Team-by-team projections for St. Louis-area men's college basketball teams

Things are looking brighter for St.

Louis region's men's college basketball teams in 2024-25.

But after last year, one of the worst in history for area teams , there's nowhere to go but up.

Mizzou went 0-18 in conference play while St.

Louis U., Missouri State and SIU Carbondale all dismissed coaches.

Fans have had eight months to forget last year's struggles, and hope springs eternal as the sport's opening day looms on Monday.

Below is a look at the St.

Louis area's men's college basketball teams, where they stand and what's projected of them.

Teams are in order of KenPom ranking.

Illinois 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 23 (10) Projected finish in conference poll: 4th of 18 in Big Ten Skinny: The Illini just missed out on the preseason top 25 for the first time since 2018, but expectations in Champaign-Urbana remain high even amid numerous question marks.

Illinois lost its top four scorers from last year's Elite Eight squad and reloaded mostly with transfers.

The newcomers will be thrown into the fire as the Illini face three top-16 ranked teams in the season's first month-plus.

An exhibition loss at Ole Miss shows Illinois has a lot of work to do to finish in the top four of the Big Ten, as projected.

Mizzou 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 53 (145) Projected finish in conference poll: 13th of 16 in Southeastern Skinny: The good news: The Tigers are one of the nation's most improved teams by KenPom preseason projections.

The bad news: If things play out as forecast in the stronger Southeastern Conference, that doesn't result in a big climb up the standings for Mizzou.

For more: Mizzou beat writer Eli Hoff has a look at how Mizzou's rotation could play out .

St.

Louis U.

2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 105 (199) Projected finish in conference poll: 4th of 15 in Atlantic 10 Skinny: With an overhauled roster and a new coach in Josh Schertz who last season led one of the nation's top offenses, expectations are high for the Billikens.

SLU flashed some of that potential at times in its exhibitions with some quick scoring bursts.

Beyond the known scorers, the Billikens have a few interesting breakout candidates.

For more: Columnist Benjamin Hochman talks about why he believes Robbie Avila could crack an All-American team this winter.

SIU Carbondale 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 147 (124) Projected finish in conference poll: 7th of 12 in Missouri Valley Skinny: First-year head coach Scott Nagy brings 577 career wins and a .635 winning percentage to Carbondale after the Salukis dumped Bryan Mullins following another good-but-not-great season in Carbondale last year.

Nagy has collected some intriguing low-major transfers while retaining Vashon's Kennard Davis Jr.

The Salukis look likely to be athletic.

How much that translates into offensive ability remains to be seen.

Missouri State 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 219 (149) Projected finish in conference poll: 11th of 12 in Missouri Valley Skinny: New head coach Cuonzo Martin faces some strong headwinds as he returns to coaching after two years away from the game.

Missouri State's roster features 15 newcomers including five incoming freshmen, three junior college transfers and seven transfers from four-year programs.

A reported scrimmage loss to lowly Texas A&M-Commerce and a shaky exhibition win over Southwest Baptist don't inspire early confidence in Martin's group.

The Bears leave the MVC behind and head to Conference USA next winter.

SIU Edwardsville 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 321 (286) Projected finish in conference poll: 3rd of 11 in Ohio Valley Skinny: The Cougars, led by Brian Barone, had their first and second winning seasons at the Division I level in the last two years, and they're looking to build on that.

SIUE has never had a winning conference season in DI.

Collinsville native Ray'Sean Taylor ranks fifth all-time in scoring at SIUE and third among Division I players with 1,314 points.

Southeast Missouri 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 329 (352) Projected finish in conference poll: 7th of 11 in Ohio Valley Skinny: SEMO slipped greatly last season, finishing a game out of the cellar a year after earning its first NCAA Tournament berth in decades.

St.

Louis native Rob Martin (CBC) is back after he led SEMO in scoring (11.9 ppg), assists (108) and minutes (28.5 mpg) last year.

Head coach Brad Korn, entering his fifth year, added former Purdue sharpshooter DJ Byrd to his staff over the offseason.

Lindenwood 2024-25 KenPom ranking (last year's final ranking in parentheses): 345 (356) Projected finish in conference poll: 9th of 11 in Ohio Valley Skinny: With 10 newcomers (five freshmen and five transfers), the Lions will look vastly different as they enter the third year of their four-year transition to Division I.

Under head coach Kyle Gerdeman, who is entering his sixth year in St.

Charles, the Lions doubled their conference win total from three in their first season with a Division I schedule to six last season.

They face immensely difficult road games at Oklahoma, Mizzou and Ole Miss in the season's first month and don't have a Division I home game until mid-December..

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