The college basketball season is only two weeks old, and the worst teams in Division I are already separating themselves. Before the season started, we ranked the bottom ten teams in the sport. Some of those programs have stayed put, while others have dug themselves deeper with disastrous starts. A few have even escaped the list entirely, making room for new arrivals after rough early showings. This was the preseason rankings.
Here are the bottom ten teams in college basketball heading into Monday, November 17.
365. St. Francis Red Flash (0-3)
St. Francis opened the year as the lowest ranked team in the country and has done nothing to change that. They allowed 102 and 104 points in their first two games, then played more competitively in a 74-66 loss to Mount St. Mary’s. A road trip to Lehigh awaits on Tuesday. The Red Flash are one of four NEC teams still without a win.
364. Coppin State Eagles (0-6)
Coppin State is scoring only 60.2 points per game and giving up nearly 85. Their latest loss came at home by ten to South Alabama, adding to defeats against Central Michigan, South Florida, James Madison, La Salle, and Maryland. Their best chance for a win comes Tuesday when they host Central Penn, their final home game until December 29.
363. Arkansas Pine-Bluff Golden Lions (0-5)
The Golden Lions have been outscored 94-68 across their first five games, with the offense producing only 10.6 assists per outing. Their most recent loss was a 104-point defensive collapse at Vanderbilt. It was the fifth of eleven straight road games to open the season. Pine-Bluff will not play at home until December 15, when they face back to back non Division I opponents.
362. Alcorn State Braves (0-5)
Alcorn State has shown brief flashes, including competitive losses to Howard and South Alabama, but the Braves are still losing by an average of 23 points. They play their sixth straight road game Tuesday at LSU, followed by a trip to Oklahoma. Their home opener does not arrive until November 28 against Indiana State.
361. Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils (1-5)
Mississippi Valley State’s lone win came against Mississippi University for Women, a non Division I opponent. Remove that game and the Delta Devils are losing by nearly 30 per contest. They will not play at home again until December 16 when Tarleton State visits. Before then, road matchups with Bakersfield, Texas A&M, and UL Monroe await.
360. Chicago State Cougars (0-4)
Chicago State has taken losses to DePaul, Saint Louis, Butler, and UIC. Marcus Tankersley has been a bright spot at 17 points per game on 48 percent shooting, but the Cougars are scoring just 69.3 per game as a team. They now begin a four game road stretch that includes Big Ten trips to Minnesota and Iowa.
359. Florida A&M Rattlers (0-3)
Florida A&M is allowing 97 points per game through its first three contests while scoring only 66.3. Their next two games are on the road, starting with a trip to Georgia. After a long break, they visit Jacksonville. A pair of non Division I opponents appear on the schedule next month.
358. Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (0-4)
The start has been rough for Gardner-Webb, which gave up 87 points to Minnesota in the opener and then allowed 90 or more in the next three games. Their latest loss was an 11 point defeat at Elon. They are the lone Big South team without a win. The Bulldogs travel to DePaul on Tuesday and Richmond on Saturday.
357. Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (0-4)
The Knights have lost to Iowa State, Saint Peter’s, Texas, and NJIT. They surrendered 93 points in three straight games and are scoring only 68 on their own. Fairleigh Dickinson hosts St. Elizabeth on Tuesday with a real chance at its first win. East Texas A&M and Army visit next week in additional opportunities to get on the board.
356. Air Force Falcons (0-4)
Air Force has allowed between 74 and 79 points in every game. While that is not disastrous defensively, the offense has been too limited at just 62.5 points per game. The Falcons hope to find momentum before Mountain West play begins. Alabama State comes to Colorado Springs on Wednesday, giving the Falcons a realistic chance to earn their first victory.
These ten teams have earned their place near the basement of Division I basketball. For nine of them, step one is securing that elusive first win. After that, climbing out of the bottom ten becomes the next challenge. Until next time.