The 2023 DII men's basketball preseason Power 10 rankings

We are a little over a week away from the start of the 2023-24 season. Defending champion Nova Southeastern will look to defend its title with a very new-look rotation. That seems to be the theme this basketball season: Many new faces in new places.

It makes this year very hard to project and will lead to — I expect — some very big surprises for those that follow. As a reminder, the Power 10 rankings are not voted upon, but an attempt to combine the good ol' eye test with some of the metrics the selection committee uses to fill the bracket in March. Being that many of those metrics aren't in play yet, these first rankings are based on coaching and the experience of returning players.

🤔❓5 burning questions to answer in the 2023-24 DII men’s basketball season❓🤔

Without further ado, let's get to the new season. 

The preseason DII men's basketball Power 10

No. 1 Northwest Missouri State

It may be surprising to see the Bearcats at No. 1 after their early tournament exit, but this team has a ton of experience retuning. But it's not just a bunch of players returning here: Wes Dreamer, Byron Alexander, Daniel Abreu, Isaiah Jackson and Mitch Mascari all played significant, contributing minutes in back-to-back national championships. Guard Bennett Stirtz was one of the breakout freshmen last year, and Jack Ratigan could be the same this year. The MIAA is going to be tough, and the Central Region will be even tougher. But Northwest Missouri State seems to have the recipe for success down pretty well. 

No. 2 West Liberty

The Hilltoppers had another strong season and fell just short in a historic DII men's basketball championship game for the ages. West Liberty does lose a bit of firepower but return plenty of experience including a pair of starters in Christian Montague and Ben Sarson. What keeps West Liberty in the upper echelon of DII men's basketball for me are the addition of three impact transfers with plenty of DII experience. John Korte (19.6 points per game in 2023), Darren Fergus (20.6 points per game in 2023) and Lanyc Shuler (16.8 points per game in 2023) can all play at the level and will simply need to gel with the high-tempo attack of the Hilltoppers. 

No. 3 Nova Southeastern

The Sharks transformation under Jim Crutchfield from afterthought to national champion has been remarkable. However, every one of the starting five (which happened to also be the top five scorers on the team) are gone. Several key reserves — like Mike Moore, Shane Hunter, and Ryan Davis — are back and will take on larger roles, but transfers Isaiah Fuller and MJ Iraldi are going to be expected to help keep the Sharks competitive. Crutchfield's system has been proven to work for decades. You may see a couple early season surprise losses as this team adapts, but by the turn of the calendar, expect another fine-tuned, high-scoring machine.

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No. 4 Indiana (PA)

The Crimson Hawks do lose their top three scorers from a year ago, but they also return Ethan Porterfield, who should be among DII's best this coming season. Between Jaylen Stewart, Dallis Dillard and Damir Brooks, there is plenty of starting experience returning — the trio will simply need to excel in expanded roles for IUP to go far. Keep an eye on Garvin Clarke from Akron who may make this the team to beat once again in the Atlantic Region. 

No. 5 Minnesota Duluth

It may have been a bit of a surprise to see the Bulldogs in the DII Men's Elite Eight last year — especially as the sixth seed in the stacked Central Region — but this is a team that has been building something special for multiple years. This year they return all five starters that have played together for three or four seasons now and should be the team to beat in the NSIC. One of those players is Drew Blair, who should be in player of the year talks from opening tip. 

No. 6 Lincoln Memorial

The Railsplitters are a DII men's basketball power, and when they return five players that started at least 20 games each last year it means trouble for the Southeast Region. There are a lot of question marks in the SAC and Southeast, but with five of their seven top scorers back, Lincoln Memorial should be a point-scoring machine once again. The Railsplitters are deep with shooters and after scoring 87.4 points per game last year — a top-10 mark in DII — they should do more of the same in 2023-24.

No. 7 West Texas A&M 

Head coach Tom Brown seems to lose DII superstars every season but has shown an ability to restock, reload and win a lot of ball games. Larry Wise is a player of the year candidate, and Zach Toussaint and Ryland Holt bring starting experience back for another Lone Star Conference run. There is a trio of freshmen that can contribute to this explosive attack, but I'm watching Kieran Elliot closely, who could be the LSC newcomer of the year.

No. 8 UNC Pembroke

The Braves are loaded with experience, which means there are plenty back that remember that stunning first-round loss in last year's tournament. Four starters are back, including leading scorers Bradlee Haskell and JaJuan Carr. A trio of transfers that have shown they can score may make this team deeper than last year, which is an impressive statement. 

No. 9 Central Oklahoma

The Bronchos were a strong team last year and three starters return from that team, including leading scorer Jaden Wells. Wells is one of the best players in DII men's basketball, and with a trio of impact freshmen and transfer Majok Majouk — a 6-foot-10 forward from Southwest Minnesota State who averaged more than 6 points and 4 rebounds a game last year — Central Oklahoma should contend with the Bearcats for the MIAA title. Watch out for freshman Jarreth Ingram, who may be among the best newcomers in DII.

No. 10 Colorado Mesa

While returning experience weighs heavily on these preseason Power 10 rankings, it is important to note that, with the right balance, key losses do not necessarily mean a team is worse. The Mavericks lost top scorer Blaise Threatt but return 16 — SIXTEEN! — players from last year's team that won 25 games and made the tournament. Trevor Baskin should be among the top scoring weapons in DII, and Mac Riniker is a defensive beast. This team is loaded with experience and in an RMAC that had four teams in the top 25 at season's end last year, that is simply invaluable.

First five out 

• No. 11 UIndy: The Greyhounds just missed, and I mean just missed, with eight returners and a trio of impact transfers that have previous DII experience. This is the team to beat in the Midwest Region.
• No. 12 Black Hills State: The Yellow Jackets lose a lot of scoring power, especially in Joel Scott, who was one of DII men's basketball's best players for two years. But with Matthew Ragsdale and transfer Myles Johnson — who scored by the boatload on the JUCO circuit last year — you have to believe the back-to-back national semifinalists still compete at a high level.
• No. 13 Northern State: The Wolves return 13 players and three starters, one of them Jacksen Moni. Northern State is always a threat in the Central and there is zero reason to think anything changes this year.
• No. 14 Angelo State: I think you'll find I am higher than most on the Rams, but Kevon Godwin and Willie Guy make this team a real threat offensively.
• No. 15 Colorado School of Mines: The RMAC is nuts, isn't it? The Orediggers lose a lot of their scoring power from last year but return 10 players and transfer Majok Deng may turn into one of the best players in the league.

5 teams you may be surprised are missing

Several teams had big seasons last year and aren't in the Power 10 or first five out. That's because there are many question marks that need to be answered before earning top-15 honors.

• Augusta: The Tyshaun Crawford era is over, and with very little returning, what lies ahead for the next wave of Jaguars basketball?
• Cal State San Bernardino: The Coyotes made the DII Men's Elite Eight last year. Just one starter returns from that team, and only one of the key reserves that played that quarterfinals' game are back. This is a brand-new team.
• Fort Lewis: The Skyhawks lose their top three scorers from last season but have some very intriguing transfers that could keep them competitive. They'll have to gel quickly in a loaded RMAC. 
• Missouri-St. Louis: Where you finish the year before has no reflection on where you open the next season. Yes, UMSL made the DII Men's Elite Eight, but there is a lot of turnover here. 
• Point Loma: Another almost entirely new team will have a new head coach and try to figure things out without Kaden Anderson for the first time since the Sea Lions became a West Region power.