With the National Championship game in the rear view mirror, the college basketball offseason has begun. Teams are currently reviewing their pieces from the previous season and they are beginning to focus their attention towards next season. In the aftermath of another exciting season, there are a few questions that need to be answered before the discussion truly turns towards next season.
Update: Since writing this, E.J. Montgomery has committed to Kentucky, and numerous transfers have chosen their new school, as well as multiple players announcing their plans to transfer. If you would like to stay up to date with transfer news, visit this site.
1. Where will the top undecided recruits go?
At the moment, there are still a few question marks on the recruiting market. According to the 247 Sports rankings, 7 of the top 100 recruits have yet to make a decision. The headliners are Romeo Langord, E.J. Montgomery, and Jordan Brown. All ranked inside the top 20, these are the types of recruits that can single handedly change a program's outlook. Brown is a 6'10" power forward from California, and he is likely to stay on the West Coast. He is currently considering Cal, UCLA, Oregon, Nevada, and Gonzaga, as well as Saint John's and Louisiana-Lafayette. The McDonald's All American has recently had interest from some blue bloods, however, as Kansas, Kentucky, and UNC are all apparently interested in the big man. This uptick in recruiting is probably due to his showing in Atlanta when he scored 26 points and got 8 rebounds in just 22 minutes, offering a taste of what's to come. He is the number 16 recruit in the class, and it will be interesting to see if he can be swayed by a big program. Montgomery, a 6'10" forward from Georgia, was committed to Auburn for over two years before decommitting due to the FBI investigation around the school. With his recruitment reopened, he has certainly attracted interest from top programs. He has taken unofficial visits to Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky, and is also considering Georgetown, Wake Forest, and Vanderbilt. The #12 ranked prospect is said to be finalizing his list, so look for his decision soon. The best of the bunch is probably Langford, the fifth ranked prospect. The 6'5" shooting guard from Indiana has attracted huge crowds at his high school games, and with good reason. He is a dynamic scorer, and he showed that at the McDonald's All American game, scoring 19 points while making three shots from deep, grabbing 6 boards, and picking up 3 assists. He is said to be nearing a decision, having whittled his list down to Kansas, Indiana, and Vanderbilt. He has been tight lipped about which way he is leaning, and all three schools are still in contention. Other players to look out for are Brandon Williams(#31), a point guard who was committed to Arizona before reopening his recruitment, and is looking at Oregon, Gonzaga, Arizona State, and Arizona, Courtney Ramey(#40), a former Louisville commit who recently named his top 10, James Akinjo(#95), a point guard who recently left his committment to UConn after their change in head coach and is looking at Georgetown and Tennessee, among others, and Myreon Jones, a guard who decommitted from Memphis after the firing of Tubby Smith, and he has been hearing from a lot of schools as of late. One name to watch is Ashton Hagans. He is the top point guard in the 2019 class, and number 8 recruit overall. He was committed to Georgia, but backed out, and there are rumors that he may reclassify to the class of 2018. If he does, he would be highly sought after, as he is now, with a new school offering him seemingly every day. The school seemingly in the lead either way is Kentucky, and he could certainly offer a big boost to the Wildcats next season. If I had to make completely uniformed predictions, I'd say Hagans goes to Kentucky, but stays in the 2019 class, Williams goes to Oregon, Ramey to Missouri, Akinjo to Georgetown, Jones to Memphis, Brown to UCLA, Montgomery to Kentucky, and Langford to Vanderbilt.
2. How will the transfer market play out?
Another way programs can bolster their rosters is through transfers, and there is no shortage of potential impact players on the market this year. Some of the top players available right now are graduate transfer, meaning they wouldn't have to sit out a year. Players like Ehab Amin from Texas Tech Corpus Christi(16.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.4 SPG, and 3 APG as a junior before missing last season with an injury), Aaron Calixte of Maine(17 PPG), Joseph Chartouny of Fordham(12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.3SPG), Joe Cremo from Albany(17.8 PPG 4.1 RPG, and 3.8 APG), Michael Finke of Illinois(9.8 PPG, 5 RPG), Zach Johnson from Florida Gulf Coast(16.1 PPG, 3 APG), Ryan Luther from Pittsburgh(12.7 PPG), Matt Mooney of South Dakota(18.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.1 APG), Tariq Owens from Saint John's(8.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.8 BPG), Ryan Taylor formerly of Evansville(21.1 PPG), and Keyshawn Woods of Wake Forest(12 PPG) will look to go to a bigger program next season and make an impact. It also works in reverse, as mid-majors can pick up a grad transfer from a larger program who thrives at a smaller school, which is what players like Braedon Bayer(Syracuse), Tre Campbell(Georgetown), Brady Ellingson(Iowa), Kory Holden(South Carolina), and Dion Wiley(Maryland). Meanwhile, there are plenty of players who won't be eligible to play next season but will still make a big impact at their next school. Guys like Don Coleman(California, 14.2 PPG), Ryan Daly(Delaware, 17.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG), Keith Fisher(San Jose State, 10.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Malachi Flynn(Washington State, 15.8 PPG, 4.3 APG), Andre Fox(High Point, 15.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG), Blake Francis(Wagner, 17.3 PPG), Jacob and Kalob Ledoux(Kennesaw State, 14.8 PPG and 8.1 PPG respectively), Koby McEwen(Utah State, 15.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG), Prentiss Nixon(Colorado State, 16.1 PPG), Dru Smith(Evansville, 13.7 PPG, 4.6 APG), Parker Stewart(Pittsburgh, 9.1 PPG), Anthony Tarke(NJIT, 15.1 PPG, 8 RPG) and Ryan Welage(San Jose State, 18.1 PPG) are eager to prove themselves against better competiton, while some players like Jalik Felton(UNC), Harrison Henderson(USC), Darius Hicks(NC State), D'Angelo Hunter(West Virginia), Tyson Jolly(Baylor), Kam McGusty(Oklahoma), DavItion Mitchell(Auburn), Mark Smith(Illinois), Jordan Shephard(Oklahoma), C.J. Walker(Florida State), Tai Wynyard(Kentucky), and Jacob Young(Texas) didn't have have the roles they expected and are looking for a change of scenery. There have already been some commitments, notably Evan Boudreaux from Dartmouth to Purdue, Kyle Castkin from Columbia to Xavier, Davante Fitzgerald from Minnesota to Steven F Austin, Zach Hankins from Ferris State to Xavier, Makai Mason from Yale to Baylor, and David Nichols from Albany to Florida State on the grad transfer market, and Brian Bowen from Louisville to South Carolina, Carlton Bragg from Arizona State to New Mexico, Blake Harris from Missouri to North Carolina State, Jalen Harris from Louisina Tech to Nevada, Cujo Jones from Indiana to Oklahoma State, Kris Martin from Colorado State to Oklahoma, Miles Reynolds from Pacific to Oklahoma, C.J. Roberts from Missouri to Texas Tech, and Jordan Tucker from Duke to Butler, but fans will have to wait a year before seeing them in action. There are a lot of potential impact players for teams to get, and many will try to plug holes with transfers. Look for Nevada to be heavily involved, as they always are, and programs who suffered lots of losses this season, like Arizona, Ohio State, and Missouri, to try and snag some transfers to replenish their rosters.
3. Who is going to stay in the draft?
It seems as if nearly every player who enjoyed a successful season is testing the NBA Draft waters. As long as they don't sign an agent, they maintain their eligibility and they can withdraw by June 11. There are plenty of excellent players who have entered their name into consideration, but still have the ability to come back. We've already seen some players like Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura decide to come back, and others like Lagerald Vick declare unexpectedly. You can follow along with all the players who declare here. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the best players who need to make a decision.
ACC
Jerome Robinson- Boston College
Shelton Mitchell- Clemson
Marquise Reed- Clemson
Ky Bowman- Boston College
Dewan Huell- Miami
American
Jacob Evans-Cincinnati
Jarrey Foster- SMU
Big East
Shamorie Ponds- Saint John's
Max Strus- DePaul
Big 12
Zhaire Smith- Texas Tech
Sagaba Konate- West Virginia
Kerwin Roach- Texas
Lindell Wiggington- Iowa State
Barry Brown- Kansas State
Esa Ahmad- West Virginia
Big Ten
Carsen Edwards- Purdue
Ethan Happ- Wisconsin
James Palmer- Nebraska
Issac Copeland- Nebraska
Nick Ward- Michigan State
Tyler Cook- Iowa
Bruno Fernando- Maryland
Mountain West
Caleb Martin- Nevada
Cody Martin- Nevada
Jordan Caroline- Nevada
Jalen McDaniels- San Diego State
PAC-12
Kris Wilkes- UCLA
Reid Travis- Stanford
Jaylen Hands- UCLA
SEC
Jontay Porter- Missouri
Jalen Hudson- Florida
P.J. Washington- Kentucky
Admiral Schofield- Tennessee
Tyler Davis- Texas A&M
Admon Gilder- Texas A&M
Quinndary Witherspoon- Mississippi State
Jared Harper- Auburn
Nick Weatherspoon- Mississippi State
4. Which teams will be the biggest risers and fallers?
As with every new season, there will be some teams who improve, and some who fall off. Here's a quick look at some of those teams
Risers
- LSU: Bolstered by a strong recruiting class, the Tigers will look to compete in the SEC next season. New head coach Will Wade lead them to a winning season, and they will look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Their fortunes look good, as they have the number 4 recruiting class in the nation, headlined by five stars Naz Reid and Emmett William, the former a McDonald's All American, the latter scored 44 points at the Jordan Brand Classic. They also bring back rising sophomore star Tremont Waters, who scored 15.9 points and dished out 6 assists per game as a freshman. Things are looking up in Baton Rouge.
- Oregon: After a Final Four run in 2017, Oregon struggled in the 2017-18 season. They lost most of their top scorers, and struggled to replace some of that production. They went 23-13, and 10-8 in the PAC-12, good for a sixth place finish. The good news for Ducks fans is that they should be right back to their previous form. They bring back leading scorer Payton Pritchard at point guard, who had 14.5 PPG and 4.8 APG. They also bring back intriguing rising sophomore forward Kenny Wooten, who averaged 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks a game, as well as rising senior guard Elijah Brown, who scored 13.6 points a game for the Ducks. Their biggest plus is an excellent recruiting class, ranked third in the country according to 247 Sports. They bring in two five-star recruits who also feature in the top 20 in center Bol Bol(#4) and forward Louis King(#17) as well as two four star recruits who feature in the top 60 in Will Richardson(#41) and Miles Norris(#60). These additions as well as their returning players should have the Ducks near the top of the PAC-12 again.
- Maryland: The Terrapins transition to the Big Ten has gone very well, as they made the tournament in their first three seasons in their new conference. Last season did not go as they would have hoped, however, as they were ravaged by injuries and missed the NCAA Tournament. They look ready to regain their position near the top of the Big Ten this season, as they have a good recruiting class and return key pieces. Their top four leading scorers, rising juniors point guard Anthony Cowan and small forward Kevin Huerter and rising sophomores center Bruno Fernando and guard Darryl Morsell, who combined for nearly 50 points of scoring and 20 rebounds a game next season. They will be bolstered by three top 100 recruits, lead by 5-star power forward Jalen Smith, who should slot right into the starting lineup. They also bring in four-star wings Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala, who should be in their rotation next year.
Fallers
- Arizona: The Arizona Wildcats have been a fixture at the top of the PAC-12 for years, and were my pick to win the national championship before the season. That didn't pay off as they lost in the first round to Buffalo despite having potential number 1 pick Deandre Ayton as well as numerous other quality players. Unfortunately for Arizona fans, the Wildcats look to be in trouble next season. They lose all five starters, whether it be to graduation or the NBA. None of the players they bring back averaged over 5 points a game last season, which doesn't seem like a good thing. Even worse, they only have one recruit at the moment in Devonaire Doutrive, who is ranked 82 in the class. They have been linked to nearly every graduate transfer on the market as they look to rebuild their program, and with everything around the program, it seems unlikely that Arizona has an easy 2018-19 season.
- Wichita State: The Shockers have been a regular in the NCAA Tournament under Gregg Marshall, appearing in every tournament since 2012. They had yet another successful season in their first year in the American, going 25-8 overall and 14-4 in their conference, before being upset in the first round. Things could continue to falter for them, as their lose all of their double digit scorers and seven key rotation pieces. Their only known quantities headed into next year are Austin Reaves and Markis McDuffie, each of whom will need to step into a much larger role this season. Their incoming recruits aren't anything special, with no four or five stars currently committed. I like Gregg Marshall as a coach, but he will need to do his best job yet to keep Wichita State relevant this season.
- Oklahoma: The Sooners have been successful under Lon Kruger, turning in winning seasons and tournament appearances in 5 out of his 7 seasons. They looked excellent last season, mostly on the back of mercurial freshman Trae Young. Oklahoma games in the first half of the year were must-watch TV as you never knew what Young was going to do next, whether it was threading the needle with a pinpoint pass, breaking a defender's ankles, or most often pulling up for a deep three. However, they struggled in the second half when teams keyed in on Young, losing in the first round of the tournament. Young, to no ones surprise, declared for the NBA Draft, so Oklahoma loses their top scorer, ball handler, and distributor. They also lose their top rim protector, Khadeem Lattin, to graduation, as well as key role players Kameron McGusty, who scored 8 points a game, as well as backup point guard Jordan Shepard to transfer. There isn't much help from their recruiting class, with just 2 recruits signed at the moment, and in the always tough Big 12, Oklahoma looks primed to fall off rapidly.
5. Can someone unseat Villanova next season?
The Wildcats have been the class of college basketball for the past few seasons, winning 2 of the last 3 titles, and are clearly the best program in the country at the moment. Jay Wright does an excellent job of recruiting for his system, and brings in players, who while the might not be the cream of the crop, are very talented and fit his style of play perfectly. They are set up excellently for next season as well. Even if Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges leave for the NBA Draft, like most expect them to, Nova can still trot out a starting lineup featuring Collin Gillespe, Donte DiVincenzo, Phil Booth, Eric Paschall, and Omari Spellman. Those 5 were all key pieces to their championship team, and that doesn't even take into account the Wildcat's twelfth ranked recruiting class featuring five star point guard Jahvon Quinerly, and four star wings Cole Swider and Brandon Slater, all of whom are ranked inside the top 50. They will enter the season as a strong contender to repeat their success, but there are a few other teams who could challenge the Wildcats.
- Kansas: The Jayhawks are atop most Top 25 lists headed into next season, and with good reason. They supplement returners Udoka Azubuike, Silvio de Sousa and Marcus Garrett with transfers Dedric and K.J. Lawson from Memphis and Charlie Moore from California. If the incoming 43.7 points of production wasn't enough, Kansas boasts the sixth best recruiting class, featuring five star guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes as well as four star big David McCormack. They look poised to repeat as both Big 12 Champions and Final Four participants next season.
- Duke: Sure, the Blue Devils lose four star freshman as well as senior Grayson Allen, but they seem well positioned to regain success. After bringing in the top recruiting class last season, they followed it up with the top class again, and it looks even more impressive this season. They bring in the top 3 recruits in the class in R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson, as well as another top 10 recruit in Tre Jones. While it remains to be seen how all these players gel on the court, it is impossible to ignore this type of talent as a serious contender.
- Kentucky: As always, John Calipari brings in a star studded recruiting class to Lexington for the 2018-19 season. They have 3 top 35 recruits coming in, and could still add more. Unlike previous Kentucky teams, however, they are set to return a decent amount of players from last season, with players such as Quade Green, P.J. Washington, and Jarred Vanderbilt projected to return to the Wildcats next season. Incoming recruit Tyler Herro as well as a more prominent role for Quade Green should alleviate concerns about outside scoring, and put Kentucky in a strong position for a huge run come next March.
- Gonzaga: A bit of a dark horse pick, the Bulldogs are always the favorite to win the West Coast Conference, and went to the final two years ago. They return 4 of their top 5 scores, and will replace the other, Missouri transfer Jonathon Williams, will perhaps an even better transfer, Brandon Clarke from San Jose State, who scored 17.3 points, grabbed 8.7 rebounds, and blocked 2.3 shots a game while playing in the Mountain West Conference. He should slot right into the Zags starting lineup, and the continued development of rising sophomores Corey Kispert and Jacob Larsen should provide help of the bench, as will top 100 recruit Filip Petrusev, so look for Gonzaga to make a deep run next season.
Update: Since writing this, E.J. Montgomery has committed to Kentucky, and numerous transfers have chosen their new school, as well as multiple players announcing their plans to transfer. If you would like to stay up to date with transfer news, visit this site.
1. Where will the top undecided recruits go?
At the moment, there are still a few question marks on the recruiting market. According to the 247 Sports rankings, 7 of the top 100 recruits have yet to make a decision. The headliners are Romeo Langord, E.J. Montgomery, and Jordan Brown. All ranked inside the top 20, these are the types of recruits that can single handedly change a program's outlook. Brown is a 6'10" power forward from California, and he is likely to stay on the West Coast. He is currently considering Cal, UCLA, Oregon, Nevada, and Gonzaga, as well as Saint John's and Louisiana-Lafayette. The McDonald's All American has recently had interest from some blue bloods, however, as Kansas, Kentucky, and UNC are all apparently interested in the big man. This uptick in recruiting is probably due to his showing in Atlanta when he scored 26 points and got 8 rebounds in just 22 minutes, offering a taste of what's to come. He is the number 16 recruit in the class, and it will be interesting to see if he can be swayed by a big program. Montgomery, a 6'10" forward from Georgia, was committed to Auburn for over two years before decommitting due to the FBI investigation around the school. With his recruitment reopened, he has certainly attracted interest from top programs. He has taken unofficial visits to Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky, and is also considering Georgetown, Wake Forest, and Vanderbilt. The #12 ranked prospect is said to be finalizing his list, so look for his decision soon. The best of the bunch is probably Langford, the fifth ranked prospect. The 6'5" shooting guard from Indiana has attracted huge crowds at his high school games, and with good reason. He is a dynamic scorer, and he showed that at the McDonald's All American game, scoring 19 points while making three shots from deep, grabbing 6 boards, and picking up 3 assists. He is said to be nearing a decision, having whittled his list down to Kansas, Indiana, and Vanderbilt. He has been tight lipped about which way he is leaning, and all three schools are still in contention. Other players to look out for are Brandon Williams(#31), a point guard who was committed to Arizona before reopening his recruitment, and is looking at Oregon, Gonzaga, Arizona State, and Arizona, Courtney Ramey(#40), a former Louisville commit who recently named his top 10, James Akinjo(#95), a point guard who recently left his committment to UConn after their change in head coach and is looking at Georgetown and Tennessee, among others, and Myreon Jones, a guard who decommitted from Memphis after the firing of Tubby Smith, and he has been hearing from a lot of schools as of late. One name to watch is Ashton Hagans. He is the top point guard in the 2019 class, and number 8 recruit overall. He was committed to Georgia, but backed out, and there are rumors that he may reclassify to the class of 2018. If he does, he would be highly sought after, as he is now, with a new school offering him seemingly every day. The school seemingly in the lead either way is Kentucky, and he could certainly offer a big boost to the Wildcats next season. If I had to make completely uniformed predictions, I'd say Hagans goes to Kentucky, but stays in the 2019 class, Williams goes to Oregon, Ramey to Missouri, Akinjo to Georgetown, Jones to Memphis, Brown to UCLA, Montgomery to Kentucky, and Langford to Vanderbilt.
2. How will the transfer market play out?
Another way programs can bolster their rosters is through transfers, and there is no shortage of potential impact players on the market this year. Some of the top players available right now are graduate transfer, meaning they wouldn't have to sit out a year. Players like Ehab Amin from Texas Tech Corpus Christi(16.9 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 3.4 SPG, and 3 APG as a junior before missing last season with an injury), Aaron Calixte of Maine(17 PPG), Joseph Chartouny of Fordham(12.2 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 3.3SPG), Joe Cremo from Albany(17.8 PPG 4.1 RPG, and 3.8 APG), Michael Finke of Illinois(9.8 PPG, 5 RPG), Zach Johnson from Florida Gulf Coast(16.1 PPG, 3 APG), Ryan Luther from Pittsburgh(12.7 PPG), Matt Mooney of South Dakota(18.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.1 APG), Tariq Owens from Saint John's(8.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 2.8 BPG), Ryan Taylor formerly of Evansville(21.1 PPG), and Keyshawn Woods of Wake Forest(12 PPG) will look to go to a bigger program next season and make an impact. It also works in reverse, as mid-majors can pick up a grad transfer from a larger program who thrives at a smaller school, which is what players like Braedon Bayer(Syracuse), Tre Campbell(Georgetown), Brady Ellingson(Iowa), Kory Holden(South Carolina), and Dion Wiley(Maryland). Meanwhile, there are plenty of players who won't be eligible to play next season but will still make a big impact at their next school. Guys like Don Coleman(California, 14.2 PPG), Ryan Daly(Delaware, 17.5 PPG, 6.2 RPG), Keith Fisher(San Jose State, 10.4 PPG, 6.3 RPG), Malachi Flynn(Washington State, 15.8 PPG, 4.3 APG), Andre Fox(High Point, 15.7 PPG, 4.8 RPG), Blake Francis(Wagner, 17.3 PPG), Jacob and Kalob Ledoux(Kennesaw State, 14.8 PPG and 8.1 PPG respectively), Koby McEwen(Utah State, 15.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG), Prentiss Nixon(Colorado State, 16.1 PPG), Dru Smith(Evansville, 13.7 PPG, 4.6 APG), Parker Stewart(Pittsburgh, 9.1 PPG), Anthony Tarke(NJIT, 15.1 PPG, 8 RPG) and Ryan Welage(San Jose State, 18.1 PPG) are eager to prove themselves against better competiton, while some players like Jalik Felton(UNC), Harrison Henderson(USC), Darius Hicks(NC State), D'Angelo Hunter(West Virginia), Tyson Jolly(Baylor), Kam McGusty(Oklahoma), DavItion Mitchell(Auburn), Mark Smith(Illinois), Jordan Shephard(Oklahoma), C.J. Walker(Florida State), Tai Wynyard(Kentucky), and Jacob Young(Texas) didn't have have the roles they expected and are looking for a change of scenery. There have already been some commitments, notably Evan Boudreaux from Dartmouth to Purdue, Kyle Castkin from Columbia to Xavier, Davante Fitzgerald from Minnesota to Steven F Austin, Zach Hankins from Ferris State to Xavier, Makai Mason from Yale to Baylor, and David Nichols from Albany to Florida State on the grad transfer market, and Brian Bowen from Louisville to South Carolina, Carlton Bragg from Arizona State to New Mexico, Blake Harris from Missouri to North Carolina State, Jalen Harris from Louisina Tech to Nevada, Cujo Jones from Indiana to Oklahoma State, Kris Martin from Colorado State to Oklahoma, Miles Reynolds from Pacific to Oklahoma, C.J. Roberts from Missouri to Texas Tech, and Jordan Tucker from Duke to Butler, but fans will have to wait a year before seeing them in action. There are a lot of potential impact players for teams to get, and many will try to plug holes with transfers. Look for Nevada to be heavily involved, as they always are, and programs who suffered lots of losses this season, like Arizona, Ohio State, and Missouri, to try and snag some transfers to replenish their rosters.
3. Who is going to stay in the draft?
It seems as if nearly every player who enjoyed a successful season is testing the NBA Draft waters. As long as they don't sign an agent, they maintain their eligibility and they can withdraw by June 11. There are plenty of excellent players who have entered their name into consideration, but still have the ability to come back. We've already seen some players like Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura decide to come back, and others like Lagerald Vick declare unexpectedly. You can follow along with all the players who declare here. Here's a quick breakdown of some of the best players who need to make a decision.
ACC
Jerome Robinson- Boston College
Shelton Mitchell- Clemson
Marquise Reed- Clemson
Ky Bowman- Boston College
Dewan Huell- Miami
American
Jacob Evans-Cincinnati
Jarrey Foster- SMU
Big East
Shamorie Ponds- Saint John's
Max Strus- DePaul
Big 12
Zhaire Smith- Texas Tech
Sagaba Konate- West Virginia
Kerwin Roach- Texas
Lindell Wiggington- Iowa State
Barry Brown- Kansas State
Esa Ahmad- West Virginia
Big Ten
Carsen Edwards- Purdue
Ethan Happ- Wisconsin
James Palmer- Nebraska
Issac Copeland- Nebraska
Nick Ward- Michigan State
Tyler Cook- Iowa
Bruno Fernando- Maryland
Mountain West
Caleb Martin- Nevada
Cody Martin- Nevada
Jordan Caroline- Nevada
Jalen McDaniels- San Diego State
PAC-12
Kris Wilkes- UCLA
Reid Travis- Stanford
Jaylen Hands- UCLA
SEC
Jontay Porter- Missouri
Jalen Hudson- Florida
P.J. Washington- Kentucky
Admiral Schofield- Tennessee
Tyler Davis- Texas A&M
Admon Gilder- Texas A&M
Quinndary Witherspoon- Mississippi State
Jared Harper- Auburn
Nick Weatherspoon- Mississippi State
4. Which teams will be the biggest risers and fallers?
As with every new season, there will be some teams who improve, and some who fall off. Here's a quick look at some of those teams
Risers
- LSU: Bolstered by a strong recruiting class, the Tigers will look to compete in the SEC next season. New head coach Will Wade lead them to a winning season, and they will look to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Their fortunes look good, as they have the number 4 recruiting class in the nation, headlined by five stars Naz Reid and Emmett William, the former a McDonald's All American, the latter scored 44 points at the Jordan Brand Classic. They also bring back rising sophomore star Tremont Waters, who scored 15.9 points and dished out 6 assists per game as a freshman. Things are looking up in Baton Rouge.
- Oregon: After a Final Four run in 2017, Oregon struggled in the 2017-18 season. They lost most of their top scorers, and struggled to replace some of that production. They went 23-13, and 10-8 in the PAC-12, good for a sixth place finish. The good news for Ducks fans is that they should be right back to their previous form. They bring back leading scorer Payton Pritchard at point guard, who had 14.5 PPG and 4.8 APG. They also bring back intriguing rising sophomore forward Kenny Wooten, who averaged 6.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks a game, as well as rising senior guard Elijah Brown, who scored 13.6 points a game for the Ducks. Their biggest plus is an excellent recruiting class, ranked third in the country according to 247 Sports. They bring in two five-star recruits who also feature in the top 20 in center Bol Bol(#4) and forward Louis King(#17) as well as two four star recruits who feature in the top 60 in Will Richardson(#41) and Miles Norris(#60). These additions as well as their returning players should have the Ducks near the top of the PAC-12 again.
- Maryland: The Terrapins transition to the Big Ten has gone very well, as they made the tournament in their first three seasons in their new conference. Last season did not go as they would have hoped, however, as they were ravaged by injuries and missed the NCAA Tournament. They look ready to regain their position near the top of the Big Ten this season, as they have a good recruiting class and return key pieces. Their top four leading scorers, rising juniors point guard Anthony Cowan and small forward Kevin Huerter and rising sophomores center Bruno Fernando and guard Darryl Morsell, who combined for nearly 50 points of scoring and 20 rebounds a game next season. They will be bolstered by three top 100 recruits, lead by 5-star power forward Jalen Smith, who should slot right into the starting lineup. They also bring in four-star wings Aaron Wiggins and Eric Ayala, who should be in their rotation next year.
Fallers
- Arizona: The Arizona Wildcats have been a fixture at the top of the PAC-12 for years, and were my pick to win the national championship before the season. That didn't pay off as they lost in the first round to Buffalo despite having potential number 1 pick Deandre Ayton as well as numerous other quality players. Unfortunately for Arizona fans, the Wildcats look to be in trouble next season. They lose all five starters, whether it be to graduation or the NBA. None of the players they bring back averaged over 5 points a game last season, which doesn't seem like a good thing. Even worse, they only have one recruit at the moment in Devonaire Doutrive, who is ranked 82 in the class. They have been linked to nearly every graduate transfer on the market as they look to rebuild their program, and with everything around the program, it seems unlikely that Arizona has an easy 2018-19 season.
- Wichita State: The Shockers have been a regular in the NCAA Tournament under Gregg Marshall, appearing in every tournament since 2012. They had yet another successful season in their first year in the American, going 25-8 overall and 14-4 in their conference, before being upset in the first round. Things could continue to falter for them, as their lose all of their double digit scorers and seven key rotation pieces. Their only known quantities headed into next year are Austin Reaves and Markis McDuffie, each of whom will need to step into a much larger role this season. Their incoming recruits aren't anything special, with no four or five stars currently committed. I like Gregg Marshall as a coach, but he will need to do his best job yet to keep Wichita State relevant this season.
- Oklahoma: The Sooners have been successful under Lon Kruger, turning in winning seasons and tournament appearances in 5 out of his 7 seasons. They looked excellent last season, mostly on the back of mercurial freshman Trae Young. Oklahoma games in the first half of the year were must-watch TV as you never knew what Young was going to do next, whether it was threading the needle with a pinpoint pass, breaking a defender's ankles, or most often pulling up for a deep three. However, they struggled in the second half when teams keyed in on Young, losing in the first round of the tournament. Young, to no ones surprise, declared for the NBA Draft, so Oklahoma loses their top scorer, ball handler, and distributor. They also lose their top rim protector, Khadeem Lattin, to graduation, as well as key role players Kameron McGusty, who scored 8 points a game, as well as backup point guard Jordan Shepard to transfer. There isn't much help from their recruiting class, with just 2 recruits signed at the moment, and in the always tough Big 12, Oklahoma looks primed to fall off rapidly.
5. Can someone unseat Villanova next season?
The Wildcats have been the class of college basketball for the past few seasons, winning 2 of the last 3 titles, and are clearly the best program in the country at the moment. Jay Wright does an excellent job of recruiting for his system, and brings in players, who while the might not be the cream of the crop, are very talented and fit his style of play perfectly. They are set up excellently for next season as well. Even if Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges leave for the NBA Draft, like most expect them to, Nova can still trot out a starting lineup featuring Collin Gillespe, Donte DiVincenzo, Phil Booth, Eric Paschall, and Omari Spellman. Those 5 were all key pieces to their championship team, and that doesn't even take into account the Wildcat's twelfth ranked recruiting class featuring five star point guard Jahvon Quinerly, and four star wings Cole Swider and Brandon Slater, all of whom are ranked inside the top 50. They will enter the season as a strong contender to repeat their success, but there are a few other teams who could challenge the Wildcats.
- Kansas: The Jayhawks are atop most Top 25 lists headed into next season, and with good reason. They supplement returners Udoka Azubuike, Silvio de Sousa and Marcus Garrett with transfers Dedric and K.J. Lawson from Memphis and Charlie Moore from California. If the incoming 43.7 points of production wasn't enough, Kansas boasts the sixth best recruiting class, featuring five star guards Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes as well as four star big David McCormack. They look poised to repeat as both Big 12 Champions and Final Four participants next season.
- Duke: Sure, the Blue Devils lose four star freshman as well as senior Grayson Allen, but they seem well positioned to regain success. After bringing in the top recruiting class last season, they followed it up with the top class again, and it looks even more impressive this season. They bring in the top 3 recruits in the class in R.J. Barrett, Cam Reddish, and Zion Williamson, as well as another top 10 recruit in Tre Jones. While it remains to be seen how all these players gel on the court, it is impossible to ignore this type of talent as a serious contender.
- Kentucky: As always, John Calipari brings in a star studded recruiting class to Lexington for the 2018-19 season. They have 3 top 35 recruits coming in, and could still add more. Unlike previous Kentucky teams, however, they are set to return a decent amount of players from last season, with players such as Quade Green, P.J. Washington, and Jarred Vanderbilt projected to return to the Wildcats next season. Incoming recruit Tyler Herro as well as a more prominent role for Quade Green should alleviate concerns about outside scoring, and put Kentucky in a strong position for a huge run come next March.
- Gonzaga: A bit of a dark horse pick, the Bulldogs are always the favorite to win the West Coast Conference, and went to the final two years ago. They return 4 of their top 5 scores, and will replace the other, Missouri transfer Jonathon Williams, will perhaps an even better transfer, Brandon Clarke from San Jose State, who scored 17.3 points, grabbed 8.7 rebounds, and blocked 2.3 shots a game while playing in the Mountain West Conference. He should slot right into the Zags starting lineup, and the continued development of rising sophomores Corey Kispert and Jacob Larsen should provide help of the bench, as will top 100 recruit Filip Petrusev, so look for Gonzaga to make a deep run next season.
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