Check below for our list of 10 non-power conference teams to watch during the 2024-25 season.
This list does not include Gonzaga or Memphis.
In no particular order:
McNeese: The facts are the facts: Will Wade’s second roster with the Cowboys is significantly more talented than his first and his first roster won 30 games last season and reached the NCAA Tournament. Wade ripped through the transfer portal like a chainsaw through butter this spring and added multiple players — Quadir Copeland (Syracuse), Brandon Murray (Ole Miss), Alyn Breed (Providence), Bryant Selebangue (Arizona State), and Sincere Parker (Saint Louis) — with power conference caliber ability. Christian Shumate, Javohn Garcia, Omar Cooper, DJ Richards, and Mike Saunders also return as players who averaged double-figure minutes on last season’s 30-win squad. If McNeese gets into the NCAA Tournament in 2025, it has more than enough talent to advance in the bracket.
Grand Canyon: Tyon Grant-Foster’s decision to return to school for another season immediately made the Lopes a national brand to monitor entering the 2024-25 season. The 6-7 guard averaged 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds a year ago and averaged 25.5 points and 7.5 rebounds last March in two NCAA Tournament games. Three other starters — Ray Harrison (13.5 points), Collin Moore (8.2 points), and Duke Brennan (7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds) — return for Bryce Drew, who also added impactful additions up front via the transfer portal in JaKobe Coles (TCU) and Dennis Evans (Louisville). Games in November and December against Arizona State, Stanford, Georgia, and Saint Louis should give the Lopes a plethora of opportunities to move the needle early in the season.
Saint Mary’s: Aidan Mahaney’s decision to leave Moraga and transfer to UConn was a blow, but the Gaels will always be formidable as long as Randy Bennett is their head coach. Reigning WCC Player of the Year Augustas Marciulionis (12.4 points, 5.4 assists, 3.3 rebounds) anchors a returning nucleus that also features Mitchell Saxen (11.8 points, 7.6 rebounds), Luke Barrett (5.5 points), Harry Wessels (4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds), and Jordan Ross. A pair of transfers — Paulius Murauskas (Arizona) and Ashton Hardaway (Memphis) — also should have a major impact. Saint Mary’s still has more than enough to be a national factor once again in 2024-25.
Santa Clara: Is this the year that the Broncos finally reach the NCAA Tournament? It definitely feels within the realm of possibility. Herb Sendek returns three players — Adama-Alpha Bal, Christoph Tilly, and Johnny O’Neil — from a team that won 20 games and finished fourth in the WCC standings last season. LSU transfer Carlos Stewart also returns to the Broncos after spending one season in the SEC. The 6-1 Stewart averaged 15.2 points and was an All-WCC first-team selection during the 2022-23 season. After three straight 20-win seasons, this could be the year that Santa Clara finally breaks through and is a part of March Madness for the first time during Sendek’s tenure.
VCU: Max Shulga’s decision to decommit from Villanova and return to VCU immediately made the Rams the team to beat in the Atlantic 10. With Shulga (14.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists), Zeb Jackson (11.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists), Joe Bamisile (13.1 points), and UTA transfer Philip Russell (14.9 points), Ryan Odom boasts a power conference caliber perimeter. Clemson transfer Jack Clark (4.7 points, 4.9 rebounds) should also have a major impact up front after serving as a key role player for the Tigers last season when they advanced to the Elite Eight. The Atlantic 10 runs through the Siegel Center.
Loyola Chicago: Drew Valentine did one of the best coaching jobs in the country last season, leading the Ramblers to a share of the Atlantic 10 regular season title after a 15th place finish in 2022-23. An encore may very well be on deck in the Windy City. All-Atlantic 10 guard Des Watson (12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds) looks like a go-to scorer as a senior while Jayden Dawson, Sheldon Edwards, and Jalen Quinn are all reliable veterans on the perimeter. 6-10 sophomore Miles Rubin is a burgeoning star at center. Valentine also added several key newcomers from the transfer portal in Justin Moore (Drexel), Jalen Deloach (Georgia), Kymany Houinsou (Washingon State), and Francis Nwaokorie (UC San Diego). Loyola Chicago may not have the same star power as the other elite mid-major programs, but it’s got plenty of substance.
Boise State: Could a fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance be in the cards for the Broncos? Without question. Leon Rice may have his best team yet, headlined by Mountain West Player of the Year candidate Tyson Degenhart (16.7 points, 6.2 rebounds) and reliable forward O’Mar Stanley (12.7 points, 6.6 rebounds). A troika of transfers — Alvaro Cardenas (San Jose State), Dylan Anderson (Arizona), and NAIA All-American Javan Buchanan — are all projected to be starters. Boise State has yet to win a game in March Madness under Rice — that could change in 2025.
St. Joe’s: One of the best non-power conference perimeters in all of college basketball resides on Hawk Hill thanks to the triumvirate of Xzayvier Brown (12.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists), Erik Reynolds (17.3 points), and Rutgers transfer Derek Simpson (8.3 points). Burgeoning sophomore Rasheer Fleming (10.7 points, 7.4 rebounds) is also an All-Atlantic 10 caliber player while Harvard transfer Justice Ajogbor has good size and should stabilize the middle. St. Joe’s has three games in November — Villanova, Texas Tech (Legends Classic), and either Syracuse or Texas (Legends Classic) — against power conference competition. Don’t be shocked if the Hawks move the needle before Christmas.
New Mexico: JT Toppin’s decision to transfer to Texas Tech may have lowered the ceiling in Albuquerque, but the Lobos still have enough to be a force in the Mountain West. Donovan Dent averaged 19.8 points and 7.0 assists last November in five games last November when Jaelen House was out of the lineup due to injury and should be a force as a junior. Tru Washington (6.6 points), Mustapha Amzil (6.7 points, 3.5 rebounds), and Nelly Junior Joseph (8.9 points, 8.2 rebounds) also return as key rotation players who were a part of last year’s team that won the Mountain West Conference Tournament title. Richard Pitino is also hopeful that Arizona transfer Filip Boravicainin will play a major role. New Mexico doesn’t have what it had, but it still should have enough to be a part of March Madness in 2025.
Princeton: The Tigers’ one-two punch of Xaivian Lee (17.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists) and Caden Pierce (16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds) makes Princeton the clear favorite in the Ivy League after this program has won at least a share of the regular season title in each of the past three seasons. Sharpshooting guard Matt Allocco transferred to Notre Dame and Zach Martini transferred to Rutgers, but Mitch Henderson still has major reinforcements returning in Blake Peters, Dalen Davis, and Jake Scott, who all were a part of the rotation last season when the Tigers finished 24-5. Keep a close eye on the 6-3 Lee, who tested the NBA Draft process last spring before opting to return to school. He had nine games last season with 20 or more points and scored 30 or more on two separate occasions.
