NCAA Basketball: 4 teams to end drought for 2020 NCAA Tournament

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 24: A view of an NCAA sign and towel prior to the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional between the Kansas State Wildcats and the Loyola Ramblers at Philips Arena on March 24, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

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MARIETTA, GA – MARCH 25: James Wiseman competes in the dunk contest during the 2019 Powerade Jam Fest on March 25, 2019 in Marietta, Georgia. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for Powerade) /

Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers are the team on this list with the most hype, and rightly so, they are likely a top-15 team in preseason on the backs of a team that went 22-14, made the semifinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament and the second round of the NIT under first-year head coach Anfernee Hardaway. Why are the Tigers so highly regarded given the fact that they only return two of their top seven scorers, senior forward Isaiah Maurice and sophomore guard Tyler Harris? That would be because of one of the youngest and talented rosters in the country with nine freshmen, that ranks as the No. 1 class in the country, three sophomores, and the aforementioned Maurice.

That top recruiting class is highlighted by two five-star and five four-star players according to 247Sports. Leading the group is a pair of big men who are ranked in the top 15 nationally, including the top overall prospect, 7-foot center James Wiseman and the 6-9 Precious Achiuwa. Also in the frontcourt are Malcolm Dandridge, who at 6-8 245lbs gives the Tigers some muscle to bang in the paint and DJ Jeffries, a 6-7 forward who dominated at Olive Branch High School in Mississippi with 23 points, nearly 13 rebounds, 5.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 2.6 blocks as a senior. The rest of the true freshmen all play in the backcourt, Boogie Ellis and Damion Baugh are more of a combo guard, while 6-5 Lester Quinones is a shooter who shot 38% from three-point land at IMG Academy in Florida last season.

Harris and fellow sophomore Alex Lomax return to the Tiger backcourt ready to step into leadership roles, even after one season. The duo averaged nearly 16 points per game last season, but they will have to improve as shooters as they each shot just 36% from the field in their first season. Lance Thomas is a redshirt sophomore from forward from Louisville and Ryan Boyce and Jayden Hardaway are both redshirt freshman guards from Memphis with connections to Hardaway, one being his son and Boyce played for him at East High School.

We always get excited as fans when we see such a collection of talent on one team, but the Tigers still need to gel as a unit but barring unforeseen circumstances, Memphis should make their first NCAA Tournament since 2014.

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