For this year (and quite possibly this year only, thanks to the decimation of the Pac-12), college basketball has six conferences (ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12, SEC) perched above the rest. We’ve covered all those 2023-24 conference previews at this point.
Here, today, we’ll be focusing on the abundance of quality teams, talent and coaches outside the “Big Six” leagues.
This is the annual Best of the Rest preview, wherein you’ll get intel on some of the top players and strongest teams from multi-bid leagues and single-bid mid-major conferences. This is not a “mid-major” preview. Teams such as Gonzaga, Memphis and San Diego State are highlighted; none of those programs are mid-majors.
This is what we said it is: Best of the Rest. And there’s a lot of Rest out there to get to, so let’s go.
Ten players to know
These aren’t for sure the 10 best players outside of the Big Six leagues, but they are 10 quality hoopers who should play vital roles on teams well-positioned to make the 2024 NCAA Tournament, listed in alphabetical order …
1. Lamont Butler, San Diego State
Here’s the fella responsible for the biggest shot in school history. A reminder that Butler’s buzzer-beater to knock off FAU is the only game-winner in Final Four history that was a do-or-die shot. Meaning: Time expired as the shot was in the air, and had it not gone in, the team shooting it would have lost. Never before in that scenario had the trailing team won the game in a Final Four affair or the national title game. Until Butler did this.
The Aztecs should again be a quality team out of the Mountain West. Expect Butler’s role to significantly increase. I don’t think he’ll be a top-10 player outside of the Big Six conferences, but I do think he’ll be SDSU’s MVP and that is going to be a major factor in the Aztecs making it back to the Big Dance.
2. Tucker DeVries, Drake
Obviously one of the better…
..
