It's Time To Argue: Ranking All 353 Division I College Basketball Teams For The 2018-19 Season
Oh, hello there. Welcome back to college basketball season. We’re officially here if you count practices starting, which I do. You may have accidentally clicked on this. You may just want to see where I ranked your team too low. You may just want to argue. Please note if you disagree you can call me Riggs. If you agree, I’m Reags. Either way, this is me coming back to rank a bunch of things because, well, it’s fun and I’m a bit of a psycho when it comes to hoops (or so I’ve been told).
We’re not going to spend too much time previewing. We’re going to get right into it. Just know that I used myself along with texting coaches throughout multiple conferences to fact check everything and make sure I didn’t have any team crazy off. So know I did put effort into this and did consult others. That said these are my rankings so I’ll put teams where I see fit. This is as simple as who do I think are the best teams. It’s part projection and part what I think of roster/talent. Let’s go.
353. North Alabama (A-Sun)
352. Cal Baptist (WAC)
There’s a good chance Cal Baptist isn’t the 352nd best team in the country this year. But, for the sake of argument, we’re putting the two new D1 teams as the bottom 2. This is almost it’s own category because we simply don’t know what to expect with the jump. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. So these two teams are at the bottom for now.
351. Maryland Eastern Shore (MEAC)
We’re putting UMES here for the simple fact that they couldn’t even figure out a coaching search this offseason. They are working with an interim coach right now, which 100% won’t be the easiest thing to do. They went 7-25 last year with 2 wins over non-D1 teams. They did have a bunch of freshmen last year, but losing best player Logan McIntosh will matter here.
350. Florida A&M (MEAC)
After over a decade of not being a head coach Robert McCullum took over the program last year. They played mostly buy-games in the nonconference, winning 0 of the games. It’s not going to be easier this year as the Rattlers lose Desmond Williams, Elijah Mayes and Marcus Barham, who combined for 46 points per game.
349. Alabama A&M (SWAC)
The Bulldogs struggled to score the ball last year, finishing 350th in AdjO out of 351 teams. There is hope that it improves this year with the return of leading scorers Arthur Johnson and Andre Kennedy.
348. South Carolina State (MEAC)
South Carolina State wants to play fast defensively and try to force turnovers. It was 12th in the country in average possession length last season on the defensive side of the ball. The problem though is they gave up easy buckets, leading to a 347th defensive ranking.
347. Chicago State (WAC)
Well, at least Chicago State hired a coach. This is a team coming off of a 3-win season and 2 of the wins came against non-D1 teams. Not exactly the best recipe here. They return just one guy who averaged over 5 points per game last season. That said I do like the hire in Lance Irvin and should help with local recruiting.
346. Alcorn State (SWAC)
Alcorn State was a middle of the road SWAC team last season. However, they lose AJ Mosby and Dante Sterling. They’ll rely on Reginal Johnson, who played just 8 games last season after breaking his leg. Johnson was the preseason SWAC Player of the Year last season.
345. Houston Baptist (Southland)
Houston Baptist would have been higher on this list if it wasn’t for David Caraher transferring to St. John’s after leading the team in scoring as a freshman. That said, the Huskies do have Josh Ibarra, who averaged a double-double through 9 games last season before getting hurt. They also have a guy named Ryan Gomes on the roster – which for a team named the Huskies I’m sure Jim Calhoun can appreciate.
344. Southern (SWAC)
Southern went 10-8 in the SWAC last season but have to figure out a way to replace Jared Sam, who was one of the best players in the conference. Throw in a new coach in Sean Woods and just eight players listed on the roster on the school’s website and there will be regression.
343. North Carolina A&T (MEAC)
Like so many of the other low-major teams North Carolina A&T has to deal with loss to up-transfers. This time it’s Femi Olujobi, who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season. He’s also a main reason as to why the Aggies won 11 games in the MEAC. Remember the name Jay Joyner – the head coach – he went from 1 conference win to 11 in his first two seasons.
342. Arkansas Pine Bluff (SWAC)
This team won 12 games in the SWAC last year and return Martaveous McKnight and his 18.6 ppg average. The combination of him and Travon Harper could be good enough to win 10 conference games again.
341. Northwestern State (Southland)
Mike McConthey is one of the longest tenured coaches in college hoops as he enters his 19th season with the Demons. While they do return Ishmael Lane and his team best 13.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg, there’s still a lot of loss from last year’s four win season. They’ll need to improve offensively as they were just 349th nationally.
340. Sacred Heart (Northeast)
This team is going to rely heavily on Sean Hoehn, who led the team in minutes (33 per game) and points per game (13.7). There are eight freshman on the roster his season, so we could possibly see a jump next season assuming everyone stays.
339. Jackson State (SWAC)
The Tigers were just 9-9 in the SWAC last season but had a ton of talent, led by Paris Collins. That said, they lose him and Treshawn Bolden. That said, the cupboard isn’t empty for Wayne Brent. He does return Maurice Rivers, who led the team with 12.8 ppg last season.
338. Maine (America East)
It’s simply not easy to win in Orono. That said, this is going to be an interesting year as the Black Bears move on from Bob Walsh to Richard Barron, who used to coach the women’s team at Maine.
337. Savannah State (MEAC)
If you want to watch a team fly all over the court, Savannah State is the team for you. They love to push tempo (fastest team in the country last season) and defensively run a zone that gives up some easy looks. That said they went 15-17 last season, but this will be their final year in Division I before moving to Division II.
336. Alabama State (SWAC)
Two names to remember in the SWAC – Reginald Gee and Jacoby Ross. The two guys led the Hornets in scoring last season as a freshman and sophomore. Don’t be surprised to see them finish in the top-4 in the SWAC after going 8-10 last year.
335. Youngstown State (Horizon)
Just two players averaged at least 10 ppg last season. They are both gone. They do have John Salley Jr., on the roster though, if you want to feel a bit old. There’s also seven freshmen on the roster, meaning we’ll see some mistakes throughout the year.
334. Cal Poly (Big West)
It’s been 6 years since Cal Poly finished with a winning record in the Big West, unfortunately I don’t think that’s changing this year. They are one of the slowest teams in the country, ranking 302nd in average offensive possession length. Expect the ball to be in Donovan Fields’ hands quite a bit this year.
333. Delaware State (MEAC)
Now, this was a bad team last year. They won just 4 games with 2 of them being against non-D1 teams. That said, they actually don’t have as much roster turnover as past years. They have two guys in Kobe Gantz and Marquis Collins that can play inside/out. Plus, they have one of the best names in college hoops this year in Pinky Wiley.
332. Prairie View (SWAC)
According to computer metrics, Prairie View actually had the best player in the SWAC last season in Gary Blackston. He’s back this year after averaging over 19 points and 5 rebounds per game. They could win the SWAC this season.
331. Northern Arizona (Big Sky)
It’s never a good thing when your top-2 scorers transfer to bigger programs. That’s what happened to Northern Arizona. One weird stat about NAU though – they were 10th in FTA/FGA. Also, Lumberjacks is up there for top nickname in college sports.
330. Coppin State (MEAC)
All aboard the Juan Dixon train. Just 5 wins last year, but played a bunch of close games in the MEAC – seven were 10 points or less.. I’m believing in Dixon that he’ll turn some of those around before Maryland fans start screaming they want him to take over the Terps.
329. Presbyterian (Big South)
They only had two seniors who played over 50% of minutes last season and return everyone else of note. Remember they beat UNC-Greensboro (a top-100 team) in the nonconference last season. Is there a more unique nickname in sports than Blue Hose?
328. Detroit (Horizon)
Detroit moves on from the Bacari Alexander-era and brings in a known name in Mike Davis. While people remember him from his time at Indiana, which he led the Hoosiers to a title game, Davis turned Texas Southern into a real good program down in the SWAC. We’ll see how long it takes him to get things going at Detroit.
327. Longwood (Big South)
Longwood was one of the worst offensive teams in the country last season. They turned it over a ton (only 5 teams worse than them). They didn’t shoot the ball well. They didn’t rebound well. The one thing they do like to do? Get up threes.
326. Central Connecticut (Northeast)
Last year was a bit overshadowed with Donyell Marshall (yes, that Donyell Marshall) being part of an internal investigation. However, they do return leading scorer Tyler Kohl this season. If they can take care of the ball this year they’ll be a bit better.
325. Incarnate Word (Southland)
Incarnate Word wants to do two things. They want to get the ball and run and they want to get fouled. They were 3rd in the country last year in percentage of total points coming from the free throw line.
324. Bryant (Northeast)
It’s the first year for Jared Grasso as Bryant’s head coach. The key is going to be if he can continue to develop Adam Grant and Ikenna Ndugba. The two leading scorers are just juniors and they have a chance to get out of the basement of the Northeast starting this year.
323. Morgan State (MEAC)
It’s going to be tough for Morgan State as they lose 25 ppg scorer Tiwian Kendley and second leading scorer Phillip Carr. The one thing I will say about Morgan State? They have an experienced roster, which means something in the MEAC. Keep an eye on Martez Cameron.
322. Loyola Maryland (Patriot)
The Greyhounds were 3rd in the country in percentage of points coming in the 2-point variety. That was in large part due to Andre Scott. They need to replace him and find a way to extend the floor.
321. Stetson (A-Sun)
Stetson had five seniors in the rotation last year. They also had four freshmen. Can those guys take a jump this year?
320. Cal Riverside (Big West)
Riverside was actually decent on the defensive side of the ball, finishing 153rd in the country. However, they lose Chance Murray, which means even more pressure will be on Dikymbe Martin offensively.
319. Mississippi Valley State (SWAC)
I’m banking on a big jump for the Delta Devils here. Mostly because they had to play a roster that was pretty much all juniors. Can that year of experience and getting beat up pay off? It might be a bit of a hot take, but I think Mississippi Valley State can compete in the SWAC this year.
318. Southeast Missouri State (Sun Belt)
Southeast Missouri State makes the move from the Ohio Valley Conference to the Sun Belt htis season. I’d be more confident about them if Denzel Mahoney didn’t transfer to Creighton. Where does the scoring come from now?
317. Kennesaw State (A-Sun)
Nick Masterson was one of the most efficient players in college basketball last season. How do you replace the guy who was fourth nationally in ORtg? There’s a chance that Kennesaw State ends up as a bottom-2 team in the A-Sun this year.
316. Central Arkansas (Southland)
Central Arkansas became competitive a year earlier than expected. But, now they move into the post Jordan Howard-era. If that wasn’t enough, they also lost Mathieu Kamba, who was the only other person to score double digits last season.
315. Mount St. Mary’s (Northeast)
As if losing Junior Robinson and Chris Wray wasn’t enough, Mount St. Mary’s also loses head coach Jamion Christian. After being a contender in the Northeast for the last few seasons, they’ll take a step back this season.
314. Manhattan (MAAC)
The Jaspers are going to need Pauly Paulicap (might not be a better name to school combo than this) to take a jump as the go-to guy this year after losing three seniors. The other key here will be how healthy Aaron Walker is this season. They’ll struggle in the MAAC this year.
313. Florida Atlantic (C-USA)
Florida Atlantic was actually one of the best 3-point defensive teams in the country last year. The Owls ranked 19th in 3PA/FGA and 51st in 3pt shooting. We’ll see how they look this year after losing Ronald Delph.
312. Cal State Northridge (Big West)
Mark Gottfried takes over after his time at NC State. We’ll see how he’s able to do at this mid-major.
311. Bethune Cookman (MEAC)
Ryan Ridder took over the program last year and instantly turned 6 MEAC wins into 12 during his first season. This team wants to play fast, ranking 11th in average offensive possession and 9th in average defensive possession. I like Bethune Cookman in the MEAC this season and Ridder is going to make his way up to bigger conferences soon.
310. San Jose State (MWC)
It’s going to be a tough year again for San Jose State. They won just 4 games last season and lose three of the top players to transfer. They have to find a way to take care of the ball, ranking 349th in turnover rate.
309. Chattanooga (Southern)
I like Lamont Paris, the former Wisconsin assistant in his second year now at Chattanooga. But, after a rough first season he has to start over again after losing Makinde London to a professional career.
308. USC Upstate (Big South)
USC Upstate makes the move from the A-Sun to the Big South. Will that help defensively? USC Upstate was the worst defensive team in the country last year giving up 125 points per 100 possessions.
307. Fordham (A-10)
Sorry Tommy, Clancy brothers, JackMac and the other 40ish Fordham grads at Barstool. It’s going to be another rough year for the Rams as Joseph Chartouny moves on to Marquette. Tre Evans was supposed to take over here but he’s now at the JuCo level.
306. Cleveland State (Horizon)
Remember the name Dennis Felton? The former Georgia coach took over Cleveland State last year and actually made it to the Horizon League title game, beating the No. 1 seed Northern Kentucky in the 2nd round.
305. Dartmouth (Ivy)
Dartmouth won just 3 games in the Ivy last season. It doesn’t get any easier this year with Evan Boudreaux playing at Purdue now.
304. Niagara (MAAC)
Niagara was awesome last year. It started the season upsetting St. Bonaventure. It won 12 games in the MAAC. It looked like it was going to be a favorite to win the MAAC Tournament. However, it now loses Khalil Dukes and Matt Scott (40 combined points). I think we’ll see a massive step back this year.
303. Sacramento State (Big Sky)
Ready to see the most difficult name to spell and probably say in college basketball this year? Izayah Mauriohooho-Le’afa, who will be a key part for the Hornets this year.
302. Mercer (Southern)
Mercer was a good team last year. They won 11 games in the SoCon. That said, that rotation was predominately seniors and the most experienced player returning played just 35% of minutes last season.
301. UMass-Lowell (America East)
Pat Duquette has changed his coaching style during his 5 years at UMass-Lowell. His first two seasons, the River Hawks were one of the slowest teams in the country. The last three? One of the fastest. Let’s see what happens this year with Ryan Jones now a senior.
300. VMI (Southern)
I think we see a slight jump this year. VMI played a bunch of freshmen and sophomores last year. They are going to continue to launch threes, but with another year of experience we should see a cut down on turnovers.
299. NC Central (MEAC)
LeVelle Moton has turned NC Central into one of the better MEAC programs. It’s only a matter of time before a bigger school comes with an offer he can’t say no to.
298. Oral Roberts (Summit)
Emmanuel Nzekwesi returns for another year at Oral Roberts. He led the team with 12.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg.
297. North Florida (A-Sun)
North Florida was one of the worst defensive teams in the country last season ranking 345th. Teams had the quickest offensive possessions against them and a one downside is North Florida didn’t force any turnovers with that.
296. East Carolina (American)
Well, some good news for Pirates fans. Joe Dooley is coming back to coach East Carolina 15 years later. They also return Isaac Fleming and Shawn Williams, who both averaged over 12 per game last year.
295. Howard (MEAC)
RJ Cole is one of the best players you never heard about. The freshman averaged over 23 points and 6 assists per game after playing high school ball at St. Anthony’s. Get to know the name.
294. Siena (MAAC)
You’ll always have Bill Raftery screaming ‘onions! Double order!’ in the win over Ohio State. You’ll also always have Clem.
293. Navy (Patriot)
Navy did an excellent job of turning teams over and then limiting teams to one possession. The Midshipmen ranked 29th in turnover rate and 5th in defensive rebounding rate. I’m sure Captain Cons will say they are still too high.
292. New Hampshire (America East)
The Wildcats lose one of the best frontcourts in mid-majors with Taylor Leissner and Iba Camara graduating. Josh Hopkins and Jordan Reed will have to take a step up here.
291. Jacksonville (A-Sun)
I love that their name is the Dolphins. Not enough colleges have that as a nickname. That said, Jacksonville didn’t score consistently enough last year either.
290. Grambling State (SWAC)
After being arguably the worst team in Division I for close to a decade, first year head coach Donte Jackson led Grambling to a first place finish in the SWAC regular season.
289. Samford (Southern)
Samford had high expectations last year but finished just 6-12 in the SoCon. Now, life without Demetrius Denzel-Dyson happens. It could be a long year in a good SoCon league.
288. Omaha (Summit)
It’s going to be a lot of Zach Jackson this year for Omaha. The junior ranked in the top-500 last year in ORtg, possession percentage, shot percentage, minutes, effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage.
287. Binghamton (America East)
Binghamton just can’t get into the top half of the America East. It’s not going to happen this year, but we’ll see if they can keep bringing in recruits to help.
286. Norfolk State (MEAC)
Norfolk State is typically the class of the MEAC. One of the reasons why? They can throw out a bunch of versatile wings that can trap and force turnovers defensively. They were 70th in the country in turnover rate.
285. Santa Clara (WCC)
Steve Nash made the Hall of Fame this year. No word on if he can come back and help the Broncos. KJ Feagin is someone who will put up some serious stats though as he averaged over 17 per game last year.
284. Lafayette (Patriot)
Lafayette finished last in the Patriot last year and will have another year of growing pains. We’ll see if this young group (just one senior last season) can take a jump at all.
283. Citadel (Southern)
Citadel is in Charleston which is one of the best cities in America. They got that going for them, which is nice.
282. South Florida (American)
Brian Gregory is trying to turn around South Florida, but it’s just a bit tough to do right now. We’ll see if bringing in TJ Lang from Auburn, a 6’7″ shooter can help.
281. Charlotte (C-USA)
The Mark Price era wasn’t exactly a success. That said, I love the hire by Charlotte by bringing in Ron Sanchez. Get ready to see the packline defense.
280. Air Force (MWC)
Expect to see a lot of threes out of Air Force. That’s what Air Force wants to do. They want to control tempo, slow the game down and then run motion into a three. Air Force was 52nd in 3PA/FGA and 12th in A/FGA last year. That will stay the same.
279. McNeese State (Southland)
Most every coach I spoke with predicted McNeese State finishing in the bottom of the Southland. It’s just a matter of who in the bottom-5 finish where.
278. Rio Grande Valley (WAC)
Terry Winn played in only 19 games last season. If they can get him for the full season this year, he joins Nick Dixon as the 1-2 combo for Rio Grande Valley.
277. Idaho (Big Sky)
It’s going to be a massive stepback for Idaho this year. After finishing second in the conference with a 14-4 record, Idaho returns just two guys from the rotation. It will take a couple of years to get back to that 14-4 area.
276. Rice (C-USA)
Rice was able to get two 3-star recruits in Chris Mullins and Drew Peterson. We’ll see how much they play this year, but that’s the core for the rebuild.
275. Western Carolina (Southern)
The SoCon is a great mid-major conference. It’s tough to win games there when you rank 323rd in offense. That’s what happened to Western Carolina last season.
274. Pepperdine (WCC)
And just like that Lorenzo Romar is back at Pepperdine. He should fit back in with his former program quite well and I expect him to turn Pepperdine into a decent WCC team. That year just won’t happen this year though. Just two seniors in the rotation, Romar and Pepperdine should use this year as a developmental year.
273. St. Francis (NY) (Northeast)
Sign of good news? They went from 4 wins in 2016-17 to 13 in 2017-18, including a win over Wagner.
272. Seattle (WAC)
Seattle loves it hoops. It’s one of the best basketball cities in America. Jim Hayford is another good season from drawing more attention there. He won 20 games in year one.
271. Columbia (Ivy)
Columbia loses Kyle Castin to Xavier and Lukas Meisner to pro ball in Germany, but it does return Mike Smith, who averaged over 17 per game last year. He’ll have an even higher usage this year with those guys gone.
270. Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
Mike Balado lived up to the Pitino coaching tree by forcing turnovers. That said, Arkansas State was still not where it needs to be defensively in the Sun Belt. This could be another year building up the program.
269. Cornell (Ivy)
Cornell does have a possible NBA prospect on its roster. Matt Morgan actually went through part of the draft process last season after averaging 22.5 per game last year. The 6’2″ guard put up impressive splits as he shot 37% from three, 60% from the floor and 82% from the line.
268. Texas Southern (SWAC)
Mike Davis is gone after turning Texas Southern into a SWAC powerhouse. We’ll see if that tradition holds under Johnny Jones – another former high-major coach.
267. Fairfield (MAAC)
Fairfield lost one of the best players in the conference and one of the more decorated players at the school in Tyler Nelson. They’ll have to find a balanced way to replace him.
266. Boston (Patriot)
Boston was a middle of the pack Patriot League team last year and will likely fall just a bit down this year. They were good at forcing turnovers last year, they should have that again this year.
265. Gardner Webb (Big South)
David Efanayi scored 17.5 per game last year and will be relied on this year again. But, who else can help a sub-300 offense?
264. New Orleans (Southland)
Very few teams used the bench more than New Orleans. Sometimes that’s a positive, sometimes you’re dealing with injuries. But, New Orleans was 4th in bench minutes played last season. With only three seniors on the roster, will those bench minutes payoff?
263. Marist (MAAC)
Marist doesn’t exactly have the best recipe. Two seasons ago it stunk defensively and returned everyone. Last year it stunk defensively, but not as bad (still sub-300). Most everyone returns. Will it still stink defensively?
262. Fairleigh Dickinson (Northeast)
Darnell Edge could be a potential All-NEC player. He also could lead the country in free throw shooting again, going 94.4% from the line last year.
261. Texas A&M-CC (Southland)
Ehab Amin is off to Oregon as a grad transfer Joe Kilgore graduated. Not a great start for a low-major. Speaking of Kilgore – did you know he was the dunk champ at the Final Four last year?
260. Eastern Illinois (OVC)
We should have Tony Romo call an Eastern Illinois game on national TV. I just want to see how he would react.
259. UMKC (WAC)
Kangaroos just an A+ name. UMKC? Not an A+ team. Unfortunately what looked like a solid core of two sophomores last year is down to one as Isaiah Ross has transferred.
258. Akron (MAC)
I know John Groce wasn’t incredibly successful at Illinois, but he’ a good MAC coach. I mean he was at Ohio and now he’s in his second year at Akron. It was a young roster last year with just one senior. This year it will be Daniel Utomi leading the way.
257. Portland State (Big Sky)
The Vikings got to participate in PK80 last year. However, that’s not a thing this year. What is a thing this year? Portland State returning conference Rookie of the Year in Holland Woods.
256. Tennessee Martin (OVC)
After winning 10 conference games in Anthony Stewart’s first year at UT Martin, the Seahawks won just 5 last year. Why? A massive drop in offensive output. That has to change this year.
255. Milwaukee (Horizon)
Pat Baldwin took over for LaVall Jordan last year and instantly turned Milwaukee into one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country. Losing Brock Stull to transfer this season hurts with offensive improvement.
254. Elon (CAA)
Elon was a sub-300 defensive team last year. That has to get better, right? Now, one thing to note, Elon’s head coach learned under Bob McKillop, arguably the best offensive coach in the collegiate game.
253. LIU-Brooklyn (Northeast)
Derek Kellogg took over the program last season and led the Blackbirds to the NCAA Tournament. They’ll need to find a way to replace Joel Hernandez which will fall all on Raiquan Clark and Jashaun Agosto.
252. SIU-Edwardsville (OVC)
Well, SIU-Edwardsville still can’t get over the 12-win hump since it became a D-1 program 10 seasons ago. But, it did improve from 8 to 9 wins. Silver lining, I guess.
251. Quinnipiac (MAAC)
Baker Dunleavy enters his second year at Quinnipiac. He comes from the Jay Wright coaching tree so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Quinnipiac was 7th in the country in shooting threes.
250. Nicholls State (Southland)
Richie Riley turned this program around but he’s now at South Alabama. Also gone are five seniors from last year’s team. We’re going to see a massive step back after winning the Southland regular season last year.
249. Louisiana Tech (C-USA)
With Jalen Harris off to Nevada and Jacobi Boykins graduating, Louisiana Tech will be relying on DeQuan Bracey this year. We’ve seen an improvement of shooting the ball from three the last two seasons for La. Tech, let’s see if they get it 3 years in a row.
248. Drexel (CAA)
I do like Zach Spiker here and think he’s close to breaking through with Drexel. He’s unfortunately going to have to deal with the loss of Tremaine Isabell as a grad transfer. If Isabell stayed, Drexel would have improved on its win total for a second straight year under Spiker.
247. Charleston Southern (Big South)
I know it shouldn’t bother me but going by just Charleston Southern bothers me. First off it’s north of Charleston, not South. So just call it Charleston Southern Baptist. Is anyone still reading this?
246. North Dakota (Summit)
Geno Crandall leaves for Gonzaga and North Dakota leaves for the Summit League. North Dakota went 6-12 in the Big Sky last year after struggling defending the ball – letting teams have an effective field goal percentage of 56%.
245. Green Bay (Horizon)
Khalil Small and Sandy Cohen are gone the backcourt. This year it will be PJ Pipes that has to initiate the offense.
244. Portland (WCC)
I don’t know what to expect from the bench this year. But, with that in mind the starting five has some balance and talent to it. For a WCC team this is a big team too with no one under 6’2″ on the roster.
243. Florida International (C-USA)
Florida International had a chance to finish in the middle of C-USA, but without Eric Lockett there it’s going to be a bit tough. Lockett played 92% of the minutes last season – 17th most in the country.
242. Western Illinois (Summit)
There is some hope for Western Illinois to improve from last in the Summit League. Part of the reason? Kobe Webster and his 16 points per game as a freshman.
241. Brown (Ivy)
Brown was one of the fastest tempo offenses in the country last year. When you think of that you assume teams typically launch a bunch of threes but Brown is different. They like to get the ball go and get to the rim. They were also one of the best teams in the country in drawing fouls, being 11th in the country in percentage of points from the free throw line.
240. UT-Arlington (Sun Belt)
Gone is Kevin Hervey, one of the better players in the Sun Belt. It doesn’t help that the rotation was made up of mostly seniors last year. It’s going to be a rebuild year.
239. Wagner (Northeast)
I want to buy all the stock in Bashir Mason as a head coach. Mason is just 34 years old and has been the head coach at Wagner for the last 6 years. In those 6 years he’s had a losing conference record just once.
238. James Madison (CAA)
The Dukes return three guys in the backcourt who averaged double digit scoring last season. They’ll be led again this year by Matt Lewis, Stuckey Mosley and Darius Banks.
237. Tennessee Tech (OVC)
After finishing in the middle of the pack last year in the OVC, Tennessee Tech loses 5 key players in the rotation.
236. Central Michigan (MAC)
Needless to say Keno Davis hasn’t really cared about defense since he took over at Central Michigan. But, hey, last year was an improvement as they improved from 345th to 272nd.
235. American (Patriot)
This was one of the youngest teams in the country last year, ranking 345th in experience. Naturally it finished last in the Patriot. We should see improvement this year, but American is still a year away.
234. Little Rock (Sun Belt)
The Trojans finished last in the Sun Belt last year because of their offense. They were sub-300 in nearly every category. That has to improve.
233. Utah State (MWC)
Craig Smith comes home as the new head coach as Utah State. He takes over for Tim Duryea. Smith was at South Dakota where he took them from a sub-200 KenPom ranking in year 1 to an 81st KenPom ranking last year.
232. Robert Morris (Northeast)
This was a young team a year ago and with a handful of transfers leaving the program for various reasons after the year, they find themselves in the middle of the Northeast.
231. Hampton (Big South)
After being one of the best programs in the MEAC, Hampton makes the move to the Big South for the first time. There was only one senior on a roster that won the MEAC last year and then lost in the MEAC title game. We’ll see if the change in conference plays a major role in the record.
230. Western Michigan (MAC)
Thomas Wilder was the star of this team last year. He’s now gone, which means Josh Davis is going to be called on to step up for his senior year.
229. UTEP (C-USA)
The name kept being brought up to me? Evan Gilyard. As a freshman he scored over 9 per game in a slower tempo offense. He also brings that Chicago-toughness coming from Simeon.
228. Tennessee State (OVC)
It’s the second biggest Penny to take over as a head coach this year. This time it’s Penny Collins taking over for Dana Ford. Collins comes over after being an assistant for Dan Mueller at Illinois State.
227. Texas State (Sun Belt)
The offense went through Nijal Pearson last year and expect the same this year. He led the team in scoring as a sophomore at 15.2 per game. The 6’5″ wing can really attack on the drive.
226. Army (Patriot)
It’s tough to argue against America so you won’t see me say anything negative about Army here. They were one of the more entertaining teams to watch due to their tempo. They want to push tempo and launch threes.
225. Bowling Green (MAC)
Demajeo Wiggins flirted with leaving early. Instead he returns after averaging a double-double last year. The big man is good enough to keep Bowling Green in the middle of the pack in the MAC.
224. Cal (Pac-12)
It’s not fair to judge Wyking Jones on his first two years at Cal. They are wildly inexperienced and he’s trying to bring in talent to Cal. He has two guys in sophomores Darius McNeill and Justice Sueing who averaged 24 per game last year.
223. Eastern Kentucky (OVC)
Good news is Nick Mayo decided to stay for a senior year at Eastern Kentucky. He averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds per game. The offense will run through him again.
222. Loyola Marymount (WCC)
Loyola is one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country and return the three best. Eli Scott (sophomore), Zafir Williams (sophomore) and Mattias Markusson (junior) all ranked in the top-200 nationally in offensive rebounding percentage.
221. Delaware (CAA)
Delaware would likely be a whole lot higher if Ryan Daly didn’t transfer to St. Joe’s. But, now Delaware has to scramble again to find a go-to guy. They have some options with Ryan Allen (former CAA Rookie of the Year), Kevin Anderson and Eric Carter.
220. Florida Gulf Coast (A-Sun)
Joe Dooley leaves Florida Gulf Coast to coach East Carolina again. Also gone is Brandon Goodwin who was the do-it all guy for FGCU. That said, they still have a top-10 campus in America and a lazy river.
219. High Point (Big South)
High Point made a huge hire this offseason bringing Tubby Smith back home. Despite the mess at Memphis, I still think Tubby can coach and in a few years should have High Point competing in the Big South.
218. Miami Ohio (MAC)
Miami was supposed to be one of the worst teams in the MAC last season. Instead, it finished middle of the pack because of the play of freshman Nick Sibande, who led the team in scoring.
217. Louisiana Monroe (Sun Belt)
This team will go as far as Travis Munnings go. He led the team in scoring last year with 15.9 and 7.3 rebounds per game. He also played 87% of minutes last season.
216. Albany (America East)
It’s weird to say that Albany is going to have a somewhat rough year. It’s rare to see that under Will Brown. The backcourt of David Nichols and Joe Cremo are now at Florida State and Villanova. Hence, the down year for Albany standards.
215. Bucknell (Patriot)
Bucknell was solid the last couple of years. That’s going to take a hiatus for one year with the loss of Zach Thomas and Nana Foulland.
214. Northern Colorado (Big Sky)
Northern Colorado won the CollegeInsider.com Tournament to end the season last year. Yes, that’s a real event. However, it now has to deal with the loss of Andre Spight, who averaged over 22 per game last year.
213. George Washington (A-10)
I think Maurice Joseph is going to be a star in the coaching world. The former Michigan State and Vermont player took over a team in disarray and is still finding his coaching footing. The loss of Yuta Watanabe is massive, MoJo does return 3 important players from last year.
212. NJIT (A-Sun)
After a rebuilding year last year that turned out okay, with a 7-7 A-Sun record, it’s another year of rebuilding. That’s because Anthony Tarke announced he’s transferring to UTEP.
211. Morehead State (OVC)
Want to feel a bit weird? Preston Spradlin, the head coach of Morehead State is just 31 years old. I’m also 31. We’re living different lives.
210. St. Francis (PA) (Northeast)
Keith Braxton is a dude who can do everything. He’s a consistent triple-double threat and pairing him with Jamaal King turns St. Francis into a heavy favorite in the Northeast.
209. Pitt (ACC)
Now, Pitt doesn’t return a whole lot, but it does return the leading scorer from last year in Jared Wilson-Frame. He originally requested a waiver to transfer after Kevin Stallings was fired, but decided to remain with the team, which was the first win for Capel. He’s a 6’5? wing that did a little bit of everything last year. Capel should get this off the ground in the coming years.
208. Holy Cross (Patriot)
For a team that had a ton of roster turnover last season, it wasn’t as bad as people expected. They won 8 games in the conference with five freshmen playing minutes. They should take another jump this year.
207. Stony Brook (America East)
We’re still a couple years away from Stony Brook being back and ready to compete. That said, Akwasi Yeboah should be one of the leader in minutes played this season.
206. Hawaii (Big West)
Despite losing two of the top-3 scorers, the Rainbow Warriors do have a good amount of experience returning. Look for them to lean on Sheriff Drammeh after he averaged over 10 per game last year. They were a top-120 defensive team in the country last year, which should still be the case.
205. Southeastern Louisiana (Southland)
This team drastically outplayed expectations last year, finishing second in the Southland. But, that team had 6 seniors on the roster. They have to fall back, right?
204. Southern Utah (Big Sky)
Southern Utah needs to figure out its defense. Teams had the ball for just 16 seconds per possession (4th shortest in the country). What didn’t help with that was not forcing turnovers and ranking 319th in fouls. They gamble too much.
203. Monmouth (MAAC)
It was year-1 after Justin Robinson left Monmouth as one of the best players in school history. There is still a young core here that is a year away from competing in the MAAC again.
202. Troy (Sun Belt)
While Troy loses Wesley Parson it does return Jordan Varnado. He averaged 18 per game last season and can stretch the floor. While he’s a great No. 1 option in the Sun Belt, can someone else step up as the third option? He’ll get help from Alex Hicks, who put up 11.7 last game.
201. UAB (C-USA)
UAB won 10 games a year ago, but losing Chris Cokley and William Lee is huge here. Zack Bryant will be the go-to guy here, but we’ll see if he has enough around him.
200. Coastal Carolina (Sun Belt)
Where does Coastal Carolina turn this year after losing Jaylen Shaw and Demario Beck? First step should be figuring out how to improve the 342nd ranking in turnovers.
199. Sam Houston State (Southland)
Sam Houston State was one of the better rebounding teams in the country. They ranked 57th in offensive rebounding percentage and 110th in defensive rebounding percentage.
198. La Salle (A-10)
I loved the hiring of Ashley Howard off of Jay Wright’s staff to replace Dr. John Gianni. That said, it’s going to take a couple of years for him to make an impact. He does get Pookie Powell this year, who is a do-it-all guard and will pair his with Marquette transfer Traci Carter. That backcourt should help in year 1.
197. Cal State Bakersfield (WAC)
After two seasons of 24 and 25 wins, Bakersfield took a step back winning just 12 games last season. Bakersfield really struggled offensively last season ranking 329th in effective field goal percentage.
196. UNC-Asheville (Big South)
Ahmad Thomas was one of the more consistent mid-major players in the country. He’s gone. Also gone is Nick McDevitt who took over at Middle Tennessee State. They also lose one of the top shooters in the country in MaCio Teague to transfer.
195. East Tennessee State (Southern)
Steve Forbes is one hell of a coach. There’s no doubting that. However, it’s tough to have another strong year after losing the group of Desonta Bradford, Jalen McCloud, Devontavius Payne and David Burrell.
194. Southern Miss (C-USA)
Doc Sadler has improved winning every year at Southern Miss. In his first four years he went from 3 to 8 to 9 to 16. If they can force stops defensively, it will be the fifth year in a row with an improvement.
193. Saint Peter’s (MAAC)
In terms of turnovers it’s a story of two different sides of the ball. Offensively, St. Peter’s can’t take care of it – ranking 263rd in turnovers. Defensively, they thrive on it, 28th in the country in forcing turnovers.
192. UMBC (America East)
I really hope the UMBC twitter account keeps roasting people left and right. It’s one of my favorite things in college sports. Obviously a lot to replace here, but who cares? They beat a No. 1 seed.
191. Princeton (Ivy)
Princeton is bringing in the biggest recruit in school history. Jaelin Llewellyn was the No. 99 recruit in the class of 2018 and chose Princeton over Cincinnati, Clemson and Creighton. That’s massive for the Ivy League as we’ve seen Harvard recruit big time as well. The 6’2″ guard likely steps into a starting role and go-to option for Princeton.
190. Oakland (Horizon)
Another year with Greg Kampe, who is one of the longest-tenured coaches in America. It’s also another year with one of the more bizarre looking courts in the country. There’s a lot of production that needs to be replaced with the losses of Kendrick Nunn, Jalen Hayes and Martez Walker.
189. Richmond (A-10)
Needless to say Richmond fans aren’t happy that Chris Mooney is still the head coach of the Spiders. He’s on the hot seat for sure and it doesn’t help that Richmond loses Khwan Fore, and D’Monte Buckingham. That said, Grant Golden is one of the better players who won’t ever get talked about.
188. Abilene Christian (Southland)
There should be a bit of improvement this year with the return of Jaren Lewis and Jalone Friday – the top two returning scorers from last season. They just need to get a bit more consistent guard play and they’ll make the jump.
187. Eastern Michigan (MAC)
Rob Murphy likes to run what’s essentially the Syracuse 2-3 zone. Because of that, EMU was 81st in the country defensively while also being 32nd in effective field goal percentage. They slow the game down and force teams into jumpers.
186. UC Santa Barbara (Big West)
The backcourt is a reason as to why they might be a bit too low here. Santa Barbara returns pretty much everyone from last year including some high-major talent. Transfers Zack Moore (Seattle), Ar’Mond Davis (Alabama) and Deveral Ramsey (Nevada) join Max Heidegger in the backcourt.
185. App State (Sun Belt)
Ronshad Shabazz went through the draft process this past offeseason after leading the team with 18.5 points per game. They need to get a bit more reliable shooting the ball though. They attempted threes on 43% of possessions but made just 33% of them.
184. IUPUI (Horizon)
They might be higher if Mantis decided to stay and finish his degree in person. What I do love about the Jaguars? Head coach Jason Gardner. One of my all time favorite players when he was at Arizona. He has them forcing turnovers too.
183. Lamar (Southland)
Lamar thrived on forcing turnovers last season. The Cardinals ranked 16th in the country in turnover rate last year. That’s going to be important again this year due to the inconsistency on offense.
182. Liberty (A-Sun)
Liberty lost in heartbreaking fashion last year. Good news though as they only had 1 senior on the roster that went 9-9 in the conference. They return their top-2 scorers from last season.
181. North Dakota State (Summit)
Tyson Ward will be elevated to the go-to option this year for North Dakota State. The 6’6″ forward averaged 11.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last year. NDSU was one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country last year.
180. Washington State (Pac-12)
The return of Robert Franks will help the Cougars. He averaged 17.4 ppg and 6.6 rpg last year and will be the focal point again this year. The question will be if he can get more help from Viont’e Daniels and Carter Skaggs.
179. Eastern Washington (Big Sky)
Eastern Washington has to find a way to make up the loss of the school’s all-time leading scorer. That guy? Bogdan Bliznyuk who averaged over 22 per game last season. That said, they were one of the best defensive rebounding teams in the country last year.
178. Tulane (American)
I know Tulane loses Cam Reynolds and Melvin Frazier, but believe it or not there is still some talent here. Ray Ona Embo, Jordan Cornish and Samir Sehic all averaged at least 9.9 last year.
177. Colgate (Patriot)
Colgate did two things incredibly well last year. Take care of the ball and shoot from behind the arc. That’s usually a good combo, especially with a freshman in Jordan Burns carrying a large part of the load. They’ll contend for the Patriot.
176. UIC (Horizon)
The entire Dikembe Dixson situation was weird last year. Despite that, UIC won 12 games in the Horizon. Why? Defense, defense, defnese. They ranked 6th in the country in block percentage and 15th in the country in effective field goal percentage.
175. Long Beach State (Big West)
One name to keep an eye on here is Bryan Alberts, who is a transfer from Gonzaga. He was a grad transfer last year that suffered an injury and was granted another year. He could lead the team in scoring and be a reason LBSU gets into the top-4 of the Big West.
174. William & Mary (CAA)
Did you know William & Mary is the second best offense on points per possession basis over the last five seasons? You know why? They work for great shots. They were 2nd in the country last year in effective field goal percentage and 27th in A/FGM.
173. Penn (Ivy)
Penn became arguably the best No. 16 seed ever despite UMBC winning a game. That’s right, people were arguing that Penn was underseeded as a No. 16 seed last year. They do return AJ Brodeur and Ryan Bentley from last year’s team who combined for 27 points per game last year. Plus, the Palestra’s popcorn is awesome.
172. San Diego (WCC)
How does San Diego adapt to a new coach? Lamont Smith, who helped build up the San Diego program resigned after being arrested for domestic violence. There’s skill on this team led by Isaiah Pineiro, Isaiah Wright and Olin Carter.
171. Drake (MVC)
There are two transfers at Drake this year that will be vital to the success of the program and new head coach Darian DeVries. Those two guys are Brady Ellingson from Iowa and Nick Norton from UAB. If they can step in and contribute right away you’re setting at least something for the future.
170. Denver (Summit)
Despite not shooting a ton of threes last season, Denver ranked 20th in the country shooting 39.5% as a team. They’ll need to find a way to replace Daniel Amigo. The likely option? Ronnie Harrell, a grad transfer from Creighton.
169. Wyoming (MWC)
There are few teams with the size that Wyoming will have. They’ll start 5 guys over 6’2″ and the shortest guy on the bench is 6’4″. That will help with being able to switch defensively. As for offensively, it will be Justin James, who averaged over 18 per game.
168. Middle Tennessee State (C-USA)
Life without Kermit Davis at the helm begins for Middle Tennessee State. It’s going to be a bit of a down year for MTSU after losing Nick King and Giddy Potts. They also lose their top-5 scorers and are just going to have to start from scratch.
167. Towson
Towson loses so much from last year’s team. That said they are bringing in some quality JuCo transfers. Pat Skerry wil continue to let his team play fast and are a year away from competing for the CAA title.
166. Winthrop (Big South)
After accepting the UMass job and then backing out to return to Winthrop, Pat Kelsey continues to build something. They went 12-6 last year, finishing second in the Big South. He likes to push the tempo offensively and let his guys shoot a bunch of threes. However, they need someone to step up and take over for Xavier Cooks.
165. Austin Peay (OVC)
Austin Peay struggled offensively last year. However, they were the 15th best offensive rebounding team in the country. That should stay the case again with the return of 6’5″ Terry Taylor, who was 42nd in the country in offensive rebounding percentage.
164. Northern Illinois (MAC)
Northern Illinois was actually last in the country last year in A/FGM. That said there were no seniors on the roster so we should see some improvement offensively this season. Eugene German scored 20 per game last season and went through some of the NBA Draft process.
163. Louisiana Lafayette (Sun Belt)
Bob Marlin had the best team in the Sun Belt last season. The Cajuns went 16-2 in the conference before losing in the Sun Belt tournament. That said, there’s going to be a bit of a hit this season with the loss of Frank Bartley and Bryce Washington. They were one of the best scoring teams in the country last season.
162. South Alabama (Sun Belt)
We have another new coach here. Richie Riley takes over after turning Nicholls State around. While South Alabama actually was disappointing last season, he has a strong roster in year 1. They return a good amount of the production led by Rodrick Sikes and Josh Ajayi.
161. Idaho State (Big Sky)
Idaho State was a middle of the road team in the Big Sky last season. But, it does return four players who scored at least 10 per game. That balance means something as they all have another year of experience.
160. Campbell (Big South)
One of the more electric scorers in the country is 5’9″ Chris Clemons. He’s averaged 18.5, 25.1 and 24.9 points per game the last three seasons. This year he has a chance to lead the country in scoring.
159. Kent State (MAC)
It’s pretty impressive that Kent State went 13-3 despite being wildly inconsistent shooting the ball. That should change this year as the Golden Flashes return 4 of the top 6 scorers from last season. That said you can’t be 300th in the nation in 3pt shooting and hold up that 13-3 record.
158. Weber State (Big Sky)
After finishing 4th in the conference last season, Weber State returns a good amount of production from last year. It will be led by Jerrick Harding’s 22 points (second best in the conference) and two 6’9″ bigs in Brekkott Chapman and Zach Braxton.
157. Evansville (MVC)
Former Kentucky standout Walter McCarty takes over as head coach which just makes everyone feel old. McCarty has spent a bunch of time coaching in the NBA as an assistant and expect to see him coach similar to Pitino and NBA coaches. He’s going to want them to play fast.
156. Canisius (MAAC)
Yes, Jermaine Crumpton is gone, but Canisius won 15 MAAC games because of two underclassmen. Now-junior Isaiah Reese (who was KenPom’s MAAC Player of the Year) and sophomore Takal Molson will be the two leading scorers this season.
155. VCU (A-10)
The Rams took a major step back last year and it might not get better this year. That’s not to say help isn’t on the way, but you lose Justin Tillman, Johnathan Williams and Kris Lane that’s just bound to happen. Marcus Evans (tranfer from Rice) should help in scoring this year.
154. Cal State Fullerton (Big West)
Cal State Fullerton returns everyone from a team that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Part of the reason they were so good? They were second in the country in getting to the free throw line. Kyle Allman led the team last year with 19 per game.
153. San Francisco (WCC)
San Francisco has been the 4th best team in the WCC for the last few years. It keeps trying to crack in the top-3. In order to get there though it needs an improvement on the offensive side of the ball – finishing 230th in the country last year.
152. Lehigh (Patriot)
Lehigh only loses one guy from last year’s team, which finished in the top half of the conference. The guy I really like on this roster is Pat Andree, the 6’8″ big man who averaged 12 and 6 while being able to stretch the floor.
151. North Texas (C-USA)
North Texas got hot the end the year. The Mean Green won the College Basketball Invitational and return a good amount from last year. They should be able to use the momentum from the CBI to this season. Umoja Gibson is a big time return for North Texas, who only played 2 games last year.
150. Murray State (OVC)
Know the name Ja Morant. He’s going to be a 1st round draft pick. The guard is going to take on even more responsibility with Jonathan Stark graduating. Morant averaged over 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists per game as a freshman.
149. Missouri State (MVC)
Gone is Alize Johnson, one of the more recognizable names in the Missouri Valley Conference. Also gone is head coach Paul Lusk, being replaced by Dana Ford from Tennessee State. He inherits a roster that has just three guys returning from last year’s rotation.
148. Radford (Big South)
Radford played in one of the most entertaining conference title games last season when it knocked off Liberty at the buzzer. The man who hit the shot was freshman Carlik Jones and he returns this year as the go-to guy with Ed Polite.
147. Montana State (Big Sky)
This will all depend on what Tyler Hall we get to see. Hall was expected to be a star last year and while he struggled just a bit, he didn’t get much help around him. I’ll bank on Hall being the star this year and upping his average from 17 per game.
146. Utah Valley (WAC)
Conner Toolson is going to be one of the more important pieces in the conference this season. He led the league in steals last season and averaged over 12 per game. He also upped his 3pt percentage from 31 to 39%.
145. Indiana State (MVC)
Indiana State should be in that second tier in the MVC this year and possibly compete for a title next year. That’s because there are just two seniors in the rotation and the best player is junior Jordan Barnes (17 points per game).
144. Toledo (MAC)
Gone is Tre’Shaun Fletcher, the team’s leading scorer. But, the Rockets do return Jaelan Sanford adn Nate Navigato, the 2nd and 3rd leading scorers. Toledo was one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country last year after they shot 40% as a team.
143. Valpo (MVC)
I actually like Valpo a bit more than most this year. They have some depth this year and bring in a high-major transfer in Providence’s Ryan Fazekas, who sat out last year. It’s also the second year in the MVC and there is an adjustment period when you transfer conferences.
142. Northern Iowa (MVC)
Not a whole lot of depth in the frontcourt this year for UNI, but this guard play is high quality. Now, that said Ben Jacobson brings in one of the best recruits he’s had in AJ Green a top-125 recruit to be the leading point guard this year. He should eventually be an All-MVC player.
141. UNLV (MWC)
We saw UNLV get back to playing faster and the way the game should be played. Seriously, I can’t stand those extremely slow games. But, UNLV does lose Brandon McCoy to the NBA. That said, remember the name Shakur Juiston, who averaged 14.6 and 10 last year. UNLV should play even faster this year.
140. Yale (Ivy)
Yale is a real intriguing mid-major. Joining Miye Oni (15.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg) last year is about 95% of the total offense from last year. The best part? They are all experienced as this junior class is loaded. Despite losing Makai Mason to Baylor as a grad transfer, this is the clear second best team in the Ivy for me.
139. Rider (MAAC)
Rider tied for the MAAC regular season title last season. Sure, that’s nice. Even better? The majority of that group were freshmen and sophomores. With those guys returning and a top-100 offense, expect Rider to challenge Iona in the MAAC.
138. Bradley (MVC)
Bradley returns all but one player from last year’s team. The question this year will be can the Braves find a way to take care of the ball? While they were 37th in the country in forcing turnovers, they were 280th in turning the ball over.
137. Fresno State (MWC)
This team is going to be all about Deshon Taylor. The 6’2″ guard is a redshirt senior who averaged over 17 per game last year. With a new coach on the sidelines, we’ll see if anything changes, but expect a heavy usage rate for Taylor.
136. UC Davis (Big West)
TJ Shorts returns after winning Big West Player of the Year. That’s vital for a program that has been consistent in the Big West. Last year, Shorts put up over 14 points and 4 assists per game. He also averaged almost 2 steals per game.
135. Duquesne (A-10)
After being in the bottom of the A-10 for quite some time, we saw Duquesne develop two stars in Mike Lewis and Eric Williams Jr. Now they get to play with 5 transfers, all of which will be in the rotation and expected to contribute right away. We should see improvement from the Dukes.
134. Tulsa (American)
It’s tough to get a good read on Tulsa. They won 12 games in the conference last season, but none were notable opponents. So, just how good is this team? They’ll have to figure it out without Junior Etou.
133. Hartford (America East)
After winning just 8 combined conference games the two previous years, the Hawks won 11 last season and finished third in the conference. They want to get the ball up and shoot threes, ranking 65th in 3PA/FGA.
132. Ft. Wayne (Summit)
Ft. Wayne got the notable win on the road against Indiana last season. Part of the reason why? They were one of the best teams at taking care of the ball. They turned it over on just 15.5 percent of possessions all season.
131. Jacksonville State (OVC)
Jacksonville State was one of the best defensive teams in the country last season. That won’t change with Ray Harper in charge. Most notably is the fact that they limit offensive possessions due to their 36th best defensive rebounding percentage.
130. New Mexico State (WAC)
New Mexico State loses two stars in Jemerrio Jones and Zach Lofton. However, Eli Chuha has experience and will have to step up as a senior. He lost his starting role last year, but htis year needs to be a top option.
129. Wright State (Horizon)
Wright State won the Horizon League Tournament after finishing second in the conference last season. While most of the group was young, it loses a guy who could do everything in Grant Benzinger. This year it will be Loudon Love (an A+ name) to be the go-to guy.
128. Boise State (MWC)
In terms of key losses there may not be one flying under the radar more than Chandler Hutchison’s importance to Boise State. He led the Broncos in every category and was such a unique matchup from the wing.
127. Ohio (MAC)
Ohio was 7-11 in the MAC last season, but were led by a freshman in Teyvion Cook. Cook averaged 15.3 per game last year while shooting 40% from three. He’ll be called upon even more this year with the loss of Mike Laster.
126. UNC-Wilmington (CAA)
Devontae Cacok is one of the best mid-major players and seniors in the country. Cacok averaged 17.7 points and 13.5 rebounds per game last season. C.B. McGrath has made sure to turn this into a UNC-Chapel Hill type team since he is a Roy Williams assistant, which means UNC-Wilmington should be better defensively this season.
125. UC-Irvine (Big West)
UC-Irvine is one of the more balanced teams in the country. They don’t rely on just one person and that’s part of the reason as to why they are always in contention in the Big West. This year? They get to add Robert Cartwright, a transfer from Stanford. Getting him while returning the top-6 from last year is why they are so high.
124. Lipscomb (A-Sun)
Lipscomb absolutely destroyed FGCU in the A-Sun title game a year ago. This year? They return everyone from that team. They have a great inside/outside duo in Garrison Matthews (21 ppg) and Rob Marberry (15.9 ppg). They are the heavy favorites in the A-Sun again.
123. Georgia Tech (ACC)
It’s likely going to be a long year for Georgia Tech. The Jackets lost Ben Lammers, Tedric Jackson and Josh Okogie from last year’s team. This year it’s going to be a heavy dose of Jose Alvarado, who scored over 12 per game last year. I wish they could run the triple option in basketball.
122. Saint Bonaventure (A-10)
Jaylen Adams and Matt Mosbley were just so important to this team. That said, Courtney Stockard should have a breakout year this season after scoring 13 per game last year as the third option.
121. SMU (American)
SMU has been unable to build a bench recently between injuries and just a lack of talent on the bench. I don’t know if that will change this year which means it’s even more important that Jarrey Foster and Jimmy Whitt stay healthy.
120. Pacific (WCC)
There’s no doubt this is the highest you’ll see Pacific. Consider me drunk on Damon Stoudamire’s coaching ability. They have experience. They have three guys that averaged over 11 points per game. Don’t be surprised to see Stoudamire use a variety of defenses, especially a 2-3 zone.
119. Furman (Southern)
Maybe I just buy into Furman’s coaching strategy and schemes, but despite the loss of Devin Sibley, Daniel Fowler and John Davis, I trust this team. They do return Matt Rafferty who had the 7th best ORtg last year and is a menace defensively.
118. Oregon State (Pac-12)
Oregon State has a great top-3. Tres Tinkle, Stephen Thompson Jr., and Ethan Thompson can compete. The problem? Uh, after that there’s not a whole lot. It’s tough to win with that set up.
117. Charleston (CAA)
Losing Joe Chealey is a big loss for Charleston. Now, that said, Charleston still has Grant Riller and Jarrell Brantley, who averaged over 17 per game. They dare teams to make shots against them, sitting back and defending. It’s been working out for a few years now.
116. Rutgers (Big 10)
Oh, what could have been Rutgers. Corey Sanders leaving was a massive disappointment for Rutgers fans as he could carry this team this year. That said, trust Steve Pikiell, he will make Rutgers competitive.
115. Dayton (A-10)
Needless to say last year was a massive stepback in the first year after Archie. Josh Cunningham is an All-A10 type player though as he put up 15.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season. Getting Ryan Mikesell back after missing all of last year to a hip injury will help.
114. Memphis (American)
Memphis decided to move on from Tubby Smith and bring back the prodigal son. Penny Hardaway takes over a Memphis team with some talent too. Fans should come back to games with Penny there, but also to watch Jeremiah Martin.
113. Southern Illinois (MVC)
The top-6 at Southern Illinois is pretty special. More importantly it’s pretty balanced. All six averaged over 6 per game last year and five averaged at least 9.1. That’s a pretty good start for Barry Hinson, one of the best coaches in the MVC.
112. Colorado State (MWC)
Niko Medved takes over for Larry Eustachy. Medved did spend time at Colorado State, working under now Nebraska head coach Tim Miles. I wonder who broke that news? That site Barstool Sports, who people say isn’t a reputable website. Crazy world.
111. Ball State (MAC)
Ball State brings back quite a bit from last year. There are four guys that averaged over 9.6 points coming back led by Tayler Persons and his 15 ppg. There’s also two major transfers coming in, KJ Walton from Missouri and Brachen Hazen from Arkansas.
110. Old Dominion (C-USA)
Old Dominion loses a key piece in Trey Porter who decided to grad transfer to Nevada. Who doesn’t transfer to Nevada? But, Old Dominion does bring in LSU-transfer Elbert Robinson, a top-100 recruit, to take the big man spot. He’ll be joined by BJ Stith and Ahmad Caver.
109. Hofstra (CAA)
Why can Hofstra compete with most teams in the country this year? Justin Wright-Foreman. The dude is an absolute stud and an NBA prospect. He averaged over 24 per game last year and gets help offensively with Eli Pemberton’s 16 points per game.
108. Arkansas (SEC)
Arkansas was saved a bit with the return of Daniel Gafford. The potential top-20 pick decided to return for his sophomore year after averaging about 12 points per game last year. That said, Arkansas has to replace eight players including Daryl Macon and Jaylen Barford.
107. Northwestern (Big 10)
I’m just not sold on this team. Bryant McIntosh was so important to this team and Chris Collins really relied on him. Derek Pardon and Vic Law will have to have massive years for Northwestern to really surprise teams in the Big 10.
106. DePaul (Big East)
DePaul got a new arena and facilities in an effort to get better with recruiting. That said, they do have one of the more talented DePaul teams in some time. Max Strus can absolutely ball. Pairing him with Eli Cain, Illinois transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands and North Carolina A&T transfer Femi Olujobi and they’ll win some games they aren’t supposed to.
105. Texas A&M (SEC)
It’s going to be a weird year for Texas A&M. Gone are the three bigs in Robert Williams, Tyler Davis and Tonny Trocha-Morales along with DJ Hogg. They’ll have depth at the guard spot this year with TJ Starks, Admon Gilder, Wendell Mitchell, Savion Flagg, Brandon Mahan and Jay Chandler.
104. Oklahoma (Big 12)
I know people liked to rag on Trae Young, but, uh, that roster wasn’t great around him last year. Now, he’s gone and there’s not a huge talent coming in. I love Lon Kruger as a coach, but he has to rely on guys who have just been inconsistent their entire careers.
103. Penn State (Big 10)
Tony Carr left for the NBA, which took a big dent in Penn State’s NCAA Tournament chances. That said, they have one of the 5 best defenders in the country in Josh Reaves, who can defend pretty much everyone. Chambers will rely on him, Lamar Stevens and Mike Watkins, all who averaged at least 10 ppg last year.
102. Wake Forest (ACC)
Danny Manning keeps the same cycle it appears. First, he gets a big time recruit. Then he loses some pieces unexpectedly forcing him to start a bit new. It happened when John Collins blew up. It happened with grad transfers (Keyshawn Woods this year). That said, Jaylen Hoard is going to be a likely lottery pick. Plus, he has Randolph Childress, who is my all-time favorite athlete, as an assistant coach. If Randolph ever wants to do something with Barstool I will do it on my own dime, even if it means him crossing me over like Jeff McInnis.
101. Saint Joseph’s (A-10)
Last year the Hawks were hurt by injuries for the second year in a row. We didn’t get to see them with Lamar Kimble – arguably the most talented player on the roster. He returns this year to pair up with Taylor Funk and Charlie Brown Jr. If they can stay healthy they’ll be a top-4 team in the conference.
100. Stephen F. Austin (Southland)
Stephen F. Austin has turned into one of the more consistent mid-majors in recent memory. Even with the loss of Brad Underwood a couple of years back, Kyle Keller turned this team into a 14-4 team last season. This year Shannon Bouges is likely the Southland Player of the Year.
99. Ole Miss (SEC)
Kermit Davis takes over to try and mimic what Andy Kennedy did at Ole Miss. I said it before and I’ll say it again. Ole Miss is one of the toughest jobs to win at in major college basketball. Kennedy will rarely be talked about correctly with what he was able to do at Ole Miss.
98. Utah (Pac-12)
It’s going to be bit of a rebuilding year for Utah. The Utes lose four seniors from last year’s team. Expect the other Coach K to turn to Sedrick Barefield and Donnie Tillman for most of the offense this year. One name to keep an eye on – Charles Jones Jr., a JuCo transfer who has two years at Utah.
97. New Mexico (MWC)
They have some high-major talent coming in with Ja’Quan Lyle transferring here from Ohio State, Vance Jackson from UConn and Carlton Bragg from Arizona State via Kansas. We’re waiting to see if Bragg will play this year or not. But, Paul Weir can absolutely coach and this is the clear 3rd best team in the MWC.
96. UTSA (C-USA)
Jhivvan Jackson is one of the most electric scorers in the country last season. The freshman started just 9 games last year and scored over 18 per game. He attempted over 7 threes per game and shot 37%. He had such a high usage rate, 13th in the country in possession percentage and 7th in shot percentage.
95. Minnesota (Big 10)
This is such a vital year for Richard Pitino. The seat is already hot for him after last year’s disaster both on and off the court for his team. That said he does have Jordan Murphy, an All-Big 10 player who averaged a double-double last season. We’ll see if Isaiah Washington can make the important jump from the guard spot.
94. Grand Canyon (WAC)
Grand Canyon became eligible for the postseason for the first time last season. That said, this team is going to be good again because of Dan Majerle. Not to mention Grand Canyon has one of the wildest home court advantages in the country. Seriously, go check it out.
93. UConn (American)
Year 1 of the Danny Hurley-era at UConn. It ultimately just means one thing and one thing only. Can Jalen Adams and Alterique Gilbert stay healthy? If so, UConn is a top half team in the America. If they can’t, then it’s another long year before Hurley’s guys come in.
92. St. Mary’s (WCC)
Life after Jock Landale, Emmett Naar and Calvin Hermanson begins for St. Mary’s. Randy Bennett will continue to work his patient offense and plenty of ball screens. Will 7’3″ Aaron Menzies be able to pick up more with Landale not there?
91. Georgia Southern (Sun Belt)
Mark Byington has turned Georgia Southern into a Sun Belt contender despite joining the conference just a few years ago. This year he gets one of the best players in the conference on his roster again in Tookie Brown. Joining him in the backcourt is Ike Smith.
90. South Dakota (Summit)
South Dakota should challenge for the Summit title despite losing Matt Mooney to Texas Tech. Mooney was the best player last year for South Dakota, but they still do return Tyler Hagedorn, who averaged over 13 per game last year. He should be the go-to guy this year.
89. Stanford (Pac-12)
Stanford has the potential to be a Pac-12 favorite in a couple of years. The sophomore group of Daejon Davis, KZ Okpala and Oscar de Silva could be special. Plus, the bench is pretty much all freshmen. Obviously the loss of Reid Travis hurts here.
88. Iona (MAAC)
All Tim Cluess does is compete for the MAAC title. That’s the case again this year. Iona likes to play a high-tempo offense and returns two key players from last year – Rickey McGill and EJ Crawford. This year though, Iona will rely on a ton of JuCo transfers.
87. Arizona State (Pac-12)
Gone is the 3-headed backcourt monster of Tra Holder, Shannon Evans and Kodi Justice. That said, Romello White and De’Quan Lake return in the frontcourt this year. Plus super-sub Remy Martin moves into the starting role. Bobby Hurley will want to run again this year and try to outscore you.
86. Georgia (SEC)
I believe in Tom Crean. He turned Indiana around as much as people don’t want to admit it. This time he doesn’t have to deal with sanctions and actually gets a good amount of experience back. They still need to find a way to make up for Yante Maten.
85. UNC-Greensboro (Southern)
UNC-Greensboro almost pulled off the upset against Gonzaga in the Round of 64 last year. Speaking of coaches that could get poached to bigger schools – Wes Miller. The former UNC guard is one of the best young coaches in America. He gets another year with Francis Alonzo though – a guy who scored over 1,500 points in his career.
84. Vermont (America East)
I’m not going to lie John Becker is one of my favorite coaches in America. The dude just gets it and his story is absolutely awesome. Despite losing Trae Bell-Haynes, Vermont does return Anthony Lamb and the Duncan brothers. They should win America East again. I am curious to see whenever a bigger school comes calling for Becker.
83. Wichita State (American)
It’s weird to say this simply because we rarely do lately. But, Wichita State is in absolute rebuild mode. That’s what you have to do when you lose Landry Shamet, Shaq Morris, Conner Frankamp, Rashard Kelly and Zach Brown. The good news? At least Markis McDuffie stuck around.
82. UMass (A-10)
One of the likely most improved teams in the country has an absolute star in Luwane Pipkins. He averaged over 21 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds per game. Getting him back to go with four major transfers (Curtis Cobb, Johnathan Laurent, Keon Clergeot and Kieran Haywood) all of whom had the year within the system and you have a team that should be good.
81. Iowa (Big 10)
Iowa returns pretty much everyone from last year’s team, including four guys who averaged double digit scoring. There’s also four guys off the bench returning that played 40% of the minutes last season. Here’s the problem though. Iowa was flat out awful defensively last year. I mean, they ranked 242nd in the country, giving up 108 points per 100 possessions. The only thing they did well was not foul.
80. Montana (Big Sky)
Montana made the NCAA Tournament last year behind guard play and good news is it returns those guys again. Ahamaad Rorie and Michael Oguine combined for 33 points per game last year. The fact that Montana has these guys back make it the easy favorite for the Big Sky.
79. South Carolina (SEC)
Chris Silva is an All-SEC player, but outside of him, I’m just not sure who South Carolina can count on consistently. They have some pieces and Frank Martin can coach his ass off. But, offensively? I don’t know what to expect there.
78. Georgia State (Sun Belt)
The fighting Ron Hunters are back again this year as the favorite in the Sun Belt to make the NCAA Tournament. The main reason why? D’Marcus Simonds. He’s an NBA prospect who loves to attack the rim. He averaged over 22 per game last year while shooting just 29% from three.
77. Belmont (OVC)
Rick Byrd continues to be one of the best offensive minds in all of college basketball. As it tends to be, the Bruins were 1st in 2pt% and 3rd in effective field goal percentage. This year, expect Dylan Winder to be one of the more efficient players in the country.
76. Illinois State (MVC)
If Milik Yarbrough doesn’t miss any time this year as he’s currently suspended indefinitely, then Illinois State is the clear 2nd best team in the MVC. He averaged 16.6 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 4.8 apg last year. Joining him returning this year are two 15 ppg scorers in Keyshawn Evans and Phil Fayne.
75. Northern Kentucky (Horizon)
NKU was the best team in the Horizon last year before being upset in the Horizon Tournament. Such is life as a mid-major. The Norse return Drew McDonald, a 6’7″ big who led the team in scoring and rebounds. He’s the reason that they’ll be good again this year. They also have one of the coolest court designs in the country.
74. Seton Hall (Big East)
The core group that helped Seton Hall get back to relevancy is gone. That means no more double-doubles from Angel Delgado. But, that’s not to say this team has talent. Myles Powell is a possible first team All-Big East player. They bring in Taurean Thompson from Syracuse. They bring in Quincy McKnight, who scored over 18 per game at Sacred Heart. There will be some times of struggle with roster turnover, but they have a guy they can always count on in Powell. I also expect a breakout year for Myles Cale.
73. Boston College (ACC)
What should have been a big time year for Boston College took a bit of a step back with Jerome Robinson breaking out to the point of a lottery pick. So now Boston College is left with Ky Bowman and Jordan Chatman as the 1-2 mix. Now, it’s not to say Boston College is going back to the bottom of the ACC, because Bowman is one hell of a player.
72. Baylor (Big 12)
You want to talk about roster turnover? Baylor returns just three guys from last year’s team that saw any sort of minutes. That’s it. Now, that said they are bringing in Baylor-killer Makai Mason from Yale and a whole bunch of JuCo transfers, so they really won’t be young. Is Scott Drew an elite coach?
71. Illinois (Big 10)
I absolutely have faith that Brad Underwood can turn this thing around and make Illinois relevant again. He’s too good of a coach and Illinois is too big of a name for it to be this bad for this long. This will be a rebuild year to a degree, but I think you see a massive improvement in year 2 with guys playing in Underwood’s system.
70. Georgetown (Big East)
We were so close to having a possible ranked Georgetown team but Marcus Derrickson is gone. That said Jessie Govan is a possible Big East Player of the Year. Ewing is bringing in a big time recruiting class led by James Akinjo – the starting point guard and highlight-reel Mac McClung. The one name to remember here? Sophomore JaMorko Pickett, a 6’7″ forward that averaged over 9 per game last year. He slides into the second or third option here.
69. Creighton (Big East)
Greg McDermott is one of the best offensive coaches in the country. That’s why this team should still succeed with the trio of Mitch Ballock, Davion Mintz and Ty-Shon Alexander. Expect this team to still play fast and utilize a ton of high ball screens in a variety of ways.
68. Saint Louis (A-10)
Travis Ford hit the recruiting trail big time as was able to convince Cart’Are Gordon to stay home as a top-75 recruit. One other name to remember here? Tremaine Isabell from Drexel. The grad transfer averaged 21 points at Drexel. Lastly, let’s not forget Javon Bess – the former Michigan State transfer who put up over 13 points and 7 rebounds per game last season. This is a team that many will be high on.
67. Temple (American)
I actually like Temple a decent amount this season despite losing Obi Enechinoya. That’s mostly due to the fact they return Shizz Alston and Quinton Rose. This is also the final year for Fran Dunphy as head coach at Temple. Aaron McKie will be an assistant this year before taking over next season.
66. South Dakota State (Summit)
It’s all about Mike Daum. I absolutely love this guys game as he’s an All-American to me. Daum is an NBA prospect and someone who can just dominate a game. The 6’9″ big guy averaged 24 and 10 last year while shooting 42% from three. The Jackrabbits will continue to run their offense through him.
65. Wofford (Southern)
Wofford came onto the scene last year after winning at Chapel Hill. A large reason why? Fletcher Magee is one of the best shooters in the country. He led the team with 22 points per game last year and shot 44% from three. He’s a possible All-American candidate.
64. Colorado (Pac-12)
Get to know the name McKinley Wright. As a freshman he put up 14.2 ppg, 5.5 apg and 4.7 rpg. He has Pac-12 Player of the Year potential. Tad Boyle is also a coach who doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Seriously, McKinley Wright.
63. Buffalo (MAC)
Nate Oates is one of the hottest coaching names in the country as it was rumored that he’d take the Pitt job last year. We know all about Buffalo after it beat Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and it does return the top-3 scorers from last season.
62. Harvard (Ivy)
Bryce Aiken and Seth Towns is as good of a duo as you’ll see in the Ivy and one of the better duos in the country. Aiken returns after missing about half of the year last year due to injury and Towns is the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year. This is a team that can win a game in the NCAA Tournament.
61. Wisconsin (Big 10)
Last season was a wild disappointment for Wisconsin. We’re used to seeing the Badgers finish top-4 in the Big 10 and in the NCAA Tournament. Neither of those two things happened last year obviously. Part of it was injury related as Trice played just 10 games, Kobe King played just 10 games and Nate Reuvers missed 5 games due to injury. Now everyone is back and we’ll see how they play around Happ for another year.
60. Vanderbilt (SEC)
Bryce Drew is out here bringing in unbelievable recruiting classes to Vanderbilt. This year he has Simi Shittu and Darius Garland coming to Vandy. They still do have a lot to replace, but those two guys, assuming at 100% health, can compete with that talent.
59. Rhode Island (A-10)
Life post Danny Hurley moves on but with a familiar name. David Cox is taking over the program and inherits a program coming off of one of the best regular seasons they’ve had. While he loses some key pieces to the return of URI’s program, he still has Jeff Dowtin, Fatts Russell and Cyril Langevine to build around.
58. Northeastern (CAA)
I absolutely love this team this year, so go crazy Stoolies. Vasa Pusica is an absolute star and one of the best mid-major players in the country. Pairing him with Shawn Occeus is a great 1-2 combo. Throw in the depth and Bill Coen being a good coach. This is the favorite in the CAA. This is a team that was up 17 in the second half of the CAA title game last year.
57. Oklahoma State (Big 12)
I want to put an asterisk on this one. So much depends on whether or not Michael Weathers plays following his felony grand larceny arrest in September. If he plays, Oklahoma State has a chance to be damn good this year – granted, without a lot of depth.
56. St. John’s (Big East)
If Heron becomes eligible, which he should based on previous hardship waiver rulings, him and Shamorie Ponds become one of the best backcourts in the country. That’s the thing here. If Heron is eligible it’s going to be such an important year for Chris Mullin. He was the fan-favorite when he was hired to come back to the school he led to a Final Four and try to restore St. John’s basketball. He’s brought in talent, but has yet to put together a strong season. There always seems to be something going on, whether it’s injuries or people leaving early.
55. Missouri (SEC)
The return of Jontay Porter was a bit of a surprise. But, the younger Porter brother has a chance to be a top-10 NBA pick. I do think Jeremiah Tilmon, another top-100 recruit from last year who chose Missouri over Illinois, is poised for a big year. Question for Missouri will be guard play.
54. Western Kentucky (C-USA)
A year after the Mitchell Robinson will he enroll or not enroll saga, WKU is bringing in another major recruit. This time it’s Charles Bassey, a 5-star prospect who reclassified to join the Toppers this year. Putting him inside with Lamonte Bearden outside and Auburn-transfer Desean Murray on the wing gives you the C-USA favorite.
53. Miami (ACC)
Miami will have to move on from losing three important pieces from last year – highly-touted Lonnie Walker, Bruce Brown and Ja’Quan Newton. That said, Chris Lykes is one of my favorites players in the country as the diminutive point guard is absolutely electric. The dude fears absolutely no one and should lead the team in scoring this year.
52. BYU (WCC)
There is so much returning for BYU this year. Most people know about Yoeli Childs (17.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg) and TJ Haws. But, remember that Nick Emery is coming back from an unknown hiatus from last year. If he can get back to his 2016-17 form then BYU is sitting here with one hell of a top-3 to get Dave Rose back to the NCAA Tournament.
51. George Mason (A-10)
We’re 13 years removed from George Mason stealing everyone’s heart as it made a run to the Final Four. Now, they are back with one of the best teams in the A-10. They return literally everyone from last year’s team, where four guys scored at least 10 points per game. If they can be consistent shooting the ball, they’ll push Davidson for the title.
50. Marshall (C-USA)
One of the most entertaining teams in the country thanks to the backcourt, Marshall made a name for itself after beating Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last year. Here’s the good news. Marshall returns Jon Elmore and C.J. Burks this year.
49. Texas (Big 12)
Ultimately it’s going to come down to improvements on the offensive side of the ball. Despite losing Bamba, Texas will be fine defensively. Will they be 12th in the country? Probably not. But, they’ll likely still be top-25. Can a couple of these freshmen – who are entering as great athletes – fill a scoring void? Can one of the guys like Matt Coleman, who was a highly regarded recruit, make the jump this year and be more consistent offensively?
48. Ohio State (Big 10)
Another Chris coach who is finally getting the respect he deserves. Chris Holtmann continues to get the most out of his team and despite losing Jae’Sean Tate and Keita Bates-Diop, Ohio State should be a tournament team again this year and a possible top-4 team in the Big 10. They’ll have some balance to this roster as two guys (Kaleb Wesson and CJ Jackson) were double-digit scorers last season. They are bringing in another guy in Keyshawn Woods from Wake who can score with the best of them. Don’t sleep on the recruiting class either in Luther Muhammad and Musa Jallow.
47. UCF (American)
No doubt this will be one of the best defensive teams in the country and a favorite to win the American this year. That said, can they score? They get some help back with Aubrey Dawkins and BJ Taylor after missing time last year. They also bring back Tacko Fall, one of the best rim protectors in the country. Expect Johnny Dawkins to continue to run his zone and slow the game down.
46. Alabama (SEC)
Everyone will point at losing Collin Sexton and that’s fair. He was damn good last year. But, they return so much from that team and everyone is a year older. I really like Herb Jones and John Petty and if Tevin Mack can stay mentally in the game, he’s a huge addition. In a deep SEC, expect this team to be one in the middle of the pack. But, like we saw last year, you can still be there and get in the NCAA Tournament comfortably. That’s what I expect from Alabama again this year.
45. Notre Dame (ACC)
Everyone is going to talk about the Irish losing three starters and two absolute stars in Matt Farrell and Bonzie Colson. It’s fair. They were damn good. But, we’re forgetting about a handful of things with this team. First off, they have Mike Brey. Brey is a top-15 coach in the country and I’ll just always bank on him making the team competitive. Second, we see Notre Dame guards take a jump every year. Third, look at the recruiting class.
44. Louisville (ACC)
Chris Mack takes over at Louisville in a move that everyone was expecting. He’s already hit the recruiting trail and landed a monster class for 2019. As for this year? He’ll have his challenges, but they’ll lean on VJ King quite a bit. Mack does have 4 transfers in Steven Enoch (UConn), Khwan Fore (Richmond), Akoy Agau (SMU) and Christen Cunningham (Samford). There’s some depth to this roster.
43. San Diego State (MWC)
The focus of this team is going to be Jalen McDaniels. He’s a projected 1st round pick for next year after going through some of the draft process this year before ultimately deciding to come back to school. While he’s not a great shot blocker, he’s going to be one of the better rebounders in the country. Last year he ranked in the top-160 nationally in both offensive and defensive rebounding percentage. He was a better defensive rebounder, ranking 66th in the country, which just plays into what San Diego State wants to do.
42. Houston (American)
I know they lost Rob Gray, but don’t sleep on this Houston team. They were a Jordan Poole buzzer-beater away from possibly being the favorites to make the Final Four from their region. What Houston does return is Corey Davis Jr., and two UMass transfers in Brison Gresham and Dejon Jarreau. Kelvin Sampson has done a magnificent job of turning his image around at Houston.
41. Arizona (Pac-12)
This team is going to rely on transfers – a bit of a different look for Sean Miller at Arizona. Two key ones will be Ryan Luther (Pitt) and Chase Jeter (Duke). I do like the roster versatility they have and the depth. Can they get a jump from someone like Brandon Randolph or Dylan Smith?
40. Davidson (A-10)
Kellan Grady. That’s the only name you need to know. Davidson got hot and won the A-10 Tournament last year and was a popular pick to beat Kentucky in the Round of 64. But, Grady. He put up better numbers than Steph Curry when Steph was a freshman. Grady has a real shot to be an All-American. It also helps that Bob McKillop is one of the best offensive coaches in the country.
39. Loyola Chicago (MVC)
Instead of talking about Sr. Jean can we talk about Clayton Custer? He’s a large reason as to why Loyola was a Final Four team a year ago and a top-40 team this year. The reigning MVC Player of the Year returns as does Marques Townes and Clayton Kartwig. Loyola will be a popular 6-8 seed this year.
38. Cincinnati (American)
The one thing you do know with this team is they’ll defend their ass off. There’s no doubt about that. That’s always going to be the case with Mick Cronin in charge. I was able to sit just a few feet from him last year during the Wichita State game and all you hear during the game is how much he’s preaching defense and rebounding. Everything you hear about him and his thoughts on that side of the ball is true.
37. Marquette (Big East)
Markus Howard and Sam Hauser return as one of the more dynamic offensive duos in the country. Joining them will be Sam Hauser’s brother, Joey, a top-50 recruit. This is arguably the best team that Wojo has had at Marquette, but like every other year, can they stop anyone?
36. Texas Tech (Big 12)
Last year was a breakout year for Chris Beard and Texas Tech. Now, Chris Beard is consistently talked about as a top-25 coach in America and rightfully so. While they do lose the heart and soul in Keenan Evans, Jarrett Culver is a guy who can be a go-to player for Texas Tech. One thing you know about them? Defense will be preached.
35. Purdue (Big 10)
It’s going to be an incredibly different look for Purdue this year. That’s simply what happens when you lose a group consisting of four guys who contributed for years and were a major part of what you were able to do on both sides of the ball.Now, that said, Purdue does have a saving grace. That comes in Carsen Edwards – a preseason All-American, on the shortlist for NPOY and Big 10 Player of the Year.
34. Maryland (Big 10)
Maryland should compete for a Big 10 title this year, but they are behind Michigan and Michigan State on paper to start the year. The nonconference schedule is fine, nothing special, but games against Seton Hall, Virginia and Loyola. They need to go 2-1 in that stretch and then get ready for Big 10 play. This is a NCAA Tournament team, which should drastically improve on that 8-10 Big 10 finish from last year.
33. Providence (Big East)
The one thing that we do know is Ed Cooley will be able to count on Alpha Diallo. He averaged over 13 per game last year and at 6’7? can be a mismatch. However, he shot just 21% from three last year. He either needs to develop a consistent jumper (preferred) or not take 71 shots from behind the arc. Look for Cooley to lean on Diallo/Jackson early on and then let Ashton-Langford/Duke be the focal point if they develop come January.
32. Oregon (Pac-12)
This team should take a massive jump from last season. I don’t think they are Final Four good, but this feels like a team that should be playing the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. It’s going to depend on how quick they figure out how to play with each other and figure out roles. But, if the Bol Bol lives up to the hype and Louis King is healthy, this team should win the Pac-12 and be a top-20 team all year.
31. TCU (Big 12)
I would do anything to see one full healthy season for Jaylen Fisher. He was the highest-rated recruit to go to TCU and the point guard can really play. That said Kouat Noi and Desmond Bane as two possible breakout guys. Jamie Dixon is doing an incredible job down at TCU.
30. Xavier (Big East)
Gone are Trevon Bluiett, JP Macura and Chris Mack. So now Xavier moves on to the Travis Steele era. Steele is a guy who worked under Mack for years and was always pegged as a future head coach. He inherits a team that does return talent still despite losing those four guys. He’s going to lean on the core of Quentin Goodin, Naji Marshall, Tyrique Jones and Paul Scruggs. Those are the four guys who have spent at least a year in the program and he can count on.
29. Butler (Big East)
So a little good news, bad news here for Butler. Good news is you return quite a bit from last year. I mean you have six guys returning that played at least 45% of minutes last season. One of those is Kamar Baldwin, who we’ll get to in a second, but returning a high quality point guard in college basketball does tend to be important. Now, the bad news? You lose two guys, Tyler Wideman, who was an important piece. But, you also lose Kelan Martin, who was the star of the team the last season and one of the five best players in the Big East last year according to KenPom’s player rankings. You have to make up that scoring somewhere.
28. Clemson (ACC)
Clemson was a top-10 defensive team in the country last season despite being 247th in turnover percentage. The reason why? The Tigers are excellent at staying disciplined defensively and forcing you into contested mid range shots. Despite losing Gave DeVoe and Donte Grantham, the Tigers do return Shelton Mitchell, Marcquise Reed and Elijah Thomas.
27. Washington (Pac-12)
That said, the core of Nowell, Dickerson, Crisp and Thybulle is what the focus should be on. In Mike Hopkins’ first year at Washington, they actually surprised people. Think about it. You lose your best player – Markelle Fultz – and don’t really have this sure fire recruiting class coming in yet you still win 21 games including one vs Kansas. What’s arguably even more impressive is the fact they did it all without a senior on the roster.
26. Florida (SEC)
In terms of teams flying a bit under the radar heading into the season, Florida is a name that should be listed. The Gators seem to have the perfect mix again of experience and top-end freshman talent. They’ll likely start 5-star Andrew Nembhard at the point guard spot but surround him with three seniors and a redshirt junior.
25. Indiana (Big 10)
It’s all about Romeo Langford this season. The guy is going to be a one-and-done player and is one of the best scorers in the class. He’s a hell of a player and someone that can turn Indiana around in Archie Miller’s second season. Pairing him with Juwan Morgan and this is a team that should be top-4 in the Big 10.
24. Nebraska (Big 10)
Tim Miles was able to bring in two important transfers last year in James Palmer Jr. (Miami) and Isaac Copeland (Georgetown) that really gave this team something new. They have NBA talent with those guys and now a core-four with those two, Isaiah Roby and Glynn Watson Jr. Those four are good enough to compete in the Big 10 this year.
23. Iowa State (Big 12)
Now, here’s the other part about Iowa State’s roster I love. The depth on the wing and the versatility. They are bringing in Mariol Shayok from Virginia, a guy who can defend pretty much anyone 1-on-1 in the backcourt. He’s 6’5? and can switch with nearly anyone. Solomon Young is 6’6?. Zoran Talley is 6’7?. The two big recruits are Talen Horton-Tucker at 6’5? and Zion Griffin at 6’6?.
22. Syracuse (ACC)
Another year where it’s going to be the Tyus Battle show at Syracuse. The one selling point though? The Orange actually have some help and depth this year. Last year, there was no team in the ACC that played the bench less than Syracuse. Expectations are back for Syracuse after the last couple of seasons.
21. LSU (SEC)
Tremont Waters is a guy who should be on All-American teams in the preseason. The sophomore guard was overshadowed from other freshmen on a national level last season but the guy can play. Throw in Naz Reid and Emmitt Williams? This team is incredibly under the radar.
20. NC State (ACC)
Why this team will be a unique fit this year? They have three point guards that all do something a bit different. You have Braxton Beverly – who is a great shooter. You have Markell Johnson, who finished 5th in the country with a 40% assist rate. You have Eric Lockett, a transfer from FIU, who averaged over 14 points and 6 rebounds a game. They have three different looks there and can mix and match playing two different point guards if Keatts wants and push the tempo even more.
19. UCLA (Pac-12)
UCLA has talent. This recruiting class is loaded, led by Moses Brown. The good news for UCLA, besides the recruiting class is the return of Jaylen Hands and Kris Wilkes. Both were 5-star freshmen who played a major role in last year’s team. This year, the Bruins will rely on Kris Wilkes, especially with the departure of Aaron Holiday.
18. USC (Pac-12)
One thing to keep an eye on here is the health of Elijah Weaver, who is expected to miss 3 months to a knee injury. That said, I think USC is a bit under the radar this season. Part of it might just be me buying into the recruiting class which is built around Elijah Weaver, J’Raan Brooks and Kevin Porter Jr., all 4-star recruits. Porter is probably going to end up being my pick for the freshman that doesn’t get enough love and ultimately breaks out during his first year in college.
17. Mississippi State (SEC)
There are a lot of people really buying into this Mississippi State team. That’s mostly due to the talent returning in Quindary Weatherspoon, Nick Weatherspoon, Lamar Peters and the arrival of Reggie Perry. That said, Ben Howland does still need to figure out how to be more consistent on the offensive side of the ball.
16. West Virginia (Big 12)
We are entering a new world for West Virginia. This is the first time in what feels like roughly 15 years they won’t have Jevon Carter or Dax Miles in the lineup. But, now here’s the thing with West Virginia, ever since it became Press Virginia in 2014, it feels like you can put just about anyone there and you’ll likely make a Sweet 16.
15. Michigan State (Big 10)
Last year was an absolute letdown for Michigan State fans. But, they didn’t have a great fit roster wise. You had to play Bridges and Jackson out of place due to the lack of a reliable wing. This year, that fit is a bit better. I absolutely love Cassius Winston’s game and think he can compete for Big 10 Player of the Year.
14. Michigan (Big 10)
The national runner-up from last year return a good amount of production despite losing Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman. That said, Charles Matthews is a guy that can be a go-to player for Michigan. Plus, they have John Beilein and if you have John Beilein you’ll be fine. Jordan Poole is a guy who will shoot up NBA Draft boards.
13. Florida State (ACC)
The first saving grace for Florida State this season was the fact that Phil Cofer was able to get a medical redshirt year and is now here for a fifth season. That said, they have a bunch of 6’6″ dudes that can score and switch defensively. M.J. Walker and Terrence Mann should lead the way for Florida State.
12. Virginia Tech (ACC)
Virginia Tech only loses one real contributor from last season and return a go-to guy in Justin Robinson. They’ll continue to play fast, 50th in the country last season in average possession length and be a good offensive team. Question will be how many shirts does Buzz Williams sweat through?
11. Auburn (SEC)
What a weird year for Auburn. They were caught up in the FBI investigation and lost Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy for the year because of that. Now, they get them back but lose Mustapha Heron to a transfer. What made Auburn great last year was spreading the ball around, running a pace and space type offense. That changes a bit this year with Austin Wiley being in the post and the most talented player on the roster.
10. UNC (ACC)
We are seeing one of the better recruiting classes in recent memory coming in for UNC led by Coby White and Nassir Little. I know Luke Maye will draw a ton of talk, but Cam Johnson is the name here for me. I think with him finally healthy for the entire season you’re going to see him take advantage of the attention going towards those other three guys. Kenny Williams’ health is another key thing to watch this season.
9. Kansas State (Big 12)
Literally no one is gone from last year’s team that made the Elite Eight. However, they made it there as a No. 9 seed, so there’s a ton of room for improvement. Dean Wade has a chance to be Big 12 Player of the Year and they have some guys who can defend on the wing – led by Carter Diarra.
8. Tennessee (SEC)
The Vols were one of the biggest surprise teams in all of college hoops last season and return the bulk of the team. They’ll be led by Grant Williams, who is a favorite to win SEC Player of the Year. Tennessee was the 6th best defensive team in the country last year – that’s not going to change. While Tennessee was a good 3-point shooting team last season, one thing though is they didn’t shoot a lot of threes. That likely won’t change this season with Williams/Schofield being the focus.
7. Virginia (ACC)
Yes, Virginia lost to UMBC and became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed. But, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Virginia was the 2nd best team in college basketball last year. The Cavaliers return De’Andre Hunter (a popular pick for All-American), Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome. Also returning? Jack Salt, who looks exactly like what you’d picture a guy named Jack Salt to look like.
6. Villanova (Big East)
Most teams would be a disaster the year after losing Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Omari Spellman and Donte DiVincenzo. But, not Villanova. Not when you still have Eric Paschall and Phil Booth – two guys with a ton of experience and proven to come up big in important games – just think of Phil Booth against UNC in the 2016 title game. There’s a top recruiting class coming in and those bench pieces from last year are there. I’ll never count out a Jay Wright team.
5. Duke (ACC)
The most talked about team heading into the year is no doubt Duke. They became the cool program this offseason bringing in guys like Zion Williamson, Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett. While they are the names, the other freshman – Tre Jones will be vital here. He needs to be similar to his brother and keep everyone happy in terms of driving and kicking while getting his. Tyus was excellent at that during the title run. I do have concerns about how the roster fits and what K tries to do with Bolden/DeLaurier at the big spot. That said, RJ Barrett is the most talented player in the country this season.
4. Nevada (MWC)
This is probably the highest you’ll see Nevada in any rankings, but I absolutely love this team. They have tons of experience and are led by the Martin twins. Remember, they didn’t have Lindsey Drew during the NCAA Tournament (and late in the season) after he tore his Achilles. Getting him back to go with the Martin twins and the roughly 1000 transfers just shows how much talent is here. The biggest question is actually what happens with Eric Musselman as he’s been linked to so many power 6 jobs. It’s only a matter of time, right?
3. Gonzaga (WCC)
It’s time to stop not believing in Gonzaga. The Bulldogs have a ton of talent this year – arguably more talent than the team who lost to UNC in the title game in 2017. They are led by Rui Hachimura and Killian Tillie, but we saw Zach Norvell hit big shots in the NCAA Tournament last season. The biggest question will be how consistent is Josh Perkins at the point guard spot and will Geno Crandall be enough to help out back there. Also, remember the name Brandon Clarke- a transfer from San Jose State.
2. Kansas (Big 12)
One of the most important decisions this offseason was Udoka Azubuike deciding to return to Kansas. No, he’s not the best player, but he’s the most important. Without him, Kansas would have little to no depth at the big spot. They would have to run truly small for the first time ever. But, now you can surround Azubuike again with four guards/wings. If the Lawson twins can stay in the game mentally this season, Kansas will be a favorite to win the title.
1. Kentucky (SEC)
Hold on, let me do it for you. Homer! You stink! Boo! These rankings are horseshit! Yes, I have Kentucky No. 1 – even though you can make a case for really any of the top 7 teams or so. That said, Kentucky has the blend that has worked for them in the past. Sophomores returning, a veteran leader, and a top recruiting class. The question will be shooting, but Tyler Herro and Jermal Baker (if he’s healthy) should alleviate that. They are one of the deepest teams in the country this year too.