Heat Check CBB Announces the Basketball Top 25 for 2023-24

While there are still a lot of questions to be answered as the transfer portal continues to fill and the coaching carousel spins, it’s time to begin thinking about next season. Using projections and returning rosters, Heat Check CBB has a way-too-early basketball top 25 to kick off the 2023-24 campaign.

Marquette

The Golden Eagles may have lost a handful of contributors from last year’s tournament team — including Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek and second-team All-American Kam Jones, among others. That said, Shaka Smart’s team is one of the safest bets to make another deep run in the tournament. Point guard Zaide Lowery and running mates Tre Norman, Oso Ighodaro and Olivier-Maxence Prosper should improve on last year’s strong showing.

UConn

The Huskies move up a notch even without the likes of Edmond Sumner and Jalen Brunson if Adem Jackson and Tristen Newton return to Storrs. If they do, this is a championship contender again. In their place, Donovan Clingan should be a huge contributor as an All-American big man with a 35 PER in limited playing time and Alex Karaban will be a terrific shooter behind him. Add a strong recruiting class that features talented wings and the Huskies are right back in the mix.

UCLA

The Bruins may be a bit underrated despite losing wing Jaime Jaquez and big man Tyger Campbell to the NBA draft. However, the addition of grad transfer Sebastian Mack and a pair of top-50 recruits in forwards Dusty Stromer and Jun Seok Yeo should ease the blow of the departures.