5 most overhyped men's college basketball teams of the 2023-24 season ft. USC
Final Four week is a celebration of college basketball greatness. Unfortunately, though, all the stories of the season aren't celebratory.
As UConn, Purdue, NC State and Alabama prepare for a shot at a national title, plenty of teams have been home for several weeks. Some of them may have been projected as Final Four possibilities.
For a handful of teams, preseason expectations have gone unfulfilled. Accolades have turned into a millstone. The only way these college basketball teams are going to the Final Four is to buy tickets. Our most overhyped teams of the 2023-24 season will focus in on these five teams that stumbled through the season.
Five most overhyped men's college basketball teams of 2023-24
#5 Kentucky (23-10)
While Kentucky was ranked 16th in the preseason AP poll and finished the regular season 12th, it lost 10 games. The Wildcats failed to win the SEC regular-season title, lost their first SEC Tournament game, and then came the ultimate disgrace.
A loss to No. 14 seed Oakland was Kentucky's second embarrassing loss to a high seed in two seasons. In retrospect, it will be regarded as something near coaching malpractice for a team with Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham to have failed to win a postseason game.
#4 Villanova (18-16)
The Wildcats were picked 22nd in the preseason, but they struggled through an ugly season and missed the NCAA Tournament. Justin Moore stumbled through the worst season of his college basketball career as a senior, and Villanova never really gelled.
The Wildcats finished 288th in the nation in shooting percentage (42.5%). Lest that seem a fluke, they finished 276th nationally in scoring. The Wildcats lost five in a row to end January and four of their last five to end the season. Suffice it to say that Kyle Neptune's seat as coach is getting pretty warm.
#3 Arkansas (16-17)
The Razorbacks were ranked 14th nationally in the preseason AP poll. By the end of the season, they could barely claim 14th in the SEC.
Arkansas allowed 79.8 points per game, which is 348th of 362 NCAA college basketball teams. They were outrebounded by nearly two boards per game and committed more turnovers than their opponents.
Eric Musselman's transfer-heavy team simply never found any semblance of chemistry, which is tough to overvalue in college basketball circles. After early losses to UNC-Greensboro and Memphis, Arkansas lost six of its first seven games in January. From there, things couldn't really get much worse.
#2 Miami (15-17)
Despite being the AP's No. 13 preseason team, Miami sank like a lead rock in the 2023-24 season. The Hurricanes were ranked in mid-December, but when the bottom fell out on Miami, it fell hard.
The Hurricanes were still potentially in the NCAA Tournament hunt when they won on Feb. 3 against Virginia Tech. But Miami dropped its final 10 games to end the season 15-17. Included in that group were a 22-point loss to Virginia, a 17-point loss to Clemson and a 29-point loss to Duke.
Miami finished 238th in the nation in scoring defense, allowing 73.6 ppg. Their opponents made 9.6 3-pointers per game, the 357th worst 3-point defense of 362 NCAA teams.
Add in that Miami was 345th in the nation in free throw attempts, and the picture gets clear. The Hurricane were soft, didn't defend well, and gave up a ton of 3-pointers. That's a pretty solid recipe to bury a season.
#1 USC (15-18)
Southern Cal was ranked 21st in the preseason but never got its head above the water of the college basketball season. Bronny James had a preseason cardiac scare and never got comfortable. Isaiah Collier was one of the most overrated players of the season.
Opposing teams scored 74.3 ppg against the Trojans and shot 36.5% from 3-point range. USC lost five of six games to end 2023, and after a pair of wins, dropped its next six games, all by at least eight points.
A late run of five wins in six games couldn't save its sagging season. Coach Andy Enfield has already left USC for SMU.
Were the Trojans the biggest disappointment of the college basketball season? Can their next coach get things fixed anytime soon? It's certainly clear that the task won't be an easy one.