The favorite
1. Houston
We are assuming Nate Hinton and DeJon Jarreau will return despite declaring for the NBA Draft. Neither is projected to be drafted, according to Sam Vecenie’s latest mock draft. If both do come back, the Cougars would return their top six scorers off a team that finished in the Top 25. Even if one of the two guards stays in the draft, Kelvin Sampson will still have a loaded roster, especially on the perimeter. Caleb Mills led the team in scoring as a freshman. Quentin Grimes, the Kansas transfer, has begun to fulfill his vast promise. Marcus Sasser led the team in 3s made as a freshman and should only get better, while senior Fabian White Jr. takes care of the dirty work inside. Sampson also adds a top-100 recruit in guard Tramon Mark. This might be the only AAC team that begins the year in the rankings, and everybody else will be chasing the Cougars.
