Maryland a top five team in multiple preseason basketball polls

With the college basketball season coming to a close last night, the focus immediately shifted to next season, with several media outlets releasing their way too early Top 25 polls for the 2015-2016 season. The common theme among all of them? Very high expectations for Maryland next season.

With the return of Melo Trimble and possible return of Jake Layman, coupled with the addition of 5-star center Diamond Stone and transfer Robert Carter, the Terps should be an extremely talented team in both the front and back court next season. They're also adding point guard Jaylen Brantley, which gives Trimble a true backup at the position, and should see the continued development of Jared Nickens, Dion Wiley, Michal Cekovsky, Damonte Dodd. They will also have Ivan Bender, who redshirted this past season, as a potential wildcard contributor.   Even with the loss of Dez Wells, everyone views next year's team as potentially the most talented since the 2001-2002 season, when Maryland won their National Title.

While none of these polls are the Associated Press poll, they still provide a general barometer of how many are viewing Maryland next season. If Maryland did begin the season in the top five of the preseason AP poll, it would be the eighth time they've been ranked that high to start the season, with the most recent occurrence happening prior to the 2001-2002 season.

So where are various pundits ranking Maryland to start next season?

2015-2016 College Basketball Way-Too Early Preseason Top 25 | CollegeBasketballTalk
NBC Sports ranks Maryland at No. 3, behind North Carolina and Iowa State.

Way-too-early 2015-16 Top 25: Virginia lands at No. 1 | Sporting News
Sporting News puts the Terps at No. 3 in their top 25, trailing just Virginia and Arizona.

Virginia Cavs headline Ridiculously Early Preseason Top 25 (and one) - CBSSports.com
CBS Sports ranks the Terps at No. 4, with Virginia at No. 1, North Carolina at No. 2 and Kentucky and No. 3.

Kentucky Wildcats headline early Top 25 ranking for 2015-16 men's college basketball season
ESPN has Maryland at No. 5 in their early Top 25, behind Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Iowa State.

2015-16 college basketball top 25: An extremely early look at next season's top teams - SBNation.com
Our friends at SBNation.com put the Terps at No. 5, behind UNC, UVA, Iowa State and Kansas.

Who belongs in early 2015-16 college basketball top 25?
USA Today also has Maryland at No. 5 in their top 25, trailing North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia and Iowa State.