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

225. Longwood Lancers  – Last Season Ranking: 151

Conference: Big South

Longwood very likely will win 20 games again and could still finish in fourth or fifth in the league. The Big South is deep this year especially at the top and the Lancers are one of the teams who are going to be pushing for the top spot. Coach Aldrich has completely turned around the program and is building them into a force in the Big South. Walyn Napper is never going to set the world on fire with his ability on offense. The guard will play unbelievable defense, and Longwood relies on their guards to start the defensive pressure. Longwood forces teams to play unbelievably slow on the defensive end of the floor and Napper is a huge catalyst for starting the defense. The point guard is very good at getting to the rim and finishing for easy baskets. He is not a jump shooter, but if you let Napper get into the paint it is going to be an easy basket or he will pass it back for a wide open look. Napper provides so much more than just scoring for Longwood and coach Aldrich loves him.

224. Milwaukee Panthers – Last Season Ranking: 328

Conference: Horizon League

=4 out of 5 starters return for Lundy this season but none are more important than BJ Freeman. Freeman is a bucket, and he can score from anywhere on the floor and when the guard has the ball good things happen for Milwaukee. The Panthers look like a tournament team this year. I can guarantee that no power five coach is going to want to see Milwaukee on their schedule this year.

223. Rider Broncs – Last Season Ranking: 184

Conference: MAAC

This season Rider brings back a lot of that roster and coach Baggett has one of the favorites to win the league this year. Can this be the year that Rider finally returns to the NCAA tournament? Mervin James Jr. is an athletic wing who can score and rebound like a big man. He only stands at 6’7” but led Rider in rebounding and shot over 50% from inside the three point line. James Jr. is going to see a little higher volume in shots this year and is a player who can win the MAAC Player of the Year, especially if Rider has the season, we all think they can have.

222. Jackson State Tigers – Last Season Ranking: 311

Conference: SWAC

This season most of the roster returns, and Jackson State is going to be one of the favorites in the league. Ken Evans is the player who has a chance to turn into a star. He can pass, rebound, and score. He is also the guy Jackson State goes to when they need a bucket or a big play. Evans is the best three point shooter on the team but he does have the tendency to take really bad shots at times. If he stops doing that, he can be a star and a much more efficient shooter.

221. Harvard Crimson – Last Season Ranking: 201

Conference: Ivy League

A lot of the freshmen for Harvard played for great high school programs and they had great careers. They are going to come in and contribute right away. Unfortunately, the Ivy League is tough, especially at the top so Harvard may have to wait a year or two before reasonably competing for the NCAA tournament again. Malik Mack is a true freshman from Washington DC where he won the Gatorade Player of the Year from Washington DC. There are a lot of good basketball players who come out of that area and Mack was one of the best. The point guard is going to step right in and start from day 1 for the Crimson. His final year of high school he scored 15 points per game, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds per game.

220. Bryant Bulldogs – Last Season Ranking: 87

Conference: America East

The Bulldogs are too talented to be down for long, but can they be good enough to overcome losing their coach?  Sherif Gross-Bullock was the America East newcomer of the year. The guard led the league in scoring with 17.1 points per game. Gross-Bullock was huge for the Bulldogs last year as he had a 39 point game, which is the third most in program history, and scored the game winning basket against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome. Gross-Bullock is going to be a first team all-conference player and will be in the running for the conference player of the year.

219. La Salle Explorers – Last Season Ranking: 185

Conference: Atlantic 10

La Salle may still finish in the bottom of the Atlantic 10 this year even if they are better. Khalil Brantley had a breakout year in year one under Dunphy. He led the Explorers in points and assists. He is a very adept passer who can get other players involved in the game easily. He got fouled a lot and knocked down his free throws. He gets better every year and this year he is going to be asked to keep doing exactly what he is doing. Carrying the offense and setting up his teammates. If Brantley has a good year, he may find himself on some all-conference teams.

218. Wyoming Cowboys – Last Season Ranking: 64

Conference: Mountain West

The Cowboys didn’t have the talent to compete with the better teams in the league and it all ended up as a wasted season. Unfortunately, there were a lot of players who transferred out of the program, and some were lost to graduation. Sam Griffin is a transfer from Tulsa who was the lone bright spot most nights for the Golden Hurricane. Griffin has scored over 1,400 points in his career. He has also made over 240 threes in his career. It is reasonable to think that Griffin will hit over 300 threes in his career and will have close to 2,000 points when he calls it a career. He is going to have to score a lot to turn Wyoming into a winning team this year.

217.Jacksonville State Gamecocks – Last Season Ranking: 179

Conference: Conference USA

This year, Jacksonville State has a young roster. The coach tried to make sure to mix JUCO players with Freshmen but there is still a lot of inexperience for Gamecocks. Even with the inexperience, coach Harper is never going to have these guys down for long. His ability to develop players quickly Jacksonville State should finish in the middle of the Conference USA this year. Andres Burney had a decorated career in the JUCO ranks. He was a dominant big man who earned honorable mention All-America honors last season. Burney is not going to have to carry the load right away this season because of the depth for the Gamecocks. The big man can come along slowly, but once he gets up to speed, he has the highest ceiling of any player for Jacksonville State.

216. Northern Illinois Huskies – Last Season Ranking: 290

Conference: MAC

Look out for Northern Illinois to finish near the top of the MAC and push for an NCAA tournament. Keshawn Williams only played 15 games last season, but in those 15 games he showed that he can be an elite scorer who can carry an offense. He shoots a high percentage from the floor, shoots the ball well above average from deep, and shot the ball well from the foul line. He is a great rebounder for his size and can pass. He is one of the best players in the MAC when he is healthy. The only issue is that he tore his ACL in January so it may take some time to get back up to speed. If he plays and plays well the Huskies have a chance to make a lot of noise.

215. Portland State Vikings – Last Season Ranking: 291

Conference: Big Sky

They do have a ceiling of a top half team in the league if their two stars got better in the offseason. One of those players is a player I have liked for a long time back to when he was playing for Elon. Hunter Woods is a guy who shoots a high percentage from the floor, rebounds like a big man, and is a pain on the defensive end of the floor. This year he needs to be more aggressive on the offensive end and get his shots up. Woods can change games with his ability especially when he is getting his shots and rebounding like a big man.

214. North Dakota State Bison – Last Season Ranking: 203

Conference: Summit League

Boden Skunberg had a great season last year but anyone on the outside of the Summit League forgets it even happened because of his former teammate Grant Nelson and the eyes that were on him. Skunberg is a 6’5” guard who led the Bison in rebounding and was a good three point shooter. His ability to shoot the ball from deep can change games for North Dakota State. The Bison don’t have a lot of good three point shooters, having your leading scorer be a good three point shooter is a plus because that makes him harder to defend. Hopefully more shooters emerge this year to take some pressure off the Bison star. Don’t be alarmed when Skunberg is a hot commodity in the transfer portal this offseason.

213. UMass Minutemen – Last Season Ranking: 130

Conference: Atlantic 10

Heading into this season coach Martin and the UMass basketball program are in a full on rebuild. They have a roster that is filled with a lot of freshmen and a few transfers who are going to do most of the scoring for UMass. It is going to be another long year for UMass. Their fans are passionate, and the Minutemen fans deserve a winner again. Hopefully coach Martin is the guy to get them there. Josh Cohen is a transfer from St Francis (Pa), and he is one of the best big men in basketball. Cohen was the Co-player of the Year in the NEC and scored over 40 points twice. He is very skilled underneath the basket, is a great rebounder, and protects the rim. He is going to get the ball almost every time down the court for the Minutemen and he will very easily approach his 21 points and 9 rebounds per game average from last season.

212. Northern Arizona Lumberjacks – Last Season Ranking: 264

Conference: Big Sky

Head coach Shane Burcar had a winning season his first year in Flagstaff and it has been a struggle ever since. The Lumberjacks have never played great defense under their current head coach and until they can figure that out, they won’t win much. Carson Towt is a player that Northern Arizona should play though. He shoots at a high percentage, rebounds the ball well, and is a great passer for a big man. He can play anywhere on the floor and is a prize for coach Burcar. Towt needs to get the ball and hopefully everyone else can pick up the slack around him to surprise some people in the Big Sky.

211. Penn Quakers – Last Season Ranking: 166

Conference: Ivy League

This year coach Donohue has his star player, and he has surrounded them with a lot of talented role players including some talented freshmen. Clark Slajchert was already one of the best Ivy League players in the league last year.  He was just overshadowed by arguably the best player in the league who was his teammate. Slajchert averaged 13 points per game over the whole season, but he does have the ability to go off for a ton of points. He scored 30 on two occasions last year and scored 20 four other times. He shoots at high percentages all over the floor and he is a capable passer. He is going to be that star for Coach Donahue this year.

210. Texas Southern Tigers – Last Season Ranking: 303

Conference: SWAC

This year I expect the Tigers to compete for the league crown and the NCAA tournament as they always do. It is going to be done with the Tigers brand of basketball too. Play fast but don’t shoot threes. Get most all your looks by getting downhill to the basket and from the foul line. That is always how Texas Southern plays basketball and that is why the program success is sustainable. PJ Henry comes back for his final year of college and is the star of the Texas Southern team. Henry is the one player on the team who is going to have an ultimate green light from deep. He is a better three point shooter than he is off the bounce. Henry is the most talented player on the team, but the Tigers have an uncanny way of making sure every player contributes to a win. No one player ever puts up gaudy numbers and they embrace the team concept.

209. Stetson Hatters – Last Season Ranking: 314

Conference: Atlantic Sun

The Hatters are going to play fast and get their shots up regardless of the roster and how it is constructed. The question is now can the Hatters consistently finish near the top of the conference and subsequently win enough to find a way into the NCAA tournament? Jalen Blackmon had a huge year for the Hatters last season earning him the Atlantic Sun Newcomer of the Year. The guard shot 41% from the floor along with 33% from deep and was able to use that to score 15.4 points per game to lead Stetson in scoring. Blackmon is going to repeat as a first team all-conference player.

208. Chattanooga Mocs – Last Season Ranking: 149

Conference: Southern

This season the Mocs and coach Earl do not have much returning and it has the makings of a rebuilding year for Chattanooga. Even in a rebuilding year expect the Mocs to take the most threes in the country and run efficient offense. They are a joy to watch play offense, but they won’t play much defense. Honor Huff played for coach Earl at VMI, the guard was forced to sit out last year as the Southern Conference still has an interconference transfer rule. Huff has a high ceiling and is going to be the easy choice to lead this offense. His freshman year at VMI he was named to the all freshman team. He shot 38% from deep and 44% from the floor. Huff is a guy who is quickly going to gain star status.

207. Austin Peay State Governors – Last Season Ranking: 209

Conference: Atlantic Sun

The 2023-2024 season for Austin Peay will be an interesting one. The roster has been flipped, but the roster flip was done by coach Gipson to get guys into the program he knows he can win with. So, he brought his entire starting lineup from Northwestern State with him. Demarcus Sharp won a ton of awards at Northwestern State last year. He was the Southland player of the year, he was first team all-conference, and a member of the all-defensive team. There are a lot of good things to say about Sharp but his ability to lead a team and do the little things to win games is something every coach is going to want. Sharp is going to be in the running for the Atlantic Sun player of the year.

206. Texas Arlington Mavericks – Last Season Ranking: 269

Conference: WAC

Phillip Russell brings NCAA tournament experience to the Mavericks, and he was a big catalyst for his former team getting to the tournament. Russell is a fantastic point guard who had a great season at Southeast Missouri State. He averaged 18 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds as the leader of the SEMO offense. Russell was unbelievable in the conference tournament last year and was a huge reason his team made a run to the tournament. He is going to have a big year for the Mavericks.

205. Georgia State Panthers – Last Season Ranking: 233

Conference: Sun Belt

Georgia State is in good hands and with the experience that they obtained through the transfer portal don’t be surprised when they finish near the top of the league again this year and compete for the NCAA tournament. Dwon Odom enters his second year as a Panther. He is a transfer from Xavier and followed his coach to the new program. Odom as a 6’2” point guard is elite at getting to the rim and finishes better than most of the league. He is not a shooter, and he is not going to be asked to shoot threes because it is not something he is good at. He gets downhill, rebounds, and runs the offense. Odom was one that many believed would be a star at Xavier but is turning into a star at Georgia State.

204. Morehead State Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 216

Conference: Ohio Valley

Morehead State is the premier team in the conference, and they are going to get everyone’s best every night. Coach Spradlin is a good coach and will help his team get ready for what is going to be a grind in their league, especially given the expectations placed on the Eagles this year. There were so many players to choose from for Morehead State but let’s highlight Riley Minix. The wing comes to Morehead State after one of the best years in NAIA history. Minix averaged 30 points and 11 rebounds per game that performance earned him player of the year, and first team all American by every publication. The NAIA is obviously different from the Ohio Valley, but those numbers were impressive for anyone. Minix is going to be a factor for this team.

203. Queens Royals – Last Season Ranking: 230

Conference: Atlantic Sun

It’s year 2 of the division 1 transition and head coach Grant Leonard is still trying to figure out what works to get consistent wins in the Atlantic Sun. AJ McKee averaged 15 points per game last year and did most of his damage from the three point line. The Royals take a ton of threes anyways but not a single player had at least 200 attempts. McKee is an elite scorer from all over the floor as evidenced by his high efficiency numbers and his 15 points per game. He doesn’t provide much else but 15 points per game will get the attention of the opponents even if all he does is score.

202. Bowling Green Falcons – Last Season Ranking: 278

Conference: MAC

Bowling Green is going to be one of the leaders in points scored, tempo, three point shooting, free throw shooting, and rebounding. Coach Simon plays fast, takes smart shots, and loves to get out and run. Jason Spurgin follows his coach to Bowling Green, and he is a great piece to build around. Spurgin is a true throwback center. He shoots 65% around the basket, can be a dominant rebounder, and averaged over a block a game. Spurgin is a guy that coach Simon is comfortable with and will give him every opportunity to carry the team. The Falcons program is in good hands.

201. George Washington Revolutionaries – Last Season Ranking: 227

Conference: Atlantic 10

The Revolutionaries are loaded with talent, and they are young, so they are trending towards being around for a long time. James Bishop IV is one of the best players in the conference and may be the best pure scorer in the NCAA. He isn’t a good shooter, but he is elite at getting to the rim and getting fouled. Bishop is going to score over 20 points per game, have upwards of 6 assists per night, while shooting near 50% from the floor. He should win the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year going away and you will see Bishop playing pro ball somewhere. There are not many guys with his skill set in college basketball this year.