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Gonzaga has won at least 31 games in five consecutive seasons, played in two of the past four national title games and finished first or second at KenPom in four of the past five years.

It's been an incredible run.

But is the best still yet to come?

It's a reasonable question to ask after Nolan Hickman, a consensus top-30 prospect in the Class of 2021, this weekend became the latest talented prospect to commit to Gonzaga. The arrival of the 6-foot-2 point guard (who was previously committed to Kentucky) means the Zags should have six former consensus top-50 high school prospects on next season's roster -- among them the likely Preseason National Player of the Year (Drew Timmeand the possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft (Chet Holmgren). The Zags could theoretically have a starting lineup that looks like this:

  •  G: Nolan Hickman (No. 29 in 2021)
  •  G: Andrew Nembhard (No. 23 in 2018)
  •  G: Hunter Sallis (No. 18 in 2021)
  •  F: Drew Timme (No. 43 in 2019)
  •  F: Chet Holmgren (No. 1 in 2021)

That represents a nice blend of experience and talent with Timme and Holmgren projecting as the best 4-5 combo in college basketball. As a result, the Zags are now No. 1 in Version 10.0 of the 2021-22 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1.

Also moving up: Kentucky.

The Wildcats were bolstered Monday when they secured a commitment from Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler. The 5-10 point guard averaged 14 points, 7.4 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 34.8 minutes per game this past season. He'll be one of at least four first-year transfers on UK's roster next season -- joining Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia), Kellan Grady (Davidson) and CJ Frederick (Iowa). So now Kentucky, which is also enrolling five-star prospects TyTy Washington and Daimion Collins, is No. 14 in the Top 25 And 1 and set up for a nice bounce-back after this past season's debacle that led to a 9-16 record.

Top 25 And 1 rankings

Biggest Movers
3 Kentucky
1 UCLA
Rk
Teams
 
Chg
Rcrd
1 Gonzaga The Zags are expected to bring back Drew Timme and Andrew Nembhard, both of whom started for a team that finished 31-1. They'll combine with a star-studded recruiting class - highlighted by five-star prospects Chet Holmgren and Hunter Sallis - and allow Gonzaga to enter the season as the favorite to win the national title. 1 27-8
2 UCLA Every meaningful player who helped the Bruins make the Final Four is currently projected back on campus - among them NCAA Tournament star Johnny Juzang. UCLA will add five-star prospect Peyton Watson and should have all of the pieces necessary to compete for the national title. 1 16-17
3 Villanova The return of Collin Gillispie and Jermaine Samuels means the Wildcats will return four of the top five scorers from a team that won the Big East title by multiple games. So Jay Wright will have the pieces necessary to compete for his third national championship. -- 18-16
4 Alabama The Crimson Tide should return four of the top seven scorers from a team that won the SEC regular-season title and SEC Tournament - most notably Jaden Shackelford and Jahvon Quinerly. The addition of five-star point guard JD Davison and four-star big Charles Bediako gives Nate Oats a chance at back-to-back conference championships. -- 25-12
5 Ohio St. Ohio State is expected to return seven of the top eight scorers from a team that earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament - most notably Duane Washington, E.J. Liddell, Justice Sueing and Kyle Young. Malaki Branham, a consensus top-30 prospect in the Class of 2021, is an incoming recruit who should make an immediate impact. -- 22-14
6 Michigan Eli Brooks' decision to return will provide Juwan Howard with an additional experienced piece to pair with the nation's top-ranked recruiting class that features five-star prospect Caleb Houstan, five-star prospect Moussa Diabate and reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year DeVante' Jones. As long as Hunter Dickinson also returns, which is expected, the Wolverines should be able to compete for another No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. -- 8-24
7 Duke Duke is the only program expected to add three five-star prospects from the Class of 2021 - among them Paolo Banchero and AJ Griffin, both of whom project as one-and-done top-10 NBA Draft picks. So even with Matthew Hurt and DJ Steward both leaving school early, Mike Krzyzewski should have enough talent to take the Blue Devils back to the top of the sport. -- 27-9
8 Baylor The Bears are expected to lose Davion Mitchell and Jared Butler to the NBA Draft. But if Baylor keeps a core of Adam Flagler, Matthew Mayer and Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua, and enrolls its top-10 recruiting class highlighted by five-star wing Kendall Brown, Scott Drew can make a run at another national title -- and he'll be in even better position to do it if Arizona transfer James Akinjo receivers a waiver to play immediately. -- 24-11
9 Kansas Kansas is projected to return four starters from a team that went 9-2 in its final 11 games and advanced in the NCAA Tournament. The recent addition of Joseph Yesufu, a transfer who averaged 12.8 points at Drake this season, will enhance the Jayhawks' shot-making ability. -- 23-11
10 Arkansas The Razorbacks are losing a lot - including projected first-round pick Moses Moody. But JD Notae should return as a double-digit scorer, and Eric Musselman is adding at least four experienced double-digit scorers via the transfer market, mostly notably Chris Lykes (Miami) and Au'Diese Toney (Pitt). -- 16-17
11 Purdue The Boilermakers have no seniors and zero players likely to enter the 2021 NBA Draft, meaning everybody who matters should return from a team that received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The star is Trevion Williams, who averaged 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior. -- 34-5
12 Houston As long as Kelvin Sampson remains the coach, Houston will likely be a mainstay in the Top 25 And 1. The early loss of Quentin Grimes will hurt, but probably not too much with Marcus Sasser and Tramon Mark set to return and be joined by Texas Tech transfer Kyler Edwards. -- 32-5
13 Maryland Mark Turgeon has used the transfer market to add a quality guard (Fatts Russell) and big (Qudus Wahab). That should be enough to offset the loss of Darryl Morsell and get the Terrapins to the Big Dance for the sixth time in a span of seven NCAA Tournaments. -- 16-17
14 Kentucky John Calipari has solved Kentucky's point guard problems by adding five-star prospect TyTy Washington and Georgia transfer Sahvir Wheeler. Other additions like transfers Kellan Grady (Davidson), Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia) and CJ Frederick (Iowa) are what will give the Wildcats a chance to go from a losing season to a conference title. 3 23-10
15 Florida St. The Seminoles should be good again despite the fact that they're likely losing four of their top five scorers - among them projected lottery pick Scottie Barnes. A veteran core of Anthony Polite and Malik Osborne will be joined by a top-five recruiting class highlighted by former Houston standout Caleb Mills and five-star wing Matthew Cleveland. 1 17-16
16 Tennessee John Fulkerson's decision to return for another season means Tennessee should bring back five of the top eight scorers from a team that earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That experienced core will pair nicely with a recruiting class highlighted by one of the best point guards in the Class of 2021 (Kennedy Chandler) and another newcomer who just averaged 11.7 points while shooting 44.2% from 3-point range at Auburn (Justin Powell). 1 27-9
17 N. Carolina The expected return of Armando Bacot and Caleb Love will give first-year coach Hubert Davis a chance to keep the Tar Heels nationally relevant. The arrival of Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek should help offset the loss of Garrison Brooks and Day'Ron Sharpe. 1 29-8
18 UConn Dan Hurley has rebuilt UConn to the point where it should be a consistent challenger to Villanova in the Big East. Even the early loss of James Bouknight, a projected first-round NBA Draft pick, shouldn't change that (especially with Tyler Polley set to return for a fifth season). -- 37-3
19 Michigan St. Aaron Henry is following Joshua Langford and Rocket Watts out the door. But the arrival of five-star guard Max Christie and Northeastern transfer Tyson Walker should have Tom Izzo in his 24th straight NCAA Tournament. -- 20-15
20 St. Bona. All five starters from a team that won the Atlantic 10 regular-season title and Atlantic 10 Tournament are expected back - most notably Kyle Lofton, who averaged 14.4 points and 5.5 assists as a junior. Wake Forest transfer Quadry Adams will provide depth. -- 20-13
21 Texas Chris Beard has used the transfer portal to add three players - Timmy Allen (Utah), Christian Bishop (Creighton) and Dylan Disu (Vanderbilt) - who averaged double-figures in points this season. He appears to have enough experienced talent to compete for the Big 12 title in his first year at Texas. -- 21-13
22 Oregon Dana Altman has been among the best at reloading his roster each offseason via the transfer market -- and now he's doing it again now. The addition of Oklahoma transfer De'Vion Harmon to an experienced core of Will Richardson, Eric Williams and N'Faly Dante should make the Ducks the biggest threat to UCLA in the Pac-12. -- 24-12
23 Virginia Trey Murphy is expected to remain in the NBA Draft, which means Virginia will likely lose its top three scorers. But Kihei Clark will provide Tony Bennett with an experienced point guard capable of keeping the Cavaliers near the top of the ACC, and the addition of East Carolina transfer Jayden Gardner could be a big boost. -- 23-11
24 Auburn Auburn's frontcourt of Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler might end up being the best frontcourt in the SEC. That's two five-star high school prospects joining a roster returning two double-digit scorers. -- 27-8
25 USC Andy Enfield should have the Trojans back in the NCAA Tournament - as long as Isaiah Mobley doesn't join his brother, Evan Mobley, in the NBA Draft. A top-15 recruiting class highlighted by Reese Dixon-Waters and Memphis transfer Boogie Ellis will help offset the departures. -- 15-18
26 Va. Tech The top four scorers from a team that made the NCAA Tournament are expected to return - among them Keve Aluma, who averaged 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds this season. They'll be joined by a pair of transfers (USF's Michael Durr and Wofford's Storm Murphy) who should help Virginia Tech compete near the top of the ACC. -- 19-15

Roster breakdowns

1. Gonzaga

Coach: Mark Few | 2020-21 record: 31-1

2. UCLA

Coach: Mick Cronin | 2020-21 record: 22-10

3. Villanova

Coach: Jay Wright | 2020-21 record: 18-7

4. Alabama

Coach: Nate Oats | 2020-21 record: 26-7

5. Ohio State

Coach: Chris Holtmann | 2020-21 record: 21-10

6. Michigan

Coach: Juwan Howard2020-21 record: 23-5

7. Duke

Coach: Mike Krzyzewski | 2020-21 record: 13-11

8. Baylor

Coach: Scott Drew | 2020-21 record: 28-2

9. Kansas

Coach: Bill Self | 2020-21 record: 21-9

10. Arkansas

Coach: Eric Musselman | 2020-21 record: 25-7

11. Purdue

Coach: Matt Painter | 2020-21 record: 18-10

12. Houston

Coach: Kelvin Sampson | 2020-21 record: 28-4

13. Maryland

Coach: Mark Turgeon | 2020-21 record: 17-14

14. Kentucky

Coach: John Calipari | 2020-21 record: 9-16

15. Florida State

Coach: Leonard Hamilton | 2020-21 record: 18-7

16. Tennessee

Coach: Rick Barnes | 2020-21 record: 18-9

17. North Carolina

Coach: Hubert Davis | 2020-21 record: 18-11

18. UConn

Coach: Dan Hurley | 2020-21 record: 15-8

19. Michigan State

Coach: Tom Izzo | 2020-21 record: 15-13

20. St. Bonaventure

Coach: Mark Schmidt | 2020-21 record: 16-5

21. Texas

Coach: Chris Beard | 2020-21 record: 19-8

22. Oregon

Coach: Dana Altman | 2020-21 record: 21-7

23. Virginia

Coach: Tony Bennett | 2020-21 record: 18-17

24. Auburn

Coach: Bruce Pearl | 2020-21 record: 13-14

25. USC

Coach: Andy Enfield | 2020-21 record: 25-8

26. Virginia Tech

Coach: Mike Young | 2020-21 record: 15-7