200. Tarleton State Texans- Last Season Ranking: 226
Conference: WAC
Tarleton is still a long ways away for competing for an NCAA tournament bid. They don’t have the talent to compete right now, but they also are still in their transition into Division 1. That doesn’t matter for the Texans and their head coach Billy Gillispie, he wants to win and that is all he wants to do. He is going to coach his team like every game is the National Championship, because that is what Gillispie truly believes. Tarleton did lose their top two scorers from a year ago, but they replaced and added to their overall depth in the transfer portal.
The Texans were awful on offense a year ago, but in true coach Gillispie form, Tarleton was great on the defensive end and used that prowess on that end to win games. The offense is likely going to be inexperienced again this season, but the defense should be the signature of the Texans. Tarleton finishes in the middle of the WAC pack. Noah McDavid came on strong over the last 20 games of the year last year. He is going to need to continue to play that way and lead this team.
199. Utah Valley Wolverines- Last Season Ranking: 210
Conference: WAC
Utah Valley had one of the nation’s best players last year in Fardaws Aimaq. The big man dominated touches in the offense, was an elite rebounder and shot blocker. The Wolverines are going to take a few years to recover from that loss and likely won’t recover this year.
Head coach Mark Madsen guided his team to 20 wins and two wins over power five schools when the Wolverines beat BYU and Washington. Once Utah Valley got into conference play it was a different story. However, winning 20 games and 10 in the conference and that is good for 7th in the league speaks to the overall depth of the WAC. It has not been this good for a long time. The Wolverines were great on the defensive end last year and to take it a step further they were excellent at protecting the rim. How will all that play out now that their star is gone? Is someone going to step up and take over those duties? Utah Valley is a middle of the pack WAC team again, and they will not have near the success nationally that they had a season ago.
Tim Fuller shot 60 percent from the floor a season ago, Utah Valley likes to play slow and get the ball into the low block where their big men can go to work. Fuller is going to be the one who can potentially dominate touches for coach Madsen. The big man also averaged over a block a game and 5 rebounds. He is due for a breakout season.
198. Pepperdine Waves- Last Season Ranking: 328
Conference: West Coast
Go ahead and take this as you need to, but I believe in Lorenzo Romar and I do think he can be a good coach. I also believe that Pepperdine is a few years away from being a major contender in the West Coast Conference. All of the production for the Waves last year came from underclassmen who are back in Malibu. Pepperdine may still struggle this year due to the overall strength of the league they play in, but they are a team I am going to be higher on that most because of the ability of their big three.
Pepperdine still finishes near the bottom, but they have a much better record in the conference this year. The Waves need to shore up their defense to truly get to where they want to go, and I believe that with age and adjusting to the speed of the game all of that will work itself out. Houston Mallette is going to be must see TV for Pepperdine this year.
197. Troy Trojans- Last Season Ranking: 253
Conference: Sun Belt
Troy is in good hands with head coach Scott Cross, and they are usually always going to outplay their projection. The Sun Belt was a crazy conference last year as teams people predicted to finish near the top or be sleepers never panned out and the league was won by the usual suspects. The Trojans were not one of the usual suspects and they ended up in fourth place without ever doing anything flashy.
A signature of Scott Cross teams are teams who do not beat themselves and win games because they want it more and they play harder. Troy rarely turned the ball over, they didn’t foul much, and got tons of steals. Those are all signatures of their coach that lead to wins even when you don’t have the most talent. The Trojans likely finish in the middle of the Sun Belt pack again this year as they come in without a proven scorer. Zay Williams has the highest ceiling of any of the Trojans and he can average a double double this year.
196. College of Charleston Cougars- Last Season Ranking: 251
Conference: Colonial
Charleston scored almost 80 points per game a season ago and went 17-15 overall. Why? The Cougars couldn’t stop anyone, so while they scored 80 points per game, they also gave up 80 points per game and that is not a recipe for success. As I have mentioned many times before, a team going through a rebuild is more inclined for good offense, and the defense comes along slower.
Everyone wants to be involved in scoring, but it takes a special type of player to be involved on the defensive end. College of Charleston doesn’t have much of their returning scoring back so head coach Pat Kelsey went out and found lower division transfers to fill his needs. Every player he got was a winner and put up monster numbers at their last school. Since we all know the transition time to Division 1 is different for every player the Cougars are still going to be in a rebuild for a couple of more years. Coach Kelsey will turn this program around.
Jaylon Scott is a two time conference player of the year and three time defensive player of the year. He was a finalist for the NAIA player of the year last season at Bethel College. Scott averaged 20 points per game and 12 rebounds as a 6’5” guard. The two time NAIA All American is going to be a name to watch for College of Charleston.
195. Campbell Fighting Camels- Last Season Ranking: 166
Conference: Big South
The Camels have been on the cusp of an NCAA tournament bid a few times over the last few seasons but have never been able to get over the hump. Two seasons ago when they made the Big South title game was the closest, they had come since the Chris Clemons days when Campbell won the league. If the Camels come anywhere close to the tournament this year go ahead and give the Big South coach of the year to Kevin McGeehan.
Campbell lost a lot of production on the offensive end a season ago and it will be hard to replace. The one thing that the team is going to be able to replicate is their ability to play top 20 defense nationally. Campbell plays slow on both ends of the floor but on the defensive end they rarely allow a non contested shot of any kind and when they are playing well, they slow the offense down to a snail’s pace. Coach McGeehan has his guys ready to play slow grinder type of games and win games in the 60’s.
Ricky Clemons, yes, the very same Clemons, is back for his fifth season and he can finally follow his brother and lead the charge for the Camels. Clemons is not nearly as prolific a scorer as his brother was, but the younger Clemons is one of the best defenders at the guard position in the country. The former walk on has had a nice career but in his final season an all conference nod would be nice.
194. Wright State Raiders- Last Season Ranking: 142
Conference: Horizon League
The Raiders had one of the highest scoring duos in the country a season ago and they both showed out in the NCAA tournament. Those two players are both gone as they both decided to transfer for their final year of eligibility leaving coach Scott Nagy to move forward without his two stars. It should not matter though because coach Nagy always has his players ready and gets the most out of every team he has had. Wright State is a perennial power in the Horizon League and while they may not make the NCAA tournament this year they are going to be in the mix at the top of the league.
The Raiders head into the year with one star and a lot of players looking for a breakout. Coach Nagy is known for his player development skills and there are so many times throughout his career that you can see players who were given an opportunity and took off. There are numerous players on this Wright State roster. The Raiders will finish in the top tier of the Horizon League this year.
Trey Calvin was the third part of the duo last year. He is not going to have to play third wheel this year as he is the guy in the Wright State offense. Calvin already took a ton of shots in the offense last year and averaged 15 points per game. Calvin is a great shooter from deep and he is the next in line to score over 20 points per game in the Wright State offense.
193. Appalachian State Mountaineers- Last Season Ranking: 161
Conference: Sun Belt
Appalachian State just missed the top 150 last season, and they should have been there. Head coach Dustin Kerns has done a fantastic job of building up the Mountaineer program and turning them into a top tier team in the Sun Belt. He has been the head coach at Appalachian State for three full seasons and they have won at least 18 games every season, made an NCAA tournament, and finished in the top half of the Sun Belt the last two seasons. That is the best three-year run for the Mountaineers since the late 90’s.
Appalachian State did lose a lot of firepower from the last two seasons, but don’t think for a second that they are going to slip. Coach Kerns filled players who are going to fit his heavy three point and aggressive defense style. Usually when teams play as relentless of defense as the Mountaineers do there are more fouls to go around, but the Mountaineers rarely foul and they rarely put opponents on the free throw line. Appalachian State may have lost a lot, but they are well coached and replaced those players. The Mountaineers finish in the top half of the Sun Belt and end up in the top 200 this year.
Carvell Teasett is a transfer from Northwestern State where he put himself on the map. Teasett was an elite scorer and defender at the point guard position in his two years in Louisiana. He is a great three point shooter and distributor and the guard has a knack for showing up when the lights are the brightest. He scored 20 points against Gonzaga his freshman year and then followed that up with 18 at Baylor last year. Teasett is a guy who is going to hit a ton of threes and play smothering defense. He also plays hard for all 40 minutes and all 94 feet. He is the perfect player for Coach Kerns.
192. Eastern Washington Eagles- Last Season Ranking: 244
Conference: Big Sky
It doesn’t matter who the coach is for Eastern Washington, they are going to play the same way every game. The Eagles move the ball and never settle for shots, they always battle for the open shot, and they make most of the open shots they take. Eastern Washington takes a ton of threes and they always have a slew of shooters.
This year it is going to be more of the same for the Eagles, and they did quite a lot of scoring from last year, but they replenished it with transfers, and they always seem to develop players. Eastern Washington isn’t the most talented team in the Big Sky, but they are going to finish in the top half because that is what they do. Every year they are consistent and always play the same way. If things go right and the transfers adapt to the new style quickly, they can win the league.
Steele Venters is one of the best shooters in the country and is going to be half of one of the best backcourts in the country. He can also play a wing where he is going to be able to move more freely in the offense. Venters is going to be an all-conference selection and has an outside shot at player of the year.
191. UNC Asheville Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 252
Conference: Big South
The Big South has been great at the top of the league for the last handful of years, and it has had some very dominant teams. Look at Winthrop and Longwood over the last two seasons. The Bulldogs are hoping they can find themselves in that mix with one of the oldest and most experienced teams in the country. Asheville was already old and experienced last year and with NIL money and the free Covid year they were able to have most of their team come back and run it back for a chance at the postseason.
The Bulldogs are going to shoot the ball well from deep and run an efficient offense that is going to lead to points. They shot high percentages from all over the floor last year, but they were one or two baskets short in the games against the big guns in the conference. Asheville did not lose their 8 conference games by much last year. Drew Pember is likely going to be the Big South player of the year this year. Is Asheville the team who will outplay this ranking and make the tournament?
190. Fairfield Stags- Last Season Ranking: 235
Conference: MAAC
When Fairfield hired Jay Young from Rutgers there was not much known about him. Coach Young was an assistant at Rutgers. Fairfield is trending up and as the coaching staff starts to recruit more players who are going to be successful in the system, they will start to win more games and get back to the NCAA tournament. Fairfield does shoot the ball well from deep, they can shoot better overall from the floor, and they never get fouled.
The good thing for Fairfield is that coach Young and the Stags have learned to hang their hats on the defensive end. They rarely give up three point attempts and they allow less than 50% shooting from inside the arc. They are always well placed on the defensive end and they are going to be fundamentally sound. The Stags are going to keep trending up and should finish in the middle of the MAAC pack.
Supreme Cook is great in the post for Fairfield. He averaged almost nine rebounds a game last year including 3 offensive rebounds a game. Cook is exactly the type of hard-nosed player the Stags needs to get where they want to go.
189. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 221
Conference: Big South
Heading into the 2022-2023 season there is no reason to think that Gardner-Webb cannot finish in the top half of the Big South conference yet again this year. I did have them pegged as a middle of the pack team in the league, but they were able to finish third overall last year with an offense who scored under 70 points per game.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs did have one of the best defenses in the country. A little bit of luck was involved in that as Gardner-Webb did give up a bunch of threes but the opponents didn’t make them. Teams didn’t make many shots against the Bulldogs defense all year. They held teams to under 40% shooting from the field. While they allowed a lot of shots, they contested everything.
The Runnin’ Bulldogs do not have much height, but they do have one of the best shot blockers in the Big South. Gardner-Webb head coach Tim Craft prides himself on his teams ability to play defense and take smart shots. This team will do that and will finish in the top half of the Big South. Caleb Robinson, was one of the top transfers from the Division II ranks. He was one of the top scorers in Division II and he will be given every opportunity to be the alpha in the offense.
188. Cal State Fullerton Titans- Last Season Ranking: 211
Conference: Big West
The Titans were one of the oldest teams in the Big West last year, and they were also one of the best coached teams in the league as well. That all culminated with an NCAA tournament appearance and a first-round matchup against Duke. The Titans did show well against the Blue Devils a season ago, even though they ended up losing by 17, Fullerton fought hard in that game.
Usually when you have one of the oldest teams you are eventually going to have one of the younger less experienced teams in the league. Fullerton scoured the transfer portal and was able to find some transfers to mitigate the loss of their stars but as everyone has seen, transfers are not always the solution to the problem. Coach Taylor does have three starters back from last year’s team, but the top three scorers are no longer on campus.
The Titans are well coached and are never going to fall to far back. They are a middle of the pack Big West team this year. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is ready for a breakout campaign. He is a two year starter at guard and this year he is going to get far more freedom in the offense, and likely run the point for Coach Taylor. He is ready to take off and give Fullerton a boost.
187. UC Davis Aggies- Last Season Ranking: 215
Conference: Big West
The Aggies are another team who plays in the Big West, who most of the country is never going to get to watch. The pacific time zone games start much later than the average game and Big West games are rarely on TV. UC Davis had one of the weirder seasons I can remember. Right after Thanksgiving the Aggies lost a home game to the Academy of Art, yes you read that correctly. That is what it took to turn the season around and UC Davis and they ended up with a respectable record and finished middle of the pack in the Big West.
Last season was nowhere near the result that head coach Jim Les expected or wanted. Les was still the coach when UC Davis was one of the premier programs in the Big West and he wants to get this program back there. The Aggies were active in the transfer portal this year, one of the transfers was already one of the best freshmen in the Big Sky a season ago, the rest are looking for a fresh start to hopefully jump start their careers.
The top of the Big West is strong, and the Aggies have a lot of question marks on their roster, mainly who is going to play point guard? Elijah Pepper is a fantastic shooter but didn’t shoot at a very high percentage inside the arc. The guard needs to improve his efficiency and overall shot selection, but he should still average 15 or more points per game.
186. Charlotte 49ers- Last Season Ranking: 207
Conference: Conference USA
Head coach Ron Sanchez is getting a little bit better every year he is the coach of the 49ers. Charlotte does not play fast at all, they hate to run, and they do not shoot all that many threes. Charlotte runs a slow grind it out ball control offense. They rarely turn it over and the 49ers are coached to take high efficiency shots that come within the offense. Coach Sanchez doesn’t panic if they are getting low in the shot clock on offense. If you have ever watched Charlotte play you will see they do not force up many shots at all, and while they are still trying to win games and establish themselves in the Conference USA, they are going to play their way.
The 49ers are still learning to win consistently and once they do, they will be able to climb the ranks in the Conference USA for now they are a middle of the pack team in Conference USA. Coach Sanchez has infused this program with a lot of talent from power five guys looking for a change of scenery, this year there is another transfer who was added to the mix from a mid major.
Montre’ Gipson who is a transfer from Tarleton State in the WAC. Gipson is a perfect player for the 49ers. He is an efficient scorer who takes smart shots, a great rebounder for a guard and had over 3 assists per game for the Texans last year.
185. La Salle Explorers- Last Season Ranking: 197
Conference: Atlantic 10
Everyone wanted Ashley Howard to work out as the coach at La Salle. The former Villanova assistant is one of the good guys in the game, but unfortunately for Howard the game is about wins and losses and he didn’t win nearly enough. The Explorers have decided to go out and hire a Philly legend in former Temple Owls coach Fran Dunphy. Dunphy is back at his Alma Mater, and anytime you hire a hall of fame coach the hope is that they will lead a successful rebuild and bring the team back to the NCAA tournament.
La Salle has a good portion of their roster returning and the first move they made was to shore up the defense by acquiring two players from Saint Peter’s who are known for their defense. Offense may be an adventure for La Salle in the first season for Dunphy but if they play great defense and commit to playing it all season then the Explorers can have a better season than it looks like they are capable of now. Dunphy will get this team where they want to be and likely quickly.
This season, La Salle is a bottom tier Atlantic 10 team. Josh Nickleberry is the leading returning scorer for La Salle and this year he is going to be relied on to really pick up the scoring for the Explorers. He is likely going to dominate the touches on offense for La Salle.
184. Rider Broncs- Last Season Ranking: 236
Conference: MAAC
The Broncs are a team who has been picked to finish near the top of the MAAC the last few years and have not been able to get it done. They have a great roster on paper, as we all know the games are played on hardwood, but Rider has never lived up to the hype. Rider is also an interesting case study as they like to get out and run and play extremely fast, but they do almost all of their work inside the three point arc but are inefficient there.
The offense is what is holding the Broncs back, they are a great rebounding team, and they play good enough defense to win them games, but they miss way too many shots. Rider has 4 of 5 starters returning this year and they did go out and hopefully address their depth concerns in the transfer portal. Rider is good enough to finish in the top tier in the MAAC. Dwight Murray Jr. returns for one final ride with Rider. He runs the offense and leads the team in scoring and assists. Murray Jr. is a great rebounder for his height and if he gets going Rider will ride him if they can.
183. Buffalo Bulls- Last Season Ranking: 99
Conference: MAC
Full disclosure, I picked Buffalo to win the MAC last year, and I figured they would win it going away. I was correct in thinking that they would have a good offense and the Bulls averaged 80 points per game last season which was top 10 overall in the country. Buffalo was the top rebounding team in the country a season ago and they moved the ball well so all the reasons why I said they were going to MAC turned out to be true. The one thing I did not foresee was that Bulls would struggle on defense and would struggle to play their best against the other good teams in the MAC.
Last season Buffalo went 1- 5 against Ohio, Toledo, and Kent State and 12-1 against everyone else. The MAC was loaded at the top last year and it is going to have good teams at the top this year. Head coach Jim Whitesell only has 4 players returning who received minutes last year. The Bulls are very young this year and it is reasonable to think they are going to go through a bit of a rebuild. Buffalo is well coached by coach Whitesell, and he knows offense. The Bulls are a middle of the pack MAC team.
Zaakir Williamson was injured last year and did not play for Buffalo. He is healthy this year and the redshirt freshman is going to play significant minutes this season for the Bulls. Williamson is a skilled post player who is going to get better as a rebounder but will see the floor because of his scoring ability. He is the one player on Buffalo’s roster with the highest ceiling who can make all conference this year.
182. Rice Owls- Last Season Ranking: 141
Conference: Conference USA
Rice had three guards last year who took a ton of threes, but the Owls did not live up to the lofty expectations that their ranking would suggest they had. I did say coach Scott Pera would take more threes than any coach in the country and would play at one of the fastest paces in the country. Neither of those things happened. The Owls play a steady pace but are not the fastest team in the country. Rice also takes about 25 threes per game which was good for 89th in the country. Rice is just showing to be a solid basketball team who is going to end up about .500 and have their guards take a ton of threes. Hard to say how good Rice could have been had one of their guards have not gotten hurt.
The Owls have two of their three star guards back from a season ago as well as their big man. The Owls will still likely end up at around .500 and finish in the middle of the Conference USA pack. Travis Evee took over 220 three point attempts last season and he made 38% of his shots. Evee is going to shoot a ton of threes again this year but is going to have to pick up some more slack on the offensive end.
Evee is one of the best shooters in the country for the sheer volume that he shoots and if he has a great season the Owls offense has the chance to score a ton of points. Rice is going to need to find a reliable third and fourth option. If some players develop then the ceiling increases but it doesn’t look like it will happen.
181. Montana Grizzlies- Last Season Ranking: 147
Conference: Big Sky
Travis DeCurie has built the Montana program up and gotten them to play at an extremely high level every season. The Grizzlies are always a threat to make the NCAA tournament out of the BIg Sky conference. It is impressive how consistent Montana has been given how hard it is to recruit to that state.
The Grizzlies always run an efficient offense and they do not need to hit threes to beat you. DeCurie does not like his team to play fast, but they do get to the line a lot and they make a lot of free throws every season. Montana runs a ball control offense and the team rarely turn the ball over. They do also have some weaknesses and that is on the glass. The Grizzlies are not a good rebounding team and it is impressive how good the team was last year without rebounding much. It just shows what good offense can do for you. Coach DeCurie did go out and get big men in the transfer portal to try and fix the rebounding problem.
Josh Bannan enters his junior year with a ton of hype, and the hype is all warranted. The Australian big man was the only player in the Big Sky to average at least 17 points and 8 rebounds. Bannan shot just under 50% from the floor overall and that went along with 80% from the line. Bannan didn’t shoot that high of a volume last year. He is extremely efficient and while he was an all conference player last year, he is hoping for the Big Sky player of the year this year.
180. Northern Colorado Bears- Last Season Ranking: 200
Conference: Big Sky
We all like teams who play fast and shoot a ton of threes. Northern Colorado does that and they play high scoring games on the heels of a ton of three point makes. Head coach Steve Smiley recruits a certain type of player and most of the guys he recruits are guys who are in range once they enter the building. The Bears backcourt is the best in the Big Sky and there is a large gap between the first and the second place team in the league. Northern Colorado did have a lot of seniors on their roster last year, but two of those guys are back this year.
The Bears are going to play fast, make a bunch of threes, and not play much defense. They are a team that you can keep an eye on against some power five opponents because of their ability to change a game from deep. Northern Colorado is the favorite to win the Big Sky and would be a huge surprise if they did not make the NCAA tournament this year.
Daylen Kountz had a breakout season a year ago. He scored 21 points per game and did a ton of damage from deep. That type of season is going to be tough to replicate but Kountz is a great shooter and elite scorer. He should be a runaway winner for the Big Sky player of the year. Kountz is a guy I like to lead the country in scoring this year.
179. Jacksonville State Gamecocks- Last Season Ranking: 140
Conference: Atlantic Sun
It was quite a ride for Jacksonville State to the NCAA tournament. The Gamecocks won the Atlantic Sun regular season. As the one seed they lost their second game of the conference tournament and Jacksonville State looked destined for the NIT. Then Bellarmine won the Atlantic Sun tournament, but Bellarmine could not make the NCAA tournament due to them currently in the transition period to Division 1. That meant that Jacksonville State, the regular season champion, was awarded the NCAA tournament bid. Even though the Gamecocks lost to Auburn by 19, the game was close for a while before Auburn took over late in the game.
Jacksonville State was one of the best three point shooting teams in the country and one of the most effective teams in the country. Jacksonville State is going to be right back up near the top of the Atlantic Sun again this year as they have gained some valuable additions through the transfer portal. Head coach Ray Harper is hoping for back to back NCAA tournament appearances.
Demaree King was leading the country in three point shooting at one point in the season he ended up shooting 45% from deep last year. King came off the bench last year and this year he is going to become a starter and should get more of a share of the offensive touches and minutes. Don’t lose King on defense because he will make you pay from deep. Jacksonville State will compete for a tournament bid again.
178. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers- Last Season Ranking: 204
Conference: Sun Belt
Cliff Ellis has been the coach at Coastal Carolina for a long time and he always coaches his teams the exact same way. He wants athletic guys with tons of positional flexibility. If you want to be a Chanticleer, then you had better be willing to get aggressive and go after every loose ball, play aggressive defense, and take good shots. The perfect player on offense for coach Ellis is a guy who is a swiss army knife on the floor. Coastal Carolina is going to be breaking in a pretty new roster, but coach Ellis went out and got some high quality transfers from big programs.
The zone defense is alive for the Chants and when it gets dialed up it is almost impossible to get inside to get a look at the rim. Coastal Carolina tricks teams into taking bad three point shots and the Chanticleers are one of the best rebounding teams in the country. If the opponents do get inside, Coastal Carolina blocked almost 4 shots per game last year, and if the shot doesn’t get blocked, you can bet there will not be a clean look at the basket.
The Sun Belt is a good conference, and it is tough at the top but with the new transfers and one of the stars returning the Chanticleers look to be a top half team in the Sun Belt and they have the ultimate sleeper potential to get into the NCAA tournament. Antonio Daye is now a Chanticleer and when Coastal Carolina has had their best teams, they have had a dominant point guard. Daye is exactly that, he has led every team he has ever been on in scoring and he is going to play good defense at the top of that zone. I am excited to watch Coastal this year.
177. UTEP Miners- Last Season Ranking: 162
Conference: Conference USA
Joe Golding is a respected coach and when he made the move to coach UTEP it was a surprise. He had a good thing going at Abilene Christian and had just won an NCAA tournament game. The Conference USA was a step up in competition when Golding took the job. The Miners had a good first year under Golding, but in year two is when UTEP is really going to see what type of coach Golding is.
The roster is almost completely new and filled with transfers. Sometimes rosters filled with transfers works and sometimes it doesn’t. Coach Golding has filled the roster with players that can all score and shoot the ball from deep. Three point shooting has been a signature of most all Golding teams as well as playing smothering defense. The Miners are going to get back to where they need to be and start finishing in the top half of the league and eventually make NCAA tournaments.
This season the question of how this team will play together. It is full of a lot of guys who were all Alpha’s at their previous school and some of them are going to see a change in roles. Coach Golding is a good coach who knows what he is doing, and the talent is present on this roster. UTEP finishes in the middle of the Conference USA pack.
Shamar Givance is going to play his last season for UTEP. The Miners guard is a transfer from Evansville where he improved every season. Last season Givance was rewarded with second team all conference honors after playing on a team who only won 6 games all season. Givance should easily be the best player for the Miners.
176. Texas State Bobcats- Last Season Ranking: 156
Conference: Sun Belt
Texas State has won the Sun Belt regular season the last two seasons only to lose early in the conference tournament. The Bobcats are still looking for their first NCAA tournament bid since 1997-1998. The Sun Belt has gained a lot of teams this offseason and becomes a conference that has a chance to receive an at-large bid. If Texas State wins the Sun Belt again this year, they are going to play with the added chip to do everything they can to get to the NCAA Tournament.
The Bobcats are one of the best defensive teams in the country and they get after it on the defensive end. It doesn’t matter if you can score, if you can play lockdown defense coach Terrence Johnson will make sure you get some minutes on the floor. Texas State plays slow, and they slow teams down even slower on defense as they only allow 52 shots per game on defense. It is hard to score on the Bobcats as they held teams to just over 42 percent shooting from the floor.
The roster has a lot of pieces returning from the regular season Sun Belt champs. Mason Harrell is a fantastic defender and a great offensive player. He shoots over 50% from the floor and 40% from deep. This is now his team, and he has the chance to take the Bobcats to new heights.