No. 4 – Ohio State
What Jeff Borzello of ESPN says about Ohio State
“The Buckeyes were ranked near the top five for most of the season, before late-season inconsistency saw them lose four in a row to end the regular season, then make a run to the Big Ten title game — and then lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament to 15-seed Oral Roberts. Three key players from that group are back: potential preseason All-American E.J. Liddell and starters Duane Washington Jr. and Justice Sueing. Chris Holtmann addressed his point guard situation by going out and getting Penn State transfer Jamari Wheeler, while Zed Key will see an increase in minutes down low with Kyle Young likely gone. Ohio State was one of the best offensive teams in the country this past season, but its defense was lacking. The Buckeyes were 10th in the Big Ten in defensive efficiency and allowed eight of their final 10 opponents to score more than one point per possession. That needs to change.”
Check out the rest of ESPN’s Way-Too-Early-Top-25-Rankings