NCAA Basketball: Power Ranking every team (362-1) for 2023-24 season
By Bryan Mauro
30. Kansas State Wildcats – Last Season Ranking: 71
Conference: Big 12
The transfer portal was kind to the Wildcats again and they may turn out to be better than they were last year, but time will tell. Kansas State doesn’t start in the top 25 but they will be in the top 25 soon enough. I don’t feel the Wildcats are getting nearly enough preseason love, but they will show everyone soon enough. Arthur Kaluma was one of the hottest names in the transfer portal and the forward transfer from Creighton is going to be a huge factor for the Wildcats this year. Kaluma is going to have a breakout year and find himself in the NBA at season’s end.
29. Virginia Cavaliers – Last Season Ranking: 16
Conference: ACC
The Cavaliers lost a lot of talent from the ACC title team but may have gotten better especially on the offensive end of the ball. Jordan Minor is a transfer from Merrimack where he was rewarded with the Co Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year. The graduate transfer is one of the most dynamic defensive players in the country. He is a great rebounder, especially on the offensive end and shoots at a high efficiency from the floor. The forward will fit in perfectly at Virginia and will dominate in the paint in the ACC.
28. North Carolina Tar Heels – Last Season Ranking: 2
Conference: ACC
Heading into this year a lot of people think that the Tar Heels should start out in the top 25 but the coach Davis tenure has been rocky to start. I have North Carolina just outside of the top 25 to start the season. They are in a little bit of prove it mode for me early on. Go ahead and yell at me later when I am wrong. Armando Bacot returns for a fifth season, and he will go down in history as one of the best players to ever wear Tar Heel Blue. Bacot is the all time rebounder in North Carolina history and he has the most double doubles in North Carolina history as well. Bacot and Sam Perkins are the only two North Carolina players to ever score 1,800 points and have at least 1,000 rebounds. Bacot is one of the best college players of his generation and he is going to close it out as a first team All-American.
27. St. John’s Red Storm – Last Season Ranking: 39
Conference: Big East
Coach Pitino has flipped the roster and filled this roster with a ton of talent from the transfer portal. Pitino is going to win games at St. John’s and will make numerous tournaments but will it be this year. I do think St. John’s is going to be in the mix for an NCAA tournament appearance in year 1. Joel Soriano is the one returning player for the Red Storm and coach Pitino is glad he decided to come back. The big man averaged a double double last year and did it by shooting almost 60% from the floor. Soriano did all his work in the paint and can dominate underneath the basket. He is one of the best centers in the country and is going to be big for coach Pitino.
26. Auburn Tigers – Last Season Ranking: 17
Conference: SEC
Coach Pearl fixed the depth problem in the transfer portal and Auburn is much deeper than they were a year ago. The Tigers could out and surprise a lot of people just like they did two seasons ago when they were number 1 for most of the year. Can they return to the Final Four this year? Johni Broome led the Tigers in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots. The big man averaged 2.4 blocks per game last year and that was top 10 in the country. The big man decided to come back for one more season and that changes the outlook of this Auburn team.
25. St. Mary’s Gaels – Last Season Ranking: 45
Conference: West Coast
They head into the season as the favorites for the West Coast Conference crown and this has the makings of what could be the best Gaels team ever. Aidan Mahaney was one of the best freshmen in the country last year. He is one of four players who scored at least 13 points per game and shot 40% from deep for the season. That was just the beginning for Mahaney, he had one of the best freshmen seasons in Gaels history. He was only one 20-point game shy of tying Patty Mills and he won as many weekly awards in the West Coast Conference as Jalen Suggs. He won the World Report Mid Major Freshman of the Year award. Mahaney heads into the 2023-2024 season as the best player in the West Coast Conference and will be the Player of the Year
24. Illinois Fighting Illini – Last Season Ranking: 20
Conference: Big Ten
Illinois has enough to still be a factor in the Big Ten and are going to make the tournament again this season. It is the fourth season in a row that Illinois has been preseason ranked, and the Illini are dangerous this year and have a team built for a deep run in March Madness. Terrence Shannon Jr. transferred from Texas Tech two seasons ago, and last year with Illinois had a break out year. Shannon Jr. is a great player and can carry Illinois, but he needs to work on being more consistent. The guard may fall just shy of the 2,000 point mark but he will lead Illinois in the scoring department again this year.
23. UCLA Bruins – Last Season Ranking: 8
Conference: Pac-12
The 2023-2024 season is the first season in the last 3 years that UCLA is not one of the preseason favorites to win the league and happens to be their final season in the Pac-12 before leaving for the Big 10. It is a system that has worked for the Bruins and coach Cronin and don’t change what isn’t broken. Adem Bona is going to be a star. The 6’10” big man was an All-Defensive team selection and led the Bruins in blocks with 1.7 per game. He can lock down the paint and should average close to a double double. Bona may lead the country in blocks before he is off to the NBA after this season.
22. USC Trojans – Last Season Ranking: 35
Conference: Pac 12
The 2023-2024 season is the last season in the Pac 12 for USC as they head to the Big Ten next year which is going to present itself a new set of challenges. Isaiah Collier is the consensus top recruit in the country and becomes the first overall number 1 to sign with USC. Collier is a unique player who has the size and speed to play multiple positions and create his own shot from multiple positions. Collier is an elite ball handler with great court vision to see passes that many others should not. The point guard plays extremely fast all the time, and it would make sense for the Trojans to get out and run a little more to play to their top recruit and his strengths.
21. Villanova Wildcats – Last Season Ranking: 18
Conference: Big East
The Wildcats open the year in the top 25 and got a ton of huge wins in the transfer portal. They were also able to keep their stars on campus to try and make another run at the final four. Never count Villanova out, they are a top half of the Big East team and will make a deep run into March if they stay healthy. Justin Moore tore his Achilles in the Final Four two seasons ago. Villanova was without him for most of the year. The Wildcats were 7-4 with him and 10-11 without him. Over those 13 games, Moore averaged 14 points per game and led the team in assists. He opens the year as the starting point guard and he is going to make the Wildcats a contender.