CBB Rank 2024: No. 91, San Francisco Basketball

From Kyle Smith to Todd Golden to now Chris Gerlufsen, San Francisco basketball has remained a consistent program. In the preseason of 2024-25, they earn another top 100 ranking.

The tradition continues! CBB Review is again ranking the top 100 teams heading into the new college basketball season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: San Francisco basketball.

How do you win in mid-major basketball these days? Maintain an element of consistency and experience amidst a transfer-heavy climate. That is exactly what the Dons bring to the table.

The portal did take key role player Mike Sharavjamts, but Gerlufsen replenished the rotation with two transfers of his own. Aside from that, San Francisco returns four of their top five scorers and three of those four will be seniors. Their 54.7% returning minutes and 57.1% returning possession minutes rank third in the conference behind Gonzaga and Santa Clara.

San Francisco Basketball team MVP: Marcus Williams

You may remember that double-double machine Jonathan Mogbo was the heart and soul of the Dons last year, but Williams actually led the team in usage rate. The 2023 all-WCC point guard brings his 14 points and 3.9 assists back to the San Francisco offense.

Keep in mind that as efficient as Mogbo was on the block, the offense was not predicated around letting him go to work. Per Shot Quality, San Francisco ranked 241st in post-up frequency. The system is more about forcing turnovers, running if they have numbers, and getting to the rim in transition, which will continue to play perfectly into Williams’ skill set.

In the half-court setting, Malik Thomas will also play a major role, spacing and coming off screens as a knockdown three-point shooter. The former USC Trojan is another candidate to lead the team in scoring.

San Francisco Basketball team MVP: Robby Beasley III

We project the older Beasley brother as a key bench piece for the Dons. Don’t get misled by his underwhelming 2023-24 stats. If you look at his whole body of work at the D1 level, it is clear he can hoop.

After two double-digit scoring seasons for Montana in the Big Sky and another solid year for UC Davis in the Big West, Robby was expected to take another step up and provide quality minutes in the San Francisco backcourt. Unfortunately, there were some two-time transfer eligibility complications that forced him to sit for the first half of the year, but he started to come along once he got back into the swing of things.

What will the veteran look like now after a normal off-season?

Also keep an eye out for Tyrone Riley, a four-star true freshman guard, who is expected to do big things in green and gold.

Key analytic: Two-point defense

San Francisco was great when it came to defending the interior last season. They allowed a 48.3 2PT field goal percentage (85th nationally) and cleared the boards on 75.7% of missed shots (16th nationally).

While Mogbo was certainly a presence, returner Ndewedo Newbury was a much more efficient shot blocker. Also keep an eye out for UTSA transfer Carlton Linguard and Saba Gigiberia, who returns to the program. Both have a pedigree of being quality rim protectors. If you want offensive success against San Francisco, you will need to knock down your threes because it won’t come easy on the inside.