The post-NBA draft withdrawal deadline Power 36 rankings are here.
Clip. Save. Remember. This Power 36 will likely still get tweaked before the season begins with a few players still trying to find landing spots out of the transfer portal.
But for now, the North Carolina Tar Heels are No. 1 with a new No. 2 after significant players announced their return to the Gonzaga Bulldogs after the draft process. Each school's previous ranking is in parentheses.
College basketball rankings: Andy Katz's Power 36
1. North Carolina (1): The Tar Heels return nearly the entire core group, save for Brady Manek, from last season's national runner-up.
2. Gonzaga (22): Drew Timme’s decision to return keeps the Zags in the hunt for a No. 1 seed again.
3. Kentucky (2): Reigning national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe is back.
4. UCLA (3): The 1-2 punch of Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyger Campbell will put the Bruins atop the Pac-12.
5. Kansas (10): The Jayhawks will have two of the best in the Big 12 back in Jalen Wilson and Texas Tech transfer Kevin McCullar.
6. Houston (14): Marcus Sasser could be a first-team All-American and Houston is in the hunt again.
7. Indiana (19): Trayce Jackson-Davis is ready for prime time to lead the Hoosiers to the top of the Big Ten.
8. Baylor (4): The Bears have Adam Flagler and a culture of success under Scott Drew.
9. Texas (9): The Longhorns picked up the Big 12 Freshman of the Year in Tyrese Hunter from Iowa State.
10. Duke (8): The Blue Devils have the top recruiting class in the country.
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11. TCU (15): Jamie Dixon has nearly his entire team back, led by potential All-American Mike Miles.
12. Creighton (12): The Bluejays will be the Big East favorite behind Ryan Kalkbrenner, Trey Alexander and Summit League Player of the Year in South Dakota State transfer Baylor Scheierman.
13. Michigan State (11): The Spartans did lose Max Christie, but the return of Malik Hall, Tyson Walker, AJ Hoggard and Joey Hauser will keep Michigan State in the Big Ten chase.
14. Arkansas (6): The Razorbacks did exceptionally well in the transfer portal, but losing Jaylin Williams to the NBA draft will sting.
15. Illinois (29): Terrence Shannon Jr. and Matthew Mayer bring Big 12 toughness to the Big Ten.
16. Miami (25): The ‘Canes will have one of the best 1-2 punches in the ACC in Isaiah Wong and Nijel Pack.
17. Michigan (5): Hunter Dickinson will have to carry even more of the load for the Wolverines, but he’s up to the challenge.
18. Tennessee (NR): The return of Santiago Vescovi will keep the Vols in the hunt in the SEC.
19. Dayton (17): The Flyers have a star in DaRon Holmes II and are the pick to win the A-10.
20. Rutgers (NR): The Scarlet Knights have the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year back in Caleb McConnell and one of the top rim protectors and finishers in Cliff Omoruyi.
21. Purdue (13): Zach Edey will need to play more than 20 minutes a game and dominate his position.
22. Virginia (24): The Cavaliers didn’t make the NCAA tournament, but they return the core of their team and are poised to be back where they belong under Tony Bennett.
23. San Diego State (21): The Aztecs have Matt Bradley as their main offensive threat and a defense that is hard to penetrate.
24. Florida (NR): Todd Golden has quite the first-year anchors in the return of big Colin Castleton and St. Bonaventure transfer guard Kyle Lofton.
25. Wyoming (26): The Cowboys made the NCAA tournament and should be back with the return of Hunter Maldonado and Graham Ike.
26. Villanova (23): No Jay Wright, no Collin Gillespie, but Kyle Neptune has enough to mount a contending Big East campaign.
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27. Providence (20): The Friars did quite well again in the transfer portal and will have a new look, but the same grit and winning culture under Ed Cooley.
28. Wisconsin (34): Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl will be the new go-to players for the Badgers.
29. USC (NR): The Trojans will get plenty of production out of Drew Peterson and Boogie Ellis in yet another NCAA tournament run.
30. Auburn (27): The Tigers will have a new frontcourt, but the guards are back to lead a now-perennial SEC contender.
31. Iowa (NR): Don’t sleep on the Hawkeyes again. Kris Murray is ready to be a household name.
32. Arizona (7): The Wildcats got blitzed by NBA draft early-entry decisions, but there is enough returning for Tommy Lloyd's team to be in the Pac-12 chase.
33. Xavier (32): Sean Miller won before at Xavier and he will win again behind Colby Jones.
34. Ohio State (30): The Buckeyes will be led by Justice Sueing and a host of transfers.
35. Saint Mary’s (31): Logan Johnson and Alex Ducas will be a menace for opponents.
36. Texas A&M (28): The NIT runner-up should be back where it was a year ago — in the chase for an NCAA tournament bid.
Under consideration
Alabama
Memphis
Texas Tech
Oklahoma State
Saint Louis
Davidson
Oregon
St. John’s
UConn
Iowa State
Florida State
VCU
Loyola Chicago
Portland
Notre Dame
West Virginia
Oklahoma
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.
