NCAA Basketball: Ranking all 358 D-I programs for 2021-22 season

140. Jacksonville State Gamecocks – Last Season Ranking: 297

Conference: Atlantic Sun

I was not high on Jacksonville State last year as I didn’t feel they had enough quality talent returning to compete at the top of the Ohio Valley. The joke is on me with this one because I failed to factor in how good of a coach Ray Harper is. He has won at least in every year but two.

He would have won 20 games a season ago had the season not been shortened due to Covid-19. The Gamecocks had a good offense as they averaged about 75 points per game. Jacksonville State was also a fantastic rebounding team averaging about 38 boards per game.

All in all, they are well-coached, and they do what they do, and they do it well. The entire roster returns from a season ago including best player Darian Adams. It looks as if the Gamecocks finish top half of the Atlantic Sun in their first year in the conference.

139. Iona Gaels – Last Season Ranking: 169

Conference: MAAC

Iona had an interesting season last year, to say the least. First, they brought back everyone’s favorite coach Rick Pitino, and Pitino was tasked with keeping Iona at the top of the MAAC and that appears to be exactly what he has done. Then the Gaels didn’t play basketball from right before Christmas to the middle of February due to multiple Covid outbreaks on their team. When they returned, they played Pitino-style basketball, the Gaels were physical and attacked the rim and didn’t play overly fast.

Last year’s team was the team that was the best in the MAAC. This team may be one of the best in the country when the year is over. Coach Pitino was able to secure a lot of quality transfers from power schools who can all score and fit perfectly into his brand of basketball. Iona also has Nelly Junior Joseph who is a giant physical presence in the middle of the floor who really completes the Gaels. Iona is good, and they are going to be a trendy pick for a run come March.

138. North Texas Mean Green – Last Season Ranking: 126

Conference: Conference USA

The Mean Green had been close for a while, and last year it finally happened. North Texas qualified for the NCAA tournament and won the biggest game in their school history when they beat Purdue in the first round. The Mean Green were efficient on offense, but they still averaged under 70 points per game as they play slow and don’t put up that many shots while on offense. North Texas under head coach Grant McCasland has always hung their hat on the defensive end.

They pack the paint, force teams to slow way down, and play in the half-court. They held opponents to about 40% shooting for the year. That coupled with them just not allowing the opponents to get into a rhythm at all led to teams only putting up about 53 shots per game. That was tops in the Conference USA and was in the top 50 overall.

The Mean Green lost their two top players from last season, but they did return Mardrez McBride who is a fantastic shooter and defender. McBride has a chance to be one of the most improved players in the country this season.

137. Yale Bulldogs – Last Season Ranking: 348

Conference: Ivy League

James Jones has built Yale into an Ivy power and there is no reason they should not be considered the favorite to win the league again this year. After the 2019-2020 season concluded the Bulldogs were in the top 50 in both offense and defense and were not just a great mid-major team but were a good team that was a threat to teams who were not ready to play them. Yale did lose two of their top three scorers and Ivy Player of the Year in Paul Atkinson.

However, the Bulldogs do have an extremely experienced backcourt with one of the best shooters in the entire country in Azar Swain. Swain has a great chance to win Ivy Player of the Year and the Bulldogs are going to be playing for a chance to make the NCAA tournament again this year.

136. Southern Illinois Salukis – Last Season Ranking: 221

Conference: Missouri Valley

The Salukis started the season at 7-0 last year with a win over Murray State and a win over Butler. Then it started to unravel quickly especially when they lost a star to injury for the season. Southern Illinois was dreadful on the glass and that rebounding discrepancy mixed with their overall pace of play meant the offense didn’t really produce much.

The Salukis were very good from deep which kept them in a lot of games but losing their star to injury was just too much to overcome. That star Marcus Domask is back and ready to be the man for Southern Illinois. He can dominate the game at times.

135. Old Dominion Monarchs – Last Season Ranking: 133

Conference: Conference USA

When Old Dominion is having a good season, they are one of the more physically imposing teams to play. They slow the game way down and play physical defense. Their games are what can be commonly referred to as rock fights. Head coach Jeff Jones is a coach who recruits to his style and doesn’t care about star rating or anything like that. He wants players who are going to play hard all the time, be physical, take care of the ball, and are going to get downhill.

The Monarchs rarely shoot threes and are overall not a good shooting team. They are efficient from inside the arc, and as is true with almost every Old Dominion team, they keep the opponents to a very low shooting percentage. The Monarchs return one of the better defensive players in the country from injury.

If he can stay healthy Old Dominion is going to be very good. The one thing that the Monarchs did need was a point guard who could score in bunches, they have got that this year with North Carolina Central transfer CJ Keyser.

134. Tulane Green Wave – Last Season Ranking: 183

Conference: American

The Green Wave had a miserable offense last year, but it would be silly to not trust head coach Ron Hunter to turn it around. Tulane has already gotten a ton better since coach Hunter took over. The Green Wave was one of the worst teams in the country when the headman took over. Since then he has flipped the roster and has infused it with a ton of talent from power schools.

Last season Tulane was a terrible shooting team. They shot 30% from deep and it would have been a lot worse had it not been for one player shooting 40% from deep. Tulane was also a terrible rebounding team, but like all Hunter-coached teams, it didn’t affect them as they were pretty good on defense.

It takes a while to flip a program and Tulane has hired the right man for the job, but this will be another lean offensive year for the Green Wave, as they are destined for the bottom of the American. Jaylen Forbes leads Tulane in everything.

133. Akron Zips – Last Season Ranking: 70

Conference: MAC

Akron had a prolific offense last season and they should again this year. Even by losing some of their talent including one of the top scorers in the country the Zips should still have a great offense. Head Coach John Groce has turned Akron into a premier destination for transfers looking for a fresh start and he has turned a lot of them into really good players. He allows his players to play free and open and shoots a ton of threes. The Zips also pass the ball well and put a lot of pressure on the defense with their speed and their schemes.

Akron has still yet to make the NCAA tournament under coach Groce but that will eventually come. Honestly, the Zips may take a step back this year as they are one of the younger teams in the MAC and outside of their one double-digit scorer, who returns from last year they have a lot of role players. The Zips were active on the transfer market securing some players who have a ton of experience and have been in a starting role, but it doesn’t seem they may have enough to get this team over the hump, especially as the top of the MAC is pretty good.

Akron finishes middle of the pack in the league. Bryan Trimble Jr. has a breakout season for the Zips and is going to need to be the best player on the floor most nights for Akron to have a chance.

132. Wofford Terriers – Last Season Ranking: 138

Conference: Southern

The Terriers have turned into one of those programs that win every year and are always at the top of the conference regardless of who they have on the roster. They are extremely well-coached, and they play Wofford-style basketball always. The Terriers play wide open and take a ton of threes, every player on the floor is going to shoot threes and is going to need to be able to make them if they want to play a significant number of minutes.

This season, however, Wofford has lost two of its better players in program history and one of the best shooters in the country. This year, they are going to have to get some production from some younger players, and hopefully more than one develops into a good shooter. Coach Jay McAuley is a great coach and will get his guys to play hard and win games.

No matter what regardless of personnel, The Terriers are going to shoot a ton of threes, and that will keep them in games. Guard Max Klesmit looks to be the next player to be the go-to shooter for Wofford.

131. Fresno State Bulldogs – Last Season Ranking: 250

Conference: Mountain West

Fresno State didn’t have a good offense last year at all, they played very slow and were one of the worst teams in assists in the country. The Bulldogs were able to finish middle of the pack in the Mountain West but that seems to be their ceiling these days in a league that is loaded at the top. Head Coach Justin Hutson has found it a struggle to make it to the top of the league, but he is still good enough to finish near or at .500 every year.

This season he was able to land a quality transfer from Arizona in Jemarl Baker who is going to help Fresno State in every way possible. Big man Orlando Robinson returns, and he is likely going to average a double-double this year.

130. Cleveland State Vikings – Last Season Ranking: 300

Conference: Horizon League

I drastically underrated the Vikings last season and drastically underestimated the ability of Dennis Gates to coach. Cleveland State dominated the Horizon League last year and made an NCAA tournament appearance. The Vikings are not flashy they don’t play fast, they don’t shoot a ton of threes. What they do is play sound fundamental basketball and are physical.

They have their entire roster back from last season and are the favorite to win the Horizon league again. Torrey Patton has Horizon League Player of the year Potential.

129. UNLV Rebels – Last Season Ranking: 71

Conference: Mountain West

Las Vegas is never going to be hard to recruit to, it doesn’t matter how many games they win. The Rebels also have not seemed to be a destination job for anyone yet. Former head coaches Chris Beard and TJ Otzelberger left Vegas after very short stints for bigger jobs at power schools. It should be known that Beard never coached a game at UNLV but was their coach for a very short time. The Rebels are now coached by upstart coach Kevin Kruger and he brings with him a pedigree that he learned from his hall of fame father.

As for the roster, UNLV has a largely new roster that is built of mostly power five transfers and a few low major players with extremely high upside. The Mountain West is pretty wide open outside of the first two spots and the Rebels have a roster that is good enough for them to occupy that spot. How well they transition to the new coach and how well the roster builds chemistry and trust is obviously the biggest factor and if it doesn’t happen quickly will be a huge difference between middle-of-the-pack and top of the league.

Bryce Hamilton returns for his final season. He is an elite scorer and is an extremely ball-dominant guard who can fill a stat sheet. He may have to deflect a few shots to his teammates, but Hamilton is one of the best in the Mountain West.

128. Murray State Racers – Last Season Ranking: 72

Conference: Ohio Valley

Last season should be considered an outlier for Murray State. The Racers are one of the most decorated programs in the Ohio Valley and they finished .500 last year with a lot of good talent. This year is a normal year with a normal offseason program, and the players will be able to have more of a routine that Murray State is likely going to take their rightful place at the top of the Ohio Valley pack.

The Racers return most of the team from last year, and you can expect them to have a dominant backcourt who can take over games. Murray State also passes the ball well, takes good shots, and is efficient from the floor, it really is amazing that they only ended up at .500 a season ago.

KJ Williams is one part of the dynamic backcourt for the Racers. He led the team in scoring and shot over 40% from deep. With a good year, he is going to be in the mix for the conference player of the year but should be a shoo-in for all-conference honors.

127. Santa Clara Broncos – Last Season Ranking: 235

Conference: WCC

The quest to shrink the gap between Gonzaga and the rest of the West Coast conference is must-watch TV. The league is usually always going to get multiple bids and the window for Santa Clara and head coach Herb Sendek to make the NCAA tournament is now. Sendek went out and got a ton of high-quality transfers who all fill weaknesses on the team.

The Broncos have not been able to put it all together for a few years now and they have had rosters better than the one currently assembled. Santa Clara appears to be a middle-of-the-pack WCC team even with all-conference player Josip Vrankic still on campus.

126. Tulsa Golden Hurricane – Last Season Ranking: 114

Conference: American Athletic

Tulsa may be the hardest team on this list to rank. Why?  Under Frank Haith, the Golden Hurricane has been up and down. The Tulsa teams who have had high expectations have not performed very well, in the reverse those Golden Hurricane teams who have had no expectations have performed very well overall. It is hard to get a good read on Tulsa this year. They are going to win games they shouldn’t and lose some head-scratching games.

Tulsa doesn’t have a ton of depth this year, but they do have two guys who have proven they can score in college. The Golden Hurricane is going to play sloppy games and win enough games to keep themselves in the national conversation for a while. Jeriah Horne returns for his extra year, and he will help the offense.

125. Weber State Wildcats – Last Season Ranking: 287

Conference: Big Sky

I know everyone has heard this before, and I am going to say it again. Weber State is historically the most successful program in the state of Utah, and they are one of top 25 winningest teams in the nation.

The Wildcats are never down for long. Weber State had one of the most explosive offenses in the country a season ago averaging 82 per game. The Wildcats also were also one of the most efficient teams in all the land as they shot over 50% from the floor. They made almost 60% of their attempts from inside the arc and almost 40% of their attempts from outside the arc. Weber State also shot 80% as a team from the free throw line.

They return a lot of that roster and are going to be a force in the Big Sky again, just like every year. Seikou Sisoho Jawara leads to return the Wildcats and they are one of the favorites for the NCAA out of the Big Sky.

124. Toledo Rockets – Last Season Ranking: 173

Conference: MAC

Toledo played all 30 games on their schedule last year which is extremely impressive given the world that we are all currently living in. The Rockets were also one of the best offenses in the country a season ago as they averaged about 82 points per game. Toledo plays fast and shoots tons of threes, 45% of their offense came from deep and they made about 40% of them as well. The Rockets also averaged about 16 assists per game last year, never turned the ball over, and were good from the foul line.

Nothing suggests that this team will not be a juggernaut on offense again this season. They should still be one of the best teams in the MAC and hopefully this year they can finish the job and make the NCAA tournament. Ryan Rollins is a really good player who is primed for a breakout.

123. Pacific Tigers – Last Season Ranking: 127

Conference: West Coast

Damon Stoudamire has done a great job of turning the Pacific program around. He has turned the Tigers into a consistent player near the top of the West Coast Conference. Last year they didn’t have a great offense, but they were good on defense and that kept them in almost every game. They were not efficient on offense at all and were a terrible shooting team from deep. Head coach Stoudamire went out and got some shooters in the transfer portal which is going to help his team immensely.

The West Coast Conference is obviously set with the first two spots at the top, but it is open after that and with a good season the Tigers could find themselves in contention for one of the postseason tournaments. Jeremiah Bailey returns to lead this offense and defense.

122. UMass Minutemen – Last Season Ranking: 132

Conference: Atlantic 10

Heading into last season UMass had the best player in the Atlantic 10 in big man Tre Mitchell and with a very impressive freshman class and players around him, I figured they would be a lot better. The Minutemen have had a hard time finding guys who can fit into very well-defined roles and that has ultimately led to their downfall. Many also have questions about coach Matt McCall as to whether he can restore this program back to the former glory they once had.

UMass shoots a ton of threes, and over the last couple of seasons has not made nearly enough of them to change games from beyond the arc. They have always been efficient from inside the arc. This year coach McCall bolstered the offense and loaded it with transfers who can all shoot from deep. Mitchell is gone and that is a body that will never be replaced, but with getting shooters and some scorers through the portal the hope is to mitigate the loss using lots of different players.

UMass should be a middle-of-the-pack team in the Atlantic 10 again this year. Noah Fernandes is ready to take the next step and lead this team. He could be one of the biggest breakout players in the country this season.

121. Temple Owls – Last Season Ranking: 164

Conference: American Athletic

Temple has had two historic coaches with John Chaney and Fran Dunphy. After Dunphy retired two seasons ago Aaron McKie took over. McKie has struggled to find the success that the previous legends had but it has only been two seasons, and each season Temple lost some key pieces from the year before.

This year the Owls should be a lot better, they finally had a full offseason with Coach McKie. To top everything all off the roster from the season before is largely intact. Temple had two stars and good depth on the offensive end, that is only going to get better with experience. On defense, the Owls need to be a little bit more active to really reach their ceiling, but Temple is trending up.

Khalif Battle is next up in a long line of Owls stars, and he is primed for a breakout this year. Temple should finish in the middle of the American.