NCAA Basketball: Top 25 team frontcourts for 2022-23 season
A month ago, I did a piece on the best NCAA Basketball collective backcourts for the upcoming season. This time around, it’s about the frontcourts, featuring the best big men in the sport. It’s fairly explanatory about what consists of a “frontcourt”, with centers and power forwards, as well as true small forwards.
As I did with the backcourt pieces, I made some decisions as to who are true small forwards, versus guards that play the traditional 3-spot in lineups. So for example, Javonte Perkins, who is a 6’6 perimeter player that’ll be playing the wing in most lineups for Saint Louis this season, wouldn’t be considered a frontcourt player for this piece.
For those who are viewed as true forwards, here are the 25 teams that I view as having the best NCAA Basketball frontcourts for the 2022-23 campaign.
Top 25 team backcourts for 2022-23 season. light. Related Story
Honorable Mention: Iowa State Cyclones
The Cyclones brought in two of the best defenders from the A-10 in Osun Osunniyi and Hason Ward. They’re quality transfers but not elite scorers but the hope is Tre King, who joined midway last season after departing Georgetown, to provide some offense after averaging 14.0 ppg at Eastern Kentucky the season prior.
HM: Butler Bulldogs
The Big East program brought in three frontcourt transfers this offseason, with the key player being Manny Bates. He missed all of last season with shoulder surgery but is an elite defender. Akron transfer Ali Ali led his team in scoring last season, while Jalen Thomas was a starter at Georgia State and is a good backup option for Butler.
HM: Memphis Tigers
The return of veteran big man Deandre Williams gives Memphis a playmaker from inside. Joining him is transfer Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu from UT-Arlington, a 6’9 center who is an extreme athlete and quality shot-blocker. It’ll be one of the better defensive pairings in NCAA Basketball.