Arizona tops Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook’s preseason Top 25.

The Wildcats of coach Sean Miller barely edged out Michigan State for the top spot in the “bible” of college basketball’s 37th annual rankings.

“This was a close one,” Blue Ribbon editor and publisher Chris Dortch said. “Both Arizona and Michigan State were worthy No. 1 candidates, and a strong case could have been made for Duke and Kansas, too. But in the final analysis, our writers and editors liked the size and experience Arizona can put on the floor.”

Duke and Kansas are No. 3 and 4 in the poll, and Kentucky rounds out the Top 25.

The Atlantic Coast Conference leads all conferences with six teams in the rankings, and for the second consecutive year, the West Coast Conference is represented by its two stalwarts, Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s.

Blue Ribbon announced its five-man preseason All-America team a month ago—JOCK LANDALE of Saint Mary’s, ETHAN HAPP of Wisconsin, MICHAEL PORTER, JR. of Missouri, BONZIE COLSON of Notre Dame and GRAYSON ALLEN of Duke.

In addition, Colson was voted the publication’s preseason national player of the year, and Porter was chosen national newcomer of the year, and Blue Ribbon released its second, third and fourth-team All-Americans.

Blue Ribbon’s 37th edition—in perfect bound, spiral bound or tablet version—can be ordered at blueribbonyearbook.com.

BLUE RIBBON COLLEGE BASKETBALL YEARBOOK PRESEASON TOP 25

Arizona Michigan State Duke Kansas Kentucky Louisville Wichita State Florida West Virginia North Carolina USC Villanova Cincinnati Purdue Seton Hall Miami Saint Mary’s Minnesota Notre Dame Gonzaga Xavier UCLA Northwestern Alabama Virginia Tech

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR

MICHAEL PORTER, JR. • 6-10 FR, Missouri

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

BONZIE COLSON • 6-5 SR, Notre Dame

2017-18 BLUE RIBBON ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

JOCK LANDALE

6-11 SR, Saint Mary’s

ETHAN HAPP

6-10 JR, Wisconsin

MICHAEL PORTER, JR.

6-10, FR, Missouri

BONZIE COLSON

6-6 SR, Notre Dame

GRAYSON ALLEN

6-5 SR, Duke

SECOND TEAM

MARVIN BAGLEY III

6-11 FR, Duke

MILES BRIDGES

6-7 SO, Michigan State

ALLONZO TRIER

6-5 JR, Arizona

JOEL BERRY II

6-0 SR, North Carolina

DEVONTE GRAHAM

6-2 SR, Kansas

THIRD TEAM

DEANDRE AYTON

7-1 FR, Arizona

YANTE MATEN

6-8 SR, Georgia

TREVON BLUIETT

6-6 SR, Xavier

JEVON CARTER

6-2 SR, West Virginia

JALEN BRUNSON

6-2 JR, Villanova

FOURTH TEAM

ROBERT WILLIAMS

6-10 SO, Texas A&M

ANGEL DELGADO

6-10 SR, Seton Hall

GARY CLARK

6-8 SR, Cincinnati

HAMIDOU DIALLO

6-5 R-FR, Kentucky

LANDRY SHAMET

6-4 SO, Wichita State