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Too-Early Top 25 recruiting primer

Men Basketball Recruiting, Arizona Wildcats, Duke Blue Devils, Kentucky Wildcats, Wisconsin Badgers, Wichita State Shockers, North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Cavaliers, Florida Gators, Kansas Jayhawks, UConn Huskies, SMU Mustangs, Louisville Cardinals, Villanova Wildcats, VCU Rams, Gonzaga Bulldogs, Iowa State Cyclones, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Texas Longhorns, Oklahoma Sooners, Syracuse Orange, UCLA Bruins, Oregon Ducks, Kansas State Wildcats, Iowa Hawkeyes

The 2014 NCAA tournament once again underscored the importance of recruiting. John Calipari's all-freshman lineup went through plenty of ups and downs during the regular season but came together in time to make a run to the NCAA title game. In the end, the talent won out. Which teams could see similar success in 2014-15? Is it Duke, which brings in the top-rated recruiting class on the heels of a surprise early-round exit to Mercer? Is it Kansas, which replaces Andrew Wiggins (and possibly Joel Embiid) with another loaded class? Or will Calipari do it again at Kentucky?

So, with the 2013-14 season in the books, here's how the teams in the Way-Too-Early Top 25 are looking on the recruiting trail:

1. Arizona Wildcats
Sean Miller is bringing in another outstanding class, led by McDonald's All American Stanley Johnson, who will try to implement his skilled, bully-ball style in the Wildcats' system. Arizona also added a physical power forward in Craig Victor, who has good hands and a knack for scoring from the elbow to the rim. Point guard extraordinaire Parker Jackson-Cartwright is coming into the fold and Kadeem Allen is a talented junior college scoring guard. This infusion of talent will be critical, as the Wildcats could lose the likes of Aaron Gordon, Kaleb Tarczewski, Nick Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to the NBA draft. -- Joel Francisco

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