I looked it over a bit and I'm actually quite pleased with what I found. Previously it just seemed to me that our losses coupled with a good-but-not-great recruiting classes would put us in the 9-10 range.
Really the only teams that seem like locks and should definitely be ranked higher than KSU pre-season are Duke and Michigan St., who both return a ton from elite teams and bring in top-flight recruiting classes.
After those two, especially with Purdue losing Hummel, there really isn't any team that I would say is definitely going to be better than the Cats. There are a group of teams that are in the same conversation as KSU:
Baylor - Who I think is ranked very low. Losing Udoh and Carter will sting but they still have Dunn and Acy and they pulled in a solid Udoh replacement in Jones and a nice PG in Love. Baylor got just as far as KSU and lost to the eventual champ last season, I see no reason why they won't be just as solid again.
Kansas - KU lost a ton from last season. Still they have a talented front-court led by experienced players in Morris x 2. Whithey and Robinson should perform adequately and they have solid defenders in Little, who I think will be a solid contributer for them, and the two white kids. The backcourt really depends on Selby but they still have Taylor who has shown flashes of brilliance. I think the biggest problem for KU could be lack of leadership. Taylor and Morris x 2 are not ideal captain type players.
Ohio State - The Buckeyes lose a tremendous player in Evan Turner, but every other key player returns including Lighty, Diebler and Buford. The Buckeyes will have a solid veteran core to help get an elite recruiting class that includes the nations top c/pf in sullinger and one of the top 5 sf/pfs in Thomas acclimated to college ball. OSU also brought in another couple of top 150 talents in SG Siebert, SG Smith, and PG Croft. I might put Ohio St in front of KSU but it is close. They will be really good this year.
Purdue - Losing Hummel and Kramer (B10 DPOY) will definitely hurt. But they still return All B10 E'Twan Moore and 2nd team JuJuan Johnson as well as talented soph. Kelsey Barlow. They brought in a solid, recruiting class including a top 50 PG in Terone Johnson and top 100 SG in Anthony Johnson. With Hummel this team would be a sure-fire top 4 pick but without him they sink back a bit. They could easily be a top 10 team at the end of the season, though I don't see them surplanting OSU or MSU.
Pitt - Although none of them were really decorated last season (though it is pretty tough in the gazillion team big east) nearly every player of substance returns from a team that won 24 games and finished 13-5 in the Big East last year. Upperclassmen guards Brad Wanamaker, and Austin Gibbs (2nd Team all Big East) are back and should be a steady influence. In the front-court 6'6 forward Gilbert Brown returns as well as lumbering big man Gary McGhee. Jamie Dixon brought in a decent recruiting class that included fringe top 100 players in PG Isiah Epps and Swingman JJ Moore. Pitt will be solid as always but I don't see them as being better than KSU.
Villanova - Villanova went 13-5 in the Big east last year just like pitt. The Wildcats' returners are completely guard heavy, except that they lost one of their best PGs of all time in Scottie Reynolds. Corey Stokes and Corey
Fisher return in the back-court as well as talented soph. Maalik Wayns. They lose some experience in the front-but Jay Wright addressed this nicely with a front court heavy class that includes top 50 small forward James Bell and top 100 PF JayVaughn Pinkston (who somehow made the MCDAA team). They Cats will depend heavily on a young front-court and though their guards will again be solid I think Nova will struggle with the stronger frontcourts that they face.
Syracuse - Cuse lost the big easts best player in Wes Johnson (lol at Mcneck) as well as it's second leading scorer in Andy Rautins along with the loss of wide-body Orinze Onauaku. That is a lot to make up for, and even with a really nice class that includes sensational Center Fab Melo (MCDAA and top 2 center) as well as a top 5 (30 OVR) SG Dion Waters and top 100 SF CJ Fair I can't see this team as being better than KSU. Though I do think they present and extremely poor match-up for Nova.
North Carolina - They are talented but they havent proven anything except that they were the softest Roy W team in a really long time. Harrison Barnes and Bullock will be great but I'm not going to put these guys on KSU's level.
Florida - See Carolina only not as talented
Gonzaga - Lost best player didn't recruit for crap. They will win a ton of games, not-elite.
No one else is really in the convo at this point, some may surprise like the Cats last year but I dont see any others as of yet.
Top tier
Duke
MSU
Next Tier in no order
tOSU - really like this squad.
KSU
BU
KU
Pitt
Next Tier in no order
Purdue
Nova
Cuse
The rest
I was wrong.
