Richard Pitino’s Minnesota Golden Gophers were among the biggest surprises in college basketball last season. The Gophers were a preseason afterthought before they came out of nowhere to finish 24-10 overall. Minnesota earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA March Madness tournament. That was the ultimate testament to how much they accomplished in a year when expectations were very low. Which power conference team is most likely to follow in the Gophers footsteps next season? Here is a look at the top five candidates that could come out of nowhere to contend in college basketball next season.
Missouri Tigers
Michael Porter Jr. is looking to finish his college career on a high note next season. The projected No. 1 overall pick will hope to write a better ending than some of his predecessors like Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz. Porter is one of the most talented players in the country and he will have plenty of help with the Tigers next year. Fifth-year guard Jordan Bennett, junior guard Terrence Phillips and junior forwards Kevin Puryear and Jordan Geist will make up a strong supporting cast. Don’t sleep on Missouri as a team that could make some serious noise next college basketball season.
Texas Longhorns
The Longhorns will be looking to bounce back from a brutal year in 2017-18. Texas has definitely improved on paper with Matt Coleman coming in to run the team on the floor. Coleman will create for Andrew Jones, Kerwin Roach and Eric Davis and make their lives a lot easier. The Longhorns will also bring in Dylan Osetkowski, who is a versatile 6’9’’ forward that is capable of making an instant impact. Mohamed Bamba, who is considered a top-10 prospect in the incoming freshman class, also has the potential to make a serious impact. Shaka Smart has the weapons he needs to improve. Texas could surprise as a contender next college basketball season.
Oklahoma Sooners
It only makes sense that there was an adjustment period at Oklahoma after Buddy Hield graduated to the NBA. A young Sooners team won only 11 games last season. That tied them for the fewest in the Big 12 last season. They were also just 5-13 in Big 12. It may be hard to believe for football fans, but Oklahoma and Texas were the two worst teams in Big 12 play last season.
However, those young and talented players on the Oklahoma roster now have some experience including sophomores Rashard Odomes and Christian James, as well as freshmen Kam McGusty and Kristian Doolittle. Lon Kruger will have his work cut out for him against next season. Oklahoma does have the talent to surprise in the Big 12. Consider last year a rebuilding project for them. They should be much more competent in 2017-18 and possibly even an NCAA Tournament team.
Oregon Ducks
The experts will obviously sleep on Oregon a little bit after they lost Dillon Brooks, Tyler Dorsey, Jordan Bell and Chris Boucher following their run to the Final Four last season. However, the Ducks still have some intriguing talent. Ryan Pritchard returns at point guard. Elijah Brown was added as a graduate transfer. Paul White will be eligible after transferring from Georgetown. Factor in the addition of Troy Brown and Oregon might very well be better than a lot of experts think they will be.
Georgia Bulldogs
J.J. Frazier will not be easy to replace but Georgia will be able to turn to the duo of William Jackson and Tyree Crump to help ease the loss. Senior Yante Maten has the potential to be one of the top big men in the SEC next season and he will be joined by some quality young players with breakout potential in Jordan Harris and talented freshman Rayshaun Hammonds. Mark Fox will need to coach up his point guard tandem in order to avoid too big of a drop off from what he had with Frazier. If the top young players on this team play to their potential then the Bulldogs could be better than expected next college basketball season.
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