How we voted: Marvin Bagley III makes Duke an easy No. 1 pick, while Michael Porter Jr. lifts Mizzou into our Top 25

Nothing else marks the start of a new basketball season like the unveiling of the Associated Press preseason Top 25. It’s something to get worked up over after a seven-month hiatus and it provides fans with some semblance of a pecking order – even if the order is all kinds of wrong because a single ball has not been tipped yet. I have an AP Top 25 vote this year and will post my selections each week throughout the 2017-18 season. Scroll to the bottom for “Five thoughts” on my Top 25, a quick rundown on the Pac-12 and an update on the local team – until WSU, EWU or Idaho can crack the poll, that’ll just be Gonzaga.

Theo Lawson’s preseason AP Top 25

1. Duke (28-9 last season)

2. Michigan State (20-15)

3. Arizona (32-5)

4. Kansas (31-5)

5. Wichita State (31-5)

6. Kentucky (32-6)

7. Florida (27-9)

8. Villanova (32-4)

9. Cincinnati (30-6)

10. Southern California (26-10)

11. Miami (FL) (21-12)

12. Notre Dame (26-10)

13. Minnesota (24-10)

14. North Carolina (33-7)

15. West Virginia (28-9)

16. Louisville (25-9)

17. Northwestern (24-12)

18. Gonzaga (37-2)

19. Seton Hall (21-12)

20. Saint Mary’s (Cal) (29-5)

21. Baylor (27-8)

22. Xavier (24-14)

23. UCLA (31-5)

24. Purdue (27-8)

25. Missouri (8-24)

Five thoughts

1) The most anticipated poll of the season is also the least meaningful. These are educated guesses, but they’re still guesses. We’re banking on many of the freshmen to become the first-round NBA Draft picks the scouts say they’ll be. We’re banking on the All-Americans to stay healthy. We’re counting on Grayson Allen to keep his temper in check. Will all of it happen? Of course not. Again, just guesses.

2) Duke was easily a top-five team before the month of August rolled around. Then Marvin Bagley reclassified, committed and the Blue Devils instantly vaulted to the top spot. Pretty sweet offseason for Coach K, who also convinced Allen to stick around for another year and brought in another talented freshman, Tre Duval.

3) Say you tuned out of college hoops when March Madness ended. You see Missouri at No. 25. You see the Tigers went 8-24 last season and 2-16 in the SEC. You wonder what’s gotten into me. I’ll fill you in: the nation’s top recruit, Michael Porter Jr., de-committed from Washington when Lorenzo Romar and his staff – including Porter’s father – were run out of Seattle in March. Porter Jr. fell into Mizzou’s lap, younger brother Jontay reclassified and the Tigers suddenly went from bottom-dweller to borderline NCAA tourney contender. So now you only think I’m halfway bonkers, right?

4) Awfully low for Louisville, isn’t it? The Cardinals were top-10 in a bunch of the way-too-early offseason polls, but now they’ll have to regroup without Rick Pitino and find a way to get by until Brian Bowen is reinstated. Well, IF he’s reinstated.

5) Northwestern is a fun story. The Wildcats made their NCAA tournament debut last season and check into the preseason poll for the first time ever. NU has produced plenty of great journalists over the last 80 years, but not since 1933 has it produced a Big Ten regular-season champion.

Perusing the Pac-12

Arizona – For once, Sean Miller’s best player isn’t a highly-touted freshman. Junior Allonzo Trier has a lot on his shoulders and the Wildcats, in the wake of the NCAA investigation, have plenty on theirs. But this season looks as good as any for Arizona.

USC – The Trojans debut in the top 10 for the first time since 1974-75. They too have an investigation to worry about, but once that clears up – if it ever does – they’ll only have to worry about the Wildcats.

UCLA – LaVar Ball probably thinks this UCLA team is capable of winning a national title. We think the Bruins are good, but not great. But Jaylen Hands could very well be great.

Home cooking

Looks like we had Gonzaga in the right spot. No. 18 in the AP poll and No. 18 in our own poll, the Bulldogs aren’t expected to replicate last year’s run, and navigating their way to another WCC crown could be a little trickier than usual. Jock Landale and Saint Mary’s present a serious challenge, but the Zags will have a few tests before they see the Gaels, starting with No. 6 Villanova on Dec. 5.