1. Kansas

Finished around the top 10 last season, and they lost only a combined 0.5 points per game from that team.

2. Kentucky

John Wall may not win player of the year; such things are hard to predict for freshmen. But he will be the best athlete in the country, hands down.

3. North Carolina

Three of last year’s national championship super-studs were drafted in the first round, but coach Roy Williams brings in the country’s best talent year in and year out, almost at will.

4. Michigan State

Made it to the national championship game, and five of the top six scorers are back. Kalin Lucas will again be one of the nation’s premier playmakers.

5. Texas

The loss of A.J. Abrams hurts, but a nice recruiting class will make up for it. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, they are in the same conference as Kansas.

6. West Virginia

Devin Ebanks and Da’Sean Butler are both  back, and may be two of the best players in the Big East. This is rarified air for the players, but not for the program or Bob Huggins.

7. Villanova

Last year, Scottie Reynolds lifted this team to the Final Four. He is back, and with the exception of Dante Cunningham, so is the core of that team.

8. Duke

Kyle Singler is still around, and he will drive this team forward. Hate on him if you like, but he is one of the country’s most relentless players.

9. Purdue

This team disappointed last season, mostly because of Robbie Hummel’s poor health. All five starters are back. If Hummel is healthy, Purdue is a top-five team.

10. Mississippi State

Underrated coach Rick Stansbury brought in one of the country’s best recruiting classes. And all five starters are back. Jarvis Varnado may block 200 shots.

11. Connecticut

This team could be ranked higher or lower. The nucleus of last year’s Final Four team (Hasheem Thabeet, A.J. Price) are not back, but top-10 talent is still there.

12. Butler

The Bulldogs are easily the best of this year’s mid-majors. Will young coach Brad Stevens be swept away by a bigger job, or will he stick around like Mark Few did at Gonzaga?

13. Washington

We on the East Coast will not hear much of Isaiah Thomas (no relation), but he will be one of the nation’s best. The Huskies should run away with the Pac-10.

14. Tennessee

Word is, Bobby Maze has improved a lot this offseason. If he has, the Vols will make up for a lot of last season’s disappointment.

15. Ohio State

B.J. Mullens left. So what? Evan Turner is back, and Thad Matta is high on this team. I buy it.

16. California

Mike Montgomery is in his second year, and the Golden Bears have had time to get into his system. They also have the talent to make it work at a high level.

17. Georgetown

Georgetown was not a bad team last year. They had to deal with the loaded Big East. That league has deflated a bit from last year, but the Hoyas have not.

18. Notre Dame

They were another Big East flub last year, perhaps the country’s most disappointing team. With Luke Harangody, the Irish could be a top-15 team if the defense steps up.

19. Maryland

Greivis Vasquez may be the ACC’s best playmaker this year, and eight of the team’s top-nine scorers from last year’s hit-or-miss team are back.

20. Michigan

John Beilein may employ the country’s highest-energy offense, and he is finally starting to get talent in Ann Arbor, Mich., to flourish like he did in West Virginia.

21. Clemson

Many rank the Tigers higher, but they prove me wrong every time I pick them higher. Trevor Booker is a playmaker, but he needs help to live up to his billing.

22. Siena

Four starters are back from an NCAA second-round team last year. They should play well enough in the MAAC to get another favorable NCAA seed this year.

23. Louisville

I do not want to leave the Cards out, but I do not want to rank them any higher. Samardo Samuels should play better in a league in which the big men thinned out a lot.

24. Oklahoma

Both Blake and Taylor Griffin are gone, but a top-10 recruiting class will be enough for Willie Warren to work with.

25. Dayton

With Sean Miller now in Arizona, Xavier’s run of Atlantic 10 dominance may be finished. However, Dayton’s team is experienced, and Chris Wright has the talent to put the team on his shoulders.