2016-17 College Basketball Predictions: Part One

Here are my predictions for the 2016-17 College Basketball Season

AAC
The American Athletic Conference is an interesting one coming into the season. The favorite in the conference this season has to be Connecticut, who has a dynamic backcourt of Jalen Adams and Rodney Purvis. Don't sleep on this team come March, either. Cincinnati should be a solid team as well with a Conference Player of the Year candidate leading the way in Troy Caupain. Memphis could surprise people this season in the conference with a new head coach in Tubby Smith, who gets a lot of out his teams. Dedric Lawson should be a Conference Player of the Year candidate and he and KJ Lawson will provide improvement. SMU is an interesting team as they have a new head coach in Tim Jankovich, who replaces Larry Brown. They'll have a strong front court featuring Ben Moore and Semi Ojeleye. Houston should be an interesting team as well. They have an elite scorer in Rob Gray and Damyean Dotson who make a great wing duo. Temple won the AAC regular season title and made the Big Dance last season and they probably will take a step back this season. Freshman Quinton Rose will make an impact for this team. Tulsa surprisingly made the Big Dance last season and are unlikely to get back there this season. Pat Birt will make an impact as well as Junior Etou. East Carolina should be improved this season thanks to the return of Deng Riak, who missed his first season due to a shoulder injury. UCF is going to have balanced scoring, but the biggest impact maybe coming from Tacko Fall, who did a solid job rebounding and protecting the rim last season as a freshman. Tulane should be out of the cellar thanks to guard heavy roster led by Malik Morgan. South Florida, even with the December arrival of Texas Tech transfer Isaiah Manderson, probably won't avoid the cellar this season.

1. Connecticut
2. Cincinnati
3. Memphis
4. SMU
5. Houston
6. Temple
7. Tulsa
8. East Carolina
9. UCF
10. Tulane
11. South Florida

ACC
The Atlantic Coastal Conference is still the best conference in the country and could have ten or more teams in the Big Dance this season. Duke clearly is the team to beat in this conference led by ACC Player of the Year favorite Grayson Allen and newcomers Jayson Tatum and Harry Giles. North Carolina should be a contender yet again thanks to veterans in wing Justin Jackson and point guard Joel Berry. Virginia will be a contender again as well thanks to Memphis transfer Austin Nichols and the great coaching of Tony Bennett. Louisville will be very good again, but don't rile out a Rick Pitino suspension at some point this season. They have great size on their frontline, but combo guard Donovan Mitchell and winger Deng Adel will make big impacts as well. Syracuse should be on the conferences best teams after a surprise run to the Final Four last season. Tyler Lydon leads the talent thats on this roster. Miami is being overlooked by many pundits. Ja'Quan Newton will be the teams primary scorer this season and they should have a good offense. Virginia Tech is going to be one of the country's more improved teams. Zach LeDay is their best player who can do pretty much everything. Notre Dame is being overlooked by pundits as well. That team can flat out score, but will have problems defensively. Expect a big year for big man Bonzie Colson Jr. North Carolina State should be an improved team this season as well. Dennis Smith Jr will make an immediate impact as a freshman. Florida State should be better this season as well. Dwayne Bacon and Jonathan Issac are two solid forwards to rely on. Pittsburgh has a new coach in Kevin Stallings and he has work to cut out for him. Jamel Artis moves from small forward to point guard, so that should be interesting. Wake Forest should be an improved team thanks to a breakout from big man John Collins. Josh Pastner has a ton of work cut out for him in his first season at Georgia Tech. Tadric Jackson is their only former top-100 recruit on this roster. Boston College should get some league wins after being winless in league play last season. Jerome Robinson will probably be their most impactful player.

1. Duke
2. North Carolina
3. Virginia
4. Louisville
5. Syracuse
6. Miami
7. Virginia Tech
8. Notre Dame
9. North Carolina State
10. Florida State
11. Clemson
12. Pittsburgh
13. Wake Forest
14. Georgia Tech
15. Boston College

AEC
I believe this season we will see a change of guard in the America East. Vermont looks like the team to beat with a lot of players returning including AEC Player of the Year candidate Ernie Duncan. New Hampshire should be a 20+ win team in the conference with a lot of decent players on it as well as Albany, who has Joe Cremo. Binghamton should be an improved team this season as well led by freshman Tyler Stewart. UMBC should be better as well led by freshman Max Curran. UMass Lowell is supposed to be an improved team as well with the arrival of Rinardo Perry. Stony Brook will take a step back after the departure of head coach Steve Pikiell. Winger Andrew Garcia will be a nice addition to this team, though. Maine has some quality recruits coming in such as Danny Evans and Andrew Fleming. Hartford doesn't have a single incoming recruit coming in this season and head coach John Gallagher is certainly on the hot seat.

1. Vermont
2. New Hampshire
3. Albany
4. Binghamton
5. UMBC
6. UMass Lowell
7. Stony Brook
8. Maine
9. Hartford

Atlantic Sun
This conference has a couple decent teams in it and not much else. Florida Gulf Coast is the team to beat here with a lot of returning talent including Marc-Eddy Norelia. North Florida is another solid team led by A-Sun Player of the Year candidate Dallas Moore. Stetson should be better after making the league title game a season ago led by Derick Newton. NJIT might take a step back this season, but they have two solid players in Damon Lynn and Tim Coleman. Lipscomb has a decent backcourt with Garrison Matthews and. Nathan Moran. Kennesaw State has a sleeper A-Sun Player of the Year candidate in Kendrick Ray. Jacksonville isn't a great team, but they do have two decent players in Darien Fernandez and Marcel White. USC Upstate has a lot of players coming back, but didn't get into a rhythm with its rotation.

1. Florida Gulf Coast
2. North Florida
3. Stetson
4. NJIT
5. Lipscomb
6. Kennesaw State
7. Jacksonville
8. USC Upstate

Atlantic-10
The A-10 was deep last season and it should be deep with solid teams yet again this season. Dayton looks like the team to beat in this conference thanks to the terrific coaching in Archie Miller and two studs in Charles Cooke and Josh Cunningham. Rhode Island is due for a bounce back season thanks to EJ Matthews and Hassan Martin returning from injuries. VCU is still a very good team as JeQuan Lewis is ready to take the next step. Davidson will be pretty good as well as they have the A-10 Player of the Year favorite Jack Gibbs. Richmond should be better with seniors TJ Cline and ShawnDre' Jones leading the way. St. Bonaventure might take a slight step back this season after winning a share of the conference title last season, but they still have Jaylen Adams around. Saint Joseph's will also take a step back after their NCAA tournament appearance last season, but James Demery and Shavar Newkirk should provide the punch. George Washington had to deal with some turmoil before the season with the firing of their coach due to a verbal and emotional abuse. The interim coach will rely on Tyler Cavanaugh to provide scoring. La Salle should be an improved team with Jordan Price returning. Massachusetts regressed the last two seasons, but Donte Clark will keep them in games. Fordham will take a step back after a respectable season last year, but transfer JaVonte Hawkins will have an impact. Duquesne will take a step back as well, but they still got Emile Blackman. George Mason should be a little better than last season with good balanced scoring on their roster. Travis Ford should have Saint Louis improved in the long term, but they look like the team that will finish in the cellar this season.

1. Dayton
2. Rhode Island
3. VCU
4. Davidson
5. Richmond
6. St. Bonaventure
7. Saint Joseph's
8. George Washington
9. La Salle
10. Massachusetts
11. Fordham
12. Duquesne
13. George Mason
14. Saint Louis

Big East
This should be a fun conference this season. The reigning champion Villanova Wildcats are still the class of the Big East thanks to Josh Hart among others coming back. Xavier should be awesome yet again with guys like Edmond Sumner, Trevon Bluiett, JP Macura, and Myles Davis. Creighton should be awesome this season thanks to the great backcourt of Maurice Watson and Marcus Foster. Butler should be good again thanks to a breakout by Kelan Martin. Georgetown is a good bounce back candidate thanks to a breakout by LJ Peak. Seton Hall should be decent again, but will take a step back thanks to the departure of Isaiah Whitehead and now Khadeen Carrington needs to take that roll. Marquette should be better as well and they have a good rim protector in Luke Fischer. Providence will take a step back after losing Kris Dunn. St. John's should be better in year two under Chris Mullin thanks to new additions in Bashir Ahmed and Marcus LoVett. DePaul will likely be in the cellar this season.

1. Villanova
2. Xavier
3. Creighton
4. Butler
5. Georgetown
6. Seton Hall
7. Marquette
8. Providence
9. St. John's
10. DePaul

Big Sky
This should be an interesting conference. Weber State is still the team to beat now that Jeremy Senglin is now the man. Montana should be decent with guys like transfer Ahmaad Rorie and Travis DeCuire. Idaho is a sleeper here due to the fact that they have a lot of important returnees. North Dakota isn't a bad team either as they'll be a top five team in the conference. Idaho State should be better thanks to Ethan Telfair. Montana State could be a sleeper thanks to Tyler Hall. Portland State is going to take a step back thanks to the departure of Cameron Forte. Eastern Washington is another team that will take a step back this season as well. Sacramento State has Justin Strings and that will prevent them from the cellar. Northern Arizona could avoid the cellar thanks to a possible breakout of Marcus DeBerry. Southern Utah is not a good team that could finish in the cellar. Northern Colorado is the most likely team to finish in the cellar as they have off court issues to deal with.

1. Weber State
2. Montana
3. Idaho
4. North Dakota
5. Idaho State
6. Montana State
7. Portland State
8. Eastern Washington
9. Sacramento State
10. Northern Arizona
11. Southern Utah
12. Northern Colorado

Big South
The Big South was quietly decent last season. Winthrop looks like the team to beat here thanks to Keon Johnson and Xavier Cooks. Liberty isn't a bad team thanks to their outstanding defense. UNC Asheville has a quality coach in Nick McDevitt, but they lost a lot of key pieces of last seasons NCAA tournament team. High Point will take a step back thanks to the departure of a John Brown. Campbell should be better thanks to their defense and Chris Clemons. Gardner-Webb can be a sleeper team thanks to Tyrell Nelson. Charleston Southern should be improved thanks to Armel Potter. Radford could be competitive thanks to Ed Polite. Presbyterian will have a brand new starting five and that could take a while to mesh. Longwood will likely finish in the cellar thanks to their most productive four players from a season ago moving on.

1. Winthrop
2. Liberty
3. UNC Asheville
4. High Point
5. Campbell
6. Gardner-Webb
7. Charleston Southern
8. Radford
9. Presbyterian
10. Longwood

Big-10
The Big-10 is going to be one of the best three conferences in the country this season. Wisconsin looks to be the team to beat thanks to Nigel Hayes, Bronson Koening, and Ethan Happ returning. Michigan State has an awesome freshman class coming in led by Miles Bridges and Josh Langford. Indiana should be great again thanks to Thomas Bryant and OG Anunoby. Purdue should be very good again thanks to returnees Vince Edwards, Caleb Swanigan, and Issac Hayes. Maryland disappointed last season, but they could make some noise thanks to Melo Trimble returning. Ohio State should bounce back thanks to a possible breakout of JaQuan Lyle. Michigan should be decent again thanks to Duncan Robinson and Mark Donnal. Iowa might take a step back, but they can still make it back to the Big Dance thanks to Peter Jok. Northwestern quietly was decent last season and should be decent again thanks to Bryant McIntosh. Illinois should be better this season thanks to Malcolm Hill and other guys coming back from injuries. Penn State could be improved as well thanks to a great freshman class coming in. Richard Pitino could be on the hot seat if things don't go well for Minnesota. Nebraska will take a step back thanks to Andrew White's departure. Rutgers has a new coach in Gary Pinkel, but it will take time to turn things around.

1. Wisconsin
2. Michigan State
3. Indiana
4. Purdue
5. Maryland
6. Ohio State
7. Michigan
8. Iowa
9. Northwestern
10. Illinois
11. Penn State
12. Minnesota
13. Nebraska
14. Rutgers

Big 12
The Big 12 was the best conference in the country last season and will be among the best conferences this season. Kansas comes in like always as the team to beat thanks to talented freshman Josh Jackson and returnees Carlton Bragg, Frank Mason, and Devonte Graham. West "Press" Virginia should be very good again although with their guards Daxter Miles Jr, Tarik Phillip, and and Jevon Carter and they lost a lot on the roster, but Bob Huggins always gets a ton out of his teams. Texas should be very good in Shaka Smart's second season thanks to guards Kerwin Roach and Eric Davis. Iowa State will be good again thanks to Monte Morris. Oklahoma will take a step back after Buddy Hield's departure, but they still should be very good with Jordan Woodward coming back. Baylor should be very good too with Johnathan Motley being a breakout candidate. Oklahoma State should be much better thanks to new coach Brad Underwood and Jawun Evans coming back from a shoulder injury. Texas Tech will take a step back after Tubby Smith left for Memphis, but Chris Beard takes over for a team that has three transfers coming. Kansas State should be competitive thanks to Wesley Iwundu. Jamie Dixon is now the man at TCU and it will be a few years until they're a contender.

1. Kansas
2. West Virginia
3. Texas
4. Iowa State
5. Oklahoma
6. Baylor
7. Oklahoma State
8. Texas Tech
9. Kansas State
10. TCU

Big West
This conference should be an interesting conference this season. Long Beach State looks like the team to beat with Justin Bibbins and Evan Payne. UC Irvine should be decent again thanks to Luke Nelson and Ioannis Dimakopoulos. UC Santa Barbara should be a decent team as well thanks to Gabe Vincent. CS Northridge should be better thanks to some guys returning including Michael Warren. UC Davis isn't good scoring the ball, but they can defend. CS Fullerton will be a streaky team all season and Tre' Coggins is the X-factor here. Hawaii will take a step back as they are dealing with off court issues. UC Riverside can be competitive thanks to Secean Johnson. Cal Poly will likely be in the cellar thanks to many departures.

1. Long Beach State
2. UC Irvine
3. UC Santa Barbara
4. CS Northridge
5. UC Davis
6. CS Fullerton
7. Hawaii
8. UC Riverside
9. Cal Poly

CAA
The CAA was very competitive last season and it should be competitive again this season. UNC Wilmington is the team to beat here after going to the Big Dance last season and Chris Flemmings will be a star. William & Mary should be decent again thanks to Omar Prewitt. Hofstra should be decent again thanks to Rokas Gustys and a possible breakout from Brian Bernardi. Towson should be good too due to their size up front. Charleston could take a step back thanks to the departure of Canyon Barry. James Madison will likely take a step back as well thanks to the departure of Ronald Curry. Northeastern is heading in the right direction, but it will be a few years before they are good. Elon quietly was a .500 team last season, but they'll likely take a step back. Drexel has a new coach in Zach Spiker, who has done more with less at Army, but his roster this season is thin. Delaware is likely to finish in the cellar this season and they have a new coach as well.

1. UNC Wilmington
2. William & Mary
3. Hofstra
4. Towson
5. Charleston
6. James Madison
7. Northeastern
8. Elon
9. Drexel
10. Delaware

Conference-USA
This conference should be interesting as well. Middle Tennessee looks like the team to beat after making the Big Dance and pulling off the biggest upset in NCAA Tournament history over Michigan State. Giddy Potts and Reggie Upshaw will have major impacts on this team. UAB is a pretty good team as well thanks to the dynamic front court of Chris Cokley and William Lee. Old Dominion should be decent, although they lost their best player in Trey Freeman. Marshall will be good offensively thanks to Jon Elmore and Ryan Taylor. Louisiana Tech should be ok although they did lose Alex Hamilton, but they did get Miami transfer Omar Sherman. Western Kentucky is a year away from being really good and Justin Jackson will be an impact. Rice will be decent thanks to stud point guard Marcus Evans. UTEP will be competitive thanks to Dominic Artis and Omega Harris. North Texas should be interesting thanks to Jeremy Combs. Charlotte will be a fun team to watch but they're a few years away. FIU will be competitive in games thanks to Donte McGill. FAU should be a little better this season, but not great. Southern Miss's postseason ban is gone, but there a few years away from being average. UTSA will likely finish in the conference cellar, but they will have a decent backcourt.

1. Middle Tennessee
2. UAB
3. Old Dominion
4. Marshall
5. Louisiana Tech
6. Western Kentucky
7. Rice
8. UTEP
9. North Texas
10. Charlotte
11. FIU
12. FAU
13. Southern Miss
14. UTSA

Horizon League
This conference was quietly decent as a whole last season. Valparaiso is still the team to beat here thanks to Alec Peters. Oakland will be very good again although they did lose Kay Felder. Green Bay should be good again after making the Big Dance last season, although they lost some key players. Illinois-Chicago could make a massive jump thanks to Dikembe Dixson and Tai Odiase. Wright State should be decent, although they have a new coach. Detroit may take a step back thanks to the departure of Paris Bass, but they still have Chris Jenkins. Northern Kentucky should be improved thanks to transfer Jeff Garrett. Youngstown State should be competitive thanks to Cameron Morse. Cleveland State could be competitive thanks to Robert Edwards. Milwaukee is in a rebuild mode right now and they have a new coach as well.

1. Valparaiso
2. Oakland
3. Green Bay
4. Illinois-Chicago
5. Wright State
6. Detroit
7. Northern Kentucky
8. Youngstown State
9. Cleveland State
10. Milwaukee

Ivy League
The Ivy League is a fun league to watch and it should be fun again. Princeton looks like the team to beat here with all their starters returning including Henry Caruso. Harvard should be dangerous as well thanks to Siyani Chambers Zeno Edosomwan, and Corey Johnson. Yale will take a step back after making the Big Dance last season after losing three starters. Penn is a young team that will be good a few years from now. Columbia had good personnel last season, but new coach Jim Engles has done more with less before. Dartmouth has a new coach this season and they could be improved this season. Cornell could be competitive this season thanks to Matt Morgan. Brown looks like they'll finish in the cellar, but they should be a better team than last season.

1. Princeton
2. Harvard
3. Yale
4. Penn
5. Columbia
6. Dartmouth
7. Cornell
8. Brown

MAC
This conference should be an interesting one this season. Akron looks like the team to beat this season thanks to Antonio Jackson and Isaiah Johnson. Ohio should be decent thanks to Antonio Campbell. Northern Illinois quietly had a good year last season and should be good again thanks to Marin Maric. Ball State should be decent again, but losing Bo Calhoun hurts. Buffalo should be decent again as they play hard most of the time. Kent State could be competitive thanks to Jimmy Hall. Central Michigan will take a step back thanks to the departure of Rayshawn Simmons. Eastern Michigan should be competitive thanks to the duo of Raven Lee and James Thompson. Toledo could take a step back thanks to the departure of Nathan Boone. Western Michigan hasn't been good for a few years, but they could be on the upswing within the next few seasons. Bowling Green doesn't have much talent on their roster and neither does Miami-Ohio, who will both finish near and at the bottom of the conference.

- East
1. Akron (Regular Season Conference Champion)
2. Ohio
3. Buffalo
4. Kent State
5. Bowling Green
6. Miami-Ohio

- West
1. Northern Illinois
2. Ball State
3. Central Michigan
4. Eastern Michigan
5. Toledo
6. Western Michigan

MAAC
This should be an interesting conference as well this season. Monmouth is the team to beat here with Justin Robinson returning and don't forget about the awesome bench mobs. Iona should be decent again as well thanks to Schadrac Casimir, but losing AJ English hurts. Siena should be better this season thanks to their entire starting five returning. Manhattan should bounce back from a disappointing season from a year ago thanks to key players returning from injuries. Fairfield is on the upswing thanks to Tyler Nelson. Saint Peter's should be somewhat decent thanks to Antwon Portley and Quadir Welton. Rider is one of the slower teams in the country, but they do have good rim protecting. Canisius is in a rebuild, but should be competitive thanks to Phil Valenti. Marist should be improved thanks to Khallid Heart. Quinnipiac is on the rise thanks to Peter Kiss. Niagara is likely to finish in the cellar and will struggle offensively.

1. Monmouth
2. Iona
3. Siena
4. Manhattan
5. Fairfield
6. Saint Peter's
7. Rider
8. Canisius
9. Marist
10. Quinnipiac
11. Niagara

MEAC
This is one of the country's worst conferences. Howard looks like the team to beat here with the nations top scorer from a year ago in James Daniel. South Carolina State should be decent with a good backcourt in Eric Eaves and Ed Stevens. North Carolina Central should be better this season thanks to a good defense. North Carolina A&T should be competitive thanks to Sam Hunt. Hampton will take a step back after many departures from last seasons team that made the Big Dance. Norfolk State will also take a step back after many departures from last years team. Maryland Eastern-Shore will take a step back after losing some key players and they aren't a good defensive team either. Morgan State is a hard team to predict since it isn't a good shooting team is a decent on-ball defensive team. Bethune-Cookman will take a step back thanks to losing Mario Moody. The cellar of the conference is up for grabs for teams like Coppin State, Florida A&M, Delaware State, and Savannah State.

1. Howard
2. South Carolina State
3. North Carolina Central
4. North Carolina A&T
5. Hampton
6. Norfolk State
7. Maryland-Eastern Shore
8. Morgan State
9. Bethune-Cookman
10. Coppin State
11. Florida A&M
12. Delaware State
13. Savannah State

MVC
This Missouri Valley Conference should be decent again this season. Wichita State comes in as the team to beat in the conference thanks to guys like Landry Shamet, Connor Frankamp, and Shaq Morris. Illinois State will be very good thanks to Paris Lee, MiKyle McIntosh, and Deontae Hawkins. Northern Iowa should be very good again, atltough they lost two of their best players, but now is Jeremy Morgan's time. Loyola-Chicago should be improved thanks to Milton Doyle. Missouri State should be improved thanks to some better personnel. Southern Illinois was quietly decent last season and three starters from last seasons team returns including Sean O'Brien. Indiana State should still be decent thanks to Brenton Scott. Evansville will take a step back thanks to two key departures of DJ Balentine and Egidijus Mockevicius. Drake will be near the cellar, but they do have Reed Tilmer. Bradley will likely finish in the cellar, but they should be better a few years from now.

1. Wichita State
2. Illinois State
3. Northern Iowa
4. Loyola-Chicago
5. Missouri State
6. Southern Illinois
7. Indiana State
8. Evansville
9. Drake
10. Bradley

MWC
The Mountain West Conference should be a fun one this season. San Diego State looks like the team to beat here thanks to a deep roster featuring Trey Kell and Zylan Cheatham. Nevada should be very good again thanks to the addition of Marcus Marshall. New Mexico should be good too since they have the conferences best player in Elijah Brown. Boise State will be good as well thanks to Nick Duncan. Fresno State should be good again too thanks to the addition of William McDowell. Utah State should be better thanks to Jalen Moore. Colorado State should be competitive thanks to Gian Clawell. UNLV has new coach in Marvin Menzies, but it will be a few years before their good. Air Force should be competitive thanks to CJ Spiles. Wyoming has a new coach in Allen Edwards, but they're a few years away. San Jose State will likely finish in the cellar, but they have Brandon Clarke.


1. San Diego State
2. Nevada
3. New Mexico
4. Boise State
5. Fresno State
6. Utah State
7. Colorado State
8. UNLV
9. Air Force
10. Wyoming
11. San Jose State

NEC
This conference should be some-what interesting with some decent teams. Wagner is the team to beat here with Corey Henson leading the way. Fairleigh Dickinson shockingly made the Big Dance last season and they should be decent again thanks to all their key players coming back including Mike Holloway. Mount St. Mary's should be better with some nice freshman coming in. Bryant should be better thanks to Marcel Pettaway. Robert Morris should be competitive thanks to Billy Giles. LIU-Brooklyn should be better thanks to Jermone Frink. St. Francis-Brooklyn took a step back last season and they probably won't be good this season either. Sacred Heart will take a step back thanks to the departure of Cane Broom. St. Francis-PA is in a rebuild so it will be a challenge for them this season. Central Connecticut will likely finish in the cellar, but they have a new coach in Donyell Marshall.

1. Wagner
2. Fairleigh Dickinson
3. Mount St. Mary's
4. Bryant
5. Robert Morris
6. LIU-Brooklyn
7. St. Francis-Brooklyn
8. Sacred Heart
9. St. Francis-PA
10. Central Connecticut

OVC
This conference was quietly decent last season, so expect it to be decent again. Belmont looks like the team to beat here thanks to Evan Bradds. Murray State should be good again thanks to Bryce Jones. Morehead State should be good again as well thanks to its senior class that they have returning. Tennessee State should be decent too thanks to Tahjere McCall and Wayne Martin. Eastern Kentucky should be improved thanks to Nick Mayo. UT-Martin might take a step back after losing it's three best players. Eastern Illinois should be competitive thanks to Demetrius McReynolds and Cornell Johnston. Austin Peay will be competitive again after making the Big Dance a year ago thanks to Josh Robinson. Jacksonville State should be improved with a new coach in Ray Harper. Tennessee Tech is likely to take a step back due to two key departures. SIU Edwardsville could make a jump this season thanks to Tre Harris and Glen Pierre, who both sat out last season. Southeast Missouri State will likely finish in the conference cellar although they should be better a few years from now.

- East
1. Belmont (Regular Season Conference Champion)
2. Morehead State
3. Tennessee State
4. Eastern Kentucky
5. Jacksonville State
6. Tennessee Tech

- West
1. Murray State
2. UT-Martin
3. Eastern Illinois
4. Austin Peay
5. SIU Edwardsville
6. Southeast Missouri State

Pac-12
This should be one of the best five conferences in the country this season. Oregon is the team to beat here thanks to Dillon Brooks, Chris Boucher, Tyler Dorsey, Jordan Bell, and Dylan Ennis. Arizona should be a contender yet again thanks to a load of talent they have in Kadeem Allen, Dusan Ristic, Allonzo Trier, Lauri Markkanen and more. UCLA should have a bounce back season with a loaded roster headlined by Isaac Hamilton, Bryce Alford, and Lonzo Ball. Cal should be very good as well thanks to Ivan Rabb, Kam Rooks, Kingsley Okoroh, and Jabari Bird. Colorado should be good again as well thanks to George King, Josh Fortune, and Dominique Collier. Washington should be one of the country's most improved teams thanks to the arrival of stud freshman Markelle Fultz. Utah should be good as well thanks to Kyle Kuzma and Lorenzo Bonam. USC could take a step back after losing two key players, but they do have Chimezie Metu and Jordan McLaughlin around. Oregon State may take a step back after losing Gary Payton II, but they do have Tres Tinkle and Stephen Thompson around. Arizona State should be better in year two with Bobby Hurley and Tra Holder is the go-to guy. Stanford should be better with a new coach in Jerod Haase and Reid Travis should be great for them. Washington State is very likely to finish in the conference cellar again, but should be improved thanks to a lot of returning seniors.

1. Oregon
2. Arizona
3. UCLA
4. California
5. Colorado
6. Washington
7. Utah
8. USC
9. Oregon State
10. Arizona State
11. Stanford
12. Washington State

Patriot League
This conference should be interesting with a few decent teams. Lehigh looks like the team to beat with Tim Kempton returning. Bucknell should be decent again thanks to Nana Foulland. Boston University should be decent with Eric Fanning. Holy Cross should be competitive after shockingly making the Big Dance last season. Navy could be competitive thanks to Shawn Anderson. Army has a new coach in Jimmy Allen, so it could be time until this team gels. Loyola-Maryland isn't good defensively and they don't have toughness, so they probably won't be good. Colgate will take a step back thanks to the departure of Austin Tillotson. American isn't very good offensively with the roster they have. Lafayette could be better than last season, but not by much as they are likely to finish in the cellar.

1. Lehigh
2. Bucknell
3. Boston University
4. Holy Cross
5. Navy
6. Army
7. Loyola-Maryland
8. Colgate
9. American
10. Lafayette

SEC
The Southeastern Conference might be weaker than last season in terms of elite teams, but it should still be decent as a whole. Kentucky is still the team to beat here with elite talent led by Isaiah Briscoe, Malik Monk, Bam Adebayo, and Wenyen Gabriel, among them. Texas A&M should still be very good thanks to Tyler Davis and DJ Hogg. Florida should be better thanks to Canyon Barry's arrival and a potential breakout of Devin Robinson. Vanderbilt has a new coach in Bryce Drew and they should still be decent thanks to Matthew Fisher-Davis. Georgia quietly was decent last season and should be decent again this season thanks to JJ Frazier. Alabama should be improved thanks to the additions Nick King and Avery Johnson Jr. South Carolina should be decent again too thanks to Sindarius Thornwell and P.J. Dozier. Arkansas should be decent as well thanks to Moses Kingsley, Dusty Hannahs, and Manuale Watkins. Mississippi State should be improved thanks to Quinndary Weatherspoon. Auburn lost some key pieces, but they should be competitive thanks to Mustapha Heron. LSU lost a lot of key players including Ben Simmons, but they have Antonio Blakeney and Craig Victor. Tennessee will likely take a step back after losing key players, but they should be good a few years from now. Ole Miss will likely take a step back due to Stefan Moody's departure. Missouri will likely finish in the cellar, but they could be competitive.

1. Kentucky
2. Texas A&M
3. Florida
4. Vanderbilt
5. Georgia
6. Alabama
7. South Carolina
8. Arkansas
9. Mississippi State
10. Auburn
11. LSU
12. Tennessee
13. Ole Miss
14. Missouri

Southern Confernce
This conference has some decent teams in it, but not much. Chattanooga looks like the team to beat here thanks to four returning starters including Casey Jones. East Tennessee State should be improved thanks to the additions of Tevin Glass and Hanner Mosquera-Perea. Mercer should be decent thanks to Stephon Jelks. Wofford should also be somewhat decent thanks to Fletcher Magee. UNC Greensboro should be competitive thanks to Francis Alonso. Furman should be somewhat decent as well thanks to four starters returning including Devin Sibley. Samford should be competitive thanks to Christen Cunningham returning. Western Carolina is likely to take a step back thanks to three key departures. VMI should be competitive most nights thanks to QJ Peterson. The Citadel is likely to finish in the cellar of the conference mainly due to their horrific defense.

1. Chattanooga
2. East Tennessee State
3. Mercer
4. Wofford
5. UNC Greensboro
6. Furman
7. Samford
8. Western Carolina
9. VMI
10. The Citadel

Southland Conference
This conference has some decent teams, but mostly bad teams. Stephen F. Austin looks like the team to beat here with a decent roster, but they have a new coach in Kyle Keller and they lost their best player in Thomas Walkup. Sam Houston State should be improved thanks to Aurimas Majauskas and Dakarai Henderson. McNeese State should be better thanks to Jamaya Burr. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi should be improved after making the conference title game last season. Houston Baptist could be a tough out this season thanks to Colter Lasher. Abilene Christian could be competitive thanks to Jaylen Franklin. Northwestern State lost their best player Jalan West to another torn ACL, so they won't be good. New Orleans are a fun team to watch, but don't have the horses to be a top team in the conference. Incarnate Word will take a step back after losing four starters. Nicholls State could be competitive thanks to Liam Thomas. Lamar doesn't have a good defense so expect them to finish in the bottom of the conference. Southeastern Louisiana aren't very good and they didn't win a out of conference D-1 game last season. Central Arkansas will likely finish in the conference cellar.

1. Stephen F. Austin
2. Sam Houston State
3. McNeese State
4. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
5. Houston Baptist
6. Abilene Christian
7. Northwestern State
8. New Orleans
9. Incarnate Word
10. Nicholls State
11. Lamar
12. Southeastern Louisiana
13. Central Arkansas

SWAC
This is probably the worst conference in the country, but it does feature some solid teams. Texas Southern is the team to beat here thanks to Derrick Griffin. Jackson State should be improved thanks to Chace Franklin and Paris Collins. Southern might take a step back due to key departures, but should still be near the top of the conference. Prairie View A&M could be competitive thanks to Jayrn Johnson. Alcorn State will take a step back after losing four seniors. Alabama State will take a step back after losing their best player. Mississippi Valley State is hard to project because they've had a lot of roster turnover. Grambling State still isn't ready to compete in the top half of the conference yet. Alabama A&M could hang around some games thanks to Rakiya Battle. Arkansas-Pine Bluff will likely finish in the cellar due to their poor offense.

1. Texas Southern
2. Jackson State
3. Southern
4. Prairie View A&M
5. Alcorn State
6. Alabama State
7. Mississippi Valley State
8. Grambling State
9. Alabama A&M
10. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Sun Belt
This conference has some decent teams in it and the rest of it not so much. UT-Arlington looks like the team to beat here thanks to Kevin Harvey. Little Rock has a new coach in Wes Flanigan and they should be good since they are starting five seniors with plenty experience. Georgia State should have a bounce back season thanks to the addition of Jeremy Hollowell. Coastal Carolina is a new team to this conference, but it should be decent thanks to Elijah Wilson. Georgia Southern should be decent too thanks to Tookie Brown. South Alabama should be an improved team this season thanks to Ken Williams. Troy should be better thanks to the arrival of DeVon Walker. Louisiana-Lafayette likely will take a step back due to Shawn Long's departure. Louisiana-Monroe should be pretty decent thanks to their great mid-range game. Arkansas State should be competitive thanks to Devin Carter. Appalachian State could be competitive due to a decent backcourt. Texas State will likely take a step back and likely will finish in the cellar, but they do have Kavin Gilder-Tilbury.

1. UT-Arlington
2. Little Rock
3. Georgia State
4. Coastal Carolina
5. Georgia Southern
6. South Alabama
7. Troy
8. Louisiana-Lafayette
9. Louisiana-Monroe
10. Arkansas State
11. Appalachian State
12. Texas State

Summit League
This conference is should be an interesting one to follow. Fort Wayne looks like the team to beat with John Konchar leading the way. North Dakota State should be good thanks to Paul Miller. South Dakota State has a new coach in TJ Otzelberger, but they should be decent thanks to Mike Daum. Omaha should be competitive with a good defense and Tra-Deon Hollins leading the way. IUPUI should have a bounce back season thanks to the addition of Ron Patterson. Denver has a new coach in Rodney Billups and they could be competitive thanks to Ade Murkey. South Dakota is in a bit of a transition thanks to a lot of roster turnover. Western Illinois doesn't have much other than Garret Covington. Oral Roberts will likely finish in the conference cellar thanks to an inexperienced roster.

1. Fort Wayne
2. North Dakota State
3. South Dakota State
4. Omaha
5. IUPUI
6. Denver
7. South Dakota
8. Western Illinois
9. Oral Roberts

WAC
This conference isn't great, but it has a few solid teams. Grand Canyon looks like the team to beat here, but they are ineligible for the postseason due to their D-1 transition. Cal State Bakersfield should be very good again after reaching the Big Dance last season thanks to a good backcourt led by Dedrick Basile. New Mexico State could take a slim step back due to the fact they have a new coach in Paul Weir. Seattle is a team that continues to improve under Cameron Dollar. Utah Valley is a team on the rise, but will be better a few years from now. Texas-Rio Grande Valley was one of the worst five teams in the country a year ago and I believe they'll be a little better. Missouri-Kansas City doesn't have a lot of talent other than Martez Harrison, who will carry the load. Chicago State is most likely to finish in the cellar of the conference.

1. Grand Canyon
2. Cal State Bakersfield
3. New Mexico State
4. Seattle
5. Utah Valley
6. Texas-Rio Grande Valley
7. Missouri-Kansas City
8. Chicago State

WCC
This conference is loaded with very good teams in it. Gonzaga is still the team the beat here thanks to a talented roster headlined by Zach Collins, Josh Perkins, and Prezemek Karnowski. Saint Mary's is also very good thanks to a terrific starting five that all returns from last season including Emmett Naar and Evan Fitzne. BYU should be very good again thanks to Eric Mika, Nick Emery, and Kyle Davis. Santa Clara should be improved thanks to Jared Brownridge. Loyola Marymount should be improved as well thanks to Brandon Brown. Pepperdine might take a step back due to the losses of Stacy Davis and Jett Raines, but they do have Jeremy Major and Lamond Murray. Portland should be competitive thanks to Alec Wintering. San Francisco is in a rebuild mode and they have a new coach in Kyle Smith. San Diego is also a rebuilding club, but they got Brett Bailey to be a big contributor. Pacific is likely to finish in the cellar and they have a new coach in Damon Stoudamire.

1. Gonzaga
2. Saint Mary's
3. BYU
4. Santa Clara
5. Loyola Marymount
6. Pepperdine
7. Portland
8. San Francisco
9. San Diego
10. Pacific