The new college basketball season is just days out, and the Men’s Other Top 25 preseason poll just dropped a bombshell: Saint Louis is sitting pretty at number one. They pulled in two first-place votes, but get this, their A-10 conference rival VCU is breathing down their neck at number two, only four points behind them with one first-place vote themselves. Grand Canyon snatched the third spot with a pair of first-place votes, while New Mexico and Saint Mary’s rounded out the top five. Utah State also got a first-place vote, landing them at sixth. This season is going to be wild from the jump.
The Billikens Lead the Pack
Josh Schertz’s Saint Louis crew looks stacked, and that top ranking isn’t some fluke. Their returning core is flat-out dangerous. Trey Green is back after hitting an Atlantic 10-best 44.2% from three last season, dropping 10.7 points a game. Amari McCottry also returns as a double-digit scorer, putting up 10.5 points, 5.3 boards, and 2.9 assists per night. Then there’s Kellen Thames with 9.7 points and 4.7 rebounds, and Ishan Sharma, who was also money from deep at 41.7% on his way to 9.1 points. Quentin Jones is another key piece, averaging 9.1 points. The big x-factor for them? Robbie Avila’s eligibility, even with a recent favorable court ruling. Their non-conference schedule is a beast, too: they’re facing Missouri, High Point, Saint Mary’s, Grand Canyon, South Florida, and DePaul. Talk about testing yourselves early!
Heavy Hitters and New Eras: VCU, Grand Canyon, and Beyond
VCU being just four points shy of the top spot tells you everything you need to know about the expectation in their camp. Phil Martelli Jr. led them to the second round last March after a massive comeback against North Carolina, and this program has been a beast, hitting 14 of the last 20 NCAA Tournaments, including the last two. Lazar Djokovic is their top returner, bringing back 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. Nyk Lewis, last year’s A-10 Rookie of the Year, had a breakout first season with 8.7 points and 4.5 boards, and Brandon Jennings was right there with him at 8.5 points and 3.6 rebounds.
Grand Canyon is riding their highest expectations ever, entering year two in the Mountain West. Bryce Drew is gunning for his fifth NCAA Tournament appearance this decade, and his squad has a trio of big returners: Jaden Henley (17.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Makaih Williams (14 ppg, 2.5 apg), and Efe Demirel (8.5 ppg, 5 rpg). Plus, they hit the transfer portal hard, bringing in Dylan Darling from St. John’s, who put up 7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists a game.
New Mexico had a killer run to the NIT semifinals last season in Eric Olen’s first year, winning at least 26 games in each of the last three seasons and making the two previous NCAA Tournaments. Jake Hall was a monster rookie, snagging MW Freshman of the Year after pouring in 16.4 points per game and draining a school-record 117 three-pointers. Uriah Tenette was also clutch, with 10.6 points, 3.7 boards, and 2.8 assists.
Over at Saint Mary’s, it’s a new chapter entirely. Mickey McConnell is taking over as head coach, the first time in a quarter century that Randy Bennett isn’t leading the charge. Their top returner, Joshua Dent, averaged 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 5.6 assists last season, so he’s gonna be key. And then there’s Utah State, who just keeps winning no matter what. They’ve been to the last four NCAA Tournaments with three different head coaches. Now, Ben Jacobson, coming from Northern Iowa, is their new first-year head man. He’s got Mason Falslev (16 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3 apg) and Karson Templin (8.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg) back as they navigate the newly-formed Pac-12 for the first time. The season is about to get cooking, and these teams are ready to lay it all out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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