180. Youngstown State Penguins - Last Season Ranking: 157
Conference: Horizon League
The Penguins and former head coach Jerrod Calhoun made them one of the perennial powers in the Horizon League. The offense is always elite, and Youngstown State plays at one of the fastest paces in the country. New head coach Ethan Faulkner was on the staff under Calhoun, so only a little will change. This year's roster doesn’t have as much talent as the last two seasons. Nico Gallete will thrive in this offense.
179. UC Davis Aggies- Last Season Ranking: 153
Conference: Big West
The Aggies had their best year in a long time last year. It didn’t hurt that they had arguably the best player in the Big West who has graduated. Head coach Jim Les could benefit from some added depth. The team still looks relatively thin outside of the top two players, and the ceiling for UC Davis will be determined by how well they develop the others. TY Johnson is the best scorer in the Big West.
178. Belmont Bruins - Last Season Ranking: 142
Conference: Missouri Valley
Belmont is one of the most consistent teams in the country. Under Casey Alexander, they have yet to make the NCAA tournament, but they have still won 20 games every year and finished in the top four of the league. Belmont is another team that runs a crisp, efficient offense and will shoot a ton of threes. They also don’t need star players to be successful. Brody Peebles was a good shooter in his three previous years at Liberty.
177. UTEP Miners - Last Season Ranking: 156
Conference: Conference USA
UTEP looked like they were coached by Joe Golding last year. The offense was good enough to win almost every game, and the defense was elite. The Miners make everything on the defensive end a chore. UTEP has most of its roster back from last season and secured some quality transfers that will help on both ends of the floor. Devon Barnes was a great shooter and an even better defender in his lone season at Tarleton State.
176. Milwaukee Panthers - Last Season Ranking: 224
Conference: Horizon League
Milwaukee is building something special under head coach Bart Lundy. The Panthers have won 20 games in back-to-back years for the first time since Bruce Pearl in the early 2000s. Milwaukee made the conference tournament finals last year and heads into the season with a roster that will score and be better defensively. This could be the year for Milwaukee. Erik Pratt becomes the go-to guy on offense and will become a star.
175. Hofstra Pride - Last Season Ranking: 111
Conference: Coastal Athletic
The Pride has won 20 games in all three head coach Speedy Claxton seasons. They have always done it with many star power and CAA Player of the Year candidates. Heading into the 2024-2025 season, Hofstra has a retooled roster, but it still should win 20 games and compete near the top of the CAA all season. Jean Aranguren had a great freshman season at Iona and is ready for a breakout.
174. UC Riverside Highlanders - Last Season Ranking: 240
Conference: Big West
If there were ever a time for the Highlanders to claim their first Big West title and secure their first NCAA tournament trip, it would be this year. Riverside has its entire roster back from last year, and coach Mike Magpayo is a great coach who has been able to develop his rosters year after year. The Highlanders are a favorite in the Big West. Barrington Hargress is on the shortlist for the league player of the year.
173. James Madison Dukes - Last Season Ranking: 126
Conference: Sun Belt
It was a historic season for the Dukes. James Madison opened the year beating Michigan State, won over 30 games, and beat Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament. That earned their former coach a better job, and now James Madison is coached by Preston Spradlin. The roster is brand new and was mostly assembled through the transfer portal. Mark Freeman won the Ohio Valley Player of the Year two seasons ago.
172. Toledo Rockets - Last Season Ranking: 155
Conference: MAC
Toledo won the MAC again, lost in the conference tournament, and was not included in the NCAA tournament. The Rockets have turned into the premier team in the league; they get everyone’s best shot. They are the most talented, deepest, and best coached team in the MAC and eventually, they will get over the hump. Toledo replenished their scoring this year and should finish at the top again. Javan Simmons is ready to be the star.
171. Montana Grizzlies - Last Season Ranking: 197
Conference: Big Sky
Montana is the premier program in the Big Sky. Even though they didn’t make the NCAA tournament last season, the Grizzlies still won 24 games and were explosive on offense. Heading into the 2024-2025 season, this version of Montana has a lot to like. Head coach Travis DeCurie has built something special at Montana this year. Money Williams left quite an impression after his freshman year.
170. Furman Paladins - Last Season Ranking: 105
Conference: Southern
It has been a while since Furman has gone through a rebuild. Head coach Bob Richey has never had a losing record, and last season was the first time he failed to win 20 games in a full season. The 2024-2025 season may be another season which the Paladins need help to win games. The roster is young and unproven, and the typical Furman star power is needed. PJay Smith Jr. has a chance to turn into a Paladin star.
169. Oakland Golden Grizzlies - Last Season Ranking: 264
Conference: Horizon League
Oakland has had some huge wins over the years, but nothing will top beating Kentucky in the NCAA tournament as a 14 seed, which happened last year. The Golden Grizzlies are a team with a ton of hype entering this season because they went out and found elite scorers at the JUCO level, and all of them can shoot from outside. Chang Hoth is an elite scorer and shot 45% from deep in JUCO last season.
168. La Salle Explorers - Last Season Ranking: 219
Conference: Atlantic 10
Fran Dunphy enters his third season in Philly, and the Explorers have their most talented team but also a team with a lot of question marks. La Salle is built on older Division 1 transfers looking for a fresh start or somewhere to play their final season. The roster is old but does have experience. Eric Acker was one of the best freshmen in the NEC a season ago. He will be a star.
167. Weber State Wildcats - Last Season Ranking: 148
Conference: Big Sky
Weber State is another team that can get a ton of talent and has a ton of history, but it plays in a one-bid league. Head coach Eric Duft is still trying to get Weber State back to the Big Sky and does so consistently. Heading into the season, the roster could be better than last year, but it will still have a record and finish near the league's top. Miguel Tomley averaged 15 a game last year with Idaho State.
166. Winthrop Eagles - Last Season Ranking: 162
Conference: Big South
Winthrop finished the year with a .500 record in the Big South and in fourth place. They have grown accustomed to finishing in the top 2 or 3 of the league almost yearly. Head coach Mark Prosser has back four out of five starters and built some quality depth. The Eagles will be right near the top of the league again. Kelton Talford is good enough to win the league Player of the Year award.
165. Texas State Bobcats - Last Season Ranking: 190
Conference: Sun Belt
The Bobcats struggled inside the Sun Belt last year and finished near the bottom. Texas State head coach Terrance Johnson has been able to keep the Bobcats as a .500 team, but considering what they were like when he took over, he will need to start winning some more. The Bobcats have a roster with some pieces, but the Sun Belt is tough. Tyrel Morgan is back from injury to kickstart the Bobcats offense.
164. George Washington Revolutionaries - Last Season Ranking: 201
Conference: Atlantic 10
George Washington opened the season at 14-3 and looked like a contender at the top of the Atlantic 10. Then they went on and 14 out of their last 15 games to close the season. Head coach Chris Caputo had a young team but found some talented players who will lead the Revolutionaries this year. Darren Buchanan could lead the Atlantic 10 in scoring this season.
163. Texas Arlington Mavericks - Last Season Ranking: 206
Conference: WAC
The Mavericks had a good team last year and are on the right track under head coach KT Turner. UT Arlington has one of those teams this year that looks very special on paper, and if the chemistry is there and they all gel together, it could be a year that results in the NCAA tournament for the Mavericks. Diante Smith averaged 19 a game last year as the star for Nicholls.
162. Abilene Christian Wildcats - Last Season Ranking: 175
Conference WAC
The move to the WAC could have gone better for Abilene Christian. Head coach Brette Tanner won 20 games in the first season with former coach Joe Golding’s recruits, but since then, it has been two below .500 years and middle-of-the-pack finishes. The Wildcats come into the 2024-2025 season with some power conference transfers to mix in with their returning players. Hunter Jack Madden looks to build off his breakout season last year.
161. Fordham Rams - Last Season Ranking: 164
Conference: Atlantic 10
Keith Urgo has turned the Fordham Rams fun again. Fordham plays fast, shoots many threes, and gets fouled a lot. The only downside is that for the offense to work, an elite scorer needs to be present to make everything happen. Fordham still doesn’t have that this season. Japhet Medor returns and hopes to turn the offense around.
160. DePaul Blue Demons - Last Season Ranking: 115
Conference: Big East
DePaul won three games last year but went 0-20 in the Big East. They were, far and away, the worst power conference team in the country. Tony Stubblefield was fired mid-season, and Chris Holtmann is the new coach for the Blue Demons. There is only a few minutes of returns from last year, and the entire roster comprises transfers and freshmen. Jacob Meyer could be an all-conference performer.
159. Indiana State Sycamores - Last Season Ranking: 113
Conference: Missouri Valley
The Sycamores were one of the best teams in the Valley over the last few seasons and did it with an explosive offense. Former coach Josh Schertz is now at Saint Louis. Indiana State hired his top assistant in Matthew Graves. The roster has flipped and is full of transfers from smaller programs and freshmen. There may be a downswing for the Sycamores. Tyran Cook has a high ceiling and a penchant for scoring.
158. Cornell Big Red - Last Season Ranking:
Conference: Ivy League
Cornell was as advertised last year and went back and forth with Yale for the top seed in Ivy Madness. The Big Red didn’t make the NCAA tournament, lost in the NIT, and then lost their coach. New coach Jon Jacques kept the eligible roster on campus, and the Big Red look poised to finish in the top 4 in the league for a chance at an NCAA tournament bid. Nazir Williams is good enough to win Ivy Player of the Year.
157. Northern Kentucky Norse - Last Season Ranking: 196
Conference: Horizon League
It has been long enough for us to know that Northern Kentucky will be better than it looks on paper. Head coach Darrin Horn has done a fantastic job of getting the best out of his roster. The Horizon League tournament is always chaotic, and the Norse seemingly always find themselves in the mix for the title and a return to the NCAA tournament. Sam Vinson is healthy after only playing 13 games last season.
156. New Mexico State Aggies - Last Season Ranking: 178
Conference: Conference USA
The Aggies have been different from the Aggies, which everyone has been used to seeing over the last few seasons. They have not won much, but head coach Jason Hooten will turn the program around. He did a good job last year until New Mexico State ended the season, losing 7 out of their last nine games. This year is different; the roster has proven scorers, height, and depth. They are one of the favorites at Conference USA. Zawdie Jackson averaged 22 a game at West Georgia last year.
155. Louisiana Ragin Cajuns- Last Season Ranking: 186
Conference: Sun Belt
At the end of last season, the Ragin Cajuns looked like one of the teams to beat with what they had coming back on the roster. The transfer portal needed to be kinder to Louisiana, and they lost a lot of talent. Head coach Bob Marlin got some nice pieces in the transfer portal, but the prospect of the Cajuns winning the Sun Belt is gone, at least for me. Hosana Kitenge could average a near-double-double this year.
154. UNC Wilmington Seahawks - Last Season Ranking: 102
Conference: Coastal Athletic
The Seahawks are rolling under head coach Takayo Siddle. They have won 20 or more games yearly, and coach Siddle has coached a full season. Wilmington has finished in the top 3 of the league in every one of those years. Coach Siddle has acquired a lot of talent in the transfer portal to help the Seahawks maintain their consistency in the league. Sean Moore had a great career at Fairleigh Dickinson.
153. Tulsa Golden Hurricane - Last Season Ranking: 275
Conference: American Athletic
Head coach Erik Konkol's first year at Tulsa was a success. The program is in the throes of a rebuild, and winning 16 games with a new roster is impressive. This year, the Golden Hurricane wants to take the next step: finish in the top half of the American, but with an unproven roster, that will be tough. Keaston Willis returns from injury to lead Tulsa.
152. East Tennessee State Buccaneers - Last Season Ranking: 252
Conference: Southern
ETSU made the finals of the Southern Conference tournament as a seven seed and gave Samford all they wanted before finally losing. The Buccaneers have a lot coming back from that team and will be competitive in the league, but the conference is loaded. Jaden Seymour can dominate a game and will be given the chance every night on the offense. He is an all-conference-level player.
151. Marshall Thundering Herd - Last Season Ranking: 166
Conference: Sun Belt
Marshall couldn’t defend anyone last year, which led to them losing nine out of their last eleven games and a coaching change. Current head coach Corny Jackson has some nice pieces from last year and supplemented that with quality transfers. If the Thundering Herd can figure out the defense, they will make some noise in the Sun Belt. Nate Martin averaged a double-double last year.