Top Ten Most Disappointing Men’s College Basketball Teams of the 2023-24 Season

This list includes the men's college basketball teams that have underperformed the most this season, compared to preseason expectations.

The Top Ten

  1. USC Trojans

    Officially known as the USC Trojans, this collegiate athletic program represents the University of Southern California. Based in Los Angeles, the program has won numerous national championships in sports such as football, track and field, and water polo. The team colors are cardinal and gold.

    USC had high hopes entering the season. They had landed 5-star recruit Isaiah Collier, Bronny James, and others, which gave them the 3rd ranked recruiting class in the country. Most news outlets ranked them within the top 25 in the preseason, some even going as far to label them as certain PAC-12 contenders.

    However, since then, the bottom has fallen out for the Trojans. To this point in the season, it has been a constant road of pitfalls, poor play, and injuries, with them currently sitting at a meager 10-16 with a 4-11 record in conference play. Isaiah Collier, their only bright spot, was lost to injury in January, seemingly cementing the Trojans' season as a total failure.

  2. Arkansas Razorbacks

    The Arkansas Razorbacks football program represents the University of Arkansas, located in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The Razorbacks compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA.

    They are members of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference and have a dedicated fan base and long-standing... read more

    After a run to the Sweet 16 and a loss to the future champion, Arkansas appeared to be in a good position to make another run this season. They did, however, lose most of their roster, with many of their key players during the tournament run choosing to make the transition to the NBA. This meant Arkansas would have to rely on transfers and players who had been injured the season prior.

    The result has not been pretty thus far, with a record of 12-13 and an abysmal 3-9 in an SEC which is significantly weaker than it was last season. It is a disappointing result for sure, as they were initially picked as 14th in the country in the preseason AP poll.

  3. Gonzaga Bulldogs

    The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the athletic teams that represent Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. The school's basketball team has become especially prominent in NCAA Division I competition. Gonzaga's basketball program has made consistent appearances in the NCAA Tournament since the late 1990s.

    One of the most consistent teams in college basketball, Gonzaga looked to continue their "top of the league" tradition, being placed by many analysts inside their preseason top ten. Even with several key contributors returning, this season has not gone as well as they had hoped. While only losing 6 games to this point, uncharacteristic losses to Santa Clara and Washington led to Gonzaga dropping out of the top 25 for the first time in several years.

    While 20-6 is not a bad record for most teams, Gonzaga currently sitting in 3rd in the WCC is enough to show that Gonzaga is not on the same level as they have been in the past few years.

  4. Michigan Wolverines

    The Michigan Wolverines represent 27 varsity sports teams at the University of Michigan. These teams compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Big Ten Conference.

    All Wolverine teams participate in the Big Ten except for women's water polo, which competes in the NCAA interdivisional Collegiate... read more

    Was Michigan supposed to be a superpower this season? No. On the other hand, the performance by Michigan this season has been so pitiful that they have fallen to the bottom of the Big Ten standings, below known bad programs such as Penn State and Ohio State. Fielding a record of 8-18 to this point in the season, with a depressing 3-12 conference record, it is sad to see how far Michigan has fallen since the departure of John Beilein and their championship appearances of the 2010s.

    In short, Juwan Howard and Michigan's basketball program are in shambles and in desperate need of a change-up.

  5. Miami Hurricanes

    The Miami Hurricanes are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami, located in the Coral Gables suburb of Miami, Florida. The Hurricanes compete in NCAA Division I athletics and are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They are known for their strong football program, which has won five... read more

    After two consecutive deep runs into the tournament for Miami, resulting in a Final Four and two Elite Eight appearances, it was expected that Larrañaga and Miami would continue to find success in the ACC. Ranked 13th coming into the season by the AP and returning three of the five starters from the Final Four run, Miami has fallen flat this season. They have not even come close to reaching the expectations set for them.

    With a 15-11 record overall and a 6-9 record in conference so far, this season is a far cry from the one they had a year ago and a long shot from what people predicted at the beginning of the season.

  6. Missouri Tigers

    The Missouri Tigers are the athletic teams that represent the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States. They compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The program includes a wide range of sports, including football, basketball, baseball... read more

    After a very impressive year last season, it was expected that Missouri's second season under Dennis Gates would be similar. The consensus among fans and the media was that they would finish highly in the SEC and make the tournament once again. However, Missouri hit a brick wall this season in SEC conference play.

    Through 12 games so far, they are 0-12, even losing to perennial disappointments Vanderbilt. Currently at a record of 8-17, things have gone about as badly for Missouri as possible, making it a season Missouri fans will surely want to forget.

  7. Michigan State Spartans

    Michigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It is widely known for its men's basketball program, which has won two NCAA national championships. The university also has a strong academic reputation, particularly in education, business, and agriculture... read more

    Coming into the season, it was agreed upon almost across the board that this was the best Michigan State team in a long time. Several top-five placements in preseason rankings backed up these claims. They returned a roster of star players who had made the Sweet Sixteen the year prior.

    However, after an embarrassing 4-5 start to the season, it was clear things were not as good as they seemed. Although they have picked it up as of late, the Spartans have not even come close to the expectations set for them in the preseason.

  8. Texas Longhorns

    The Texas Longhorns athletics program includes both extramural and intramural sports teams from the University of Texas at Austin. The Longhorns compete in NCAA Division I as a member of the Big 12 Conference. They have a storied history, with national championships in football, baseball, swimming, and... read more

    After a very impressive season last year, capped off with an Elite Eight appearance, things were looking up prior to this season for the Longhorns. They returned most of their key rotation players and were initially ranked 14th heading into the season. To this point, Texas has not come close to reaching expectations.

    While the Big 12 conference is stacked, Texas has underperformed against both the top and bottom of the conference, putting up a measly 5-7 conference record. It is certainly a long way to fall from last season, and Rodney Terry may be on the hot seat after this one.

  9. Villanova Wildcats

    Villanova underperformed greatly last season under the leadership of first-year coach Kyle Neptune. Injuries were the main culprit. Therefore, this season, it was widely expected that Villanova would return to form and once again sit near the top of the Big East.

    However, this has not been the case. Villanova has continued to be just okay, not bad, but not great either. It is a far cry from their form during Jay Wright's tenure, and it is disappointing to witness a great program like Villanova being just okay.

  10. Nebraska Cornhuskers

    The Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represents the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Among the 128 Division I FBS teams, Nebraska is one of ten football programs to win 900 or more games. The Cornhuskers have claimed five national championships and are known for their passionate fan base and storied... read more

    11. The Newcomers
  11. ?

    Ohio State Buckeyes

    The Ohio State Buckeyes are the athletic teams that represent The Ohio State University, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Ohio and the state tree, the Ohio Buckeye. The university's teams compete in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The football team... read more

  12. ?

    Kansas State Wildcats

    The Kansas State Wildcats are the athletic teams representing Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. They are members of the Big 12 Conference and were established in 1896. The Wildcats have a strong tradition in football and have also achieved notable success in basketball, with royal purple... read more

    13. The Contenders

  13. UCLA Bruins

  14. DePaul Blue Demons

    You may ask, how can you be disappointing if there were never any expectations set in the first place? The answer is: Perform so unbelievably bad that it is actually impressive. This is the case of DePaul basketball. They were picked to finish last in the Big East, yes, but as of right now, they hold a record of 3-22, boasting an 0-14 conference record thus far.

    So far this season, they have lost to opponents Northern Illinois, IPFW, and Long Beach State. DePaul's only three wins have come against Chicago State, South Dakota, and the even more depressing Louisville. Very quietly, DePaul is putting together one of the worst P6 seasons in recent memory, and with the way things are going, maybe it would be better if they just discontinued the program.

  15. UConn Huskies

    The University of Connecticut's athletic program, commonly known as UConn, is based in Storrs, Connecticut. The Huskies compete in the Big East Conference, participating in a wide range of NCAA Division I sports.

    They are especially known for their dominant women's basketball team, which has won... read more

  16. Indiana Hoosiers

    Hailing from Muncie, Indiana, the Ball State Cardinals are the athletic teams representing Ball State University. They compete in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and participate in a range of sports, including men's basketball and women's volleyball.... read more

    You know it's bad when they've been a mid-tier, bottom-feeder in the Big Ten. They're basically on par with Rutgers.

    To add further insult to injury, their in-state neighbors, Indiana State, have actually had a much better season. They are more relevant in the Top 25 than Indiana has been. This is so sad it's actually hilarious.

  17. Creighton Blue Jays

  18. Purdue Boilermakers

    The Purdue Boilermakers represent Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana. They compete in the Big Ten Conference and are especially known for their successful men's basketball program. Their team colors are black and gold, and their mascot is named Boiler Pete.

  19. Duke Blue Devils

    Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. It was originally founded by Methodists and Quakers in the town of Trinity in 1838 before relocating to Durham in 1892... read more

  20. Iowa State Cyclones

    Representing Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, the Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference. Known for their strong wrestling and basketball programs, they also maintain a competitive football presence. Their team colors are cardinal and gold.

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