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5 teams that should be vastly improved during the 2023-24 college basketball season

t’s never too early to start looking ahead!

Check below for our list of 5 teams that should be vastly improved during the 2023-24 college basketball season.

In no particular order:

Ole Miss: Back-to-back 13th place finishes in the SEC have set a very low bar in Oxford. Prediction: Ole Miss won’t finish close to 13th this season. Chris Beard’s first year with the Rebels brings tangible hope thanks to the return of two proud veterans — Matthew Murrell and Jaemyn Brakefield — along with several key transfers, headlined by former Western Kentucky big man Jamarion Sharp (7.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.1 blocks). The 7-5 Sharp has led college basketball in blocked shots in each of the past two seasons. Auburn transfer Allen Flanigan (10.1 points, five rebounds) should also play a major role. Don’t be shocked if Ole Miss is the fourth program that Beard takes to the NCAA Tournament during his career. It could happen as early as 2024.

Cal: The Bears won just three games last season under Mark Fox, who was fired after a 3-29 finish. Former Stanford great Mark Madsen takes over at his former rival and while a complete turnaround isn’t expected this year in Berkeley, Cal should be significantly better than it was last season. Madsen added three potential starters via the transfer portal in Jalen Cone (Northern Arizona), Keonte Kennedy (Memphis), and Fardaws Aimaq (Texas Tech), who previously played for Madsen when he was at Utah Valley. Veterans Devin Askew (abdomen) and Jalen Celestine (knee) are back fully healthy after only playing in a combined 13 games last season. The Bears have the requisites to win at least 10 more games than they did a season ago. 

Georgetown: Back-to-back last place finishes in the Big East standings produced a combined overall record of 13-50 for the Hoyas during the last two seasons. It also produced a coaching change. Former Providence coach Ed Cooley takes over for Patrick Ewing and Georgetown should immediately make a jump because of his presence. Illinois transfer Jayden Epps, Jay Heath, and North Carolina transfer Dontrez Styles gives the Hoyas a perimeter that should be able to match up with any opponent that it faces. While Georgetown’s frontcourt is a work in progress, Cooley’s ability to get his team to compete and play with an edge cannot be undervalued. He’ll have this team creeping towards the middle of the Big East standings in his first year with the Hoyas. 

Louisville: Could the worst season in program history be followed by one of the biggest turnarounds in program history? Don’t rule it out of the realm of possibility. The Cards’ 4-28 mark a year ago was a nightmare for anyone associated with this program, especially Kenny Payne. The second-year head coach has added reinforcements. Illinois transfer Skyy Clark (seven points, 3.7 rebounds) takes the baton at point guard while USC transfer Tre White (nine points, 5.1 rebounds) was one of the more underrated acquisitions in the ACC because of his versatility. Freshmen Curtis Williams and Dennis Evans should also both have an immediate impact. If Payne can get consistent minutes of returnees like Mike James and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, the middle of the ACC standings is within reach for Louisville. 

Florida State: Murphy’s Law has hit the Seminoles in each of the past two seasons, but nothing was worse than last year’s bevy of injuries that led to just a nine-win campaign. Two of Florida State’s three primary post players — Baba Miller and Cam Fletcher — only played a combined 15 games due to an NCAA suspension to Miller and a season-ending knee injury to Fletcher. Brown grad transfer Jaylan Gainey also never logged a single minute up front last year due to a season-ending knee injury. If Gainey and Fletcher are healthy and Miller plays up to his billing, Leonard Hamilton will have a capable ACC frontcourt. Veterans Jalen Warley and Darin Green return on the perimeter, which will feature several newcomers via the transfer portal in Jamir Watkins (VCU), Josh Nickelberry (La Salle), and Primo Spears (Georgetown), who is seeking a waiver from the NCAA since he’s a two-time transfer. If all hands are on deck, Hamilton has enough to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021.

Leftovers