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College basketball rankings: Iowa State lands Joshua Jefferson from Saint Mary's, jumps in Top 25 And 1 – CBS Sports
Iowa State didn’t receive a single vote in the Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll last year. That fact suggests it was surprising for most when the Cyclones finished alone in second in the Big 12 (at least two games ahead of everybody besides Houston), secured a No. 2 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament and won a total of 29 games while advancing to the Sweet 16.
If this season goes similarly well, it should surprise nobody.
TJ Otzelberger’s Cyclones are up to No. 3 in Version 10.0 of the 2024-25 CBS Sports preseason Top 25 And 1 college basketball rankings after securing a commitment Tuesday from Joshua Jefferson, a 6-foot-8 forward who just averaged 10.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 25.0 minutes per game for a Saint Mary’s program that won both the West Coast Conference regular-season title and the West Coast Conference Tournament. Whether he starts or comes off of the bench is to be determined. Either way, Jefferson should be an impactful piece for a program already set to return its top four scorers — among them Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsey, either of whom would’ve been a reasonable option for Big 12 Player of the Year this past season had Houston’s Jamal Shead not existed.
Iowa State wasn’t the only school to get good news Tuesday. North Carolina also did when Seth Trimble announced he’s removing himself from the transfer portal and returning to the Tar Heels, which is why UNC is up to No. 4 in the Top 25 And 1. The only other development that affected these rankings is Coleman Hawkins announcing he’s entering the 2024 NBA Draft with no intention of returning to Illinois. As a result, the Illini have been removed from the Top 25 And 1 and replaced by Michigan State. The Spartans are now No. 26 after gaining a commitment Tuesday from Frankie Fidler, a 6-7 forward who averaged 20.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game this past season at Omaha.
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