Top 25

*previous rank in parentheses

1) Florida 29-2 (1)

top five wins: Kansas; Memphis(n); @ Tennessee; @Kentucky; Kentucky

losses: @Wisconsin; @Connecticut

2) Wichita State 34-0 (3)

top five wins: Brigham Young(n); @Saint Louis; Tennessee; @Indiana State; Indiana State(n)

losses: none

3) Arizona 28-3 (2)

top five wins: @San Diego State; Duke(n); @Michigan; @UCLA; Oregon

losses: @California; @Arizona State; @Oregon

4) Louisville 26-5 (11)

top five wins: Southern Methodist; @Connecticut; @Cincinnati; @Southern Methodist; Connecticut

losses: North Carolina(n); @Kentucky; Memphis; Cincinnati; @Memphis

5) Syracuse 27-4 (4)

top five wins: Villanova; North Carolina; Pittsburgh; Duke; @Pittsburgh

losses: Boston College; @Duke; @Virginia; Georgia Tech

6) Michigan 23-7 (8)

top five wins: @Wisconsin; Iowa; @Michigan State; @Ohio State; Michigan State

losses: @Iowa State; Charlotte(n); @Duke; Arizona; @Indiana; @Iowa; Wisconsin

7) Duke 24-7 (5)

top five wins: Michigan; UCLA(n); Virginia; Syracuse; North Carolina

losses: Kansas(n); Arizona(n); @Notre Dame; @Clemson; @Syracuse; @North Carolina; @Wake Forest

8) Wisconsin 25-6 (6)

top five wins: Florida; Saint Louis(n); @Virginia; Michigan State; @Michigan

losses: @Indiana; Michigan; @Minnesota; Northwestern; Ohio State; @Nebraska

9) Villanova 28-3 (13)
top five wins: Kansas(n); Iowa(n); @St. John's; @Providence; @Xavier
losses: @Syracuse; Creighton; @Creighton

10) Virginia 25-6 (9)

top five wins: Southern Methodist(n); North Carolina; @Pittsburgh; @Clemson; Syracuse

losses: Virginia Commonwealth; Wisconsin; @Green Bay; @Tennessee; @Duke; @Maryland

11) San Diego State 27-3 (12)

top five wins: Creighton(n); Marquette(n); @Kansas; @UNLV; New Mexico

losses: Arizona; @Wyoming; @New Mexico

12) Kansas 23-8 (7)

top five wins: Duke(n); New Mexico(n); @Iowa State; Iowa State; Oklahoma

losses: Villanova(n); @Colorado; @Florida; San Diego State; @Texas; @Kansas State; @Oklahoma State; @West Virginia

13) Cincinnati 26-5 (14)

top five wins: Southern Methodist; @Memphis; @Louisville; Connecticut; Memphis

losses: @New Mexico; Xavier(n); @Southern Methodist; Louisville; @Connecticut

14) North Carolina 23-8 (10)

top five wins: Louisville(n); @Michigan State; Kentucky; Pittsburgh; Duke

losses: Belmont; @UAB; Texas; @Wake Forest; Miami; @Syracuse; @Virginia; @Duke

15) Iowa State 23-7 (15)

top five wins: Michigan; Iowa; Oklahoma; @Oklahoma State; Texas

losses: @Oklahoma; Kansas; @Texas; @Kansas; @West Virginia; @Kansas State; @Baylor

16) Michigan State 23-8 (16)

top five wins: Kentucky(n); Oklahoma(n); @Texas; Ohio State; @Iowa

losses: North Carolina; Michigan; Georgetown(n); @Wisconsin; Nebraska; @Michigan; Illinois; @Ohio State

17) Saint Louis 26-5 (18)

top five wins: Indiana State; @ St. Joseph's; Virginia Commonwealth; George Washington; @Massachusetts

losses: Wisconsin(n); Wichita State; Duquesne; @Virginia Commonwealth; Dayton

18) New Mexico 24-6 (20)

top five wins: Cincinnati; Marquette(n); Boise State; @UNLV; San Diego State

losses: Massachusetts(n); Kansas(n); New Mexico State; UNLV; @Boise State; @San Diego State

19) Oklahoma 23-8 (22)

top five wins: @Texas; Iowa State; @Oklahoma State; Kansas State; Texas

losses: Michigan State(n); Louisiana Tech; Kansas; @Kansas State; @Iowa State; @West Virginia; Texas Tech; @Kansas

20) Memphis 23-8 (23)
top five wins: Oklahoma State(n); @Louisville; Gonzaga; Louisville; Southern Methodist
losses: @Oklahoma State; Florida(n); Cincinnati; Connecticut; @Southern Methodist; @Connecticut; @Houston; @Cincinnati

21) Ohio State 23-8 (NR)
top five wins: Nebraska; @Wisconsin; @Iowa; Minnesota; Michigan State
losses: @Michigan State; Iowa; @Minnesota; @Nebraska; Penn State; Michigan; @Penn State; @Indiana

22) Creighton 24-6 (21)

top five wins: @St. Joseph's; Arizona State(n); California; @Villanova; Villanova

losses: San Diego State(n); George Washington(n); @Providence; @St. John's; @Xavier; @Georgetown

23) Connecticut 24-7 (17)

top five wins: Florida; Harvard; @Memphis; Memphis; Cincinnati

losses: Stanford; @Houston; @Southern Methodist; Louisville; @Cincinnati; Southern Methodist; @Louisville

24) Massachusetts 23-7 (NR)
top five wins: Nebraska(n); New Mexico(n); Brigham Young(n); @George Washington; Virginia Commonwealth
losses: Florida State(n); @Richmond; @St. Bonaventure; @St. Joseph's; George Mason; @Dayton; Saint Louis

25) Virginia Commonwealth 24-7 (NR)
top five wins: @Virginia; @Dayton; George Washington; Saint Louis; @Richmond
losses: Florida State(n); Georgetown(n); @Northern Iowa; @George Washington; @St. Joseph's; @Saint Louis; @Massachusetts

IN: Ohio State; Massachusetts; Virginia Commonwealth
OUT: UCLA; Iowa; Kentucky

2013-14 Preseason All-Americans and Award Predictions

First Team
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State [soph]
Russ Smith, Louisville [sr]
Glenn Robinson, Michigan [soph]
CJ Fair, Syracuse [sr]
Doug McDermott, Creighton [sr]

Second Team
Shabazz Napier, Connecticut [sr]
Kendall Williams, New Mexico [sr]
Gary Harris, Michigan State [soph]
Joe Harris, Virginia [sr]
Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky [soph]

All-Defense
Aaron Craft, Ohio State [sr]
Briante Weber, VCU [jr]
Russ Smith, Louisville [sr]
Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall [sr]
Chris Obekpa, St. John's [soph]

All-Freshman
Wayne Selden, Kansas
Andrew Wiggins, Kansas
Jabari Parker, Duke
Aaron Gordon, Arizona
Julius Randle, Kentucky

Player of the Year: Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State

Top Defender: Aaron Craft, Ohio State

Best Freshman: Jabari Parker, Duke

2012-13 Preseason All-Americans and Award Predictions

First Team
Isaiah Canaan, Murray State [sr]
C.J. McCollum, Lehigh [sr]
Jamaal Franklin, San Diego State [jr]
Doug McDermott, Creighton [jr]
Cody Zeller, Indiana [soph]

*Zeller is the only player from a Power Six conference on the first team.

Second Team
Aaron Craft, Ohio State [jr]
Trey Burke, Michigan [soph]
Deshaun Thomas, Ohio State [jr]
Tony Mitchell, North Texas [soph]
Mike Moser, UNLV [jr]

*The first man out is senior Matthew Dellavedova of Saint Mary's, one of the Gaels' Australian imports.

All-Defense
Aaron Craft, Ohio State [jr]
Fuquan Edwin, Seton Hall [jr]
C.J. Aiken, St. Joseph's [jr]
Gorgui Dieng, Louisville [jr]
Jeff Withey, Kansas [sr]

*Indiana junior Victor Oladipo gets beaten out for the final spot by Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin, who was second in the nation in thefts per contest during the 2011-12 campaign.

All-Freshman
Marcus Smart, Oklahoma State
Rodney Purvis, North Carolina State
Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA
Alex Poythress, Kentucky
Nerlens Noel, Kentucky

*UNLV's Anthony Bennett, who will be joining forces with Mike Moser in Las Vegas, is the sixth man on RBP's All-Freshman team.

Player of the Year: Cody Zeller, Indiana
The youngest of the Brothers Zeller was the single biggest reason for the Hoosiers' remarkable turnaround from Big Ten doormat just two seasons ago to the preseason pick to win the title according to both the AP and Coaches' polls.

Top Defender: Aaron Craft, Ohio State
If you have read RBP before, then you know how I feel about Mr. Craft.

Best Freshman: Alex Poythress, Kentucky

Poythress edges North Carolina State's Rodney Purvis for the preseason honor but could end up being only the third best freshman to suit up for the Wildcats this year.

Notes: Duke at Ohio State

1. Jared Sullinger is the most dominant player in college basketball. He arguably held that distinction last season as a freshman (though Kemba Walker might have something to say about that), and he appears to be picking up where he left off. He may not be the most tantalizing pro prospect in the country, but he imposes his will on the game like no one in the college ranks. And the hand wringing about Sullinger's move to power forward appears to be much ado about nothing.

2. Aaron Craft is a fantastic college point guard. He's possibly the best perimeter defender in the country, and he doesn't make mistakes on the offensive end. Talking heads shoud stop going on about his competitiveness and moxie and start recognizing him as one of the best players in the country. For more on Craft's impact on the defensive end, see Luke Winn's most recent power rankings here.

3. William Buford is poised to become the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer by the end of the year. If you have any doubts that this team is for real, consider that the all-time leading scorer for a program with some real gravitas may only be the Buckeyes' third most important player this season.

4. According to popular opinion, the 2011-12 season is a two-horse race between ultra-talented North Carolina and blue chip-laden Kentucky . Well, it's time to start talking about Ohio State. They play harder than North Carolina. And they are deeper than Kentucky. Thad Matta's squad is behind the Tar Heels and Wildcats in terms of talent, but the gap isn't as wide as we've been led to believe. Tonight Ohio State looked like the best team in the country.

5. Duke isn't this bad, but the Blue Devils' performance tonight fits my expectations for Coach K's squad. Look for the Blue Devils to pick up around 25 wins en route to a 2 or 3 seed. But also expect Coach K's squad to struggle against talented (long, athletic) teams and to flame out during the tournament's second week. In other words, they will feast on the underwhelming, the mediocre, and the pretty good, while they fall to teams with elite talent.

6. Austin Rivers has become an easy target for a lot of reasons, and some of the criticism he has brought on himself, due to what appears to be an epic lack of self-awareness. He's a gunner and is largely disinterested on the defensive end, but he is also capable of doing things on the offensive end that are truly special. I have serious doubts about the degree to which his game is going to translate at the next level, and the hype machine appears to have done young Austin a disservice. One wonders what Rivers would have to do at this point to shed the ballhog and lazy defender labels. That being said, I think he's off to a pretty good start as a college freshman, especially when one considers the extent to which Duke relies on Rivers to create his own shot.

Top 25

1. Ohio State 20-0
quality wins: Florida, Florida State, Minnesota, Illinois
previous rank: 3

2. Duke 18-1
quality wins: Marquette, Kansas State, Michigan State, Butler, Maryland
loss: Florida State
previous rank: 4

3. Pittsburgh 19-1
quality wins: Maryland, Texas, Connecticut, Marquette, Georgetown, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee
previous rank: 5

4. Kansas 18-1
quality wins: Arizona, UCLA, Memphis, Baylor
loss: Texas
previous rank: 2

5. San Diego State 20-0
quality wins: Gonzaga, St. Mary's, Wichita State, UNLV
previous rank: 7

6. Connecticut 16-2
quality wins: Wichita State, Michigan State, Kentucky, Texas, Villanova, Tennessee
loss: Pittsburgh, Notre Dame
previous rank: 8

7. Texas 16-3
quality wins: Illinois, North Carolina, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Kansas
losses: Pittsburgh, USC, Connecticut
previous rank: 10

8. Villanova 17-2
quality wins: UCLA, Temple, Cincinnati, Louisville, Maryland, Syracuse
loss: Tennessee, Connecticut
previous rank: 6

9. Syracuse 18-2
quality wins: Michigan State, Notre Dame, St. John's, Cincinnati
losses: Pittsburgh, Villanova
previous rank: 1

10. Brigham Young 19-1
quality wins: Utah State, St. Mary's, Arizona, UNLV
loss: UCLA
previous rank: 12

11. Missouri 17-3
quality win: Vanderbilt, Illinois, Old Dominion, Kansas State
losses: Georgetown, Colorado, Texas A&M
previous rank: 13

12. Purdue 17-3
quality wins: Virginia Tech, Michigan State
losses: Richmond, Minnesota, West Virginia
previous rank: 15

13. Texas A&M 17-2
quality wins: Temple, Washington, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas State
losses: Boston College, Texas
previous rank: 11

14. Wisconsin 15-4
quality wins: Boston College, Marquette, Minnesota, Illinois
losses: UNLV, Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan State
previous rank: 14

15. Notre Dame 16-4
quality wins: Georgia, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Connecticut, St. John's, Cincinnati, Marquette
losses: Kentucky, Syracuse, Marquette, St. John's
previous rank: 16

16. Kentucky 15-4
quality wins: Washington, Notre Dame, Louisville
losses: Connecticut, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama
previous rank: 9

17. Vanderbilt 14-4
quality wins: North Carolina, Marquette, Georgia, St. Mary's
losses: West Virginia, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee
previous rank: 17

18. Washington 15-4
quality wins: UCLA, Arizona
losses: Kentucky, Michigan State, Texas A&M, Stanford
previous rank: 24

19. Louisville 15-4
quality wins: Butler, UNLV, Marquette, St. John's
losses: Drexel, Kentucky, Villanova, Providence
previous rank: 18

20. Minnesota 15-4
quality wins: North Carolina, West Virginia, Purdue
losses: Virginia, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Ohio State
previous rank: 22

21. Illinois 14-6
quality wins: Maryland, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Wisconsin, Michigan State
losses: Texas, UIC, Missouri, Penn State, Wisconsin, Ohio State
previous rank: 23

22. Cincinnati 17-3
quality wins: Dayton, Xavier, St. John's
losses: Villanova, Syracuse, Notre Dame
previous rank: 21

23. St. Mary's 17-3
quality win: St. John's
losses: Brigham Young, San Diego State, Vanderbilt
previous rank: 20

24. Utah State 18-2
losses: Brigham Young, Georgetown
previous rank: NR

25. Florida State 15-5
quality wins: Clemson, Baylor, Duke, Boston College
losses: Florida, Ohio State, Butler, Auburn, Virginia Tech
previous rank: NR