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 Tyler Kolek #11 of the Marquette Golden Eagles (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

5. Marquette Golden Eagles

2022-23 season record: 29-7 (17-3 Big East)

In a Big East Conference that featured the return of Sean Miller at Xavier, preseason favorite Creighton and UConn and its eventual run to the national title. Yet the team that won both the regular season and tournament titles was the Golden Eagles, who returns everyone of importance except Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who went in the first round of the NBA Draft.

Yet the Golden Eagles have his ideal replacement in the lineup in David Joplin. The 6’7 forward was the Big East 6th Man of the Year, averaging 9.2 ppg off the bench on 40% shooting from deep. He and big man Oso Ighodaro will be a quality frontcourt, with freshman Al Amadou and Caedin Hamilton providing depth behind them.

All three starting guards are back, including Big East Player of the Year, Tyler Kolek. He averaged 12.9 ppg and was one of the top passers in all of NCAA Basketball at 7.5 apg. Kameron Jones (15.1 ppg) led the team in scoring and shot 36% from deep at nearly eight attempts a game, while Stevie Mitchell is a solid two-way contributor.

The Eagles didn’t add any transfers this offseason so the depth will have to come via the underclassmen Coach Shaka Smart has recruited. An injury could leave them vulnerable with returning 80% production from a team that nearly won 30 games a year ago, warrants a top-10 preseason ranking.

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