Matt Norlander covers college basketball for CBS. Each year prior to the season he releases his Top 100 and Top 25, the teams likely to make noise in the NCAA Tournament and conference races.
Norlander ranks Dana Altman's Ducks as the No. 23 team in the NCAA and one of six Big Ten teams in the Top 25. Only No. 2 Purdue, No. 4 Michigan, No. 9 Illinois, No. 18 UCLA and No. 20 Michigan State rank higher.
Basketball preseason rankings are typically more reliable because there are fewer moving parts. Players perform more consistently from level to level and league to league.