Power Five Schools Having Sneaky-Good Offseasons
It’s no secret in this era, college basketball recruiting has become a financial arms race, with whoever has access to more NIL coming across as victors. Due to their massive brands usually take headlines, it’s become easy for smaller, power conference programs to go under-the-radar. Since these schools often miss out on the top names in recruiting, most of their moves have to be calculated and smart as a successful season is never a guarantee. By targeting high potential players who played smaller roles on better teams, these programs put themselves in position to be successful.
The expectations for Cincinnati basketball were high last year, with many college basketball fans expecting the Bearcats to reach their first tournament since 2019. However, a 19-16 season disappointed fans once again, causing a massive roster rehaul. Aside from retaining leading scorer Jizzle James, Cincinnati’s top maneuver was acquiring two unique athletes in Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam. Miller has been one of the more unique prospects over the years, standing at six-foot-eleven with unique on-ball skills and fluidity. Thiam on the other hand is a seven-foot-two defensive anchor that had an impressive freshmen campaign averaging 12.6 points, six rebounds, and nearly three blocks a game. Miller also added reliable connective pieces that previously played for top programs such as Kerr Kriisa, Jalen Celestine, and Sencire Harris.
Ed Cooley slowly but surely has been turning around the Georgetown basketball program, developing NBA prospects like Thomas Sorber and Micah Peavy and recruiting top transfer Malik Mack last season. In his most aggressive offseason yet, Cooley looks to finally get Georgetown back in the tournament. There was a similar pattern in Cooley’s recruiting, as he targeted capable perimeter defenders with stand-out athletic traits. KJ Lewis was a key rotation piece at Arizona, and should be one of the best players on the Hoyas. Deshawn Harris-Smith boasts a ton of upside as a defensive stopper with a high motor that has growing on-ball talent. Additionally, Langston Love had been a viable piece for Baylor for years, as a trusted playmaker and shooting, shooter 38% from three through his career.
In his third season, Mike White finally got the Georgia Bulldogs dancing again, with a roster primarily derived from the transfer portal. To remain competitive in the chaotic and deeply talented SEC, White needed to be aggressive in the portal. White’s two key additions of Jeremiah Wilkinson and Kanon Catchings not only put Georgia in position to win now, but in the future, as both were just freshmen last season. Wilkinson averaged 15.1 points a game at Cal last season, acting as the primary offensive engine. Catchings, one of the most underrated gets in the portal, has the ideal wing build with growing shot creation and defensive instincts. White also brought in Jordan Ross from Saint Mary’s. Ross will act as the lead guard off the bench, who plays with pose while making smart decisions.
