One Under The Radar Team In Each Conference Heading Into 2023-2024

SEC – Auburn 

Bruce Pearl has a legitimate case as the most underrated coach in not only the SEC, but the entire country. Auburn lost a pair of first round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft in Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler and still managed to comfortably qualify for the 2023 NCAA Tournament and even win a game in the big dance over Iowa. While that might not sounds by much it is important to put into context that in 2022, Auburn earned a #2 seed in the NCAA Tournament which was the highest seed for the program since 1999.  

In addition, the Tigers climbed all the way to the #1 ranked team in the country for the first time in program history. Auburn struggled at times in 2023 without Smith and Kessler, including a three-game losing streak in the middle of SEC play. Auburn didn’t even enter the NCAA Tournament playing great basketball, losing 7 of their final 10 games. Despite all of these struggles throughout the regular season, Pearl was able to get this Auburn team to the Round of 32, and they even had #1 seeded Houston on the ropes before their season came to an end. 

Now, Auburn will return five of their top seven scorers from last season, including Johni Broome who was the team’s leading scorer last season and should be in for an even bigger season, with more of an opportunity. Guys like K.D Johnson, Jaylin Williams, and Dylan Cardwell will also be returning as key pieces, who have been in the program for a handful of seasons now. The main addition will be 5-star Freshman Aiden Holloway, who will likely only be at Auburn for one season before heading to the NBA. This kid has the unique blend of athleticism and skill to be an impact player in the SEC for this Auburn team.  

After not making the NCAA Tournament since 2003 prior to Pearl’s arrival, Auburn has now made four out of the last five NCAA Tournaments and have won at least one game in the big dance each time. That run will not be stopping anytime soon, as Auburn will be a Top 25 caliber team and likely better in 2023.  

Big Ten – Wisconsin 

There are a number of Wisconsin fans that are pretty down on Greg Gard, after Wisconsin missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. While it is fair to be disappointed, it is important to remember that Wisconsin did lose a lottery pick in Johnny Davis from the 2022 season and the Badgers started their season off 11-2, until an injury to Tyler Wahl changed the course of their season. Since taking over as the interim coach in the middle of the 2016 season, Gard has led Wisconsin to 5 of the last 7 NCAA Tournaments, and two Big Ten Regular season titles.  

Historically, Wisconsin is at their best when they are an older team, returning the majority of their core from the previous season. Now, Wisconsin is expected to return each of their top 5 leading scorers from a season ago, plus the addition of a big-time transfer in A.J Storr from St. John’s. Storr was one of the best under the radar transfer adds in the offseason, after he ended his Freshman season for St. John’s in tremendous fashion.  

The straw that stirs the drink is Point Guard Chucky Hepburn, who will be entering his third season with the program. There aren’t many Point Guards around the country that I would trust more than Hepburn, as he has played in and started 68 games throughout the first two seasons of his college career. With Sophomore Connor Essegian looking poised for a breakout after a tremendous Freshman season, plus a healthy Wahl, this Wisconsin team is super intriguing.  

The Big Ten is looking for much better results in the NCAA Tournament after really struggling the last two seasons, and this Wisconsin team could help get the league over the hump, as it’s most underrated team entering 2023-2024.  

Big 12 – TCU 

The Horned Frogs are fresh off the best two year stretch for the program since the early 1950’s, winning an NCAA Tournament game in each of the last two seasons. Jamie Dixon already ranks third in program history with 139 victories as a Head Coach, with a really good chance to ultimately end up at the top of that list. The Horned Frogs will lose some key pieces from those NCAA Tournament teams including Mike Miles Jr., who will go down as one of the better Horned Frogs in recent memory.  

Despite losing a two-time second team all-Big 12 Conference member, TCU does return four of their top six leading scorers from last season. As a matter of fact, the core group of Emmanuel Miller, Charles O’ Bannon, JaKobe Coles and Xavier Cork, will make up one of the most experienced cores in the country, with each of these guys playing a prominent role for each of TCU’s last two NCAA Tournament seasons. 

Miller will be the primary guy asked to replace some of Miles’ production, and he is someone more than capable. The 6’7” Forward did average 16.2 points per game in the SEC at Texas A&M, and improved his scoring average from 10.3 PPG to 12.3 this past season. In addition, JaKobe Coles took a massive step forward in 2023, being one of the more productive glue guys in the country and even scoring the game winning basket in the final seconds, to give TCU the victory over Arizona State. In an even bigger role for Coles this season, he will be one of the more productive players in the conference. TCU also added dynamic scoring Guard Jameer Nelson Jr. from Delaware via the Transfer Portal to replace Miles as the primary ball handler. Despite losing some key components from the core group that helped get to each of the last two NCAA Tournament’s, TCU is a team that shouldn’t be written off quite yet.  

ACC – Virginia Tech 

Mike Young should be regarded as one of the more underrated coaches in the country, based on everything he has done during his time in Blacksburg and even at Wofford. Last season was Virginia Tech’s first season under Young without an NCAA Tournament bid and I do not expect that to be the case again this season. The Hokies will return one of the better dynamic duos in not only the ACC, but in all of College Basketball.  

The duo of Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla averaged a combined 28.3 points and 7 assists per game last season. Cattoor is an experienced player, entering his fifth and final season of College Basketball and knows everything about this Hokies program inside and out, spending the entirety of his career playing for White at Virginia Tech. Cattoor led the ACC in three-point field goal percentage last season, at 42.4%, on pretty high efficiency. There weren’t many players in the country that took as big of a leap as we saw from Sean Pedulla last season as well. The Edmond, Oklahoma, native went from averaging 5 points per game as a Freshman, to 15 points per game as a Sophomore, with even 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game as well.  

The dynamic duo also has some new players around them that are super intriguing including a breakout candidate in Michael Collins Jr. and key transfers like Robbie Beran from Northwestern and Tyler Nickel for North Carolina. Despite last season ending in somewhat disappointing fashion after a handful of injuries and bad luck, this Hokies team is a dangerous sleeper in the ACC that should be on your radar. 

Pac 12 – Oregon 

Despite Oregon missing each of the last two NCAA Tournaments, Dana Altman is still one of the more underrated coaches in the country and the Ducks should be in for a bounce back season. This was the first time this program had missed back to back big dances for the first time since Altman’s first two seasons in Eugene in 2011 and 2012. One thing that has been apparent in Oregon’s struggles over the course of the last two seasons was a lack of roster continuity. The Ducks brought in almost too much talent into the program and it was almost impossible for anyone to establish themselves into a consistent role. 

Last season Oregon had way too many bodies in the frontcourt, including having two former Top 15 recruits coming off the bench in Nathan Biddle and Kel’el Ware, plus a highly regarded transfer in Quincy Guerrier out of place at the 3. Now, N’Faly Dante should take on the majority of the minutes at the 5, in his fifth and final season with the Ducks. Oregon will also return a nice nucleus in the backcourt, featuring two of their top 4 leading scorers from last season in Jermaine Cousinard and Keyshawn Barthelemy. Both of these guys are former transfers that will be entering their second season in the program, plus Oregon also added Georgia Transfer Kario Oquendo, who averaged double digit points during both of his two seasons in Athens. 

With the #10 ranked recruiting class featuring the likes of Kwame Evans Jr, Jackson Shelstad, and Mookie Cook, Oregon has plenty of younger players in the mix, but it is key that they will not be relied upon. Having that proper mix between talent and experience is huge in today’s college game and I like what Oregon possesses in this roster, especially compared to the last two seasons.  

Dana Altman is a coach that has gotten this Oregon program to a Final 4, and has won 4 Pac-12 Tournament Titles, along with three regular season titles. Even in a much improved Pac-12, Oregon is in for a bounce back season.  

Big East – DePaul 

It is no secret that dating back to even before the realignment to the “New Big East” Conference, this DePaul program has been a consistent bottom dweller. The Blue Demons have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2004, which is the longest drought among any team currently playing the “Power 6.” Head Coach Tony Stubblefield will be entering his third season on the job, after coming in as an Assistant from Oregon. During his time in Eugene, Stubblefield was known for being an elite recruiter and bringing in a handful of talent that ended up playing in the NBA like Bol Bol, Louis King, Chris Duarte and others. 

Despite DePaul only winning a combined 25 games in his first two seasons in Chicago, the Blue Demons will return a solid core group of players from last season, plus a handful of transfers that should raise the overall talent level of this Blue Demons team. Junior Forward Da’Sean Nelson had a number of really good games throughout Big East Conference play, including scoring a season high 24 points in DePaul’s upset victory over Villanova in January. Nelson scored in double digit points in six consecutive games for DePaul towards the end of January, and will be in for a much bigger role on the offensive end with leading scorers Umoja Gibson and Javan Johnson no longer in the picture.  

DePaul will also return Guards Jalen Terry and Caleb Murphy in the backcourt, to go along with Nelson up front, and have a transfer group featuring Chico Carter from South Carolina, Jeremiah Oden from Wyoming and Elijah Fisher from Texas Tech. Despite only winning 10 games in a season where DePaul was snake bitten by injuries in 2023, the Blue Demons did win 15 games in Stubblefield’s first season and overachieved relative to the very low expectations.  

This was an upgrade compared to the Dave Leitao era, in which he had a team featuring two NBA players in Max Strus and Paul Reed, but could never even get close to the NCAA Tournament. Tony Stubblefield is the right person for this job and DePaul will be better than expected this season.