Oregon will be one of the deepest teams in the country on the perimeter next season.
And the Ducks could get deeper if the NCAA grants Dylan Ennis a waiver to receive a sixth year of eligibility over the next few weeks.
Both Dillon Brooks and Tyler Dorsey withdrew from the NBA Draft on Wednesday and that immediately makes Dana Altman's squad the team to beat in the Pac-12 next season.
If Ennis is able to play next year, he will join both Brooks and Dorsey on the perimeter along with a returning starter in Casey Benson and a top-50 incoming freshman in point guard Payton Pritchard.
That's five players that Altman can put into the game who are capable of having an impact.
If Ennis gets cleared, expect Brooks to slide down to power forward in end of game situations just as he did a year ago.
Oregon returns two quality post players in Chris Boucher and Jordan Bell, but make no mistake: the strength of this team is on the perimeter.
And that strength could be improved over the next few weeks if the Ducks get Ennis in tow for 16-17.
Melo Trimble's return gives Maryland the chance to remain relevant
The tension was beyond palpable from dawn until dusk on Wednesday in College Park, but good news finally arrived for Maryland fans around 10 PM ET when the word came down that Trimble was returning to school for his junior season.
The Terps likely won't be a top-25 team entering next season even with Trimble in tow, but his return ensures that Maryland will be relevant in 2016-17.
Mark Turgeon's squad loses four starters -- Rasheed Sulaimon, Jake Layman, Robert Carter, and Diamond Stone -- from this past year's team that advanced to the Sweet 16, but it returns Trimble, who will be a potential first-team All-American next season.
The key to next season will be the development of guys like Dion Wiley and Jared Nickens as well as big men Damonte Dodd and Michael Cekovsky.
Two years ago, Turgeon led Maryland to a breakthrough season thanks to an underrated roster that overachieved and next year's team has a similar makeup.
A similar result is possible because of one reason: the return of Trimble.
Troy Williams' departure from Indiana opens the door for OG Anunoby
The 6-8 forward was a key reserve in the Hoosiers' run to the Sweet 16 last March and he'll be mentioned on everybody's breakout list for next season.
Anunoby's defense and energy were a major reason why Indiana was able to win the Big Ten regular season title outright last year and he'll have the chance to expand that role next season now that Williams is off to the NBA.
With Thomas Bryant, James Blackmon, Robert Johnson, and Pitt transfer Josh Newkirk all likely to have cemented places in the Hoosiers' starting lineup, look for Anunoby to take the place that was vacated by Williams.
The Missouri native averaged 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds last season as a freshman in 13.7 minutes.
Expect those numbers to double in 2016-17 -- at least.
USC went from potential ecstasy to a current state of brutality
Oh, what could have been.
The Trojans were in position to be a top-20 team entering next season as they were set to welcome back five starters from last year's team that won 21 games and reached the NCAA Tournament.
Then starting point guard Julian Jacobs decided to sign with an agent and enter the NBA Draft despite the fact that he wasn't invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
And then on Wednesday, USC's starting center Nikola Jovanovic (12.1 points, 7.0 rebounds in 2015-16) opted to stay in the 2016 NBA Draft despite the fact that he's unlikely to be selected. Jovanovic also wasn't invited to the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
That means that Andy Enfield lost two players from a team that would have been ranked in the top-20 and those players likely won't be drafted on June 23.
There's only one word to describe this if you're the Trojans: brutality.
Clemson is a dark horse to crack into the top third of the ACC standings
You think I'm kidding?
The Tigers won 10 conference games last season and didn't have a true home court advantage due to renovations on their on-campus venue.
Clemson was forced to play its ACC home games 40 minutes away from campus last season in Greenville and that was with a roster that won't nearly be as talented as the one Brad Brownell will coach next season.
Jaron Blossomgame's decision to return to school gives the Tigers an All-ACC player to lean on while Donte Grantham and Avry Holmes are also back as returning starters with quality experience.
Clemson will also welcome three starters in Shelton Mitchell (Vanderbilt), Marcquise Reed (Robert Morris), and Elijah Thomas (Texas A&M) who figure to have prominent roles.
This squad beat five teams who played in the NCAA Tournament last season and that was without a true home court advantage.
With Blossomgame back in the fold, don't be shocked if the Tigers are leading the next tier of teams in the ACC following Duke, Virginia, North Carolina, and Louisville.
