Everything College Hoops
New coaches not ranked: Darian DeVries, Buzz Williams, Ben McCollum, Niko Medved
Purdue 1-2 Seed
Michigan 2-3 seed
UCLA 3-4 seed
Illinois 4-5 seed
Oregon 4-5 seed
Michigan State 5-6 seed
Wisconsin 6-7 seed
Iowa 7-8 seed
USC 8-9 seed
Ohio State – bubble
Indiana – bubble
Washington – bubble
Northwestern
Maryland
Nebraska
Minnesota
Rutgers
Penn State
First Team
G Braden Smith – POY
G Donovan Dent
F Yaxel Ludeberg
F Trey Kaufman – Renn
C Tomislav Ivisic
Second Team
G Bennett Stirtz
G Jackson Shelstad
G John Blackwell
G Bruce Thorton
C Nate Bittle
ACC – Duke
Big 10 – Purdue
Big 12 – Houston
Big East – UConn
SEC – Florida
A10 – VCU
Mountain West – San Diego State
MVC – Illinois State
WCC – Gonzaga
American – Memphis
AE – Vermont
Atlantic Sun – FGCU
Big Sky – Idaho
Big South – Radford
Big West – UC Irvine
CAA – UNC Wilmington
C USA – Liberty
Horizon – Wright State
Ivy – Yale
MAAC – Siena
MAC – Akron
MEAC – South Carolina State
NEC – Long Island
Ohio Valley – SEMO
Patriot – Navy
Sun Belt – James Madison
Southern – Furman
SWAC – Jackson State
Southland – McNeese State
Summit – St. Thomas
WAC – Abilene Christian
Rutgers – Underachieved with two top five picks and are expected to be at the bottom of the Big 10
Xavier – Lost Sean Miller and Ryan Conwell after a tourney appearance
Texas A&M – Lost Buzz Williams and program legend Wade Taylor IV
Memphis – Still in the American and have 0% of minutes returning
Dayton – Have only made one tourney since 2018 (plus 2020) and are not expected to win the A10
Auburn – Lost their hall of fame coach Bruce Pearl and NPOY candidate Johni Broome
Ole Miss – Lost a bunch of seniors after a second weekend appearance
Penn State – Yanic Niederhauser stayed in the draft and Penn State will likely be the worst team in the Big 10
Clemson – Failure to make the big dance is on the table after back-to-back great seasons
South Carolina – Will likely be the worst team in the SEC again
HM: Arizona, Michigan, Houston
HM: Arkansas, St. John’s
Lock Mamba has officially announced our preseason top 16 below. The top 16 better resembles the NCAA Tournament’s top 16 protected seed list (Seeds 1 – 4) rather than a top 25 ranking
Honorable mentioned: Arizona, Tennessee, Auburn, Kansas, Gonzaga
Day three in Las Vegas featured a fresh wave of breakout performances, as several players stepped up to make their mark. Some of Saturday’s top standouts are highlighted below:
Chris Youngblood – Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Youngblood led all scorers with 21 points on 58.3% shooting from the field, including five made three-pointers. His sharp shooting helped propel the Thunder to a 104–85 win over the Pacers. The former Alabama guard went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft but impressed in the Utah Summer League, earning a spot in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup in Las Vegas.
Devin Carter – Sacramento Kings
Carter delivered an electric performance, finishing with 30 points on an efficient 76.9% shooting, while also grabbing eight rebounds in 30 minutes of play. The former Big East Player of the Year from Providence was selected 13th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft but appeared in just 36 games last season. With Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan still on the roster, Carter will face stiff competition for minutes next year.
Terrence Shannon Jr. – Minnesota Timberwolves
Shannon, a former All-American at Illinois, continued to build on the flashes he showed late last season. He posted 24 points and eight rebounds in a win over the Nuggets. After averaging just 10.6 minutes per game as a rookie, Shannon should see an increased role in year two following the departure of Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
M.J. Walker Jr. – Charlotte Hornets
M.J. Walker came off the bench and lit it up from beyond the arc, draining six threes en route to 18 points on 66.7% shooting. The 27-year-old guard is still chasing an NBA roster spot after stints in the G League, Canada, France, and New Zealand. The former McDonald’s All-American and Florida State standout went undrafted in 2021 but continues to show he can contribute at a high level.
Lock Mamba 