10 teams with the best chance to reach Final Four in 2023-24

5. Marquette Golden Eagles

Marquette had a disappointing finish to what was an incredible and surprising 29-7 campaign last season. The Golden Eagles won the Big East regular season crown and the Big East Tournament where they knocked off eventual national champion UConn along the way. While Olivier Maxence-Prosper leaving for the NBA might be an underrated loss, Marquette returns nearly all of its key players from a year ago, including Oso Ighodaro, Kam Jones, David Joplin, Stevie Mitchell, and most importantly of all, reigning Big East Player of the Year, Tyler Kolek.

Freshmen like Tre Norman and Zaide Lowery could also be poised to contribute this year, while sophomores Chase Ross and Ben Gold seem set to take steps forward. Still, this team will likely ultimately go as far as Kolek and the starting lineup take it. The Big East will be tough once again this year and perhaps a bit deeper than in years past, which should have Shaka Smart’s guys ready come March. Smart of course already has NCAA Tournament success under his belt, and has the talent to take a second program to the Final Four.