The 2024-25 basketball season will pose next-level challenges for both the Mountain West and West Coast conferences, which won’t have the Pac-12 to kick around anymore.
The MW and WCC won more games than they lost in head-to-head matchups against their wealthier neighbor, which will cease to exist as a basketball conference this summer with schools entering four different leagues.
Despite the fractured landscape, the Hotline’s Best of the West rankings will continue to assess the top teams on a monthly basis during the offseason and each week once competition begins in November.
The rankings below take into account roster changes to this point, but players have until late April to declare for the NBA Draft and enter the transfer portal.
Our second offseason edition of the BOTW, scheduled for early May, could look markedly different.
Each team’s record in 2023-24 and NCAA Tournament performance have been included.
1. Gonzaga (27-8/lost in Sweet 16). Three double-digit scorers have eligibility remaining (guards Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman and big man Graham Ike) while a fourth is headed to Spokane from Pepperdine (forward Michael Ajayi). The Zags won 16 of their last 19 games and reached the Sweet 16. Look for them to pick up where they left off and challenge for a No. 1 seed.
2. Brigham Young (23-11/lost in first round). Everything depends on guard Jaxson Robinson, who is considered a second-round NBA Draft pick and could make the jump. If he leaves school, the Cougars will lose ground in the next edition of the Best of the West. If he returns, BYU will be loaded like it hasn’t been loaded in years, with a superb chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in more than a decade.
3. Saint Mary’s (26-8/lost in first round). The Gaels are well positioned for another NCAA bid with the stellar guard combination of Aidan Mahaney and Augustas Marciulionis scheduled to return. Big man Mitchell Saxen, so important to their half-court defense, has eligibility remaining. And we can all assume one or two reserves will develop into impact players under coach Randy Bennett.
4. Arizona (27-9/lost in Sweet 16). The Wildcats lost starters Kylan Boswell and Oumar Ballo to the transfer portal this week, with Caleb Love and Pelle Larsson expected to depart the program, as well. The attrition should result in a greatly enhanced role next season for guard Jaden Bradley. But at this point, the caliber of his supporting cast is unclear. Coach Tommy Lloyd has work to do.
5. Boise State (22-11/lost in First Four). The best roster in the Mountain West resides in Boise, at least right now. High-scoring forward Tyson Degenhart is scheduled to return, along with forward O’Mar Stanley. If guard Chibuzo Agbo uses his final season of eligibility, the Broncos will have three impact players as their core. Coach Leon Rice quietly does a first-rate job, year after year.
6. San Diego State (26-11/lost in Sweet 16). We can’t justify a higher position for the Aztecs at this point given the departure of forward Jaedon LeDee, their only double-digit scorer, and the absence of an obvious heir apparent. Defensive ace Lamont Butler has eligibility remaining, but if he also departs, coach Brian Dutcher will be forced to retool his rotation and chemistry to a significant degree.
7. UCLA (16-17/did not qualify). It has been two decades since the Bruins missed the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, and we don’t expect that dastardly double-dip to repeat — not if big man Adem Bona returns and the young perimeter players develop. But the Big Ten move adds a layer of complication for Mick Cronin and Co.
8. Grand Canyon (30-5/lost in second round). Dynamic wing Tyon Grant-Foster has eligibility remaining, but will he use it? And will he use it at GCU? If he returns, the Lopes should rule the WAC once again and cause trouble in the NCAAs. Coach Bryce Drew has made deft use of the transfer portal and figures to do the same this spring after the impressive March Madness performance.
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9. USF (23-11/did not qualify). Super sophomore Jonathan Mogbo (14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds per game) has yet to indicate he’s departing The Hilltop, an encouraging sign for the Dons as they aim to build on the momentum gained in coach Chris Gerlufsen’s second season.
10. Oregon (24-12/lost in second round). The catalysts for Oregon’s late-season drive into the NCAAs, Jermaine Couisnard and N’Faly Dante, are out of eligibility. But the next wave is ready in Eugene with guard Jackson Shelstad, forward Kwame Evans and big man Nate Bittle set to take leading roles.
11. UNLV (21-13/did not qualify). The Rebels produced an upside surprise in 2024 with their first 20-win season in six years. The prime driver of that success, guard Dedan Thomas Jr., was only a freshman. As the son of a former Runnin’ Rebels star, Thomas doesn’t seem like a transfer candidate. Then again, the portal is full of surprises.
12. Colorado (26-11/lost in second round). The Buffaloes have already lost a handful of rotation players to the portal and are expected to lose Tristan da Silva and Cody Williams to the NBA. But the key to another NCAA-caliber season is point guard KJ Simpson, who hasn’t indicated he plans to bolt Boulder.
Also considered: Colorado State, Eastern Washington, Nevada, New Mexico, Santa Clara, UC Irvine, USC and Washington State
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