After an NCAA tournament that featured a 15-seed in the Elite Eight, a Duke-North Carolina rivalry game with unprecedented stakes, the final game of Mike Krzyzewski’s legendary career and as hyped a Final Four as we’ll ever see, we all need a minute to catch our breath and recharge.
Done? OK, good. Hope you’re refreshed, because it’s already time to look ahead to the 2022-23 college basketball season.
Let’s get a couple of ground rules out of the way quickly.
One, any player currently projected by ESPN to be selected in June’s NBA draft will be considered a departure for now. If that player opts to return to school, obviously we’ll adjust in the future. Players not projected to be picked will be included as a returnee, unless there’s enough reliable information pointing to a certain departure.
Two, for seniors with another season of eligibility due to the COVID year, we’re going to project them as departures — unless they’ve officially announced they’re returning to school for another year. Again, we’ll adjust as players opt for another year in college.
Both things are subject to change, but we had to draw a line in the sand somewhere at this point in the calendar.
Think that’s it for now — there are only 219 days until the season tips off, so it’s time to dive in!
There’s not a clear No. 1 entering the offseason, but five-star guard Anthony Black’s commitment to Arkansas in late March gives the Razorbacks the edge. Eric Musselman, who has established himself as one of the best transfer recruiters and coaches in the country, is bringing the nation’s second-best high school recruiting class to a program coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances. Nick Smith is in contention to be the No. 1 pick in 2023, while Jordan Walsh and Black are also five-star prospects who could start right away. There are some roster questions, mainly focused on Jaylin Williams and Au’Diese Toney, but if one of the two returns, I think this is the best team in the…
Source : espn
