Main males’s college basketball begins Monday after a rollicking offseason through which UConn head coach Dan Hurley flirted with the Los Angeles Lakers, big-name coaches modified positions and former Virginia head coach Tony Bennett retired in October.
No want to attend till March for insanity. It is already right here. Listed here are 10 questions (and solutions) concerning the season:
1. Can UConn three-peat?
Completely. The Huskies turned the primary group to repeat as nationwide champions because the 2006-07 Florida Gators. Now they’re aiming to grow to be the primary group to win three in a row since John Wood’s UCLA groups received seven titles in a row from 1967-1973.
Hurley’s return was crucial for UConn to have a shot. Simply as necessary was junior ahead Alex Karaban’s spurning the NBA to return. He is joined by stud freshman Liam McNeeley, who is anticipated to contribute closely after the departure of 4 starters from final season’s group.
2. What does Purdue appear to be with out Zach Edey?
A lot totally different. There’s not one other participant like Edey. Purdue can’t change the 7-foot-4 middle, who’s now enjoying for the Memphis Grizzlies. As an alternative, the Boilermakers will rely closely on 6-foot level guard Braden Smith, who averaged 12 factors, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals final season. He is the favourite to be Large Ten Participant of the Yr. Purdue will take a step again this season, however it might probably nonetheless be a top-15 group — the focus of the roster will simply be a lot shorter.
3. Can John Calipari get his mojo again?
He already seems to have completed simply that. It appeared like Calipari would retire at Kentucky, however unrest among the many fan base after three straight first-weekend exits from March Insanity led to an unceremonious finish. Coach Cal landed at Arkansas, the place he needed to construct a roster from scratch. A trio of transfers — D.J. Wagner (Kentucky), Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) — will paved the way. (Calipari apparently nonetheless has a wonderful recruiting contact.) An 85-69 exhibition win over No. 1 Kansas final Friday has Razorback followers energized.
4. How good is Duke’s Cooper Flagg?
Actually, actually good. “The King” himself, LeBron James, informed Brian O’Keefe in a story published in Esquire in September that Flagg will probably be a “big-time participant” for Crew USA sometime.
The highest recruit within the nation has earned nationwide consideration for years because of his mixture of measurement (6-foot-9 and 205 kilos) and athleticism. He already has signed large endorsement offers with New Balance and Gatorade.
Flagg turned heads in a scrimmage towards the USA males’s nationwide group over the summer season. It is lastly time for him to take the court docket for the Blue Devils, who are ranked seventh in the Associated Press poll.
5. Who can survive the Large 12?
The Large 12 was already the nation’s greatest convention, however with the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado, the league received even deeper.
The convention has 5 groups within the AP preseason Prime 10. Prime-ranked Kansas is the favourite, however No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 8 Baylor and No. 10 Arizona will probably be formidable challengers.
Search for the Jayhawks to prevail. Historical past says KU, which has received 20 of 24 Large 12 titles, virtually at all times finds a approach. Transfers Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) will place Kansas to resist the Large 12 grind.
6. Is that this the tip for Penny Hardaway at Memphis?
Drama abounds at Memphis underneath Hardaway’s watch. In September, he dismissed four assistant coaches, and his program has been underneath a cloud of recruiting violations. Memphis, which completed 22-10 in 2023-24, returns just one participant from final season. Hardaway wants a win within the NCAA Event for job safety, however even which may not save him.
7. Can Mark Pope rejuvenate Kentucky?
Pope, who performed at Kentucky from 1994-1996, succeeded Calipari. He was beforehand at BYU and Utah Valley and has received 20 or extra video games in six of the previous seven seasons and made six postseason appearances. However the stakes are much higher at Kentucky.
The Wildcats enter the season twenty third within the AP Prime 25, behind six fellow SEC packages (No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 16 Arkansas and No. 19 Texas).
Pope engineered a fast turnaround at Utah Valley and stored BYU aggressive via a convention change to the Large 12. He’ll have an early alternative to rejuvenate the fan base when UK takes on No. 7 Duke on Nov. 12. Count on him to energise the Wildcats, who completed 23-10 final season.
8. Which mid-majors are primed for a March Insanity run?
When you nonetheless contemplate Gonzaga a mid-major, the Bulldogs are the plain reply. Graham Ike and firm will probably be a Remaining 4 contender as soon as once more. Elsewhere, Grand Canyon (30-5 final season) and St. Louis are packages to keep watch over.
GCU returns the WAC Participant of the Yr in Tyon Grant-Foster. St. Louis employed former Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz, who introduced nationwide sensation Robbie Avila — a.okay.a. “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” — with him. In a preseason poll, St. Louis was picked fourth within the Atlantic 10 and obtained a pair of first-place votes.
9. Which main program can have a training opening subsequent?
Up to now two years, the head-coaching jobs at Duke, Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Villanova and Louisville have opened. Regulate Mike Woodson at Indiana, which missed the NCAA Event final season. That should not be the case this season, however whether it is, expect IU to fire Woodson.
10. Can the Large Ten finish the drought?
Purdue got here shut final season, however the Large Ten hasn’t received a nationwide championship since Michigan State’s 2000 title. It does not appear doubtless this season, both, because the convention is anticipated to be down from earlier seasons. Purdue (14th), Indiana (seventeenth), UCLA (twenty second) and Rutgers (twenty fifth) are ranked within the AP preseason Prime 25.
