NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early top 25 power rankings for 2023-24 season
HM – Providence Friars
2022-23 season record: 21-12 (13-7 Big East)
Expected losses: Ed Crosswell, Noah Locke, Jared Bynum, Clifton Moore
Although Coach Ed Cooley is off to Georgetown, he left new head coach Kim English with plenty of talent, including Devin Carter and Bryce Hopkins. The addition of 15 ppg scoring forward Josh Odudo gives them one of the better frontcourts in the sport. Freshman guard Jayden Pierre electing to come back is big but they’ll need to add a proven ball-handler from the portal to be a threat in the Big East.
North Carolina Tar Heels
2022-23 season record: 20-13 (11-9 ACC)
Expected losses: Caleb Love, Leaky Black, Pete Nance, Dontrez Styles, Tyler Nickel, Puff Johnson
Somehow, losing three starters may be a good thing for the Tar Heels, as the current core wasn’t working. Star big man Armando Bacot is back for a 5th year, while RJ Davis remains instead of Caleb Love in the backcourt. The addition of Brown transfer Paxson Wojcik should help with the depth but the roster needs more work before being top-25 caliber.
USC Trojans
2022-23 season record: 22-11 (14-6 Pac-12)
Expected losses: Boogie Ellis, Drew Peterson, Reese Dixon-Waters
There’s a chance that leading scorer Ellis could come back for a 5th year, otherwise, they don’t have a double-digit scorer left. Having a healthy frontcourt of Vincent Iwuchukwu and Kijani Wright will be crucial, while No. 1 overall commit Isaiah Collier will determine this team’s ceiling. Watch out for a potential commitment from Bronny James this offseason as well.
San Diego State Aztecs
2022-23 season record: 32-6 (15-3 Mountain West)
Expected losses: Matt Bradley, Darrion Trammell, Jaedon Ledee, Keshad Johnson, Nathan Mensah, Adam Seiko, Aguek Arop
It’s a bit unfair to the Aztecs to judge their roster just hours after the NCAA Tournament. They could bring back Trammell, who was a key figure in their Final Four run. If he comes back, they’ll have a good chance at getting back to the top-25. But they’ll need to find a replacement for Bradley, the team’s lone double-digit scorer overall.
TCU Horned Frogs
2022-23 season record: 22-13 (9-9 Big 12)
Expected losses: Mike Miles, Emanuel Miller, Damion Baugh, Charles O’Bannon, Shahada Wells, Eddie Lampkin
Right now, Miles has declared for the NBA Draft but the next two key players (Miller and Baugh) could opt for a 5th year. The team has made sure to secure the backcourt no matter what, adding Delaware transfer Jameer Nelson Jr. (20.6 ppg and 3.6 apg). Forwards JaKobe Coles and Xavier Cork proved capable of taking over without Lampkin, while Micah Peavy is a wing that can have an even larger role next season.