Ranking the best, worst offseasons

Cole Aldrich's return is one reason why Kansas looks like a solid preseason No. 1. AP Luke Winn's Mailbag Have questions or feedback? E-mail Luke Winn. Name: Email: Hometown: Question: SEND Follow Luke Winn on Twitter

Taking into account everything that's happened since North Carolina cut down the nets in Detroit -- the coaching carousel, the spring signing period and NBA draft decisions -- these are the four best and worst offseasons in college basketball:

THE TOP FOUR

1. KANSAS

Sherron Collins pulled out of USA Basketball's college trials at the 11th hour Monday, citing family reasons. This could adversely affect the Americans' medal hopes at the World University Games, but also leave Collins more rested for a national-title run with the Jayhawks, who had a near-perfect offseason. Not only did Collins, one of the country's best scoring point guards, stay out of the NBA draft, but so did sophomore center Cole Aldrich, who might have gone as high as No. 6 -- to his home-state Timberwolves -- had he opted to turn pro this year. Coach Bill Self then went and landed his No. 1 recruiting target, Xavier Henry, after he was granted a release from Memphis following John Calipari's departure. Henry gives Kansas the electric wing scorer it lacked last season, and makes it a solid preseason No. 1.

I would have considered the Jayhawks the 2009-10 title favorites even if Jodie Meeks had come back to Kentucky. The Wildcats would've had more overall talent, but the presence of a veteran floor general (Collins), an elite defensive stopper (Aldrich) and a championship coach with his system in place (Self) would've given Kansas the edge.

2. KENTUCKY

DD (Draft Deadline) Day was a letdown for the Wildcats, as coach John Calipari sent this Tweet just before noon: "Jodie called. He's keeping his name in the draft. He's excited and I'm excited for him. I wish I got the chance to coach him." Jodie is Jodie Meeks, the only college swingman with his own Witness T-shirt. He would've been a preseason first-team All-America had he returned to join a dream lineup of five-star freshmen point guards John Wall and Eric Bledsoe, All-America power forward candidate Patrick Patterson, and five-star center DeMarcus Cousins.

The big picture is still pretty for Big Blue Nation, though: In the two months following their NIT appearance, the Wildcats managed to rid themselves of a bad-fit coach (Billy Gillispie); put one of the game's hottest coaching commodities (Calipari) in his place; persuade a top 20 draft pick (Patterson) to stay in school; and land perhaps the best recruiting class of the decade. Other programs would kill to have such an offseason.

3. ARIZONA

Imagine what would've happened had Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood hired USC's Tim Floyd in April, only to have him resign amid O.J. Mayo-related payment allegations in June: The Wildcats' program would've imploded, Indiana-style, and Livengood would've lost his job. Regardless of what actually transpired in that wooing process (Floyd said he turned down the gig, but Livengood said it was never offered), Arizona fortuitously took a different path, hiring the best mid-level coach in the country, Xavier's Sean Miller. He salvaged a respectable recruiting class by landing two former Xavier targets, three-star small forward Kevin Parrom and four-star center Kyryl Natyazhko, and also reeled in a former USC commitment, four-star small forward Solomon Hill. Junior point guard Nic Wise's late decision to pull out of the NBA draft pool was huge, too -- it means the 'Cats have a reasonable shot at making it back to the NCAA tournament. They aren't going to be a powerhouse right away, and probably won't be in the top 25, either, but things could have gone much worse in Tucson.

4. VILLANOVA

Following the school's first Final Four trip since 1985, Jay Wright could've pursued the 76ers' job, figuring his coaching stock might never be higher, and junior point guard Scottie Reynolds could've stayed in the draft, figuring his stock (albeit as a second-rounder) might never be higher, either. Both of them stayed at Villanova, making the Wildcats a preseason top five team. Wright didn't need to make any spring recruiting splashes, because he already had one of the country's best classes -- including five-star power forward Mouphtaou Yarou and four-star guards Dominic Cheek and Maalik Wayns -- locked up in the fall.

WILD CARD: Mississippi State.

Getting shot-blocking maestro Jarvis Varnado back was key for the Bulldogs' SEC title chances, and Renardo Sidney is one of the best recruits to come to Starkville. But will Sidney, who's been dogged by concerns about his amateur standing, ever get eligible? And if so, will State run into residual NCAA trouble for playing him?

OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: West Virginia (for keeping Devin Ebanks and Da'Sean Butler out of the draft); Oklahoma (Willie Warren); Notre Dame (Luke Harangody), Tennessee (Tyler Smith), Maryland (Greivis Vasquez), Texas (Damion James).