In senior Troy Caupain, Cincinnati has one of the nation’s best point guards (Getty)
25. Iowa State
If you have high-level point guard play, you’ve got a chance, and the Cyclones have one of the best in senior Monté Morris. Last season he averaged 13.8 points and 6.9 assists per game on a team that reached the Sweet 16. But with Georges Niang and Abdel Nader both out of eligibility, Morris will be asked to do more from a scoring standpoint but he’s more than capable of handling the slight shift in role. Also back are Matt Thomas (11.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg), Deonte Burton (9.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Naz Mitrou-Long (12.0 ppg), who only played in eight games last season due to injury. Steve Prohm’s team may not be incredibly deep, but the top-end talent is good enough to make sure this group is a fixture in the national polls all season long.
24. Dayton
On May 12, less than two months after the conclusion of the 2015-16 season the Dayton basketball program was hit by tragedy, as center Steve McElvene passed away due to an enlarged heart. How anyone deals with grief is tough to predict, and that will be a subplot of the Flyers’ 2016-17 season. But from a talent standpoint, head coach Archie Miller has enough to not only win the Atlantic 10 but win games in the NCAA tournament. A senior class that includes guards Scoochie Smith (11.7 ppg, 4.3 apg) and Kyle Davis (8.0 ppg), and wing Charles Cooke (15.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg), will lead the way, and Illinois State transfer Josh Cunningham is a key addition in the front court.
23. West Virginia
“Press Virginia” has been a major change for Bob Huggins’ program in the last couple of seasons, with the Mountaineers pressing full court throughout the game to force turnovers while using their offensive rebounding prowess to make up for poor perimeter shooting. West Virginia will have a similar formula this season, although they do have to account for the departures of leading scorers Jaysean Paige and Devin Williams. Jevon Carter (9.5 ppg, 3.3 apg), Daxter Miles Jr. (9.4 ppg) and Tarik Phillip (9.3 ppg) are among the returnees on the perimeter, with Esa Ahmad and Nathan Adrian leading the way in the front court. The Mountaineers once again have depth, and their tenacity at both ends of the floor will put them in the mix of teams behind Kansas in the Big 12.
22. Creighton
After performing very well in their first season in the Big East in 2013-14, with Doug McDermott leading the way, the Bluejays hit a rough patch due in large part to the impact that the conference switch had on their recruiting efforts (recruiting for the Big East isn’t the same as recruiting for the Missouri Valley). What’s helped head coach Greg McDermott has been a mixture of veterans and transfers, and three transfers will figure prominently for his team this season. Maurice Watson Jr. (began his career at Boston University) is underrated nationally as a point guard, and he’ll be joined by fellow senior Isaiah Zierden and former Kansas State guard Marcus Foster in the backcourt. Add in a deep front court that includes Cole Huff (he began his career at Nevada) and redshirt freshman Justin Patton, and Creighton (which went to the NIT last season) has a talented group that at minimum should slot behind Villanova and Xavier in the Big East race.
21. Saint Mary’s
The Gaels, who missed out on the NCAA tournament once again last season, have the pieces needed to get back to the Big Dance and challenge Gonzaga for WCC supremacy this season. Guards Joe Rahon (10.7 ppg, 5.4 apg) and Emmett Naar (14.1 ppg, 6.3 apg) will once again lead the way for head coach Randy Bennett, and in the front court the Gaels welcome back the likes of Calvin Hermanson (10.4 ppg), Dane Pineau (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), Evan Fitzner (8.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and Jock Landale (7.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg). Saint Mary’s has the depth to challenge Gonzaga and reach the NCAA tournament, and with games against teams such as Nevada and Dayton in non-conference play the Gaels will have the opportunity to add to their résumé. That hasn’t always been the case, as subpar non-conference slates have either relegated Saint Mary’s to the NIT or landed them a seed lower than expected.
Click on the “next page” graphic for teams 16-20