Which teams in college basketball are primed to rise next season? Here are five for your consideration:
Northwestern: It's time. Chris Collins returns his four top scorers -- Tre Demps, Alex Olah, Bryant McIntosh and Vic Law -- from a team that went 15-17 this past season. The Wildcats also add some help up front in 6-foot-10 big man Joey van Zegeren (transfer from Virginia Tech) as well as 6-7 freshman Aaron Falzon, a lethal stretch power forward that should get on the floor immediately. Northwestern lost six straight Big Ten games this season by a combined 25 points and showed it's not as far away as people may think. Collins has proven in his two years as a head coach that he can match X's and O's with just about anyone, but getting over the hump and competing for an NCAA bid is what will put this program on the national map. If the Wildcats can stay healthy and Falzon is an instant outside threat, that should be a legitimate possibility for next season.
Virginia Tech: Despite winning just 11 games, Buzz Williams installed a culture of toughness and accountability in his first season in Blacksburg. Next year he'll blend those attributes with some talent. Seth Allen (Maryland) and Zach LeDay (South Florida) are two transfers who figure to be potential starters out of the gate. Chris Clarke, Kerry Blackshear and Justin Robinson are three freshmen who will identify with Williams' personality from the first day of practice. The Hokies also return Justin Bibbs and Ahmed Hill, who both showed promise as a first-year players, as well as Devin Wilson, Jalen Hudson and big man Satchel Pierce. Everyone knew Williams would eventually make Virginia Tech a hard-nosed team that could win 17-18 games, but no one thought it would happen by his second year in Blacksburg. That's not out of the realm of possibility.
Auburn: Bruce Pearl made national headlines last Fall when he landed a slew of elite prospects within a matter of days and next season those prospects will take the floor for the Tigers. Auburn brings in two Top 100 freshmen in Danjel Purifoy and Horace Spencer along with arguably the best JUCO shooting guard in the country in T.J. Dunans. That triumvirate will pair with Marshall transfer Kareem Canty to give Pearl an explosive quartet of newcomers to blend with returnees such as Cinmeon Bowers, Trayvon Reed and Tahj Shamsid-Deen. With Pearl pulling the strings on the sidelines, the Tigers should return to some sort of postseason tournament in 2016.
Oregon State: Wayne Tinkle did one of the best coaching jobs in the country last season considering what he inherited when he took over the Beavers' program and now he looks to build off an impressive 17-win season. Gary Payton II (13.4 points, 7.5 rebounds) leads a strong cast of returning players that have been through the gamut while Oregon State also adds a pair of Top 100 recruits in Stevie Thompson Jr. (son of assistant Stevie Thompson Sr.) and Tres Tinkle, the son of Wayne Tinkle. This team should be better offensively next year and also incredibly seasoned. The Beavers return six players who played 21.4 minutes or more. Expect this team to finish in the top half of the Pac-12.
Florida State: There's length and athleticism and then there's the team Leonard Hamilton is going to have next season. A renowned recruiter, Hamilton will bring in one of the best freshmen classes in the country featuring wing Dwayne Bacon, combo guards Malik Beasley and Terrance Mann, and 7-2 rim protect Jean Marc Christ Koumadje. Xavier Rathan-Mayes is back and should be an All-ACC guard as a sophomore while Devon Bookert, Montay Brandon, Jarquez Smith and Phil Cofer are all role players who know the Seminoles' system. Hamilton also brings back a pair of veteran 7-footers in Michael Ojo and Boris Bojanovsky. Florida State won 17 games this past season with a young and inexperienced team. Don't be surprised if it adds five to seven wins on that total for next year thanks one of the best recruiting classes in the sport.
