Memphis #25. Houston #13. AAC needed this boost.
College basketball rankings: Memphis jumps into Top 25 And 1 after landing five-star recruit Moussa Cisse
The Tigers get Cisse as a late recruit who is the crown jewel of Penny Hardaway's recruiting class
By Gary Parrish
4 hrs ago
The last time Penny Hardaway secured a commitment from a five-star center, things didn't go so well. NCAA issues led to a suspension for James Wiseman, who ultimately quit the Memphis team after just three games. Then D.J. Jeffries suffered a season-ending knee injury in the final week of January, meaning the Tigers were suddenly down two of their top three scorers, at which point the season started to go the wrong direction, so much so that Memphis was on the wrong side of the bubble when the 2020 NCAA Tournament was abruptly canceled.
The whole thing was a letdown for Memphis fans.
But genuine hope and optimism reentered the program on Wednesday when five-star prospect Moussa Cisse, a 6-foot-11 center with a 7-4 wingspan, publicly committed to Memphis. Simply put, it's a massive get for Hardaway, who will now pair the likely one-and-done product with a talented group of sophomores capable of competing with Houston at the top of the American Athletic Conference. And that's why Memphis is now No. 25 in Version 19.0 of the 2020-21 CBS Sports Preseason Top 25 And 1.
If you've been following these updates to the Top 25 And 1, you should know that what I do is assume all consensus projected first-round picks will remain in the NBA Draft, make educated guesses about other underclassmen, and omit (for now) all traditional sit-out transfers. Needless to say, when I need to adjust, I'll adjust. Version 20.0 is likely right around the corner. But, at this moment, Gonzaga is No. 1 based on the idea that everybody who can return from a team that finished 31-2 will return from a team that finished 31-2. If that happens, the Zags will be led by All-American Filip Petrusev, have three of their top five scorers back, and benefit from a top-15 recruiting class highlighted by five-star guard Jalen Suggs.
Read more here. Full Rankings:
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basket...ssa-cisse/