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Dribble Handoff: Duke, Villanova among college basketball teams enjoying most successful offseasons – CBS Sports
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College basketball’s offseason isn’t officially over. Some programs are still searching for a final player or two from the transfer portal, international ranks or group of high schoolers that may reclassify to the Class of 2023. However, a picture has formed of what rosters across the sport will look like for the 2023-24 season.
Players who have not graduated are long past the deadline to enter the transfer portal and be eligible immediately, and the NBA Draft is in the rearview mirror. At most schools around the country, players have reported for summer workouts, and some programs are embarking on overseas summer trips that will provide early returns from game action.
For many coaches, this is a time to evaluate the future as the nation’s most talented high school prospects gather at showcase events. It’s also a good time for us to reflect on the outcomes of the offseason.
For this week’s edition of the Dribble Handoff, our writers are making their picks for which team has had the best offseason so far.
The Boilermakers return the national player of the year in Zach Edey and he’s probably going to be even better next season. This easily slides Purdue in as the favorites to repeat as Big Ten champions. There hasn’t been a repeat NPOY since Ralph Sampson four decades ago. I was a seller on Kentucky‘s Oscar Tshiebwe doing it last year, and sure enough, he went down a notch. But I don’t think the same is true of Edey. His size, improving skill set and basketball wits are going to make him the dominant favorite to repeat.
Purdue is bringing back a heavy portion of its roster from a team that went 29-6 and was a No. 1 seed. The ending (remember FDU? Of course you do) was atrocious, and had Edey stuck with the NBA route, I wouldn’t have faulted him. By coming back, he becomes the biggest storyline heading into 2023-24, and Purdue is a massive winner in its quest to make its first Final Four since 1980. — Matt Norlander
Duke has become synonymous with one-and-done five-star talents, but returning the likes of Kyle Filipowski, Jeremy Roach, Tyrese Proctor and Mark Mitchell guarantees it will have one of the more experienced rosters the ACC. That’s a huge — and somewhat unexpected — boon for a roster that also gets an infusion of talent with a top-three recruiting class led by a pair of incoming five-stars. Both Filipowski and Proctor are already on the radar as potential lottery picks in the 2024 draft. You could make a very real case that the Blue Devils won the offseason just by hanging on to some of their top talents. — Kyle Boone
Villanova’s transfer class ranks No. 5 nationally, according to 247Sports, and it’s arriving just on time. After a mediocre start for Kyle Neptune following the abrupt retirement of the legendary Jay Wright, the Wildcats needed a strong offseason. The additions of Tyler Burton (Richmond), TJ Bamba (Washington State), Hakim Hart (Maryland) and Lance Ware (Kentucky) are going to make Villanova a contender in the Big East.
Burton, Bamba and Hart each rank among our top 50 transfers, and Ware could also prove to be an impact addition as he looks to become the latest former Kentucky player to become a star. Their additions, combined with the retention of veteran stalwarts Justin Moore and Eric Dixon give, Neptune an experienced and productive nucleus to build around.
Neptune proved with this transfer class that he can keep up with the player acquisition requirements of modern college basketball. How it all plays out on the court remains to be seen, but the Wildcats took impressive steps back toward Big East and national relevance. — David Cobb
FAU didn’t make any splash additions this offseason but the Owls were one of only five Division l programs in the country that didn’t lose a single player enter the transfer portal. FAU only graduated one player from a team that reached the Final Four and just seconds away from playing UConn in the national championship game.
Star players Alijah Martin and Johnell Davis both had the chance to test the NBA Draft waters but elected to return to school for another year. They should enter the season as a top-five team and will have a very strong case to run it all the way back to the Final Four. The Owls also locked coach Dusty May into a lucrative 10-year contract extension. In the era of the transfer portal dominating the offseason, it’s refreshing to see a team return the same talented roster. — Cameron Salerno
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