5 college basketball teams that have had a disappointing 2024 season ft. USC
Preseason expectations in college basketball can be a double-edged sword. National respect is always good, but when a team underachieves, those lofty expectations are not forgotten.
In 2024, several teams with big pre-season expectations have found themselves underachieving. Here are the top (or should it be bottom?) five college basketball teams with disappointing 2024 seasons.
Five college basketball teams that have disappointed in 2024
#5 Michigan State (18-12)
The Spartans are still probably heading to the NCAA Tournament and might pull a decent season out of the bag yet. But they have rarely looked like the preseason No. 4 team.
Starting with a season-opening loss to James Madison, Michigan State has never really gotten in turned around. They fell out of the top-25 by late November and haven't returned.
#4 Texas A&M (17-13)
Buzz Williams's team was the preseason No. 15 but have struggled to stay above water in a tough SEC.
A&M took early losses to Florida Atlantic, Virginia and Memphis, which knocked them out of the top-25 in early December. While Wade Taylor has been tough, since a 5-0 start, the Aggies have not topped three consecutive wins since then. The NCAA Tournament will be a stretch.
#3 Arkansas (15-15)
The Razorbacks were chosen 14th in the preseason poll. Arkansas is 340th of 362 NCAA teams in scoring defense.
November included losses to UNC-Greensboro and Memphis, which knocked them out of the top-25. January included a pair of three-game losing streaks in league play.
Arkansas is 6-11 in league play and will be playing on the opening night of the SEC Tournament.
#2 Miami (15-15)
It has been a brutal season for the preseason No. 13 Hurricanes. Jim Larranaga's team held it together better than most of the teams on this list, but an eight-game losing streak since their last win on Feb. 3 has buried their season.
The Hurricanes hit conference play at 10-2 and weren't doing poorly. Going 2-5 in games decided by four points or less has doomed them, though.
#1 USC (12-17)
Southern Cal was ranked 21st in the preseason but has had a nightmare season. USC's worst possible college basketball season started in preseason, when Bronny James was sidelined by a heart ailment.
In November, they had losses to UC-Irvine and Oklahoma as the Trojans fell from the top-25. They haven't won three games in a row all year and have had a six-game losing streak.