1. Kansas: Even before Xavier Henry announced he was heading to Lawrence, the Jayhawks were looking like the team to beat in 2009-10. From top to bottom, KU has the best roster and coach combination in the country. The only question facing Bill Self is whether or not there will be enough minutes to keep everyone happy.
Expect incoming big men Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey to push the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus, for minutes.
2. Texas: The Longhorns' roster is stocked with talent even if Damion James keeps his name in the NBA draft and doesn't return to Austin. If somehow J'Covan Brown gets eligible, the Horns would have no flaws.
As it stands, incoming freshmen Jordan Hamilton and Avery Bradley and transfer Jai Lucas make Texas one of the most talented teams in the country and the team best-suited to push Kansas in the Big 12.
3. Villanova: The Wildcats are loaded with talent, and with some added inside depth, will be better than the team that made its Final Four run this past season. Nova has a legitimate shot at a title in 2010. Some in Philly believe the Wildcats might be better off without junior Scottie Reynolds, who entered the draft but hasn't hired an agent.
Incoming big man Mouphtaou Yarou is tough to handle and Dominic Cheek can defend several positions. Like Kansas, the Wildcats only have to sacrifice their individual egos to win big.
4. Purdue: Unlike some of its Big Ten brethren, Purdue loses none of its important pieces. The return and continued improvement of JaJuan Johnson is huge. The Boilermakers were a far better team when Robbie Hummel was healthy. For this exercise, we hope he is.
5. Oklahoma: Willie Warren and Tony Crocker will make the transition for incoming freshmen Tommy Mason-Griffin and Keith "Tiny" Gallon easier. If Juan Pattillo contributes, then Boomer Sooner. While forward Blake Griffin is impossible to replace, the Sooners appear to be better at every other position next season in terms of raw talent.
6. Michigan State: Goran Suton and Travis Walton are gone, and will certainly be missed. But considering what the Spartans return, how much will they be missed?
Kalin Lucas is set to become a bona fide national star, something Drew Neitzel struggled with. If Raymar Morgan can stay healthy for a full season and if either Chris Allen or Durrell Summers can become a go-to scorer on the wing, the Spartans may not have to wait long for a return trip to the Final Four.
7. Xavier: After sitting out last season, Mark Lyons and Jordan Crawford will combine to give Xavier a better backcourt than it had last season. And if Derrick Brown doesn't act on his flirtation with the NBA and returns to school, which I expect him to do, Xavier should be better despite losing its coach, Sean Miller, to Arizona.
Expect Brad Redford and Kenny Frease to expand their roles and contribute more as sophomores. This team is deep and loaded for a tourney run.
8. Clemson: Fast starts and sputtering finishes are becoming a trend on the basketball court as well as on the gridiron. In all seriousness, though, Clemson should be awesome next season, especially with incoming freshman Milton Jennings pairing with Trevor Booker down low.
9. North Carolina: Despite the exodus of their core to the NBA, the defending champs are loaded at every position except the point. The Tar Heels may have lost their soul (Tyler Hansbrough), their skill (Wayne Ellington) and their head (Ty Lawson), but with Ed Davis set to take on a larger role and the arrival of a loaded recruiting class, led by John Henson, don't feel sorry for the Tar Heels.
10. Ohio State: Don't worry about the loss of B.J. Mullens. The Buckeyes return a great talent in Evan Turner, who returns for his junior season, joining Jon Diebler & Co. to help OSU turn the corner next season.
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11. Cal: The Bears have the potential to be better inside with the arrival of 6-foot-10 freshman Bak Bak and with Harper Kamp healthy. Simply put, they're one of the best jump-shooting teams in college basketball with Jerome Randle and his unlimited range. But they are not very athletic and have no inside scoring to speak of.
12. Duke: The Devils will be better defensively and on the inside, but Gerald Henderson gave them a go-to athlete who will be impossible to replace if he stays in the draft. There are still questions marks at the point guard position and it remains to be seen whether Mason Plumlee can give them something legit inside. If Duke lands John Wall, it immediately becomes ready for a deep tourney run.
13. West Virginia: The Mountaineers will miss Alex Ruoff, but not terribly so. Devin Ebanks made the wise decision to keep his name out of the draft and is poised to become a star in the Big East as well as nationally.
14. Florida: Now comes word that Alex Tyus will not transfer, which is good news for the Gators. If Tyus and Nick Calathes are on board next season, Florida becomes the team to beat in the SEC -- incoming freshman Kenny Boynton Jr. is that good. But if Calathes stays in the draft, the Gators have no true point guard.
15. Washington: Abdul Gaddy is a great get for Lorenzo Romar and Washington will be more talented next season than it was this past one. But Jon Brockman was the guts of this team and he covered the Huskies' poor shot selection with rebounds galore. So while Gaddy and Isaiah Thomas will form arguably the most potent backcourt in the Pac-10, it is not a given they will be this good.
16. Texas A&M: Despite submitting their names in the draft, juniors Donald Sloan, Chinemelu Elonu and Bryan Davis will all return next season and this team has now fully embraced Mark Turgeon as head coach. The Aggies have risen from a diamond-in-the-rough program to having one of the best home-court advantages in the Big 12. Now if they can begin to win more road games and pack Reed Arena for nonconference games during football season, the Aggies will take the next step.
17. Dayton: Chris Wright and the rest of the crew are back. So too, is the Flyers' defense. If they can shoot it just a little, look out.
18. Georgetown: Yes, I'm taking the Hoyas. Greg Monroe returns with Austin Freeman and Chris Wright. There is no way this team suffers from two years of ineptitude, right? While the Hoyas were never able to recover from their early stretch of games in Big East play, no such stretch exists for this talent-laden bunch next season. JT3 is far too bright not to learn from his own mistakes.
19. Illinois: Mike Davis and Mike Tisdale must continue to improve and Demetri McCamey can help D.J. Richardson's transition to Division I.
20. Butler: The whole gang is back. Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard might have been a year ahead of schedule with their contributions last season, but with incoming 6-foot-10 center Andrew Smith entering the fray, Butler adds at least one big body to the mix.
21. Oklahoma State: James Anderson was one of the best players in the Big 12 down the stretch last season. With his scoring and Obi Muonelo, Keiton Page and Marshall Moses all returning, and with a bevy of incoming guards being added to the mix, the rapidly improving Pokes will be a force to contend with in the Big 12.
22. Florida State: Toney Douglas is gone, but incoming freshman Mike Snaer is a similar kind of talent. Big man Solomon Alabi is bursting to be a star and Chris Singleton showed signs of breaking out late in the season. Look for Deividas Dulkys and Luke Loucks to contribute big time in the backcourt.
23. Minnesota: Everyone is back and should be better and the incoming class may be the best in the Big Ten. Royce White will make the Gophers much more athletic inside and either Ralph Sampson or Colton Iverson will emerge as a go-to presence in the low post. I'm slotting them at 23, but that may prove to be too low of a ranking for this group.
24. Kansas State: Denis Clemente and Jacob Pullen get help from Rodney McGruder and Wally Judge. The Wildcats will be a tough, well-built team that can defend.
25. Siena: Kenny Hasbrouck is a big loss, but Clarence Jackson has the tools to fit in his spot perfectly.
Also in the mix: Michigan, Tennessee, Gonzaga, UConn, Louisville, Northern Iowa, Tulsa, Penn State, Wisconsin, UCLA, Pitt, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Vanderbilt, Kentucky and Alabama.
Do not sleep on: Here are three teams I expect to see in the Top 25 at some point next year.
San Diego State: Malcolm Thomas will be eligible and Kawhi Leonard and Eric Lawton are legit prospects. Kelvin Davis also returns after missing most of last season battling cancer.
Nevada: New head coach David Carter is the right man for Luke Babbitt and Armon Johnson to win the WAC.
Cincinnati: Mick Cronin's boys will finally be able to score enough to win 23 to 25 games and get in the NCAA tourney. The Bearcats compete as tough physically as any team I have watched and now they are developing the skills to match.
Expect these teams to see a major jump in wins from last season:
Georgia Tech: Iman Shumpert and Derrick Favors alone should be good enough to see the Yellow Jackets improve in the win column, but add in Zach Peacock and some nice ancillary parts and Paul Hewitt should be in the NCAA tourney with this team.
La Salle: Everyone from last season's team returns and the Explorers have a good class coming in, including top-10 center Aaric Murray. La Salle should challenge for the A-10 title next season.
Oregon: Everyone returns in Eugene and Mike Dunlap joins Ernie Kent's staff from Arizona. Expect the Ducks to erase the memories of last season's debacle and get their dancing shoes on.
Iowa State: For the first time in the Greg McDermott era, every important player is back. Craig Brackins is a beast and Mac can coach. It will still be tough for the Cyclones in a loaded Big 12, but they should see a marked improvement in the win column from last season.
Southern Illinois: After a year down, the Salukis are back and Tony Freeman, formerly Iowa's leading scorer, gives them a bump offensively.
Arkansas: Jemal Farmer is explosive and with everyone else back, the Hogs will get out of the gate fast again -- but won't fade like last season.
Doug Gottlieb is a college basketball analyst for ESPN.