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

250. Maine Black Bears – Last Season Ranking: 352

Conference: America East

Maine is never going to have more talent than you, but what they do have are players who all play together, are well coached and play smart basketball. Maine takes smart shots and that is why they shot over 50% from inside the arc last year. Maine is ready for their biggest season in program history. Kellen Tynes shot over 50% from the floor a season ago. He is a guard who loves to get downhill and get to the rim. He is going to lead a Black Bear team who got better in the transfer portal.

249. Quinnipiac Bobcats – Last Season Ranking: 208

Conference: MAAC

The Bobcats look like a top tier MAAC team once again. Matt Balanc decided to stay at Quinnipiac through the coaching change. The guard would have had a long list of suitors if he decided to enter the portal, but his decision to stay is going to greatly impact the Bobcats. They get a player who can rebound and score. He isn’t flashy but he is consistent and knows when to make the right play. Balanc is going to get a lot of the looks in the offense because coach Pecora trusts him, and he has shown he can lead by example.

248. Jacksonville Dolphins – Last Season Ranking: 174

Conference: Atlantic Sun

The 2023-24 roster has a good mix of old and new and the roster will keep Jacksonville competitive. The style of play for the Dolphins is always going to keep them in every game. Gyasi Powell led the Dolphins in three point shooting and is the returning leading scorer. Powell didn’t average over 10 points per game, but Jacksonville is all about defense and ball control. The guard doesn’t turn the ball over and he is a good defender. Pair that with his ability to hit 41% of his shots from deep and you have the best player for Jacksonville.

247. Illinois-Chicago Flames – Last Season Ranking: 274

Conference: Missouri Valley

The Flames have a revamped roster with more college basketball experience. He also has a lot of players who have a very high ceiling. Coach Yaklich is known for his player development, and he has a team that he can build up into a contender in the Valley but likely not this year. They are still a bottom tier team in the league. Toby Okani is a player who should make a huge jump. Okani can do everything well, he shoots a high percentage from the floor, can be a dominant rebounder, and is a good passer. He is a talented guy and should lead this team in most categories.

246. Alcorn State Braves – Last Season Ranking: 332

Conference: SWAC

The SWAC is wide open again and with what the Braves have returning they could be a team who could finish at the top of the league again. Byron Joshua was the starting point guard for the Braves last season. The point guard led Alcorn State in minutes played and was the only player to play every game. The point guard is a good passer and can also take over a game on the offensive end of the floor. He is a pass first score second guard and that shows with his 2-1 assist to turnover ratio. He needs to work on being more efficient from the floor but he should be on the SWAC All-Conference team.

245. Little Rock Trojans – Last Season Ranking: 315

Conference: Ohio Valley

The Ohio Valley is winnable again this year and the Trojans look to have reloaded this season. Deantoni Gordon was the team leader a season ago and he is ready to get out there and lead Little Rock again for the second year in a row. The big man is great around the rim and in the paint. There are times when he is in there with the ball that he looks unstoppable. He doesn’t rebound the ball all that well, but he is good enough to get some all-conference nods in the Ohio Valley.

244. UC San Diego Tritons – Last Season Ranking: 271

Conference: Big West

UC San Diego does have a lot of their production back from last season and as they are older and more experienced let’s see if they can get some positive momentum going in the Big West. Bryce Pope dominates the touches in the offense. The all-conference player took 16 shots a game last year and was efficient for that number of shots. He shot over 50% from two point territory. He does shoot a ton of threes and was a below average shooter from that distance, but also got fouled a lot where he shot 80% from the line. UC San Diego should be better and finish in the middle of the pack in the Big West.

243. SIU-Edwardsville Cougars – Last Season Ranking: 279

Conference: Ohio Valley

The rebounding and the Cougars ability to get to the line is what is going to set them apart from the rest of the Ohio Valley, especially if their stars are playing up to their ability. Ray’Sean Taylor is arguably the most dangerous offensive player in the Ohio Valley. He is a deadly three point shooter, and he shot over 200 of them a season ago. In addition to the 207 three pointers, he shot over 140 free throws. He scores from all over the floor he is hard to keep out of the paint, if he does get into the paint he likely will get fouled. If the defense does somehow keep Taylor out of the paint he will just bury a three. He is going to be in the running for the Ohio Valley player of the year this season. SIU-Edwardsville is a top two team in the Ohio Valley.

242. UTSA Roadrunners – Last Season Ranking: 292

Conference: American

The Roadrunners wave goodbye to the Conference USA and enter the American conference. The American is going to pose a different level of competition than what UTSA is used to. There will also be a lot of familiarity given that the American went and added a lot of former Conference USA foes as well. None the less the Roadrunners are going to have a tough season again. Isaiah Wyatt is a transfer into the program from Chadron State. Wyatt was the leading scorer for his former school. He was unbelievable from three point range last year when he shot 77-167 from three point range. That is 46% and that is an elite shooter. Wyatt is going to get every opportunity to shine for the Roadrunners and should have free range to shoot whenever he wants.

241. Utah Tech Trailblazers – Last Season Ranking: 263

Conference: WAC

The program is trending up and it won’t be long until Utah Tech starts consistently competing at the top of the WAC. Tennessee Rainwater has the best name in the game, and he is also a great basketball player. He made his way to the Trailblazers from Davenport Washington where he led his team to their first state championship ever. His final season of high school the guard averaged 28.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.1 steals. His numbers won’t be anywhere close to that in college, but it is clear he is going to impact the game in a lot of ways for Utah Tech.

240. UC Riverside Highlanders – Last Season Ranking: 204

Conference: Big West

Riverside lost a ton of talent last year but the way they play they are still going to win. Coach Magpayo is a great coach and will get creative if he needs to score points. Kyle Owens played 20 games for the Highlanders last year and it was the first time in his college career that he has gotten significant minutes. The forward looked good in his time. He showed he can shoot at a very high percentage and has a penchant for rebounding. He is the only double digit scorer returning for the Highlanders and should average close to a double double this year.

239. Georgia Southern Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 223

Conference: Sun Belt

Every team needs a great point guard and Georgia Southern got a good one with experience. Deuce Dean makes his way to Statesboro for his final year of college basketball. Dean spent the previous years in college at Hampton where he experienced varying levels of success. The point guard is going to score double figures, but his biggest asset is his ability to run the offense and set up the players around him. He never leaves the floor he can play with tempo, and he is going to play defense. Dean averaged 5 assists per game last year. Coach Henry is going to want to see the turnover number lowered but the point guard is going to be a huge player for the first year coach.

238. Miami (Ohio) Redhawks – Last Season Ranking: 262

Conference: MAC

Morgan Safford took a huge leap with Miami last year. He enters his second year in the Redhawks program after transferring from Wofford. Safford shot a great percentage from the floor last year. He was deadly on offense last year shooting 47% from the floor overall. Safford is one of the best players in the MAC and in addition to his scoring he is a great rebounder and passer. He is going to have his say in every game that Miami wins or loses this season, and his play is going to determine a lot.

237. Mercer Bears – Last Season Ranking: 171

Conference: Southern

This year the Bears are young, and depth may be a question, but coach Gary was able to convince his star to stick around for another year and he was able to go out and get some players looking for a new start either due to injuries or coaching changes. Change of scenery guys work out sometimes and hopefully they work out for Mercer this year. Jalyn McCreary had a fantastic season for the Bears last year and returns as a star in the Southern Conference. McCreary shot almost 55% from the floor last year and had one of the best games in Mercer history. His 15 point and 15 rebound performance against Chattanooga is one of the best individual games in Bears history. McCreary was awarded with the all-conference third team for his efforts but has the talent to make the first team this year.

236. Howard Bison – Last Season Ranking: 247

Conference: MEAC

Howard did experience some significant attrition especially to their best players but coach Blakeney does bring a lot back and it would be a huge surprise if Howard doesn’t compete for a tournament bid again. Shy Odom enters his sophomore year as a player ready for a breakout. The more he played the better he got, and the coaching staff has full confidence that he is going to do the right thing. Odom averaged just a share over 10 points per game last year, but he can average a double double. What’s more impressive is that he is the one player on the floor who isn’t going to shoot a three for Howard and he still scores and is still a huge part of the offense. Howard is going to be very good again.

235. Bellarmine Knights – Last Season Ranking: 245

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Bellarmine has their entire back from a season ago and the Knights are going to be looking to prove that last season was more the outlier than the normal. They are a top tier team in the Atlantic Sun again. Garrett Tipton is the perfect player for Bellarmine. He is an excellent three point shooter, shoots a high efficiency overall, and rarely turns the ball over. Tipton is a guy who is going to do things the right way and easily average double digit points. He is a first team all conference type of player based on ability.

234. St. Thomas Tommies – Last Season Ranking: 280

Conference: Summit League

The Tommies are tough to beat when they are making shots. Parker Bjorklund is going to get the bulk of the shots in the offense. He is a smart basketball player who takes great shots. He is different from most of the guys on the team because he doesn’t shoot the ball from deep all that often. When he does it usually goes in though. There is a lot to like with the forward. You know he is going to take smart efficient shots, rebound and not turn the ball over.

233. Northeastern Huskies – Last Season Ranking: 237

Conference: Coastal Athletic

Bryce Johnson transferred from Sacred Heart and had the skill set that coach Coen loves. He is a walking double-double. He can score from anywhere on the floor and is a great rebounder. Johnson shoots at a high percentage from the floor and can finish around the rim with ease. He is a welcome addition to a team who needs scoring.

232. Sacramento State Hornets – Last Season Ranking: 276

Conference: Big Sky

Sacramento State is not the most talented team, but they always play the same way and are going to get some teams they should not beat because of their ability to play team basketball. Akol Mawein is a perfect player for coach Patrick and his system. Mawein shoots almost 60% inside the arc and is a good rebounder. He is an athletic big man who protects the rim and can dominate on the glass. Mawein may be the only player for Sacramento State to average double figure points.

231. Ball State Cardinals – Last Season Ranking: 228

Conference: MAC

The Cardinals enter the year without a single player who averaged double digit points at the division 1 level, there are some guys who are capable of it, but it could be a very up and down year for Ball State. Jalin Anderson is a transfer from Loyola Marymount and the guard is the most likely to see an increase in points scored. He does have the highest offensive ceiling of any player on the roster and once coach Lewis starts coaching him up, he is ready for a breakout. Anderson is a good three point shooter and has shown he can be efficient from the floor while he was at Loyola Marymount. Even if he turns into a volume shooter, he will still help the Cardinals offense immensely.

230. Tarleton State Texans – Last Season Ranking: 200

Conference: WAC

Heading into the 2023-2024 season the Tarleton State roster is going to look different. The Texans lost some talented players but should still finish in the middle of WAC. Lue Williams is going to take over and be the leader for the Texans on both sides of the ball this year. He is a good scorer and shot 41% from deep last year. Williams will need to average around 15 or 16 points per game for Tarleton to score enough points to win most nights.

229. Southeastern Louisiana Lions – Last Season Ranking: 340

Conference: Southland

4 out of the 5 starters return for Southeastern Louisiana this season and the sixth man from a year ago also returns. All 5 starters this season will have played last year. The Lions finish near the top of the Southland again. Roger McFarlane is a skilled offensive player and can be deadly from deep. He also shot over 80% from the line. Look for him to contend for the Southland player of the year for the Lions.

228. Troy Trojans – Last Season Ranking: 197

Conference: Sun Belt

Heading into the 2023-2024 season coach Cross has almost a brand new roster. He went out and scoured the JUCO ranks and was able to find some high quality JUCO players. Mix those players with a great crop of freshmen and the Trojans are set up nicely for the future. I love coach Cross and know how good of a coach he is. He is going to continue to rebuild the Troy program and get them back to the NCAA tournament. Tayton Conerway had a great year at Ranger College. He was the Texas Association Coaches Player of the Year and was rewarded as a NJCAA first team All American. Conerway was efficient from the floor, can shoot threes, and is athletic. He is going to make a difference this year and he will help win some games for Troy.

227. Kennesaw State Owls – Last Season Ranking: 218

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Kennesaw State still has some good talent on the 2023-2024 roster and coach Pettway was able to go out and get some transfers from power 5 schools that needed a fresh start. Kennesaw State should still finish near the top of the league this year. Terrell Burden is the reigning Atlantic Sun tournament MVP. He had a huge week which culminated in the Owls earning the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Burden is also a fantastic point guard who is a fantastic passer. Burden also rarely turns the ball over. He was one of the nations leaders in assists two seasons ago. Even if he only averages 13 to 14 points per game by taking great shots, he does have the ability to score in 25-27 point range some games. He is better suited when he is facilitating and scoring because of that, but he can carry an offense if he needs to.

226. North Alabama Lions – Last Season Ranking: 319

Conference: Atlantic Sun

The Lions should be a top half team in the Atlantic Sun this year. Jacari Lane was the conference sixth man of the year a season ago. Lane doesn’t shoot the ball much from the outside, but he is very good at getting downhill, converting, and getting to the foul line. Lane is a guy who has a chance to become a star this year especially if he shoots 56% from inside the arc again this year.