Hoops expert's preseason rankings locks BYU basketball outside of the top 25

I'm not especially pleased with the way BYU basketball has been perceived in the preseason.

And clearly, neither is Jon Rothstein in his latest preseason update to the Rothstein 45 rankings, which list the Cougars 31st in the nation a few months before the dawn of the season.

Last year was obviously a disappointment, I won't argue that point more than I already have. AJ Dybantsa was incredible. Richie Saunders and Robert Wright III were both All-Big 12 players. But the rest of the roster was indefensibly ill-equipped to handle the rigors of the Big 12 Conference schedule, plummeting from 18-1 with a three-point loss to UConn to the 10th seed in the Big 12 Conference postseason tournament.

Not a good look for Kevin Young and crew to stumble and stagger into the NCAA Tournament with the future number-one overall pick being the best player on every court he stepped onto.

So this year's team has to be deeper, with more capable creators, and fewer exploitable weak spots. And around the edges, Kevin Young has done a great job building a more well-rounded roster (at least in theory) with bench production that promises to be reliable against the best competition in the loaded Big 12 Conference.

Robert Wright III returns as a potential All-American and one of the best guards in the nation. Collin Chandler transferred from Kentucky's starting lineup with 40% three-point shooting ability and reliable playmaking -- both for himself and for his teammates. Bruce Branch III is the customary 5-star freshman (BYU's third consecutive season with a recruit of his caliber) and will likely be the highest NBA draft pick on the roster. Jake Wahlin and Tyler Betsey are experienced and talented forwards obtained through the transfer portal. Dawson Baker and Nate Pickens return, hopefully without injury issues this time around. Khadim Mboup and Brody Kozlowski will pursue more consistent roles this season. And an exciting crop of freshmen like Brooks Bahr, Dovydas Buika, and Dean Rueckert could be x-factors this season if they can find their footing early.

But the center position remains a major question mark.

BYU finally signed a player to play the five in Jakub Urbaniak, an athletic and experienced player who carved out a niche overseas before making the jump to college basketball this season, but he's not the exciting addition that many BYU fans had hoped for. They still need another big, and while Urbaniak can provide value as a starting center, Kevin Young and his team are still actively pursuing a center good enough to round out the roster. Don't hold your breath for Jaxon Kohler or any other fifth-year hopeful who may not even have the right to enter the transfer portal -- the final piece of the puzzle likely arrives from overseas.

Kevin Young struck gold in his first season, with a team that gelled at the right moment and leaned on the best attributes of each other down the stretch of the postseason.

Last year's team had unprecedented talent at the top, but failed to support that talent with a reliable foundation of bench support and role player contributions.

This season can be different, with a talent pool exceeding that of two years ago, and depth that I would have sacrificed five years of my own life to gain during the debacle that was the AJ Dybantsa season. But that all revolves around the inclusion of another excellent center prospect -- I don't blame Rothstein for keeping the Cougs out of the top 25 in the interim.

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