Houston was No. 1 in Version 1.0 of the 2024-25 CBS Sports preseason Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings based on a projected roster that included Jamal Shead. On Thursday, though, the CBS Sports First Team All-American announced that he’s entering the 2024 NBA Draft while suggesting he has no intention of returning to college basketball.
“I feel like it’s my time to move on,” Shead told the NBC affiliate in Houston. “It’s time to chase my dreams.”
That’s obviously a big loss — but Houston is still set to return six of the top eight scorers from a team that won the Big 12 regular-season title by multiple games and secured a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. So I’m only dropping the Cougars to No. 3 in Version 2.0 of the Top 25 And 1.
The new No. 1 is North Carolina — and Duke is up to No. 2 thanks to Tyrese Proctor’s announcement on Thursday that he’s returning to the Blue Devils for a third season after averaging 10.5 points in 30.4 minutes per game as a sophomore. UNC’s No. 1 ranking is based on a roster projection reliant upon RJ Davis, Harrison Ingram and Elliot Cadeau each returning to give the Tar Heels three of the top five scorers back from a team that won the ACC regular-season title and secured a No. 1 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. If any of those players instead exit, or if UNC’s top-10 recruiting class headlined by five-star guards Ian Jackson and Drake Powell falls apart for whatever reason, I’ll adjust, just like always. But, for now at least, North Carolina is No. 1 in the Top 25 And 1.
The only other development that impacted Version 2.0 of the Top 25 And 1 is Tennessee’s Jonas Aidoo entering the transfer portal on Thursday. That means the Vols are now set to lose three of their top five scorers from a team that won the SEC regular-season title and secured a No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. They’re down to No. 19 in Version 2.0 of the Top 25 And 1.
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