NCAA Basketball

Power Ranking the Top 10 Unranked Teams For 2014-15 College Basketball Season

2014-15 College Basketball: Ranking the Top 10 Unranked Teams

Minnesota Basketball
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The AP Poll for the upcoming 2014-15 college basketball season was released with a few questionable decisions in the rankings. However, as with most preseason rankings, these will change drastically over the first few games of the season. Here are 10 teams that deserved a top 25 preseason ranking but were shunned by the voters.

10. Oregon Ducks

Oregon Basketball
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10. Oregon Ducks

Oregon Basketball
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

You can’t return a player like Joseph Young and not get a little consideration for a top 25 team in the nation. The Ducks will benefit from UCLA and Arizona losing major stars, giving Oregon a legitimate chance to pull off upsets.

9. George Washington Colonials

GW Basketball
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9. George Washington Colonials

GW Basketball
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

George Washington finished the regular season with a 24-8 record but fell short of defeating the Memphis Tigers in the first round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament. With three of their top five scorers returning, GW could be the favorite along with No. 15 ranked VCU to go to the tournament out of the Atlantic 10.

8. UCLA Bruins

UCLA Basketball
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8. UCLA Bruins

UCLA Basketball
Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The Bruins lose Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams and Zach LaVine, but consistent, elite recruiting classes should have UCLA competing with Arizona at the top of the Pac 12.

7. Memphis Tigers

Memphis Basketball
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7. Memphis Tigers

Memphis Basketball
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Shaq Goodwin and Austin Nichols should lead this team to great things, but the key for Memphis coming into the season will be if role players off the bench from last season can turn into stars this season.

6. NC State Wolfpack

NC State Basketball
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6. NC State Wolfpack

NC State Basketball
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

All of the Wolfpack’s outstanding freshmen from the previous season are sophomores and, with TJ Warren moving on to the NBA, will have chances to shine. Don’t forget, an outstanding player and leader from the Alabama Crimson Tide, Trevor Lacey, will be eligible to play this year for NC State as well.

5. Georgetown Hoyas

Georgetown Basketball
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5. Georgetown Hoyas

Georgetown Basketball
Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera could easily average 20-plus points per game, meaning that the Hoyas are a legitimate threat to Villanova in the Big East.

4. Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State Basketball
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

4. Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State Basketball
Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Kansas State returns three players who played more than 20 minutes a game last season, including Marcus Foster and Thomas Gipson, who averaged a combined 27.2 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.

3. Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas Basketball
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3. Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas Basketball
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

The Razorbacks are the only real threat to Kentucky and Florida in the SEC, and that’s for a good reason. Bobby Portis and Rashad Madden dominated eventual National Championship runners-up Kentucky twice last season, and the rotation Mike Anderson uses is more than capable of a run to the Elite Eight.

2. BYU Cougars

BYU Basketball
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2. BYU Cougars

BYU Basketball
Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports

The most underrated team in the west, the Cougars return their two best players from last season, Tyler Haws and Kyle Collinsworth, who averaged a combined 37.2 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game a year ago. This team could be a legitimate threat as the 2015 NCAA Tournament’s Cinderella.

1. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Andre Hollins
Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

1. Minnesota Golden Gophers

Andre Hollins
Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

To be honest, I have no idea how the Golden Gophers are not ranked. They return three of their top four scorers from the previous season, three of their top four rebounders and have an elite scorer in Andre Hollins. Expect this team to compete for the Big Ten regular season title; Minnesota has top three 2015 NCAA Tournament seed talent.

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