6. Oakland Golden Grizzlies – 2-11 (0-2)
In the transfer portal era, mid-major rosters can easily fluctuate to become better or worse than expected. But I had to include a team that return last year’s second-leading passer (Jalen Moore), along with two high-profile additions in Rocket Watts and Lorne Bowman, that’s yet to win a single game in regulation, with an overtime victory over Eastern Michigan as the lone D-I positive accomplishment.
Moore’s injury issues and the transfers not being as good as expected have hurt Oakland’s offense but they rank as one of the worst defenses in NCAA Basketball, giving up 80.0 ppg. The zone defense has become either a layup line or a pathway to easy three-point shots and even when Moore becomes 100% again, I don’t see how the Horizon League doesn’t continue carving up the defense.
5. Florida State Seminoles (4-10, 2-1)
Having Brown transfer Jaylen Gainey injured and top-50 freshman Baba Miller out for half the season certainly hurt the frontcourt, but the Seminoles lost games to Stetson and Troy before also losing Cam’Ron Fletcher for the season as well. But a lot of the blame for the awful early start has to go to the backcourt, including Matthew Cleveland, Caleb Mills, and Jalen Warley.
The good news for Florida State is that the guards have played much better as of late, particularly Cleveland. And Miller will be joining them after this week from his NCAA-imposed suspension. The results are showing, with wins over Louisville and Notre Dame in league play. That just makes their awful start even more painful because, at this point, there’s nothing the Seminoles can do to get back into the at-large picture.