A new Top 25

Did you miss the Duke win over Clemson last weekend because you couldn’t watch on cable? Just ditch cable, sign up for a handful of streaming services, and call it a day. I haven’t had cable since 2007. And I still manage to watch hundreds of college hoops games every year.

Let's get to some news.

1. Kansas keeps its spot as the consensus No. 1

Three months ago (to the day!) I compiled a list of seven outlets and one computer ranking to showcase the consensus college hoops preseason Top 25.

It’s been a busy summer, especially for programs such as Kentucky, West Virginia and Memphis. The new consensus ranking is slightly slimmer, but there’s even more agreement at the top: Kansas will enter the season as the team to beat. Probably.

Why omit The Almanac’s Top 10? Well, we’re still in pre-sale mode. (Order now and save 20%!) The other reason might hint at a little less consensus than the chart above indicates.

There are a dozen people working on The Almanac, and they all voted on their own Top 25s. The teams are quite similar to the rest of the chart, but the order? Not so much. Be sure to follow us on Twitter for the eventual countdown, or just buy it and you’ll see the full Top 25 when The Almanac is released on Sept. 20.

Some other notes about the consensus Top 25:

• TRank, or Barttorvik.com, is included for a snapshot of how a computer ranking varies compared to a writer’s POV. No other writers thus far have included TCU, and most have dropped Colorado since some votes back in April. It’s also notable how much TRank likes Creighton and how much it dislikes Marquette and FAU.

• The Golden Eagles keep dropping compared to where they started in April. The lowest they ranked back then was fifth and were No. 1 in three rankings. Now they’re still a Top 10 team according to writers, but losing O-Max Prosper put a dent in their armor.

• Kentucky made a push up the rankings since June. If DeAndre Williams is deemed eligible to play for Memphis, expect to see the Tigers make the same move in October/November.

• I’m fascinated by the divergence among schools like Miami, Arizona, Arkansas, St. Mary’s and UCLA.

And finally, about Purdue: I am a Kansas graduate and a resolute Jayhawks fan. But me ranking the Boilermakers at No. 1 isn’t some reverse-jinx attempt (attn: Rob and Greg). It’s simply a reflection of my view that Purdue has the highest floor of any team this season.

Right now, I have no idea if they’ll cut down the nets in Phoenix. But I do know that Zach Edey is back, and he’s flanked by guards poised for a sophomore jump, not to mention a capable supporting cast and at least one newcomer with some serious bounce.

That team’ll be consistently good from Day 1, and will almost certainly snag at least a 2 seed. Seems like a squad worthy of being No. 1.

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2. ‘Canes catch yet another upside guard

Miami’s made its mark in the last few seasons as a place where guards thrive. From Isaiah Wong and Kam McGusty to Lonnie Walker and Bruce Brown, the ‘Canes rely on their guards to make everything work.

It’s quite the recruiting appeal and was one of the primary reasons 2024 guard Austin Swartz committed to Miami on Monday.

“I chose Miami because they fit my play style and they have had guards like me in the past,” he told On3. “Coach L is the coach I want to play for because he makes guys better.”

Maybe I should’ve mentioned that before. Coach Jim Larranaga is one of the big selling points for Miami’s program. I mean, who wouldn’t want to play for this guy?

Now we’ll see if Swartz, a 6-5 guard who chose Miami over Clemson, Florida State, Indiana, UConn and Virginia Tech, among others, does develop at Miami. The 4-star prospect is seen by scouts as a good stand-still shooter and a score-first player who is underrated athletically.

Give him two or three seasons at Miami, and he sounds like the type of player who becomes a March star.

3. Memphis still hoping Mikey Williams can play

The odds of Memphis recruit Mikey Williams playing college basketball this season got even more slim this week.

Williams, a 4-star guard out of San Diego, was arrested earlier this year on gun charges and is still awaiting his preliminary court hearing. After two postponements, it was supposed to be Tuesday. Now it’s postponed until Oct. 10.

Williams’ lawyer, Troy Owens, requested the latest continuance and told the San Diego Union-Tribune that more time was needed because of new information that was released.

Williams is on the Memphis roster but did not join the team for their foreign tour this summer. Per the Union-Tribune, he is not on campus. Classes began last week, though he could be taking them online. Practice doesn’t begin until late September, and coach Penny Hardaway doesn’t want to decide on Williams until the result of the preliminary hearing.

And the window is closing.

“(We’ve) got to wait and see,” Hardaway said last week. “We don’t know what’s gonna happen with the trial. That’s out of our hands. But he’s still our guy.”

Given Memphis’ roster construction, it doesn’t necessarily need Williams this season. But his presence as an impact freshman who can handle the ball would help the Tigers, especially since Jahvon Quinerly will be asked to do pretty much everything this season.

To the Rocky Top

Tennessee’s been one of college basketball’s top programs for the last six seasons. The Vols have won SEC regular-season and tournament titles, and they’re among the best defenses each season but have yet to break through in March. After adding players this summer who can provide a bit more offense, is this the season Tennessee does advance past the second weekend?

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Links as you clear your calendar to play Starfield.

• The Messenger launched its college hoops coverage with Seth Davis and some other guy.

• St. John’s guard Daniss Jenkins is officially eligible to play this season.

• The Big 12 is considering a move to a 20-game schedule.

• Klay Thompson could always shoot. Even in sandals.

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