NCAA Basketball: Updated 2020-21 power rankings after NBA Draft deadline

To be clear, there’s a clear gap between the top three preseason teams and everyone else for the upcoming season, and all three have valid claims of being No. 1 to start out 2020-21. After a tough deliberation, the Wildcats are at 3, due to how big a loss Saddiq Bey going to the NBA Draft is. He’s the lone rotation player to go pro, after leading the team with 16.1 ppg. Had the 6’8 wing came back, he had a case to be 2021 National Player of the Year.

Without Bey, Villanova will be looking for Tulane transfer Caleb Daniels to pick up his slack. He averaged over 16 ppg in his last season with the Green Wave before joining the Wildcats and can be another double-digit scorer the team can benefit from. They also will have a healthy Bryan Antoine available, after missing most of last season with a serious injury. The former five-star guard recruit will have to crack a rotation that brings back Justin Moore and All-Big East point guard Collin Gillespie as starters.

One Villanova player who could’ve tested the NBA Draft waters but didn’t was Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, a former five-star recruit who nearly averaged a double-double as a freshman. He and Jermaine Samuels are an effective duo, backup up by Cole Swider and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree off the bench.

Compared to the other two teams, there’s a bit of concern about the overall depth for Villanova. Five starters took the vast majority of minutes last season, with two others being part of the rotation. Without Bey around, either Daniels or Antoine must step up to avoid a drop-off. The Wildcats will benefit from having four returning starters but will need someone to be capable of going 20+ as Bey did.