The beginning of NCAA basketball is a week away and we still have 18 conferences to cover before I can give you my Preseason Mid-25 teams to watch out for come March. So, let’s get started.
Conference USA
Top 2
The Flames of Liberty lead the way in Conference USA as they come off a regular season and tournament championship year last year. Three of the All-Conference Honorees come from Liberty: Zach Cleveland, Kaden Metheny, and Colin Porter. Each of them were also ’24-’25 All-Conference USA selections. Cleveland, Metheny, and Porter were three of the top 5 scorers last year, and the Flames bring back another in Junior Isaiah Ihnen. The Flame Four contributed 43.8 ppg, 15.7 rebounds per game, and 11.9 assists. All four posted better than 42% from the field while Porter shot almost 43% from deep. Trips to NC State and Dayton will provide big quality win (or loss) opportunities for the Flames in their non-conference.
Kennesaw State lost a big piece when freshman Adrian Wooley decided to transfer to Louisville after posting 18.8 ppg last season. The Owls will lean on Senior Simeon Cottle to make up for the absence of Wooley. Cottle was picked as the Preseason Player of the Year after putting up 18.0 ppg on 38.4% shooting. Sophomore Forward Braedan Lue looks to build on his freshman campaign where he contributed 10 ppg on 43.5% from the field along with 5.5 rebounds and 1+ block per game. The Owls are in their second season in Conference USA after leaving the ASUN at the end of the ’23-’24 season.
Player Spotlight
Simeon Cottle
Horizon League
Top 2
Milwaukee earned over half of the first place votes in the Horizon League’s Preseason Coaches Poll after finishing second in the regular season last year. Senior Forward Faizon Fields is the Panthers’ top returning scorer (6.7 ppg) but he only played 21 games and 18 minutes per game last year. His 61.8% from the field would be welcome on any court (but will likely regress back to his 57.4% from his sophomore campaign). The Panthers, however, brought in Amar Augillard (Fresno State) and Seth Hubbard (Toledo) to help buoy them into contention. A tough three-game stretch in November will test the Panthers (and give them plenty of opportunity to make noise) when they go on the road to face Indiana, Texas Tech, and Wichita State.
Meanwhile, head coach Greg Kampe enters his 42nd season at the helm for Oakland and hopes Preseason Player of the Year Tuburu Naivalurua can build on 13.9 ppg and 7.1 rebounds. The Senior Forward shot 55.5% from the field and added 33.3% from deep but was still second on the team to fellow Senior Forward Allen Mukeba, who transferred to ASU this offseason. None of the other five leading scorers and minute-men (20+ min/game) returned to Oakland, so the Golden Grizzlies will have massive voids to fill. Jacksonville State transfer Michael Houge will bring his 47.8% FG% in to Oakland to help as will UT Arlington transfer Brody Robinson (40% from 3 and 80% from the charity stripe). The Golden Grizzlies will need all the help they can get as they start the season with a brutal three game stretch on the road at Michigan, Purdue, and Houston (all Preseason AP top-7 teams).
Player Spotlight
Tuburu Naivalurua
Ivy League
Top
The Yale Bulldogs are picked to win and repeat as the class of the Ivy League behind Senior standout Nick Townsend. Townsend is coming off a season where he averaged 15.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game as he shot 52.9% from the field and 48.2% from the arc. The Bulldogs went 22-8 overall last year, but 13-1 in conference, 4 games ahead of the rest of the League. Casey Simmons and Samson Aletan will see their minutes bumped up as both averaged over 54% from the field in less than 25 minutes per game last year.
Player Spotlight
Nick Townsend
Metro Atlantic Athletic
Top 2
Quinnipiac returns the MAAC Player of the Year in Senior Forward Amarri Monroe as the Bobcats look to make the team’s first MAAC championship game. While the Bobcats have won back-to-back regular season championships, they have yet to make it to the NCAA tournament as a MAAC representative. Monroe is coming off a year where he dominated the stat line posting 18.1 ppg, 9.1 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game. He had 14 double-doubles while playing 32 games. Sophomore Jaden Zimmerman returns while Senior transfer Asim Jones, FIU, comes in to bolster the offense. Both averaged 9+ points on 43+% from the field in 33 games. A tough opening month in non-conference will see the Bobcats open at St. John’s and go on the road against Pitt and UCF.
The Saints of Siena are picked second in the MAAC Preseason Coaches Poll. After a rough, 14-18 and 9-11, first year under head coach Gerry McNamara, Siena will look to get back to their winning ways behind Senior Guard Justice Shoats, a unanimous Preseason All-MAAC First Team selection. Shoats returns to the Saints after playing all 32 games at a 36.3 minute clip last year putting up 16.1 points and 4.7 assists per game. He will be joined by fellow Senior, Forward Brendan Coyle, who posted 12.8 ppg behind 41% from the field. A late December trip to Indiana figures to be the toughest test in the non-conference, but an early game at St Bonnie could also prove difficult.
Player Spotlight
Amarri Monroe
Next up the MAC followed by MEAC, Missouri Valley, and Mountain West. Stay tuned!
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