10 Young NCAA Teams Could Stay Intact for 2025 March Madness

Pictures by John Pudner at Madison Square Garden March 9, 2023. LEFT - the last moment of the score being tied at 70-70 in overtime as Big East Player of the Year Tyler Kolek's shot prepares to go through the hoop for the game-winner. Right - Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Kam Jones box out in the war under the boards moments earlier in the overtime.

We know teams can no longer stay together for three or four seasons due to the transfer portal and new NCAA rules allowing players to earn money for the use of their names and likenesses or making endorsements, or accepting gifts from boosters. However, there are 10 teams projected to be in the NCAA tournament field of 68 who could keep the majority of their team together through 2025 - led by Marquette who plays only freshmen and sophmores so could have the same team in tact in 2025.

Tyler Kolek gave a great answer after the game when I asked him about being one of the youngest three teams of the 68 in the tournament, and you can read that story by clicking here. I based that on Ken Pomeroy's youth rankings and the teams projected to be in the tournament - however in researching I realized Pomeroy has changed his criteria and counts only years in Division I basketball as experience.

This means juniors and seniors with a couple of years of JUCO or Division II ball under their belts are treated as freshmen - which doesn't seem the best measure of experience. 

Instead we ran the numbers on what percent of a team's time on the floor are by players who could play another two years or more. If a player is a senior, junior or a one and done then they will not still be playing in two years.

The following are the results, with a link to the Basketball Reference page for players mentioned.

Marquette is not only the only team that could stay completely in tact for two more seasons, but the next youngest team in the tournament by this measure are Howard and Duke, who gets 68% of their time from freshman and sophomores who could be around for two more years. Obviously with the transfer portal and the big money going to players who end up with the Texas Longhorns or other huge programs will likely break up teams - but here are the stats of what is possible followed by the line-ups for each team. 

Back for 2 yrs	Back for 1	Youngest Team	Seed	Sr.	Jr.	1&done
100%	100%	Marquette	2.96	0%	0%	0%
68%	84%	Duke	6.48	8%	16%	8%
68%	76%	Howard	16	24%	8%	0%
60%	74%	Yale	13.17	26%	14%	0%
58%	68%	Southeast Missouri St.	16	32%	10%	0%
56%	56%	Charleston	11.95	44%	0%	0%
56%	74%	Illinois	8.24	26%	18%	0%
56%	80%	VCU	12.11	20%	24%	0%
55%	70%	Creighton	6.22	18%	15%	12%
53%	69%	Louisiana	13.71	31%	16%	0%

Here is each team for youngest to 10th youngest. Each player's jersey number, class or if they are a one and done projected to go in the NBA draft, and then the percent of the time they are playing that position (e.g. Kolek plays point guard for Marquette 87% of the time, while David Joplin plays 19% as the small forward and 22% as the power forward).

1. Marquette	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	11 Tyler Kolek, So, 0.87	22 Sean Jones, Fr, 0.12
Shooting Guards	4 Stevie Mitchell, So, 0.56	5 Chase Ross, Fr, 0.23
Small Forwards	1 Kam Jones, So, 0.68	23 David Joplin, So, 0.19
Power Forwards	12 Olivier-Maxence Prosper, So, 0.71	23 David Joplin, So, 0.22
Centers	13 Oso Ighodaro, So, 0.73	21 Ben Gold, Fr, 0.22

2. Duke	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	3 Jeremy Roach, Jr, 0.81	5 Tyrese Proctor, Fr, 0.14
Shooting Guards	5 Tyrese Proctor, Fr, 0.66	13 Jacob Grandison, Sr, 0.17
Small Forwards	25 Mark Mitchell, Fr, 0.49	0 Dariq Whitehead, Fr, 0.34
Power Forwards	30 Kyle Filipowski, 1&d, 0.44	25 Mark Mitchell, Fr, 0.32
Centers	1 Dereck Lively, Fr, 0.56	15 Ryan Young, Sr, 0.21

3. Howard	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	3 Elijah Hawkins, So, 0.76	1 Khalil Robinson, Sr, 0.22
Shooting Guards	0 Marcus Dockery, So, 0.65	11 Ose Okojie, Fr, 0.16
Small Forwards	5 Jelani Williams, Sr, 0.54	34 Bryce Harris, So, 0.18
Power Forwards	22 Shy Odom, Fr, 0.35	34 Bryce Harris, So, 0.27
Centers	24 Jordan Wood, Jr, 0.44	12 Kobe Dickson, Sr, 0.41

Keep in mind Yale my not win the Ivy League to make the tournament. We went through the 68 teams projected to make the tournament as of March 9 in the morning.

4. Yale	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	2 Bez Mbeng, So, 0.52	24 Yassine Gharram, So, 0.46
Shooting Guards	3 August Mahoney, Jr, 0.7	2 Bez Mbeng, So, 0.19
Small Forwards	4 John Poulakidas, So, 0.69	13 Michael Feinberg, Sr, 0.15
Power Forwards	35 Isaiah Kelly, Sr, 0.45	33 Jack Molloy, So, 0.27
Centers	15 EJ Jarvis, Sr, 0.68	1 Danny Wolf, Fr, 0.2

5. SE MO St.	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	1 Phillip Russell, So, 0.89	3 Aquan Smart, So, 0.07
Shooting Guards	0 Israel Barnes, Sr, 0.39	3 Aquan Smart, So, 0.34
Small Forwards	5 Chris Harris, Sr, 0.56	0 Israel Barnes, Sr, 0.29
Power Forwards	33 Dylan Branson, So, 0.53	5 Chris Harris, Sr, 0.29
Centers	14 Nate Johnson, Sr, 0.47	21 Josh Earley, Jr, 0.46

6. Charleston	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	11 Ryan Larson, Sr, 0.7	21 Jaylon Scott, Sr, 0.26
Shooting Guards	2 Reyne Smith, So, 0.67	15 Pat Robinson, Sr, 0.24
Small Forwards	3 Dalton Bolon, Sr, 0.38	15 Pat Robinson, Sr, 0.28
Power Forwards	25 Ben Burnham, So, 0.41	21 Jaylon Scott, Sr, 0.34
Centers	10 Ante Brzovic, So, 0.59	35 Babacar Faye, So, 0.33

7. Illinois	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	0 Terrence Shannon, Sr, 0.52	3 Jayden Epps, Fr, 0.34
Shooting Guards	20 Ty Rodgers, Fr, 0.37	1 Sencire Harris, Fr, 0.28
Small Forwards	15 RJ Melendez, So, 0.37	24 Matthew Mayer, Sr, 0.24
Power Forwards	24 Matthew Mayer, Sr, 0.55	33 Coleman Hawkins, Jr, 0.29
Centers	33 Coleman Hawkins, Jr, 0.58	42 Dain Dainja, So, 0.39

8. VCU	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	1 Adrian Baldwin, Jr, 0.85	23 Jayden Nunn, So, 0.12
Shooting Guards	23 Jayden Nunn, So, 0.52	2 Zeb Jackson, Jr, 0.37
Small Forwards	24 Nick Kern, So, 0.53	35 David Shriver, Sr, 0.31
Power Forwards	0 Jamir Watkins, So, 0.44	30 Brandon Johns, Sr, 0.36
Centers	4 Jalen DeLoach, So, 0.6	30 Brandon Johns, Sr, 0.34

9. Creighton	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	2 Ryan Nembhard, So, 0.85	23 Trey Alexander, So, 0.08
Shooting Guards	23 Trey Alexander, So, 0.48	5 Francisco Farabello, Sr, 0.31
Small Forwards	55 Baylor Scheierman, Sr, 0.61	23 Trey Alexander, So, 0.26
Power Forwards	24 Arthur Kaluma, 2&d, 0.58	13 Mason Miller, Fr, 0.3
Centers	11 Ryan Kalkbrenner, Jr, 0.74	33 Fredrick King, Fr, 0.21

10. Louisiana	Starters	Back-ups
Point Guards	0 Themus Fulks, So, 0.71	2 Michael Thomas, So, 0.28
Shooting Guards	5 Jalen Dalcourt, Sr, 0.5	22 Kentrell Garnett, So, 0.39
Small Forwards	13 Greg Williams, Sr, 0.58	4 Kobe Julien, So, 0.28
Power Forwards	1 Joe Charles, So, 0.52	34 Terence Lewis, Sr, 0.46
Centers	21 Jordan Brown, Jr, 0.82	35 Isaiah Richards, So, 0.15