NCAA Basketball: Way-Too-Important top 25 roster holes in 2024 offseason

10. Boise St - Small Forward
We have a new favorite in the Mountain West. The All-Conference frontcourt of Tyson Degenhart and O'Mar Stanley is back, plus Roddie Anderson III on the perimeter. Boise St has already dealt with their biggest problem from last year, adding San Jose State transfer Alvaro Cardenas to fix a point guard spot that weighed down the Broncos offense all of last season. There is also an open starting spot on the wing, following the late departure of Chibuzo Agbo. A handful of returnees will likely receive a chance to step up but the rest of this starting unit is far too good to rely on an uncertain training camp battle.

9. UConn - Another Smart Wing
The back-to-back national champions will once again elevate a fantastic backup center in Samson Johnson and seem poised to hand the point guard spot to four star freshman Ahmad Nowell. But whether Alex Karaban heads to the NBA or not, the roster is thin elsewhere. Jaylin Stewart is a major breakout candidate, but hasn't shown any floor spacing ability. Someone is going to have keep defenses honest for UConn this year and make all of those beautiful curls and cuts that Karaban, Spencer and Hawkins all had an instinctual knack for.

8. Iowa St - Rim Protector
The four leading scorers for Iowa St are set to return, as Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, Curtis Jones and Milan Momcilovic form one of the best core groups in the sport. The Cyclones have already moved to add a center to this group in Charlotte transfer Dishon Jackson, who will aid in the quest to once again lead the country in Kenpom's defensive efficiency. But Iowa St loses two flat out elite shot blockers (Hason Ward would have been top twenty nationally in block rate if he played enough minutes) and having one on the court at all times was critical with a perimeter group that went all out for steals.

7. Gonzaga - Defensive Forward
As is often the case in Spokane, and very few other places these days, next season's Gonzaga team will look a lot like last year's. The core of a top-five national offense is back, as bullyball center Graham Ike is joined by the backcourt of Nolan Hickman and Ryan Nembhard. The group is joined by former Big Sky Player of the Year and career 40% three-point shooter Steele Venters, as he returns from a season-long injury and the WCC's leading scorer Michael Ajayi transfers in from Pepperdine. The Zags would be wise to compliment all of these scorers with a proper defensive replacement for the parts of graduating Anton Watson's game that will be most missed.

6. Texas - Old-School Distributor
More than just about any other school, it seems pretty foolish to assume quality players will spend more than one year at Texas. This offseason, the lone exceptions are center Kaden Shedrick and reserve Chendall Weaver, but the reload is already full speed. Top five freshman Tre Johnson will be on the wing with the well traveled (most recently Arkansas) Tramon Mark and Indiana St transfers Julian Larry and Jayson Kent. The first two are excellent individual scorers, while the ex-Sycamores are brilliant off-ball players. The Longhorns just need a player who can bring this whole group together and replace Tyrese Hunter.

5. Indiana - Shooter and Probably Another Shooter
A huge season is coming up in Bloomington and Mike Woodson acted quickly with two elite transfer additions, point guard Myles Rice from Washington State and center Oumar Ballo from Arizona. Put them with returners Mackenzie Mgbako, Trey Galloway and Malik Reneau, and you got a starting lineup going. Just one problem, all five of those players were below 35% from three last year. Indiana needs multiple floor spacing options, and with Gabe Cupps the lone proven player on the bench, there is plenty of flexibility to find that attribute in players of any skill set or size.