/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63725532/usa_today_12476002.0.jpg)
Immediately after the national championship game back in April, CBS Sports and ESPN released their top 25 rankings for the 2019-2020 season.
Now that players have made their NBA declarations and stepped into the mystical transfer portal, the lists have been updated. Your Kentucky Wildcats are sitting pretty at No. 3 across the board.
- Michigan State Spartans
- Duke Blue Devils
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Louisville Cardinals
- Memphis Tigers
- Maryland Terrapins
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Seton Hall Pirates
- Villanova Wildcats
- Auburn Tigers
- Oregon Ducks
- Arizona Wildcats
- Michigan Wolverines
- Iowa Hawkeyes
- Houston Cougars
- Purdue Boilermakers
- VCU Rams
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Baylor Bears
- Creighton Bluejays
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Davidson Wildcats
The most notable change in the CBS rankings is of the Memphis Tigers. Gary Parrish uses the 247Sports crystal ball to determine landing spots for the top remaining recruits in the 2019 class. RJ Hampton, Precious Achiuwa, and Lester Quinones are all headed to Memphis according to those percentages. They would join five stars James Wiseman and DJ Jeffries.
If it wasn’t bad enough for Kentucky to be in a Louisville-Duke sandwich, now Penny Hardaway has jumped his group into the fold as a top five team. The Tigers finished 22-14 in the 2018-2019 season, which was good for sixth in the American Athletic Conference. Could they really make that big of a jump? Will Penny even land those guys?
To be fair, Kentucky is being awarded Johnny Juzang through this system. But what if the Cats land Jaden McDaniels and/or Kerry Blackshear.
While Jeff Borzello of ESPN is not quite as high on Memphis, the North Carolina Tar Heels did jump eleven spots since his last list was released (and since Cole Anthony committed).
ESPN Preseason Top 25
- Michigan State Spartans
- Duke Blue Devils
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Villanova Wildcats
- Michigan Wolverines
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Ohio State Buckeyes
- Louisville Cardinals
- Maryland Terrapins
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Seton Hall Pirates
- North Carolina Tar Heels
- Arizona Wildcats
- Virginia Cavaliers
- Oregon Ducks
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Washington Huskies
- Memphis Tigers
- Houston Cougars
- Utah State Aggies
- St. Mary’s Gaels
- Baylor Bears
- Florida Gators
- Creighton Blue Jays
- Tennessee Volunteers
While Borzello does not incorporate uncommitted recruits into his rankings, he does seem quite liberal with who he leaves in and takes out of the draft (i.e. Myles Powell of Seton Hall). Regardless, his rankings feel a little more reasonable.
Until they show it on the court, Memphis nor Louisville belong in the top five. UNC has a lot of work to do in replacing their top players. And Arizona very well may not have a team come October.
There is a lot of moving and shaking that can take place before October, so be cautious in taking these lists to heart.