NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 mid-major power rankings for 2022-23 season

14. Toledo Rockets

2021-22 record: 26-8 (17-3 in MAC)

The MAC regular season champions are in an interesting spot because they lost their best player an all-league guard in Ryan Rollins, who averaged 18.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 3.6 apg last season to lead the team. He went pro but luckily for the Rockets, they return two other 15 ppg scorers that are more than capable of running the explosive offense.

Despite not being the biggest roster, the starting frontcourt of Setric Millner and JT Shumate is one of the best pairs in all of mid-major basketball. Both averaged at least 15 ppg and combined for 11.9 rpg and 3.7 apg as well. Both of them had seven games of at least 20 points each last season and with Rollins out, look for them to have an even bigger role in the offense.

The starting point guard is also back in Rayj Dennis, a transfer from Boise State that produced career-high numbers of 12.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, and 4.0 apg. While his numbers weren’t as gaudy as Rollins, not many guards had his level of production either. Dennis can take over as lead guard and look for sophomore Ra’Heim Moss to also become a double-digit scorer after starting all 34 games last season at 8.8 ppg and 5.7 rpg.

Toledo didn’t have much depth last season but is hopeful that the trio of incoming transfers can help with that. Dante Maddox Jr. averaged 8.9 ppg in two years at Cal State Fullerton and shot 43% from three-point range in his first year. Andre Lorentsson didn’t play much in two years at Saint Louis but at 6’8, gives the Rockets much-needed size. And 6’2 guard Tyler Cochran is oddly on his third MAC program, having played at both Northern Illinois and Ball State. But he was a double-digit producer in all three years and should do that again with the Rockets, sliding into Rollins’ spot.