Michigan State ranks 20th, UNC remains on top in CBS Sports' basketball power rankings

April 26, 2022

The ongoing movement of players through the transfer window and into the NBA draft has made it difficult to predict where the college basketball season will end up. CBS Sports' Gary Parrish has updated his Top 25 And 1 rankings to keep up with the changes.

The updated version of the Top 25 and 1 rankings released by CBS Sports features Michigan State at No. 20, down one spot from the previous rankings.

According to Parrish, the team's ranking is based on the return of several key players, including Max Christie, who declared for the NBA draft but could still return to the program.

If Christie decides to return, it will benefit him to take a similar sophomore-year leap as Johnny Davis, and Jaden Ivey did this season.

Like many programs, Michigan State is in flux as the spring semester draws close. Coming off a season in which it lost to Duke in the NCAA tournament's round of 32, Tom Izzo and the team have some holes to address.

Several key players have already left the program, including senior starters Marcus Bingham Jr. and Gabe Brown. Christie, a five-star recruit during his time with the team, is also in the NBA draft pool.

Despite the loss of key players, Izzo received some excellent news last week when Joey Hauser, a power forward, decided to return to the program for another season. Michigan State is expected to add a big man and a wing through the transfer window.

UNC tops Parrish's Top 25 list

The top five in this week's rankings remain the same as last week. Reigning on top are North Carolina, Kentucky, Baylor, Houston, and Arkansas. Several other Big Ten teams also made it into the top 25 list, including Indiana, Purdue, and Ohio State.

One of the stars of the NCAA tournament's 2022 round of 32, Caleb Love, announced on social media that he would return to UNC for his junior year. UNC remained on top during a 12-day period in which several key players from the team that played against Kansas in the national title game announced that they would return for one more season. These players, including Love, Armando Bacot, Leaky Black, and R.J. Davis, are expected to help ensure that second-year coach Hubert Davis has the best possible recruiting class.

"The Tar Heels' ranking is based on North Carolina returning every rotation player except for Brady Manek - among them All-American Armando Bacot, NCAA Tournament star Caleb Love and defensive specialist Leaky Black. UNC has the best and most-accomplished returning core in the sport," Parrish wrote about the leader of Top 25 And 1 rankings.

Significant changes

The only significant changes in this week's rankings are the positions held by Texas and Ohio State. Texas' move to No. 16 was due to the announcement by Marcus Carr that he would return for his senior year, while Ohio State's move to No. 25 was caused by the commitment of Sean McNeil from West Virginia.

Saint Louis is back in the rankings after receiving a boost from the decision by Yuri Collins, who decided to return to the Atlantic 10 after withdrawing from the transfer portal.

Due to various factors that affected the rankings, including the commitments of several key players and the decision by Yuri Collins, Oregon, Virginia, and Oklahoma State dropped out of the Top 25 And 1.

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Gus Anderson
Gus Anderson is a gambling wizard. As a kid he dreamt about becoming a Tennis, Hockey and Golf professional but ended up as a gambling professional with focus on both sports & casino.