We’re just a couple of weeks away from the start of the 2022-23 men’s college basketball season, and the usual suspects sit at or near the top of the preseason AP top 25 poll. The Kansas Jayhawks are the defending champions but come in ranked just fifth this year. North Carolina sits atop the rankings right now, followed by Gonzaga, a team that always seems to look great on paper but, in my opinion, gets undone by the low competitive quality of the West Coast Conference and then is unprepared for the grind of the Big Dance in March. Let’s check out the latest top 25 rankings and then take a look at some teams that we think will be sleepers – and will make waves for College Basketball betting enthusiasts.
NCAA News: Men’s Basketball Top 25 and Betting Opportunities
#1 North Carolina Tar Heels
#2 Gonzaga Bulldogs
#3 Houston Cougars
#4 Kentucky Wildcats
#5 Kansas Jayhawks
#6 Baylor Bears
#7 Duke Blue Devils
#8 UCLA Bruins
#9 Creighton Bluejays
#10 Arkansas Razorbacks
#11 Tennessee Volunteers
#12 Texas Longhorns
#13 Indiana Hoosiers
#14 TCU Horned Frogs
#15 Auburn Tigers
#16 Villanova Wildcats
#17 Arizona Wildcats
#18 Virginia Cavaliers
#19 San Diego State Aztecs
#20 Alabama Crimson Tide
#21 Oregon Ducks
#22 Michigan Wolverines
#23 Illinois Fighting Illini
#24 Dayton Flyers
#25 Texas Tech Red Raiders
American Athletic Conference
We like SMU as one potential sleeper coming out of the AAC. Longtime head coach Tim Jankovich had taken the head job as the designated successor to Larry Brown, but his practice of loading the non-conference slate with cupcakes and failing to emphasize defense or rebounding led to underperforming seasons from players with a great deal of talent. His replacement, Rob Lanier, has recruiting accolades in Texas and brought success to Georgia State. Another sleeper from the American is Temple. Khalif Battle put up 21.4 points per game in seven contests before going down for the season with a foot injury. However, he is back and ready to make is mark.
Atlantic Coast Conference
Notre Dame did lose Paul Atkinson Jr and Blake Wesley. However, the Irish still have talent in the cupboard. Dane Goodwin averaged 13.6 points per game and shot 46% from three-point land, and he returns. J.J. Starling is a five-star recruit who will contribute immediately.
Big East Conference
Providence won the conference last year but lost almost 54 points of offense per game in offseason departures. Jared Bynum scored 12.2 points per game and shot 41% from distance and transfers in to add help. The Friars also have a scheme that has put up defensive efficiency that has ranked in the top five in the conference in seven of the last eight seasons.
Big 12 Conference
Oklahoma welcomes back Tanner Groves with ten more pounds of muscle. Grant Sherfield put up 19.1 points per game at Nevada and has transferred into the Big 12, and Jacob Groves comes back with a year of seasoning. All of that adds up to a potential move up in a conference that saw the whole All-Big 12 First Team either graduate or head to the NBA early.
Big Ten Conference
Iowa lost Keegan Murray to the NBA lottery, but his brother Kris (9.7 points per game, 39% 3PT) is ready to fill his shoes – and help push Iowa closer to a conference championship.
Pac-12 Conference
Washington State made a deep run in the NIT last year and has Mouhamed Gueye (7.4 points per game) returning. The 6’11” NBA prospect will get more looks this year, and recruit Adrame Diongue will join him in the paint. With some scoring, the Cougars could be a dark horse in one of the Pac-12’s last few seasons.
Southeastern Conference
Florida brings in Todd Golden to bring glory back to the program, and point guard Kyle Lofton (12.8 points per game, 5.9 assists per game) has transferred in from St. Bonaventure. Colin Castleton (16.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks per game) returns as a fearsome paint presence.
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