Welcome to the 2026-2027 College Basketball Season. As is tradition here at Busting Brackets, it is time to unveil the comprehensive rankings of every team in NCAA Division 1 Basketball. This year's rankings will roll out a little differently. Instead of bombarding readers with about 100,000 words, we'll break them into different articles. The first will cover all the teams from 365-300.
None of those teams are likely to factor into the NCAA Tournament, and many will be forgotten on the National Landscape. They still matter because they'll play your favorite team in a buy game early in the season. Enjoy the rollout.
365. Western Illinois Leathernecks - Last Season Ranking: 335
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Chad Boudreau (4th season)
Player to know: Tayelor Moore
The Leathernecks were awful in 2025-2026, winning only five total games and only one game in the Ohio Valley. Head coach Boudreau kept his job to try to turn it around, but given what the roster looks like heading into 2026-2027, that doesn't seem likely. Western Illinois has two players on the entire roster with Division 1 experience, and the rest are guys who had varying levels of success at a JUCO. Last-place finish in the Ohio Valley this year.
364. Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils - Last Season Ranking: 364
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Mike Davis (1st season)
Player to know: AJ Abrams
Mississippi Valley State hiring Mike Davis could be the best thing the basketball program has ever seen. Davis built Texas Southern into a SWAC power by giving former power-conference players a second chance. Can he do the same thing with zero budget and zero history? If the Delta Devils win, put coach Davis in the Hall of Fame.
363. Coppin State Eagles - Last Season Ranking: 365
Conference: MEAC
Head Coach: Larry Stewart (4th season)
Player to know: Hussain Williams
In 2025-2026, Coppin State won 7 games. The offense was one of the worst in the country, and the defense allowed 80 per game. That's never a recipe for winning. The Eagles have a good core returning from last season but no double-digit scoring options. Sometimes experience doesn't win out.
362. Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks - Last Season Ranking: 359
Conference: MEAC
Head Coach: Cleo Hill (3rd season)
Player to know: Saadiq Moore
Levi Beckwith is the only player on the roster who played for Eastern Shore last year. The rest of the roster comes from Division II and below. The Hawks will be one of the tallest teams in the MEAC, but none of those players showed much in the lower divisions. Maryland Eastern Shore will have to win games with defense and rebounding this season.
361. Delaware State Hornets - Last Season Ranking: 350
Conference: MEAC
Head Coach: Stan Waterman (5th season)
Player to know: Ademar Santos
The Hornets have improved and have been one of the better teams in the MEAC under Stan Waterman, but the 2025-2026 season reversed course, and Delaware State was one of the worst programs in the country with one of the worst offenses. Coach Waterman scoured the transfer portal for scoring and had to do it in the Division II, III, and even NAIA ranks. Those players don't always pan out. Hopefully Santos takes the jump many believe he can.
360. Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions - Last Season Ranking: 362
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Solomon Bozeman (6th season)
Player to know: Elijah Hernandez
Pine Bluff outplayed their ranking and turned out to be one of the best teams in the SWAC last year. Coach Bozeman found a recipe to get old and stay old by bringing in experienced transfers to dominate the SWAC. Coach Bozeman may have missed the mark a bit on the 2026-2027 roster. The Golden Lions won't be very good.
359. Holy Cross Crusaders - Last Season Ranking: 351
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: Dave Paulson (3rd season)
Player to know: Joe Nugent
Holy Cross plays low-possession, efficient basketball, at least that is the goal for the Crusaders under coach Paulson. The Crusaders can play games in the 60s, but their defense is far too porous for that to happen consistently. Holy Cross went to Division II and Division III to find talent. That approach usually comes with mixed results. Holy Cross is another bottom-tier team in the Patriot League.
358. Stonehill College Skyhawks - Last Season Ranking: 331
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Chris Kraus (14th season)
Player to know: Will Batchelder
Stonehill finished tied for second in the NEC regular season in their first Season in Division 1, and it looked like they would be a consistent performer in the league. Since then, the Skyhawks haven't been good. The roster is almost completely new, except for their star. Batchelder will need to be Superman for Stonehill to get back to the top in the NEC.
357. South Carolina State Bulldogs - Last Season Ranking: 320
Conference: MEAC
Head Coach: Erik Martin (4th season)
Player to know: Mitchell Taylor
A small conference team with one of the worst offenses and defenses in the country will never post a high win total. Granted, South Carolina State has recruiting limitations and doesn't have much size, but when you play at their pace and still allow teams to shoot 48% from the floor, that is a play-style issue. The Bulldogs have one of the MEAC's better players in Taylor, who will help the offense, but without the defense, it won't matter.
356. West Florida Argonauts - Last Season Ranking: N/A
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Head Coach: Tanner Smith (1st season)
Player to know: DJ Shine
It's tough business going from Division II to Division I, especially straight to an athletic conference like the Atlantic Sun. Luckily for the Argonauts, Coach Smith has plenty of Division I experience. Coach Smith is a defense-first coach. Defense wins, and in its first year in Division I, West Florida has the athletes to be a menace on both ends of the floor.
355. Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks - Last Season Ranking: 355
Conference: Sun Belt
Head Coach: Ryan Cross (1st season)
Player to know: Grant Chamberlain
The Warhawks were one of the worst teams in the country in 2025-2026. As a result, the coach was fired, and Ryan Cross was hired. Cross is an elite recruiter with a knack for finding top JUCO talent like Yaxel Lendeborg. Louisiana-Monroe has a lot of JUCO talent on this roster. They have a chance to be one of the biggest surprises in the country, but are probably going to be bad.
354. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 314
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Jeremy Luther (3rd season)
Player to know: Jacob Hudson
Gardner-Webb is in year three of a rebuild under a new coach, and last year took them in the wrong direction. The Runnin' Bulldogs had one of the worst offenses in the country, paired with one of the worst defenses, for a combined 4 wins. The 2026-2027 roster doesn't provide much hope that Gardner-Webb will be much better.
353. New Haven Chargers - Last Season Ranking: 358
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Ted Hotaling (17th season)
Player to know: Moussa Camara
The Chargers' first foray into Division 1 basketball should be considered a success. New Haven won 14 games and posted a top-25 defense in 2025-2026. The talent is better this season, as New Haven got much deeper and much more athletic. The defense will always be there; if the Chargers can score more than 65 a night, even with one of the slowest paces of play, they become very dangerous.
352. New Hampshire Wildcats- Last Season Ranking: 356
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Nathan Davis (4th season)
Player to know: Kaleb Myers
The rebuild isn't going well for the Wildcats under head coach Nathan Davis. The team lacks athletes, money, and top-notch facilities. Despite the lack of resources, Coach Davis still landed a couple of intriguing guys in the transfer portal. The athleticism will improve, but New Hampshire still can't shoot and likely won't defend well. Â
351. Rider Broncs - Last Season Ranking: 305
Conference: Metro
Head Coach: Kevin Baggett (15th season)
Player to know: Mark Butler
Rider won 4 games last year; that was the fewest wins the Broncs have had in a season, and it came with one of the worst offenses in the country. Coach Baggett has turned the page and doesn't have a single player who recorded a minute in the 2025-2026 season. Usually that is a bad thing, but in this situation it may help. Â
350. Chicago State Cougars- Last Season Ranking: 363
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Landon Bussie (2nd season)
Player to know: Will Lovings-Watts
NIL isn't kind to some lower-conference teams, and Chicago State is one of them. They have no budget to buy players. Couple that with their history of being one of the worst programs in the country, and it is an uphill climb every year. Good thing the NEC lets bad teams rise and win the league every once in a while.
349. Binghamton Bearcats- Last Season Ranking: 327
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Levell Sanders (6th season)
Player to know: Jeremiah Quigley
The Bearcats played at the second-slowest pace in the country but can't defend. Binghamton will never get enough possessions to make up for the lack of quality defense. The Bearcats need to improve on both ends of the floor; Coach Sanders added depth, brought back star Demetrius Lilly from injury, and has one of the best players in the America East in Quigley. That still isn't enough to climb out of the league's basement.
348. VMI Keydets- Last Season Ranking: 252
Conference: Southern
Head Coach: Andrew Wilson (5th season)
Player to know: Rickey Bradley Jr.
Coach Wilson has the Keydets moving in the right direction, even though VMI won only 6 games last season. The expectations needed to be tempered after preseason Southern Conference player of the year Bradley Jr. was lost for the entire season due to injury. The defense is awful, and the Keydets have a ton of freshmen, but they still have two bona fide Southern Conference stars who can change games quickly.
347. Albany Great Danes- Last Season Ranking: 238
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Dwayne Killings (6th season)
Player to know: Zach Matulu
It's hard to believe Coach Killings is still coaching Albany, especially since the program has done a complete 180 since he took over. The Great Danes used to be one of the better teams in the America East under former coach Will Brown. The 2026-2027 season will be another "rebuilding year" for Albany; the roster is young and inexperienced at the D1 level, and that doesn't usually go well.Â
346. Florida A&M Rattlers- Last Season Ranking: 340
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Charlie Ward (2nd season)
Player to know: Jaquan Sanders
The Rattlers are in position to become one of the SWAC's better teams and compete consistently for the conference championship. Florida A&M bolstered the 2026-2027 roster with a lot of talent, well, at least for the SWAC, from the JUCO and Power Five ranks. Coach Ward is a good coach who will get the most out of the team, but this team doesn't have much talent.
345. Loyola Maryland Greyhounds- Last Season Ranking: 295
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: Josh Loeffler (3rd season)
Player to know: Leo Ricketts
The Greyhounds run a brilliant uptempo offense. Loyola Maryland rarely turns it over, is efficient inside the three-point line, and puts heavy pressure on opposing defenses by taking one of the highest volumes of threes in the country. The issue for the Greyhounds has been defense. The 2026-2027 team has a rebuilt roster, and scoring might be a problem. It's another losing season for Loyola.
344. Wagner Seahawks- Last Season Ranking: 361
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Dwan McMillan (2nd season)
Player to know: William Patterson Jr.
The Seahawks play a much different style than everyone is used to. The slow, physical defensive style is gone, and Coach McMillan has improved the offense, but that improvement came at the expense of the once-signature defense. Wagner brings in an entirely new roster with a lot of high-ceiling guys who can make a difference, especially if the Seahawks can get back to playing Wagner defense. Anyone can win the NEC.Â
343. Maine Black Bears- Last Season Ranking: 297
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Chris Markwood (5th season)
Player to know: Ace Flagg
Maine took a huge step backward last year, winning only 8 games. The 2026-2027 season won't get much better unless many players take huge steps in their development. Playing at the slowest pace in the country, running an inefficient offense, and turning the ball over 25% of possessions is never a recipe for success. If that flips, the Black Bears will be much better.Â
342. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils- Last Season Ranking: 310
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Patrick Sellers (6th season)
Player to know: Raphel Laurent
The last three years have seen Central Connecticut enter the season as the NEC favorite, but that has changed. It would be a huge surprise if the Blue Devils finished at the top of the league in 2026-2027. The roster turnover might be too much to overcome. Always keep in mind that the NEC doesn't have a lot of great teams, and Coach Sellers has experienced a ton of success lately, so that anything can happen, especially in the NEC.
341. Lafayette Leopards- Last Season Ranking: 316
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: Mike McGarvey (5th season)
Player to know: Shareef Jackson
The Leopards were young in 2025-2026 and still finished 6th in the conference. The 11 total wins were rough, but the good news is that Lafayette has brought back most of its roster from last season, and they all gained valuable experience. Lafayette still needs to show it can win at a high rate, though.
340. South Carolina Upstate Spartans- Last Season Ranking: 330
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Marty Richter (3rd season)
Player to know: Derek Edmond
Upstate finished 8th in the Big South in the 2025-2026 season but had plenty of talent to build around. Unfortunately, in the NIL era, the entire roster flipped, and not because Coach Richter wanted it to. The 2026-2027 roster is filled with players who had some success as JUCO players. The unfortunate part of that is that there are no stars to carry the load for this team. It's another rebuilding year for the Spartans.
339. Eastern Illinois Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 333
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Marty Simmons (6th season)
Player to know: Jaden Miller
The Panthers have no history on the basketball court, which makes them hard to recruit, especially in a conference with minimal NIL. It also makes the expectations low every year. The 2026-2027 roster is loaded with excellent talent from the JUCO and lower division ranks. Eastern Illinois has a chance to surprise some people this year.
338. Bryant Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 280
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Jamion Christian (2nd season)
Player to know: Keegan Harvey
Bryant is in the middle of a rebuild, and it is strange to see the Bulldogs struggle as much as they did last year. It is also strange to see Bryant play slowly, compared to their normal uptempo style we got used to under the last two coaches. Coach Christian will get Bryant back to the NCAA Tournament, but it will be another tough year for the young Bulldogs.
337. Army Black Knights- Last Season Ranking: 343
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: Kevin Kuwik (3rd season)
Player to know: Ryan Curry
The service academies struggle to get quality talent, knowing your commitment isn't just for four seasons. Because of the strict rules, transfers in and out are rare. The Black Knights return a lot after an 11-win season, but a big talent gap remains between Army and most of the Patriot League.
336. The Citadel Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 336
Conference: Southern Conference
Head Coach: Ed Conroy (5th season)
Player to know: Tyler Mrus
The Citadel has never made the NCAA Tournament, and they have been playing basketball at the University for well over 100 years. Fun facts are all you can say about the Bulldogs. The roster has no star power, and it is going to be another long season for The Citadel. Hopefully they can find some magic to win double-digit games.
335. Lindenwood Lions- Last Season Ranking: 325
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Kyle Gerdeman (8th season)
Player to know: Marsai Mason
Lindenwood won 18 games last year on the backs of three fantastic guards who did everything for the Lions. Those players, along with the rest of the roster, have either graduated or transferred. Coach Gerdeman is hoping to find the magic recipe with his young team. The roster has some athletic guards with high ceilings but who are unproven in the Division 1 ranks. The Lions are in a tough spot this year.
334.Northern Illinois Huskies- Last Season Ranking: 317
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Matt Majkrzak (1st season)
Player to know: Uzziah Buntyn
The Huskies definitely needed a change. The Rashon Burno era was one Northern Illinois wanted to forget. Never fear, though, because the Huskies have a new coach in Majkrzak, who had a lot of success at Northern Michigan. The hope is that the program gets turned around; how quickly is another story. The Huskies don't have much this year and will struggle in their first Horizon League go-around.
333. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights- Last Season Ranking: 344
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Jack Castleberry (4th season)
Player to know: Vophcy Prophete
Fairleigh Dickinson lost most of its scoring from 2025-2026 and, like most small schools, had to replace it with JUCO and lower-division talent. The Knights have been one of the more consistent teams in the country when conference play hits. No matter the roster, FDU will be a factor in the NEC.
332. West Georgia Wolves- Last Season Ranking: 313
Conference: United Athletic Conference
Head Coach: Dave Moore (9th season)
Player to know: Chas Lewless
The Wolves will be part of the inaugural United Athletic Conference, and Coach Moore built a team that will compete in that league. Scoring will never be a problem for West Georgia, and the defense appears vastly improved from the transfer portal. Can they improve on their 15 wins from a season ago?
331. Bellarmine Knights- Last Season Ranking: 319
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Head Coach: Doug Davenport (2nd season)
Player to know: Kenyon Goodin
The Knights have struggled in the Atlantic Sun over the last couple of years, and it all stems from their inability to play defense. Offense has never been a problem, and Bellarmine usually has an elite offensive player. Goodin fits that bill, but unfortunately for the Knights, the roster is young, and they are a few years away from competing in the Atlantic Sun.
330. Niagara Purple Eagles- Last Season Ranking: 329
Conference: Metro
Head Coach: Greg Paulus (8th season)
Player to know: Trenton Walters
It's been a rough go for the Purple Eagles under Coach Paulus, and last season was the worst in the previous six seasons. Niagara already plays at one of the slowest paces in the country; they cannot afford to have an inefficient offense. The Purple Eagles better play defense, or they won't win much, especially playing the low-possession style they like to play. Niagara is a bottom feeder in the Metro again.
329. Bucknell Bison- Last Season Ranking: 293
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: John Griffin III (4th season)
Player to know: Rocco Lamuno
The Bison took a huge step backward last year. Bucknell won a share of the Patriot League regular season in 2024-2025, then won only 10 total games in 2025-2026. The Bison had one of the worst offenses in the country and, as a result, one of the youngest teams. Bucknell is still young in 2026-2027, but the offense should be a lot better. Hopefully the wins come as well.
328. Texas Southern Tigers- Last Season Ranking: 306
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Corey Lowery (1st season)
Player to know: Cameron Patterson
It is hard to see the Tigers having a good season this year. The roster is fine, but the administration made a comedy of errors when hiring current coach Corey Lowery. Former coach Johnny Jones left to join the LSU staff in April; assistant Shyrone Chatman recruited all of the players and handled summer workouts; the administration still hired Lowery. The basketball players protested the hire to the administration, but to no avail.
327. Canisius Golden Griffins- Last Season Ranking: 349
Conference: Metro
Head Coach: Jim Christian (3rd season)
Player to know: Vinny Sigona
62.5 points is all the Golden Griffins averaged in 2025-2026. That wasn't the worst, but that number checked in at 362 out of 365. Canisius's offseason mission was offense. Coach Christian flipped this roster and filled it with transfers from other mid-majors who have shown a penchant for scoring. The Golden Griffins could finish close to .500.
326. Prairie View A&M Panthers- Last Season Ranking: 326
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Byron Smith (11th season)
Player to know: Dashawn Ceaser
The Panthers head into the 2026-2027 season after a surprise run to the NCAA Tournament as the 8 seed in the SWAC tournament, where they won a game. Life in the low majors is tough, though; Prairie View returns one player from that team but added some high-ceiling, low-floor players from the transfer portal. The SWAC is always up for grabs, and all teams have to do is make the conference tournament. The Panthers are good enough to do that.
325. Weber State Wildcats- Last Season Ranking: 301
Conference: Big Sky
Head Coach: Kaleb Canales (1st season)
Player to know:Â Dyllan Thompson
Weber State is a proud program that has won a lot of games; this year may not be one of those years. Â The Wildcats have one of the youngest rosters in the country, with little experience. Weber State will have a lot of question marks when they take the floor. Coach Canales will be fine and will win at Weber State; it just won't be this year.
324. Sacred Heart Pioneers- Last Season Ranking: 245
Conference: Metro
Head Coach: Anthony Latina (14th season)
Player to know: Kedrick Curtis
 The Pioneers don't have much of an operating budget and virtually no NIL. As a result, they have to play a lot of buy games, and there is usually a talent discrepancy. Especially when Sacred Heart develops a great player who can lead them to the tournament, those players transfer, and Coach Latina has to rely on his player development skills to build a competent roster. Somehow Sacred Heart usually finishes right around .500.
323. Kansas City Kangaroos- Last Season Ranking: 315
Conference: Summit League
Head Coach: Mark Turgeon (1st season)
Player to know: Jaylen Smith
There is no sugarcoating it: the Roos were bad; in fact, they were one of the worst teams in the country. It cost former coach Marvin Menzies his job but allowed Kansas City to hire Mark Turgeon. The belief is that it won't take long for Turgeon to turn the Kangaroos into a Summit League power. In 2026-2027, they sport one of the youngest rosters in the sport, with very few proven players.
322. Grambling State Tigers- Last Season Ranking: 309
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Patrick Crarey (2nd season)
Player to know: Isaiah Howard
The Tigers lost over 90% of their roster from 2025-2026, which is usually not a good thing. Coach Crarey went out and found some mid-major Division 1 talent and paired that with some quality JUCO players. Grambling will be better this season but still a few years away from truly contending in the SWAC.
321. Morgan State Bears- Last Season Ranking: 352
Conference: MEAC
Head Coach: Kevin Broadus (7th season)
Player to know: Alfred Worrell
Having one of the best individual scorers in the MEAC has become somewhat of a staple for Coach Broadus; the players around the stars have held Morgan State back. The Bears' depth is a lot better this year, and they are a favorite to win the MEAC and make the first NCAA Tournament for Coach Broadus.
320. Boston University Terriers- Last Season Ranking: 261
Conference: Patriot League
Head Coach: Joe Jones (16th season)
Player to know: Sam Hughes
Boston University was one game away from heading back to the NCAA Tournament but lost to Lehigh in the Patriot League title game. Then the Terriers saw their three stars leave in the transfer portal, leaving Boston University searching for some go-to scoring options for the 2026-2027 season. Coach Jones has a young roster, but he knows how to win, and Boston should still make it interesting in the Patriot League.
319. UMass-Lowell River Hawks- Last Season Ranking: 296
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Pat Duquette (14th season)
Player to know: Donovan Hand
The River Hawks have been a consistent top-4 finisher in the America East over the last 5 years, and nothing suggests that will change this season. In fact, the 2026-2027 season may be better than a top-4 finish, since UMass-Lowell has some players returning with minutes. Last year they had none. Coach Duquette got a lot of talent in the transfer portal that should thrive in the America East. This could be the year for the River Hawks.
318. Dartmouth Big Green- Last Season Ranking: 224
Conference: Ivy League
Head Coach: Brett MacConnell
Player to know: Dan Civello
Lately, it has been tough to win in the Ivy League, especially with the sheer dominance of the top 4 teams. Dartmouth was only a game out of the Ivy Madness tournament a season ago, and that was positive progress for the Big Green. The overall lack of success led Dartmouth to hire Brett MacConnell and, hopefully, kick-start the program. They can start by making Ivy Madness this year.
317. IU Indianapolis Jaguars- Last Season Ranking: 354
Conference: Horizon League
Head Coach: Ben Howlett (2nd season)
Player to know: Gus Etchison
The offense is high-powered (84 PPG), and the defense is nonexistent (88 PPG). That leads to high-scoring games that IU Indy found themselves on the wrong side of in 2025. Coach Howlett teams will get their threes off, and this year the talent upgrade means more of them should go in. If the defense improves, the Jaguars will win quickly.
316. Alcorn State Braves- Last Season Ranking: 328
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Jake Morton (2nd season)
Player to know: Trey Thomas
Alcorn State won only 9 total games last year, but overall, at 7-10, they were competitive in the SWAC. It was a learning year for coach Morton, and now he knows exactly what he needs to win, and that is talent, and in his case, a lot of it is quality talent from good mid-majors and some from Power Five schools. It is rare for SWAC schools to secure this many non-JUCO transfers; the others who have done it have all won.
315. Charleston Southern Buccaneers- Last Season Ranking: 324
Conference: Big South
Head Coach: Saah Nimley (3rd season)
Player to know: Alex Harper
Buccaneers basketball is fun to watch. The games are usually a track meet, and it has helped Charleston Southern turn the corner and become far more competitive in the Big South. The Buccaneers' run-and-gun style is appealing and easier to recruit to. Charleston Southern has a new roster with some talent. They will still be competitive in the Big South.
314. North Carolina A&T Aggies- Last Season Ranking: 353
Conference: Coastal Athletic
Head Coach: Monte Ross (3rd season)
Player to know: Ponce James
The Aggies have struggled since moving to the CAA, and the talent discrepancy is usually evident. The main concern for the North Carolina A&T program always comes down to having enough depth and talent to put points on the board and prevent points from being scored. Preventing points is the hard one. This year's roster has some successful Division 1 players, but it's still a bottom-tier team nationally.
313. Jackson State Tigers- Last Season Ranking: 258
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Trey Johnson (1st season)
Player to know: Daeshun Ruffin
The Tigers should have been a lot better over the last couple of seasons. No one at Jackson State wants to waste Ruffin's entire career and miss the NCAA Tournament. This prompted the administration to hire Jackson State legend Trey Johnson as head coach. Johnson understands what it means to be a Tiger, and the players are excited about the future, given how many of them returned to play for their new coach.
312. Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles- Last Season Ranking: 272
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Stan Gouard (7th season)
Player to know: Kaden Brown
The Screaming Eagles had to focus on the transfer portal to build their offense. Why? Southern Indiana averaged only 69 points per game, one of the worst numbers in the country last year. Coach Goard found some scoring in the transfer portal, along with a durable point guard to run the offense. Southern Indiana will be closer to .500 in 2026-2027.
311. Northwestern State Demons- Last Season Ranking: 262
Conference: Southland
Head Coach: Rick Cabrera (4th season)
Player to know: Izzy Miles
Basketball is hard when you can't score points, and last year the Demons could not score points. Coach Cabrera went out and did everything he could in the transfer portal to bring in more scoring and help Northwestern State on offense. Most of those guys come from JUCO and Division II and lower ranks. Those guys don't always translate, but Coach Cabrera better win; he is on the hot seat.
310. North Florida Osprey- Last Season Ranking: 345
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Head Coach: Bobby Kennen (2nd season)
Player to know: Kent Jackson
Over the years, the Osprey have played extremely fast, taken a large volume of three-pointers, made a lot of them, and played virtually no defense. All of that will be true again in the 2026-2027 season. North Florida will take one of the highest volumes of threes in the country and will make a lot of them. Hopefully the Osprey don't give up 90 points a night again.
309. Alabama A&M Bulldogs- Last Season Ranking: 321
Conference: SWAC
Head Coach: Donte' Jackson (2nd season)
Player to know: James Graham
The Bulldogs were consistently one of the worst teams in the SWAC. Alabama A&M did the smart thing and hired the coach who turns programs around: Coach Jackson. The Bulldogs won 18 games in 2025-2026 and will be one of the best teams in the SWAC again this year. The roster is flipped, but Coach Jackson will win.
308. North Carolina Central Eagles- Last Season Ranking: 322
Conference: MEAC
Head Coach: LeVelle Moton (18th season)
Player to know: Isaiah Buckley
The Eagles have been one of the MEAC's premier programs for years. Even in the transfer portal era of college basketball, everyone should trust Coach Moton to win games and to have a chance to make an NCAA Tournament. North Carolina Central has loaded this team with older, experienced players who have played in the MEAC. The Eagles are a favorite yet again in the MEAC.
307. Manhattan Jaspers- Last Season Ranking: 250
Conference: Metro
Head Coach: John Gallagher (4th season)
Player to know: Anthony Pacciarelli
The Jaspers were a tale of two teams last year, depending on which side of the floor the Jaspers were on. The offense was okay, not overly efficient but good enough to win games. Then there was the defensive end of the floor where Manhattan was terrible. The Jaspers have to find a way to rebound, stop the ball, and guard the three-point line. Â
306. North Alabama Lions- Last Season Ranking: 225
Conference: United Athletic Conference
Head Coach: Tony Pujol (9th season)
Player to know: Drey Carter
The last time North Alabama won 9 games in a season, they followed that up with 24 wins and a top finish in their conference. Given that college sports are now in the full-on NIL era and the Lions are heading to a new conference, I don't see that happening in 2026-2027. The roster has too many question marks for any analyst to feel confident about its true ceiling. It will be another rebuilding year for North Alabama
305. Mercyhurst Lakers- Last Season Ranking: 360
Conference Northeast
Head Coach: Gary Manchel (23rd season)
Player to know: Jake Lemelman
The 2025-2026 season for Mercyhurst ended with an appearance in the conference title game; although the Lakers lost to Long Island, it was a huge step for the program. The defense is borderline elite, and the offense will be much better after adding some much-needed scoring in the portal. Mercyhurst is poised for another top 3 conference finish for the third straight season.
304. Incarnate Word Cardinals- Last Season Ranking: 172
Conference: Southland
Head Coach: Shane Heirman (4th season)
Player to know: Ismail Habib
The Cardinals had high expectations last year, and I overrated them by a lot. It was a year I didn't see coming, given the ceiling of the two stars Incarnate Word had on their roster in 2025-2026. That mistake won't be made again, and Incarnate Word isn't going into 2026-2027 with expectations. Coach Heirman has a roster that won't finish last in the Southland, but it still likely won't be very good.
303. SIU-Edwardsville Cougars- Last Season Ranking: 233
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Brian Barone (8th season)
Player to know: Tyler King
The Cougars entered the 2025-2026 season as the favorite in the Ohio Valley, but an inefficient offense and lack of quality depth led Edwardsville to finish fifth in the league. Unfortunately, the offense wasn't great, but the defense was one of the best in the country and allowed Edwardsville to win a lot of games. A good portion of the Cougars' roster is returning for 2026-2027, and they'll be one of the best teams in the Ohio Valley again.
302. Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks- Last Season Ranking: 332
Conference: Ohio Valley
Head Coach: Jeremy Shulman (3rd season)
Player to know: Davi Remagen
The Skyhawks had one of the best seasons in program history in 2025-2026. They allowed only 63 points per game, and teams shot under 30% from deep. Taking it a step further, UT Martin led the Ohio Valley in threes per game, rebounding, steals, and three-point attempts. Smothering defense and a heavy three-point offense are signatures of many coaches, but few can perfect them using only international players like the Skyhawks.
301. NJIT Highlanders- Last Season Ranking: 357Â
Conference: America East
Head Coach: Grant Billmeier (4th season)
Player to know: David Bolden
NJIT finally looked like it had turned the corner in the America East last year, finishing third in the league. The team took 40% of their shots from deep and tried to get into the paint for efficient offense. Efficiency was the problem, though, as the Highlanders only shot 40% from the floor. The 2026-2027 version of NJIT will be the best one yet in their America East tenure. Bolden and guard Brandon Shores are two of the league's best guards.
300. Le Moyne Dolphins- Last Season Ranking: 334
Conference: Northeast
Head Coach: Nate Champion (8th season)
Player to know: Ametri Moss
The Dolphins have been competitive in the Northeast conference over their short D1 lives. The offense is slow-paced but efficient, and the defense allows teams to play fast but is chaotic and forces opponents into bad shots. Le Moyne flipped the roster and has a lot of unproven talent, but coach Champion will find a way to finish in the top part of the league.
There you have it. Teams that are projected to finish 365-300 in the 2026-2027 NCAA Basketball season. Teams ranked 299-200 will be out soon.
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