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NCAA Basketball: Preseason Top 25 teams for 2018-19

By Tristan Freeman

CINCINNATI, OH - FEBRUARY 17: Brunson and Bridges
CINCINNATI, OH - FEBRUARY 17: Brunson and Bridges /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate after defeating the Michigan Wolverines during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Villanova defeated Michigan 79-62. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 02: The Villanova Wildcats celebrate after defeating the Michigan Wolverines during the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Championship game at the Alamodome on April 2, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. Villanova defeated Michigan 79-62. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

With Villanova winning the national championship, the 2017-18 NCAA Basketball season is officially in the books. So why not take an early look at the top-25 teams for next year?

Another great year of college basketball has concluded and despite the off-the-court issues that threatened to overcome the product on the court. The players and teams still managed to take center stage on a nightly basis.

But now that Villanova has cut down the final nets of the season, it’s time to turn the page to the 2018-19 season. Of course, with transfers, NBA Draft decisions, and recruiting going on, there never really is a true off-season anymore.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t teams that already look like title contenders for next year, and several more will join them based on what happens in the coming weeks.

So what I decided to do is create my own top-25 rankings of basketball teams for next year. There will be some who say that this practice is pointless because so many things will change between now and then. And to a large degree, that’s true. But’s it’s also important to set where teams stand at the moment. That way we can see the impact of whatever news breaks in the summer.

So here’s how I went about these rankings. I took into account the graduating seniors, incoming and outgoing transfers as well as the next group of freshmen coming in.

The one area that I had to use discretion was the players making draft decisions. For those in the lottery, I’m making the call that they’re leaving barring unexpected developments. As for those who have declared without an agent, I’ll assume for the time being that they’re staying, until otherwise.

With that being said, here’s a look at the teams who’ll be the focal points of the 2018-19 season.

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