363 Madness' Way-Too-Early 2023 College Basketball Rankings (4/13)
Welcome to 363 Madness' Preseason Top 25! We use an interesting ranking system here, so let me explain (scroll for rankings) -
VERY IMPORTANT - THESE RANKINGS ARE BASED ON CURRENT ROSTERS, NOT WHERE I THINK THEY'LL BE WHEN THE OFFSEASON IS OVER!!!
Let's get started!
363 Madness Way-Too Early Top-25
Kentucky (SEC) (99.85)
This year, Kentucky is going to be reminiscent of a Krzyzewski-Duke team in the way that they’re relying on freshmen to win a title. However, with the potential return of 2022 Wooden Award Winner Oscar Tshiebwe and second-leading-scorer Antonio Reeves, Coach Cal and the Wildcats are in prime position to bounce back after recent March struggles.
PG - Robert Dillingham (91)
SG - DJ Wagner (94)
SF - Antonio Reeves (90)
PF - Justin Edwards (93)
C - Oscar Tshiebwe (95)
Bench - Aaron Bradshaw (+1.5), Ugonna Onyenso (+1), Reed Sheppard (+1), CJ Fredrick (+1), Adou Theiro (+.5), Lance Ware (+.25), Daimion Collins (+.5) (+5.75) | Chem (+1.5)
Marquette (Big East) (99.65)
What happens when you return your 9 leading scorers from a team that won the Big East last season? You get a team that’s in prime position to repeat as Big East winners as well as national title favorites. They return consensus third team All-American Tyler Kolek, as well as the rest of their star-studded starting lineup and Big East sixth man of the year David Joplin. If some of their younger guys who played roles last year and their freshmen can step up to provide less stress on the starting lineup, coach Shaka Smart has a team that can end Marquette’s recent tournament shortcomings.
PG - Tyler Kolek (94)
SG - Stevie Mitchell (86)
SF - Kam Jones (91)
PF - Olivier-Maxence Prosper (90)
C - Oso Ighodaro (91)
Bench - David Joplin (+1.5), Chase Ross (+1), Sean Jones (+.75), Tre Norman (+1), Ben Gold (+.5), Al Amadou (+.25), Zaide Lowery (+.25) (+5.25) | Chem (+4)
Michigan State (Big 10) (99.3)
2023 - the return of the blue blood. After an off year for many blue bloods (Michigan State included), it seems that most of them will be back to being the top teams in the country. This is especially true for Michigan State, as Tom Izzo returns 4 of last seasons' starters as well as adding the #3 recruiting class in the country. Izzo is the best at boosting his team’s chemistry, so Michigan State is going to be very hard to beat in the Big Ten this season. Also watch Jaden Akins as a breakout player for this upcoming season.
PG - Tyson Walker (93)
SG - AJ Hoggard (90)
SF - Jaden Akins (88)
PF - Malik Hall (87)
C - Xavier Booker (91)
Bench - Mady Sissoko (+1), Jeremy Fears (+1.5), Jaxon Kohler (+1), Carson Cooper (+.5), Tre Holloman (+.5), Coen Carr (+1), Gehrig Normand (+.5) (+6) | Chem (+3.5)
Duke (ACC) (97.6)
Jon Scheyer has done something revolutionary - RETURN 5-stars for their sophomore season. This rarely has happened with Duke, but now, they’re gonna have 2 top classes on one team. Veterans Jeremy Roach and Ryan Young will be there to hold everything together, but once Duke figures things out, they’ll be very hard to beat. Their chemistry will also be a factor as well with this many returnees, and now it’s only a matter of time to see how this star-studded roster looks in-game.
PG - Jeremy Roach (89)
SG - Tyrese Proctor (90)
SF - Jared McCain (88)
PF - Mark Mitchell (88)
C - Kyle Filipowski (93)
Bench - Ryan Young (+1), Sean Stewart (+1.5), TJ Power (+1.5), Jaylen Blakes (+.5), Jaden Schutt (+.5), Christian Reeves (+.25), Kale Catchings (+.25) (+5.5) | Chem (+2.5)
Arkansas (SEC) (97.6)
This offseason has confirmed the type of Arkansas team we're gonna have to get used to seeing - A almost transfer portal all-star team mixed in with some very solid returnees and a couple of 5-stars. Coach Musselman has brought in 2 of the best players from the AAC in Tramon Mark and Khalif Battle, as well as adding high-potential Washington guard Keyon Menifield. They return 3-year starting point guard Devo Davis, forwards Jalen Graham and Kamani Johnson, and 3 4-stars from last season that could take a big step up this year. This team's undeniable talent and experience should lead them to a near-first place finish in the SEC this season, especially if coach Musselman can get this revamped lineup playing as a team instead of a bunch of individual players.
PG - Davonte Davis (88)
SG - Khalif Battle (89)
SF - Tramon Mark (89)
PF - Trevon Brazile (89)
C - Baye Fall (88)
Bench - Layden Blocker (+1.5), Keyon Menifield (+1.5), Jeremiah Davenport (+1), Jalen Graham (+1), Kamani Johnson (+1), Joseph Pinion (+.5), Derrian Ford (+.5), Barry Dunning (+.5) (+7) | Chem (+1.5)
Tennessee (SEC) (97.2)
One of the more underrated teams in many 23-24 previews, the Volunteers have the 2nd deepest bench in the country right now. I doubt they’ll be able to retain all of it, but Tennessee’s going to be fine on the bench either way. Their starting lineup isn’t anything to be ignored either, They return 4 of their top 5 scorers from last season, and though this may not fix their March failures, you can bet that they’ll have another shot to redeem themselves this season.
PG - Zakai Zeigler (88)
SG - Santiago Vescovi (90)
SF - Josiah Jordan - James (89)
PF - Julian Phillips (88)
C - Jonas Aidoo (86)
Bench - Uros Plavsic (+.75), Jahmai Mashack (+1). Tobe Awaka (+.5), Freddie Dilione (+1), BJ Edwards (+.5), DJ Jefferson (+.5), JP Estrella (+1), Cameron Carr (+1), Cade Phillips (+.25) (+6.5) | Chem (+2.5)
UConn (Big East) (96.95)
The returning champs are here to stay. Though they lose their two best players in Adama Sanogo and Jordan Hawkins to the NBA draft, their strength was always depth, chemistry, and defense. They have one of their best recruiting classes of all time, as it's 4th in the country. Expect rising sophomore Donovan Clingan to have a breakout season, as he sat behind Sanogo last year,
PG - Tristen Newton (89)
SG - Stephon Castle (91)
SF - Andre Jackson (89)
PF - Alex Karaban (87)
C - Donavan Clingan (90)
Bench - Hassan Diarra (+.5), Solomon Ball (+1), Jaylin Stewart (+1), Jayden Ross (+.5), Samson Johnson (+.5), Youssouf Singare (+.25), (+3.75) | Chem (+4)
FAU (AAC) (96.8)
The miracle-workers of FAU aren’t going anywhere. FAU has a good chance to take another shot at the national championship where they should’ve been this past season, as they will most likely return all of their players outside of sixth man Michael Forrest. They have the best chemistry in the nation, and it’ll be interesting to see if this same squad can repeat last season’s same success.
PG - Nick Boyd (87)
SG - Johnell Davis (89)
SF - Bryan Greenlee (87)
PF - Alijah Martin (89)
C - Vladislav Goldin (87)
Bench - Giancarlo Rosado (+1), Brandon Weatherspoon (+1), Jalen Gaffney (+.75), Tre Carroll (+.5), Isaiah Gaines (+.25), Brenen Lorient (+.25), Devin Vanterpool (+.25) (+4) | Chem (+5)
Houston (Big 12) (96.3)
I was a bit worried for Houston after Tramon Mark announced he would transfer, but Kelvin Sampson replaced him fast with Baylor’s all-Big 12 third team member LJ Cryer, as well as in-conference Temple star Damian Dunn. Add that to two second team all-conference players J’Wan Roberts and Jamal Shead as well as high-potential AAC all-freshmen selections Emanuel Sharp and Terrance Arceneaux, and Houston is in prime position to dominate in their first season in the Big-12.
PG - Jamal Shead (90)
SG - LJ Cryer (93)
SF - Damian Dunn (88)
PF - Terrance Arceneaux (85)
C - J’Wan Roberts (88)
Bench - Emanuel Sharp (+1), Ja’Vier Francis (+1), Joseph Tugler (+1), Jacob McFarland (+1), Kordelius Jefferson (+.25), Ramon Walker (+.25) (+4.5) | Chem (+3)
USC (Pac-12) (95.95)
USC has one of the more high-potential and intriguing rosters this year, bringin in the #1 recruit in the country, Isaiah Collier, as well as returning some former 4-star sophomores and freshmen that should step into bigger toles this season. Vince Iwuchukwu was injured most of last season, and as a former 5-star, he’ll be back and could be an all-Pac 12 player. They also return one of the best players in the conference in Boogie Ellis, who should help USC past some shortcomings due to their inexperience.
PG - Isaiah Collier (94)
SG - Boogie Ellis (93)
SF - Tre White (86)
PF - Kobe Johnson (86)
C - Vince Iwuchukwu (87)
Bench - Joshua Morgan (+1), Arrinten Page (+1), Slias Demary (+1), Kijani Wright (+1), Oziyah Sellers (+.5), Harrison Hornery (+.25), (+4.75) | Chem (+2)
Creighton (Big East) (95.75)
Creighton was easily the least consistent team in college basketball last season. They started the season strong, went on a 7-game losing streak, then went on a 8-game winning streak, then lost 3 of 4 against top conference competition, then made it to the elite eight and lost on a near buzzer beater. As of now, they return most of that same core, but with Arthur Kaluma being a draft prospect and starting PG Ryan Nembhard leaving through the transfer portal, it’s very possible that this Blue Jay roster will fall apart. We’ll just have to wait and see, but as of now, they should be even better than they were last year. And if they found someone to fill that “2” spot, Creighton would be up there as a national title favorite.
PG - Trey Alexander (90)
SG - Francisco Farabello (83)
SF - Baylor Scheierman (90)
PF - Arthur Kaluma (90)
C - Ryan Kalkbrenner (93)
Bench - Frederick King (+1), Mason Miller (+1), Isaac Traudt (+1), Josiah Dotzler (+.25) (+3.25) | Chem (+3.5)
TCU (Big 12) (95.4)
This is a team that could have the most roster movement out of any team this offseason based on the potential returns and departures of Damion Baugh and Emanuel Miller. Both are not projected to get drafted this year, but both have declared for the draft while retaining their eligibility. Despite that, they’ve brought in 3 very high-level transfers including the #8 ranked transfer in Delaware’s Jameer Nelson. They’ll likely be a tournament team either way, but could actually form a deep tournament run this season with this roster if Baugh and Miller decide to run it back for one final season.
PG - Jameer Nelson (89)
SG - Damion Baugh (88)
SF - Micah Peavy (86)
PF - JaKobe Coles (86)
C - Emanuel Miller (88)
Bench - Trevian Tennyson (+1), Essam Mostafa (+1), Xavier Cork (+1), Jace Posey (+1), Rondel Walker (+.25), Isaiah Manning (+.25) (+4.5) | Chem (+3.5)
Texas A&M (SEC) (95.15)
A&M has had a wild last two seasons. They got robbed from a tournament berth two seasons ago and were put into the NIT, then were expected to make the tournament this season, before losing to Murray State and Wofford and getting blown out by Colorado. However, during conference play, they became a different team, going 15-3 and earning second place by a large margin. They were then robbed by the committee AGAIN by being massively under seeded as a 7 seed, where the Aggies lost to a hot Penn State team. However, this year, A&M should return all the guys that got them to the tournament last season. Wade Taylor could be an all-American, and the Aggies have two potential breakout guys in Manny Obaseki and Solomon Washington to watch next season.
PG - Wade Taylor IV (93)
SG - Tyrece Radford (90)
SF - Manny Obaseki (85)
PF - Julius Marble (87)
C - Henry Coleman III (87)
Bench - Solomon Washington (+1), Andersson Garcia (+.5), Hayden Hefner (+.5), Andre Gordon (+.5), Bryce Lindsay (+.25) (+2.75) | Chem (+4)
Alabama (SEC) (95)
Without Brandon Miller, the Crimson Tide should have a much more well-rounded roster this season. And though they likely won’t get the overall #1 seed this time, they may do better in the tournament than they did last season. They return their second best player Mark Sears, and with Jahvon Quinerly possibly returning and getting more playing time, Alabama shouldn’t be going anywhere. I expect Rylan Griffen to have a breakout season, and make sure not to forget about their 3 4-stars coming in, either.
PG - Mark Sears (92)
SG - Jahvon Quinerly (91)
SF - Jaykwon Walton (87)
PF - Rylan Griffen (88)
C - Charles Bediako (87)
Bench - Nick Pringle (+.5), Kris Parker (+.5), Sam Walters (+.5), Mouhamed Diabite (+.25), RJ Johnson (+.25) (+2) | Chem (+4)
Virginia (ACC) (94.75)
Virginia is going to have a very reminiscent team to their 2018 team that lost to UMBC, then won the national championship the next season. They’ve got 3 rising freshmen (one who redshirted), return an ACC All-American, an undersized big who’s really good at defense, and lastly, a guard that transferred from a different high-major, where he formerly averaged 11PPG. Yes, both of these teams have all of these players, and though UVA lost to a 16 seed that year, I highly doubt that will happen again if the Hoos make it back to a 1 seed. OK. Let me explain. McKneely, Bond, and Dunn are the freshmen, Bond being the one who redshirted, Minor is the undersized big, and Harris is the transfer guard. The Hoos also bring in 2 4-stars in Buchanan and Gertrude. They may also return Reece Beekman, a third team all-ACC selection last season. Based on their freshman core, UVA has the chance to either be really good or really average next season.
PG - Reece Beekman (90)
SG - Isaac McKneely (87)
SF - Leon Bond (85)
PF - Ryan Dunn (87)
C - Jordan Minor (87)
Bench - Dante Harris (+1.5) , Blake Buchanan (+1), Elijah Gertrude (+1) Taine Murray (+.75) (+4.25) | Chem (+3.5)
Miami (ACC) (94.7)
Coming off a magical final four run, the Miami Hurricanes should return 3 of the 4 players that carried them there. Jordan Miller has run out of eligibility, and though Isaiah Wong could declare for the draft, sophomores Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier should be back for another year. However, most of their talent ends there. They have a couple of freshmen that will take steps up this season, but Miami doesn’t have a lot of depth. If Coach Larranaga picks up a few transfers to fill the empty spots on the roster, Miami would be in prime position to make another final four run.
PG - Nijel Pack (92)
SG - Isaiah Wong (94)
SF - Wooga Poplar (87)
PF - AJ Casey (82)
C - Norchad Omier (91)
Bench - Christian Watson (+.5), Michael Nwoko (+.5), Bensley Joseph (+1) (+2) | Chem (+3.5)
Auburn (SEC) (94.5)
After an average season, Auburn looked to add some young talent and potential, and that is exactly what they did. Coach Pearl brought in McDonald’s All-American and Nike Hoop Summit member Aden Holloway, as well as adding sophomore 20PPG scorer Denver Jones from FIU. Last time there was a 20PPG transfer from the C-USA transferring to a high-major school was when Souley Boum committed to Xavier. Boum ended up being Xavier’s best player, leading them to a sweet 16. With Auburn's core around him, Jones could do the same.
PG - Denver Jones (89)
SG - KD Johnson (87)
SF - Allen Flanigan (87)
PF - Jaylin Williams (87)
C - Johni Broome (90)
Bench - Aden Holloway (+1), Dylan Cardwell (+1), Tre Donaldson (+.1), Chris Moore (+.5) (+3) | Chem (+4)
Northwestern (Big 10) (94.5)
Northwestern had the biggest 21-22’ breakout season in all of college basketball, and they have a good chance to stay at the top of the Big-Ten if star players Boo Buie and Chase Audige return to Northwestern and use their final year of covid eligibility. Both have entered the draft but have retained college eligibility. They have some very solid and experienced guys around Buie and Audige, but may need to pick up some more talent from the transfer portal to compete with the top teams in the country.
PG - Ty Berry (86)
SG - Boo Buie (94)
SF - Chase Audige (92)
PF - Brooks Barnhizer (87)
C - Matthew Nicholson (86)
Bench - Julian Roper (+1), Luke Hunger (+.25), Jordan Clayton (+.25), Blake Barkley (+.25), Parker Strauss (+.25) (+2) | Chem (+3.5)
UCLA (Pac-12) (94.3)
UCLA has lost veteran all-Pac 12 players Tyger Campbell and Jaime Jaquez, who had both been with them for 4 years before they declared for the draft this offseason. As expected, UCLA has reloaded. They bring in 3 4-stars, and return 3 former 4-stars from their bench. Dylan Andrews is expected to take a step up this season, and if Jaylen Clark returns for this season, UCLA will once again be in the conversation for the Pac-12 title. A new storyline that has been going on is the recruitment of European stars Illan Petrus and Aday Mara, the 7’3 Spanish center that is projected to be picked first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. Mara announced he would play in the NCAA this season, and UCLA is currently the favorite to land him. But, this is their current roster. Petrus has already committed and could be an all-American in his first season, and we’ll have to wait and see if fellow European Mara comes to UCLA as well.
PG - Dylan Andrews (86)
SG - Illan Petrus (89)
SF - Jaylen Clark (90)
PF - Lazar Stefanovic (85)
C - Kenneth Nwuba (83)
Bench - Sebastian Mack (+1), Devin Williams (+1), Brandon Williams (+1), Will McClendon (+.75), Mac Etienne (+.75), Abramo Canka (+.5) (+5) | Chem (+2.5)
Rutgers (Big 10) (94.15)
Rutgers is in a very similar position as Texas A&M was last offseason. Rutgers got robbed from an NCAA Tournament berth almost as hard as A&M did two seasons ago, and like A&M, they should return most of the players that originally got them there. The Scarlet Knights also just brought in UMass point guard Noah Fernandes, who should give an immediate impact to Rutgers. They have a very deep bench outside of Fernandes, they’re experienced, and they should see themselves in the NCAA Tournament this season.
PG - Paul Mulcahy (86)
SG - Cam Spencer (87)
SF - Aundre Hyatt (86)
PF - Mawot Mag (85)
C - Clifford Omoruyi (89)
Bench - Noah Fernandes (+1.5), Derek Simpson (+1), Gavin Griffiths (+1), Baye Ndongo (+.5), Antwone Woolfoolk (+.5), Jamichael Davis (+.25) (+4.75) | Chem (+3)
Kansas (Big 12) (94.05)
Kansas will have a very solid core this year, but will need to rely on their freshmen to succeed. They lost All-Big 12 first team Jalen Wilson, who carried their offense most games last season. Dajuan Harris, Kevin McCullar, and KJ Adams are good, but they’re more defensive-oriented than anyone. I’m sure Ernest Udeh will step up in a similar way KJ Adams stepped up last year, and though they do bring in the #6 ranked recruiting class, coach Self will have to bring in a couple of transfers to help the Jayhawks out of any offensive slumps they migh get into this season.
PG - Dajuan Harris (88)
SG - Elmarko Jackson (87)
SF - Kevin McCullar (89)
PF - KJ Adams (88)
C - Ernest Udeh (86)
Bench - Chris Johnson (+1), Zuby Ejiofor (+1), Marcus Adams (+.5), Jamari McDowell (+.5) (+3) | Chem (+3.5)
North Carolina (ACC) (94)
UNC’s 2022-23 season did not go as planned. As you all know, they were the preseason #1 team after making the national championship game, but despite returning 4 of their starting 5, they didn’t make the tournament. Now, 2 of those original starting 5 are still here. That’s a good start, as Armando Bacot was a third-team all-American, but of him and RJ Davis, there isn’t much experience otherwise. They’ve got 5 former 4 stars as well as 2 solid transfers, but for now, it won’t be enough to push them back to the level they were at during their 2022 tournament run.
PG - RJ Davis (91)
SG - Seth Trimble (85)
SF - Paxson Wojcik (86)
PF - Jalen Washington (84)
C - Armando Bacot (94)
Bench - Jae’Lyn Withers (+1), D’Marco Dunn (+1), Simeon Wilcher (+1), Zayden High (+1) (+4) | Chem (+2)
Memphis (AAC) (93.6)
I’m not sure how Coach Hardaway is going to give 16 guys 13 scholarships, so though there will be a couple of transfers leaving, Memphis currently has the deepest bench in the country. That’s going to be their strength next year, and odds are, one of those 11 guys currently on the bench is bound to have a breakout season. They bring in the number 9 recruiting class, as well as adding 3 high-level transfers in Caleb Mills (Florida State), Teafale Lenard (MTSU), and Jonathan Pierre (Nova Southeastern - D2). They return a lot of role players as well, and though they may struggle early on, I believe that this team poses a threat to FAU as AAC champions later in the season.
PG - Mikey Williams (86)
SG - Caleb Mills (87)
SF - Teafale Lenard (86)
PF - Jonathan Pierre (87)
C - Malcolm Dandridge (82)
Bench - Nick Jourdain (+1), Damaria Franklin (+.75), JJ Taylor (+1), Ty-Laur Johnson (+1), Chandler Lawson (+.75), Ashton Hardaway (+.5), Carl Cherenfant (+.5), Jayden Hardaway (+.5), Jonathan Lawson (+.5), Ryan Forrest (+.25), Kaodirichi Akobundu-Ehiogu (+.25) (+7) | Chem (+1)
Mississippi State (SEC) (93.4)
Mississippi State is a team that could legitimately win the SEC title this season if they could figure one thing out - 3 point shooting. Tolu Smith will be one of the best bigs in the country if he decides to return to Mississippi State this season. Their starting 5 has great chemistry. But, their problem was the inability to spread the floor with their guards to really let Smith thrive down low. They were abysmal all year long, shooting a terrible 26% from 3 on the year. They dominated a solid Akron team when shooting 50% from 3, beat #6 Marquette when shooting 45%, and beat Arkansas when shooting 60% from 3. If they get a full offseason of shooting practice, return Tolu Smith, and keep their incredible defensive efficiency from last season, Mississippi State should find themselves near the top of the SEC.
PG - Shakeel Moore (87)
SG - Dashawn Davis (86)
SF - DJ Jeffries (86)
PF - Cameron Matthews (83)
C - Tolu Smith (93)
Bench - Josh Hubbard (+1). Will McNair (+.5), KeShawn Murphy (+.25), Shawn Jones (+.25), Martavious Russell (+.5) (+2.5) | Chem (+4)
Nebraska (Big 10) (93.4)
You are probably very surprised to see Nebraska on this list, and, for good reason. They had a very subpar 2022-23’ season, finishing third to last in the big ten. Despite that, they return arguably their best player last season, Keisei Tominaga, as well as bringing in the #3 ranked PF, Rienk Mast, as well as Brice Williams, who led Charlotte to a CBI championship. They also return a very young core that could have multiple breakout players. Finally, it looks like Nebraska will be good again at basketball.
PG - Keisei Tominaga (88)
SG - Emmanuel Bandoumel (85)
SF - Brice Williams (86)
PF - Juwan Gary (85)
C - Rienk Mast (87)
Bench - CJ Wilcher (+1), Jamarques Lawrence (+.75), Ramel Lloyd (+.75), Wilhelm Breidenbach (+.5), Sam Hoiberg (+.5), Eli Rice (+.25), Blaise Keita (+.25), (+4) | Chem (+3)
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