Now that ESPN Unlimited is out I'm assuming that's gonna be the best bet, but curious if there are any better options, I know there are other services that include ESPN Unlimited like FuboTV.

I'm in Canada so I have to go the VPN route and need would very much prefer to pay via PayPal if possible.

Any recommendations would be appreciated!

(Yes I know there is IPTV which I have and love, I'm just over the 60-90 second delay, makes it harder for sports betting and following along on Twitter)

Here we are folks. It's time to see the final draw of the season. Thank you for following along with me for so long. The journey is almost over with. Let's get some clerical stuff wrapped up here before showing off all the cool and major stuff you all came for

Link to the main hub - https://www.reddit.com/r/CollegeBasketball/comments/1l4r73p/introducing_the_college_basketball_national_cup/

Here's a quick reminder of who the 64 teams still alive and kicking are:

From there we're going to break down into 4 pots of 16 based on each teams NET ranking from the past season. Teams could also not be drawn into the same group as someone from their own qualifying conference. If a team was drawn in a group where they weren't allowed to be I moved them to the next applicable group.

And here's what we got for the draw:

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Group I

Group J

Group K

Group L

Group M

Group N

Group O

Group P

And here's the bracket preview. You can find your team above and figure out their path through here!

Simulations will be starting nearly immediately, keep an eye out for the group stage results!

Do they produce pros or guys that transfer to D1 schools in America?

Hey everyone! I do these conference rankings every year so it's finally that time when rosters are more or less set for the upcoming season.

I have * next to players who are injured for the start of the 2025-26 season, confirmed to redshirt this season, or out/uncertain for another reason.

Big Ten Breakdown

There are a lot of good teams in the B1G this year but there are two I see as far and away favorites -- Purdue and Michigan. Both have national championship contending squads with great coaching and experience at every position. Don't count out the Tier 2 teams in the B1G title race either.

Purdue is led by All-American PG Braden Smith who averaged 8.7 APG last season and shot 38% from downtown. Trey Kaufman-Renn who garnered All-B1G honors last year averaged 20 PPG and should figure to be even better this year now that Matt Painter has landed a full time center in transfer portal acquisition Oscar Cluff. Cluff will provide what Caleb Furst and Will Berg could not, a glass cleaning center who can free up TKR to do what he does best. A healthy Daniel Jacobsen should be a big factor this season and don't forget 3 point sniper Fletcher Loyer who shoots 44% from behind the arc. I am dazzled by this roster that has plenty of depth in guys like C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, UNF shooter Liam Murray, and international point guard Omer Mayer who can spell Smith or play alongside him at times. Purdue is a preseason Top 5 team and a Final Four threat!

Dusty May's inaugural season in Ann Arbor was a success but gone to the NBA are Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf. May managed to reel in prized portal piece Yaxel Lendeborg who should be the unquestioned leader of this team. Lendeborg can pass, rebound, and defend at a high level and his 3 point shot is serviceable. Next to him will be Morez Johnson who plays with soft hands and a bully attitude around the rim. Elliot Cadeau is a big PG get from UNC. Gayle, Burnett, and Cason will be the other guards. The piece to watch is Aday Mara who played well down the stretch at UCLA last year. If May can work his magic then Mara will be a solid piece to play with Lendeborg's versatility. Trey McKenney and Winters Grady will probably see the court as freshmen. Michigan is hot on Purdue's heals.

This year's Fighting Illini has a distinct Balkan flavor to it. The Ivisic brothers, David Mirkovic, Mihailo Petrovic, and Andrej Stojakovic are all here to represent. Stojakovic has size, shooting ability, and a high basketball IQ and should make an immediate impact. Petrovic is a pure PG and paired with Kylan Boswell will be one of the better backcourts in the B1G. Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic are both bigs who can shoot. With Ty Rodgers injured, the freshmen will have to step up to provide some depth but this Illinois team is going to be a problem. UCLA was missing a PG who could take over a game but they found their man in New Mexico transfer Donovan Dent. He's a great attacker, can shoot well from deep, and is a maestro at distributing the ball. Surrounding him will be all sorts of capable shooters in Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey, and Jamar Brown. The key to this team is Xavier Booker. Can he be what he was promised to be two years ago at MSU? If he can't take a leap I fear this team may struggle defensively and on the glass, especially with Aday Mara now in Ann Arbor. Sparty loses Jase Richardson to the draft and Jaden Akins to graduation. The upcoming star for Tom Izzo is set to be athletic dynamo Coen Carr. Carr is one of the best dunkers in the country and plays with incredible strength. If he can improve his shooting he's going to be one of the best players in the B1G. Jeremy Fears is there to run the point and Jaxon Kohler and Carson Cooper will man the post. The two freshmen, Cam Ward and Jordan Scott should be immediate contributors and I love the addition of shooter Trey Fort. Izzo's team will find it's stride by March and watch out when they do. Wisconsin loses scoring machine John Tonje but waiting in the wings is John Blackwell who will now be the focal point of Greg Gard's offense. Austin Rapp is a great shooting big addition and I love the tenacity and edge that guys like Nick Boyd and Andrew Rohde bring. Wisconsin is inevitable as a top third B1G team.

Oregon's core of Jackson Shelstad-Nate Bitte-Kwame Evans Jr. is one that can carry this team far. Jackson Shelstad is a good decision maker and shooter. Nate Bittle is a two way star who can defend the rim and step away and make shots on the offensive end. Evans can handle the ball as a big wing. But what does Dana Altman get out of the rest of his squad? That is the question that will determine if Oregon is a good team or a great team. Ohio State, much like Oregon, also has a power trio in Bruce Thornton, John Mobley, and Devin Royal. Thornton and Mobley are both flamethrower shooters. Royal brings physicality and a high basketball IQ. OSU's clear question is depth. Ojianwuna might miss the season with an injury and the rest of their bench is unproven. But this is still a tourney team if Diebler can find some help for his golden triumvirate. Buzz Williams takes over at Maryland and he's won everywhere he's been. My question for this entirely new Terps squad is shooting. Rice, Watts, and Adams will have to find their shot to give this team enough space to run their ideal offense. What this team does have is defense, strength, and good coaching. That should be enough to get them to the Big Dance.

Darian DeVries is now the head coach in Bloomington and he brings along his son Tucker. Lamar Wilkerson is a lights out shooter from downtown, Reed Bailey is a versatile big man who can pass, Conerway is a defensive attack dog, and I love the bench options in guys like freshman Trent Sisley and transfers Nick Dorn, Jasai Miles, Jason Drake, and Josh Harris. Indiana will be a bubble team but I expect them to get it done on the backs of DeVries and Wilkerson. Iowa hired Drake coach Ben McCollum who brings with him All-American candidate Bennett Stirtz who is an all around stud. I love Folgueiras from Robert Morris who has tourney experience and can shoot, pass, and rebound. But how do the rest of the guys who transferred from Drake fare in the Big Ten? I believe in Stirtz but the others might have some adjusting to do. Washington added a pair of USC transfers in Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates III to lead this team. I love the depth here and I am excited to see Hannes Steinbach and J.J. Mandaquit. This team will be much improved from a dead last finish but they might not quite yet be a tourney team. USC was dealt a blow when they lost Alijah Arenas for the year to an injury. Rodney Rice and Chad Baker-Mazara will be great for Eric Musselman but I am not sold on the rest of this squad of mid-to-low major players.

Brice Williams and Juwan Gary are big losses for Fred Hoiberg but he does get Rienk Mast back from injury. I don't like the guards in Lincoln but Mast, Buyuktuncel, and Jarusevicius should be a decent front court. Northwestern returns All-Big Ten player Nick Martinelli and a few others from a team who finished in the bottom half last year. I worry about the 5 spot as I don't think Page is the guy. Windham should have a nice sophomore season though. Niko Medved is in charge now at Minnesota and he brings in a bevy of transfers to go along with holdover Isaac Asuma. I like the hire long term but I don't think this year's squad has what it takes.

Rutgers severely disappointed despite having two Top 5 NBA draft picks in Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey. The cupboard is pretty bare in Piscataway but two guys to watch are George Washington transfer Darren Buchanan and international import Harun Zrno. Pikiell was once an up and coming name but I don't think this season is going to make Rutgers fans happy. Penn State loses their two best players in Yanic Konan Niederhuser to the draft and Ace Baldwin to graduation. Freshmen guard Kayden Mingo and international signees Melih Tunka and Tibor Mirtic are the guys to watch but this Nittany Lions squad looks pretty down and out.

Tier Rankings:

Tier 1 (Title Contenders) - Purdue, Michigan

Tier 2 (Top 25 Teams) - Illinois, UCLA, Michigan State, Wisconsin

Tier 3 (Tourney) - Oregon, Ohio State, Maryland

Tier 4 (Bubble) - Indiana, Iowa, Washington, USC

Tier 5 (No Man's Land) - Nebraska, Minnesota, Northwestern

Tier 6 (Basement) - Rutgers, Penn State

Predicted Number of Tourney Bids: 11

All-Conference Predictions

All-B1G 1st Team: Braden Smith, Bennett Stirtz, John Blackwell, Yaxel Lendeborg, Trey Kaufman-Renn

All-B1G 2nd Team: Bruce Thornton, Donovan Dent, Andrej Stojakovic, Tucker DeVries, Nate Bittle

All-B1G 3rd Team: Jackson Shelstad, Fletcher Loyer, Coen Carr, Nick Martinelli, Tomislav Ivisic

Player of the Year: Braden Smith

Coach of the Year: Matt Painter

Freshmen of the Year: Cam Ward

Here are my rankings (but keep in mind the tiers where I could realistically see those teams finishing in any order within their respective tiers):

#1 Purdue Boilermakers

Departures: Caleb Furst, Camden Heide, Myles Colvin, Will Berg, Brian Waddell

Returning: Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, Daniel Jacobsen, Raleigh Burgess, Jack Benter

Additions: Oscar Cluff, Liam Murray, Omer Mayer, Antione West Jr.

Projected Starting Lineup: Smith, Cox, Loyer, Kaufman-Renn, Cluff

#2 Michigan Wolverines

Departures: Vladislav Goldin, Danny Wolf, Tre Donaldson, Rubin Jones, Sam Walters, Justin Pippen, Jace Howard, Phat Phat Brooks

Returning: Nimari Burnett, Roddy Gayle Jr., L.J. Cason, Will Tschetter, Oscar Goodman

Additions: Yaxel Lendeborg, Elliot Cadeau, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara, Trey McKenney, Winters Grady, Malick Kordel, Patrick Liburd

Projected Starting Lineup: Cadeau, Gayle Jr., Burnett, Lendeborg, Johnson Jr.

#3 Illinois Fighting Illini

Departures: Kasparas Jakucionis, Will Riley, Tre White, Morez Johnson Jr., Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn, Carey Booth

Returning: Kylan Boswell, Tomislav Ivisic, Ben Humrichous, Ty Rodgers*, Jake Davis, Jason Jakstys

Additions: Andrej Stojakovic, Zvonimir Ivisic, Mihailo Petrovic, David Mirkovic, Brandon Lee, Keaton Wagler, Blake Fagbemi

Projected Starting Lineup: Petrovic, Boswell, Stojakovic, Mirkovic, T. Ivisic

#4 UCLA Bruins

Departures: Kobe Johnson, Dylan Andrews, Lazar Stefanovic, Sebastian Mack, Aday Mara, William Kyle III, Dominick Harris, Devin Williams

Returning: Tyler Bilodeau, Skyy Clark, Eric Dailey Jr., Trent Perry, Brandon Williams, Eric Freeny

Additions: Donovan Dent, Jamar Brown, Xavier Booker, Steven Jamerson II, Anthony Peoples Jr., Markell Alston

Projected Starting Lineup: Dent, Clark, Dailey Jr., Bilodeau, Booker

#5 Michigan State Spartans

Departures: Jase Richardson, Jaden Akins, Tre Holloman, Frankie Fidler, Szymon Zapala, Xavier Booker, Gehrig Norman

Returning: Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr, Jaxon Kohler, Carson Cooper, Kur Teng, Jesse McCulloch

Additions: Trey Fort, Kaleb Glenn*, Divine Ugochukwu, Denham Wojcik, Jordan Scott, Cam Ward

Projected Starting Lineup: Fears Jr., Fort, Carr, Ward, Kohler

#6 Wisconsin Badgers

Departures: John Tonje, Max Klesmit, Steven Crowl, Kamari McGee, Xavier Amos, Carter Gilmore, Camren Hunter, Daniel Freitag, Chris Hodges, Markus Ilver

Returning: John Blackwell, Nolan Winter, Jack Janicki, Riccardo Greppi, Jack Robison

Additions: Nick Boyd, Andrew Rohde, Austin Rapp, Braeden Carrington, Elijah Gray, Aleksas Bieliauskas, Zach Kinziger, Will Garlock, Hayden Jones

Projected Starting Lineup: Boyd, Blackwell, Rohde, Rapp, Winter

#7 Oregon Ducks

Departures: T.J. Bamba, Keeshawn Barthelemy, Brandon Angel, Jadrian Tracey, Supreme Cook, Mookie Cook, Ra'Heim Moss

Returning: Jackson Shelstad, Nate Bittle, Kwame Evans Jr., Jamari Phillips, Dezdrick Lindsay, Oleksandr Kobzystyi

Additions: Sean Stewart, TK Simpkins, Devon Pryor, Miles Goodman, Miles Stewart, Ege Demir, J.J. Frakes

Projected Starting Lineup: Shelstad, Simpkins, Lindsay, Evans Jr., Bittle

#8 Ohio State Buckeyes

Departures: Meechie Johnson Jr., Micah Parrish, Sean Stewart, Evan Mahaffey, Aaron Bradshaw, Ques Glover, Austin Parks

Returning: Bruce Thornton, Devin Royal, John Mobley Jr., Taison Chatman, Colin White, Ivan Njegovan, Kalen Etzler

Additions: Christoph Tilly, Brandon Noel, Josh Ojianwuna*, Gabe Cupps, A'mare Bynum, Matthew Grujicic, Myles Herro

Projected Starting Lineup: Thornton, Mobley Jr., Royal, Noel, Tilly

#9 Maryland Terrapins

Departures: Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Derik Queen, Julian Reese, Rodney Rice, Selton Miguel, Jordan Geronimo, DeShawn Harris-Smith, Tafara Gapare, Jay Young, Malachi Palmer, Chance Stephens, Braden Pierce

Returning: None

Additions: Myles Rice, Isaiah Watts, Elijah Saunders, Pharrel Payne, Solomon Washington, David Coit, Rakease Passmore, George Turkson, Andre Mills, Collin Metcalf, Darius Adams, Aleks Alston, Guillermo Del Pino, Jaziah Harper

Projected Starting Lineup: Rice, Adams, Washington, Saunders, Payne

#10 Indiana Hoosiers

Departures: Oumar Ballo, Trey Galloway, Myles Rice, Mackenzie Mgbako, Malik Reneau, Luke Goode, Bryson Tucker, Kanaan Carlyle, Anthony Leal, Gabe Cupps, Jakai Newton

Returning: None

Additions: Tucker DeVries, Lamar Wilkerson, Reed Bailey, Conor Enright, Tayton Conerway, Jasai Miles, Nick Dorn, Jason Drake, Josh Harris, Sam Alexis, Aleksa Ristic, Andrej Acimovic, Trent Sisley

Projected Starting Lineup: Enright, Conerway, Wilkerson, DeVries, Bailey

#11 Iowa Hawkeyes

Departures: Payton Sandfort, Josh Dix, Owen Freeman, Brock Harding, Drew Thelwell, Pryce Sandfort, Seydou Traore, Ladji Dembele, Riley Milvey, Chris Tadjo, Isaiah Johnson-Arigu

Returning: Cooper Koch

Additions: Bennett Stirtz, Alvaro Folgueiras, Brendan Hausen, Tavion Banks, Cam Manyawu, Isaia Howard, Kael Combs, Joey Matteoni, Trey Thompson, Trevin Jirak, Tate Sage

Projected Starting Lineup: Stirtz, Hausen, Banks, Folgueiras, Manyawu

#12 Washington Huskies

Departures: Great Osobor, Tyler Harris, Mekhi Mason, D.J. Davis, Tyree Ihenacho, Luis Kortright, Wilhelm Breidenbach, Jase Butler, Christian King, KC Ibekwe, Dominique Diomande, Chris Conway

Returning: Zoom Diallo, Franck Kepnang

Additions: Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates III, Jacob Ognacevic, Quimari Peterson, Lathan Sommerville, Bryson Tucker, Christian Nitu, Mady Traore, J.J. Mandaquit, Courtland Mildrew, Hannes Steinbach, Jasir Rencher

Projected Starting Lineup: Peterson, Claude, Yates III, Ognacevic, Sommerville

#13 USC Trojans

Departures: Desmond Claude, Saint Thomas, Wesley Yates III, Chibuzo Agbo, Rashaun Agee, Matt Knowling, Josh Cohen, Clark Slajchert, Bryce Pope, Harrison Hornery, Kevin Patton Jr., Jalen Shelley, Isaiah Elohim

Returning: Terrance Williams II

Additions: Rodney Rice, Chad Baker-Mazara, Jacob Marsh, Amarion Dickerson, Ezra Ausar, Jacob Cofie, Ryan Cornish, Gabe Dynes, Jaden Brownell, E.J. Neal, Alijah Arenas*, Jerry Easter

Projected Starting Lineup: Marsh, Rice, Baker-Mazara, Williams II, Cofie

#14 Nebraska Cornhuskers

Departures: Brice Williams, Juwan Gary, Rollie Worster, Andrew Morgan, Braxton Meah, Ahron Ulis, Gavin Griffiths, Nick Janowski

Returning: Rienk Mast, Connor Essegian, Burke Buyuktuncel, Sam Hoiberg, Braden Frager

Additions: Jamarques Lawrence, Pryce Sandfort, Ugnius Jarusevicius, Kendall Blue, Jared Garcia, Will Cooper, Fridrik Leo Curtis, Quentin Rhymes

Projected Starting Lineup: Lawrence, Essegian, Sandfort, Buyuktuncel, Mast

#15 Northwestern Wildcats

Departures: Brooks Barnhizer, Jalen Leach, Ty Berry, Matthew Nicholson, Luke Hunger, Blake Barkley, Keenan Fitzmorris

Returning: Nick Martinelli, Justin Mullins, Jordan Clayton, K.J. Windham, Angelo Ciaravino

Additions: Jayden Reid, Max Green, Arrinten Page, Tre Singleton, Jake West, Tyler Kropp, Cade Bennerman, Phoenix Gill

Projected Starting Lineup: Reid, Windham, Green, Martinelli, Page

#16 Minnesota Golden Gophers

Departures: Dawson Garcia, Lu'Cye Patterson, Mike Mitchell Jr., Brennan Rigsby, Femi Odukale, Frank Mitchell, Parker Fox, Trey Edmonds, Kadyn Betts, Caleb Williams

Returning: Isaac Asuma, Grayson Grove

Additions: Langston Reynolds, Bobby Durkin, Chansey Willis Jr., B.J. Omot, Robert Vaihola, Jaylen Crocker-Johnson, Cade Tyson, Nehemiah Turner, Chance Stephens, Maximus Gizzi, Kai Shinholster

Projected Starting Lineup: Asuma, Reynolds, Omot, Durkin, Vaihola

#17 Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Departures: Ace Bailey, Dylan Harper, Jeremiah Williams, Zach Martini, Tyson Acuff, Martin Sommerville, Jordan Derkack, P.J. Hayes IV

Returning: Dylan Grant, Jamichael Davis, Emmanuel Ogbole, Bryce Dortch

Additions: Darren Buchanan Jr., Tariq Francis, Baye Fall, Dorian Jones, Denis Badalau, Harun Zrno, Chris Nwuli, Lino Mark, Gevonte Ware, Kaden Powers

Projected Starting Lineup: Francis, Davis, Grant, Buchanan Jr., Ogbole

#18 Penn State Nittany Lions

Departures: Ace Baldwin Jr., Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Zach Hicks, Nick Kern Jr., Puff Johnson, D'Marco Dunn, Jahvin Carter, Miles Goodman, Kachi Nzeh, Hudson Ward

Returning: Freddie Dilione V, Dominick Stewart, Eli Rice

Additions: Josh Reed, Sasa Ciani, Kayden Mingo, Melih Tunka, Tibor Mirtic, Mason Blackwood, Justin Houser, Ivan Juric, Reggie Grodin

Projected Starting Lineup: Mingo, Tunka, Dilione V, Reed, Juric

So d

What happened to the ACC? They got absolutely walloped in the ACC-SEC challenge last year (granted the SEC was really good). Some of their programs like GT and BC are scheduling some of the worst non-conference schedules I've ever seen. They're probably about to lose some of their flagship programs (UNC, UVA, FSU) to conference realignment once the grant of rights situation gets resolved in the courts. They used to be known as one of the best basketball conferences. Are they the worst power conference now?

Tommies and Johnnie’s (Minnesota) have put a game on the books in December in the new arena. Will be very different than the old rivalry with St Thomas being a growing D1 program, but will be awesome for the fans and alumni!

https://tommiesports.com/news/2025/8/22/mens-basketball-tommie-mens-basketball-to-welcome-saint-johns-in-nonconference-play

First, I want to thank everyone who contributed to the discussion on my last post. You provided exactly what I was looking for, and (mostly) only indirectly insulted my intelligence! I appreciate everyone who engaged.

Secondly, I noticed people getting a little insulted by having something like "Tier 4" next to their teams' name, even though Tier 4 meant you were somewhere between 19-26. This time, I'm going to name each tier.

Next, a tiny bit about my method. Every opinion at this point in the offseason is very hypothetical, so I tried to avoid preseason top 25 lists and rather rely on what little objective data I could find. That data was basically limited to Barttorvik, particularly the "Talent" and "Returning Possession Minutes" metrics. I put a few of the Torvik metrics together to assess what I call "RPM (returning possession minutes) Quality," which takes into account the returning possession minutes along with how successful the team was last year (returning a bunch of scrubs doesn't help tremendously). Then, I tried to take into account other roster metrics as well, such as what Evanmiya has made available in an effort to arrive at some type of unbiased talent level rank. After that, I had to use more subjective analysis. Finally, I took the analysis provided in the last post of people making the case for their own teams. I threw it all together, and the outcome is below. (Also, I tried to include every team who was represented in the post from Tuesday. Sorry if I left anyone out!)

First, some honorable mention categories:

Will Probably Crack the Top 25 At Some Point, But I Can't Stand Watching Buzz Williams-Coached Basketball

Maryland

The fans presented some good arguments, and Buzz usually has good teams. I'm also glad he went to another conference.

Distressed Asset Teams Making a Jump

NC State, Texas, UVA, VA Tech, WVU

I really think NC State and Texas have the talent and coaches to come out of nowhere, similar to other struggling power teams in the past who make a coaching upgrade and all the sudden grab a top 5 seed in the tournament. UVA, VA Tech, and WVU are here because they had fans who contributed to the conversation in the last post. Also, you never know...

Now, for the 25 teams I would consider the best in the country:

Solid Programs Who Lost A Lot But Get the Benefit of the Doubt

Auburn, Iowa St, Creighton, Kansas, Arizona, Gonzaga, Michigan St, Wisconsin, San Diego St.

These nine teams would be 17-25, in some order, if I did a traditional preseason ranking. All of these teams are losing foundational pieces to their rosters, but their coaches/programs have earned the benefit of the doubt regarding their ability to rebuild and field a competitive team, year in and year out. You could make a case to leave some of these teams out of the preseason top 25 altogether if you really wanted to, but they would probably just wind up back in the real thing for the majority of the season anyway. Might as well get ahead of it.

Could Be Too High or Too Low

Illinois, Louisville, Alabama, Arkansas, UCLA, Tennessee

These teams would be 11-16 in a traditional ranking, in some order. I could imagine each of these teams winding up in the top 10, or perhaps underachieving. I hate that these words are leaving my mouth, but Tennessee is probably the surest bet for the regular season in this group, since Rick Barnes has shown he puts together top 5-15 squads nearly every season. Yuck. Also, Louisville fans, I didn't forget you this time!

Wouldn't Be Surprised If They End Up Top Tier

Michigan, Texas Tech, St. John’s, Duke, UK, BYU

These would be teams 5-10, in some order, in a traditional ranking. All of these teams (with the strange exception of Texas Tech) have rosters that Torvik's metrics really, really love. Couple that with coaches who have proven they can maximize the talent on the roster through the regular season, and I wouldn't be surprised to see any of these teams break into to the 1-seed conversation at the end of the season. I don't know why Torvik doesn't like TT's roster, but I really think with a returning JT Toppin that the Red Raiders could really surprise people this year. I haven't looked, but I bet they don't get a lot of top 10 love in other preseason rankings.

Title Favorites

Houston, Florida, Purdue, UConn

First of all, thanks to the Purdue fans (who apparently make up 90% of this board) who brought great perspective to the conversation and refrained from straight up attacking me for leaving them out of the top tier in the last iteration. You all convinced me that they should be included in the top 4. These four teams seem to be built for the modern era:

1. Returning key pieces from good teams (UConn was on a roll towards the end of the season)

2. Adding nice pieces that fit what they want to accomplish, rather than just grabbing any transfer/HS recruit with an awesome number by their name

3. Solid, proven coaching that you know can take you far in March

If I absolutely had to pick a favorite from this group, I would be most comfortable picking Houston. While Purdue is returning a lot from a good team last year, the defensive issues need to be proven to be fixed before I feel comfortable giving them #1 status. Florida returning their beast of a frontcourt is great and you couldn't ask for a better portal replacement for Clayton than Boogie Fland, but they still lost Walter Clayton and the rest of their backcourt. This UConn core still needs to prove consistency. Houston just seems to have the least flaws at the moment.

Thanks again for all who contributed and resisted the urge to flame me last time!

n my op-ed for NOLA.com, I argue it’s time to consider an update: keeping the protections that boosted women’s basketball and beyond, while making room for men’s programs that have been cut in the SEC and elsewhere.

It's Free Talk Friday, talk about whatever.

Remember, all other rules still apply, so try to keep it civil.

So...how's it going?