The Other Top 25: Memphis begins year in top spot in preseason poll

The Different High 25 returns for the 2024-25 season, and the Memphis Tigers claimed the No. 1 spot within the preseason ballot. The Tigers didn’t obtain one first-place vote as 5 different groups break up the six first-place votes.

Memphis barely edged Boise State by two factors for the highest spot. The Broncos acquired one first-place vote. VCU got here in third, simply 4 factors behind Boise. Dayton and Saint Mary’s every acquired one first-place vote and rounded out the highest 5.

Grand Canyon was the lone crew to obtain a number of votes for the highest spot. The Lopes got here in sixth. Saint Louis, who positioned thirteenth, claimed the ultimate first-place vote.

Under is the total results of the ballot adopted by a short synopsis of every crew.

Others Receiving Votes:

UNLV 13; Charleston 12; South Florida 11; East Tennessee St. 10; Vermont 9; UC Irvine 9; Louisiana Tech 9; Milwaukee 9; Drake 8; George Mason 7; Yale 3; Chattanooga 3; Florida Atlantic 2; Western Kentucky 2; Northern Iowa 2; Little Rock 1

1. Memphis

Memphis claimed the No. 1 spot within the preseason Different High 25 after experiencing unbelievable highs and lows throughout the 2023-24 season. Penny Hardaway’s crew began 15-2 with wins over Missouri, Michigan, Arkansas, VCU, Texas A&M, Clemson, Virginia and Vanderbilt within the non-conference on its approach to No. 10 within the AP High 25. From that time, Memphis completed 7-8 and bowed out in its first American Athletic Convention event recreation.

The Tigers stated goodbye to their prime six scorers. Nicholas Jourdain is the highest returner with 6.5 factors a recreation final season. PJ Haggerty comes into the fold from Tulsa, the place he averaged 21.2 factors an evening (fifteenth within the nation).

The Tigers performed powerful towards preseason top-10 crew North Carolina earlier this month in a charity exhibition. UNC prevailed 84-76. Memphis raced out to an 11-point lead within the first half and led by three on the break. Haggerty notched a team-high 24 factors on 8-of-14 taking pictures with 9 rebounds and three assists. Jourdain and redshirt-senior guard Colby Rogers every tallied 11.

The Tigers fired three assistant coaches and one crew advisor in September. The information got here simply two months earlier than the beginning of this season.

2. Boise St. (1 first-place vote)

Boise State has reached the NCAA Event in every of the final three seasons – all 20-win years. The Broncos have been tabbed because the preseason favorites within the Mountain West, which featured six groups within the Massive Dance final season.

Tyson Degenhart, who was named the convention preseason participant of the yr, notched 16.7 factors and 6.2 rebounds a recreation final season. O’Mar Stanley and San Jose State switch Alvaro Cardenas additionally garnered preseason recognition. Stanley posted 12.7 factors and 6.6 rebounds. Cardenas registered 13.1 factors per recreation for the Spartans.

3. VCU

VCU has gained a minimum of 20 video games in every of the final three seasons and 15 of the final 18. Ryan Odom now heads into his second yr main this system because the A-10 preseason favourite. The Rams have superior to the convention title recreation in every of the final two campaigns.

Three starters return from final yr’s crew that gained 24 video games. Max Shulga posted 14.0 factors, 4.6 rebounds and three.7 assists final yr and was named to the all-conference preseason first crew. He shot 41.5% from 3-point vary. Joe Bamisile poured in 13.1 factors off the bench final season. Zeb Jackson transferred in from Toledo, the place he averaged 11.4 factors, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per recreation.

4. Dayton (1)

Anthony Grant and Dayton had a resurgence final season. The Flyers, led by DaRon Holmes II, went 25-8 and acquired an at-large bid to the NCAA Event. Nate Santos, who ranked second on the crew behind Holmes with 11.7 factors per recreation, takes over the ranks because the crew’s go-to scorer.

The crew’s 5 newcomers are highlighted by Posh Alexander, who performed at St. John’s and Butler. He led the Massive East in steals in every of his 4 seasons. The Brooklyn native posted 11.3 factors, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and a pair of.2 steals a recreation final season. New York natives have had lots of success below Grant – i.e. Obi Toppin, Malachi Smith and Koby Brea.

5. Saint Mary’s (1)

Saint Mary’s has been a stellar crew within the West Coast Convention the previous few seasons. The Gaels have made three straight NCAA Tournaments. They’ve been a 5 seed annually and gained a minimum of 26 video games.

Randy Bennett’s squad gained its first outright WCC title since 2012 final season with a 15-1 convention mark and its first event championship in 5 years.

Regardless of the lack of Aidan Mahaney to UConn, SMC can be led by Augustas Marciulionis and Mitchell Saxen. Marciulionis was the crew’s second main scorer at 12.4 factors per recreation final season and posted a 2.70 assist-to-turnover ratio. Saxen tallied 11.8 factors and seven.6 boards a recreation.

6. Grand Canyon (2)

Grand Canyon has gained the WAC in every of the final two seasons and three of the final 4 years. The Lopes claimed a program-record 30 wins and gained their first NCAA Event recreation in 2024.

WAC Participant of the 12 months Tyon Grant-Foster posted 20.1 factors, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 2024 and is again this yr. Ray Harrison has gathered 15.7 factors and three.7 assists a recreation in two seasons with GCU.

T-7. San Diego St.

San Diego St. has been the most effective crew within the Mountain West over the past handful of years with 4 straight journeys to the NCAA Event because it was in line to be a top-two seed in 2020. This system has gained a minimum of 19 video games in every of the final 19 seasons. The Aztecs went to the title recreation in 2023.

Brian Dutcher’s crew misplaced six of its prime seven scorers with Reese Waters being the lone holdover. He amassed 9.7 factors and three.7 rebounds a recreation final yr. Pharaoh Compton was named the Mountain West’s Preseason Freshman of the 12 months. The 6-foot-8 ahead gathered 19.7 factors, 9.0 rebounds and three.6 blocks in his final yr of highschool basketball.

T-7. Princeton

Mitch Henderson and the Princeton Tigers have gained a minimum of 23 video games in every of the final three seasons, highlighted by a visit to the Candy 16 in 2023. They went 12-2 within the Ivy League for a second time throughout that stretch final season en path to a 3rd straight common season crown.

Reigning Ivy League Participant of the 12 months Caden Pierce is again as soon as once more. He notched 16.6 factors and 9.2 rebounds as a sophomore. Xaivian Lee led the crew and ranked fourth within the convention with 17.1 factors a recreation final season. He additionally pulled down 5.7 rebounds and dished out 3.7 assists.

9. Utah St.

Utah St. gained the common season title in the most effective yr of Mountain West basketball ever. The Aggies went 14-4 within the league and 28-7 total within the first season of the Danny Sprinkle period. They reached the second spherical of the NCAA Event for simply the second time within the final 23 years.

USU misplaced three of its prime six scorers from final yr. Gone are the likes of Nice Osobor, Darius Brown II and Josh Uduje, however Ian Martinez (13.3 factors), Mason Falslev (11.3) and Isaac Johnson (6.6) are again.

10. New Mexico

We transfer from the Mountain West common season champs to the event champs. New Mexico gained 4 video games in 4 days in Las Vegas final March to solidify six Mountain West groups dancing. Over the course of his three seasons main this system, Richard Pitino has elevated his win complete (13 to 22 to 26).

Within the absence of Jaelen Home, Jamal Mashburn Jr. and JT Toppin, Donovan Dent and Nelly Junior Joseph are poised to take the reigns. Dent, who was second crew all-conference final season, averaged 14.1 factors and 5.4 assists per recreation. Joseph gathered 8.9 factors and eight.2 rebounds a contest in his first season with this system after transferring in from Iona.

11. UAB

UAB enters its second season within the American because the preseason favourite. The Blazers gained the convention event to punch their second journey to the NCAA Event within the 4 years of Andy Kennedy’s tenure.

Convention preseason participant of the yr Yaxel Lendeborg averaged 13.8 factors, 10.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists and a pair of.1 blocks per recreation whereas taking pictures 51.3% from the sphere in 2024. He had 5 video games with 20+ factors and 15+ rebounds, which was second most to nationwide participant of the yr Zach Edey. Efrem “Butta” Johnson tallied 11.2 factors, and Alejandro Vasquez was a tenth of some extent behind him.

12. Nevada

Nevada is the fifth Mountain West Staff within the rating and is coming off consecutive 20-win seasons with journeys to the Massive Dance.

Regardless of dropping Jarob Lucas and Kenan Blackshear, the subsequent two prime scorers return from final yr’s crew. Nick Davidson is the one participant to return who averaged double figures (12.2). He pulled down a team-best 7.3 rebounds per recreation. Tré Coleman added 8.5 factors.

13. Saint Louis (1)

Saint Louis acquired the sixth and closing first-place vote. The Billikens usher in a recent look with Josh Schertz as head coach. He led Indiana State to the NIT championship recreation final season SLU is coming off a disappointing 13-20 season. It was their first season beneath .500 in seven years.

Schertz introduced a pair of standouts with him from Indiana State in Robbie Avila and Isaiah Swope. Avila tallied 17.4 factors per recreation and dished out greater than 4 assists a recreation. Swope amassed 15.9 factors and related on 113 3-points (fourth-most within the nation). Gibson Jimerson is the highest returner as he scored 15.8 factors an evening final yr.

14. McNeese St.

McNeese St. is coming off the most effective season in class historical past in yr one below Will Wade. The Cowboys went 30-4 – a 19-win enchancment from the prior season. They participated in March Insanity for the primary time in additional than twenty years.

The Pokes return a plethora of gamers to control. Christian Shumate posted 12.1 factors and 9.5 rebounds final season. Javohn Garcia was additionally in double figures with 11.2 factors.

Quadir Copeland transferred in from Syracuse, the place he tallied 9.6 factors and 4.6 boards. Joe Charles joined the crew from Louisiana-Lafayette and practically averaged a double-double (11.3 factors and 9.6 rebounds per recreation).

15. Bradley

Bradley was tabbed because the preseason favourite within the Missouri Valley Convention for the primary time because the 1999-00 season. The Braves completed third within the league final yr behind Drake and Indiana State.

Duke Deen, the preseason participant of the yr, amassed 13.9 factors, 3.9 assists per recreation final season. Darius Hannah contributed 11.5 factors and 6.3 rebounds in 2023-24. Zek Montgomery posted 9.6 factors and 4.1 boards at Rhode Island final yr.

16. San Francisco

San Francisco has gained 20 video games in seven of the final eight seasons (the one exception was the COVID yr). Whereas this system stated goodbye to NBA Draft choose Jonathan Mogbo, Chris Gerlufsen brings again 4 of his prime six scorers.

Marcus Williams gathered 14.0 factors and three.9 assists final season. His scoring output practically doubled from the season earlier than. Malik Thomas was additionally in double figures with 12.4. Ndewedo Newbury scored 9.4 on 52.6% taking pictures and blocked 37 photographs. Ryan Beasley added 7.8 factors.

17. Colorado St.

Why not yet another Mountain West crew? Colorado St. has been to the NCAA Event in two of the final three seasons with 25 in every of these two campaigns. Isaiah Stevens and Joel Scott are gone, however Nique Clifford is again and appears to construct off a yr by which he posted 12.2 factors and seven.6 rebounds.

18. Loyola Chicago

Loyola Chicago noticed a 13-win enchancment final season within the second yr below Drew Valentine. It flipped its A-10 file on its head, leaping from worst (4-14) to first (15-3). Des Watson led the crew in scoring final yr (12.6 factors per recreation) and is again. He additionally pulled down 4.9 rebounds.

19. Saint Joseph’s

Staying within the Atlantic 10, Saint Joseph’s is searching for back-to-back 20-win seasons for the primary time in 20 years. The Hawks return seven gamers and three starters. Erik Reynolds II 17.3 factors per contest and drilled 112 3-pointers. Xzayvier Brown had a stellar rooking marketing campaign by which he notched 12.7 factors, 3.4 assists and 1.7 steals a recreation. Rasheer Fleming amassed 10.7 factors and seven.4 rebounds as a sophomore.

T-20. Excessive Level

Excessive Level registered its most wins on the Division-I degree with 27 final season. It acquired its first-ever vote within the AP High 25 with some extent on this season’s preseason rating.

Whereas Dike Miles is now not with the Panthers, Kezza Giffa is again and was named preseason participant of the yr. He averaged 16.2 factors per recreation a yr in the past. Kimani Hamilton additionally returns after tallying 14.9 factors and seven.2 rebounds.

T-20. Ohio

Ohio was chosen because the preseason favourite within the MAC and returns all 5 starters from a crew that went 20-13 final season. Shereef Mitchell posted 13.3 factors and 4.2 boards in 2024. AJ Clayton notched 12.4 factors and 4.5 rebounds a recreation. AJ Brown was additionally in double figures with 10.3.

22. Santa Clara

Santa Clara has gained 20 video games in every of the final three seasons. Herb Sendek’s squad can be led by the backcourt tandem of Adama-Alpha Bal and Carlos Stewart Jr. Bal registered 14.4 factors and three.1 assists in his first yr with the Broncos. Stewart performed his first two seasons with Santa Clara and is again after enjoying one yr at LSU. He scored 10.3 factors per recreation final yr with the Tigers.

23. North Texas

Following profitable the 2023 NIT championship, North Texas went 19-15 final season. Ross Hodge enters yr two and could have loads of new faces as the highest six scorers from final season are gone. The roster options seven transfers.

Atin Wright registered 14.1 factors with Drake final season. Latrell Jossell got here in from Stephen F. Austin, the place he posted 12.9 factors. Johnathan Massie tabbed 11.3 factors and 5.2 rebounds at Longwood.

24. Towson

Towson was picked because the preseason favourite within the CAA this season. Pat Skerry has registered 20 wins in every of the final three seasons, which is a college file. He has 80% of his scoring and minutes again from final yr.

Tyler Tejada tallied 10.3 factors final season and was named rookie of the yr. Christian Might led the crew in scoring with 10.8 factors. Dylan Williamson was additionally in double figures at 10.2.

25. Arkansas St.

Arkansas St. completed above .500 final season for the primary time since 2017. Bryan Hodgson’s group was tabbed because the preseason favourite within the Solar Belt for the primary time.

Kobe Julien involves A-State from convention rival Louisiana, the place he led the convention in scoring at 17.3. Taryn Todd was second on the Wolves with 12.8 factors per recreation. Izaiyah Nelson is stalwart on the defensive finish with 7.6 rebounds and a pair of.0 blocks a recreation. He additionally posted 9.8 factors.