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NCAA Basketball: Strengths and weaknesses of each top-25 team for 2022-23 season

By Tristan Freeman

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - APRIL 02: Jeremy Roach #3 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts in the first half of the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball Gibson Jimerson Saint Louis Billikens (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
NCAA Basketball Gibson Jimerson Saint Louis Billikens (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images) /

24. Saint Louis Billikens

Strength: Elite starting backcourt

If there was a power ranking of the best trio of guards in NCAA Basketball, I would put the group of Yuri Collins, Gibson Jimerson, and Javonte Perkins up against anyone not named Baylor or Arkansas. The return of Perkins, who averaged 16.0 ppg in his first two years at Saint Louis before missing all of last season, gives them a 6’6 wing that can shoot 40% from three-point range.

Collins led the country with 7.9 apg from the point guard position and will have more talent to pass it to next season. And in Perkins’ absence last season was a breakout performance from  Gibson Jimerson, a 6’5 shooter that went for 16 ppg and 42% from three-point range. Offensively, it’ll be difficult to slow down Saint Louis.

Weakness: Frontcourt play outside of Okoko

The former Oregon big man was good in his first year at Saint Louis, averaging 10.8 and 8.1 rpg in 24 mpg as a starter. The question now is the depth behind him, with Marten Linssen gone and Jordan Nesbitt transferring out. That leaves a pair of 6’4 forwards in Fred Thatch and Terrence Hargrove, Jr., as well as 6’5 Missouri transfer guard Javon Pickett to get most of the minutes at the four-spot.

And while the Billikens have 6’9 Temple transfer Jake Forrester to play backup minutes at the five (in case freshman Mouhamadou Cissé isn’t ready to play), that’s still going to be a lot of small lineups whenever Okoro isn’t in the court. The guards are capable of carrying the team but may have to do it most of the time this season.

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