This Year:
Top 25
Last Year:
Top 25
Conference Picks
The Power Five
Atlantic Coast Conference1. North Carolina - Let's see, the Tar Heels are my preseason #1 team, so clearly, they will be my pick to win their conference. Marcus Paige is a certain Player of the Year candidate. The team is deep. It's talented. They aren't the certain top tier the way Kentucky was last year, but I can find no way to pick anyone other than them.
2. Virginia - Malcolm Brogdon is a beast. The Cavaliers were a top 10 team last year. They lost Justin Anderson to the pros. With him, they'd be unbeatable. Without him, they lose a half-step. It's stupid to think they won't still be one of the toughest outs in the conference if not country.
3. Duke - To me, Duke is a distant third in the conference. They don't bring in enough recruits to make up for everything they lost. They'll be good. A Coach K team always is. They won't be world beaters unless absolutely everything goes right.
Sleeper: Florida St. - The Seminoles were barely a top 100 team last year. They return three guards who averages 30+ MPG, including potential Player of the Year Candidate (I'm calling it) Xavier Rathan-Mayes. Then there's Freshman guard Dwatne Bacon, who could also make some noise.
Bottom of the Barrel: Boston College - 7 players graduated. Oliver Hanlan, the first team All Conference player left to play professionally. There's no great recruits to speak of. Virginia Tech. makes a strong case for being the worst in the conference again, but I think the Hokies return enough to be better than BC.
Big 12
1. Kansas - The Jayhawks are somehow being underrated this year. There's an argument to be made for them to be the top team in the country. There's a ton of returning talent and a great recruiting class. Perry Ellis is Player of the Year material and there's about a half dozen others who have All Conference potential.
2. Oklahoma - This top 15 team from last year returns 4 of 5 starters. Sure, losing Big 12 Newcomer of the Year TaShawn Thomas will hurt, but keeping Big 12 Player of the Year Buddy Hield helps more. If they can even find a half-competent 5th starter, this team will stay at the top of the conference standings.
3. Iowa St. - Their three best players from last year (Monte Morris, Georges Niang, and Jameel McKay) and back as well as a solid bench. The only question mark is how new coach Steve Prohm will do with a Fred Hoiberg lineup.
Sleeper: Texas – This is not a Shaka Smart team. That's all that gives me pause though. If he can figure out how to use those talented big men with All Conference Point Guard Isaiah Taylor and a solid recruiting class, then this could be a top ten team in the country.
Bottom of the Barrel: TCU – This is a case of the bottom of the league all getting better. The loss of Kyan Anderson and Trey Zeigler in the back court will hurt, but the returning front court should keep them teetering around the top 100.
Big Ten
1. Maryland – Melo Trimble, Rasheed Sulaimon, Jake Layman, Diamond Stone, and Doamonte Dodd make for the best five man lineup in the Big Ten. They have a solid bench as well. It will all come down to how much they miss Dez Wells.
2. Michigan St. - It's Denzel Valentine's time to shine. West Virginia transfer Eron Harris should make an immediate impact. At the end of the day though, this is a Tom Izzo team and there's almost no currency valued higher than that in college basketball.
3. Indiana – All the important parts of the lethal offense from last year are back, including Yogi Ferrell, James Blackmon, and Troy Williams (all certain to make All Conference teams). Assuming incoming players like Freshman Center Thomas Bryant can give them some semblance of the defense, the Hoosiers will take a big step forward.
Sleeper: Michigan – Few teams were as plagued by injuries as Michigan last year. PG Derrick Walton and wing Caris LaVert are back now and everyone else got a lot of value from the extra playing time without them. Even at full strength, this was a team that lost to NJIT last year. They are no lock to improve enough to matter.
Bottom of the Barrel: Rutgers – They were by far the worst team in the Big Ten last year, lost two starters, and have an unremarkable recruiting class. Expect more of the same for the Scarlet Knights.
Pac 12
1. Utah – It's all about how much losing Do-Everything guard Delon Wright will impact the team. All the top teams in the conference are taking a step back. With center Jakob Poeltl, forward Jordan Loveridge, and guard Brandon Taylor back, the Ute's are falling the least.
2. Arizona – Losing four starters (all now in the NBA) is tough to come back from no matter how much talent the recruiting class has. With bench players like Parker Jackson-Cartwright, Gabe York, and Elliott Pitts to step up, this rebuild shouldn't take as long as Sean Miller's last one.
3. UCLA – Bryce Alford (PG), Isaac Hamilton (Wing), and Tony Parker (C) form as solid a trio as you're going to find. There's always strong recruits coming in too. Many would pick Cal for this third spot. I'm not biting. UCLA has more to build on.
Sleeper: Oregon St. - Gary Payton II is really good. All the starters are back too. If even one Freshman recruit can make some noise, this could be an excellent team.
Bottom of the Barrel: Washington St. - The Pac 12's worst team lost their star player. There's really no path to improvement
Southeastern Conference
1. Kentucky – They aren't untouchable like last year. Point Guard Tyler Ulis, a healthy Alex Poythress, and the best recruiting class in the country keep them as the team to beat in the SEC.
2. Vanderbilt – They were the best team not to make the NCAA tournament last year and they bring back just about everyone, including future NBA Center Damian Jones.
3. LSU – Ben Simmons is going to be very good. LSU teams have a history of squandering talent though.
Sleeper: Mississippi St. - They were pretty putrid last year. How much can stud recruit Malik Newman improve them?
Bottom of the Barrel: Missouri – This is an awful team that suffered numerous transfers. I'll be impressed if any team manages to somehow be worse than them.
The "If It Wasn't For Football" Majors
American Athletic Conference1. Cincinnati - Remember that team that gave UK some trouble for a little while in the NCAA tournament? They're mostly back. Octavius Ellis, Gary Clark, Troy Capain, Farad Cobb? All back. There's no star power on this team, so most people are overlooking them. That doesn't matter to me.
2. SMU - This program is in deep shit, but they still have a ton of talent, you know, like AAC Player of the Year Nic Moore. The only reason this won't be a great team is psychological.
3. Connecticut - There is just so much talent on this team. Frankly, I have no idea how they weren't good enough to make it in the NCAA tournament last year. And they don't have Ryan Boatright anymore. Look for a pair of graduate transfers (Sterling Gibbs and Shonn Miller) to fill in for him. Meanwhile, the core of Rodney Purvis (PG), Daniel Hamilton (F), and Amida Brimah (C) is as good a core as you could want for a team. Really the only thing holding them back is that I don't understand how they weren't better last year.
Sleeper: Houston - They were not a good team last year. Perhaps LeRon Barnes and Devonta Pollard will finally live up to their potential? Perhaps transfers like Damyean Dotson and Ronnie Johnson will have an immediate impact? Perhaps Kelvin Sampson recruited better than projected? I'm not rooting for this team because I don't like Sampson. This could really be a vastly improved team though.
Bottom of the Barrel: East Carolina - Losing guard Terry Whisnant will hurt a lot.
Atlantic 10
1. Davidson - What to do with a team that won the conference, lost the conference Player of the Year, but kept everyone else? I say Brian Sullivan, Jack Gibbs, and Peyton Aldridge will keep up the success.
2. Dayton - It's hard to not looks at the Flyers as overachievers last year, what with their 0 players over 6'6 left by the end of the year. Archie Miller has a very good core of Scoochi Smith, Dyshawn Pierre, and Kendall Pollard. Only the loss of Jordan Sibert should really hurt. As long any big man (Freshman center Steve McElvene, perhaps) steps up, they should be fine.
3. Rhode Island - E.C. Mattews could carry this team if he wanted. That shouldn't be needed.
Sleeper: VCU - Losing Shaka Smart prototypes Biante Weber and Treveon Graham hurts as does Trey Larrier to transfer and the man himself, coach Shaka Smart. There's still enough talent on the roster to compete for a top 3 spot. With the core players and coach gone, I have to predict a decline. If I'm wrong though, watch out.
Bottom of the Barrel: Fordham - They were pretty bad last year, then lost Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year Eric Paschall.
Big East
1. Villanova - The Wildcat's national rankings a little high, but they should still be the class of the Big East. Reigning Conference player of the year Ryan Arcidiacono is back. Jalen Brunson is a top 20 recruit. There's a lot to work with on this roster.
2. Xavier - Senior stalwarts Matt Stainbrook and Dee Davis are gone. Basically everyone else is back. Trevon Bluiett should be a star and Jalen Reynolds looks great when he can stay out of foul trouble.
3. Butler - Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones have been around long enough to deserve to have buildings named after them. Tyler Lewis is eligible after sitting out last year. Only the loss of their only reliable big man, Kameron Woods will be felt.
Sleeper: Seton Hall - There's a lot of teams that could be really good that we all see coming (Georgetown and Providence come to mind). Seton Hall is one that most people aren't thinking about. Isaiah Whitehead (before his injury) and Angel Delgado were two of the Big East's best Freshmen last year. Add in Massachusetts transfer Derrick Gordon and a solid rotation of role players and you have a team that could make a big leap.
Bottom of the Barrel: St. John's - New coach Chris Mullin lost everyone. Last year, they played six deep and lost all six of those players. A respectable recruiting class and a couple promising transfers won't be enough to prevent a free fall.
Mountain West Conference
1. San Diego St. - I'm bully on the Aztecs. All they have to do is figure out how to score. They have the best mix of talent and experience returning in the Mountain West. If Malik Pope, Winston Shepard, and co. can figure out how to score a few more points, the will be untouchable in the conference race.
2. UNLV - On paper, the Runnin' Rebels are stacked with talent. They are also very young. Expect Mercer PG transfer Ike Nwamu to keep youngsters Stephen Zimmerman, Dwayner Morgan, etc. focused.
3. Boise St. - How important was conference player of the year Derrick Marks (now gone) to last year's team? I expect the Broncos to be a distant third or second.
Sleeper: Fresno St. - Marvelle Harris, an All Conference first team player, is back. Most of the rest of the rotation is too. There's a lot of transfers coming in. That last part is a wild card. In all honestly, I don't see anyone who could sneak up on me in the conference.
Bottom of the Barrel: San Jose St. - They're bad. They've been bad for a while. They lost most of their significant players from last year. They will continue to be bad.
The True Mid-Majors
Conference USAFavorite: Old Dominion - They were the best team in the conference last year and still have conference Newcomer of the Year Trey Freeman on the roster. There's no one else worth getting excited about on the team, just a solid core of returners.
Runner Up: UAB - I'm not ready to anoint them yet. They return almost everyone from the young team that upset a 3 seed in last year's NCAA tournament. That includes All-Freshman teamers Nick Norton (G) and William Lee (F) and Senior Robert Brown. I'm not fully decided on if that late season surge was a sign of things to come and simply a good run.
Sleeper: UTEP - This is easily the highest upside team in the conference (The next closest is Charlotte who is a deep sleeper if I were to pick one). UTEP is the only team with three former top 150 recruits. One of those is former Oregon guard (by way of Junior College) Dominic Artis who should make an immediate impact. They have the strongest recruiting class in the league too and a strong duo of returning big men. If not for losing conference Defensive Player of the year Julian Washburn and All Conference forward Vince Hunter, I'd have them as my team to beat.
Bottom of the Barrel: Southern Miss - Donnie Tyndall got them in a lot of trouble.
Horizon League
Favorite: Valparaiso - They were the best team in the conference last year. They bring back everyone except one end of the bench reserve. The next two best teams last year took big personnel hits. It'll be lonely at the top for Valparaiso.
Runner Up: Oakland - A pair of All-Freshman players and All Conference guard Kahlil Felder will be the closest thing Valparaiso has to a competitor this season.
Sleeper: Detroit - They weren't great by any measure last year, but they do return Freshman of the Year Paris Bass. That's called "a building block".
Bottom of the Barrel: Youngstown St. - They lost all their experience to graduation or transfers, returning only one significant contributor. And before you ask, no, they do not bring in a great recruiting class.
Ivy League
Favorite: Yale - Ivy League player of the year Justin Sears is back for his Senior season. Still, expect a slight dip from the top 75 team they were last year.
Runner Up: Princeton - Supposing they can find a little help for Amir Bell in the back court, the trio of Spencer Weisz, Steven Cook, and Hans Brase have the front court covered well enough to make a leap in the conference pecking order.
Sleeper: Harvard - Don't sleep on Harvard. Just don't do it. Tommy Amaker is constantly reloading. They take a slight step back thanks to graduation and injuries, that is, until it turns out that half the roster is ready for breakout seasons.
Bottom of the Barrel: Cornell - Remember when they made the Sweet Sixteen a few years ago? That's not so much the case these days.
Missouri Valley Conference
Favorite: Wichita St. - Who else is it going to be? The Shockers are a certain top 20 (if not top 10) team. More than one loss in conference play seems unlikely. Fred Van Vleet, Ron Baker, Evan Wessel, Shaquille Morris, Cleveland St. transfer Anton Grady, Kansas transfer Connor Frankamp, top 100 recruit Landry Shamet. What's not to like?
Runner Up: Northern Iowa - They will not be a top 15 team again, not without Sean Tuttle, not even close. They have a long way to fall though before they need to worry about being the third best team in the conference.
Sleeper: Evansville - They bring back nearly everyone from a borderline top 100 team last year, including a pair of All Conference 1st team players with the inside out combo of D.J. Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius. Calling them a sleeping is probably selling them short.
Bottom of the Barrel: Bradley - This tends to happen when a team is the worst in its conference then loses three starters.
Ohio Valley Conference
Favorite: Belmont – This conference lost a lot. The entire First Team All Conference is gone. There's no clear best team, so I'm going to have to go with the best mix of returning experience and traditional strength. The Bruins return most of their core from last year, bring in a lot of Freshman, and have a lot of Sophomores ready for a chance to break out.
Runner Up: UT-Martin – There's is no good choice here. UT-Martin lost two All Conference 2nd Team players, but still have Twymond Howard and Alex Anderson for Senior seasons as well as Myles Taylor back from injury.
Sleeper: Murray St. - Lose your coach to a bigger school. Lose your Player of the Year to the NBA Lottery. Lose an All Conference 1st Team Forward to graduation. The Racers are a historically strong program, so maybe Jeffery Moss, Gee McGhee, Justin Seymour, or some unexpected star can keep them on top of the OVC standings in this power vacuum.
Bottom of the Barrel: SIU-Edwardsville – They just lost so much. The whole starting lineup is gone. No one comes in to replace them.
West Coast Conference
Favorite: Gonzaga - They enter the season with arguably the best front court in the country (Kyle Wiltjer, Domantas Sabonis, and Przemek Karnowski). As long as they can come up with a functional backcourt to help Josh Perkins, returning from a broken jaw, they will be dominating in the WCC yet again.
Runner Up: BYU - It's always hard to predict how BYU is going to be with all the players rotating in and out for Missions. All I do know is that this is Kyle Collinsworth's team and I'm scared to even imagine what kind of numbers the NCAA's leader in triple-doubles will put up.
Sleeper: St. Mary's - Really, there's no reason to assume anything out of the Gaels this year. They lost a lot and don't bring back much to replace it. Still, St. Mary's doesn't stay out of the conversation for long, so they're always a dark horse.
Bottom of the Barrel: Loyola Marymount - By far the worst team in the WCC last year and then they lost five players who averaged at least 20 MPG.
They Have Some Good Teams
Big WestFavorite: LBSU - They are getting a major influx of talent with transfers from Maryland (Nick Faust), Marquette (Gabe Levin), and USC (Roschon Prince) along with A.J. Spencer returning from injury. The loss of Mike Caffey and Tyler Lamb hurt, but they have already reloaded.
Runner Up: UC-Santa Barbara - Losing Alan Williams hurts a lot. Keeping the back court of Michael Bryson and Gabe Vincents helps to ease the pain.
Sleeper: UC-Irvine - They were the best team in the conference last year. Despite personel losses, they still have two players listed 7'2 or taller. By calling them a sleeper, I could be selling them short (get it?).
Bottom of the Barrel: Cal. St. Northridge - They literally don't have enough players to have a lineup of returning players.
Colonial Athletic Association
Favorite: Hofstra – They bring back three players who averaged 30+ MPG (Brian Bernardi, Juan'ya Green – CAA 1st Team, Ameen Tanksley – CAA 2nd Team) along with Hampton transfer Deron Powers and Princeton transfer Denton Koon. A lot of experience on this roster.
Runner Up: William & Mary – They lost CAA Player of the Year Marcus Thornton but kept CAA Defensive Player of the Year Terry Tarpey and CAA 3rd Teamer Omar Prewitt. Sounds fair.
Sleeper: Towson – This was a bad team last year. The bring in Wake Forest transfer Arnaud William Adala Moto, a former top 150 recruit. If he can mesh well with returning forwards John Davis and Mike Morsell they could make a big leap.
Bottom of the Barrel: Charleston – They were the worst team in the conference last year and lost two key seniors. I expect they'll be better than last year, just not good enough to get out of the bottom of the standings.
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Favorite: Iona – The Gaels were a borderline top 100 team last year and bring back MAAC Rookie of the Year Schadrac Casimir and All Conference 1st Team guard A.J. English. Supposing Wake Forest and James Madison forward transfers Aaron Rountree III and Taylor Bessick can mesh with them, they'll be even better this year.
Runner Up: Monmouth – Justin Robinson and Deon Jones are probably the best inside-out duo in the conference.
Sleeper: Manhattan – It's not often that often that a former top 30 recruit plays in the MAAC. Jermaine Lawrence was just that in 2013. If he could ever live up to his potential, he could terrorize the conference.
Bottom of the Barrel: Marist – They are young and inexperienced and lost only player of note last year, Chavaughn Lewis, to graduation.
Mid-American Conference
Favorite: Central Michigan – Senior duo Chris Fowler and John Simons make this the most impressive looking team in an otherwise balanced conference.
Runner Up: Kent. St. - Graduate transfers Galal Cancer and Xavier Pollard will team up with MAC 1st Team forward Jimmy Hall and make Kent St. one of the better teams in the MAC.
Sleeper: Ball St. - They were barely a top 300 team last year, but they bring back almost everyone, including MAC Freshman of the Year Sean Sellers.
Bottom of the Barrel: Ohio – Houston and Michigan St. Transfers Jaaron Simmons and Kenny Kaminski will be relied on heavily.
Summit League
Favorite: South Dakota St. - By now, it's foolish to expect anyone other than the Jackrabbits to win the Summit League. As long as they can find a replacement for Summit Defensive Player of the Year Cody Larson, then Deondre Parks and George Marshall will walk through conference play with no trouble.
Runner Up: North Dakota St. - If not the Jackrabbits, then the Bison. Their only significant loss was Player of the Year Lawrence Alexander.
Sleeper: Oral Roberts – Obi Emefano was a Summit 1st teamer. In a weak conference, that may be enough to sneak up in the standings.
Bottom of the Barrel: Denver – That's what happens when you lose three players who average 30+ MPG.
Sunbelt Conference
Favorite: Louisiana Lafayette – The Sunbelt is rapidly becoming one of the more interesting conferences. With potential pro Shawn Long still around, and Jay Wright running the point, it's hard to see anyone finishing above them.
Runner Up: Georgia St. - Few teams in the country have done better in the transfer market than the Panthers. There's definite holes left by Ryan Harrow's graduation and R.J. Hunter leaving for the NBA. Former top 50 recruit from Indiana Jeremy Hollowell is finally eligible as is Samford transfer Isaiah Williams. Kevin Ware, a former Louisville transfer himself (and a former top 75 recruit) should be ready to step in as a starter. Then there's forward Markus Crider in the front court. This conference race is going to be neck and neck.
Sleeper: Arkansas-Little Rock – They have a total of 10 players who are transfers coming in or returning from injury. That's a lot of wild cards.
Bottom of the Barrel: Texas St. - I'm very uncertain about this. There's about 4 or 5 teams that I could see bottoming out in conference play. I just find Texas St. to be the least remarkable.
Basketball's Not Their Thing
American EastFavorite: Stony Brook – This is a stacked team and it all starts with conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, senior forward Jameel Warney. Carson Puriefoy, Rayshaun McGrew, and Longwood transfer Lucas Woodhouse will give him all the back up he needs.
Runner Up: Vermont – Ethan O'Day and Dre Wills are defensive stalwarts and Trae Bell-Haynes and Cameron Ward are sophomores ready to break out. Best of all, Vermont lost none of its best players.
Sleeper: Albany - This is a top heavy conference that didn't graduate most of their best players. Example, Albany graduated one All Conference forward (Sam Rowley) yet still have three All Conference guards (Evan Singletary, Peter Hooley, and RaAnthony Sanders) and plenty of front court experience. So, “sleeper” isn't even fair.
Bottom of the Barrel: UMBC – They were really awful last year. American East 2nd Team forward Cody Joyce won't be enough to get them out of the cellar.
Atlantic Sun
Favorite: North Florida – The Osprey were the class of a weak bunch last year and return 1st Team All Conference players Dallas Moore and Beau Beech as well as Defensive Player of the Year Demarcus Saniels.
Runner Up: NJIT – They aren't independents anymore. Most of the team that beat Michigan last year is back. It sure would be interesting if they won their conference the first year they're affiliated.
Sleeper: FGCU – The core of the Dunk City 15 seed that made it to the Sweet 16 is gone. They still have the only two top 150 recruits in the conference (Rayjon Tucker - #123 in 2015, Demetris Morant - #144 in 2012).
Bottom of the Barrel: Kennesaw St. - They were one of the 15 worst teams in the country last year. Keeping Yonel Brown and Nigel Pruitt isn't enough to fix what's broken.
Big Sky
Favorite: Northern Arizona - With Jordyn Martin taking care of the defense and Kris Yanku for the offense, the Lumberjacks are looking just fine.
Runner Up: Montana - Expect last year's Big Sky Newcomer of the Year Martin Breunig to have another big year. He'll need some help.
Sleeper: Weber St. - The Wildcats return the high usage trio of Jeremy Senglin, Richaud Gittens, and Joel Bolomboy. Supposing a talented recruiting class can fill in the rest of the holes in the lineup, they could make a big jump in the standings.
Bottom of the Barrel: Idaho St. - This is a sub 300 team last year returning only one player of note (Ben Wilson).
Big South
Favorite: Winthrop - So this is where Zach Price (former top 75 recruit, transfer via Louisville then Missouri) finally ends up. If he's worth the wait, then he, Keon Johnson, and Xavier Cooks will form quite the trio.
Runner Up: High Point - This is damn near the Platonic ideal of roster turnover. They lost a couple players to graduation last year. There's a group of Seniors ready to step up, Juniors ready to move from role players to key rotation pieces, Sophomores ready to move from scrubs to role players, and freshman ready to be scrubs. It sure is boring, but it's reliable.
Sleeper: Presbyterian - When in doubt, pick the team with the reigning Freshman of the Year. Expect this sleeper to stay deep in a REM cycle though. It would be a minor miracle for them to hit .500 in conference play.
Bottom of the Barrel: Liberty - Another case of a really bad team losing most of its lineup. Remember when they had Seth Curry for a little while? That sure was nice for them.
Northeast Conference
Favorite: Mt. St. Mary's - In a conference hemorrhaging top players, the team with the most returning talent is king. They have a pair of All Conference 3rd team players in Ifeanyi Umezuike and Gregory Graves returning along with diminutive point guard Junior Robinson (listed at only 5'5). A bunch of solid role players are back too.
Runner Up: St. Francis (Brooklyn) - They lost two All Conference 1st team players from last year but keep reigning Defensive Player of the Year Amdy Falls. This is a senior heavy team with a lot of experience. They just need to settle on a go-to scorer.
Sleeper: LIU-Brooklyn - They relied a lot on Sophomores last year. That experience should pay off this year. They also bring in Florida International transfer Jerome Frink who should make an immediate impact.
Bottom of the Barrel: Central Connecticut St. - Yeah, this is a school that exists, and they're terrible. I think the biggest gut punch was Northeast Most Improved Player Matt Mobley transferring.
Patriot League
Favorite: Bucknell - It's looking like a two horse race in the Patriot League. I like Bucknell's depth and that they bring back their most important players, like Chris Hass and Nana Foulland.
Runner Up: Lehigh - They have the reigning Freshman of the Year (Point Guard Kathron Ross) and Player of the Year (Center Tim Kempton). I love that kind of duo. The only thing that shakes me is their questionable depth.
Sleeper: Loyola (Maryland) - Really bad team that returns six players from a seven man rotation, including two sophomores who made the All Freshman team last year.
Bottom of the Barrel: Navy - I'm actually kind of pleased that the team for the US Navy is so mediocre. They have better things to worry about.
Southern Conference
Favorite: Chattanooga -They have two All Conference players returning, including Defensive Player of the Year Justin Tuoyo.
Runner Up: East Tenn. St. - The Buccaneers are playing deep in the transfer game with Deuce Bello (Missouri), Peter Jurkin (Indiana), and Ge'Lawn Guyn all coming in this year (and more to come next year). There aren't a ton of foundational players those transfers will be joining though, so that could make it tough.
Sleeper: Furman - When looking for sleepers, I like to look for transfers or All Freshman team selections. Furman has two of the latter (Sophomores Devin Sibley and Daniel Fowler), along with All Conference guard Stephen Croone, and a lot of depth.
Bottom of the Barrel: Citadel - You've heard this one before. They were the worst team in the conference last year and lost their best players. Expect another long year.
Southland Conference
Favorite: Stephen F. Austin - There is no way to exaggerate the stranglehold the Lumberjacks have on the Southland Conference. It might be a little tricky this year though. They return a ton of guards, including Southland Player of the Year, wing Thomas Walkup. No experienced forwards return though. They weren't overly reliant on the front court last year, but they need something. The tallest player who logged any minutes last year was 6'5. If they can find even one serviceable big man from the Freshmen and JC transfers, they'll be fine.
Runner Up: Northwestern St. - They have same problem as SF-Austin (no proven big men) but have guards that aren't nearly as good, while still the next best thing the conference has to offer.
Sleeper: Texas A&M-Corpus Cristi - They really aren't a sleeper. I just want to talk about this school. It has the weirdest location for a campus I've ever seen.
Bottom of the Barrel: Nicholls St. - The good news is they lost no one due to graduation. The bad news is six players transferred away.
Embarrassingly Bad
If you need any more proof that these conferences don't care about basketball, these were the last three conferences that gave full rosters for their teams. Otherwise, this post would've been up much sooner.Western Athletic Conference
Favorite: New Mexico St. - As a top 100 team, the Aggies have been anomalous in this conference for a while. Even losing Daniel Mullings, Tshildzi Nephawe, and Remi Barry won't be enough to prevent them from being the class of the conference. Pascal Siakam will be the man. Freshman Sidy Ndir is already getting attention from NBA scouts. He, Ian Baker, and Tanveer Bhullar will be called on to do a lot more for the team. Keep an eye on them. They look like bubble busters.
Runner Up: Grand Canyon - Picking a runner up is like picking another sleeper in this conference. DeWayne Russell will need to do a little bit of everything for this team.
Sleeper: UMKC - First of all, they're the Kangaroos. How can I not talk about them? Secondly, they have the reigning conference Player of the Year Martez Harrison, That has to count for something.
Bottom of the Barrel: Chicago St. - They didn't lose anyone of significance from last year's team. They just lost a lot of people. I guess that means there's nowhere to go but up. Maybe next year.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Favorite: Norfolk St. - Jeff Short is an All Conference guard. Jordan Butler is an All Freshman forward. That's enough to be considered the best in this conference.
Runner Up: Maryland-Eastern Shore - They'll be relying a lot of reigning Freshman of the Year Ryan Andino and All Conference 3rd team forward Dominique Elliott.
Sleeper: UNC-Central - I can't help but talk about this team. The whole starting five last year made the All Conference 1st, 2nd, or 3rd teams. Four of them are gone now. Only Dante Homes remains. Florida Gulf Coast transfer Dajuan Graf is finally eligible. And there's always Jamal Ferguson, a former top 150 recruit, who could finally live up to his potential.
Bottom of the Barrel: Coppin St. - There's about eight teams that I legitimately know will be awful. Any one of them could be the worst. I'm picking Grambling St. just because they'll rely so much on Juco players.
Southwestern Athletic Conference
Favorite: Alabam St. - The SWAC most certainly will again be the worst conference in the country, with the team representing them in the tournament being a lock for a 16 seed. I like Alabama St. for their back court of Jamel Walters and Steve Rogers Jr.
Runner Up: Texas Southern - They were the best team in the conference last year and still not a top 200 team per Kenpom. They have a couple intriguing transfers, Jose Rodriguez returning after a redshirt season, and Chris Thomas, who at one time was a top tier recruit.
Sleeper: Alabama A&M - It's hard to understand how a team with All Conference 1st and 2nd teamers Nicholas West and Ladarius Tabb could be so bad last year. Perhaps with a new supporting cast, they could improve greatly.
Bottom of the Barrel: Prairie View A&M - The only returning player of note is Karim York and that's nothing to brag about.
No comments:
Post a Comment