Sports

Illinois, Mississippi State Headline Five Underrated College Basketball Teams

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With a new college basketball season looming, analysts and pundits will confidently predict the best teams. But as they do every year, some underrated teams will disappoint and some will sneak up on the college basketball landscape.

Let’s take a stab at five college basketball teams I deem as underrated heading into the college season. As baseline criteria, none of these teams will appear in the first AP top 25 poll.

Illinois

  • Kenpom projection: 23rd
  • Barttorvik projection: 21st
  • Top 25 votes received: 91

As the first team out of the AP poll, calling Illinois underrated could be a stretch. But this Illinois team should be considered a top 25 lock and a team talented enough to push for the top 10. The Illini made a deep NCAA Tournament run last season and returned a different but talented roster.

Illinois adds two talented freshmen guards: Kasparas Jakucionis and Will Riley. They’ll both contend for a lottery slot if things break right. Freshman big Morez Johnson projects as an impact player as well.

The addition of strong transfers in Ben Humrichous, Kylan Boswell and Carey Booth will help bolster the roster. Brad Underwood must mesh all of their new faces, but this Illinois team has the ceiling to make a deep tournament run in March.

Mississippi State

  • Kenpom projection: 32nd
  • Barttorvik projection: 22nd
  • Top 25 votes received: 6

A staggering nine SEC teams made the initial AP top 25 poll. That’s by far the most of any conference, but Mississippi State is notably missing. After a first-round exit in last year’s tournament, expect the Bulldogs to return to that mix.

Josh Hubbard will drive Mississippi State’s offense as one of the best shooters and most dynamic players in the country. Transfers Riley Kugel and RJ Melendez as well as Cameron Matthews will add even more offensive firepower.

Chris Jans has only missed the tournament twice in his eight-year coaching career. Expect him to continue elevating his roster’s talent. Additive coaching along with a bonafide superstar in Josh Hubbard should make the Bulldogs a frightening team all season.

Xavier

  • Kenpom projection: 30th
  • Barttorvik projection: 37th
  • Top 25 votes received: 73

The Big East will once again feature some of college basketball’s best teams. UConn has gone nowhere and Creighton, Marquette and St. John’s are all threatening. But many of those teams have lost pieces, opening the door for a team like Xavier to sneak through.

Xavier added seven transfers this offseason, headlined by Cam’Ron Fletcher, John Hugley and Dante Maddox. Sophomore Dailyn Swain should keep progressing. Zach Freemantle will continue anchoring the paint for the Musketeers.

Despite a relative lack of preseason hype, Xavier is talented enough to make a deep run this season with regular and post-season success. Backcourt depth and high-octane shooting often fuel success and Xavier could embody that.

Saint Joseph’s

  • Kenpom projection: 86th
  • Barttorvik projection: 81st
  • Top 25 votes received: 0

Projections tend to favor other, higher-profile Atlantic 10 teams over St. Joe’s, namely Dayton, VCU and Saint Louis. The Hawks haven’t made the NCAA Tournament since 2016, but the arrow points consistently up for Billy Lange’s team.

Saint Joseph’s roster features too much talent to ignore, starting in the backcourt. Erik Reynolds II and Xzayvier Brown could form one of the country’s most talented backcourts. Rutgers transfer Derek Simpson will add critical depth.

The frontcourt will be strong as well, headlined by Rasheer Fleming and Harvard transfer and Justice Ajogbor. Some scouts view Fleming as a possible draft pick this year, which is indicative of his talent. Don’t be shocked if St. Joe’s makes a serious push for the A10 crown and a tournament appearance.

Washington

  • Kenpom projection: 75th
  • Barttorvik projection: 73rd
  • Top 25 votes received: 0

Most projections expect Washington to land towards the bottom of the new look Big 10. The Huskies weren’t a consistently successful Pac-12 team, last placing in the AP poll in 2020. But in a new conference, the Huskies could take this chance to rebound. 

Washington brings two key pieces from Utah State’s 2023-24 tournament team: head coach Danny Sprinkle and star big man Great Osobor. Osobor was one of the country’s best bigs last season and should once again anchor Sprinkle’s team for the second straight year.

That continuity matters, along with transfers Tyler Harris and DJ Davis as well as talented freshman guard Zoom Diallo. This Washington team has the talent and coaching goodness to remain in the mix in a crowded Big 10. 

Honorable mentions: Oregon, Texas Tech, Grand Canyon, Georgia, Kansas State, Saint Louis