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The Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings for next season in college basketball have been updated, and we've decided to look beyond the on-the-court talent. In this political season, slogans are important and ever-present. Which slogans would each of the teams in our top 25 have on hats, T-shirts and billboards?  1. Duke Blue Devils: "Kiss The Ring(s)"
Mike Krzyzewski continues to extend his legacy. If he had left the game a decade ago, his name still would have stood among the game's great coaches. Today, he impresses with his longevity. He led Duke to the Final Four in the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Thirty years after he led the 1985-86 Duke squad to the national championship game, he'll enter 2016-17 with the nation's No. 1 squad, a team so stacked that five-star recruit Marques Bolden could come off the bench. This is Jack Nicklaus winning the Masters at 46. This is George Foreman's knockout of former champ Michael Moorer when he was 45. This is Henry Fonda's best actor for "On the Golden Pond" (1981) when he was 76 years old. Krzyzewski just keeps going. -- Myron Medcalf  2. Villanova Wildcats: "A Shot So Nice, Let's See It Twice"
It's probably too much to ask to replicate the dramatic way Kris Jenkins' buzzer-beating 3-pointer captured coach Jay Wright's first national championship. (Actually, Andy Katz got him to replicate it, and Jenkins made it seven of 11 times.) Jenkins is back, along with Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson, which gives the Wildcats a solid core to make a run at a second straight title. Who would argue with another crack at seeing one of the best championship game finishes in tournament history? -- C.L. Brown  3. Kentucky Wildcats: "Bam's Your Man"
A good nickname is easy to sell. Take Dwight Eisenhower's immortal 1952 slogan, "I Like Ike," which was so perfect that his reelection campaign basically recycled it ("I Still Like Ike"). Edrice Adebayo doesn't roll off the tongue quite as well as "Bam," and neither does it communicate just what Adebayo will bring to Kentucky as a freshman in 2016-17. John Calipari's "beast with skills" plays like his name sounds; at the very least, he'll bring ferocious rebounding to a team whose 2015-16 frontcourt frequently lacked for either. -- Eamonn Brennan  4. Kansas Jayhawks: "In Bill We Trust"
It makes sense because KU has owned the Big 12 basically since Bill Self arrived from Illinois. Since Self's second season in Lawrence, the Jayhawks have finished on top of the league every single season for a dozen consecutive years. In seven of the past eight seasons, Kansas won the regular-season title outright. -- Jeff Goodman  5. Virginia Cavaliers: "Preserve, Protect and Defend"
Eponymous confusions abound in Charlottesville, where both the head coach (no, not that Tony Bennett) and the arena (sorry, wrong John Paul Jones) sport monikers with prior claims to fame. But when it comes to performance on the floor, all confusion is dispelled: Virginia is synonymous with defense. In 2015-16, the Cavaliers held ACC opponents to just 0.99 points per possession, which marked the fifth consecutive season in which UVA limited its conference foes to less than a point per trip. -- John Gasaway  6. North Carolina Tar Heels: "Takes A Licking, Keeps On Ticking"
These have not been easy times for the Tar Heels. As if the ever-hanging cloud from an academic scandal and NCAA investigation wasn't enough, North Carolina lost a national championship on a body blow of a buzzer-beater. Yet here are the Heels, reloaded and ready to go again and perhaps even Final Four-worthy. -- Dana O'Neil  7. Oregon Ducks: "Duck ... Duck ... We Run The West Coast"
This new game is the one in which Oregon enters the season with a chance to reach its first Final Four since 1939 and run through the Pac-12 again. The Ducks won the league's regular-season and tournament titles in 2015-16. With Tyler Dorsey (13.4 PPG, 40 percent from beyond the arc), Dillon Brooks (16.7 PPG) and Chris Boucher (12.1 PPG, 7.4 RPG) back for Dana Altman's squad, Oregon could dominate the league and own the "Best Team on the West Coast" title again. But it's the national title that the Ducks crave, and they're legit contenders. Now, let's revisit this if the foot injury that has sidelined Brooks lingers into December. -- Medcalf  8. Wisconsin Badgers: "Un-Garded Enthusiasm"
Badgers head coach Greg Gard got off to a rocky start last season, while making the unexpected transition from assistant coach to head coach after Bo Ryan stepped down at the start of the season. Gard quickly righted things in Wisconsin, and his team finished strong before falling just short of an Elite Eight berth in the NCAA tournament. With the major pieces back -- including Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koenig and Ethan Happ -- there's good reason to expect the Badgers to live up to their likely top 10 preseason rank and the expectations that come with it. -- Brown  9. Xavier Musketeers: "Tippecanoe And Bluiett Too"
Before you ask what William Henry Harrison's moniker (the "hero of Tippacanoe") has to do with Xavier basketball, allow us to remind you that Harrison was a senator from Ohio when the catchiest song/campaign slogan of the 19th century catapulted him to the presidency. It also works on a thematic level. Xavier was already a top-15 shoe-in when star rising junior Trevon Bluiett stepped back from NBA draft consideration, and that was a well-regarded bonus to a returning, Big East title-contending core of Jalen Reynolds, Edmond Sumner and J.P. Macura and, pending a suspension, guard Myles Davis. -- Brennan  10. Michigan State Spartans: "Building The Bridge"
The Spartans welcome to East Lansing Tom Izzo's highest-rated recruit in more than a dozen years in talented, versatile and skilled forward Miles Bridges. The local product (he hails from Flint) chose Michigan State over Kentucky, and he should be the go-to guy for Tom Izzo before long. -- Goodman  11. Indiana Hoosiers: "More Chances At The Basketball Ring"
It has been five months since a presidential candidate referred to a hoop as a "basketball ring" in a campaign appearance in the state of Indiana. Perhaps the wording was ill-advised, but let the record show the candidate had every reason to direct our attention toward said object. First, there is, of course, that certain movie scene. Second, the state's flagship program, Indiana, indeed excels at creating shot opportunities at the rim. This excellence is by design, and Tom Crean is something of a master practitioner. -- Gasaway  12. Arizona Wildcats: "Never Let 'Em See You Sweat"
With a talented freshmen class, plus Alonzo Trier, not even the occasionally glandular-challenged Sean Miller will have much reason to worry. His dress shirts should be grateful. -- O'Neil  13. Louisville Cardinals: "It's Only Funny That Your Team Can't Score"
We've all had our laughs at Louisville's expense. The Katina Powell sex scandal that thrust the Cardinals into the plot of a Lifetime, uh, Showtime, uh, Cinemax movie cost Rick Pitino's squad its postseason aspirations last season. The NCAA could hammer the program at any moment. But the simmering vibe around the team suggests that school officials believe the self-imposed postseason ban might represent the most significant punitive measure. If that's the case, Louisville will finally focus on basketball, and with a backcourt of Quentin Snider, Donovan Mitchell, grad transfer Tony Hicks and five-star recruit V.J. King, the Cardinals should compete for the ACC crown. They boast the talent to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. How? By suffocating opponents: Louisville has finished fifth or higher in KenPom.com's adjusted defensive efficiency rankings since 2011. This time, however, they'll play with that vengeful edge. The targets? Everyone. We'll see who's laughing in March. -- Medcalf  14. Purdue Boilermakers: "Think B.I.G"
It's fitting that during Bad Boy Records' family reunion tour, the Boilermakers borrow the phrase once used to promote the Notorious B.I.G.'s second album. Purdue has its own "Biggie" in sophomore forward Caleb Swanigan, whose aunts gave him the nickname as a kid. Swanigan delayed turning pro to return to school and figures to take more ownership of the team this season. He leads what could be one of the best frontcourt tandems in the nation, alongside center Isaac Haas. -- Brown  15. West Virginia Mountaineers: "Strong Together"
With apologies to one of the two major-party presidential campaigns of the 2016 cycle, "Stronger Together" is one of the first things that comes to mind in regard to the Mountaineers' men's basketball team. This is a group with few, if any, genuine stars. Bob Huggins' team is coached to embrace this fact at every turn, as it springs relentless, all-in pressure on ostensibly more talented groups. It usually works. -- Brennan  16. Gonzaga Bulldogs: "Few's Good Men"
This one is obviously in honor of coach Mark Few, who has taken the Zags to the NCAA tournament in each of his 17 seasons at the helm. Few has made Gonzaga a national brand, despite the fact that it plays in the West Coast Conference. He's 466-111 in his career and has gotten to the Sweet 16 six times in his tenure. This year's team should extend the streak, with the return of big man Przemek Karnowski and the addition of three transfers (Jordan Mathews, Johnathan Williams, Nigel Williams-Goss) who should all start. -- Goodman  17. UCLA Bruins: "Are You Better Off Than You Were Four Years Ago?"
This is Steve Alford's fourth season at the helm in Westwood, where expectations are appropriately lofty. Freshman point guard Lonzo Ball is being projected as a 2017 lottery pick, and the young man will be joining a rotation that returns four starters: Bryce Alford, Isaac Hamilton, Aaron Holiday and Thomas Welsh. Will this roster enable Alford to equal or exceed the 13-5 Pac-12 mark former coach Ben Howland posted on his way out the door in 2012-13? Step one will be improved accuracy from a UCLA offense that shied away from 3s yet shot a mediocre 48 percent on its 2s in conference play last season. -- Gasaway  18. Maryland Terrapins: "Don't Swap Horses In The Middle Of The Stream"
Lincoln's old campaign works well for those who wonder if Melo Trimble has lost his fastball. No doubt, his sophomore year wasn't as scintillating as his freshman season, but Trimble remains the steadiest course across the challenging Big Ten waters. -- O'Neil  19. Saint Mary's Gaels: "Aussie, Aussie, Aussie"
When Australia challenged the United States in the early rounds of the Olympics last month, those tied to the emerging talent pool in Australia were not surprised. Australian Ben Simmons was the No. 1 pick in June's NBA draft. Utah point guard Dante Exum could mature into a young star in the coming years. Australia is real. That's why Saint Mary's coach Randy Bennett has tapped that market throughout his career. He brought Australia national team standouts Matthew Dellavedova and Patty Mills to the United States. This year's Saint Mary's squad features Australian stars Emmett Naar and Dane Pineau. In all, Saint Mary's WCC-contender of a roster will include seven players from Australia. This is not a fad. It's a movement. -- Medcalf  20. Creighton Bluejays: "Stay Tuned For Act II"
Marcus Foster makes his debut with the Bluejays after two seasons at Kansas State. Foster's time with the Wildcats could be defined as much by troublesome disciplinary issues as by his displays of talent. Creighton is banking on the hope that Foster's second act in college basketball will be more seamless than his first. Foster joins a backcourt that saw point guard Maurice Watson Jr. lead the Blue Jays in scoring after he transferred from Boston University. -- Brown  21. Rhode Island Rams: "R.I.s.e"
We'd need a well-paid designer to maximize the messaging potential here, commissioning a logo and series of marks that make Rhode Island's initials both obvious and seamlessly integrated into the slogan word. The concept, though, is self-explanatory: With star guard E.C. Matthews back from injury, Dan Hurley's program, which finished 17-15 last season, has already ascended to a consensus preseason top-25 spot and might have much more in store. -- Brennan  22. Cincinnati Bearcats: "Stronger Than Dirt"
It also happens to be the slogan for Ajax, but it pertains to Mick Cronin and his program, which is built on toughness. Cronin's group traditionally isn't the most well-known in the country, but the Bearcats have gone to the NCAA tournament in six consecutive seasons. They have done so with a bunch of lunchpail guys who play harder and tougher than their opponents on most occasions. -- Goodman  23. Florida State Seminoles: "New Birth Of Freedom"
What has gotten into the Seminoles? For years, Leonard Hamilton's men were known for playing a rugged and methodical average-to-slow style. Then last season, FSU hit the accelerator, to the point that the 'Noles averaged 70 possessions per 40 minutes in ACC play. Only North Carolina and Wake Forest went faster than Hamilton's guys in conference action. If Dwayne Bacon, Xavier Rathan-Mayes & Co. can learn to defend at this brisk pace, Florida State can live up to the expectations of this team for 2016-17. -- Gasaway  24. Connecticut Huskies: "Where's The Beef?"
The beef being points. With three of his top four scorers gone, Kevin Ollie has to hope an offensively challenged team from a season ago finds some scoring somewhere. -- O'Neil  25. Syracuse Orange: "We Can Turn An Orange Into Lemonade"
After his team reached the Final Four with the tournament's miraculous, come-from-behind win over Virginia in the Elite Eight, Jim Boeheim had to rebuild. Malachi Richardson left early for the NBA draft. The team lost Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney. That's 43.8 PPG combined -- gone. That would level most programs, but not Syracuse, which grabbed Nebraska transfer Andrew White (16.6 PPG) and Colorado State transfer John Gillon (13.2 PPG). The two grad transfers are eligible this season. Add top-50 recruit Tyus Battle and the return of Tyler Lydon and Tyler Roberson, and a few months after losing key pieces of its nucleus, Syracuse is standing again. -- Medcalf
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