NCAA Basketball: Power Ranking every team (362-1) for 2023-24 season

335. Stonehill College Skyhawks – Last Season Ranking: 353

Conference: Northeast

Head coach Chris Kraus navigates the Skyhawks into their second division 1 season with a whole new roster. It will be tough for Stonehill this year to come anywhere close to the production they received a year ago. The Skyhawks are likely a middle of the pack NEC team. Maxwell Zegarowski has the highest ceiling of any Stonehill player. The guard averaged 12 points per game last year but did it shooting over 40% from deep. Since over half of Zegarowski’s attempts came from deep, it is safe to say he is the best three point shooter in the NEC.

334. Alabama A&M Bulldogs – Last Season Ranking: 329

Conference: SWAC

This season the Bulldogs look like they are headed for another middle of the SWAC finish. Dailin Smith was a very nice third option last season, who becomes the top option heading into this year. The big guard holds good shooting percentages, and his shot selection is good enough that he will be able to maintain the shooting numbers he has. The Bulldogs are in desperate need of offense and are going to lean on their star.

333. Holy Cross Crusaders – Last Season Ranking: 321

Conference: Patriot League

Dave Paulson, formerly of George Mason is the new head man in Worchester. The rebuild may take a few seasons but Holy Cross will get back to relevance. Will Batchelder was one of the best freshmen in the Patriot League last year. He is a great three point shooter, and as a result takes over half of his shots from that distance. Batchelder is going to be relied on a lot this year to carry the load on the offense.

332. Lafayette Leopards – Last Season Ranking: 322

Conference: Patriot League

Most of the scoring is gone for the Leopards this year, but they do return Kyle Jenkins. Jenkins acts as the big man for the Leopards and is great around the basket. He is not much of a three point shooter but can hit a few. For Lafayette to maximize his ability he should patrol the paint and get easy looks and rebound.

331. Presbyterian Blue Hose – Last Season Ranking: 257

Conference: Big South

The roster being a year older is going to help but how talented is the roster?  Are they good enough to overcome the deficiencies we saw last year?  Time will tell with that. Crosby James is the most talented player for Presbyterian he is also one of the shortest players on the floor most nights. James needs to improve his efficiency from the floor, but he is going to get the opportunities to score in the offense.

330. Manhattan Jaspers – Last Season Ranking: 210

Conference: MAAC

Manhattan finally seems to have gotten their man and the roster was rebuilt through the transfer portal. It may take a few years for Coach Gallagher to get the Jaspers going again, but Manhattan has a coach who cares deeply about his employer and his players. He wants to win and win but give it time. Briggs McClain followed his coach from Hartford to Manhattan. McClain was the best player at Hartford a season ago he understands what coach Gallagher is looking for and what he wants to run. McClain averaged 15 points per game a season ago and is the best player on a young and inexperienced Manhattan team. It may be a long year for the Jaspers but give it time and they will be alright.

329. Elon Phoenix – Last Season Ranking: 308

Conference: Coastal Athletic

Head coach Billy Taylor is known for his ability to build a program and while last season and the 8 wins he guided Elon to suggest otherwise. The Phoenix are in good hands with Taylor, rebuilds take time and it’s hard to expect success in year 1 when he had to build a roster from scratch. Elon has things to build on from last season. They won six games in the conference season which was one game better than last. They also have two younger players who can turn into stars. Elon still likely finishes in the bottom of the Coastal Athletic again but should be better. Max Mackinnon shot almost 50% from the floor last year and shot almost 60% from inside the arc. That is exceptional for your first go around in major college basketball. The guard is also the leading returning rebounder and assist man. A breakout season is on the horizon.

328. Central Arkansas Bears- Last Season Ranking: 330

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Camren Hunter has been a star for the Bears for a few seasons and this year he had an interesting offseason. The guard entered the transfer portal, transferred to Butler, decommitted from Butler, and headed back to Central Arkansas. Hunter is a volume shooter who is very efficient from inside the arc but has never been a great three point shooter. He is going to lead the Bears most nights.

327. NJIT Highlanders- Last Season Ranking: 335

Conference: America East

Their offense ranked in the 300’s for scoring and in the 280’s for efficiency. All of that led to the Highlanders winning 7 games overall and finishing in the bottom of the America East.  This year they are young and are going to struggle again putting the ball in the basket. Adam Hess returns for his final year of college basketball. It is going to be a welcome site for Highlander fans if he finally gets more run in the offense. Hess shoots almost 50% from deep and is one of the more efficient players for NJIT. If Hess gets more shots the offense will hopefully operate more efficiently.

326. Western Michigan Broncos – Last Season Ranking: 270

Conference: MAC

The Broncos are in the throes of a full rebuild so it will take time. With that said Western Michigan should be better but will still finish in the bottom of the MAC. Brandon Muntu is the player who is going to run the offense as the point guard. He makes his way to Kalamazoo from Triton College where he was a third team All American. Muntu is a three-point shooter and elite scorer. He gets fouled a ton and shoots over 80% from the line. Yes, JUCO is different but if you have ability the game will slow down enough for you to take over.

325. Southern Jaguars- Last Season Ranking: 266

Conference: SWAC

Jaguars had one of the oldest teams in the country a season ago as 13 out of the 16 players were Seniors. Most of those guys have moved on with the coaching change and the roster has flipped. Tai’Reon Joseph had quite a year in JUCO last year. He averaged almost 30 a game at JUCO and is a pure scorer who is going to get the ball on the offense a lot.

324. IUPUI Jaguars – Last Season Ranking: 358

Conference: Horizon League

It was hard to watch IUPUI last year and not think they were the worst team in the country. This year IUPUI could be building something as they have almost their entire roster back including their top three players. Bryce Monroe is the player who got hurt 4 games into the season last year. He is the point guard and the emotional leader for the Jaguars and now that he is healthy the Jaguars should be better. Do they have enough to climb out of the Horizon League basement?

323. Delaware State Hornets – Last Season Ranking: 362

Conference: MEAC

Delaware State has only made the NCAA tournament one time and has not had a winning record since 2011-2012. That streak continues this year as the Hornets are still a bottom tier team in the MEAC. Khyrie Staten showed that he has a high ceiling a season ago. The guards shot selection and efficiency need to improve for him to reach his potential, but he has talent.

322. Nicholls State Colonels – Last Season Ranking: 246

Conference: Southland

The Colonels have a brand new roster, which is typical with coaching changes. Micah Thomas is the one lone starter who decided to stick it out through the coaching change. It was a huge win for Nicholls State, because he is a point guard with experience. He doesn’t shoot at a high percentage from the floor. He is good at setting up the offense and getting downhill to the basket. Thomas rarely turns the ball over and in a new offense with new players his ability to pass and hang onto the ball will be a tremendous asset.

321. Charleston Southern Buccaneers – Last Season Ranking: 326

Conference: Big South

The Buccaneers would be a surprise if they did not finish in the bottom half of the league. Taje’ Kelly enters his final season as one of the best big men in the Big South. He shoots 60% from the floor in minimal opportunities.  This year however, due to graduation and transfers he will be the option on the offensive end of the floor and should easily average double digits.

320. Eastern Michigan Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 300

Conference: MAC

Talent wise the Eagles are a bottom tier MAC team. Tyson Acuff was the more efficient player than Emoni Bates last year, the only problem was he never got anywhere close to the same volume of shots. This year that is going to change. Acuff is going to get the ball early and often to try and make things happen for the Eagles. Eastern Michigan is going to benefit from that as he is an efficient player who doesn’t turn the ball over and is a good passer. The only questions are who else develops behind Acuff and can Eastern Michigan stop anyone?

319. Cal State Northridge Matadors – Last Season Ranking: 313

Conference: Big West

The roster is almost all new players, most of which are from the JUCO ranks. The players returning were big pieces to the team last year and were some of the team leaders. The Big West is a competitive conference at the top and Northridge doesn’t look like a team who is going to factor into that top half. DeSean Allen-Eikens is the player that Cal State Northridge should be playing through. He is the most experienced player on the roster and is going to be the most efficient player on the offensive end for the Matadors. He can score from all three levels and will have ample opportunities to take over on the offensive end.

318. William & Mary Tribe – Last Season Ranking: 327

Conference: Coastal Athletic

The Tribe are getting better and they may have their best team since the Nathan Knight days. Gabe Dorsey returns to William & Mary for his junior season, and he brings with the keys to an offense that is going to need him to keep up his torrid pace from the perimeter. Dorsey was one the most prolific three point shooters in the country as he took almost 200 threes and knocked them down a 44% clip. That type of production is what coach Fischer is looking for.

317. Valparaiso Beacons – Last Season Ranking: 244

Conference: Missouri Valley

Heading into the 2023-2024 season the Valparaiso team is going to be under new leadership. Roger Powell Jr. comes to Valparaiso after a very successful run as one of the top assistants at Gonzaga.. The wins might be minimal, but it is a foundation year. Sherman Weatherspoon IV is an incoming freshman with a lot of potential. He has played at some of the best high school programs in the country and put up huge numbers. He is a true freshman, so it is going to take a while to get him up to speed but he does have the ability to be a star and to carry the Beacons.

316. Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 338

Conference: Ohio Valley

The Golden Eagles were a game away from the NCAA tournament last year and lost a hard fought battle in the conference title game. Tennessee Tech still has enough talent to finish in the top half of the Ohio Valley conference. Jayvis Harvey returns for his final year, and he is going to get more share of the offense this year. He shot 44% from deep last year and was great at getting other players involved. Harvey has a chance to be the Ohio Valley player of the year.

315. Chicago State Cougars – Last Season Ranking: 360

Conference: Independent

Alright Chicago State and head coach Gerald Gilliam you have our attention. Finally, things are looking up for Chicago State. Matt Bewley is one of the five star twins. The freshman forward makes his way to coach Gilliam from Overtime Elite. Bewley is an elite scorer and rebounder and should have no trouble making an impact for the Cougars this year.

314. Central Michigan Chippewas – Last Season Ranking: 306

Conference: MAC

It doesn’t look like it is going to get a whole lot better this year as Central Michigan has a new roster and most of their scoring from a season ago is gone. Markus Harding is not the returning leading scorer, but he does have the highest ceiling. He is most efficient scorer for Central Michigan and now as being one of the more experienced players on the roster he should see an uptick in shots and minutes. Harding can be a star for the Chips, especially if he shoots almost 60% from the floor.

313. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils – Last Season Ranking: 331

Conference: Northeast

Even though the Blue Devils only won 10 games a season ago their fans can see the progress. Kellen Amos was one of those players that not many people in America know about but quietly goes about his business and gets things done. The wing shot 54% from inside the arc and a little under 36% from outside the arc. He was nominated many times for the Busting Brackets Mid major player of the week award and if he can help the Blue Devils finish in the top half of the Northeast conference, he will win the Player of the year.

312. Albany Great Danes – Last Season Ranking: 284

Conference: America East

Albany won 8 games last year and were a mess on the defensive end. Killings is hoping that the players he was able to keep will help the Great Danes get back to being competitive in the America East. Jonathan Beagle was the America East freshman of the year, and it was well deserved. He averaged 13 points per game and shot over 50% from the floor. The big man is also a fantastic rebounder and is going to win some games for the Great Danes this year.

311. Western Illinois Leathernecks – Last Season Ranking: 283

Conference: Ohio Valley

Western Illinois leaves the Summit league and heads to the Ohio Valley and with that comes a new roster and a new coaching staff. Former coach Rob Jeter is off to take the Southern Utah job and the Leathernecks promoted the associate head coach under Jeter to be the coach. Chad Boudreau is the man to lead Western Illinois into the Ohio Valley. Western Illinois is going to shoot a lot of threes and play fast and when they are making shots they are going to be hard to beat. Rodrick Payne is a transfer from Wisconsin River-Falls where he averaged 17 points per game. He will be a player who will control the paint for the Leathernecks.

310. Southeast Missouri State Redhawks – Last Season Ranking: 310

Conference: Ohio Valley

As the rebuilding year begins in Cape Girardeau the head coach does have a great piece to build around. Josh Earley made the most of his opportunities last year as he shot 60% from the floor and hauled in 5 rebounds in under 20 minutes a game. The big man is going to start this year and should see those numbers take off as his opportunities expand.

309. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks – Last Season Ranking: 260

Conference: Sun Belt

I would be surprised if the Warhawks finished anywhere past the middle of the league but in the Sun Belt anything can happen. Tyreke Locure had a great first season with the Warhawks after transferring from South Alabama. Locure was a volume shooter who fit in with the rest of the Louisiana-Monroe team and was not efficient, but he was the leading scorer and is the top returning three point shooter for Louisiana-Monroe. This year the hope is that the JUCO transfers pan out and provide some help for Locure to take some pressure off him to always think he must score.

308. Boston University Terriers – Last Season Ranking: 243

Conference: Patriot League

The Terriers are well coached and have some question marks with this roster because a lot of the players are unproven at the Division 1 level. Even with those question marks the bottom of the Patriot League is not very good and Boston University still finishes in the middle of the pack. Ben Palacios is a transfer from Mayville who led his team in scoring. Palacios is a guard who is going to average double digits and will likely lead the offense. The guard was one of the better shooters in his conference and is deadly from the line. Shooting always travels and he should be able replicate his shooting success at the division 1 level.

307. Loyola Maryland Greyhounds – Last Season Ranking: 236

Conference: Patriot League

Deon Perry is one of the shortest players in the country but is also one of the best players in the Patriot League. The guard ended up averaging 11 points per game last year but over the last twelve games averaged almost 18 a game. He was the first player in conference history to earn the player and rookie of the week in the same week. If Perry can play at the level, he was playing at down the stretch last year the Greyhounds should win some games and Perry is going to be on the all-conference team.

306. Wagner Seahawks – Last Season Ranking: 281           

Conference: Northeast

Wagner only had one player score in double digits last season, and he graduated but they do have a lot of other guys who can score and contribute in multiple ways. Javier Ezquerra enters his junior season as the starting point guard, and he provides coach Copeland with a stabilizing force on both the offensive and defensive end of the floor. Ezquerra has a 3-1 assist to turnover ratio and anchors the defense. Sometimes it’s okay to have grinders who are going to help you win rather than one star who needs the ball. Wagner plays tough New York style basketball.

305. Fort Wayne Mastodons – Last Season Ranking: 80

Conference: Horizon League

The 2023-2024 season is going to be one with little expectations for Fort Wayne. They have a rebuilt roster and go from being one of the oldest teams in the Horizon League to one of the youngest. It is going to be a struggle this year and they are a bottom tier Horizon team. Rasheed Bello is a transfer from Wisconsin-Parkside where he had a fantastic year. The guard was named the conference player of the year and found himself on the all-defensive team. Bello stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 17 points per game, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.5 steals. Those numbers will be hard to replicate in the Horizon League but if he can come close to that the Mastodons will finish higher in the standings. Bello has the ability to record multiple triple doubles but it may take him a season to become fully acclimated in the Horizon League.

304. Campbell Fighting Camels – Last Season Ranking: 195

Conference: Coastal Athletic

It is going to take a few years for Campbell to start winning in the CAA, this year is a bottom tier finish. Anthony Del’Orso had a fantastic freshmen year for Campbell. He was the Big South Freshmen of the Year and was one of the best freshmen in the entire country. Del’Orso shoots at a high percentage and takes smart shots. He is a good rebounder and a natural scorer but unless Del’Orso turns into Chris Clemons overnight, Campbell is still destined for the bottom of the league.

303. New Hampshire Wildcats – Last Season Ranking: 324

Conference: America East

Clarence Daniels is the best player in the America East, at least in my opinion. It was a huge win for Coach Davis when he left the transfer portal and decided to stay at New Hampshire. The forward averaged 15 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. He can go for 30 against anyone. He is extremely efficient as a shooter, and he is one of my favorite players to watch. It would be an injustice if he doesn’t win the America East player of the year.

302. Merrimack Warriors – Last Season Ranking: 296

Conference: Northeast

Jordan Derkack is the next likely star for Merrimack. He plays great defense and is good enough on offense to carry the Warriors. He started last year and shot 53% from inside the paint. The role for Derkack is going to expand this year and hopefully that means he can keep up the efficiency and become the star this team needs.

301. Detroit Mercy Titans – Last Season Ranking: 219

Conference: Horizon League

There are just too many questions on the roster. Jayden Stone was fantastic a year ago but in limited games played. He battled an illness and eligibility issues that resulted in Stone only being able to play 13 games. In those 13 games the Australian point guard scored 14 points on very impressive shooting numbers. He shot just under 50% from the floor, over 50% from three, and 87% from the line. He is going to turn into the player who gets the majority of the looks in the offense this year and if he maintains his shooting numbers, the Titans will have another player who leads the league in scoring.