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College Basketball Top 25: The pressing question for every team in our preseason rankings

Montana v Michigan

WICHITA, KS - MARCH 15: Charles Matthews #1 of the Michigan Wolverines attempts a shot defended by Michael Oguine #0 of the Montana Grizzlies during the first half of the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at INTRUST Arena on March 15, 2018 in Wichita, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

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As we get ready for the Fourth of July holiday, we at College Basketball Talk will be rolling through the pressing questions for every team in the top 25.

Today, we take a look at the teams ranked 11-25.

On Tuesday, we will dive into the top ten teams in the country.

What is the question that we will need answered for the best teams in college basketball next season?

Virginia Tech v Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Buzz Williams of the Virginia Tech Hokies motions to his team in the first half during a game against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena on February 10, 2018 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)

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11. VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES


  • DO THE HOKIES HAVE THE HORSES TO CRACK THE TOP OF THE ACC?

The very top of the ACC is riddled with the usual suspects. Duke looks to be the favorite, North Carolina should be excellent once again and Virginia is going to be Virginia regardless of how many times they lose to a No. 16 seed. The Hokies, on paper, look like a team good enough to make a run at the top three. They bring back seven of their top eight players, including a potential star in Nickeil Alexander-Walker, but simply returning everyone from a team that was a No. 9 seed doesn’t necessarily mean Tech will go from being a tournament team to a challenger for a top three seed.

12. AUBURN TIGERS


  • HOW DOES AUBURN RESPOND TO THEIR ROSTER TURNOVER?

Last season, Auburn’s surprising level of success -- a share of the SEC regular season title -- was in large part due to the collective: Everyone bought in, everyone played their role and thrived in it. How will that dynamic work with Mustapha Heron, who led the team in scoring last season, being replaced by Danjel Purifoy and Austin Wiley? Not only are there concerns about how well those two will fit into the team dynamic, they don’t exactly fit all that well in the uptempo style that Bruce Pearl introduced last season.

13. MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS


  • WILL SPARTY’S JUNIORS BECOME STARS?

The biggest issue that Michigan State had last season was that the way their roster was constructed didn’t make it conducive to playing their best players in an ideal position. Tom Izzo had a half-dozen big men on his roster and questionable backcourt talent, which forced Miles Bridges and Jaren Jackson to play at the 3 and the 4 instead of their ideal 4 and 5. That’s why a team as talented as Michigan State underachieved so much. It wasn’t a lack of good basketball players. I say all that to say this: There are still quite a few talented players in East Lansing, but this ranking will seem too high if what’s left of the junior class -- Cassius Winston, Josh Langford and Nick Ward -- does not play up to their ability.

Illinois v Michigan State

EAST LANSING, MI - FEBRUARY 20: Nick Ward #44 of the Michigan State Spartans shoots a free throw during a game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Breslin Center on February 20, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)

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14. FLORIDA STATE SEMINOLES


  • DOES FLORIDA STATE HAVE A POINT GUARD?

I actually think Florida State has a relatively high floor heading into next season. They bring back almost all of their important pieces from last season’s team that reached the Elite 8, and their position-less, versatility-heavy roster and pressing style will make them a team that is annoying to play against. Their ability to make threes will be important, as will the development of Mfiondu Kabengele and M.J. Walker, but for my money, their ceiling will be determined by their point guard play. Just how good will junior Trent Forrest and Albany grad-transfer David Nichols be?

15. MISSISSIPPI STATE BULLDOGS


  • WILL THE BULLDOGS MAKE THREES?

Ben Howland essentially brings everyone back from a team that won 25 games and reached the NIT quarterfinals. Both Quinndary and Nick Weatherspoon pulled their names out of the NBA draft, while Lamar Peters also returns and will be joined by five-star prospect Reggie Perry. Throw in a handful of veteran bigs that are former four-star recruits, and it’s all there. The problem? Well, Mississippi State returns everyone from a team that was 329th nationally in three-point shooting last season. The only starter that shot better than 29.9 percent from three was power forward Aric Holman. That’s not exactly ideal.

16. OREGON DUCKS


  • IS BOL BOL AWESOME OR OVERRATED?

This is a question that will be discussed ad nauseum between now and the start of the season, and probably beyond; this might end up being one of the key storylines heading into the 2019 NBA Draft. On paper, Bol is the kind of prospect that never comes along. He’s 7-foot-3 and an elite rim-protector (when he wants to be) that is a very good three-point shooter. The problem? He doesn’t seem to be all that interested in playing the physical brand of defense that he needs to play, and he seems to believe that, offensively, he should be J.J. Redick. In theory, Bol should be a better version of Chris Boucher, but that all depends on whether or not Bol wants to be and ignores one, simple fact: Oregon became a Final Four-caliber team in 2017 when Boucher got injured and Jordan Bell was moved to center.

2017 CIF Southern Section Boys Open Division Championship

ANAHEIM, CA - MARCH 04: Bol Bol #1 of Mater Dei High School looks for the open pass during the game against Bishop Montgomery High School at the Honda Center on March 4, 2017 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Josh Lefkowitz/Getty Images)

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17. UCLA BRUINS


  • WILL UCLA EVER PLAY DEFENSE?

If five seasons as the head coach in Westwood, Steve Alford has had just one team finishing in the top 65 of KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency metric. That was his first team, when he had a roster full of Ben Howland’s players. The issue has never been on the offensive side of the ball, not with the parade of high school all-americans and future NBA players that have come through his program. This year should be no different. Not only does he have another loaded recruiting class coming in, but Kris Wilkes and Jaylen Hands are back. There are no excuses this year.

18. TCU HORNED FROGS


  • CAN JAYLEN FISHER AND ALEX ROBINSON CO-EXIST IN THE BACKCOURT?

Looking at the way that TCU’s roster comes together, it seems as if Jamie Dixon’s best five will include a pair of point guards. Fisher is the more well-rounded of the two, but Robinson is an elite passer even if there are some questions about the rest of his game. They’ll need big seasons out of Desmond Bane and Kouat Noi, but for my money, making things work with two point guards is how they reach their ceiling.

19. LOUISVILLE CARDINALS


  • SO IS THIS CHRIS MACK GUY THE REAL DEAL?

For the Cardinals to finish the season ranked this high, he’ll have to be. Louisville, coming off one of the most trying three-year periods in college basketball history, will be officially replacing an all-time great head coach after losing their starting point guard and a pair of stars -- Deng Adel and Ray Spalding -- to early entry. There is still talent on this roster. What can Mack do with it?

20. WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS


  • CAN THE MOUNTAINEERS SURVIVE AFTER LOSING THEIR BACKCOURT?

We’ve seen West Virginia overcome the loss of key program players in recent years and not miss a beat, but they did that while keeping the two guys that define the Press Virginia era: Daxter Miles and, more importantly, Jevon Carter. Those two set the tone for this program for the last four seasons. They will not be easily replaced, but that is the task that Bob Huggins has in front of him.

Kansas v West Virginia

MORGANTOWN, WV - JANUARY 24: Head coach Bob Huggins of the West Virginia Mountaineers reacts to a call in the second half during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at WVU Coliseum on January 24, 2017 in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)

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21. N.C. STATE WOLFPACK


  • JUST HOW GOOD WILL THESE GUARDS BE?

Losing Omer Yurtseven hurts N.C. State because this team now has a massive hole where their frontcourt used to be. That doesn’t concern me all that much for two reasons: There is a massive amount of perimeter talent on this roster, from point guards Markell Johnson and Braxton Beverly to transfers C.J. Bryce and Devon Daniels to freshman Jericole Hellems. Keatts’ best teams at UNC Wilmington had deep, talented backcourts that allowed his pressing style to thrive. Wolfpack fans are hoping that will be the case for this group.

22. LSU TIGERS


  • HOW GOOD IS TREMONT WATERS’ SUPPORTING CAST?

Will Wade has made one thing clear in his 15 months in Baton Rouge: He is going to be able to get players with a lot of stars in their recruiting ranking to come to campus. The question is whether or not those players are going to be able to find a way to fit together. We know how good Tremont Waters was, and how good he will likely be this season, but unless the likes of Javonte Smart, Emmitt Williams and Naz Reid live up to their reputations, the Tigers are probably looking at being somewhere between the back-end of the bubble teams and the top of the NIT bracket.

23. CLEMSON TIGERS


  • HOW WILL CLEMSON HANDLE BEING THE HUNTED?

One of the most under-discussed storylines from last season was the disaster that was Northwestern basketball. They went from making their first NCAA tournament to being everyone’s preseason darling to losing by 36 points to Texas Tech and reminding everyone why they are Northwestern. They are the posterchild for the dangers in becoming satisfied. Clemson was very good last season, a top five seed that reached the Sweet 16, and they return quite a few key pieces. Will the hunger to win still be there after they’ve tasted success?

24. MICHIGAN WOLVERINES


  • WHO IS GOING TO SCORE?

The Wolverines went through long bouts of brick-laying last season, even as they made a run through the Big Ten tournament and to the national title game. They were not a typical John Beilein team, as they won a staunch defense and relied on Mo Wagner and company to do just enough scoring to win. The problem? Wagner and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, by far the two best offensive players on their roster last season, are gone. Will Charles Matthews take the next step to go-to scorer? Will Zavier Simpson? Is Jordan Poole going to be the guy? Michigan’s defense gives them a floor. I’m not sure who gives them a ceiling.

25. SYRACUSE ORANGE


  • WILL TYUS BATTLE BE THEIR ONLY CREATIVE OFFENSIVE THREAT AGAIN?

Syracuse was not a very good basketball team last season, particularly on the offensive end of the floor, but Jim Boeheim is just so damn good at making his zone impenetrable that the Orange were able to win games in the 50s thanks to Tyus Battle finding a way to carry a massive burden offensively. If that’s who they are again next season, the Orange faithful should expect more of the same: ugly games, a low NCAA tournament seed and a shot to win a few games because, oh boy, are they a nightmare to play against. But this team has a chance to be much more if, say, O’Shae Brissett takes the next step or Buddy Boeheim proves to be capable of Gerry McNamara-esque shooting feats.