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ROTHSTEIN 45: Preseason Edition

Six weeks from Tuesday there will be college basketball!

Scroll below for the preseason edition of the ROTHSTEIN 45:

1. Gonzaga: Chet Holmgren plus Drew Timme equals college basketball’s best front court.

2. UCLA: Another Final Four berth seems well within reach.

3. Villanova: It’s business as usual on the Main Line.

4. Kansas: Arizona State transfer Remy Martin will determine the Jayhawks’ ceiling.

5. Texas: Seven players on the Longhorns’ roster averaged in double figures last season.

6. Purdue: Anything less than a Final Four appearance will be a disappointment in West Lafayette.

7. Michigan: Juwan Howard is 42-17 as head coach of his alma mater.

8. Illinois: Don’t blink — you’ll miss Andre Curbelo.

9. Oregon: The Ducks have reached eight of the last nine NCAA Tournaments.

10. Baylor: Adam Flagler and Matthew Mayer are primed for breakout years.

11. Duke: Paolo Banchero will ensure that Coach K’s final season is a memorable one.

12. North Carolina: Year One of the Hubert Davis era.

13. Auburn: Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler should form a potent power forward/center combo.

14. Kentucky: A bounce back season is inevitable in Lexington.

15. Houston: Kelvin Sampson has made the Cougars into one of the sport’s most consistent programs.

16. Arkansas: Miami transfer Chris Lykes should dazzle Bud Walton Arena.

17. Memphis: No team in college basketball will be more scrutinized.

18. Alabama: Can Nate Oats follow up one great season with another?

19. Maryland: Hakim Hart is the X-Factor in College Park.

20. Virginia: Tony Bennett doesn’t return a double figure scorer.

21. Ohio State: Major questions lie on the perimeter.

22. Florida State: Houston transfer Caleb Mills should be one of the best players in the ACC.

23. St. Bonaventure: Five starters return from an NCAA Tournament team.

24. Tennessee: Rick Barnes has more guards than a federal prison.

25. UConn: Not many teams will have a deeper front court than the Huskies.

26. LSU: Another finish near the top of the SEC standings is well within reason.

27. Oklahoma State: Avery Anderson is a burgeoning star.

28. Michigan State: A true offseason makes a big difference when your head coach is Tom Izzo.

29. Texas Tech: The Mark Adams era should end its first season somewhere in the NCAA Tournament.

30. USC: There’s no Evan Mobley or Onyeka Okongwu up front, but the Trojans should still be an NCAA Tournament team.

31. Virginia Tech: This is the best team in the ACC that not enough people are talking about.

32. Syracuse: Not many teams will shoot it better than the Orange.

33. West Virginia: Old Dominion transfer Malik Curry takes over for Miles McBride at point guard.

34. Loyola Chicago: First-year head coach Drew Valentine has seven players back from last year’s Sweet 16 run.

35. Mississippi State: Never heard of Iverson Molinar? You will soon.

36. Indiana: Mike Woodson gives the Hoosiers a direct tie to the Bob Knight era.

37. Rutgers: Cliff Omoruyi should explode as a sophomore.

38. St. John’s: The Red Storm haven’t won an NCAA Tournament game since 2000 — that could change in 2022.

39. Xavier: Travis Steele’s time is now.

40. Arizona: Tommy Lloyd inherits two All-Pac-12 caliber players in Bennedict Mathurin and Azuolas Tubelis.

41. Nevada: Grant Sherfield is a dark horse candidate to be an All-American.

42. Belmont: Everyone of significance is back last year’s 26-4 squad.

43. Colorado State: Niko Medved may boast college basketball’s best non power conference team not named Gonzaga.

44. Wichita State: Tyson Etienne is underappreciated nationally.

45. Notre Dame: Mike Brey boasts five seniors and a graduate transfer in his rotation.

Leftovers