It’s never too early to start looking ahead!
Check below for our list of 5 teams that should be vastly improved during the 2024-25 college basketball season.
In no particular order:
UCLA: Last season was the first time since 2010 that Mick Cronin didn’t take his team to March Madness. Prediction: History won’t repeat itself in 2025. Following a 16-17 season a year ago, UCLA has reloaded thanks to the additions of six transfers — Skyy Clark (Louisville), Kobe Johnson (USC), Dom Harris (Loyola Marymount), Tyler Bilodeau (Oregon State), Eric Dailey (Oklahoma State) and William Kyle (South Dakota State) — who should all find a place in the Bruins’ rotation. Former USC commit Trent Perry — a McDonald’s All-American — is another name to watch among the newcomers. Three double figure scorers from last season — Dylan Andrews (12.9 points), Sebastian Mack (12.1 points), and Lazar Stefanovic (11.5 points) — also return to Westwood. Cronin believes that this is the deepest roster that he’s had in his career. It says here that it should be good enough to put UCLA in the Big Ten’s top tier in the Bruins’ first season in the conference.
Xavier: Murphy’s Law hit the Cintas Center last season when two projected starters in the Musketeers’ frontcourt — Zach Freemantle and Jerome Hunter — both didn’t play a single minute due to season-ending injuries. If both are healthy in 2024-25, Sean Miller may very well have the Big East’s top challenger to UConn. Veteran point guard Dayvion McKnight (12.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds) is back for his fifth season and should have a bevy of weapons at his disposal. A troika of incoming transfers — Ryan Conwell (Indiana State), Dante Maddox (Toledo), and Marcus Foster (Furman) — combined to make 230 three-point shots last season while 6-10 big man Lassina Traore (11.9 points, 10.3 rebounds) averaged a double-double at Long Beach State. Without Freemantle and Hunter, Xavier only won 16 games last season. If everyone stays healthy in 2024-25, a 10-win improvement feels within reach.
Arkansas: Eric Musselman did a tremendous job at Arkansas before leaving for USC, but last season only produced 16 wins for the Razorbacks. John Calipari’s arrival in Fayetteville should lead to a considerable spike in the win column. Arkansas’ current roster is comparable talent wise to some of the teams that Calipari had during his 15-year run with Kentucky from 2009-24. A pair of transfers — Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) — should invigorate this team defensively and pair nicely with D.J. Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic, who played for Calipari last season in Lexington. If freshman guard Boogie Fland can handle major minutes out of the gate, the Razorbacks could be in the discussion for the title of the SEC’s second-best team behind Alabama.
Louisville: Pat Kelsey shouldn’t be expected to do what Rick Pitino did with the Cardinals, but his presence should instantly bring competitiveness and accountability back to a program that’s a combined 12-52 over the past two seasons. A brand new roster with zero returning players is headlined by Wisconsin transfer Chucky Hepburn (9.2 points, 3.9 assists), who should be able to push Louisville into the middle of the ACC standings. The Cardinals have not played in the NCAA Tournament since 2019.
Saint Louis: Can the Billikens go from finishing 14th in the Atlantic 10 standings last season to being a contender for the league title in 2024-25? It feels within the realm of possibility. Offensive mastermind Josh Schertz arrives in Saint Louis with two impact transfers — Robbie Avila (17.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists) and Isaiah Swope (15.9 points) — who played a major role for him last season when he led Indiana State to 32 wins. Veteran guard Gibson Jimerson (15.8 points) should also flourish under Schertz’s tutelage. A massive jump feels imminent at Chaifetz Arena.
