Runnin' Utes ranked #14 in ESPN.com 'Too Early Top 25' for 2015-16

It was a revival year for the Utah Men's basketball program in 2014-15. The Utes ascended into the top 10, was in contention for the league title up until the last couple of weeks, and broke into the Sweet 16 and gave eventual national champion Duke all they could handle.

The season hasn't been over 24 hours yet, but ESPN.com has posted their way too early top-25 for next season. Sitting at No.14 are the Utes, but with a little bit of an asterisk. It all depends on the decision of Jakob Poeltl, Utah's freshman 7-foot center.

Here's how ESPN.com's writer Eamonn Brennan broke it down:

Losing a player like Delon Wright -- not only the nation's most efficient point guard, but also, arguably, its most disruptive perimeter defender -- is never easy. But if center Jakob Poeltl decides to come back for another season would be best possible palliative. Key word? If. The 7-footer from Austria -- hardly a nation known for its basketball products -- emerged from total obscurity to become one of the nation's best big men, a rebounding, shot-blocking force at the center of Utah's brilliant defensive shell. If Poeltl does turn down a chance at the NBA's first round, coach Larry Krystkowiak will have a trio of hot-shooting seniors -- Brandon Taylor, Jordan Loveridge, Dakarai Tucker -- forming the other half of a potentially devastating inside-out attack. If Poeltl stays, Utah could still be great. If he goes? Good is the new ceiling.

Not a big surprise, overall. Poeltl's decision will be huge for the future of the team going into next season. If he comes back, the Sweet 16 is a real possibility. If he decides to go pro, where many sites have him projected anywhere from the lottery to the late first round, the Utes will still be a good team next year, but there will be a sudden hole in the middle.

The situation is like the Devontae Booker decision in the fall, it's just a waiting game to see if Poeltl puts his name in the draft or not. Either way, it's fun to still be talking about Runnin' Utes basketball and the growth of the program.

Make sure to check out the rest of the too early top 25 from ESPN - click here for the whole list.