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

150. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 254

Conference: Atlantic Sun

Heading into the season the Eagles have all their key contributors back and got better by getting a player who played in the Sweet 16 last year. Florida Gulf Coast should add to the already loaded top of the Atlantic Sun and they have the talent to make a lot of noise nationally. The Eagles can make the NCAA tournament, but will they reach their ceiling?  Andre Weir enters his junior season ready to dominate. He is a big physical big man with good feet and hands around the rim. He can also step out and hit threes. Weir rebounds, blocks shots and plays good defense. There is a lot to like with the big man and he is going to take over a few games for Florida Gulf Coast.

149. Santa Clara Broncos – Last Season Ranking: 89

Conference: WCC

Santa Clara lost all five starters in the offseason. One to the NBA draft, one to transfer and three to graduation and that will close the window for the Broncos and coach Sendek at least for this year. Jalen Benjamin, a transfer from Mount St. Mary, was one of the best scorers in the MAAC over the last two seasons. The 5’11” point guard is small, but he is quick and can get to the basket. The guard can also shoot the ball from deep and will be a weapon for coach Sendek to turn into an all-conference player. Coach Sendek loves quick guards who can score, he is going to make sure they have the ball and will fit perfectly in the offense.

148. Weber State Wildcats – Last Season Ranking: 231

Conference: Big Sky

Head coach Eric Duft has a ton of talent returning this year and Weber State is going to be one of the favorites to win the league. Weber State is another team who plays painfully slow, but they shoot efficient shots and try to always work the ball inside for easier looks at the basket. The Wildcats are a very good Big Sky team again. Dillon Jones is another player from Weber State who is going to see himself play in the NBA. The guard is also good enough to get some much deserved all-america attention this year. He averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds per game a season ago.

147. California Golden Bears – Last Season Ranking: 144

Conference: Pac 12

The transfer portal was kind to California and helped the new coach build the talent quickly with guys who have all succeed on the power five level before. Fardaws Aimaq is a player who should need no introduction. He is one of, if not the best, rebounder in the country. Aimaq is a two time WAC defensive player of the year, he is a WAC player of the year, and 2 time all American. Two seasons ago he averaged 15 points per game, that made him the first player in 40 years to average that many rebounds per game. Aimaq played for coach Madsen at Utah Valley.

146. Rice Owls – Last Season Ranking: 182

Conference: American

The Owls are making the jump from Conference USA to the American. With that comes a new crop of teams to learn but the league may be easier at least in the early goings. Rice is not a basketball team who has done a lot of winning in the past, but coach Scott Pera has gotten things moving in the right direction where the Owls are a consistent team in their former conference. Max Fieldler returns for the Owls, and he should be everyone’s favorite player. Fieldler shot 74% from the floor last year. That was the best mark in the sport and in addition to being extremely efficient from the floor the 6’11” center led the Conference USA in assists and offensive rebounds.

145. Wichita State Shockers – Last Season Ranking: 92

Conference: American Athletic

Wichita State might struggle a little bit this year and finish in the middle of the American, but it won’t be long before the Shockers start to consistently make the NCAA tournament again. Kenny Pohto is the lone returning starter from last year and the big man from Sweden is a guy who could thrive under coach Mills. He is big and athletic underneath the basket and converts at a high percentage in the paint. He is a good rebounder and can pass well enough to get it out to the shooters. The only thing he can’t do is shoot threes. Coach Mills should be able to get Pohto to average a double double this year.

144. Samford Bulldogs – Last Season Ranking: 161

Conference: Southern

This year the Bulldogs lost a ton of talent but replaced it admirably in the transfer portal. Every player that committed to Samford is a player who fits perfectly in the Bucky Ball system. Is this finally the year for Samford to make the NCAA tournament again?  Dallas Graziani is not tall, he is 5’8” tall but that is not going to stop him from dominating a game. The point guard is a transfer from Nova Southeastern. The Division II school who won the National Championship and was undefeated last year. Graziani was the starting point guard for his former school and finished second in the country in assists and steals. The point guard averaged over 6 assists per night and was a great three point shooter all year. If Graziani puts up anywhere close to those type of numbers the Bulldogs are going to score a lot of points next year.

143. Missouri State Bears – Last Season Ranking: 110

Conference: Missouri Valley

This year hopefully the team can avoid all the key injuries they had last year. If they can stay healthy who knows what can happen. The Valley is too good, and the Bears are going to struggle to get out of the middle of the league even with a healthy roster. Donovan Clay was rewarded for his efforts on the floor last year with a second team all-conference selection. He was also rewarded with a first team all defense as well.

142. Belmont Bruins – Last Season Ranking: 120

Conference: Missouri Valley

They may not be as talented as they were last year, but they do have enough scoring to beat almost anyone they play in the league. Cade Tyson was the Missouri Valley Freshman of the year, and he ran away with the award. The sophomore forward was one of the best three point shooters in the conference and also one of the best free throw shooters. He led the entire league in scoring for a freshman and started almost every game for Belmont. The forward had some huge moments his first year as a Bruin and he is going to be the player who turns into a star for Belmont. He is going to be in the mix for Missouri Valley Player of the Year.

141. Towson Tigers – Last Season Ranking: 256

Conference: Coastal Athletic

Towson lost a lot of talent from last season, but coach Skerry was able to get an explosive backcourt in the transfer portal. The Tigers are still going to compete for the top of half of the league but still won’t make the NCAA tournament. I wrote earlier about Nendah Tarke and what his potential impacts will be for Towson. The 2022-2023 season saw the guard saw him average 12.2 points with 5.9 rebounds per game. He can do a lot of things on the floor and while he may not be a great shooter he will defend and get downhill against anyone. Tarke is a great addition for Towson.

140. Sam Houston State Bearkats – Last Season Ranking: 163

Conference: Conference USA

The Bearkats will be okay with Coach Mudge but who knows what will happen during the first year. Cameron Huefner played for the Bearkats last year and was the third leading scorer. The Australian guard led the Bearkats in three point shooting and was a key piece to the defense. Huefner is going to see more usage this year and should be able to handle that without losing much on the defensive end. The guard is one of the only players who received significant minutes in the WAC to return for the Bearkats. It’s a new conference for everyone but anyone with experience in college basketball will help Sam Houston State.

139. Southern Mississippi Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 323

Conference: Sun Belt

The time is now for the Eagles to make the NCAA tournament. Austin Crowley did a little bit of everything for Southern Mississippi last season. His breakout season saw him average 16 points per game while shooting 56% from inside the three point line. Crowley turned himself into one of the best players in the Sun Belt conference on both ends of the floor.

138. Colgate Raiders – Last Season Ranking: 86

Conference: Patriot League

There are very few sure things in college basketball, but Colgate is about as close as it gets. They will dominate the league again and head back to the NCAA tournament for the fifth time in the last six years. Keegan Records led the Patriot League in field goal percentage last year. He shot 67% from the floor which is a Patriot League record. Records has led the league in field goal percentage two seasons in a row and was top five in the country. The big man is impossible to stop on the offensive end of the floor. He is my favorite for the Patriot League player of the year.

137. Vermont Catamounts – Last Season Ranking: 83

Conference: America East

Until someone can prove that they can consistently close the gap in the league the Catamounts are going to be picked to win it. Aaron Deloney is the first player in America East history to win the sixth man of the year award in back to back seasons. The guard is hoping to make it three years in a row, but this year almost never happened for the Catamounts. Deloney entered the transfer portal after the season and was looking to transfer. Coach Becker was able to work his magic to get his star to stay at Vermont for his final season. The guard shoots 50% from the floor and 40% from three all while playing under 25 minutes per night.

136. Appalachian State Mountaineers – Last Season Ranking: 193

Conference: Sun Belt

The Mountaineers have all 5 starters returning and the hope for Coach Karns is that the year of experience will help his team climb the ladder in the Sun Belt. The conference is always a ton of fun every year and the team that wins the regular season almost never wins the tournament. Donovan Gregory is one of the best players in Appalachian State history and it is good for their program that he decided to come back for his Covid year. Gregory is the only player in Mountaineer history with 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists and 150 steals. He does a little of everything when he is out on the court but perhaps his best asset is his passing, he averaged 4.7 assists per game last year to only 2.6 turnovers.

135. Cornell Big Red – Last Season Ranking: 220

Conference: Ivy League

The Big Red are going to be a good team again this year. They have most of their roster back from a season ago and if they can be a little better on defense, they have a real shot to make the NCAA tournament. Nazir Williams is going to lead the offense this year and he is just one of the guys in a long line of players for the Big Red who has high shooting percentages. Williams shoots it well from deep. He also shoots 54% from inside the arc. Williams should take over point guard duties this year for coach Brian Earl. Cornell is going to light up the scoreboard again and should be a lot of fun to watch.

134. Wright State Raiders – Last Season Ranking: 194

Conference: Horizon League

The 2023-2024 season is going to be another one for the Raiders that sees them compete at the top of the league, light up scoreboards, and have numerous members on the all-conference team.  Tanner Holden is back where he belongs ready to dominate the league again. The last view we all got of the Raiders superstar was when he scored 30 points in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. It was one of the better performances the tournament has seen in a long time. Holden is a natural scorer, and it is going to be like he never left coach Nagy.

133. South Florida Bulls – Last Season Ranking: 249

Conference: American Athletic

South Florida may need a year or two to start competing at the top of the league, but they are going to be much better this year. Chris Youngblood was the star at Kennesaw State and now he heads to Tampa to try and repeat the same success he found last year. He is familiar with the offense and defense and coaching style. He can score from all over the floor shoots over 50% from two point and over 40% from three and over 80% from the line. The Bulls are going to ride Youngblood and it will pay off.

132. UCSB Gauchos – Last Season Ranking: 105

Conference: Big West

Santa Barbara is going to repeat as champions and find themselves in the tournament again. This time though they may win 30 games. Ajay Mitchell is already one of the best players in Gaucho history and he has only been on campus for two seasons. The guard from Belgium was first team all-conference, made the all-tournament team, Big West Player of the Year, and a Lou Henson All American. The guard averaged 16 points per game to go with 5 assists per game. In two seasons he has won the Big West Freshman of the Year and the Big West Player of the Year. He is going to repeat as the Big West Player of the Year and will hopefully lead the Gauchos to an NCAA tournament win this year.

131. East Carolina Pirates – Last Season Ranking: 175

Conference: American

The Pirates return a lot of their scoring from a season ago and add a former five star point guard from Kansas. In addition to the five star from Kansas, coach Schwartz was able to add another four star guard from LSU. East Carolina has a tremendous opportunity in front of them this year. I love the roster, but can they get out of the bottom of the league?  Brandon Johnson enters his junior year with virtually no hype, but his play will change that. Johnson has an extremely high ceiling and with more talent on this roster he may finally reach it. The big man almost averaged a double double last year. Johnson also led the team in three point percentage and shot almost 55% from inside the paint. The forward is going to make sure people know his name this year.

130. Richmond Spiders – Last Season Ranking: 102

Conference: Atlantic 10

Richmond heads into the 2023-2024 season with a young team who is likely going to finish in the middle of the Atlantic 10. Coach Mooney is not going to be on the hot seat, he did just take a team to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Richmond won’t be down for long as coach Mooney does a good job with the Spiders. Jordan King is a transfer from East Tennessee State. The guard was one of the top scorers in the Southern Conference with 15.6 points per game. King also led his former team in assists per game. He can go off for a ton of points. His career high came against the Citadel with 42 points. King is going to come right in and run the offense from the opening tip for coach Mooney and the Spiders.

129. Murray State Racers – Last Season Ranking: 131

Conference: Missouri Valley

The Missouri Valley is crowded at the top and it is hard for new teams to win enough to find themselves at the top. Rob Perry enters his last year of College Basketball and has already had a decorated career. In his first three seasons in college Perry was the star at Stetson. He scored over 1,000 points in 74 games at Stetson. In his first season as a Racer, Perry took over the offense. The guard had numerous 20-point games and tied his career high with 30 points in a double overtime win. Perry is going to have a big year as the leader of the Racers. Murray State has surrounded him with more talent this year.

128. Princeton Tigers – Last Season Ranking: 141

Conference: Ivy League

They lost a lot of talent from the Sweet 16 team, and they project as a middle of the Ivy team. Coach Henderson is one of the best coaches in the Ivy so they likely still end up in the top 4 and make the Ivy tournament but it will be difficult with the new roster. Matt Allocco was an integral part of the Tigers success a year ago. As the starting point guard, he was the catalyst for everything that Princeton wanted to do on both ends of the floor. The guard is a good three point shooter and scored in double figures. He will need to be more aggressive with his shot this year and will get plenty of opportunity to score. Even with his increased usage the Tigers will be at their best when Allocco is passing and creating opportunities for others.

127. Boston College Eagles – Last Season Ranking: 98

Conference: ACC

The Eagles are looking to build on last year and they are still a middle of the pack ACC team. Quinten Post returned after 13 games due to an injury and the Eagles were much better when their big man returned. The Boston College big man earned the ACC Most Improved Player award and was the only player in the country to post a shooting line of 50/40/80. He shot 53.9% from the floor, 42.6% from three, and 86 % from the free throw line. It is a huge asset to have a big man shoot the ball like that from the floor. He is hard to defend because of his length and his ability. This is the last season for Post, and he is healthy and ready to improve on his 15 points per game a season ago.

126. James Madison Dukes – Last Season Ranking: 126

Conference: Sun Belt

James Madison was able to secure some transfers who are going to fit into this offense perfectly. They have high offensive ceilings and are guys who shoot at a high efficiency from the floor. Every player can pass, every player can rebound, and they all have experience. Terrence Edwards Jr. was the Sun Belt sixth man of the year. He was second team all-conference and was named to the All Sun Belt tournament team. The guard had a breakout year in year 3 under coach Byington. He shot over 50% from the floor and 46% from the three. Edwards Jr. did start the first 13 games of the year before coming off the bench. Expect him to start this season and he will lead the Dukes in scoring again.