2024-25 College Basketball Top 25
2024-25 College Basketball Top 25
After writing an in-depth review of the A-10, AAC, ACC, Big East, Big 12, Big Ten, C-USA, MVC, MWC, SEC, WAC, and WCC, it's time to finalize my pre-season analysis with a top 25 ranking.
Introduction
As a fun way to prepare for this upcoming college basketball season, I have written over ten conference reviews which are listed below.
Let’s finish this in style with a top-25 ranking. With over 125 in-depth 3K+ worded player scouting reports, several Mock Drafts and Big Boards, and 10 conference reviews, there is consistent content available in this newsletter.
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I have crazy-ambitious goals. After writing more than 80 in-depth scouting reports for the 2024 NBA Draft, I want to push that to 125+ for this year’s cycle! On top of that, you’ll get consistent college basketball-related content, with some Division II and JUCO content throughout the season!
Rankings
1. Kansas
Kansas struggled heavily with their perimeter shooting last year, which eventually led to them falling in the standings after their program star McCullar, Jr. got injured and Furphy’s red-hot shooting streak ended. On top of that, their defensive issues with Dickinson as the five led to their conference rivals figuring out Kansas’ weak areas while exploiting them.
That’s what they all addressed in the portal. Adding top shooters in Rylan Griffen and Zeke Mayo gives Coach Self the much-needed shooting depth alongside a top interior scorer in AJ Storr who’s their best prospect for the NBA. Returning high-caliber starters in Adams, Jr. and Harris, Jr. alongside an All-American big man in Dickinson make Kansas again one of the top programs in the country.
It will be a close battle at the top, with Coach Self handling the tough task of instilling the program’s principles on the defensive end while losing one of the best college defenders of the last decade in Kevin McCullar, Jr. Historically looking, Coach Self is hungry for the title, and won’t allow himself to have two consecutive bad seasons.
2. Duke
Coach Scheyer built a team that’s, on paper, probably the best in the country. They get the consensus number one overall newcomer in Cooper Flagg while building around him with notable veterans such as Tyrese Proctor, Mason Gillis, and Sion James. Their star-studded 2024 class also features three other five stars in Khaman Maluach, Kon Knueppel, and Isaiah Evans.
As college basketball becomes older, it’s proven more risky to build around freshmen. The Blue Devils anticipated taking on a tough non-conference schedule to be ready before the regular season starts. Knowing how locked in Coach Scheyer is, you know Duke will be prepared.
Cooper Flagg will have an All-American First Team type of season, and with the right personnel around him, Duke will be scary this year. It’s Final Four or Bust, regardless of building around a freshman.
3. Gonzaga
The Zags are a borderline top-five team in the country due to their combination of retention and experience. Compared to last year, losing Anton Watson, who was one of college basketball’s best connectors, is a challenge to overcome for Coach Few.
However, the transfer portal focus has been size and offensive versatility, with Khalif Battle (Arkansas) adding self-creation as a scorer while giving more defensive body alongside Ryan Nembhard. They also get a fantastic twitchy athlete in Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine), who adds another presence in the interior and has had a historic shooting season at 46.8% on 77 three-pointers. On top of that, they get another piece for future years in Emmanuel Innocenti, who comes over from a 25-win season having Tarleton State.
Graham Ike and Ryan Nembhard give Gonzaga one of the best pick-and-roll tandems in the game. While Ben Gregg, Dusty Stromer, and Braden Huff are ready to play minutes. Coach Few is ready to compete for a national title, and the amount of talent and depth on this roster makes them the clear favorite to win their conference this year.
4. Houston
Coach Sampson lost an all-time program great in Jamal Shead to the NBA. However, their acquiring Milos Uzan from Oklahoma will lead to a plug-and-play replacement. Uzan has big shoes to fill, but Sampson makes his new leading guard’s role easier by returning a majority of their core from last year, including L.J. Cryer, Emanuel Sharp, and J’Wan Roberts, who are all set to take a bigger role. Especially Sharp looks like the favorite to see his offensive production increase.
With Terrance Arceneaux back and healthy, the Cougars will stay a consistent top program in a loaded Big 12 conference. The other side of the coin is that the margin for error is so small, with multiple contributors taking the top spot. Continuity is essential, and that is where Coach Sampson is King.
5. Alabama
On paper, Alabama has the most impressive roster in the SEC. They return key pieces from last year’s Final Four run, including Mark Sears who’s a leading candidate to win National Player of the Year. The quality of their frontcourt got bumped up by adding Cliff Omoruyi while keeping Grant Nelson on board for another year.
Latrell Wrightsell and Chris Youngblood are essential transfers that will keep the first seven names at the highest level possible. However, the defensive struggles this team had are the other side of the coin most people decline to recognize, and the main reason why they fall outside of the top four. Coach Oats is an offensive mastermind, who was outscoring teams in the months when it mattered the most.
However, with the top of college basketball getting better combined with the defensive struggles this team was facing, it will put extra pressure on the returning players to keep the same standards. A roster logjam might be an issue, as incoming freshmen Derrion Reid, Aiden Sherrell, Labaron Philon, and Naas Cunningham expect playing minutes while returning Jarin Stevenson is set for a breakout season.
6. Iowa State
A program’s culture and principles make the difference between winning and losing. For the Cyclones, this is the season where they will shine. After having a top-eight defense for three consecutive seasons, it’s safe to say that Coach Otzelberger is one of the best defensive coaches in the country.
They brought back a majority of their contributors, with the loss of Robert Jones and Hason Ward being filled in by adding a top-caliber center in Joshua Jefferson from Saint Mary’s. Returning the guard rotation of Keshon Gilbert, Tamin Lipsey, and Curtis Jones is essential to maintain their offensive production. With a solid freshman campaign under his belt, Milan Momcilovic will be more comfortable adding to Iowa State’s scoring.
The X-factor for the Cyclones will be Dishon Jackson’s production. While Jefferson can score both with his back to the basket or pop to the perimeter to add a much-needed three-point shot to Iowa State’s offense, Jackson’s ability to anchor the defense will make it more feasible for Iowa State can keep their opponents under 60 points while being a clear contender for the national title.
7. North Carolina
While most preseason buzz went to their eternal rival, North Carolina silently secured themselves with a loaded roster, led by RJ Davis. The ACC Player of the Year is one of the contenders for National Player of the Year this upcoming season, and Coach Davis secured solid rotational pieces in Cade Tyson (Belmont), and Ven-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt) who’ll be impactful players right out of the gates.
More importantly, the Tar Heels put themselves in a fantastic position to win with freshmen. Ian Jackson and Drake Powell will be vital parts of a North Carolina team aiming to head to their second Final Four appearance in the last four years. Elliot Cadeau and Seth Trimble are two other names that will carry more responsibilities.
The X factor for the Tar Heels is Jalen Washington, who’ll have to step up in more traditional lineups to compensate for this team’s lack of depth among true fives. The program’s roster continuity and depth is the biggest reason behind its top-ten ranking.
8. Tennessee
The reigning SEC champions have a clear path to defend their title while being a darkhorse Final Four candidate. After being eliminated in the Elite Eight last year, they’ll want to come back strong despite losing All-SEC big man Jonas Aidoo while also seeing the SEC Player of the Year in Dalton Knecht leave the program for the NBA.
The Vols built an upperclassmen-heavy team that got three impact transfers in Igor Milicic, Jr., Chaz Lanier, and Darlinstone Dubar while keeping All-SEC leading guard Zakai Zeigler on board. Coach Barnes, who’s entering his tenth season in Knoxville, has proven to be a winning program for years.
The continuity of his playing style, with keeping Zeigler on the team being the most vital part of it, gives them the nod to win the most SEC conference games this season.
9. Creighton
Ryan Kalkbrenner told the NBA to wait for one more season and decided to come back to Omaha. The three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year has an opportunity to tie Patrick Ewing’s record, who won four in a row in his Georgetown days. And let’s be honest, it will likely happen, and it will be amazing.
It’s less amazing for Coach McDermott that he lost both Baylor Scheierman and Trey Alexander to the NBA. He compensated by bringing in the highly-touted Pop Isaacs, while Jamiya Neal will be trusted to serve as the team’s connecting wing while embracing his role as a forward.
Creighton had a lack of depth in recent years, forcing their starting five to play heavy minutes. They slowly repaired that by some excellent recruiting: Jackson McAndrew, Larry Johnson, and Ty Davis are all ready to battle for spot minutes.
The biggest X-factor for the Bluejays is whether Fedor Žugić is eligible or not. I have been raving about his NBA status for years, and college basketball is the best environment for him to thrive. Playing in Europe at various high levels, it’s clear that he’s the conference’s best player on day one. But the NCAA might get in his way and deem him ineligible.
10. Baylor
Baylor lost close to 50 points per game in production, delivering first-round picks in Ja’Kobe Walter and Yves Missi. The biggest win for the Bears is keeping Coach Drew on board while yet again having a successful combination of recruiting high-end talent in VJ Edgecombe and Robert Wright III while getting top transfer targets in Norchad Omier and Jeremy Roach.
After contending for the title, Baylor has lost its defensive status with below-average outcomes in the last two years. However, they made up for it with their offense, and adding Edgecombe, who scored close to 17 points per game for the Bahamas this summer, will make it clear who’ll lead the team in scoring.
Coach Drew will have leading roles for Omier and Roach, but the addition of Celestine shouldn’t be unnoticed. When it comes to Baylor’s depth, senior guards Nunn and Love will complete the rotations for the 1-3 spots, with Josh Ojianwuna looking like a solid backup for Omier at the five. If Baylor manages to improve their defense, they are a clear contender for the Elite 8 and perhaps even beyond that.
11. Auburn
The most essential part of Auburn’s top ranking is the combination of keeping Johni Broome, who is arguably one of the top big men in the country, alongside adding a dynamic leading guard in JP Pegues. Coach Pearle has had a habit of stacking undersized guards throughout the years, where they get a floor general who can carry the scoring load in the 6’3” standout from Furman a year ago.
Key rotational pieces such as Chad Baker-Mazara, Dylan Cardwell, and Denver Jones remain on the roster, giving them good continuity to repeat what they did a year earlier. Barring injuries, we could see incoming freshmen Jahki Howard and Tahaad Pettiford finding spot minutes for the senior-heavy Tigers. Their heavy non-conference schedule with games against Duke, Houston, Purdue, and the Maui Invitational will prepare the Tigers well for conference play.
12. Connecticut
Can the Huskies do it again? Bringing back Alex Karaban is a season-saving move for them. As great as Coach Hurley is, compensating for losing Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Stephon Castle, and Donovan Clingan would be impossible. UConn did well by staying in potential winning mode by bringing in star freshman Liam McNeeley, while also securing the rights to Aidan Mahaney and Tarris Reed, Jr.
The former Michigan big man is set for a career-changing season as the new five-man alongside Samson Johnson. Connecticut can keep their pick-and-roll schemes alive where Reed, Jr. will take over Clingan’s role in drop coverage, where the Samson Johnson minutes will be filled with hedging pick-and-rolls and blitzing ball-handlers.
Solomon Ball is set for a sophomore leap to help his team by carrying more offensive scoring load. However, I believe it won’t be enough to win the Big East. Replacing the three top college guards with Hassan Diarra and Aidan Mahaney is too risky. Alex Karaban will have an All-American level season, but without the reliable scoring around him, the lack of roster continuity will lead to Connecticut finishing outside of the top 2.
13. Indiana
I’m all-in on the Hoosier success this year. Coach Woodson and his staff replaced Kel’el Ware with an All-American caliber big man in Oumar Ballo. On top of that, they addressed their much-needed improvements in guard play with a dynamic scoring guard in Kanaan Carlyle and Myles Rice, who are both entering their sophomore year.
Having a frontcourt-heavy constructed roster puts more importance on decision-making and playmaking, which was one of this team’s main struggles last year on top of their below-average shooting. Another vital aspect of Indiana’s improvement is to pair Reneau with a defensive-anchoring center in Ballo, who can take pressure away from Reneau by fully committing to defending the opposing five.
Trey Galloway and Luke Goode are the complementary pieces that round out a title-contending Hoosier team. Bryson Tucker’s freshman production is the icing on the cake for Coach Woodson, who’s entering a ‘Big Ten title or bust’ type of season while aiming to be a second-weekend team at worst.
14. Arizona
After losing four starters, the Wildcats are in for a tough season. Larsson and Johnson both signed with the Miami Heat, while Kylan Boswell went back home to Illinois and saw his teammate Ballo signing with Big Ten-rival Indiana. A tough task for Coach Lloyd, who won two out of three PAC-12 regular-season titles.
Caleb Love is back, and that’s what keeps the offensive engine running for Arizona. On top of that, returning key rotational pieces in Jaden Bradley and KJ Lewis makes it easier for the coaching staff to instill their culture and principles into the new group, containing the Horizon League Player of the Year in Trey Townsend, while adding a top-notch freshman in Carter Bryant.
The season-deciding player for the Wildcats is Motiejus Krivas, who had a promising year serving as a backup to Ballo, while a top shooter in Anthony Dell’Orso will be the favorite to take over Larsson’s role. Many challenges for this Arizona squad, but the depth and amount of talent make them a clear top-3 team in a loaded Big 12 conference.
15. Purdue
Despite not having Zach Edey anymore, it’s clear that Purdue’s guard rotation of Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith is the best in the conference, both in quality and the longevity and consistency of how familiar they are with the playing system.
On the other hand, Mason Gillis’ departure to Duke is another blow for Coach Painter. That puts more pressure on Camden Heide, who’s set for a sophomore leap. His presence as a closeout-attacker and paint-touch generator takes away pressure for Loyer and Smith, while Myles Colvin serves as a good backup. There is enough depth for Purdue on that end.
The X-factor for the Boilermakers is Trey Kaufman-Renn’s increasing offensive scoring load. Highly touted freshman Daniel Jacobson will play good minutes. That’s a given. However, it’s asking for much to expect the same level of impact Zach Edey had from him and Caleb Furst in the frontcourt. It’s clear: Kaufman-Renn’s leap is what this team needs the most, and I am doubtful if that will happen.
On top of that, Smith and Loyer need to prove they can produce in the same level without Zach Edey, whom they feasted off of in the last two seasons.
16. Texas A&M
The substance will always prevail over flash in my basketball philosophy. That automatically makes me lean toward tough, gritty teams as the Aggies. They once again will be around the best six or seven programs in the SEC, while being a stable factor in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas A&M brought back most of its scoring from last season, where their undeniable star Wade Taylor IV is ready to steal the show as a potential SEC Player of the Year. Their other veterans Henry Coleman, and Andersson Garcia will complete the dynamic three that will carry Buzz Williams’ squad through the season.
Zhuric Phelps gives them another dynamic scorer with plus-size that can complement and take away pressure from Taylor IV, while Pharrel Payne can continue to be a useful piece after coming off a decent year in Minnesota.
The continuity of the program on top of on-court quality pieces is the deciding factor in the Aggies’ ranking.
17. Marquette
After losing both Oso Ighodaro and Tyler Kolek, Coach Smart is ready to put this team’s faith into Kam Jones’ hands. In the six games without Kolek, Jones put up more than 20 points per game while averaging over 50% from three. He’s ready for the challenge.
The biggest win for the Golden Eagles is bringing back everyone else from last season while having an impressive incoming freshman class of Damarius Owens, Royce Parham, and Joshua Clark, who might all find spot minutes.
David Joplin, Stevie Mitchell, and Chase Ross will be a terrific supporting cast for Jones, who is a favorite to win Big East Player of the Year. However, not replacing Ighodaro might make it tough on Coach Smart, where the team’s contributions from Ben Gold will be the X-factor for this team.
18. Illinois
Illinois lost most of its starting minutes and went for a recruiting haul in Kasparas Jakucionas, Morez Johnson, Will Riley, and Tomislav Ivisic. All four names look like contributors for the Fighting Illini, as connecting pieces such as Corey Booth, Kylan Boswell, and Ty Rodgers will give Coach Underwood much-needed continuity in a period of adjusting for the incoming group of freshmen.
This team has serious offensive potential. Despite an expected regression, Coach Underwood’s winning culture at Illinois will be put on display, as we’ll likely see another title-contending team after last year’s run that ended in the Elite 8. So it’s the coach’s value, making them a top-5 Big Ten team, with freshman Will Riley and Morez Johnson being my expected most impactful newcomers on this team.
19. Wake Forest
Coach Forbes enters his fifth year, and that’s where we’ll see him getting good returns on his heavy investments in establishing a winning culture. The Demon Deacons managed to keep both all-conference caliber players Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth. On top of that, they yet again brought in highly-touted freshmen who had disappointing seasons, with Omaha Billiew being an example.
It was clear Wake Forest needed a quality impulse for their frontcourt, and they brought in a potential defensive stud. If Coach Forbes can get returns on his untapped potential as he did with Hunter Sallis last season, the Demon Deacons may have found their missing piece to be a consistent top-25 team in the country this season.
20. Oregon
Welcome to the Big Ten! Oregon managed to bring back their dynamic freshman duo of Jackson Shelstad and Kwame Evans, Jr. They will be the key players on this team, where the Ducks did well by bringing in experience with TJ Bamba, Brandon Angel, and Ra’heim Moss.
Coach Altman has had over 20 seasons for over a decade long now. Continuity, while making the right additions via the portal is the way to build a feasible winning team. And that’s what the Ducks are.
One of the contenders to win Newcomer of the Year will be their JUCO stud, Dezdrick Lindsay. At 6’6”, he’s one of the best defenders in junior college basketball, while being an effective and creative interior scorer. Remember the name!
21. Kentucky
In his first year leading Big Blue Nation, Mark Pope has strengthened its roster with key additions via the transfer portal. Kerr Krissa will likely lead this team that surrounded itself with high-end shooters such as Koby Brea and Jaxson Robinson, who is set for a breakout season as the only one familiar with Coach Pope’s system.
Versatility is the name of the game with this team. Andrew Carr gives them offensive versatility in the frontcourt, adding a perimeter-oriented option to the duo of fives with Brandon Garrison and Amari Williams whose game complements that playing style less. On top of that, Otega Oweh is a dynamic scorer who can keep the pace up while coming off the bench, while the Wildcats have a lockdown perimeter defender in Lamont Butler, Jr.
A lot of exciting pieces, but not any individual game-changers themselves. Kentucky will transition to a system team under Coach Pope, and winning cultures in that style often take time. Regardless, the amount of talent here is undeniable, making them a clear top-25 team, with the roster's senior heaviness and depth being the deciding factor.
22. UCLA
Depth is vital to make improvement more feasible. However, in UCLA’s case, last year’s disaster was a combination of many factors that will not play a part anymore. By relying less on incoming freshmen and acquiring key pieces from the transfer portal, the Bruins have a solid base to be a legitimate contender in their Big Ten debut season.
Tyler Bilodeau is among the underrated names of Big Ten transfers, but his ability to stretch the floor is one of the missing ingredients. To take away pressure from its guard play, adding another top-tier shooter alongside Stefanovic and WCC-standout Dominick Harris will ease things up for Andrews as a creator. Kobe Johnson and Skyy Clark add another scoring punch to separate UCLA’s guard play from the other top teams in the Big Ten.
Stefanovic and Andrews will lead the scoring column for this group. The exchange from freshmen to more experienced pieces in a more physical Big Ten is the recipe for success for UCLA's debut season there.
23. Grand Canyon
The Lopes are the clear-cut favorites to win the WAC while flirting with multiple top-25 appearances. They retained most of their minutes yet brought in seven transfers to add more depth to compete as a second-weekend team in the Big Dance.
JaKobe Coles (TCU) is one of the big prizes. The sharp-shooting big wing shot 42.2% on two three-point attempts per game and will add size and versatility to the three and four slots. On top of that, Coach Drew adds another reliable shooting option in Makaih Williams, who comes from rival UT Arlington. The sophomore scored 44.8% from downtown on nearly three attempts per game.
It’s clear that Grand Canyon bets on adding depth while continuing to trust their program star Tyon Grant-Foster to carry most of the scoring load and ball touches. With a more than solid supporting cast of the returning guards Ray Harrison, Collin Moore, and center Duke Brennan, the Lopes have multiple ball handlers and floor-spacers while easily playing a four-out concept.
Outside of them being clear favorites, Coach Drew built one of the best mid-major teams in the country.
24. BYU
We see a revolution in Provo, UT. The Cougars are becoming one of the hottest destinations in college basketball, with Coach Young’s NBA-styled system and deep NIL resources making them a great place to develop and play high-caliber basketball in the Big 12.
Adding one of the most talented Europeans in Egor Demin and a high-end prospect from American soil in Kanon Catchings gives this team two solid ball handlers and self-creating scorers at 6-foot-9, with a complete package of craft, decision-making, and scoring prowess. Relying on freshman talent is risky, but BYU made its efforts more feasible by adding a group of top rotational pieces. They managed to keep Richie Saunders, who’ll be a number three guy for Coach Young’s squad, and their big man in Fousseyni Traore.
The undersized frontcourt was an issue last year. They anticipated adding Keba Keita from their inner-state rival Utah, and an experienced Serbian seven-footer in Mihailo Boskovic. Dalin Hall and Trevin Knell lead to the rich getting richer, giving Coach Young a squad full of depth and individual scoring qualities.
First-year coaches often need time to adapt to college basketball, but in Coach Young’s case, he’ll be ready to shine in his first season at Brigham Young.
25. Memphis
This will be a career-changing season for Coach Hardaway. After replacing everyone except Nick Jourdain, the Tigers built a competing roster to earn a ticket for the Big Dance in March.
The addition of three solid guards in Tyrese Hunter (Texas), PJ Haggerty (Tulsa), and Colby Rogers (Wichita State) gives them much-needed guard quality. With two experienced fives in Moussa Cisse (Ole Miss) and Dain Dainja (Illinois), Memphis has enough offensive firepower to outscore most opponents they’ll face. That leaves the importance of three-point efficiency from the earlier-mentioned Jordain, but also PJ Carter (UTSA).
However, their scoring prowess comes at the expense of their impact on the glass. I predict the Tigers will struggle to win the defensive rebounding battle. Partially due to the lack of true size on the roster. That makes Tyreek Smith (SMU) leaving the program a bummer for the Tigers.
Regardless, Coach Hardaway has the quality to outscore anyone on any given night. And we’ll see how legitimate Memphis is with their tough non-conference schedule, putting more pressure to play well immediately.
Finalizing Summary
To summarize the piece, here’s the list for my College Basketball Top 25:
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