2023-24 Dartmouth men's basketball season preview

Overview: The Big Green are losing their leading scorer and rebounder in Dame Adelekun, who averaged 13.8 points per game, 7.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists a season ago. However, Dartmouth returns the rest of its starting lineup and the majority of its bench production. Junior Ryan Cornish and senior Dusan Neskovic both averaged more than 12 points per game last year, and Neskovic shot an impressive 42.4% from deep. The Big Green will look to improve on a middling finish in the Ivy League, but they did go toe-to-toe with the conference champion Princeton Tigers twice — losing on the road in overtime and beating the 2023 Sweet-16 Cinderella at home.

Duke will be Dartmouth’s first game of the season, and its first contest against a Power-5 opponent since 2021-22. While upsetting the second-ranked Blue Devils is a tall task, the Big Green will likely have high expectations for their season with their amount of returning talent. Especially with Princeton losing Tosan Evbuomwan, Dartmouth will look to reach its first NCAA tournament since 1959.

Team ceiling: While the Yale Bulldogs and the aforementioned Tigers have consistently been atop the conference in previous years, the Big Green were 2-2 against them last season. If they can build on these results, they have the returning talent to make a run in the Ivy League. While Duke will likely overmatch them athletically and cruise to a game-one win, Dartmouth has a chance to make the dance.

Team floor: Although they were competitive in most of their games last season, the Big Green finished with a losing record in conference play. If they drop close contests again, they may find themselves again on the outside looking in. Without the presence of Adelekun, Dartmouth will suffer on both sides of the ball if a new force cannot step up, putting together another middling finish.