

Retaining: Joseph Tugler, Mercy Miller, Chase McCarty, Cedric Lath, Bryce Jackson, Kordel Jefferson

Incoming (29): Arafan Diane (16), Ikenna Alozie (55), Dedan Thomas (LSU), Delrecco Gillespie (Kent State)

Kelvin Sampson had a big week, beginning with Tugler’s decision to return for his senior season. Wasserman had him projected as a second-round pick, so he was listed among the departed players in my last rankings. Cenac was already projected to leave, so his announcement that he was entering the draft did not change anything. Thomas is a solid point guard, Gillespie will probably be a capable backup. If Sampson can land Notre Dame guard Markus Burton, the Cougars will probably be a preseason top 10 team.

12. KANSAS

Last week: 11

Losing: Darryn Peterson, Melvin Council, Tre White, Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller, Elmarko Jackson, Jamari McDowell

Retaining: Kohl Rosario, Paul Mbiya, Samis Calderon

Incoming (5): Taylor Kinney (13), Davion Adkins (70), Trent Perry (94), Luke Barnett (140)

Tiller and Jackson entered the transfer portal last week. Bill Self has not signed any transfers yet, but he is putting a fullcourt press on VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. He is also hoping to add No. 1 overall recruit Tyran Stokes to the roster soon.

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13. ARKANSAS

Last week: 6

Losing: Darius Acuff, Meleek Thomas, Trevon Brazile, Nick Pringle, Karter Knox, D.J. Wagner

Retaining: Malique Ewin, Billy Richmond, Isaiah Sealy

Incoming (7): Jordan Smith (2), J.J. Andrews (12), Abdou Toure (26)

The Razorbacks dropped after Knox and Wagner entered the portal. John Calipari pursued Colorado guard Isaiah Johnson, but he opted for Texas. VCU guard Terrence Hill Jr. and Kansas State guard Abdi Bashir Jr. remain primary targets. Acuff has not officially declared for the draft, but given that he is projected as a high lottery pick, that is a foregone conclusion.

14. ST. JOHN’S

Last week: 12

Losing: Zuby Ejiofor, Bryce Hopkins, Oziyah Sellers, Dillon Mitchell, Sadiku Ibine Ayo

Retaining: Ian Jackson, Joson Sanon, Dylan Darling, Ruben Prey, Lefteris Liotopoulos, Kelvin Odih, Casper Pohto, Imran Wojijanovic

Incoming: None

With Mike Repole’s checkbook in hand, Rick Pitino will no doubt add to this roster via the portal, but in the meantime he has a good group coming back. Perhaps another offseason of work will make Jackson the next-level point guard Pitino wanted him to be last season, but Darling and Prey seem poised to make significant improvements. Pohto is a native of Sweden who played five games before being sidelined by a hip injury. Ayo is entering the portal but could still return.

15. OHIO STATE

Last week: 18

Losing: Bruce Thonrton, Devin Royal, Christoph Tilly, Brandon Noel, Puff Johnson, Colin White, Gabe Cupps

Retaining: John Mobley, Amare Bynum, Taison Chatman, Ivan Njegovan, Josh Ojianwuna

Incoming (33): Anthony Thompson (7), Alex Smith (122), Andrija Jelavic (Kentucky), Justin Pippen (Cal)

Jake Diebler didn’t lose any more players since the transfer portal opened, but he did add a couple of good ones in Jelavic and Pippen. He is also a finalist to land one of the top transfers in Jalen Haralson, a 6-foot-7 wing from Notre Dame who is also considering North Carolina and Tennessee. Bynum impressed NBA scouts as a freshman but he has said he is coming back and has a chance to be one of the top forwards in the Big Ten. Mobley has said he is entering the NBA Draft but Wasserman projects him as undrafted, so he is projected to return.

16. PURDUE

Last week: 20

Losing: Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, Oscar Cluff

Retaining: Omer Mayer, Daniel Jacobsen, C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, Jack Benter, Antoine West Jr., Raleigh Burgess 

Incoming (7): Luke Ertel (41), Jacob Webber (64), Sinan Huan (83), Jemyn Sondrup (134), Rivers Knight (211), Caden Pierce (Princeton) 

Purdue does not have any significant players in the transfer portal, but Matt Painter will likely add another player or two. He made a run at Kansas forward Flory Bidunga prior to his commitment to Louisville. Painter is still reportedly wooing Saint Mary’s center Andrew McKeever and Kentucky center Brandon Garrison.

17. TEXAS

Last week: NR

Losing: Dailyn Swain, Jordan Pope, Tramon Mark, Chendall Weaver, Lassina Traore

Retaining: Matas Vokietaitis, Simeon Wilcher, Nic Codie, Cam Heide, Declan Duru

Incoming (12): Austin Goolsby (19), Bo Ogen (38), Joe Sterling (101), Isaiah Johnson (Colorado)

Sean Miller got one of the top transfers in the country when Johnson committed. Vokietaitis also announced he is coming back, which he was already projected to do. Miller hoped to convince Swain to come back, but he is a projected first-round pick and declared for the draft last week. Miller also has a good shot to land TCU 6-foot-7 wing David Punch.

18.  LOUISVILLE

Last week: NR

Losing: Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell, Kasean Pryor, J’Vonne Hadley, Ally Khalifa, Isaac McKneely, Kobe Rodgers, Sananda Fru

Retaining: Adrian Wooley, Khani Rooths, Vangelis Zougris

Incoming: London Johnson (NBA G League), Flory Bidunga (Kansas), Jackson Shelstad (Oregon)

Pat Kelsey was the big portal winner over the weekend when he got commitments from Bidunga and Shelstad. That should help make up for the loss of Brown and the other departing players, although Shelstad only played 12 games last season due to injury. Kelsey would love to add Wisconsin guard John Blackwell after having great success bringing in another former Badger, Chucky Hepburn. He is also pursuing the likes of Khamenia, NC State wing Matt Able and Texas Tech forward LeJuan Watts.

19. TENNESSEE

Last week: 14

Losing: Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Nate Ament, Felix Okpara, Cade Phillips, Jaylen Carey, J.P. Estrella, Bishop Boswell, Amari Evans

Retaining: DeWayne Brown, Ethan Burg, Troy Henderson

Incoming (26): Ralph Scott (54), Manny Green (100), Marquis Clark (212), Tyler Lundblade (Belmont), Dai Dai Ames (Cal), Miles Rubin (Loyola Chicago)

It was a brutal week for the Vols as Carey, Estrella, Boswell and Evans all entered the portal. Rick Barnes was able to add Ames and Rubin, but he still needs several more pieces. Lundblade is one of the nation’s top three-point shooters.

20. NORTH CAROLINA

Last week: 16

Losing: Caleb Wilson, Henry Veesaar, Seth Trimble, James Brown, Isaiah Denis, Derek Dixon, Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, Jonathan Powell

Retaining: Zayden High, Jarin Stevenson, Jaydon Young,

Incoming (28): Dylan Mingo (8), Maximo Adams (25) 

The Tar Heels were hit by a flood of portal entries following the announcement that Michael Malone would be the new head coach. Seven players have declared for the portal, so Malone and his staff have a lot of work to do. They hosted Hoops HQ’s No. 1-ranked transfer, Wake Forest guard Juke Harris, over the weekend. It’s possible that Veesaar could return, but for now he is projected as a departure.

21.  WISCONSIN

Last week: 17

Losing: Nick Boyd, Braeden Carrington, Andrew Rohde, John Blackwell

Retaining: Nolan Winter, Ausitn Rapp, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Jayden Jones, Jack Janicki, Will Garlock, Zach Kinzinger

Incoming (104): Owen Foxwell (Australia), LaTrevion Fenderson (208), Jackson Ball (NA)

Blackwell’s decision to enter the portal was a devastating blow. It’s apparent that Wisconsin can’t compete with the top dollars that he will command on the open market. Losing Bieliauskas to the portal was also a big loss. Greg Gard’s portal recruiting is mostly centered around mid-major players like Nolan Minnesale (St. Thomas-Minnesota) and Chevalier Emery (Cleveland State).

22.  NEBRASKA

Last week: 21

Losing: Rienk Mast, Jamarques Lawrence, Sam Hoiberg, Jared Garcia, Berke Buyuktuncel

Retaining: Connor Essegian, Pryce Sandfort, Braden Frager, Cale Jacobsen, Leo Curtis, Ugnius Jarusevicius

Incoming (34): Collin Rice (81), Jacob Lanier (96), Sam Orme (Belmont)

Buyuktuncel entered the portal, and Orme transferred in. That still leaves Fred Hoiberg with a potent roster, though it would behoove him to add some more talent. He is reportedly pursuing Boise State forward Drew Fielder. Essegian is a sharpshooter who is returning from a season-ending ankle injury he sustained in November. 

23.  FLORIDA

Last week: 24

Losing: Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, Xaivian Lee, Micah Handlogten, Olivier Rioux

Retaining: Boogie Fland, Urban Klavzar, Isaiah Brown, C.J. Ingram, Alex Lloyd

Incoming (144): Jones Lay (NA), Denzel Aberdeen (Kentucky)

There has been chatter that some combination of Haugh, Condon and Chinyelu will come back to Gainesville, but given that all of them are projected to be drafted, they will remain on the departures list until they announce otherwise. Todd Golden made a run at Stefan Vaaks, but he committed to Illinois. Alabama forward Aiden Sherrell is another top target, but he may want to see what the underclassmen do before making a decision. Aberdeen is a former Gator who transferred to Kentucky and now wants to transfer back, although he will need a waiver from the NCAA to be able to do so.

24. SAINT LOUIS

Last week: NR

Losing: Robbie Avila, Dion Brown, Paul Otieno. Brady Dunlap

Retaining: Amari McCottry, Kellen Thames, Quentin Jones, Trey Green, Ishan Sharma

Incoming (92): Jermei Thomas (135)

The Billikens are showing amazing continuity for a mid-major program. Dunlap is the only player with eligibility remaining who was in the rotation and decided to leave.

25. UCLA

Last week: NR

Losing: Donovan Dent, Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Jamar Brown, Steven Jamerson

Retaining: Trent Perry, Eric Dailey, Xavier Booker, Brandon Williams, Eric Freeny

Incoming (40): Joe Philon (71), Javonte Floyd (193), Sergej Macura (Mississippi State), Filip Jovic (Auburn)

Mick Cronin is not a fan of high school recruiting, which is a risky decision considering the SoCal crop was so bountiful this year. He added a couple of nice pieces last week in Macura and Jovic and is aggressively looking to bring in some more.