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

90. Pittsburgh Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 81

Conference: ACC

Pittsburgh was a team that was over ranked in these rankings because I liked what they had in the backcourt and with the dominant frontcourt player they had it looked as if Jeff Capel may finally be able to get it going for the Panthers. Then before the season the Panthers got some bad news. Guard Ithiel Horton was suspended indefinitely, and star guard Nike Sibande was lost for the season with an injury. Those losses tested the depth of Pittsburgh immediately and they could never recover.

This season the Panthers were ready to head into the season with their two leading scorers and star guard back and coach Capel was able to secure the highest ranked recruit he has ever had. Yet again, Pittsburgh has had some issues in the offseason and the prized freshman Dior Johnson is currently awaiting trial for a strangulation charge. If the Panthers can stay healthy this year they can finish in the middle of the pack in the ACC. If they have a ton of injuries and suspensions, then they are destined for the bottom tier again.

John Hugley IV is one of the best big men in the country. He is also the biggest x factor for the Panthers this season. He is an offensive threat but does so much more for the Panthers on the offensive end. He is one of the best offensive rebounders in the ACC as he averaged almost three per game. Hugley is 6’9” 265 pounds and he is a load inside. He was fouled more than any other player in the ACC and was a good free throw shooter for how many times he went to the line.

He had 221 attempts from the line and made 157 of them. The made free throws were also the most makes of any player in the ACC. Hugley can make Pittsburgh forget about a lot of their deficiencies and can guide this team to a few wins they otherwise would not get.

89. Santa Clara Broncos- Last Season Ranking: 127

Conference: WCC

We all knew the WCC was going to be a much better conference last year. It was deep and had a ton of talent. Outside of Pepperdine the conference looked like it would have a lot of strong teams and almost every team in the league exceeded or met their expectations. The Broncos were one of those teams who exceeded expectations.

Santa Clara had a roster full of seniors and they were able to ride those players to a third place finish in the WCC and an NIT appearance. The Broncos have still not made the tournament since 1995-1996 but the conference is going to be strong again and last year those three bids could turn into four very easily. Coach Herb Sendek has Santa Clara trending in the right direction and don’t be surprised if the Broncos finish in the top tier of the league again. The Broncos are a team to watch nationally this year. Coach Sendek knows offense and they can light up some scoreboards.

Keshawn Justice is returning for his fifth year in the program, and he is one of the best shooters in the conference. He also is a very dynamic rebounder who seems to come out of nowhere to get rebounds. Justice scored 1,000 points last season and he shot 42% from deep in West Coast Conference games. The senior forward is looking to make the first team all conference as a senior as well as get his team back to the postseason.

88. Colorado State Rams- Last Season Ranking: 34

Conference: Mountain West

Colorado State lived up to the hype last year, at least in the regular season. Everyone knew how good they were going to be because of the roster they had coming back and their ability to win games of any type. The Rams preferred to play slow, but they could get out and run for a little bit and still win games.

Head coach Niko Medved is a program builder, and he has assembled a coaching staff with some of the best young names in the game of basketball. If Colorado State has another good season it is going to be hard to see coach Medved staying at Colorado State. The Rams didn’t do anything flashy last year, they were loaded with talent and shot makers who could score from all over the floor. Colorado State also played great team defense. They were one of the best free throw shooting teams in the country which helped them all year long close out games.

As said, the Rams didn’t do anything flashy except force their pace, hold onto the ball, and shoot at a high percentage all over the floor. The Rams proved you don’t have to reinvent the wheel on offense to be good, if you run a ball control offense and take good shots, the

wins will come. It also doesn’t hurt to have the conference player of the year on your roster either.

John Tonje is a guy who should be on everyone’s radar this year. He is one of the biggest breakout players in the country this year. Tonje can be an elite scorer as he has a 31 point game on the ledger. He is a great rebounder, good passer, and one of the best free throw shooters in the country. Tonje will be the defensive leader for the Rams this year and will lead them in scoring. He plays hard, is physical, and already shoots at high percentages from the floor.

87. Bryant Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 198

Conference: America East

Jared Grasso is building something big in Smithfield, Rhode Island. Bryant is going to finally provide consistent pressure on Vermont in the America East. The Bulldogs have an unbelievable home court advantage, they play fast and take and make a bunch of threes. Bryant finally was able to get over the hump and win the Northeast conference last year and make their first NCAA tournament in school history. That was enough as a member of the Northeast and now the Bulldogs are off to a better, more competitive conference in the America East.

The America East has never gotten two bids into the NCAA tournament and I wonder if it is going to happen with Bryant or Vermont. The Bulldogs are a mid-major but they may be the best one in the country, especially with the level of transfers that coach Grasso brought in. This team is well in the top 100, will be ranked in my preseason mid major top 25 and may lead the country in scoring. Bryant is going to go to back to back NCAA tournaments as they win the America East.

Earl Timberlake is one of the many big name transfers, joining Doug Edert, Antwan Walker, and Chauncey Hawkins, to join the Bulldogs in the offseason. Timberlake was a former four star top 40 recruit when he chose to go to Memphis. He didn’t play much at Memphis, but he is a very gifted kid who is going to be extremely well coached. Timberlake should thrive in the offense and Bryant isn’t going to lose much.

86. Colgate Raiders- Last Season Ranking: 101

Conference: Patriot League

Colgate was at the center of one of the best games in the NCAA tournament over the last 20 years. In the first round matchup against Wisconsin, a game Colgate lost 67-60, it was a back and forth matchup with each team making a ton of clutch shots until the Raiders finally ran out of gas. Head coach Matt Langel has built Colgate into the team to beat in the Patriot League.

Colgate is going to play the same way every year and never deviate from that. The Raiders take and make a ton of threes. They were the second-best three-point shooting team a season ago shooting over 40% from deep last season. Heading into this season Colgate returns three starters and their two top two bench options. Colgate won 15 games in a row to close out the year before the NCAA tournament and that level of domination is likely going to happen again. The Raiders are going to put a scare into power five teams this year because of the way they play so be on alert if your favorite team plays them.

Tucker Richardson is back in Hamilton for his final year of college eligibility. Richardson is one of the best Raiders ever as he has scored over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds, and 400 assists. He is the first Colgate player to ever put up these types of numbers. These numbers go along with a career 38% three point shooter. If Richardson can be the catalyst in the first NCAA tournament win for the program, then he is going to get his number in the rafters at Cotterell Court.

85. Grand Canyon Antelopes- Last Season Ranking: 152

Conference: WAC

Grand Canyon has one of the best home court advantages in the country. The student section moves in unison at different points in the game wearing all white. It is a very cool look and is hard on opponents who come into the building to play. The Antelopes are also smitten with head coach Bryce Drew. Coach Drew did not work out at Vanderbilt, in fact he was terrible at Vanderbilt. Drew came to Grand Canyon with the reputation of being a great recruiter and for his time with the Antelopes he has shown that was true. Grand Canyon is a program that is trending up and made the first NCAA tournament in their history two seasons ago. It will not be their last.

The Antelopes have their top scoring option back and were able to secure the commitment of a player who will fit into their system perfectly and give coach Drew the ability to play with two point guards at times. Grand Canyon is going to be a top tier team in WAC and the rivalry with New Mexico State is going to be thriving since those are the two teams who are going to be at the top of the league.

Rayshon Harrison is a point guard transfer from Presbyterian in the Big South. Harrison was one of the best players in the Big South in a program that never got any air time. Harrison won the freshman of the year in the Big South and followed that up by averaging 17 points per game to go along with 4 assists per game. Harrison is better suited as off the ball and that is what he is going to play for Grand Canyon. He will still run the point at times but will play most of the time off the ball which is going to allow him to just score.

84. Toledo Rockets- Last Season Ranking: 124

Conference: MAC

The Rockets were a lot of fun to watch last year. They were unbelievable on the offensive end of the floor. Toledo played one of the fastest paces in the country and shot at one of the highest percentages from the floor. The one thing that is different about the Rockets is given how fast they play; they rarely shoot threes. They were very adept at getting downhill and getting to the rim. Head coach Tod Kowalczyk plays as fast as possible all the time. His teams move the ball, never turn it over, and are one of the rebounding elites.

Toledo is a fun team to watch and if you get a chance to watch them take it. They will not disappoint. The Rockets finished in first place in the MAC last season but lost in the MAC tournament and were headed to the NIT. This season the Rockets are going to be looking for more, they want that NCAA tournament and with much of the roster returning it is time to run it back. Toledo is going to be playing with an added chip on their shoulder this year given how the year ended last year.

JT Shumate returns and that is good news for the Rockets and head coach Kowalczyk.  Shumate is one of the most efficient players in the country. He shot almost 60% from the floor on the year. He is one of the best three point shooters in the country as the forward shot 48% from deep last year. He also led the team in rebounding. Shumate was rewarded with an all conference nod last season and this year he is looking for MAC player of the year.

83. Vermont Catamounts- Last Season Ranking: 116

Conference: America East

The America East has run through Vermont over the last 20 years. The Catamounts have flat out dominated the conference under John Becker, but given they are in a one bid league if the Catamounts lose in the conference tournament, they do not make the NCAA tournament.

Head coach John Becker has built a dynasty and he hopes with the increased competition with the addition of Bryant to the America East that does not change. I do not think it will change; Bryant will provide so added competition for Vermont, but the Catamounts are a force in their conference. Vermont has been so consistent over the last 20 years that it doesn’t matter what the roster looks like, the Catamounts will likely still win the league. I am 100% confident in saying that.

Dylan Penn is a transfer from Bellarmine, and the point guard is an elite scorer and will be one of the favorites for the conference player of the year. Penn has a 38 point game in his career. In addition to his scoring, he is a great passer who averaged 5 assists per game last season, and rebounder. The guard has to be a good defender to play for Bellarmine and will step right in and claim the starting point guard position for Coach Becker. Penn is going to be able to take the Catamount offense to new heights.

82. Western Kentucky Hilltoppers- Last Season Ranking: 90

Conference: Conference USA

The Hilltoppers will play anyone anywhere at any time, and the goal for that is coach Rick Stansbury believes that it will prepare his team for conference play. It has not worked out for Western Kentucky yet as six seasons have passed with Stansbury as the head coach, and they do not have an NCAA tournament appearance yet.

Coach Stansbury doesn’t have any problem getting talent to come to Bowling Green. Western Kentucky have been one of the most talented teams in the Conference USA, at least on paper for a while now and they have never been able to put it all together. The Hilltoppers are the one team in that league who does play a good enough schedule to make the tournament if they win the games.

The Hilltoppers have loaded up on talent in the transfer portal and they are still going to be one of the top shot blocking teams in the country. The offense will be more potent this year as they have added some key pieces through the transfer portal including a 6’8” point guard. The most important player for the Hilltoppers also happens to be the tallest player in the country.

Jamarion Sharp is 7’5”, led the country in blocked shots, and was named the Conference USA defensive player of the year. The 148 blocks were the most ever at Western Kentucky by a long way. Sharp also has the first triple-double in Hilltopper history when he recorded 10 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks against Alabama A&M. The big man is different than a lot of other guys his size, as he is athletic and can get up and down the floor, and he can play about 30 minutes a night. You better be a good jump shooting team or hope to get Sharp in foul trouble or its going to be a long night.

81. Akron Zips- Last Season Ranking: 133

Conference: MAC

Heading into last season the Zips were not a team who was on many radars as a team who could win the MAC. I thought the Zips would be good but did not think the Zips would be good enough to make the tournament, especially with so many strong teams at the top of the league. Head coach John Groce did a great job with this Akron team and got the absolute most out of them. The Zips were great on the defensive end of the floor and ran efficient offense. Akron did play a slow grind it out style and frustrated teams immensely on the defensive end.

The Zips were deadly from beyond the three point line and even though they only took 22 attempts per game, that equated to about 42% of their total offense. Akron has two of their biggest pieces from last season returning this year to try and make it two seasons in a row making the NCAA tournament. Akron is a top tier team in the MAC this year and are going to be just as good on the defensive end as they were last year.

Enrique Freeman is the reigning MAC defensive player of the year, and he is going to be tough to beat for that award this season as well. Akron is one of the few teams in the country who can boast they have a true back-to-the-basket dominant center who does mostly all his work in the paint. Freeman is a force inside and he is almost impossible to move from the paint to get an easy look at the basket.

Freeman is extremely efficient on the offensive end as he shot 67% from the floor for an average of 13 points per game. The big man also hauled in 11 rebounds per game to go along with 1 block per game. Freeman is the best defensive player in the MAC and one of the best defensive players in the country.