Undervalued Teams in Each Conference

@TurnstoneCapper’s

Undervalued college basketball teams from every conference 

• America East - Bryant’s high octane offense is making the move from the NEC to the AE. Usually conference moves result in choppy water, but I expect the opposite with this move. Coach Grasso is on the up and rising quickly to becoming a household name in college basketball. Over the course of the off season he managed to recruit Earl Timberlake from Memphis, Doug Edert from St. Peters and Antwan Walker from URI. I'm a fan of that trio and they return Charles Pride who will average closer to 20 PPG this season. Value is all over this team if they can gel early. 
  
  
• American - South Florida hit the transfer portal hard. Bringing in three key guys who should all start right away. Last year USF’s greatest issue was offense efficiency. The numbers were awful for one of the youngest teams in the country. I expect their effective FG% to improve drastically. Mix that with the fact they start a lineup 6’4 and up at every position besides Tyler Harris at point guard they should crush the glass night and night out. Expect vast improvements quickly with the Bulls.
  
  
• A10 - George Mason has added arguably the most under the radar transfer this off season. Victor Bailey is going to mesh great with Kim English. The transfer from Tennessee is set to explode along the side of Josh Oduro, Davonte Gaines, and DeVon Cooper. Don’t forget what GMU did last season at the start. They started 4-0 including an upset on the road at Maryland. Expect similar noise from this program early on if they figure out their point guard play quickly. In year 2 of Kim English expect this to be knocking on the door of the NCAA tournament. 
  
  
• ACC - Virginia is my bold prediction of the year. I have had this feeling all season UVA is going to be sneaky good this season. Then KP rankings dropped and of course he has them ranked 5 so it’s no secret now. However I do believe UVA is being massively undervalued to the majority of the public. They didn’t make the tournament last season, so people will call you crazy because they have basically the same roster. However in year two of Gardener in the Tony Bennett system, year two of Shedrick who we saw have massive moments, Clark, Beekman, and Franklin all back at guard play, and you throw in the fact they added BVP from Ohio who averaged 16 this teams first 6 is pretty loaded. UVA will turn heads early and don’t be surprised when they do. 
  
  
• ASUN - Jacksonville is going to be true to their identity once again. Playing slow and emphasizing defense is part of this team's DNA. The issue last season was their offense never really got off the bus. However with the addition of Dyaln O’Hearn, Jarius Cooks, and Omar Payne their offense just got instantly better. Expect the Dolphins to be better on both sides of the ball this season with a starting 5 that will feature all seniors. 
  
  
• Big 12 - Iowa State is a sleeper. The Cyclones had a top 5 defense in the country last season. The only real issue was turnovers where they ranked in the 300’s. That should be cleaned up with Jaen Holmes running the show. ISU also added Jeremiah Williams from Temple and two players from the A10 that are monsters on defense in Osun and Hason Ward. If this offense can click they can beat almost anyone in the entire country. I am betting on this offense to be top 100 in adjusted efficiency which would likely catapult them into the Sweet 16. Good luck to IUPUI getting past 40 on the Cyclones. 
  
  
• Big East - Uconn has the Big East Preseason POY in Adama Sanogo. The Huskies big man is the real deal and worth all the hype. The question I pose Hurley is can Hawkins and Jackson be consistent night in and night out to give you 10+ PPG. If they can, this team is really good. Expect big things out of the freshman Alex Karaban and transfers Tristen Newton and Nahiem Alleyne. The league is wide open with Jay Wright gone. Expect the Huskies to finish at the top or very near the top come season end. *Butler is also being dramatically undervalued. If I was to make a second team in any conference it would be them. They will be flying under the radar early for us to back. 
  
  
• Big Sky - Eastern Washington has an offense capable of filling it up in the Big sky night and night out. Besides the offense their defense does have the length to disrupt any team if they are engaged. Given their talent I think they make a real push to winning the Big Sky and covering at a high clip because of how explosive their offense can be. 
  
  
• Big South - Radford in year two with coach Nichols can win the league. Coach Nicholls has a trio of transfers who can average 10+ ppg whereas last year they could barely sniff the court at their respective teams. Consistency will be key for the Highlanders, but if there is a team to get hot in the conference tournament and steal a berth to the tournament it’s them. 
  
  
• Big Ten - Michigan State doesn’t have one single transfer on this team. Expect this Izzo group to have great continuity from the start. Defense will be their caveat all season long. The real issue is scoring. Walker, Hoggard, and Sissoko all need to make the jump to being productive scorers. It’s quite the task, but with Tom Izzo nearly anything is possible and I expect in time this offense to come along consistently. This is a strong underdog team, weak favorite team. Back them as dogs, fad them as favorites. 

• Big West - UCSB lost their best player in Amadou Sow last season so why am I so high on them this season? Andre Kelly from California who averaged 13 PPG can put up even higher numbers than Sow did in the Big West. The Gauchos had such a weird and disappointing season last year, but this year they should live up to expectations and even exceed some. Expect the Gauchos starting 5 to be on the same page early and to hum. 
  
  
• CAA - Towson is one of the best Mid Majors in the country. I am pumped to see what this team can do early on. I know what I am going to get out of them in the Colonial and that is winning the league. The Tigers finished 15-3 and in first place in the CAA last season and I see them being right back there, but this time finding themselves in the main tournament and not the NIT. Transfer Sekou Sylla is the real deal from DII powerhouse Nova Southeastern. This Towson offense can have any starter go for 10+ any given night. The balance and structure of this roster is beautiful. Expect a great season from Towson who will turn heads. *On the road at UMASS November 10th they will win that game. 
  
  
• C-USA - North Texas is LOADED. Jayden Martinez and Tyrese Eady are elite transfers into an elite program. Perry is a mid major player to watch for a breakout season. The Mean Green have a winning culture every season and that won’t change this season. What will change will likely be their pace of play. I expect a better tempo from them given how good their offense can be. The floor for them is so high because of their offense, but the ceiling can be even higher if this offense clicks. Everyone is talking about UAB and overlooking UNT. Great fuel to the fire for this team all season. 
  
  
• Horizon - IPFW is veteran savvy and has a group ready to win the league title. It never really made sense why their offense wasn’t better last season, but somehow they still managed to share the conference title. They are proven winners with a lot more to prove. The Mastodons will go dancing for the first time ever this season. Expect a giant season out of Jarred Godfrey who would be the Horizon POY if it wasn’t for Antoine Davis. 
  
  
• Ivy - Brown has a lot of intrigue in a league this year with not a lot of intrigue. Obviously Penn is legit, but from an undervalued perspective Brown is the main contender here. Kino Lily should average closer to 20 with Choh now gone and if players around him step up this team can make noise in the Ivy. This team likely doesn't win a lot of non conference games, but will be a good dog to back. 
  
  
• MAAC - Fairfield was not originally my choice out of the MAAC, but then the Manhattan madness began, so here we go with the Stags. Certainly no depth or shooting issues for them as Fairfield is loaded 1-7. The Providence transfer Bryce Goodine should be really good and I am high on Supreme Cook (Great name by the way) who should average a double double this season. Although Fairfield hasn’t had a winning season in a few years that’ll all change this season. 
  
  
• MAC - Kent State is fun and loaded once again. Sincere Carry was a breakout player last season who I saw coming and I think the numbers can be even better this season as his usage will likely go up with a few guys leaving. Carry, Jacobs, and Santiago is a true MAC 3 headed snake who can put up big numbers. The Golden Flashes will fly under the radar because of Toledo, but this team is legit. 
  
  
• MVC - Indiana State is veteran savvy and will be led by Josh Schertz who I am high on. Last season was rough in year one, but with a year under his belt I expect his Sycamores group to trend up all season. They have the depth, talent, and experience to pull off some crazy upsets. Cooper Neese and Cameron Henry will both be solid, but expect the additions of Trenton Gibson and Courvoisier McCauley to really flip the switch with this team. 
  
  
• MEAC - Coppin State added Sam Sessoms, the former Penn State man. For the MEAC this is giant. Nendah Tarke will play side by side with Sessoms in what should be the best backcourt in this conference. There’s a ton of questions on the rest of the roster, but these guards should give you 40+ a night. With another insane non conference schedule this team likely gets torn to shreds before the MEAC starts where they should have great value. 
  
  
• MWC - New Mexico will feature the dynamic duo of Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn who should absolutely shred defenses every time they step on the court. What I love about NMU is their home court advantage. One of the best in the country to be honest. The addition of Morris Udeze is huge and one that can propel this team to new heights. This team has scorers at every position and if they can gel they are dangerous. A lot to like about this veteran savvy team early. 
  
  
• NEC -St. Francis Pa was beaten by Covid last season. The Red Flashes were tied for last in the NEC, but I am here to tell you this is the redemption season for them. The NEC is not a good conference this season and many teams will be knocking on the door. Expect the Red Flashes to emerge. Josh Cohen is arguably the best player in the conference and a big man who should average 15 and 10 this season. Love coach Krimmel to get his guys going in his 11th season. 
  
  
• OVC - UT Martin may win the OVC. The league is seriously down this season and wide open. UT Martin hit the transfer portal and added Parker Stewart and Jordan Sears. Both should be very good alongside KJ Simon who averaged 17 ppg last season. This team has the pieces to win the OVC and compete. I believe UT Martin will improve on last season drastically and be undervalued for the greater part of the season. 
  
  
• Pac 12 - Washington is a team full of question marks. The guy I have no questions about is the Kentucky transfer Keion Brooks who should be the leader of this team. The other thing I like is the fact this team is giant. In the non conference they can over power and intimidate a lot of teams with their size. It’s weird to have a roster with this amount of talent and be ranked worse than where they ended last season. This makes them undervalued early on. Defense will always be there, let's just hope this offense clicks. 
  
  
• Patriot - Army has the Patriot League POY in Jalen Rucker in my opinion. The third year point guard should average 20 and 5 this season. Army has been knocking on the door and on the cusp for a while now. Is this the year they finally get over the hump? Colgate is scary, but besides them the league is wide open. 
  
  
• SEC - Florida has insane upside. First off I love Todd Golden and think his first season at Florida will be terrific. Second off what is there not to like about this roster on paper. Every Gators fan knows how good Castleton is, but they don’t know the star potential they have gotten in Will Richards from Belmont and Kyle Lofton from St. Bonaventure. As good as the starting 5 are, the bench is up there with one of the better ones in the country. If it all clicks the way it looks on paper this team has a very high ceiling and it can be a great year in Gainesville. 
  
  
• Southern - Samford is going to be a lot of fun to watch with Ques Glover running the show. He is a bucket and with Bubba Parham and Jaden Cambell beside him this is as good a trio as you can really find in the SoCon. The Bulldogs are trending up and have enough firepower to shock some teams. 
  
  
• Southland - Nicholls State from a Southland perspective is the clear cut favorite in my opinion. Really it came down to the transfers they were able to add because we know how big of a blow losing Ty Gordon is. I don't have a lot on them or anyone in the Southland yet, but the talent here on this roster is real.
  
  
• SWAC - Southern likely has the SWAC POY in Tyrone Lyons and that’s why they are here. The SWAC is always a wonky league, but there’s not a lot to like this season. Even in years past there would be a high major transfer, but this year there's not really much to be excited about. This is likely a title race between Southern and Alcorn State. Yuck. 
  
  
• Sun Belt - James Madison is making the move to the Sun Belt which is pretty wild to me. This team on paper can make noise. I am higher than probably anyone on JMU because I know what this roster is capable of. The starting 5 is full of guys who can score at all levels and the depth is real with three guys off the bench who could be starters. Expect a ton of buckets to come from the Dukes vs anyone they play any night. I will be looking to back this team a good bit early on as they have a chip on their shoulder. 20 wins is the floor for this team. 
  
  
• Summit - Oral Roberts is going to win the Summit. Max Abmas who we all love is back and in fact the whole team is back. It gets better though as they have added Pat Mwamba who is going to be really good in this league and 7 '5 Arkansas big man Connor Vanover. The makeup of this roster is awesome and there’s a lot to be excited about here. I’m ready to see Max Abmas go dancing again soon and I think they do in style. 
  
  
• WCC - San Diego will be a night and day difference from last year's team with the additions they made this offseason. Veteran savvy high major transfers are who Steve Lavin brought in. It’s setting him up for a good first season with the Toreros. Some questions with the bench but this starting 5 can hoop for 40 minutes with a lot of teams in the country. 
  
  
• WAC - New Mexico State lost practically every main piece to their tournament team last season so this sets up for a perfect undervalued spot. Xavier Pinson from LSU and Dajuan Gordon from Missouri are going to be really good in the WAC. The rest of the team is a great unknown under year one head coach Greg Heiar. I think it all comes together with this roster and they continue winning ways in their last year in the WAC.