AP males’s preseason survey reaction: What you need to know
The 2024-25 preseason men’s college basketball AP Leading 25 poll results are out!Kansas goes into the season as the No. 1 team, over Alabama. Back-to-back ruling national champion UConn, on the other hand, will start a new season ranked outside the top-2 once again– but we all understand what occurred the last two times the Huskies did so. Can they run it back and become the first program considering that John Wooden’s UCLA groups to win three straight titles?Duke, meanwhile, lands inside the top 10 at No. 7, and will want to capitalize on the talent of its freshmen– led by No. 1 hire and projected No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg– to reduce the internet in April. Don’t sleep on last top 25 entrant Rutgers and its 2 super star freshmen Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, though.As a brand-new season of modification thanks to the transfer website, training moves and major conference realignment– hi, Texas in the SEC, Arizona in the Huge 12, UCLA in the Big Ten!– techniques(Nov. 4), let’s break down the predicted beginning lineups and greatest early-season games for each of the 25 groups in the AP rankings.All times Eastern 2023-24 record: 23-11(lost to 5-seed Gonzaga in round of 32)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Howard, 8 p.m., ESPN+B iggest early-season game: Nov. 8 vs. North Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Projected starting lineup Dajuan Harris Jr.(8.5 PPG last season) Zeke Mayo( 18.8 PPG at South Dakota State)AJ Storr(16.8 PPG at
Wisconsin)K.J. Adams Jr. (12.6 PPG)
Hunter Dickinson (17.9 PPG) 2023-24 record: 25-12(lost to 1-seed UConn in Final 4)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. UNC Asheville, 9 p.m., ESPNU Biggest
early-season game: Nov. 26 vs. Houston, 8 p.m., TBS Forecasted starting lineup Mark Sears (21.5 PPG)Aden Holloway(7.3 PPG at Auburn)Latrell Wrightsell Jr.(8.9 PPG) Grant Nelson( 11.9 PPG)Clifford Omoruyi(
10.4 PPG at Rutgers) 2023-24 record: 37-3(Won 2024 national title)Season opener: Nov. 6 vs Spiritual Heart, 7 p.m., FS1 Biggest early-season game: Dec. 4 vs Baylor, 6:30 p.m., FS1 Predicted starting lineup Hassan Diarra (6.1 PPG) Aidan Mahaney(13.9 PPG at Saint Mary’s)Liam McNeeley (No. 9 in ESPN 100) Alex Karaban(13.3 PPG)Samson Johnson(5.4 PPG) 2023-24 record: 32-5( lost to 4-seed Duke in Sweet 16)
Season opener: Nov. 4 vs.
Jackson State, 8 p.m., ESPN+B iggest early-season game: Nov. 26 vs. Alabama, 8 p.m., TBS Forecasted starting lineup Milos Uzan(9.0 PPG at Oklahoma)L.J. Cryer(15.5 PPG)Emanuel Sharp(12.6 PPG )J’Wan Roberts (9.5 PPG) Ja’Vier Francis (6.0 PPG)
2023-24 record: 29-8 (lost to 3-seed Illinois in Sugary Food 16)
Season opener: Nov. 4 vs.
Miss. Valley
State, 8 p.m., ESPN+B iggest early-season game: Nov. 25 vs. Auburn
, 9 p.m., ESPNU Forecasted starting lineup Tamin Lipsey (12.4 PPG
)Curtis Jones(11.0 PPG) Keshon Gilbert(13.7 PPG)Milan Momcilovic
(10.9 PPG )Dishon Jackson(11.4 PPG at Charlotte) 2023-24 record: 27-8 (lost to 1-seed Purdue in Sugary Food 16
)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Baylor, 11:30 p.m.,
ESPN2 Biggest early-season game: Dec. 7 vs. Kentucky Projected
starting lineup Ryan Nembhard(12.6 PPG)Nolan Hickman(
14.0 PPG )Michael Ajayi (17.2 PPG at Pepperdine)Ben
Gregg(9.0 PPG)Graham Ike(16.5 PPG) 2023-24 record: 27-9(lost to
11-seed NC State in Elite 8)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Maine, 7 p.m.
, ACC Network Greatest early-season game: Nov. 12 vs. Kentucky, 9
p.m., ESPN Predicted starting lineup Tyrese Proctor(10.5 PPG)Caleb Foster(7.7 PPG)Kon Knueppel (No. 18
in ESPN 100)
Cooper Flagg (No. 1 in ESPN 100)Khaman Maluach(luxury)
2023-24 record: 24-11(lost to 6-seed Clemson in round of 32)Season opener: Nov. 4 at Gonzaga, 11:30 p.m., ESPN2 Greatest early-season game: Nov. 9 vs. Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.,
ESPNU Predicted starting lineup Jeremy Roach(14.0 PPG at Duke)Jayden Nunn(10.5 PPG)VJ Edgecombe(No. 3 in ESPN 100
)Langston Love (11.0 PPG)
Norchad Omier (17.0 PPG at Miami) 2023-24 record: 29-8(lost to 4-seed Alabama in Sweet 16)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Elon, 9 p.m., ACC Network Most significant early-season game: Nov. 8 vs. Kansas, 7 p.m., ESPN2 Forecasted starting lineup Elliot Cadeau (7.3 PPG)RJ Davis (21.2 PPG)Drake Powell(No. 14 in ESPN 100)Cade Tyson (16.2 PPG at Belmont)Jalen Washington(3.9 PPG
) 2023-24 record: 27-9(lost to 6-seed
Clemson in Sugary Food 16)
Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Canisius, 10 p.m., ESPN+B iggest early-season game: Nov. 22 vs. Duke, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2 Forecasted starting lineup Jaden Bradley(7.0 PPG)Caleb Love(18.0 PPG)KJ Lewis
(6.1 PPG)Trey Townsend(17.3
PPG at Oakland)
Motiejus Krivas(5.4 PPG
) 2023-24 record: 27-8(lost to 13-seed Yale in round of 64)Season opener: Nov. 6 vs. Vermont, 8 p.m., SEC Network+ Biggest early-season game: Nov. 9 vs. Houston, 9:30 p.m., ESPNU Forecasted starting lineup JP Pegues(18.4 PPG at Furman)Denver Jones(9.1 PPG) Miles Kelly(13.9 PPG at Georgia Tech)Chad Baker-Mazara (10.0
PPG)Johni Broome(16.5 PPG)
2023-24 record: 27-9 (lost to 1-seed Purdue in Elite 8)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Gardner-Webb, 7 p.m., SEC Network+Greatest early-season game: Dec. 14 at Illinois, 5:30 p.m., Fox Projected starting lineup Zakai Zeigler(11.8 PPG)
Chaz Lanier(19.7 PPG at North Florida)Jahmai Mashack (4.5 PPG)Igor
Milicic Jr.(12.8 PPG at Charlotte) Felix Okpara(6.6 PPG at Ohio State
2023-24 record: 21-15(lost to 1-seed Houston
in round of 32) Season opener: Nov. 4 at UCF, 7
p.m., Greatest early-season game: Nov. 27 vs. Creighton, 6:30 p.m., Max Predicted starting lineup Wade Taylor IV (19.1 PPG)Manny Obaseki (7.0 PPG)Zhuric Phelps(14.8 PPG at SMU)Henry Coleman III(8.8 PPG)Pharrel Payne(10.0 PPG at Minnesota) 2023-24 record: 34-5 (lost to 1-seed UConn in championship game)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7 p.m., BTN Most significant early-season game: Nov. 15 vs. Alabama, 8 p.m., Peacock Projected starting lineup Braden Smith(12.2 PPG) Fletcher Loyer(10.6 PPG)
Myles Colvin(3.3 PPG) Camden Heide (3.4 PPG)Trey Kaufman-Renn(6.4 PPG
) 2023-24 record: 25-10 (lost to 2-seed Tennessee in Sweet 16
)Season opener: Nov. 6 vs.
UTRGV, 9 p.m., FS2 Greatest early-season game: Nov. 27 vs. Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m., Max Forecasted starting lineup Steven Ashworth(11.1 PPG)Pop Isaacs(15.8 PPG at Texas Tech)Jamiya Neal (11.0 PPG at Arizona State)
Mason Miller(5.6 PPG) Ryan Kalkbrenner (17.3 PPG
) 2023-24 record: 16-17( lost to South Carolina in SEC competition second round)
Season opener: Nov. 6 vs.
Lipscomb, 8 p.m., SEC Network+Most significant early-season game: Nov. 9 vs. Baylor, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU Projected starting lineup D.J. Wagner(9.9 PPG at Kentucky)Johnell Davis(18.2 PPG at Florida Atlantic )Adou Thiero (7.2 PPG at Kentucky )Trevon Brazile(8.6 PPG)
Jonas Aidoo(11.4 PPG at Tennessee)
2023-24 record: 19-14( lost to Nebraska in Big Ten tournament quarterfinal )Season opener: Nov. 6 vs. SIUE, 9 p.m., BTN Greatest early-season game: Nov. 16 vs. South Carolina, 4 p.m., Peacock Projected starting lineup Myles Rice( 14.8 PPG at Washington State)Kanaan Carlyle(11.5 PPG at Stanford)Mackenzie Mgbako(12.2 PPG)Malik Reneau(15.4 PPG)Oumar Ballo(14.2 PPG at Arizona ) 2023-24 record: 27-10 (lost to 11-seed NC State in Sugary Food 16 )Season
opener: Nov. 4 vs. Stony Brook
, 8:30 p.m., FS1 Most significant early-season game: Nov. 19 vs. Purdue, 9 p.m., FS1 Forecasted starting lineup Kam Jones (17.2 PPG)
Stevie Mitchell(8.8 PPG)
Chase Ross (6.1 PPG)
David Joplin (10.8 PPG )Ben Gold (5.0 PPG)
2023-24 record: 21-13
( lost to 2-seed Tennessee in round of 32)
Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Ohio State, 10 p.m., TNT Greatest early-season game
: Dec. 8 vs. UConn, 5 p.m., ESPN Forecasted starting lineup Jordan Pope (17.6 PPG at Oregon State) Tramon Mark(16.2 PPG at Arkansas)Tre Johnson (No. 5 in ESPN 100 )Arthur Kaluma( 14.4
PPG at Kansas State)Kadin Shedrick (7.7 PPG)
2023-24 record: 22-15(
lost to Indiana State in NIT quarterfinal)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 7 p.m., ESPN+B iggest early-season game: Dec. 14 vs Xavier, 2 p.m.
, ESPN+P rojected starting lineup Jizzle James (8.8 PPG)Dan Skillings Jr.(
12.9 PPG)Simas Lukosius(11.8 PPG
)Dillon Mitchell(9.6 PPG
at Texas)Aziz Bandaogo(6.6 PPG)
2023-24 record: 24-12(lost to 10-seed Colorado in round of 64)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. South Florida, 8:30 p.m., SEC Network Greatest early-season game: Dec. 17 vs. North Carolina, 7 p.m., ESPN Predicted starting lineup Walter Clayton Jr.(17.6 PPG)Alijah Martin(13.1 PPG at Florida Atlantic) Will Richard (11.4 PPG)Alex Condon(7.7 PPG)
Rueben Chinyelu(4.7 PPG at Washington State ) 2023-24 record: 16-17( lost to Oregon in
Pac-12 competition quarterfinal )Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Rider, 10:30 p.m., FS1 Most significant early-season game: Dec. 14 at Arizona, 3 p.m., ESPN2 Projected starting lineup Dylan Andrews( 12.9 PPG)Dominick Harris (14.3
PPG at Loyola Marymount)Kobe
Johnson (10.9 PPG at USC )Tyler Bilodeau (14.3 PPG at Oregon State)
William Kyle III(13.1 PPG at South Dakota State ) 2023-24 record: 23-10(lost to 14-seed Oakland in round of 64)Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. Wright State,
7 p.m., ESPNU Biggest early-season game: Nov. 12 vs. Duke, 9 p.m., ESPN Predicted starting lineup Lamont Butler(9.4 PPG at San Diego State
)Koby Brea(11.1 PPG at Dayton) Jaxson Robinson(14.2 PPG at BYU)
Andrew Carr (13.5 PPG at Wake
Forest )Amari Williams (12.2 PPG at Drexel ) 2023-24 record: 20-12( lost to Texas
A&M in SEC competition 2nd round) Season opener: Nov. 4 vs. LIU, 7:30 p.m., SEC Network+Most significant early-season game: Nov. 28 vs. BYU, 4:30 p.m., FS1 Projected starting lineup Sean Pedulla (16.4 PPG at Virginia Tech)Matthew Murrell (16.2 PPG )Dre Davis(
15.0 PPG at Seton Hall)
Jaemyn Brakefield (12.9 PPG)
Malik Dia (16.9 PPG at Belmont)
2023-24 record: 15-17(lost to Maryland in Big 10 competition preliminary)Season opener: Nov. 6 vs. Wagner, 6 p.m., BTN Greatest early-season game: Nov. 27 vs.
Alabama, 10 p.m., TBS Predicted starting lineup Dylan Harper(No. 4 in ESPN 100)Jeremiah Williams (12.2 PPG)Airious “Ace” Bailey(
No. 2 in ESPN 100)
Zach Martini (8.4 PPG at Princeton
)Emmanuel Ogbole (2.1 PPG)