300. Tennessee State Tigers - Last Season Ranking: 262
Conference: Ohio Valley
Tennessee State finished just outside the top 4 in the Ohio Valley last season, and the Tigers have had two competitive seasons in the league. Heading into the season, Tennessee State has no players who played significant minutes returning. The roster is made up of transfers and freshmen. There is not much experience, and the Tigers could struggle this year. Ahmir Langlais has the most experience of any Tiger.
299. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils - Last Season Ranking: 313
Conference: Northeast
The Blue Devils finished at the top of the NEC last year but fell in the conference tournament and did not make the NCAA tournament. As a result coach Patrick Sellers was able to bring back the majority of the roster and get some quality talent from the JUCO ranks. Central Connecticut looks like the team to beat in the NEC this year. Jordan Jones returns to lead the Blue Devils again.
298. Presbyterian Blue Hose - Last Season Ranking: 331
Conference: Big South
The Blue Hose went from last to fifth in the Big South last year. Heading into this season, the roster is much younger and inexperienced, and that could spell doom again for coach Quinton Ferrell. The Big South is a tough league, and experience helps. Presbyterian must hope some guys take the next step in their development. Kobe Stewart takes over the star role for the Blue Hose.
297. Pacific Tigers - Last Season Ranking: 188
Conference: West Coast
Pacific was a mess last year. They went 0-16 in the WCC, and they had one of the worst offenses and defenses in the country. That all led to their coach, Leonard Perry, being fired and the Tigers hiring Dave Smart, who has had much success in Canada. The roster is completely flipped, as is often the case with coaching changes. Elijah Fisher had some success at DePaul last year.
296. Cal St. Bakersfield Roadrunners - Last Season Ranking: 281
Conference: Big West
Things would look a lot different for the Roadrunners if they could ever find some consistent offense. Bakersfield has long struggled to find consistent scorers outside of one or two players, and the same can be said about this year. The team does have some players back from the previous season, but none of them averaged double digits. Jemel Jones averaged 34 per game in JUCO last season.
295. Southeastern Louisiana Lions - Last Season Ranking: 229
Conference: Southland
Under head coach David Kiefer, the Lions have consistently finished in the top half of the Southland, and they have done it with a lot of unknown players and transfers. The roster is built the same way this year, so there is no reason to believe that Southeastern Louisiana won’t finish in the top half and right around .500 this season. Brody Rowbury can dominate in the paint and will take a huge step forward this year.
294. Queens Royals - Last Season Ranking: 203
Conference: Atlantic Sun
There are things that you are almost always going to see with Queens. They will play fast, shoot many threes, and run an efficient offense. The Royals also need help on the defensive end of the floor. I know the sample size has only been two seasons, but it has been the same for two seasons. Queens lost a lot of talent from last season and could be a struggle this year. Asjon Anderson was an elite scorer in JUCO.
293. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers - Last Season Ranking: 255
Conference: Sun Belt
Legendary coach Cliff Ellis called it quits in the middle of last season, and Coastal Carolina could never truly recover. This year, the Chanticleers hired Justin Gray, who previously had a ton of success at Western Carolina. Coastal is rebuilding and has a new roster that does have some talent. They likely still finish at the bottom of the Sun Belt. Marcus Watson averaged 15 points a game at Towson last season.
292. Eastern Michigan Eagles - Last Season Ranking: 320
Conference: MAC
It has been a while for Eastern Michigan. They have yet to win much recently, even with two of the most dynamic scorers in the game over the last two seasons. Head coach Stan Heath is going to need to win quickly to keep his job. Arne Osojnik looks to build off a good freshman season. He is due for a breakout.
291. North Carolina A&T Aggies - Last Season Ranking: 349
Conference: Coastal Athletic
The second year in the CAA will likely go far better than the first for the Aggies. Head coach Monte Ross enters his first season for North Carolina A&T and kept the roster from last year mostly intact. He fixed the glaring hole of a natural point guard who will anchor this defense and boost offense. Landon Glasper averaged 20 a game last year and he returns as a top player in the CAA.
290. Elon Phoenix - Last Season Ranking: 329
Conference: Coastal Athletic
It's year two of the Billy Taylor era, and Elon has made notable progress. The Phoenix won 13 games, the most they had won in four seasons, and they had a high-powered three-point offense. If Coach Taylor can get these guys to play defense, they can take off. TK Simmons can potentially be one of the best players in the CAA this season.
289. Western Illinois Leathernecks - Last Season Ranking: 311
Conference: Ohio Valley
Only a few people predicted Western Illinois would win 21 games last year and finish one game out of first place in the league. The Leathernecks can defend, but their downfall last year was their lack of offense at times. Western Illinois will be better on offense, but many of their defensive pieces are gone, so they may need to improve there. Ryan Myers is one of the frontrunners for OVC Player of the Year.
288. San Diego Toreros - Last Season Ranking: 270
Conference: West Coast
I trust that Steve Lavin will keep San Diego competitive, but I don’t know if he will ever do enough to get San Diego to a postseason tournament again. The way he is currently coaching defense is the most damning evidence. The Toreros had a hard time defending anyone last season, and until that improves, it will be tough to see San Diego reach their lofty expectations under Lavin. Steven Jamerson is the only returning starter.
287. Idaho Vandals - Last Season Ranking: 352
Conference: Big Sky
The Vandals' 11 wins last year were the most they have had in the last five seasons. Idaho runs a heavy three-point offense under coach Alex Pribble. The Vandals look to be a little bit better this season if they can stay healthy, but quality depth will still be an issue after the first seven guys. Tyler Mrus is a great shooter who got hurt early last year. If he can stay healthy, the Vandals will improve.
286. Army Black Knights - Last Season Ranking: 300
Conference: Patriot League
The Black Knights did not have a great first season under current head coach Kevin Kuwik. Army was terrible on offense, and they had to keep games in the high 50s or low 60s to give themselves a chance to win. The Black Knights look much better this year, with three out of five starters returning. Star Jalen Rucker returns after missing all of last season.
285. UMBC Retrievers - Last Season Ranking: 276
Conference: America East
UMBC struggled last year. The Retrievers were fantastic on the offensive end and averaged 79 points per game. UMBC plays fast, rebounds well, and runs an efficient offense. The only problem is that they let the other team do the same thing. The Retrievers were young last year, and the defense could never be figured out. Marcus Banks returns to lead UMBC.
284. Lamar Cardinals - Last Season Ranking: 337
Conference: Southland
Two seasons ago, Lamar was the worst team in the country as a member of the WAC. They moved back to the Southland, won 19 games last year, and finished in the top half of the conference. The Cardinals are a team that returns double-digit scorers and got scorers in the portal. They are a Southland sleeper. B. B. Knight is a great shooter ready to shine for Lamar.
283. Alabama State Hornets - Last Season Ranking: 346
Conference: SWAC
Alabama State finished near the bottom of the SWAC last year, but the Hornets are still trending up. Head coach Tony Madlock has won a lot at the Division 1 level, and it won’t be long before the Hornets consistently make the NCAA tournament as the SWAC representative. Alabama State has a good roster coming back, and they will be tough in the SWAC. TJ Madlock is one of the best players in the SWAC.
282. Robert Morris Colonials - Last Season Ranking: 294
Conference: Horizon League
The transition from the NEC to the Horizon League has yet to go nearly as anyone at Robert Morris would have hoped. It was the fourth year in a row that the Colonials still needed to finish in the top 4 of the Horizon League. Head coach Andrew Toole lost a lot of talent from a team that won 10 games and came into the year losing 8 out of their last nine games. Justice Williams is the star of Robert Morris.
281. Eastern Washington Eagles - Last Season Ranking: 159
Conference: Big Sky
The Eagles finished at the top of the Big Sky regular season over the last two seasons but have never been able to close the deal. The 2024-2025 season will likely look much different for Eastern Washington. They are going through a coaching change and bringing in Don Monson from Long Beach State. The roster comprises transfers and players who didn’t contribute much last season. Andrew Cook had a great career at Carrol College.
280. Eastern Kentucky Colonels- Last Season Ranking: 96
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Eastern Kentucky has the fastest 40 minutes in the game. They don’t need a shot clock, rebound well, and they love playing games in the high 80s. That is all fine and good until it comes time for a close game. The Colonels don’t have much of a defense. Coach A.W. Hamilton must find a way to fix the defense for Eastern Kentucky to win the league and make the NCAA tournament. Devontae Blanton is an Atlantic Sun Player of the Year favorite.
279. Texas Southern Tigers - Last Season Ranking: 210
Conference: SWAC
Texas Southern is one of those teams that always seems to be a factor in the SWAC. They will never have a great record because of the number of buy games that they and many other HBCUs must play. Head coach Johnny Jones will get his guys to play team basketball and will do it without a ton of star power. The Tigers star this year will be Grayson Carter. He is ready for a SWAC breakout.
278. South Carolina State Bulldogs - Last Season Ranking: 356
Conference: MEAC
The Bulldogs finished second in the MEAC last year and lost in the first round of the conference tournament. South Carolina State does it in a very unorthodox way. They did not have a single player score in double digits, were extremely balanced, and used most of their roster. Head coach Erik Martin has most of last year’s team back, and they do look like favorites in the MEAC. Michael Teal returns to lead the offense.
277. Florida International Panthers - Last Season Ranking: 184
Conference: Conference USA
Florida International has regressed under head coach Jeremy Ballard. Regression is different from what you want to see with your basketball team, as the Panthers should be getting better, especially considering that the roster was older and had a lot of talent. Conference USA is a lot weaker this year than it has been in years past, but the Panthers will have a tough year. Dashon Gittens is ready for a breakout year.
276. Fresno State Bulldogs - Last Season Ranking: 116
Conference: Mountain West
Fresno State won 12 games last year and finished 9th in the Mountain West. That cost coach Justin Hutson his job, and the Bulldogs decided to hire Vance Walberg. Walberg is a legend in the high school ranks but didn’t do well when he was the head coach of Pepperdine. The roster is young and has a lot of JUCO talent. Jasir Tremble scored at a high rate in JUCO.
275. Central Michigan Chippewas - Last Season Ranking: 314
Conference: MAC
Central Michigan had a fantastic season in 2023-2024. They won 18 games and finished in the top 4 of the MAC. The roster is rebuilt through the transfer portal, and it will be tough to replicate last year's success. The Chippewas do have some players from last season coming back, and head coach Tony Barbee is hoping Anthony Pritchard, the team’s leading scorer, can replicate his success from last year.
274. Austin Peay State Governors - Last Season Ranking: 207
Conference: Atlantic Sun
Corey Gipson is a hot name in coaching circles because he can quickly turn around programs. Austin Peay experienced that firsthand, as they had their best season since Terry Taylor and were one game away from the NCAA tournament. The Governors have a new roster but many pieces that fit into coach Gipson’s style. They will make a push again in the Atlantic Sun. Sai Witt has a high ceiling.
273. Stony Brook Seawolves - Last Season Ranking: 272
Conference: Coastal Athletic
The dream season was almost completed for head coach Geno Ford and the Seawolves. Stony Brook had a late lead on College of Charleston but couldn’t finish in the CAA title game and had to settle for second place. This year, the entire starting five is no longer on campus, and there is not much experience. Andre Snoddy is a great rebounder and defender who has the most experience at the Division 1 level.
272. Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers - Last Season Ranking: 261
Conference: MAAC
The Mount is another low-major team with a new coach this season. Donny Lind enters his first season as a head coach and brings with him an up-tempo style of offense and defense. The Mount, like every other team with a new coach, has a new roster with little experience. The Mountaineers will play defense and should still finish in the middle of the pack. Dola Adebayo is the player with a huge ceiling and is a breakout star.
271. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs - Last Season Ranking: 189
Conference: Big South
The inevitable fact of a team in a smaller conference is that when they are good, their coaches leave for a different team. That is happening with the Runnin’ Bulldogs, as former coach Tim Craft is no longer there. Gardner-Webb did hire the top assistant in Jeremy Luther, but the current roster doesn’t have much star power and has too many questions to be considered a top team in the Big South. Pharrell Boyogueno averaged 14 points a game in JUCO.