13. UNC Greensboro Spartans (12-2)
After returning most of a roster that put a scare into Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament last year, the Spartans look just as good for the 2018-19 season. There haven’t been as many opportunities to showcase it on the schedule, with a number of inferior opponents even at a mid-major level.
In the chances they have had to impress on national television, UNC Greensboro did just that, albeit in losses. They lost a close game against a ranked LSU team early on, before pushing Kentucky for 30 minutes before getting pushed away.
The Spartans have everything a coach can ask for from a roster perspective. They have a star player and Conference Player of the Year contender in Francis Alonso (18.9 ppg), along with six other players averaging over seven points a game. Junior forward James Dickey (7.1 ppg and 7.8 rpg) is the anchor down low.
Balanced on both offense and defense, UNC Greensboro remains a frontrunner in the Southern Conference, even with the elevated competition. They’re 1-0 already thanks to last week’s road win at Samford (Alonso led all scorers with 30 points). East Tennessee State, Wofford, and one other team await the Spartans but the experience and talent they possess might give them an advantage – at least in the regular season.