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| Photos by Larry Radloff, Doug Sasse, Steve Frommell, d3photography.com |
A year ago, four teams received No. 1 votes, coming off two years without a national championship. Then, we had an NCAA Tournament. We crowned a champion. And now we have another preseason men’s basketball Top 25.
With four teams receiving No. 1 votes.
Randolph-Macon is the defending national champion. And the Yellow Jackets have four starters back. But none of them is Buzz Anthony, so Randolph-Macon didn’t get all the No. 1 votes. Mary Hardin-Baylor, UW-Oshkosh and Christopher Newport — at least one of our 25 voters thinks each of these teams is the best team in the country.
The voters generally think those four teams are the best teams in the country entering the season. But all four are clustered within 42 points of each other. There’s another cluster of teams — the voters can’t find too much difference between No. 9 Stockton and No. 15 UW-La Crosse. Those seven teams are packed within 40 points of each other.
When you see John Carroll among others receiving votes, that isn’t a typo. Yes, the Blue Streaks went 8-16 last season. But they bring in transfers from Youngstown State, Miami (Ohio), The Citadel and Dayton by way of Ohio U. Who knows what that group will look like in Division III?
Check out the full poll.
2022-23 men’s basketball preseason D3hoops.com Top 25
The first regular-season poll is slated for release on Monday, Nov. 28.