Ranking college basketball teams from Final Four to Try Again Next Year ahead of March Madness 2024 ft. UConn, USC and more

With college basketball's ever-changing rankings throughout a five-month season, it can be difficult to gauge exactly where certain teams stand heading into March Madness. From historically established teams to unfamiliar faces, it can be hard to determine where each team stacks up compared to its competition.

College Basketball Report's college basketball team tier list on X has created a good visual of what category teams belong in before the start of March Madness. Here are some of our takes on the accuracy of this tier list of college basketball teams and which category they fit into as the 2024 season winds down.

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Ranking college basketball teams ahead of March Madness 2024

Jamal Shead leads No. 1 Houston in assists and steals this season

Final Four

Houston

Purdue

UConn

Arizona

Our take: This is a solid top four, with Houston, Purdue, and UConn all sitting at 26-3 on the season. Arizona's spot in this tier could be debated with the success that teams like Tennessee, Iowa State and North Carolina are having, but the Wildcats are lethal on offense. They average 90.3 points per game and will be a nightmare for opposing teams during March Madness.

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Contenders

Duke

North Carolina

Creighton

Kansas

Baylor

Tennessee

Kentucky

Iowa State

Our take: Kentucky may come as a surprise to show up in this tier. However, the Wildcats are the third-ranked offense in the nation, averaging 89.7 ppg. Where the Wildcats lack is on the defensive side of the ball, where they rank 339th. Arguments for more balanced teams such as Marquette or Auburn could be made to take Kentucky's spot in this tier.

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Tournament teams

Marquette's Kam Jones

Michigan State

Nebraska

Oklahoma

Auburn

San Diego State

Dayton

Villanova

FAU

Texas Tech

Clemson

Gonzaga

Nevada

BYU

South Carolina

Seton Hall

Texas

Illinois

Saint Mary's

TCU

Washington State

Marquette

Wisconsin

Indiana State

Utah State

Alabama

Colorado State

Mississippi State

Boise State

Florida

Northwestern

Our take: It feels odd to include teams ranked in the top 15 like Marquette and Auburn with a team like Villanova, which is 17-13 and doesn't have a March Madness spot locked in yet. Otherwise, the rest of the list seems fair, with sleepers like Indiana State, Nevada and Northwestern getting the attention they deserve.

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The Bubble

Iowa

Ole Miss

Syracuse

Drake

Butler

Pitt

Kansas State

Texas A&M

Memphis

Oregon

Cincinnati

USF

New Mexico State

Providence

Virginia

St. John's

Colorado

Our take: This tier is fair given that many of these teams still have work to do to prove they've earned a March Madness selection. Arguments could be made for No. 24 South Florida to move up. Pitt could be a surprise March Madness squad as the fourth team in the current Atlantic Coast Conference standings, right next to Clemson, who are a tier above them.

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Late season surge

Bruce Thornton leads Ohio State in scoring average.

Ohio State

Notre Dame

Georgia Tech

UCLA

Our take: Ohio State is likely the only team that still has a small chance to get a March Madness bid, but even that is a long shot. The one team that seems to deserve to be in the tier below this one is Notre Dame. With a record of 12-18 and sitting in 11th place in the ACC with just one game left, the Fighting Irish have no shot at an NCAA Tournament appearance this year.

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Try again next year

Michigan

DePaul

Xavier

Missouri

Vanderbilt

West Virginia

USC

Georgetown

Louisville

Arkansas

Indiana

Our take: This is another fair take on these bottom teams as well. All of these struggled to stay competitive in the top conferences. Both DePaul and Missouri have failed to win a single conference game with just one regular-season game remaining. Meanwhile, USC was ranked 21 in the preseason AP Top 25 but proved to be far from a top team with a current record of 12-17.