Today’s Best Bets
Sam Choudhury
The 2023-24 college basketball season is now in the rearview mirror, and that means we get to “sleep in May” as Jon Rothstein says. However, the expansion of transfer rules and the flurry of offseason activity means there is very little time to relax or even reflect on the past year.
The final horn has sounded, and the UConn Huskies have raised the championship trophy for a second straight year, but we are already looking ahead to next season. There will be plenty of updates as players announce transfer destinations and coaches settle into their new programs, but for now I present to you the way-too-early top 25 for 2024-25.
NCAA Top 25 for the 2024-25 Season
No. 1: Houston Cougars
The Cougars are returning close to their entire rotation from the past season with only Damian Dunn hitting the portal. The reigning DPOY Jamal Shead has the option to return due to having a pandemic year. and after getting injured in the Sweet 16, he may feel there is unfinished business. Even if Shead decides to pursue his NBA career, the Cougars will be considered one of the best teams in the country with J’Wan Roberts, LJ Cryer, Manny Sharp, Joe Tugler and Ja’Vier Francis back. Expect Kelvin Sampson to be active in the portal as well to shore up their overall depth.
No. 2: Iowa State Cyclones
Ranking the Cyclones second will surely raise eyebrows, but this is purely based on the fact that TJ Otzelberger will be returning the nucleus of a Sweet 16 team that happens to include players at the always important guard position. Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert and Milan Momcilovic will have to make positive strides, but this team will once again be one of the best defenses in all of college basketball. They’ve already added Dishon Jackson (Charlotte), Nate Heise (UNI) and Brandon Chatfield (Seattle U) to replace the graduating front court of Tre King, Hason Ward and Robert Jones. 7-footer JT Rock is a player to watch after another Summer of development.
No. 3: Kansas Jayhawks
It was a tough year for the Jayhawks as injuries piled up and their distinct lack of depth came back to haunt them in a way it never had before. Bill Self and his staff have been on a mission to wipe away the bad taste of the past season by adding high-upside transfers Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and Riley Kugel (Florida). Point guard Dajuan Harris and forward KJ Adams have confirmed they’ll be back while Hunter Dickinson appears to be leaning towards a return as well. A top-10 recruiting class solidifies this Jayhawks squad and this could be the year of the Bill Self revenge tour.
No. 4: UConn Huskies
I may have the Huskies ranked higher than most other publications, but that’s because I’m one of the few that knows better than to doubt Dan Hurley. They’ll have to replace a significant amount of production, but they were in a similar position last offseason and we saw how that worked out for them. Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle will be lotto picks while Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer are out of eligibility. Hassan Diarra has a pandemic year if he wants it, but he can go out on top as a two-time champion. The wild card is Alex Karaban as he projects as a mid to late second rounder and could net a ton of NIL as the leader of a team trying to three-peat. Jaylin Stewart is going to be a breakout star while Solo Ball, Jayden Ross and Samson Johnson will be taking on bigger roles. The Huskies will likely go shopping in the portal as well where they’ll have the ultimate trump card over other programs as the defending champs.
No. 5: Duke Blue Devils
Jon Scheyer’s crew will come into the new season with a ton of momentum after an Elite Eight run that included wins over the Houston Cougars and trendy mid-major James Madison. They have the No. 1 overall recruiting class that is led by future lottery picks Cooper Flagg and Khaman Maluach which help absorb the losses of Mark Mitchell (transfer), Kyle FIlipkowski (expected to declare) and Jared McCain (expected to declare). They’ll have one of the best perimeters in the country if Jeremy Roach, Caleb Foster and Tyrese Proctor all return.
No. 6: Gonzaga Bulldogs
Many said it would be a down year for Gonzaga, but they made yet another Sweet 16 and are primed to return everyone except for Anton Watson. They’ve added Pepperdine star Michael Ajayi from the portal and will get Steele Venters back from injury, which will be key to pushing them over the top. Continuity is uber important at the collegiate level and a group of returners that includes Ryan Nembhard, Graham Ike, Ben Gregg, Braden Huff and Dusty Stromer ensures they’ll be a top team once again.
No. 7: Tennessee Vols
They will be losing Dalton Knecht, which obviously hurts, but Rick Barnes has proven he can land elite transfers, so I’m confident they’ll find a productive replacement. High upside big man Tobe Awaka has entered the portal, but Jonas Aidoo, Jordan Gainey and stud point guard Zakai Zeigler will all be back which makes the Vols a contender in the SEC. Enticing prospects Cameron Carr and JP Estrella will be given more opportunities along with veteran Jahmai Mashack. It’s fair to worry about a Barnes-led team in March but they’ll be a top 10 team all year during the regular season, guaranteed.
No. 8: Alabama Crimson Tide
I would have made Bama higher in these rankings. but there are a lot of player decisions up in the air which makes it difficult to place them. Aaron Estrada is out of eligibility while Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Nick Pringle and Latrell Wrightsell all have the option to return if they wish. Oats has done a great job recruiting as he has the No. 4 class coming in, headlined by 5-star Derrion Reid. They have added Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette, a player that averaged 15 PPG and shot over 41% from long-range last year. He is built for this system and should be a major star, especially if Sears moves onto the NBA. Rylan Griffen, Jarin Stevenson and Sam Walters have barely scratched the surface of what they’re capable of, which adds another layer of intrigue to a team coming off a Final Four run.
No. 9: Baylor Bears
There is all sorts of speculation that Scott Drew will take the Kentucky job, which just opened up after John Calipari decided to become the head coach of Arkansas. Clearly this ranking will drop substantially if Drew leaves, but as it stands right now, this is a top 10 team. Starters Yves Missi, RayJ Dennis and Ja’Kobe Walter will be moving onto the next stage of their career while Jalen Bridges appears to be leaning towards a return for his final year of eligibility. Returners Langston Love, Jayden Nunn and Josh Ojianwuna will anchor a roster that welcomes in a top-10 recruiting class, which features McDonald’s All-American VJ Edgecomb.
No. 10: Purdue Boilermakers
Many will expect Purdue to take a huge step back with generational star Zach Edey moving onto the professional level and lockdown defender Lance Jones running out of eligibility. That said, that’s a mistake as this Purdue team returns a wealth of talent. Braden Smith will be one of the best point guards in a revamped Big 10 and Trey Kaufman-Renn could become the next front court star for Purdue as he absorbs the Edey usage. Camden Heide and Myles Colvin will be on breakout watch after playing important minutes throughout their recent tourney run.
No. 11: North Carolina Tar Heels
I’ve seen the Heels all over the board when it comes to rankings, which makes sense as they’ve got a lot of uncertainty when it comes to roster composition. Heels legend Armando Bacot is officially out of eligibility, and they’ll be looking to replace several other pieces such as Seth Trimble (portal) and Cormac Ryan (graduation). If they get RJ Davis and Harrison Ingram back, they’d immediately jump into the top five for me, but we probably won’t have any answers for a few more weeks on their status. A top-10 recruiting class is on its way with freshman Ian Jackson and Drake Powell expected to play heavy minutes immediately. Hubert Davis and his staff will have to be active in the transfer market once more.
No. 12: BYU Cougars
Mark Pope coached BYU to 23 wins during their first Big-12 season, a feat that is quite impressive. The team is set to return the bulk of their scoring from last season with only Spencer Johnson leaving for sure. Jaxson Robinson is weighing his options, but his return would give the Cougars one of the more underrated scorers in the conference. Fousseyni Traore, Dallin Hall and Trevin Knell will be another year older while former top 100 recruit Collin Chandler will make his debut after completing his two-year mission.
No. 13: Arizona Wildcats
I might be lower than most on Arizona, but they’re losing the bulk of their starting five as Oumar Ballo, Keshad Johnson and Kylan Boswell are moving on. Caleb Love technically has an additional year left and it would certainly enhance the Wildcats upside if he comes back. Jaden Bradley, KJ Lewis and Motiejus Krivas could all breakout with bigger roles expected. There will be no shortage of talent on hand as top-20 recruit Carter Bryant figures to play a key role right away with the team transitioning into the Big 12.
No. 14: Marquette Golden Eagles
The duo of Tyler Kolek and Oso Ighodaro are headed for the NBA, but that doesn’t mean they’ll fall out of relevance. Kam Jones has superstar potential and flashed that upside in the Big East Tournament when Kolek was out with an injury. This roster will have plenty of continuity with Stevie Mitchell, David Joplin, Ben Gold, Chase Rose and a healthy Sean Jones set to return.
No. 15: St. Mary’s Gaels
The Gaels would be higher in my rankings if not for losing Alex Ducas and Joshua Jefferson, but they’ll still have plenty of chemistry. Randy Bennett has a knack for developing talent so I would trust him with just about any roster, but it helps that the WCC POY Augustas Marciulonis returns along with mainstays Mitchell Saxen and Aidan Mahaney.
No. 16: Texas A&M Aggies
Buzz Williams and the Aggies will lose Tyrece Radford from a team that pushed Houston in overtime of a classic second-round tournament game but should return every other piece. Wade Taylor would be the pre-season SEC POY if back and would lead a group that includes rising star Manny Obaseki, Andersson Garcia and Solomon Washington.
No. 17: Clemson Tigers
Brad Brownell silenced his critics as his Clemson Tigers made an appearance in the Elite Eight after running through a gauntlet that included New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona before losing a close one to Alabama. Decisions from PJ Hall, Chase Hunter and Alex Hemenway loom large as Jack Clark has put his name into the portal. A core of Ian Schieffelin, RJ Godfrey, Chauncey Wiggins and Dillon Hunter would be considered a top-25 squad on its own. Additionally, former Air Force transfer Jake Heidbreder will be fresh off his redshirt season and averaged over 15 PPG for the Falcons back in 2022.
No. 18: Maryland Terrapins
The Terps underperformed drastically as they managed to win only 16 games, but Kevin Willard has done a great job reshaping the roster after losing Jahmir Young and Donta Scott to graduation. Four other reserves have entered the portal, but they’ve made some really strong additions since the season ended. Virginia Tech transfer Rodney Rice and Belmont transfer Ja’Kobi Gillespie are big-time scorers that appear to be ideal fits in this system. 5-star center Derik Queen is going to be a problem and showcased his skillset in the McDonald’s All-American game recently in which he scored 23 points, grabbed 8 boards and dished out 5 assists. He will form a stout frontcourt with Julian Reese and Jordan Geronimo. Sophomore DeShawn Harris-Smith rounds out what looks like one of the best on-paper rotations in the Big 10.
No. 19: Creighton Bluejays
Life after Baylor Sheierman begins now for Creighton, but there is a very good chance they start next season with Ryan Kalkbrenner, Trey Alexander and Steven Ashworth on the roster. Greg McDermott will shore up their depth with a top-20 recruiting class, and they’ve already been linked to several high-profile transfers. This will be an upper echelon Big East squad once again.
No. 20: Miami Hurricanes
Miami had one of the most talented starting groups in all of college basketball. The problem was they were ravaged by injuries and played very few games with a full roster. This led to a losing season, but I’m expecting a huge bounceback year for this team. Norchad Omier has declared for the draft, but they could theoretically return Matthew Cleveland, Nijel Pack and Wooga Poplar. Bensley Joseph is now a member of the Providence Friars, but 5-star Jalil Bethea will replace him and there is plenty of hype surrounding the exciting prospect. They’ve been active in the portal adding front court players Brandon Johnson (ECU) and Lynn Kidd (Virginia Tech). Assuming they stay relatively healthy next season they could be a Final Four team.
No. 21: Auburn Tigers
Bruce Pearl ran a deep rotation this season and that has seemingly led to a mass exodus of players to the portal as Aden Holloway, Tre Donaldson and KD Johnson have all decided to go elsewhere. Johni Broome, Chad Baker and Denver Jones appear on track to return, and they’ll be adding 5-star Tahaad Pettiford, a player that is widely considered the best point guard in the entire class. With the right portal additions, this Auburn team could easily be one of the best in the SEC.
No. 22: Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Steve Pikiell will be returning just three players from last year in Jeremiah Williams, Jamichael Davis and Emmanuel Ogbole. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the team had a rough year and a huge reset was definitely needed. They’ve added transfers Zach Martini (Princeton) and Tyson Acuff (EMU) while bringing in the sixth-best recruiting class. McDonald’s All-Americans Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper are probable lottery picks in 2025 so there is plenty of excitement around the program.
No. 23: Ohio State Buckeyes
Jake Diebler finished 8-3 after taking over for Chris Holtmann and very nearly pushed the Buckeyes into the tournament. Unfortunately, they fizzled out, but it was a positive finish to the year nonetheless and they’ll be expected to build upon that momentum. Bruce Thornton, Felix Okpara and Devin Royal are the more intriguing returners with all three showing flashes of brilliance under Diebler. They’ve brought Meechie Johnson home after he spent the last two years at South Carolina. Meechie and Thornton form a truly back court duo that will give opposing Big 10 coaches nightmares.
No. 24: UCLA Bruins
I was really confused why the Bruins were considered a top Pac-12 team heading into the season because their roster wasn’t particularly strong and Mick Cronin had missed on nearly all of their top transfer targets. This led to a disappointing 16-17 record and plenty of finger pointing from the fan base. Cronin and his staff aren’t sitting on their hands this time as they’ve already added Skyy Clark (Louisville) and Kobe Johnson (USC) from the portal. Dylan Andrews, Sebastian Mack and Lazar Stefanovic should be back and suddenly the team has a treasure trove of solid options on the perimeter as well as the wing. They may not be done with the portal yet as Adem Bona could enter the NBA draft so adding interior help will be necessary. UCLA is yet another team primed for a bounceback season as they make their debut in the Big 10 conference.
No. 25: Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats will return a quartet of intriguing players in Jizzle James, Day Day Thomas, Dan Skillings and Simas Lukosius. James is on breakout notice and the high upside point guard could help have the Bearcats dancing in March. A pair of 4-stars are joining the squad in Tyler Betsey and Tyler McKinley which will help with the overall depth. They will need to find front court help in the portal, but Wes Miller has proven he knows how to mine talent.
