Dick Vitale’s first men’s Sweet 16 team for 2024-25

Here’s an early preseason look at my Sweet 16 teams for the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season. After a busy few weeks on the transfer portal and the rosters finally settled, it’s time to dive into which teams are going to be contenders next season.

The era of free agency has hit all of collegiate sports, and it’s interesting to see that coaches, who used to sell a program and university lifestyle, have now become general managers, assembling teams based on market value. Those who find the best values ​​will succeed.

With that in mind, let’s take an early look at the top teams heading into the season and some of their key players.

After four second-round exits in five NCAA Tournaments, it looks like Bill Self has put together a lineup that can make a deep run again. The addition of perimeter shooting should help in an area that was lacking last season.

• Return: Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams Jr. and DaJuan Harris Jr. are three of the top six scorers.
• Transfer Addition: AJ Storr (Wisconsin), Rylan Griffin (Alabama), JK Mayo (South Dakota State) and Noah Shelby (Rice)
• Freshman: Two top-50 prospects in center Flory Bidunga (No. 17 in ESPN 100) and guard Rekes Passmore (No. 32 in ESPN 100)

The return of Mark Sears makes Alabama an immediate contender to return to the Final Four. Nate Oats brings some interior depth to help fifth-year senior Grant Nelson along with the addition of Rutgers’ All-Big Ten big man Clifford Omoruyi.

• Return: Sears, Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. are three of the top five scorers.
• Transfer Addition: Omorui and Aden Holloway (Auburn)
• Freshman: Three top-30 recruits in Derrion Reid (No. 11 in the ESPN 100), Aiden Sherrell (No. 21 in the ESPN 100) and LaBaron Philon (No. 30 in the ESPN 100).

Dare I mention “three-peat”? Dan Hurley certainly has the semblance of a team that can make another run with St Mary’s transfer Aidan Mahaney joining Hassan Diarra in the backcourt. Alex Karaban headlines the frontcourt and is an early runner for Big East Player of the Year.

• Return: Five of the top nine scorers in Karaban, Diarra, Samson Johnson, Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart
• Transfer Addition: Mahaney and Taris Reed Jr. (Michigan)
• Freshman: Five-star Liam McNeely (No. 9 in ESPN 100) along with Ahmed Nowell (No. 34 in ESPN 100) and Isaiah Abraham (No. 58 in ESPN 100)

Kelvin Sampson and Houston made a big impact in their first season in the Big 12, and there’s no rest in year two as shotmaker LJ Cryer returns to one of the nation’s premier backcourts with Emmanuel Sharp.

• Return: Eight of the top 10 scorers with Crear and Sharpe in the backcourt. Xavier Francis and Ja’Won Roberts anchor the front court.
• Transfer Addition: Milos Uzan (Oklahoma)
• Freshman: Marcy Miller (No. 68 in the ESPN 100) and Chase McCarty

With an experienced lineup, the Cyclones look to advance past the Sweet 16, a spot they’ve reached in two of the past three seasons. Returner Tamin Lipsey is the backbone of TJ Otzelberger’s offense, and Milan Momcilovic is primed for a breakout sophomore season.

• Return: Top four scorers in Lipsey, Momcilovic, Keshawn Gilbert and Curtis Jones
• Transfer Addition: Nate Hayes (Northern Iowa), DeShawn Jackson (Charlotte), Brandton Chatfield (Seattle) and Joshua Jefferson (St. Mary’s)
• Freshman: Four-star additions Nojas Indrusitis (No. 67 in the ESPN 100) and Dwayne Pierce

With fifth-year senior and National Player of the Year hopeful RJ Davis returning, Hubert Davis likes the foundation of this Tar Heels team. And with Ian Jackson and Drake Powell gelling once again in the preseason, North Carolina will be the first running back in the ACC.

• Return: Davis, Elliott Cadeau, Seth Trimble, Jaylin Withers and Jalen Washington round out the top eight scorers.
• Transfer Addition: Cade Tyson (Belmont) and Van-Allen Lubin (Vanderbilt)
• Freshman: Five-star prospects Jackson (No. 7 in ESPN 100) and Powell (No. 13 in ESPN 100) as well as James Brown (No. 66 in ESPN 100)

After being offered by Louisville and Kentucky, Scott Drew chose to stay at Baylor. Take a look at the roster and you’ll see why he loves this rival club. Transfers Jeremy Roach from Duke and Norchad Omier from Miami are huge. And with three top-50 ESPN 100 recruits led by one of the nation’s top freshmen in VJ Edgecombe, the Bears will be a dangerous team come March.

• Return: Langston Love, Jayden Nunn and Josh Ozianouna are three of the top seven scorers
• Transfer Addition: Roach (Duke), Omier (Miami) and Jalen Celestine (Cal)
• Freshman: A top-10 recruiting class, including top-50 players, including five-star Wing Edgecombe (No. 3 in the ESPN 100), Robert Wright III (No. 23 in the ESPN 100) and Jason Acemotta (No. 48 in the ESPN 100).

A team that has made a run of late and another Sweet 16 appearance under Mark Few is poised to return to the country’s top tier. Ryan Namebird, Graham Icke and Nolan Hickman provide a strong nucleus. Arkansas transfer Khalif Battle has the ability to be a big scorer out of West.

• Return: Ike, Hickman, Nembhard, Steele Venters, Braden Huff, Ben Gregg and Dusty Stromer
• Transfer Addition: Battle (Arkansas), Michael Ajayi (Pepperdine), Emmanuel Innocenti (Tarleton State) and Brayden Smith (Colgate)
• Freshman: Ismaila Diagne (Real Madrid)

I join the rest of the nation in watching the nation’s number one prep player, Cooper Flagg, in a Duke uniform. He is a prime-time player who is a diaper dandy in name only. With a young team this season, John Scheer is going to rely heavily on Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster.

• Return: Foster and Proctor are two of the top six scorers
• Transfer Addition: Malik Brown (Syracuse), Mason Gillis (Purdue), Zion James (Tulane)
• Freshman: The No. 1 prospect in Flagg (ranked in the ESPN 100 and the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft) and Isaiah Evans (No. 14 in the ESPN 100), Conn Neupel (No. 18 in the ESPN Top-30 Freshman 100), Pat Ngongba ( 25 in the ESPN 100), Darren Harris (No. 29 in the ESPN 100)

A consensus third-team All-American, Johnny Broom is the anchor Bruce Pearl needs to make this team better than last year’s first-round upset loss to Yale. The addition of JP Pegues, who averaged 18.4 points per game at Furman, gives the Tigers some scoring punch.

• Return: Three of the top five scorers in Broome, Chad Baker-Mazzara and Denver Jones
• Transfer Addition: Pegues (Furman), Miles Kelly (Georgia Tech) and Ja’Heim Hudson (SMU)
• Freshman: Five-star Tahad Pettiford (No. 33 in the ESPN 100) and four-star Jahki Howard (No. 60 in the ESPN 100)

Matt Painter likes his big men, and he has another one in 7-foot-3 freshman Daniel Jacobsen. Given time to develop, Jacobsen could be an impact player in the Big 10. Braden Smith and Fletcher Lauer return as one of the best guard pairings. The offense will look a lot different in the post-Zach Eddy era.

• Return: Smith, Lauer, Trey Coffman-Wren, Myles Colvin and Camden Hyde round out five of the top eight scorers.
• Transfer Addition: None of them
• Freshman: Includes Zachary Harris (No. 88 in ESPN 100), Raleigh Burgess and Jacobsen.

Tommy Lloyd got a big boost when Caleb Love and KJ Lewis decided to return. With those two backs, Lloyd hit the transfer portal hard, bringing Horizon Player of the Year Trey Townsend from Oakland and adding Anthony Dell’Orso, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season at Campbell.

• Return: Four of the top eight scorers in Love, Lewis, Matias Krivas and Jaden Bradley
• Transfer Addition: Townsend (Oakland), Dell’Orso (Campbell) and Tobey Awaka (Tennessee).
• Freshman: Carter Bryant (No. 19 in ESPN 100) and Emmanuel Stephens (No. 93 in ESPN 100)

John Calipari built this team from ground zero. He is joined by three Kentucky players from the bluegrass state, including projected NBA draft pick DJ Wagner. Senior guard Johnelle Davis from FAU joins true freshman Boogie Fland. Three top-40 freshmen make up a solid core group that should see the Razorbacks dancing in March.

• Return: One player from last year’s roster, Trayvon Brazile
• Transfer Addition: Davis (FAU), Wagner (Kentucky), Jonas Idu (Tennessee), Adu Thiero (Kentucky) and Jvonimir Ivicic (Kentucky).
• Freshman: Led by heralded recruit Fland (No. 15 in the ESPN 100), along with Carter Knox (No. 26 in the ESPN 100) and Billy Richmond (No. 38 in the ESPN 100).

One of the most dynamic players in college basketball is Wade Taylor IV, who will once again be leaned on to guide the Aggies. Buzz Williams added a couple of impact transfers in Zhuric Phelps from SMU and Pharrel Payne from Minnesota to fill out the lineup.

• Return: Four of the top five scorers, including reigning SEC Player of the Year Taylor, third Henry Coleman, Solomon Washington, Manny Obaseki
• Transfer Addition: Phelps (SMU), Payne (Minnesota) and C.J. Wilcher (Nebraska)
• Freshman: Andre Mills, George Turkson, Rob Dockery

With no Sweet 16 appearances since 2019, the Wildcats are looking to make a giant leap with new coach Mark Pope. With nine transfers and three freshmen, the Wildcats need time to mesh and gain confidence but should be primed in March.

• Return: With no returning players, Kentucky is building from the ground up
• Transfer Addition: Jackson Robinson (BYU), Otega Oveh (Oklahoma), Kobi Brea (Dayton), Amari Williams (Drexel), Lamont Butler (San Diego State), Andrew Carr (Wake Forest), Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State), Kerr Chrissa (West ) Virginia) and Ansley Almoner (Fairleigh Dickinson).
• Freshman: Travis Perry (No. 74 in the ESPN 100) is a Kentucky Mr. Basketball. Also added Colin Chandler (No. 32 in the 2022 ESPN 100) and Trent Noah.

After coming so close to the NCAA Tournament in his first season with the Red Storm, Rick Pitino has tweaked and filled some needs, including the No. 1 transfer from Seton Hall to Portal, Kadari Richmond. The Johnnies now have one of the best backcourts with Richmond and Devon Smith

• Return: RJ Lewis Jr., Simeon Wilcher, Brady Dunlap, Jubi Ejiofor, Sadiku Ibain Ayo
• Transfer Addition: All-BIG EAST first-team selections Richmond (Seton Hall), Smith (Utah), Vincent Yuchukwu (USC) and Aaron Scott (North Texas)
• Freshman: Jayden Glover (No. 72 in ESPN 100), Khaman Maker, Lefteris Leotopoulos, Ruben Pray (CB Pratt)