NCAA Basketball: Preseason top 25 power rankings for 2023-24 season

Feb 4, 2023; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer (right) talks to center Kyle Filipowski(30) during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 63-57. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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NCAA Basketball Florida Atlantic Owls Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports /

13. Florida Atlantic Owls

2022-23 season record: 35-4 (18-2 Conference USA)

The Owls were a major surprise in the regular season last season, dominating CUSA and winning over 30 games. They then became an even bigger surprise in the postseason, making their first-ever Final Four appearance. And after an offseason that went perfectly executed, FAU is going to remain a top-tier program this season.

Only 6th Man Michael Forrest left due to eligibility. But the rest of the roster is all back, including the star guard duo of Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin. Both averaged over 13 ppg and 5.0 rpg and had numerous big scoring outings. Nick Boyd, Bryan Greenlee, and Jalen Gaffney are back as well to have a ton of backcourt depth.

The frontcourt also is back, led by former Texas Tech center, Vladislav Goldin, who averaged 10.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Giancarlo Rosado backs him up at the five-spot, while the four-guard lineups have the Owls as one of the best shooting teams in the country.

More importantly, head coach and rising star Dusty May is back, giving Florida Atlantic all of the stability needed to succeed. The program is in the AAC now and will face some tougher competition but considering how consistent they were last year, there’s no reason to believe why they can’t repeat last season’s overall performance in the regular season.

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