NCAA Basketball: Ranking of top 25 team backcourts for 2023-24 season

13. Florida Atlantic Owls

One of the biggest national surprises in all of last season, FAU went from a projected mid-tier team in Conference USA to 35 wins overall and a Final Four appearance. They were led by a deep backcourt that included a couple of breakout stars. And they return just about everyone, with the exception of guard Michael Forrest, a starter who averaged 8.2 ppg.

Yet that just means that leading scorer Johnell Davis can simply move to starting spot. He was the CUSA 6th Man of the Year and had a few huge outings, including 29 points and 12 rebounds against FDU in the NCAA Tournament, along with 36 points against UAB. The other star guard is Alijah Martin, who averaged 13.4 ppg, including a season-high 30 points and 11 rebounds versus UAB.

The other rotation guards include Nick Boyd, Bryan Greenlee, Brandon Weatherson, and Jalen Gaffney. A couple of them are transfers from the power conference level but have found a way to be contributors on winning teams. The Owls run three-guard lineups so they can make room for everyone to get meaningful minutes.

Now in the American Athletic Conference, the backcourt for FAU is going to face some tougher tests, including a somewhat brutal non-conference schedule. But as long as Martin and Davis are around, they should remain viable and ranked throughout the year.