NCAA Basketball: Preview and predictions for 2024 Charleston Classic

Top Half Previews

Miami (3-0)

The Hurricanes were in the Final Four just two seasons ago, though things are very different around town nowadays. Miami really struggled last season but are hoping they have the pieces in place for a nice bounce back this season. Nijel Pack is the big piece that’s back for one last season, though he’s now joined by new pieces like Jalen Blackmon and Lynn Kidd instead of Norchad Omier or Wooga Poplar.

This Miami squad has fared well in the first weeks of the season, though they really haven’t been challenged in their first three outings. The offense has been sensational against bottom-level opposition, with the Hurricanes still working on strengthening their defense. Regardless, this new-look rotation seems strong and it’ll all be about how they deal with their first legitimate opposition. This could be one of the top teams in the field, unless that defense really doesn’t hold up in Charleston.

Drake (3-0)

Much like a few other teams in this field, Drake has had some great basketball days in the recent past, though this year’s a different story. Former coach Darian DeVries manufactured elongated success before bolting for West Virginia this past offseason, taking star son Tucker with him. The Bulldogs are leaning heavily on Daniel Abreu and Bennett Stirtz early in the year, but how will this team holdup when actually challenged?

After demolishing a non-D1 opponent on opening night, Drake won two more games at home over fellow mid-majors, barely surviving a tough contest against Florida Gulf Coast this past weekend. This is not the Drake team that regularly won more than 20 games and competed for MVC titles, but they can still cause significant damage if these new and young pieces gel quickly. They’ll need a little more consistency from the offense, though the defense has been great to this point.

Oklahoma State (3-0)

A new era began in Stillwater when Steve Lutz was brought to town to run the program. The Cowboys had not had their best years in recent memory, making just one trip to the Big Dance in the last seven years and becoming an afterthought in a tough Big 12. There are some different pieces this year, with Marchelus Avery and Bryce Thompson looking like the top contributors through their first three games, though what have we really learned so far?

Few are going to expect Oklahoma State to compete in the Big 12, and their first three results support that assumption. While they’ve won all three games, they’ve played a trio of mid-majors at home, and you can argue that all three games were closer than expected. Still, the Cowboys did at least win those games and have shown strength on offense. The interior defense was rough against Southern Illinois last week and this defense is going to determine how things go down in Charleston this weekend.

Florida Atlantic (3-2)

Unlike a number of teams in this field, Florida Atlantic has been significantly challenged already this season. However, keeping with the theme, it’s also a brand new look for the Owls, with Dusty May departing in the offseason to take over as coach at Michigan. A new era under John Jakus will have growing pains, though the work of sophomores Kaleb Glenn and Niccolo Moretti is certainly a bright spot early.

After two straight decisive wins, including against Indiana State on a neutral-court, the Owls played and lost two high scoring road games at UCF and Charleston before an overtime winner over Liberty this past weekend. Giving up 219 points in those two losses is certainly an early stain on this defense, though the long-range shooting did enough to almost keep up in both of those games. This Owls squad is a work in progress but they’re very battle tested already, with four games away from home under their belt.