The Post’s 2025 preseason college basketball Top 25, Final Four picks

There is no clear favorite. There is no obvious best player. There are several possibilities in both categories.

Coming off a memorable Final Four that saw the heavy favorite, Duke, stunningly ousted by Houston in thrilling fashion, college basketball returns with several contenders.

Florida and its loaded frontcourt could repeat. Connecticut has the potential to win its third title in four years. Houston, Purdue, Kentucky and Duke, among others, are all threats.

Rick Pitino has the top transfer class in the country at defending Big East champion St. John’s and has Red Storm fans dreaming of a Final Four trip to Indianapolis.

There is immense star power: upperclassmen such as Texas Tech’s JT Toppin and Purdue’s Braden Smith, and freshmen AJ Dybantsa of BYU, Darryn Peterson of Kansas and Cameron Boozer of Duke.

The Post’s Zach Braziller breaks it all down in his preseason Top 25:

1. Houston

Imagine doubting Kelvin Sampson? He has turned once-irrelevant Houston into an annual title contender, guiding the Cougars to the Sweet 16 in six consecutive tournaments. He has the pieces, led by experienced standouts Milos Uzan, Emanuel Sharp and Joseph Tugler and an elite recruiting class, to return to the final Monday of the season.

2. Purdue

Two years ago, one of the tallest players in college basketball (Zach Edey) led Purdue to the national championship game. One of the smaller ones (Braden Smith) could get the Boilermakers back there. Smith returns for his senior season after finishing second in the country in assists (8.7), and will be joined by high-scoring forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and prized transfer center Oscar Cluff of South Dakota State.

3. Kentucky

Kentucky’s second team could finish in the top half of several conferences; the Wildcats are that deep. Keeping everyone happy may be Mark Pope’s biggest challenge this winter. The Wildcats, bolstered by the addition of strong perimeter defenders Kam Williams (Tulane) and Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), should be improved defensively after failing to crack the top 50 in adjusted efficiency a year ago, and SEC preseason player of the year Otega Oweh is a dynamite two-way guard.

4. Connecticut

In Storrs, 24 wins and a second-round NCAA Tournament exit is now considered a down year. That’s how high expectations are annually for the Huskies. They are one of a handful of teams that can cut down the nets in Indianapolis, led by a strong core of five returning contributors, a quality freshman class and a few intriguing transfers. Solo Ball, Alex Karaban and Co. should be elite offensively, especially if freshman sniper Braylon Mullins lives up to the hype after missing time with an ankle injury, and if the defense improves as some expect — it was 75th in adjusted efficiency a year ago — there is no ceiling for this group.

5. Michigan

Dusty May’s first season in Ann Arbor surpassed expectations: 27 wins and a berth in the Sweet 16. He has a more talented team a year later, bolstered by one of the top transfers to hit the portal, do-it-all forward Yaxel Lendeborg of UAB, and North Carolina playmaking point guard Elliot Cadeau. Could be a big year for senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr. in his second season with the Wolverines.

6. Duke

It was a magical year, right up until Duke, as the favorite to win it all, coughed up a 14-point lead to Houston in the final eight minutes of a national semifinal. Five players from that team were drafted, highlighted by No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. But the Blue Devils could return to the Final Four behind Boozer, the dynamite freshman forward, and a strong returning core of Maliq Brown, Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster and Patrick Ngongba II.

7. St. John’s

The Zuby Ejiofor-led frontcourt has the potential to be one of the best in the country, and portal additions Ian Jackson (North Carolina), Joson Sanon (Arizona State) and Oziyah Sellers (Stanford) are potent perimeter shotmakers who should turn the Johnnies’ weakness a season ago into a strength. If the Red Storm can just get solid point guard play — don’t rule out Cincinnati transfer Dillon Mitchell being used extensively as a point forward — they have April potential.

8. Florida

Up front, Florida may not have an equal, bringing back the dynamic trio of Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh and Rueben Chinyelu from its national championship team. Replacing the lost production in the backcourt will be the challenge. The onus will fall on two transfers: The Bronx’s Boogie Fland (Arkansas) and Xaivian Lee (Princeton). Not being able to keep guard Denzel Aberdeen, a key reserve a year ago who left for Kentucky, will hurt.

9. Louisville

Few coaches had a better spring than Pat Kelsey, who brought in two of the top perimeter shotmakers in the portal in Ryan Conwell (Xavier) and Isaac McKneely (Virginia). They will be joined in a robust backcourt by top-10 freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. The frontcourt will have a new look too, boosted by highly regarded international big man Sananda Fru and former BYU 7-footer Aly Khalifa, who missed all of last season due to injury.

10. Texas Tech

Preseason Associated Press All-American forward JT Toppin and sophomore marksman Christian Anderson are a terrific duo, and the Red Raiders added playmaking wing LeJuan Watts from Washington State and VCU shot-blocking force Luke Bamgboye to solidify themselves as a Final Four contender. Grant McCasland is 51-20 in two years at Texas Tech, and there’s no reason to believe the winning won’t continue this winter.

11. Arkansas

Arkansas didn’t hit its stride until late in the year, and really should’ve reached the Elite Eight if not for the Razorbacks blowing a 13-point, second-half lead in the Sweet 16 to Texas Tech. A good chunk of that team returns, and John Calipari supplemented the roster with five-star freshmen guards Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr., and experienced transfer forwards Nick Pringle (Alabama) and Malique Ewin (Florida State).

12. BYU

There may not be a more fascinating team to follow than the Cougars. Between potential one-and-done and potential overall No. 1 NBA draft pick AJ Dybantsa, top Baylor transfer guard Robert Wright III and returning sharpshooter Richie Saunders, BYU has a lethal backcourt. Experienced and physical senior forward Keba Keita will be a key piece up front.

13. Illinois

Some have compared the current state of college basketball to the EuroLeague, because rosters are turned over now on an annual basis. It really feels like that at Illinois, where Brad Underwood has recruited a strong Balkan presence: Croatian twins Tomislav and Zvonimir Ivisic, Serbian guard Mihailo Petrovic, and Montenegrin forward David Mirkovic. The top newcomer, though, is wing Andrej Stojakovic — former NBA star Peja Stojakovic’s son — who averaged 17.9 points a season ago at Cal.

14. UCLA

An argument can be made that there wasn’t a more important addition in the portal than the Bruins landing New Mexico’s Donovan Dent, the best point guard in the sport not named Braden Smith. Dent, a blur with the ball in his hands, will be surrounded by plenty of talent, in particular double-digit returning scorers Eric Dailey Jr. and Tyler Bilodeau.

15. Kansas

The last two seasons, Kansas started No. 1 and underwhelmed, failing to advance past the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament. This year, there is considerably less buzz with the Jayhawks, and maybe that’s a good thing. Freshman guard Darryn Peterson is considered a potential No. 1 pick, sophomore forward Flory Bidunga is a breakout candidate and there are intriguing pieces around them, like experienced transfers Tre White of Illinois and Melvin Council Jr. of St. Bonaventure.

16. Arizona

Aside from Duke, nobody is relying on freshmen more than the Wildcats. Five-stars Koa Peat and Brayden Burries will be essential pieces for Arizona, which lost four of its top five scorers from a year ago. Keep an eye on senior point guard Jaden Bradley. He took a leap last year and has room for further growth.

17. Iowa State

There are two constants in Ames under T.J. Otzelberger — stellar defense and high-level guards. In his four seasons, the Cyclones haven’t been worse than 13th in defensive adjusted efficiency, and they again have one of the nation’s premier guards in Tamin Lipsey, the rare four-year starter at one school.

18. Alabama

The backcourt tandem of Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon Jr. will be one of the sport’s very best guard duos. The question is up front, where Alabama is counting on sophomore Aiden Sherrell and two transfers, Bucknell’s Noah Williamson and Florida State’s Taylor Bol Bowen, to make an impact.

19. Tennessee

Coveted Maryland point guard transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie and top-five freshman wing Nate Ament will be keys to the Volunteers’ offensive attack. The supporting pieces are in place — returning forwards Felix Okpara, J.P. Estrella and Cade Phillips, along with Vanderbilt transfer forward Jaylen Carey — for Tennessee to be a March player again.

20. Auburn

It’s uncertain how far the drop-off will be at coach, now that Bruce Pearl has retired and handed the job off to his son, Steven. Fortunately, he has one of the best lead guards in the nation in Tahaad Pettiford and two high-impact transfers — UCF’s Keyshawn Hall and Mississippi State’s KeShawn Murphy — to ease the transition. Plus, Division II transfer Elyjah Freeman (19.3 points per game at Lincoln Memorial) is generating early NBA buzz

21. Michigan State

Continuity? In this day and age? Michigan State has more than most, with two starters (Jeremy Fears Jr. and Jaxon Kohler) and two reserves (Coen Carr and Carson Cooper) back from its Elite 8 team. After a solid freshman year, Fears could explode as a sophomore, and top-50 freshman power forward Cam Ward looks like an immediate contributor.

22. Creighton

The Bluejays have won at least 20 games in 10 consecutive seasons under Greg McDermott, and have advanced to the Sweet 16 three times in the previous five tournaments. Bet against Creighton continuing that consistency at your own risk. Portal additions Owen Freeman (Iowa), Josh Dix (Iowa) and Blake Harper (Howard), along with key returnees Jackson McAndrew, Isaac Traudt and Jasen Green, give McDermott a core to challenge St. John’s and Connecticut at the top of the Big East.

23. Gonzaga

Double-digit scoring big men Graham Ike and Braden Huff return, and the Zags got terrific news last week: Explosive wing Tyon Grant-Foster was granted an extra year of eligibility. Gonzaga is old, and that’s a compliment. Overlook this seasoned group at your own risk.

24. N.C. State

Will Wade served his penance, coaching for two years at mid-major McNeese State in the wake of his LSU ouster, and now he’s back on the big stage in the ACC. It won’t take Wade long to win at N.C. State — he has a Sweet 16 contender in Year 1, led by a strong transfer class headed up by Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams and Michigan State point guard Tre Holloman.

25. North Carolina

Another underwhelming season and Hubert Davis will face major heat in Chapel Hill. His job could be in jeopardy. Two of the last three years, the Tar Heels have disappointed. Davis also has an almost completely new starting five, but that shouldn’t be an excuse after North Carolina brought in top-tier talents such as Arizona forward Henri Veesaar, top-10 freshman wing Caleb Wilson and international wing Luka Bogavac.

Braziller’s predictions

Final Four: Kentucky, UCLA, Arkansas, Kansas

Champion: Kentucky