Hailey Meuchel, CBS Sports
College hoops’ season is less than two weeks out. The longest offseason traverse in major American sports is almost over. Hallelujah. With the season under a fortnight away, I am proud to present to you our biggest preseason piece of content each year: A master ranking of the sport.
Below, you’ll find capsules for the 101 best teams in men’s college basketball. If you came looking for a general scan of the top of college hoops or an in-depth look at why I’ve decided to underrate the likes of NC State and Indiana again, you’re in luck! This protracted primer offers more than just a little to know about a lot of teams.
Each year, as I build out this massive project, I consciously choose to avoid preseason metrics and human-based prognostications. You’ll find some teams aligned next to numbers here that you won’t find anywhere else — for better or worse. Probably better. I’m basically never wrong with this annual October science project, you know?
Of course, most of this will be immaterial by the time teams get a few games to their name, so leap head first into my rankings and bask in the optimism that comes with every preseason. Will Purdue be this year’s 2019 Virginia? Will Florida Atlantic be this year’s Florida Atlantic? Is the Big 12 going to take a dial back with 14 teams? Which coach will text me and protest his team’s placement on this list within minutes of the story publishing? (I almost published two names right here.)
So much excitement with finally releasing this to the public every year. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed building it for you.
After weeks of careful curation and way too many rewrites and re-ranks, here is one man’s sketch of college basketball for the 2023-24 season.
Donovan Clingan is back and the top candidate for biggest breakout guy in college basketball.
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A healthy Justin Moore is the key to Villanova returning to respectability.
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Tristan Da Silva can make Colorado’s last season in the Pac-12 a memorable one.
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Boo Buie will be one of the most valuable players on any high-major team.
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N’Faly Dante had a late-season surge and needs to stay healthy for Oregon to dance.
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Keion Brooks Jr. found a great spot in Washington. Will he have enough help to get UW in the top half of the Pac-12?
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Isaiah Stevens led the MW in assists last season and could be a top-10 point guard in the sport.
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Jeff Capel made Pitt viable last season, breaking through to the NCAAs in Year 5.
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Vanderbilt was 22-15 last season under Jerry Stackhouse, the most wins by the ‘Dores since 2011-12.
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