By Sam Federman
70. Villanova Wildcats (Big East)
Kyle Neptune has earned the scorn of the doubt (not sure if that’s a real phrase, but it’s the opposite of the benefit of the doubt) with how he’s coached Villanova over the last two seasons.
This roster is not nearly as talented as last year’s team, but some interesting pieces remain. The centerpiece of the roster is Big East Player of the Year Candidate Eric Dixon, who has evolved from a plus-role player in his underclassman years into a legit star with NBA upside. If he does make it to the next level, it’s probably as a four, and not as a five. He could see some minutes at the four this season when Nova goes to Fresno State transfer Enoch Boakye for minutes. The bar there is pretty low, simply be better than Lance Ware and he can give Dixon the ability to be more perimeter-oriented for a share of his minutes, creating some mismatches.
When Dixon is playing the five, he’ll be joined in the frontcourt by freshman Matt Hodge. He played his high school ball in South Jersey after spending his youth in Belgium. Hodge is a big wing who played to his size in high school, while also showing off a diverse skillset with a high basketball IQ. He should be an impact player right away.
Jordan Longino returns for year four after a fine season as a role player.
In the backcourt, Jhamir Brickus, a four-year starter at La Salle, will run the point. He’s a unique guard who isn’t afraid to post up despite his 5-11 frame and has shot at an elite level from behind the arc over the last two years.
Fellow Big Five transfer Tyler Perkins joins him after a stellar freshman season at Penn. He’s a physical guard who displayed ball handling, passing, rebounding, and scoring skills as a freshman. He battled inconsistency last year, but that’s expected for freshmen, especially with the load he had to carry when Clark Slajchert got hurt.
Wooga Poplar was an important portal addition for the Cats, as he brings proven high-major production to the Main Line. He was a terrific complimentary piece for Miami on the Final Four run two years ago but asked to play a bigger role last year, his ACC offensive rating dropped below 100. Perhaps he can take the next step forward and become a legit primary guard option, something that would raise this team’s level up above this ranking.
A potential wild card for Nova is international freshman Sasha Gavalyugov, a 6-foot-2 point guard. He’s a human highlight reel, filled with flashy passes out of the pick-and-roll.
Safe to say, unless Villanova drastically exceeds my expectations, Kyle Neptune will no longer be the head coach next season. We’ll see if he can prove the doubters (including me, even though I was an apologist after year one) wrong.
69. Pitt Panthers (ACC)
For the second consecutive year, I’ve ranked Pitt at #69 in my top 100. The Panthers woke up on the day after their final game of the season at 41 in KenPom. Somehow, in the final rankings, that rose up to 33.
I don’t think that had much of an impact on how I feel about Pitt, but I do think it points to the health of the program not being quite as high as the KenPom rank.
In 2024, Carlton Carrington’s precociousness helped cover up a lot of the losses from the 2023 roster, along with an improved Blake Hinson. Both of the stars are gone, but Jaland Lowe is back, and ready to take a sophomore jump.
While overshadowed by Carrington, Lowe put together a strong freshman season of his own, averaging 13.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists over the final 17 games of the season. He’s among the leaders in offseason buzz not just in the ACC, but in all of college basketball for a big time breakout, with some even putting him in NBA mock drafts.
Alongside Lowe in the backcourt is Ish Leggett, who was a reliable double-digit scorer for the Panthers last season. I don’t see a ton of room for growth with Leggett, as he’s entering year five, but he’s a very steady and experienced combo guard.
Hinson’s departure leaves a gaping hole on the wing, and Jeff Capel has a few attempts at filling it. Damian Dunn, who averaged 15 points per game at Temple before taking on a much smaller role for Houston last year, will slot in at the small forward spot. For Pitt, he’ll likely find a role somewhere in between what he was doing at his prior two stops.
The Panthers hope that international freshman Asmal Delalic can step in and immediately make an impact as a shooter. Hinson made 110 three-pointers last year at a 42% clip, and it’ll take a village to create that production, but bringing in a Bosnian sharpshooter could help that process.
Both Diaz Graham twins are back, likely seeing bench roles, as Cam Corhen transferred in from Florida State to be the starting center. Zack Austin, an athletic wing who started 31 games last year, is also returning to Pitt.
However, the conservative ranking is based on a true lack of backcourt depth, qualms about the offense without Hinson, and a few other factors.
68. Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big Ten)
Fred Hoiberg built a team that has a reliable backbone of established high-major players in their final year of eligibility. He then surrounded those pieces with the ceiling raisers, a trio of talented buy-low candidates with multiple years of eligibility remaining.
Brice Williams has a chance to get even better. He’s a career 39% three-point shooter who made a seamless transition from Charlotte to the Big Ten last year. With a year in the Big Ten under his belt, and now assuming the role of this offense’s go-to scorer, he is primed to see his averages rise.
During Nebraska’s final month of the season, Juwan Gary won three KenPom Game MVP’s and was the catalyst of the team’s defensive surge. He returns for his fifth year in college basketball, and third at Nebraska, with a chance to continue setting the tone on the defensive end.
Rollie Worster and Braxton Meah are experienced Pac 12 transfers who can fill a required role. Worster is a solid point guard who spearheaded Utah’s offense through the early part of the season before going down hurt. In his junior year (22-23), he led the Pac 12 in assist rate. While he did have the highest on-off on the Utah team last year, a lot of that is probably because he played during the non-conference schedule, and not during most of the conference slate. Meah is a huge human being who throws down dunks, grabs rebounds, and blocks shots. For Nebraska, it’s about his ability to stay on the floor.
Gavin Griffiths, Connor Essegian, and Berke Buyuktuncel all failed at their last stop for one reason or another. Now, they come to Nebraska with a second chance. Griffiths and Buyuktuncel are long wings who didn’t fit in well with the identity at their previous teams, compounded by shooting struggles. Essegian fell out of favor at Wisconsin after a strong freshman season thanks to changes in roster construction losing his role.
Depending on how many of those players take a step forward, Nebraska could be a tournament team, but could also not come anywhere close.
67. Washington Huskies (Big Ten)
Danny Sprinkle has made the NCAA Tournament in three straight seasons, but he now faces a new challenge. Year one at Washington for Sprinkle is also year one in the Big Ten for the Huskies.
The key offseason move for UW was securing the commitment of Mountain West Player of the Year Great Osobor. He took a massive step forward moving from Montana State to Utah State with Sprinkle, evolving from a physical threat down low into an offensive hub that can attack in multiple ways.
He’s already done the hard part, stepping up from a low-major specialist into a legitimate player of the year for an at-large team, but it should be interesting to see how Big Ten teams defend his unique skillset.
Osobor can play either the four or the five, and will have to play both. He’ll see minutes at the center spot when either Tyler Harris, a dynamic scoring youngster who caught eyes in the WCC for Portland last year, or Chris Conway, an experienced and physical steadying presence at Oakland, slides into the four spot. Osobor will play at the four when Franck Kepnang or KC Ibekwe, the two traditional fives on the roster, are in the game.
Even with Osobor at the five, Washington can play a big frontcourt with Harris and Conway as the forwards, both at 6-foot-8. Mekhi Mason from Rice is a smaller wing who can change the look of the team.
Combo guard DJ Davis is one of the best shooters in college basketball, and had a fantastic season at Butler last year. He’ll play in the backcourt next to Luis Kortright, who was a late addition that struggled in the A10 for Rhode Island last year, or freshman Zoom Diallo, who is this team’s swing piece. The more that Diallo can handle the load as a freshman, the better this UW team will be.
66. San Francisco Dons (WCC)
Despite losing Jonathan Mogbo, I’m extremely excited for San Francisco basketball in 2024-25. While it’s not a one-for-one replacement, Carlton Linguard is a uniquely skilled seven-footer who can space the floor, block shots, grab rebounds, and cause havoc.
He’s not as skilled as Mogbo on the ball or as a playmaker, but Linguard is also a freak athlete, and is a couple of inches taller.
Ndewedo Newberry might be one of the most underrated players in all of college basketball. His combination of scoring efficiency from both the inside and outside, along with rim protection and help side defense at 6-foot-8 is matched by very few players. Scoring against a frontcourt of him and Linguard either on the perimeter or down low seems like a daunting task.
Chris Gerlufsen is banking on a breakout from transfer Jason Rivera-Torres. He’s a talented 6-foot-6 wing that can create off the dribble, but struggled mightily with efficiency and consistency as a freshman.
In the backcourt, Marcus Williams and Malik Thomas, who each scored over 12 points per game last year, both return. Thomas is a microwave scorer who can get hot in an instant, while Williams is a well-rounded point guard. Those two might end up as the two leading scorers for USF, as the ball will be in their hands on most possessions.
Off the bench, Ryan Beasley had a strong freshman year and will continue to grow into a great piece in the WCC.
USF has won 20 games in seven of the last eight seasons, finishing in the top 101 of KenPom in each of the last six. Through three head coaches, the continued emphasis on talent identification and development has kept this program running strong.
65. VCU Rams (A-10)
Max Shulga’s late decision to return to VCU bolstered the Rams from a potential middle-of-the-pack sleeper into the A10’s top tier.
Shulga, a 6-foot-5 ball-handling guard, does it all on the offensive end. Thanks to his playmaking and three-level scoring ability, he’s one of the best offensive engines in mid-major basketball.
Next to him, Joe Bamisile and Zeb Jackson return from last year’s group, each providing polished offensive skillsets that fit well with what Shugla brings. Alphonzo Billups returns on the wing and is projected to have a huge year shooting the ball, building on what he did in limited minutes last year.
When VCU needs a change of pace, Phillip Russell, an experienced scoring point guard, will bring a different element of offense as Shulga.
Christian Fermin will man the middle and is expected to be more consistent this season. He’s a great rim protector who plays almost entirely out of the low post offensively. At the four, Jack Clark brings excellent positional size and a proven presence in the league. Michael Belle looks to build on a freshman season that saw his role fluctuate.
64. Utah State Aggies (Mountain West)
After Danny Sprinkle left USU for Washington, many of the Aggies’ top players entered the transfer portal, but a few decided to return and play for Jerrod Calhoun.
One of the most unique guards in the country, Mason Falslev is the single best rim-finishing guard in the sport. He converted 73% of his 159 rim attempts despite standing just 6-foot-3.
Ian Martinez evolved into a key piece for Utah State, scoring 13 points per game and shooting an efficient 47% from the field.
At point guard, Drake Allen (Utah Valley) and Deyton Albury (Queens) each have potential to be strong pieces for Calhoun. Allen is an elite playmaker and spearheaded one of the WAC’s best defenses, while Albury was the dynamic rim-pressuring ball handler who catalyzed a fast-paced Queens offense. Also, Braden Housley transferred in from Southern Utah, adding more depth to the backcourt.
6-foot-9 three-point specialist Tucker Anderson has a unique blend of movement shooting and size that can scale up to the Mountain West level. Dexter Akanno will play a versatile wing role, slotting in at a few different spots depending on what USU needs.
Isaac Johnson returns at the center spot, and Stetson transfer Aubin Gateretse gives Calhoun another near seven-footer to work with on both ends of the floor.
Utah State has proven to be a terrific springboard job for rising coaches, and Calhoun has the roster to continue the tradition of immediate success.
63. Oklahoma Sooners (SEC)
In the search for optimism around year four for Porter Moser, a tenure that has yet to yield a single trip to the NCAA Tournament, the backcourt provides hope.
Duke Miles was one of the best mid-major guards in college basketball for High Point last year. He can be both an on-ball creative guard (what OU will mostly use him for) or a slashing and shooting combo guard. His combination of efficiency inside, outside, and playmaking last season were matched only at his height by Sears, Kolek, and Carter, three All-Americans.
Alongside Miles, Moser brought in two sharpshooting combo guards in Kobe Elvis and Brycen Goodine. While Holmes and Santos were Dayton’s two best players, the Flyers were at their best when Elvis was at his best, and the team struggled during his February lull. Meanwhile, Goodine shot the ball better than just about anybody in the country for a running-and-gunning Fairfield team.
Wings Jadon Jones, Glenn Taylor, and Jalon Moore are expected to bring defensive versatility and toughness to the roster. Jones in particular, a 6-foot-5 transfer from Long Beach State, combined a chaotic defensive presence with career 37% three-point shooting on high volume.
Sam Godwin and Mo Wague isn’t the most inspiring high-major big man duo, but each has legit size. Neither will be important pieces of OU’s offense, which will run through the guards and wings.
The Sooners’ wild card is Jeremiah Fears, a reclass freshman guard. It does reek of desperation to go out and pursue a reclass freshman point guard as late in the offseason as Moser did for Fears, but he doesn’t need to play a huge role immediately because of Miles. If Fears can live up to the hype that has been put on him recently, Oklahoma’s ceiling rises, but I don’t think the floor is significantly lower if he doesn’t.
62. Northwestern Wildcats (Big Ten)
Life without Boo Buie begins now.
Chris Collins is undoubtedly the greatest coach in modern Northwestern basketball history. After all, he’s the only one to make the NCAA Tournament, and he’s done it three times. I’ll never question his coaching acumen, but without Buie, he only finished in the top 65 of KenPom once.
I do think that Buie (who Collins should receive an immense amount of credit for finding, retaining, developing, and unleashing) helped raise the standard of the NU program, which will outlive him, but Collins has a large pair of shoes that he’s unlikely to ever find somebody that can fill.
Brooks Barnhizer nearly doubled his scoring average last year, and he needed to. He’ll have an even heavier load on him offensively, and how he deals with the pressure will be crucial to the Wildcats’ success this year.
Barnhizer will be joined on the wing by Nick Martinelli, who returns for year three. He also took a big step up last season and will need to take another step. He’s an excellent rim-pressure wing but must be more reliable as an outside shooter one way or another.
Northwestern’s interior will be the strength of this team. Both Barnhizer and Martinelli can play tough on the inside, while the Cats may have some of the best center depth in the league. Matthew Nicholson is not much of an offensive threat, but he shows up on the defensive end with terrific size and rebounding. His backup, Keenan Fitzmorris, does a lot of similar things to Nicholson, and should be an excellent platoon. Finally, Luke Hunger is a solid third-stringer.
In the backcourt, Jalen Leach will take on the point guard role. He’s a gifted scorer who can attack the basket and pull up from beyond the arc, but he’s much better as a combo guard. It should be very fascinating to see his dynamic next to Ty Berry, another combo guard who can score, but hasn’t done it without an elite point guard.
61. Butler Bulldogs (Big East)
I go much more in-depth on Butler in the preview that we did for the podcast, so go listen to that.
In summary, Jahmyl Telfort is one of the most underrated do-it-all players in the country, and Pierre Brooks is a great wing partner for him. Jamie Kaiser and Patrick McCaffery will provide some depth and play key minutes in different spots. The center spot is a major question mark because I’m not sure how much I trust Screen or Kapke.
I like Finley Bizjack a lot, and think he’ll be a great player for Butler, but the Bulldogs will likely struggle defensively by pairing him with Kolby King in the backcourt, a talented offensive player. Landon Moore is a swing piece that can affect the ceiling if he adjusts better in year two with Butler.