This list is by no means in order of talent or a collection of the five most talented teams in college basketball – if it was, Baylor and Houston would also be on the list. This is a list, sorted alphabetically by conference, spitballing the most talented team in each major conference in 2024.
ACC — Duke Blue Devils
Despite losing the core of last season’s Elite Eight team in forward Kyle Filipowski (NBA), and guards Jared McCain (NBA), Mark Mitchell (Missouri) and Jeremy Roach (Baylor), the Blue Devils reloaded with one of the best recruiting classes in recent history.
Springboarded by the commitment of the nation’s top-rated recruit Cooper Flagg, Duke was able to sign four five stars and two four stars, including seven-footer Khaman Maluach and the fourth- and fifth-ranked small forward prospects in the country in Isaiah Evans and Kon Knueppel.
The Blue Devils do have some returning pieces as well, including facilitator Tyrese Proctor and reliable sophomore Caleb Foster. Most of the Blue Devils’ four-person transfer class was backcourt-focused, with the additions of Tulane’s Sion James and Rice’s Cameron Sheffield. Purdue transfer forward Mason Gillis is a high-profile scorer looking for a starting role.
Coach Jon Scheyer will have a good problem on his hands while he designs his rotations, with a myriad of potential All-Americans at his disposal at every position.
Big East — Connecticut Huskies
As high-powered as the Huskies are this season, the gap between the most talented teams is smallest in the Big East. Creighton returns three-time Big East Defensive Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner and streaky hot guard Steven Ashworth to go along with stretch four Mason Miller and transfer guard Pop Isaacs.
Yet the back-to-back national champions sport a roster that is virtually impossible to match up against on a nightly basis. Spearheaded by the return of two-year starter Alex Karaban, the Huskies will retool behind a transfer class bringing in All-WCC guard Aidan Mahaney and Michigan forward Tarris Reed Jr. Four-star guards Ahmad Nowell and Isaiah Abraham will compete with Mahaney. Solo Ball and veteran leader Hassan Diarra will be in the backcourt while national top-10 prospect Liam McNeeley will learn from Karaban out on the wing.
The return of veteran Samson Johnson to pair with Reed down low gives the Huskies two solid rebounding bigs on the blocks, as Jaylin Stewart will look to acclimate somewhere in the lineup with his four-star pedigree.
Big 10 — Indiana Hoosiers
Coach Mike Woodson spread his Bloomington bucks across the country to bring in highly coveted transfers Oumar Ballo (Arizona), Myles Rice (Washington State) and Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford) to complete a squad he envisions to play with an up-tempo style in 2024.
Returning forward Malik Reneau and guard Mackenzie Mgbako combined to average more than 27 points per game last season. Throw in first team All-Pac-12 center Ballo’s 12.9 ppg as well as Pac-12 first team selection and Conference Freshman of the Year Rice’s 14.8 points per game, and the Hoosiers sport one of the highest-powered starting lineups in the country.
Woodson also brought in sharpshooter Luke Goode from Illinois and McDonald’s All-American forward Bryson Tucker – both of whom can be starters on almost any team in the nation – to provide depth off the bench.
Big 12 — Kansas Jayhawks
After limping to a 2-5, second round exit from the NCAA Tournament in 2023, coach Bill Self managed to pluck three of the nation’s most talented backcourt transfers out of the portal to come play for him in Lawrence.
KU returns a trio of experienced scoring threats in four-year veteran Dajuan Harris Jr. in the backcourt to go with second year starter Hunter Dickinson and multi-faceted KJ Adams Jr. in the frontcourt. Self paired those three with Summit League Player of the Year Zeke Mayo (18.8 ppg, 46.6% from the field), 2024 Second Team All-Big Ten selection AJ Storr (16.8 ppg) and near-40% three-point shooter Rylan Griffen from Alabama to form one of the most impressive nuclei in the country. The incoming trio alone accounted for over 44 points per game last season.
SEC — Alabama Crimson Tide
The Tide welcome back dynamic guard Mark Sears and his 21.5 points per game for a fifth season of eligibility, pairing the potential All-America guard with a plethora of high-profile transfers and national championship aspirations in Nate Oats’ sixth year at the helm.
Sears will be featured in the backcourt along with Auburn transfer Aden Holloway and lethal three-point specialist Latrell Wrightsell. Athletic wonder Chris Youngblood (USF) underwent surgery and will miss the beginning of the season but offers an otherworldly athletic presence on the wing. Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette shot 42% from beyond the arc last season and averaged nearly 15 points as a number two option in the WCC.
Grant Nelson’s floor stretching ability returns in Tuscaloosa as well, shooting nearly 70% from two-point range and blocking 1.6 shots per game. Rutgers big man Cliff Omoruyi is a stalwart on the defensive glass and stretch center Jarin Stevenson offers range off the bench.
