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Texas A & M made national headlines last fall thanks to a recruiting class that featured four Top-100 recruits highlighted by a bonafide center in Tyler Davis. But the biggest gem in the recruiting class that changed Billy Kennedy’s tenure in College Station may wind up being 6-foot-8 wing D.J. Hogg. The Texas native can play both forward spots and has the type of deep range and accuracy that would make J.J. Redick envious.

The Aggies are expected to be one of the better teams in the SEC this season because of the addition of Davis and the presence of veterans like Alex Caruso and Danuel House. But don’t discount Hogg’s ability. If Kennedy wants to use him as a stretch four, he can. If he wants to go big with Caruso and House in the back court and Hogg at small forward he can do that too. After watching practice in College Station on Wednesday one thing is for certain: Hogg is going to be a piece of Texas A & M’s puzzle in 15-16.

TEXAS LONGHORNS Smart’s first season is similar to Alford’s first season at UCLA

When Alford arrived in Westwood in 2013 after a successful campaign at New Mexico he inherited a roster that consisted of five players -- Kyle Anderson, Jordan Adams, Zach LaVine, Travis Wear, and Norman Powell -- who all eventually wound up in the NBA. Smart may not have that type of talent at his disposal during his first year at Texas, but he does take over a roster that features eight returning players who played 8.5 minutes or more last season on a team that reached the NCAA Tournament. Add three freshmen -- Kerwin Roach, Eric Davis, and Tevin Mack -- who were all ranked in the Top-50 of most recruiting services and you can see why many expect the Longhorns to be one of the better teams in the Big 12 in 2015-16.

When Alford took over UCLA he was forced to coach the Bruins with a ready-made team in year one, but he also knew he needed to reload for the next few seasons. The same thing is currently going on at Texas. After taking in a practice on Monday in Austin it’s clear that the Longhorns are going to boast enough firepower to stay afloat in the Big 12 this season, but beyond that is a major question. Texas could lose up to six players from their current roster next spring if Isaiah Taylor opts for the NBA Draft as many expect and that means the 2016 recruiting class will represent the future of the Longhorns’ program under Smart. Texas already has one Top-50 recruit committed for next year in big man James Banks (Atlanta Celtics), but needs at least two more players of similar ilk to keep pace with the elite programs in the Big 12.
ARIZONA WILDCATS Arizona fans should temper expectations

If Sean Miller leads the Wildcats to a Pac-12 regular season title this season it will be by far the greatest accomplishment of his coaching career. And it may not be close. People in Tucson may not want to hear this, but there’s absolutely no way that Arizona should have been voted first in the Pac-12’s preseason poll. That was an honor that bestowed upon this particular group of Wildcats because of what this program has done in the past -- not what it currently is in the present. Nobody has more respect for Arizona’s program than me, but it’s ridiculous to think that this team is more ready to win a Pac-12 regular season title than programs like Cal or Oregon. The Wildcats lost two first-round picks (Stanley Johnson, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson), the Pac-12 Tournament MVP (Brandon Ashley), and a fifth-year senior at point guard in T.J. McConnell (Philadelphia 76ers) from last year’s team that lost to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight.

Miller also privately felt that freshman Ray Smith was in line to be this team’s best newcomer before he suffered an ACL tear a few weeks ago that will keep him sidelined for the entire season. That means that Arizona returns an anchor in Kaleb Tarczewski along with a guy who’s been a role player around stars, but has never had to be an alpha in Gabe York. Another thing to be concerned with? Neither Parker Jackson-Cartwright or Kadeem Allen has separated themselves yet at the most critical position on the floor -- point guard.

The Wildcats have pieces to work with -- Alonzo Trier is a highly talented freshman and Boston College transfer Ryan Anderson is a nice piece at power forward -- but expecting Arizona to be what it’s been out of the gate this season would be foolish. Miller’s relentlessness and ability to get his teams better throughout the course of a year always gives the Wildcats a chance to be at their best in March, but the truth of the matter is this roster is more similar to the ones that Miller coached at Xavier.
BAYLOR BEARS Ish Wainwright is going to be a key piece

The former Top-50 recruit hasn’t played more than 9.6 minutes on average during his first two years of college basketball, but that should change this season. Wainwright is down 30 pounds from when he initially stepped foot on Baylor’s campus and could be a pivotal blend player for the Bears thanks to his ability to make the extra pass and defend multiple positions.

Blessed with a “tight end” like build at 6-5, Wainwright is strong enough to guard low post players and nimble enough to handle guys on the wing thanks to his agility and weight loss. Expect this junior to do a lot of the little things this season as Scott Drew aims to balance things out around Lester Medford, Taurean Prince, and Rico Gathers.
HOUSTON COUGARS Statement can be made during second week of December

Kelvin Sampson’s team has been pegged by many including yours truly as the sleeper team in the American Conference this season and in order to add credence to that belief the Cougars are going to have to make some hay during the second week of December. Houston should be 5-0 heading into a Dec. 8 game at Atlantic 10 favorite Rhode Island and then returns home to host Ben Simmons and LSU on Dec. 13.

That’s two major opportunities to send a national message against two teams that intend to play in the 2016 NCAA Tournament. After watching this team practice earlier this week in Texas, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Cougars could win both of these games. Sampson has two capable players at every position, headlined by a pair of transfers in Ronnie Johnson (Purdue) and Damyean Dotson (Oregon) who have already produced at the power-five level.

Shaka Smart (USATSI)
Shaka Smart is ready for his first season at Texas. (USATSI)

This and That

•  Wisconsin needs Zak Showalter to be like former Purdue guard Chris Kramer -- remember him? Kramer was a hard-nosed “Glue Guy” who did all the little things when the Boilermakers sat atop the Big Ten a few years ago thanks to a three-headed monster of E’Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, and JaJuan Johnson. A tremendous athlete, the 6-2 Showalter averaged 7.6 minutes last season as a reserve, but will likely be a starter for Bo Ryan’s squad in 15-16.

•  Quentin Snider may not wind up starting for Louisville, but he’s an extremely critical piece for the Cardinals. The 6-1 sophomore had eight assists to just one turnover in Sunday’s exhibition win against Bellarmine and plays with a poise that extends beyond his years. Last season as a freshman, Snider played a combined 151 minutes in four NCAA Tournament games and only committed a total of three turnovers.

•  Archie Miller told CBS Sports that Dayton could look to 6-8 freshman Xeryius Williams to fill some of Dyshawn Pierre’s vacated minutes early in the season. Pierre will be suspended during the first semester, but is expected to rejoin the Flyers’ program in late December. The 6-6 forward averaged 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds last year as a junior.

•  South Carolina was picked seventh in the SEC’s preseason poll, but will host five of the six teams picked ahead of them during conference play. The Gamecocks have the look of a potential sleeper -- if they can make some shots. Frank Martin’s squad shot just 40.4 percent from the field last season and 30.1 percent from three-point range.

• Michigan, Marquette, Pitt, and SMU are in the 2016 2K Sports Classic at Madison Square Garden, sources told CBS Sports this week. Matchups for the event are to be determined.