School is back in session, temperatures are dropping and summer is over everywhere but on your calendar. Sure, football has taken center stage -- but more importantly, that means college basketball is just around the corner.

It was another quiet month for college hoops, with the only real personnel news coming from international prospects making commitments. Practices are underway, but most of the roster-building focus will be on the 2026 recruits making campus visits over the next several weeks.

As a result, the top 25 from the July and August editions remains the same. And much like July's impact newcomer debate or August's best nonconference game picks, we're picking a theme for September. This time, we're focusing on one candidate from each Top 25 team -- whether a returning star

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