200. Vermont Catamounts - Last Season Ranking: 92
Conference: America East
Player to know: TJ Hurley
The Catamounts are a powerhouse in the America East. They rarely lose a conference game, and Vermont rarely loses in the Conference Tournament. Those two things happened last year, as they lost in the conference tournament and some conference games to finish in second place behind Bryant. The roster doesn't matter for the Catamounts; they are going to win the America East.
199. UMass Minutemen - Last Season Ranking: 117
Conference: MAC
Player to know: Marcus Banks Jr.
UMass headed into last season as a team ready to take the next step in the Atlantic 10, but then head coach Frank Martin and the Minutemen took a giant step back and only won 12 games. This year, UMass begins play in the MAC for the first time, hoping to be consistently more competitive. This season, the roster has some pieces but not enough, and they are a middle-of-the-pack team in the MAC.
198. Pacific Tigers - Last Season Ranking: 297
Conference: West Coast
Player to know: Elias Ralph
Head coach Dave Smart had a lot of success at Carleton. The first year at Pacific didn't go as anyone in the program had wanted. Smart, like any successful coach, flipped the roster and secured a lot of older talent that should thrive in the WCC. The Tigers will be much better.
197. Omaha Mavericks - Last Season Ranking: 320
Conference: Summit League
Player to know: Tony Osburn
Omaha dominated the Summit League and made its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The star players entered the transfer portal; a key addition from the portal passed away in the offseason. The tumultuous offseason has left the Mavericks' roster with many question marks.
196. William & Mary Tribe - Last Season Ranking: 231
Conference: Coastal Athletic
Player to know: Jo’el Emanuel
The Tribe was one of the better teams in the CAA last season, and no one talked about it. William & Mary may have turned a corner by hiring coach Brian Earl and his heavy three-point offense. The Tribe is going to shoot a ton of threes and will make a lot of them. The CAA is loaded at the top, though.
195. Cal Baptist Lancers - Last Season Ranking: 146
Conference: WAC
Player to know: Dominique Daniels
The Lancers have consistently been one of the better teams in the WAC under head coach Rick Croy. Last year was no different as the team finished third in the WAC. Heading into the current season, coach Croy has a good crop of players returning who will put them near the top of the league again. Daniels will be the WAC player of the year.
194. Appalachian State Mountaineers - Last Season Ranking: 122
Conference: Sun Belt
Player to know: Jalen Tot
Head coach Dustin Kerns will make sure to get the best out of his players, and they are always a threat to make a deep run in the Sun Belt and make the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Mountaineers will have to do it with some lower-division transfers and freshmen. Either way, they are going to defend and play very deliberate offense.
193. Bowling Green Falcons - Last Season Ranking: 257
Conference: MAC
Player to know: Javon Ruffin
Bowling Green hired Todd Simon to get them back to the tournament. After a 20-win first season and 14 wins last year, things have not worked out as planned. That might be until this year, coach Simon has a roster built to win this year. He loaded up on talented transfers and has built a deep MAC roster. The Falcons are a MAC sleeper.
192. Marshall Thundering Herd - Last Season Ranking: 151
Conference: Sun Belt
Player to know: Matt Van Komen
Corny Jackson guided his team to 20 wins and a top-half finish in the Sun Belt, but the offseason was unkind. The Thundering Herd lost a ton of talent from last season and is going to need some transfers to hit the 20-win plateau. The roster doesn't have the firepower that past Marshall rosters have had.
191. Charlotte 49ers - Last Season Ranking: 129
Conference: American
Player to know: Damoni Harrison
The second year under head coach Aaron Fearne did not go nearly as well as the first. The team was too reliant on a single player to carry the scoring load, and there was no depth. Coach Fearne scoured the transfer portal and got guys who put up good offensive numbers last year to score more points and win games.
190. Wright State Raiders - Last Season Ranking: 191
Conference: Horizon League
Player to know: Bryan Etumnu
The Raiders struggled under first-year head coach Clint Sargent; they still had one of the country's best offenses. Unfortunately, the defense was one of the worst in the country. The 2025-2026 season is a full-on rebuild for Wright State with zero double-digit scorers on the roster and six freshmen.
189. Missouri State Bears - Last Season Ranking: 207
Conference: Conference USA
Player to know: Michael Osei-Bonsu
The Bears underachieved last year, winning only 9 games. I know that Cuonzo Martin was in his first year, but no one expected them to be as bad as they were. Coach Martin flipped the roster to try to find the right recipe in their new league, which could give them trouble.
188. Fordham Rams - Last Season Ranking: 161
Conference: Atlantic 10
Player to know: DeJour Reeves
Fordham hired Mike Magpayo from UC Riverside to turn the program around. Magpayo has been in the league long enough for some conclusions to be made, and those are that the Rams are going to be an elite rebounding team, play extremely fast, and not turn the ball over. Those will all lead to wins. The Atlantic 10 is tough, but Fordham is going to be much improved in year 1.
187. Oakland Golden Grizzlies - Last Season Ranking: 169
Conference: Horizon League
Player to know: Khoi Thurmon
Head coach Greg Kampe has been at Oakland since the school moved to Division 1. That means it is easy to tell how his teams are going to play: as fast and as physical as possible, while letting it fly from deep as many times as necessary to win a game. The Golden Grizzlies will live by the three and die by the three. This year looks like a live year.
186. Florida Gulf Coast Eagles- Last Season Ranking: 204
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Player to know: Rahmir Barno
Florida Gulf Coast made the postseason last year, but it wasn't the postseason tournament that head coach Pat Chambers or the Eagles fans wanted. The Eagles have yet to make the NCAA Tournament under coach Chambers, and the window may be closed for a while. Florida Gulf Coast looks like they are entering a rebuild period for 2025-2026.
185. Old Dominion Monarchs - Last Season Ranking: 245
Conference: Sun Belt
Player to know: Robert Davis
Old Dominion hired Mike Jones with the hope that he would turn the program around, as he did at Radford. The Monarchs loaded up in the transfer portal and come into the 2025-2026 season as a team that should have a ton of scoring and be one of the favorites to win the Sun Belt.
184. Samford Bulldogs - Last Season Ranking: 148
Conference: Southern
Player to know: Jadin Booth
The Bulldogs are in for some regression this year, considering that former head coach Bucky McMillon left to take a power conference job. Samford hired Lennie Acuff from Lipscomb to take over, and he will keep Samford competitive in the Southern Conference even if there is some regression this year. The roster has a lot of new pieces to Samford, but not to coach Acuff, as they followed him from Lipscomb.
183. Southern Jaguars - Last Season Ranking: 248
Conference: SWAC
Player to know: Michael Jacobs
Southern ran through the SWAC last season but came up short in the SWAC tournament. The Jaguars are running it back, but the roster is arguably better this year after they added a lot more talent from the transfer portal. The SWAC is much better this year, so the Jaguars will face some competition at the top of the league.
182. Portland State Vikings - Last Season Ranking: 225
Conference: Big Sky
Player to know: Terri Miller Jr.
There were not many people who likely watched Portland State play much last year, me included, but what I did see was exciting basketball. The Vikings play fast and run an efficient offense that is run mostly inside the three-point arc. The defense is exceptional, and they have two of the best players in the Big Sky. They are a favorite in that league this year.
181. Sam Houston Bearkats - Last Season Ranking: 115
Conference: Conference USA
Player to know: Po’Boigh King
Sam Houston, which experienced a coaching change, has undergone a rebuild over the last two seasons. The positives are that they were one of the best offensive teams in the country last year. Unfortunately, their defense was among the worst in the country. The roster will score, but the defense still has questions to answer.
180. San Diego Toreros - Last Season Ranking: 288
Conference: West Coast
Player to know: Kjay Bradley Jr.
San Diego finally has a competitive roster for head coach Steve Lavin. Do the Toreros have enough to finish in the top half of the West Coast Conference? Probably not, but they have enough to strike fear into teams and keep games much closer. They are a middle-of-the-pack team in the WCC.
179. Texas State Bobcats - Last Season Ranking: 165
Conference: Sun Belt
Player to know: Kaden Gumps
Head coach Terrence Johnson will turn Texas State into a Summit powerhouse. He needs to start getting talented players and building depth. The roster this season has a lot of talent, but much of it came from the transfer portal. The team will have to gel to be successful, but they will knock off some teams they are not supposed to beat.
178. Eastern Kentucky Colonels - Last Season Ranking: 280
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Player to know: Juan Cranford Jr.
There is a lot to like with the Colonels. They play the fastest 40 minutes in basketball, love to run, and have a roster that thrives in those situations. Eastern Kentucky may have the best starting five in the Atlantic Sun, but the overall depth outside of those five is questionable at best. The Colonels are the favorite for the Atlantic Sun.
177. Rice Owls - Last Season Ranking: 237
Conference: American
Player to know: Nick Anderson
Rice is trending up under current head coach Rob Lanier. He will be able to bring in a new type of player for the Owls and, hopefully, take the program to new heights. The roster was in desperate need of star power and depth. Those two things were accomplished in the portal, and Rice might surprise this year.
176. Texas Arlington Mavericks -Last Season Ranking: 163
Conference: WAC
Player to know: Miles Goodman
KT Turner took over the UT Arlington program, intending to turn them into a power in the WAC, and given how the first year went, that is a possibility. The Mavericks still had a losing record, but player development and competitiveness were back. The roster this year is full of quality transfers and high-ceiling players who will make the Mavericks better quickly.
175. South Alabama Jaguars - Last Season Ranking: 236
Conference: Sun Belt
Player to know: Chaze Harris
Richie Riley has turned the Jaguars into a consistent power in the Sun Belt Conference. They haven't made the tournament under coach Riley yet, but he's a good coach who will get a team there. South Alabama has a new roster from the transfer portal and won't win the league, but they won't be a slouch either.
174. Abilene Christian Wildcats - Last Season Ranking: 162
Conference WAC
Player to know: Bradyn Hubbard
Abilene Christian finished in the top half of the WAC last year with a .500 record at 16-16. That says more about the overall depth of the WAC than it does about the Wildcats. Abilene Christian plays an aggressive defense that forces teams to slow down to a snail's pace and led the country in turnovers last season. The only problem was that they couldn't score.
173. Youngstown State Penguins - Last Season Ranking: 180
Conference: Horizon League
Player to know: Bryson Dawkins
The Penguins have been trending up over the last few seasons, and it has been due in large part to their ability to get a lot of big-time transfers. Youngstown State has a lot of big-time transfers on the roster this season, who are all going to contribute. The Penguins shoot threes, rebound, and protect the rim. They are one of the favorites in the Horizon.
172. Incarnate Word Cardinals - Last Season Ranking: 329
Conference: Southland
Player to know: Davion Bailey
Incarnate Word finished with 19 wins last year, doing so with exceptional three-point shooting and efficient offense. The Cardinals were much improved, but still couldn't get over the hump in the Southland. Head coach Shane Heirman improved this roster on both ends of the floor, and Incarnate Word has to be one of the favorites in the Southland for 2025-2026.
171. Cornell Big Red - Last Season Ranking: 158
Conference: Ivy League
Player to know: Cooper Noard
Cornell finished second in the Ivy League last year behind Yale, which dominated the league. Let me bring you up to speed if you have never watched the Big Red play basketball: three's, three's, and more three's. Cornell, under head coach Jon Jaques, has consistently been one of the better three-point shooting teams in the country. They now have the talent to compete near the top of the Ivy League consistently.
170. Indiana State Sycamores - Last Season Ranking: 159
Conference: Missouri Valley
Player to know: Sterling Young
The Sycamores had one of the best offenses in the country; they were a high-volume, three-point-shooting team that was highly efficient. The problem was that Indiana State also had one of the worst defenses in the country. Head coach Matthew Graves brought in a ton of talent from the transfer portal. I know the Sycamores will score, but can they defend?
169. South Dakota State Jackrabbits - Last Season Ranking: 185
Conference: Summit League
Player to know: Joe Sayler
The Jackrabbits still finished third in the Summit League and won 20 games, in what many would consider a down year for the program. South Dakota State didn't think so, and they didn't need to do much to keep this team at the top of the Summit League. They are going to run a fast, efficient offense and make more threes than your team. I hope you keep up.
168. Montana Grizzlies - Last Season Ranking: 171
Conference: Big Sky
Player to know: Money Williams
Montana won the Big Sky regular season and tournament championship and headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. Last season, the Grizzlies showed why they are the premier program in the Big Sky. They are a consistent top-of-the-league performer every year, and everyone is always chasing them. The Grizzlies have the Big Sky Player of the Year this year.
167. Radford Highlanders - Last Season Ranking: 263
Conference: Big South
Player to know: Jaylon Johnson
Radford enters the Zach Chu era, and with that comes a rebuild. The 2025-2026 roster features a single player who earned a minute for the Highlanders last season. Coach Chu has built a talented roster, but there is no experience playing in the Big South. Radford is a couple of years away from returning to the Big South.
166. Brown Bears - Last Season Ranking: 182
Conference: Ivy League
Player to know: Landon Lewis
Brown finished 6th in the Ivy League last year, which shows the league's overall depth, especially at the top. The Bears and head coach Mike Martin lost a lot of talent in the offseason to graduation and the transfer portal, and given the overall strength of the Ivy League, it isn't ever a good time to be young and rebuilding.
165. Bethune-Cookman Wildcats - Last Season Ranking: 308
Conference: SWAC
Player to know: Daniel Rouzan
The Wildcats won 17 games for the second season in a row and played power conference schools tough. This year, head coach Reggie Theus has assembled arguably one of the best rosters in SWAC history. Bethune-Cookman is the overwhelming favorite to win the SWAC this year, and they will beat the rest of the field by a lot of games. The Wildcats are going to get somebody — or somebodies-in non-conference play this year.
164. Wyoming Cowboys - Last Season Ranking: 221
Conference: Mountain West
Player to know: Leland Walker
Wyoming didn't have a good first season under head coach Sundance Wicks, winning only 12 games. Don't get used to that because the Cowboys will likely never be that bad again under coach Wicks. He has significantly upgraded the talent at Wyoming, and the Cowboys will be much improved.
163. Hofstra Pride - Last Season Ranking: 175
Conference: Coastal Athletic
Player to know: Cruz Davis
It was strange to see a Speedy Claxton-coached team struggle so badly on the offensive end of the floor last year, but that is precisely what happened. Hofstra finished among the worst offensive teams in the country. Coach Claxton went out and brought in some scorers from the transfer portal, hoping to see the Pride take their place near the top of the league.
162. High Point Panthers - Last Season Ranking: 102
Conference: Big South
Player to know: Rob Martin
High Point qualified for its first NCAA Tournament in school history last year, and then head coach Alan Huss left the Panthers to go back to Creighton. That prompted the star players to enter the transfer portal, leaving new coach Flynn Cayman scrambling to fill the roster. He was able to find some stars in the portal, but I do question the depth. High Point takes a step back this season.
161. Ohio Bobcats - Last Season Ranking: 120
Conference: MAC
Player to know: Jackson Paveletzke
Some things are always going to be true for the Bobcats under head coach Jeff Boals. The first is that they will score points at a high clip. The second is that they are never out of the MAC race. They are always competitive in the league and are always a threat to win it. If the defense improves, they are a threat to make the tournament.
160. Harvard Crimson - Last Season Ranking: 232
Conference: Ivy League
Player to know: Robert Hinton
The Crimson have struggled over the last few seasons, and the problem has been that Harvard hasn't had the same level of talent as the top Ivy League schools. Harvard has also been destroyed by the transfer portal over the last few seasons. This year, the Crimson returns all of its top scorers and will return to Ivy Madness.
159. UTEP Miners - Last Season Ranking: 177
Conference: Conference USA
Player to know: Kaseem Watson
The Miners have been trending up under Joe Golding. They play aggressive defense and run an efficient offense, but the problem has been depth and competing reasonably within Conference USA. This year, all of that changes. There is a lot to like about the UTEP roster. There is a lot of scoring and depth with this team. The Miners will be a factor in the CUSA.
158. Cal State Northridge Matadors - Last Season Ranking: 249
Conference: Big West
Player to know: Jai Chisolm
Coach Andy Newman is responsible for two of the best years that Matadors have ever had, and it is only his third season at the helm of Northridge. Northridge may have a new roster this year, but they will score points and likely finish near the top of the Big West. Trust coach Newman.
157. San Jose State Spartans - Last Season Ranking: 192
Conference: Mountain West
Player to know: JaVaughn Hannah
It is tough to win at San Jose State, and what Tim Miles has turned the program into should be celebrated. They have not won a ton, but the Spartans have had far more success than they ever did before coach Miles showed up. San Jose State has a lot of high upside transfers who will compete in the Mountain West. The Spartans could be sneaky.
156. Davidson Wildcats - Last Season Ranking: 128
Conference: Atlantic 10
Player to know: Josh Scovens
At this point, we all know how Davidson will play. They are going to load the roster with efficient offensive players who are catch-and-shoot guys. They will find a very competent point guard who won't turn the ball over and rarely fouls. That has led to a winning recipe for a long time. The Wildcats won't make the tournament again, but they will have a winning record.
155. Arkansas State Red Wolves - Last Season Ranking: 118
Conference: Sun Belt
Player to know: Matt Hayman
Head coach Ryan Pannone begins his first year as the Red Wolves' head coach, and Arkansas State fans are going to be pleased. Pannone comes from Alabama and is known for a high-powered offense and player development. Those are things to remember because the Red Wolves do not have a single player returning from last year's Sun Belt Championship team.
154. Toledo Rockets - Last Season Ranking: 172
Conference: MAC
Player to know: Sonny Wilson
Toledo had no problem scoring last year, but they didn't play a lick of defense. The defense was so bad that it allowed over 80 points a night, ranking 346th out of 364 teams in Division 1. It's fantastic with defense that bad that Toledo still had a winning record. The Rockets have improved their offense through the transfer portal this year, but their defense remains a question mark.
153. UC San Diego Tritons - Last Season Ranking: 132
Conference: Big West
Player to know: Alex Chaikin
The Tritons were the only team to outplay my ranking last year massively. UC San Diego won 30 games, blew through the Big West, and had one of the best defenses in the country. The Tritons made their first NCAA Tournament in school history. Unfortunately, that excellent season saw their coach leave for New Mexico and most of the players enter the transfer portal. UC San Diego is starting over this year, but it still has a ton of young talent.
152. Richmond Spiders - Last Season Ranking: 137
Conference: Atlantic 10
Player to know: Will Johnston
The Spiders won 10 games last year, a season after winning the Atlantic 10. That has been the problem during Chris Mooney's tenure with the Spiders. He will have a good season and then a bad one. Richmond went out and added some scoring in the transfer portal, hoping to win more games. The Spiders don't look like a team that will improve that much from last year.
151. Winthrop Eagles - Last Season Ranking: 166
Conference: Big South
Player to know: Daylen Berry
Winthrop is a team you can trust because, no matter who they have on their roster or who the Eagles have as a coach, they always seem to win. The home-court advantage is big time; when the Hill gets rocking, no one comes out of there alive. The roster is completely new this season, but I still expect Winthrop to compete.