NCAA Basketball: Power rankings of all teams (363-1) for 2022-23 season

150. Norfolk State Spartans- Last Season Ranking: 248

Conference: MEAC

Head coach Robert Jones is turning the Norfolk State program into a dynasty in the MEAC. The Spartans already have one of the best wins in the MEAC when they beat Missouri in the NCAA tournament. Norfolk State has made two straight NCAA tournaments and it would be very surprising if they did not make it again this season. The Spartans dominated the MEAC last year and while a few teams in the league will be better this year, the Spartans didn’t get worse.

Norfolk State shoots the ball well from the floor as they shot just under 47% from the floor last year and shot 53% from inside the arc. They were a fantastic rebounding team and rarely turned it over. The Spartans had one of the best offenses in the country but also only allowed 64 points per game on the defensive end. On that end of the floor, they defend the three point line and protect the rim and make it really hard for teams to get a shot off. Of course, the Spartans a talent deficient when they are playing a lot of power five schools but they can hold their own for a while.

Joe Bryant is the reigning MEAC player of the year and the reigning MEAC most valuable player in the conference tournament. He is likely going to go for back to back player of the year awards. Norfolk State should dominate the MEAC again, but this is the deepest the league has ever been so they could also be in for more of a challenge.

149. Chattanooga Mocs- Last Season Ranking: 154

Conference: Southern

Let me be the first to welcome the Mocs to the Dan Earl show. The former VMI coach know offense and he loves to play fast and shoot as many threes as possible. Chattanooga made the NCAA tournament last season and was one possession away from a win in the tournament as well. The Mocs also won the Southern Conference out right a season ago as well. That run through the conference and to the NCAA tournament and the almost win to Illinois got former coach Lamont Paris a much better job and enter Dan Earl who stays in the same conference but goes to a team who should compete for a league title again.

As mentioned above Earl is fun to watch and loves offense. Coach Earl did bring two players with him to Chattanooga one has to sit out a season because the SoCon has a strict no transferring in conference rule. The other player is one who gets to play right away because he is a graduate transfer. Chattanooga is not going to win the league because the team at the top is one of the best teams in the country but the Mocs are going to compete near the top of the league and when it comes to tournament time anything can happen.

Jake Stephens is one of the best offensive players in the country. He shot 60% from the field overall and shot 50% from deep a season ago at VMI. The 7’0” center chipped in 9 rebounds to go with those unbelievable offensive numbers. Stephens was a highly coveted transfer in the market, and he is going to put on a show for the Mocs fans.

148.  UC-Irvine Anteaters- Last Season Ranking: 105

Conference: Big West

The Anteaters have not lost more than five games in the Big West since 2013-2014. Head coach Russ Turner was the coach of that team, and UC Irvine has not had a losing season since 2012-2013. Over the last 10 seasons the Anteaters have finished in the top half of the Big West every year since 2014-2015. In other words, the program is consistent and dominant in the league.

Last year was one of the worst years that the Anteaters have had under coach Turner, and they still managed to finish in the top half of the Big West. This year it could be another top finish for UC Irvine as they return almost their entire roster from a season ago. That means the defense is still going to be a top 10 defense, the Anteaters are still going to have height and unlike last year UC Irvine secured a pass first point guard in the transfer portal who will help get this offense going. Coach Turner is a great coach and the older his teams are the better they are going to be. This team finishes in the top half of the league.

Justin Hohn enters his junior year with a lot of offensive upside. Hohn as a guard shot at a very high efficiency from all over the floor. He shot 46% from the floor, 53% from inside the arc and 37% from three. He only took 7 shots per game last year but this year there are going to be more shots to go around. The guard takes smart shots and will maintain his efficiency. He is going to be in for a breakout and the hope is he can carry UC Irvine to the NCAA tournament.

147. Loyola Marymount Lions- Last Season Ranking: 67

Conference: West Coast

We all thought the West Coast Conference had a shot at 5 bids last season with Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco, BYU, and Loyola Marymount. The Lions had an experienced roster coming back and they finished the 2020-2021 season with a lot of momentum. The complete opposite happened as Loyola Marymount limped to the finish and did not start great either.

Loyola Marymount could not score, and they didn’t play defense. They were a mess all year and with that much talent on the team it was a wasted season for head coach Stan Johnson. I would like to say that I was the only one who missed on Loyola Marymount but nearly every publication missed on Loyola Marymount last year. The Lions were not that bad on offense they were efficient from the field as they shot 45% from the field and 35% from the three.

As mentioned, their defense was awful as Loyola Marymount allowed almost 50% shooting from the field and unless your team scores 80 points per game it is going to be hard to win any games giving up that much on the defensive side of the ball. Heading into this season I am going to resist the temptation to overrank Loyola Marymount. I do think last year was a wake up call and they will be better, and they did bulk up the offense and defense in the transfer portal.

Loyola Marymount also has two of their best players from last season returning but they are still likely a middle of the pack West Coast Conference team. Dameane Douglas only played 13 games a season ago. When the forward got hurt, he was having a great season he was shooting 60% from the floor and was becoming a factor in the games he played. He gave the Loyola Marymount offense a different dimension and if he stays healthy all year the Lions will be better on both sides of the ball.

146. Hofstra Pride- Last Season Ranking: 163

Conference: Colonial

Speedy Claxton had a great first season as the Hofstra coach and there was zero dropoff in Hofstra and their standings in the Colonial. Usually under a first year head coach you can expect there to be some kind of learning curve but the Pride finished in the top half of the Colonial and once again had one of the best players in the league. Hofstra is once again going to be a team with a target on their back as they have loaded up in the transfer portal to fix those spots lost by graduation and transfers of their own.

Coach Claxton plays at one of the fastest paces in the country and Hofstra was one of the most efficient teams in the country as well. That is likely the result of a ton of easy baskets that are uncontested on fast breaks in transition. The Pride of Long Island New York are going to represent their residents well as Hofstra is a team who is deep enough to get into the NCAA tournament, provided they can win the Colonial tournament of course.

Aaron Estrada returns, and he is a matchup nightmare and most of the coaches in the league circle him in every game plan session for Hofstra. Estrada is not only a great scorer, but he has fast hands and can get in the passing lanes for easy baskets in transition, he is a great rebounder and was good for five assists per game last year. I can see why he is the focus of every game plan for opposing coaches. The only problem is that Estrada is good enough to figure out how to play effectively when you are actively trying to stop him.

145. Louisiana Ragin Cajuns- Last Season Ranking: 175

Conference: Sun Belt

Bob Marlin has been the coach at Louisiana for a long time, and he has built a consistent Sun Belt team. Louisiana isn’t going to win the league every year, and they likely are not going to finish in the top half every year. They will always finish in the middle of the pack, usually finish over .500 overall, and give every team they play a quality game. The Ragin Cajuns are no slouch, they are going to come at you every single night and make sure they give you their best shot every single night.

Heading into this season though Louisiana may want to think about some loftier goals than those I mentioned above. Almost all of the production is back from a season ago, they are a year older, and are led by a well-traveled former five star center who dominated in the Sun Belt a year ago. Louisiana is a team I like a lot on paper. The Sun Belt is good at the top, I understand that, but the Cajuns have a lot of firepower on this team and as they all continue to build chemistry, Louisiana is going to get better and better. The Ragin Cajuns finish in the top tier of the Sun Belt this year and push for an NCAA tournament bid.

Jordan Brown has been in college for 5 years, and this is his third school he has played for, and he still has another year of eligibility left. Brown is a former five star who began his career at Nevada. Then transferred to Arizona, and now ended up in Louisiana. In his defense the coach left at the other two spots. Brown dominates and is going to be a favorite for the Sun Belt player of the year. If he plays like the Player of the Year Louisiana is going places.

144. California Golden Bears- Last Season Ranking: 94

Conference: Pac 12

Rinse and repeat for California as they enter year four for coach Mark Fox. Coach Fox has not been able to find any offense for his Golden Bears and the players that he did have that could score are no longer on campus. It seems like a long time ago that California last made the tournament in 2015-2016 and were able to finish near the top of the Pac 12.

Since then, they have made a series of questionable coaching decisions. Coach Fox is hoping that the two high profile transfers that he added can kickstart the offense. California doesn’t have much this year and it would be extremely surprising if they did not finish in the bottom tier of the Pac 12.

DeJuan Clayton makes his way to the Golden Bears as a graduate transfer from Hartford. The guard was a guy Hartford expected a lot out of but after two games he got hurt and was out for the season. The last full season the guard played was in 2020-2021 when he was the leading scorer for Coppin State. At Coppin State, he showed he could score by averaging just under 15 points and had 6 assists. The 6 helpers were the second most in the MEAC that season. Clayton is the best point guard that coach Fox has had, and he will allow coach Fox to open the offense a bit. California is still a bottom tier team.

143. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 92

Conference: Conference USA

The Bulldogs were a team many picked to win the Conference USA a season ago, and that league was extremely competitive at the top. The Bulldogs did win over 20 games and were a good team, but they were not good enough to finish in the top 3 on the Conference USA and they were not rewarded with any type of postseason play.

Former coach Erik Konkol built up the Louisiana Tech program into a relevant team in the league and has taken the program to heights they had not experienced in a while. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs did not make the NCAA tournament while he was there. The Bulldogs have won over 20 games in 9 out of the last 10 seasons and have not made the tournament since 1990-1991. That is what happens when you play in a one bid league. Coach Konkol is off to Tulsa and former Bulldog assistant Talvin Hester takes over the Louisiana Tech program. Hester has the respect of the current players in the program and the roster is largely intact. The Bulldogs look to be a top tier Conference USA program again.

Isaiah Crawford was a preseason player of the year last season, and he came out and starting dominating. Then in the third game of the season Crawford hurt his knee and was out for the season. Crawford getting hurt was a big factor for the Bulldogs last year. Had he not gotten hurt Louisiana Tech may have won the Conference USA. He was that important to their team. The Bulldog forward is going to be the dominant presence he started out to be last year.

142. Rhode Island Rams- Last Season Ranking: 111

Conference: Atlantic 10

Archie Miller is back in college basketball and most importantly for him he is back in the Atlantic 10. Miller was an extremely successful coach at Dayton before he left to take the job at Indiana. Rhode Island is hoping that coach Miller can get the program back to the level it was when coach Dan Hurley left it in the hands of former coach David Cox. Coach Cox did a good job keeping the program at a high level until he was required to get his own players and compete in the Atlantic 10.

The Rams have been successful before so winning there is possible. When the Rams are winning the Ryan Center is a tough place to play. It may take coach Miller a couple of seasons to get the Rams back to competing at the top of the Atlantic 10, but the impact of coach Miller will also be immediate as Rhode Island should be improved even though it may not show in overall record because the league is that good. The Rams will finish in the middle of the Atlantic 10 pack.

Brayon Freeman is a transfer from George Washington. Freeman showed that he can be an elite scorer. At the end of the season, he was one of the best offensive threats for the Colonials as he was averaging about 14 points per game over the last 5 games for George Washington at the end of last year. Coach Miller is going to make sure Freeman is a focal point of the offense and he will get the ball a lot in the offense.  The Rams are going to be just fine with coach Miller at the helm.

141. Princeton Tigers- Last Season Ranking: 158

Conference: Ivy League

Princeton won the Ivy League last year but was beaten by Yale in the finals of the Ivy League Tournament and instead went on to the NIT to be defeated in the first round by VCU. Then as the offseason wore on star player Jalin Llewellyn transferred out of the program. The Tigers also lost two other starters to graduation. Coach Mitch Henderson does still have a good portion of his roster returning and should not fall off too much. The Tigers are in a good position to make the Ivy League tournament. The Ivy League tournament only takes the top 4 finishers, and it would be a freefall if Princeton didn’t make the Ivy tournament.

Princeton may have lost one star to transfer both like most good teams they had two stars. Tosan Evbuomwan is the other star and returns to Princeton for his final season. The Tigers big man is very skilled around the rim, and he can bring the ball up the court and get out in transition probably better than any guy his size can in the entire Ivy League and arguably the country. The English forward is also a very good passer for a big man and just like he does in transition can get the ball to the shooters where they want the ball consistently. Evbuomwan is the heavy favorite for the Ivy League player of the year.

140. Nevada Wolf Pack- Last Season Ranking: 47

Conference: Mountain West

Everyone missed on Nevada last year, I had them as one of the top teams in the Mountain West. The expectations were not unwarranted as the roster was loaded especially in the backcourt and the way the Wolf Pack finished the 2020-2021 season would suggest they were ready to take off. Nevada underachieved all year. Blame it on head coach Steve Alford, blame it on the Mountain West being a lot deeper than initially thought, or blame it on guys playing above their head at the end of 2020-2021 either way Nevada underachieved.  The Wolf Pack ended up 13-18 and 6-12 in the league they never looked truly right and looked disinterested most of the time.

Heading into this year Nevada has no expectations and no pressure, they also lost their two best players to the transfer portal. Coach Alford hopes to replace that production with two guards from the transfer portal. Nevada is a middle of pack team in the Mountain West. Jarod Lucas is a transfer from Oregon State, and he had a very good career in Corvallis. Lucas is one of the most prolific shooters in Beavers history. In 2020-2021, when Oregon State made the Elite Eight, Lucas took more three point attempts than any player in Oregon State history, he made the most three pointers in the Pac 12 and he shot 90% from the free throw line.

Last season Lucas took a step back as did everyone on the Beavers roster, but he still established himself as one of the best three point shooters in the country and was still automatic from the free throw line. The senior guard won’t be able to fully replace the production that was lost by the Wolf Pack, but he will help.

139. New Mexico Lobos- Last Season Ranking: 276

Conference: Mountain West

It is not going to take long for the Lobos to come back to relevance in the Mountain West. New Mexico made the decision to hire Richard Pitino before last season and he hit the ground running on the recruiting trail. In year two it appears this team is finally ready to take off. They have all of their production back from last year, and even added some good players from other schools in the transfer portal. New Mexico plays fast, they shoot threes and they have two stars who are going to lead them where they want to go.

This could finally be the year for New Mexico as they climb out of the bottom tier of teams in the Mountain West and end up in the high middle. I am high on New Mexico because I think Pitino is a great mid major coach and this team has a lot of talent. Jamal Mashburn Jr is a star and is going to average about 20 points per game.

138. Marshall Thundering Herd- Last Season Ranking: 114

Conference: Sun Belt

The last season in the Conference USA did not go as planned for the Thundering Herd. Marshall had two of the best scorers and overall players in the league, but they could not stop anyone on the defensive end and things started to spiral out of control in the middle of the season. That was last year, and this year Marshall is off to the Sun Belt with most of the same players that finished last season with a sour taste in their mouth.

Head coach Dan D’Antoni plays the same way every year. His teams always shoot a ton of threes, play at one of the fastest paces in the country, and shoot a high percentage from the floor. The last one is where Marshall got in trouble last year. The Thundering Herd did not shoot the ball very well last year at all. They shot a ton of threes and they played fast, they just did not make many of the shots they took. Coach D’Antoni is hoping that changes this year or it could be another long year for Marshall.

Taevion Kinsey was one of the best guards in the Conference USA and is going to be one of the best guards in the Sun Belt. The guard dominated touches in the offense and most of his shots came from inside the arc. He is a pest to guard because he is impossible to keep in front of you, and when he gets into the paint, he will make the shot. Kinsey gets fouled a lot and to go along with his ability to get into the paint he is also a great passer who will suck the defense into the paint only to kick it out to an open shooter. Now his teammates just need to make the shots. Kinsey didn’t shoot the ball well at all a season ago, and he is a decent shooter and will get back to that this year. Kinsey will lead the team in points and assists.

137. Indiana State Sycamores- Last Season Ranking: 187

Conference: Missouri Valley

The Sycamores lost their best player before the season even started, so heading into last season it was already an uphill climb. Indiana State loves to shoot threes, but the only problem is that they did not make nearly enough of them. Losing their best player did not help that of course. Head coach Josh Schertz enters his second year as the head man at Indiana State and the first one did not go nearly as he planned. Schertz is a coach who has experienced a lot of success at the Division II level, and as we all know Division 1 is much different than Division II but the head coach has the recipe for success.

Indiana State shot the ball well inside the arc, they rarely turn the ball over, and take a lot of threes. Heading into this season the Sycamores have most of their roster coming back and added two of the most decorated Division II players of all time. Those two players are both great shooters from outside and the hope is they will help Indiana State in the three point department. Keep on doing what you are doing Sycamores and the wins will come. Indiana State is a middle of the pack Valley team but pose a lot of sleeper ability.

Cooper Neese may not be the leading scorer on this team this year and may not even be the best player. Neese is the best returning player that has the experience in the Valley. Neese is going to be a huge asset to this team no matter what role he plays. Neese is going to score points, he was the leading scorer for the Sycamores last year, but Indiana State will need his leadership more than they need him to be a leading scorer.

136. Bradley Braves- Last Season Ranking: 174

Conference: Missouri Valley

Bradley has shown it doesn’t matter how you do in the regular season if you can come together and win the conference tournament. Bradley would have made back to back NCAA tournaments if the 2019-2020 tournament and season were canceled. The Braves have been looking to recapture that magic and hopefully make the NCAA tournament again. Head coach Brian Wardle returns 4 of the 5 starters for the middle of the pack Valley team a season ago. Bradley likes to run a ball control offense and they try to rarely turn it over but with the point guard from the last few seasons graduating that position is up in the air and a question mark for the Braves.

Coach Wardle believes he was able to solve it in the transfer portal with Pop Weathers. Weathers is a transfer from JUCO State College of Florida where he was a two time all conference player and led his team in scoring and assists. Weathers finished the recruiting cycle as a top 75 JUCO player and was one of only 4 players in the nation to average at least 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Weathers stands at 6’0” and is one of the shorter players in the Valley but that is not going to deter him from leading Bradley in both scoring and assists this season.

135. Portland Pilots- Last Season Ranking: 334

Conference: WCC

I drastically undersold Portland last year, however I should know better than that considering that they are coached by Shantay Legans who is known as a program builder. The Pilots finished in the middle of the pack in a loaded West Coast Conference last year. This year Portland returns just about everyone from that team, and they are the team that I going to gas up all preseason and hopefully they live up to their lofty expectations.

Do not be surprised if Portland shows out like Santa Clara did in the conference last year and finishes in the top half of the league.  The West Coast is going to be loaded again and the Pilots are going to play postseason basketball this year. Tyler Robertson is the best player that you have never heard of. If Portland makes the postseason, he will become known. He is a stat stuffer.

134. South Dakota State Jackrabbits- Last Season Ranking: 95

Conference: Summit League

The Jackrabbits were a trendy team for an upset in the first round of the NCAA tournament last year because they entered the tournament as the highest scoring team in the country not named Gonzaga. South Dakota State averaged 86 points per game. They also were the most efficient team in the country not named Gonzaga. The Jackrabbits were the best three point shooting team in the country as they shot 45% from deep and did not take all that many threes per game. South Dakota State was a great offensive team, and they ran the table in the Summit League and entered the tournament on a 21-game winning streak.

South Dakota State was a good team who deserved everything they got, playing in the Summit League or not. It would be unfair to expect head coach Eric Henderson to replicate anything close to the success he had a season ago. The Jackrabbits lost two of the best players in the programs history and are going to find themselves picking up the pieces a little this year. Last season was a perfect storm with a lot of great players who played their absolute best. The Jackrabbits are still a top tier team in the Summit League but likely won’t win the league regular season crown.

Zeke Mayo was a true freshman last year who ended up starting at point guard. Mayo, just like every other player for South Dakota State last year, shot high percentages from the field and from three. He showed that he can be an elite scorer and is the next player for the Jackrabbits to be a star.

133. New Mexico State Aggies- Last Season Ranking: 107

Conference: WAC

New Mexico State got a win for the program in the NCAA tournament when they beat UConn in the first round. The Aggies were led by an elite scorer in Teddy Allen who went off in the NCAA tournament and the Aggies were able to use their smothering defense to secure the win. That win also led to former head coach Chris Jans to move on to a power school and the Aggies have now hired Greg Heiar.

Jans is going to be a tough one to replace as he took New Mexico State and the program to heights they had not experienced before. New Mexico State will still be competitive under coach Heiar but it will be tough to replicate the success under Jans. New Mexico State has a completely new roster, and it will be interesting to see how the roster gels under the new coach and with so many transfers. The roster is not lacking talent so that is helping New Mexico State, but they still look like a middle of the pack WAC team this year.

Xavier Pinson is not going to score a lot and he doesn’t do anything flashy. Pinson is a point guard who transferred after one season at LSU, before three at Missouri and will need a waiver to play this year. The Aggies do think he will get that waiver. Pinson is a good defender and great passer. He holds a career 1.5 to 1 turnover ratio. He is going to steady the ship for the Aggies when they need it most. Pinson may only average about 9 points per game but everywhere he has played has had unbelievable defense on the perimeter and the Aggies won’t be any different.

132. Southern Utah Thunderbirds- Last Season Ranking: 115

Conference: WAC

Southern Utah and head coach Todd Simon move onto the WAC which is an uptick in competition. The Thunderbirds are going to be just fine in the transition to the new conference though. Coach Simon is one of the best mid major coaches in the game and the Thunderbirds have a good roster with a lot of depth and are going to pose some problems for some of the established teams in the WAC. Southern Utah was my favorite to win the Big Sky last season and they ended up finishing in second.

This year, the first in the WAC, the Thunderbirds will likely finish in the middle of the pack but don’t be surprised if the Thunderbirds finish in the top half of the league. The Thunderbirds have a lot of experience and have won a lot of games. This Southern Utah team knows how to win and takes great shots down the stretch. They make winning plays and that wins games no matter the campus.

Tevian Jones enters his final year as the star of the Thunderbirds. The off guard is a volume shooter, and everyone would like him to shoot a higher percentage, but he is clutch and makes tough shots. He is the type of player who makes the others around him better. So, while his shooting percentages may not be the best, he makes the ones he needs to close games. Jones is a great free throw shooter to close out the games. Southern Utah is a team to watch in the WAC.

131. Murray State Racers- Last Season Ranking: 128

Conference: Missouri Valley

The last year in the Ohio Valley went about as well as you would have expected it to go. The Racers entered the NCAA tournament on a 21 game winning streak and before they lost to Saint Peter’s in the round of 32 won 22 games in a row. Murray State played fast, had one of the best offenses in the country, and to go along with their great offense played fantastic offense.

That was last year, in the offseason former coach Matt McMahon took the open LSU job. As a result of coach McMahon taking the LSU job the Racers lost almost every single player they had on their roster. Every key player the Racers had last year is gone. Not to fear Racers fans, you are going to be in a tougher conference in the Missouri Valley and former head coach Steve Prohm is back in Murray where he had a ton of success. The Racers have a brand new roster, brand new coach, and a brand new conference. It may be a struggle in year one in the Valley, but Murray State is never down for long.

Rob Perry is a transfer from Stetson. At Stetson the guard scored over 1,000 points in three seasons. Won the Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year and was the player many Stetson fans pinned their hopes on to turn the program around. Murray State hopes that Perry can be the player for them who can kick start the rebuild and keep the program relevant. Perry will be the leading scorer and team leader for the Racers.

130. UMass Minutemen- Last Season Ranking: 122

Conference: Atlantic 10

There is excitement in Amherst as the UMass basketball program made a coaching change from Matt McCall. McCall never was able to get UMass over the hump even with his great recruiting classes. Things are looking up for the Minutemen as they went out and hired Frank Martin from South Carolina. Martin was never able to replicate the success at South Carolina after he made the surprise run to the final four. Martin is a passionate guy who is going to get these kids to play for him and is likely going to turn the UMass program around.

The Minutemen hit a home run with this hire. It may take a couple of seasons for the Minutemen to come up to the top of the Atlantic 10 but they should easily finish in the middle of the conference this year. The roster does have a lot of transfers including some high ceiling guys from South Carolina. The Minutemen were also able to keep their star around for the transition to coach Martin.

Noah Fernandes is a good guy to have to build a program around. The senior point guard is one of the best assist guys in the nation as he averaged a shade over 5 per game last season. The guard is a good scorer and shooter. He shot over 36% from deep last season and was able to score 15 points per game without a huge volume of shots. The Minutemen are going to have a lot more to surround their point guard this year, which is a very good thing.

129. Georgetown Hoyas- Last Season Ranking: 79

Conference: Big East

I was optimistic about Georgetown last year. They made the tournament in the 2020-2021 season after putting it all together and winning the Big East tournament.  Head coach Patrick Ewing is a good recruiter and is bringing talent into Hoyas program but last year it spiraled out of control for the Hoyas. They went 0-19 in the Big East, had one win against a power opponent when they beat Syracuse, and entered the season on a 20 game losing streak.

The Hoyas went back to the transfer portal, and even with the losing streak and the overall record last season coach Ewing is still showing that his name holds weight, and he is still a fantastic recruiter. Coaching is a different story; this team should be a lot better than last season, but they are still a bottom tier team in the Big East.

Qudus Wahab was a huge factor in the Hoyas making the NCAA tournament in 2020. He then transferred to Maryland, before using his final year of eligibility to return to the Hoyas. Wahab and Ewing trust each other and that is a good thing. Wahab is going to lead this team, he knows what Ewing expects and should have a huge year for Georgetown.

128. Northern Iowa Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 120

Conference: Missouri Valley

The Panthers did everything right last year except make the NCAA tournament. Northern Iowa had an experienced team with the reigning Valley player of the year. It culminated in a team that won the Valley regular season and won one game in the NIT. Head coach Ben Jacobsen loves to shoot a ton of threes and always loads his team with fantastic shooters. Northern Iowa doesn’t look to be as good this year as they have an extremely young roster and lost a former player of the year and the best shooter in the Valley. The Panthers may struggle this year, and with the Valley being as deep as it is, climbing the ranks is never easy.

Nate Heise now steps into a bigger role in the offense. Every player on the floor needs to be able to shoot threes for Northern Iowa. Heise didn’t have a huge share of the offense last season but can take off in the offense. The guard is going to be asked to take on a big role in the offense and if he takes to it easily, he will have a breakout season.

127. Kent State Golden Flashes- Last Season Ranking: 149

Conference: MAC

The top of the MAC was competitive last year with five teams who were at one point ranked in my mid major top 25 rankings. Kent State was one of the best teams in the MAC all season a year ago and head coach Rob Senderhoff has won 20 games seven out of the eleven seasons he has been coach of the Golden Flashes. That is the most 20 win seasons any Kent State coach has ever had. Coach Senderhoff won the coach of the year award last season when he guided Kent State to a 14 game winning streak and an appearance in the MAC title game.

It was a surprise when the Golden Flashes didn’t make the NCAA tournament. Kent State swept Akron and beat Ohio during the regular season. Heading into this season the Golden Flashes are going to be one of the favorites heading into the MAC season they do have most of their team back from last year. Kent State was not a great offensive team last year, they didn’t shoot the ball all that well from deep or from the floor overall, but they played hard and made the shots when they needed to.

Sincere Carry had one of the best seasons in MAC history last season. He was the MAC player of the year, made both the all conference team and all defensive team.  He scored the most points in a single season in Kent State history with 609, which is 18 a game. He added 5 rebounds and 5 assists to that. Carry may go back to back on player of the year awards and this year he is going to play with an added chip to try and get his team to the tournament.

126. James Madison Dukes-Last Season Ranking: 182

Conference: Sun Belt

James Madison is another team joining the Sun Belt this year and that conference keeps getting deeper. The Colonial prohibited the Dukes from playing in the postseason tournament a season ago as they went through the transition. Head Coach Mark Byington is back in the Sun Belt. Byington was the coach of Georgia Southern before he left to take the James Madison job. There is likely going to be that natural rivalry with Georgia Southern.

The Dukes have a team coming back and one that can very easily finish in the top half of the Sun Belt.  James Madison was not a great defensive team a season ago so they went out and addressed their interior defense in the transfer portal as well acquiring a great three point shooter which is going to help their offense. The Dukes were going to likely be alright regardless, as four of the five starters returned from last season. James Madison is going through a transition to a new conference, but the coaching staff has a ton of familiarity with the league. If the Dukes avoid injury they should finish in the top half of this league.

Vado Morse may only be 6’0” tall but he has turned into one of the best guards in the country. He is coming in for his final year of eligibility and Morse turned into a volume shooter last year. This season the Dukes have surrounded him with enough help so Morse will not need to shoot such a high volume. Over his career the less shots he takes the better his efficiency is. He can create his own shot and does take smart high efficiency shots when he has help to ease the burden on him.