College Basketball 2016-17: Heavy’s Preseason Top 30 Power Rankings

Steve Alford UCLA

UCLA head coach Steve Alford adds a talented freshman class led by guard Lonzo Ball (Getty)

20. Cincinnati

The Bearcats, who were eliminated from the NCAA tournament in heartbreaking fashion by Saint Joseph’s, return a very good core led by senior point guard Troy Caupain (13.0 ppg, 4.8 apg) and junior forward Gary Clark Jr. (10.4 ppg, 8.8 rpg). Both were unanimous preseason All-AAC selections and with good reason, as they rank among the best in the country at their respective positions. Mick Cronin will have to account for the loss of guard Farad Cabb and forward Octavius Ellis, but sophomores Jacob Evans (8.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Justin Jenifer are among those who will help on the perimeter and NC State transfer Kyle Washington will be an impact addition in the front court. The freshman class is good as well, with center Nysier Brooks and guard Jerron Cumberland among the additions. Look for the race in the American to be tight, with the Bearcats battling nemesis UConn for the top spot.

19. UCLA

Once again there’s no shortage of talent in Westwood, with head coach Steve Alford adding a very good freshman class to a crop of returnees led by guards Bryce Alford (16.1 ppg, 5.2 apg) and Isaac Hamilton (16.8 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.3 apg) and center Thomas Welsh (11.2 ppg, 8.5 rpg). Lonzo Ball is an elite playmaker who gets the ball to teammates in spots where they can be most successful, and fellow freshman T.J. Leaf is a talented 6-foot-10 forward who can score both inside and out. The question for the Bruins is whether or not they’ll buy in on the defensive end of the floor, which was a major issue last season as they finished below .500 at 15-17. UCLA should be a contender in the Pac-12, with the chance to win multiple games in the NCAA tournament. If the Bruins fail to reach that potential, don’t be surprised if the heat gets turned up on the head coach.

18. Maryland

Amidst high expectations the Terrapins struggled for parts of last season, ultimately reaching the Sweet 16 where they lost to Kansas. Four of the team’s top five scorers from last season, including Jake Layman and Diamond Stone, are gone but point guard Melo Trimble (14.8 ppg, 4.8 apg) is back for his junior season. Trimble, who struggled with injuries and inconsistency last season, should be better equipped to handle the expectations, and he’ll be surrounded by talented options such as Jared Nickens (5.4 ppg), Dion Wiley (who missed last season due to injury) and Damonte Dodd. Add in a very good recruiting class that includes Anthony Cowan, Kevin Huerter and Justin Jackson, and head coach Mark Turgeon has a team capable of contending in the Big Ten.

17. Connecticut

Kevin Ollie’s Huskies manufactured another March miracle last season, with Jalen Adams’ 60-foot heave forcing quadruple overtime in UConn’s American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinal victory over Cincinnati. UConn reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, falling to a superior Kansas team by a comfortable margin. These Huskies will be better equipped to excel on such a stage, thanks to their combination of returnees (Adams, Rodney Purvis and Amida Brimah) and a five-player freshman class that ranks among the best in the nation. Freshmen to watch: point guard Alterique Gilbert, and combo forward Vance Jackson. How well this team gels will determine just how good they can be; if everything works UConn is a team that has the tools needed to play deep into March.

16. Syracuse

Two weekends after being the subject of “should they even be in the tournament” chatter, Jim Boeheim’s Orange were headed to the Final Four after pulling off comebacks to beat Gonzaga and Virginia in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, respectively. Gone are guards Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney, and Malachi Richardson struck while the iron was hot and went pro, but this is a team that at the very least should put together a better regular season than last year’s team. Two grad students in guard John Gillon (from Colorado State) and Andrew White (from Nebraska) have joined the team, which includes sophomores Tyler Lydon (10.1 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Franklin Howard, two veteran big men in Tyler Roberson (8.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg) and DaJuan Coleman (4.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg), and a freshman class headlined by Tyus Battle and Taurean Thompson. And playing in the incredibly tough ACC will help the Orange get ready for the NCAA tournament.

Click on the “next page” graphic for teams 11-15