NCAA Basketball: Takeaways from 2021-22 AP top 25 preseason poll

Apr 3, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Tyger Campbell (10) greets Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Drew Timme (2) before their game in the national semifinals of the Final Four of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

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NCAA Basketball Villanova Wildcats Doug McSchooler-USA TODAY Sports /

Who’s overrated?

No. 4 Villanova
The magic of Jay Wright may have the AP voters under a bit of a spell as Villanova basketball finds themselves in the Top 5 of this year’s AP Preseason Poll at No. 4. Granted, the Wildcats did win the Big East regular-season crown last season, finishing 18-7, made it to last year’s Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, and they do return Collin Gillespie and Jermaine Samuels, but their current regime with Jeremiah Robinson-Earl in the rotation finished last season ranked No. 18 in the final poll. They didn’t add any high-impact transfers out of the portal but all eyes will be on Trey Patterson to fill the void left by Robinson-Earl, who hit the NBA Draft this past offseason.

No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers
Purdue basketball finished last season’s final AP Poll ranked 20th in the standings and let’s just say, carryover holds a ton of weight. They find themselves in the Top 10 of this year’s AP Preseason Poll at No. 7 ahead of Big Ten basketball counterparts Illinois (No. 11), Ohio State (No. 17), and Maryland (No. 21) and one spot behind Michigan.

It’s fair to see why voters are so high on them as they return all their starters from last season and a more experienced Zach Edey, who could potentially take over at the center position. The Boilermakers will have to prove themselves in 2021-22 though. They didn’t defeat Illinois or Michigan last season, split with Maryland, and lost to Ohio State in the conference tournament. It will be interesting to see if they can hold their status as a Top 10 squad for the entire season.

No. 22 Auburn Tigers
For a team that went unranked for the entire 2020-21 season, the 22nd spot in the preseason AP Poll for the 2021-22 season is an interesting starting point for Auburn basketball. The Tigers finished last year with a 13-14 record and 10th in the SEC basketball standings and return just three starters from that squad.

There are high expectations for K.D. Johnson (Georgia), Zep Jasper (College of Charleston), Wendell Green Jr. (Eastern Kentucky), Walker Kessler (UNC), and five-star big man recruit Jabari Smith Jr. to make an impact right away given their status in the preseason rankings. Head coach Bruce Pearl could turn things around if this new group can find their chemistry on both ends.

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