NCAA Basketball: Potential Top 25 sleepers and busts to watch for 2024-25

Each College Basketball season, there will be several Preseason top 25 teams who struggle throughout the year and fail to meet their preseason expectations. On the flip side, there will be several lower or unranked teams who exceed their expectations and spend a large portion of the season ranked highly in the top 25 polls.

As a matter of fact, come March there will generally be several preseason top 25 teams that miss the NCAA Tournament altogether, coupled with several unranked teams being inside the top 10, and perhaps being in line for a one seed in the tournament.

That trend will likely continue this year, so who could those potential busts end up being? And who are teams being slept on? Let's dive in.

Potential Bust: Rutgers

Rutgers just made the preseason top 25, checking in at no. 25 overall. There's plenty to be excited about with Rutgers this year, most notably their highly top 5 recruiting class that includes Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper. However, there will likely be some growing pains for Rutgers, especially at the start of the season that could lead to an quick exit from the top 25.

The Scarlet Knights should improve as the year goes on and will likely make the NCAA Tournament, but don't be surprised if they get off to a bit of a slow start as their incoming freshman acclimate themselves to college basketball.

Sleeper: Xavier

While Xavier missed out on the preseason top 25 polls, they still have an extremely talented roster with plenty of experience thanks to an impressive transfer portal haul that included the additions of Ryan Conwell (Indiana State), Marcus Foster (Furman), and John Hughley (Oklahoma). Additionally, big man Zach Freemantle is set to return to the team after missing all of last season with an injury, thus giving the Musketeers another boost.

Xavier has the potential to make some serious noise in the Big East this season and when all is said and done, they should find themselves with a pretty high seed in the NCAA Tournament. Look for Xavier to be a regular fixture in the top 25 polls this year.

Potential Bust: Indiana

Slotting in at 17th in the preseason polls, Indiana looks to have the most talented roster of the Mike Woodson era thus far, largely in part due to the additions of Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, and Kanaan Carlyle. While this roster has the potential to win the Big Ten if things go right, there are still some flaws across the board, some of which are ones that have been the Hoosiers' achilles heel in past seasons.

Over the last few seasons, Indiana has had issues when it comes to 3-point shooting, and while their incoming talent is certainly impressive, 3-point shooting looks like it could once again end up being an issue. Last year, forward Malik Renau led the Hoosiers' projected starting five in 3-point percentage at just 33%, while attempting just 45 shots from beyond the arc all year. Kanaan Carlyle, who 32% from beyond the arc in his freshman year last season should improve on that mark and be the main 3-point shooter among the starting group, but even still, 3-point shooting looks like it could collectively remain a weakness for Indiana and could cause the Hoosiers to underachieve.

Potential Sleeper: San Diego State

The Aztecs were a no-show on the top 25 preseason poll, only receiving two votes all things considered. For a team that appeared in a National Championship game and Sweet Sixteen over the last two seasons, it certainly feels like the Aztecs are once again being slept on. Despite losing several key pieces in the offseason, the Aztecs brought in several solid transfers, including forward Jared Coleman-Jones (MTSU) and guards Nick Boyd (FAU) and Wayne McKinney III (USD), along with a solid freshman recruiting class.

San Diego State defeated preseason no. 22 UCLA in a "secret" scrimmage despite being short handed, further asserting they're being slept on entering the season. Assuming this team stays healthy, they should get back into the top 25 for a good portion of the year while once again being a contender in the Mountain West.

Potential Bust: Kansas

For the second straight year, Kansas was voted preseason no. 1, and while they are certainly talented, there's a very real chance their time as the no. 1 team is short-lived. Last year saw Kansas struggle a bit in the Big 12, nearly falling out of the top 25 altogether in the final top 25 after a second round exit in the NCAA Tournament.

While the Jayhawks brought in several high profile transfers, most notably guard AJ Storr, their roster still looks eerily similar to last year's team which lost double digit games for only the third time under Bill Self. Kansas will undoubtedly still make the NCAA Tournament, but don't be surprised if they take a few tumbles in the top 25 rankings and maybe, just maybe fall out of the top 25 altogether at times, especially during Big 12 play.

Potential Sleeper: Kansas State

Left off of the preseason top 25, Kansas State had an impressive offseason, bringing in an impressive transfer class that is highlighted by forwards Coleman Hawkins (Illinois) and Achor Achor (Samford), and guards Dug McDaniel (Michigan) and Brendan Hausen (Villanova). All things considered, Kansas State has the potential to be sleeper Final Four team in addition to being ranked in the top 25.

The Wildcats were picked to finish 8th in the loaded 16-team Big 12, however, looking at their roster, there is more than enough talent to finish much higher than their projected position. Given the strength of the Big 12, the Wildcats will have many opportunities for signature wins that will help them climb up the top 25 as the year goes on. This is a team to keep your eyes on this season.