March is still months away, but the opportunity for madness persists on a nightly basis in men’s college basketball. There was even a court storm on the very first night of the season!
But there’s so much to look forward to the rest of the way, from high-profile nonconference matchups to new faces in new places. Plus, we’ve got a highly touted freshman class that’s already making its mark on the sport. (See: Cooper Flagg at Duke. Or Derik Queen, who posted a 20-20 stat line in his Maryland debut.)
Oh, and Dan Hurley’s Huskies will try to win a third consecutive NCAA title, while Kansas, Alabama, Duke and others try to stop ‘em from doing so — just one of many more storylines to follow as the season gets underway in earnest.
Here are the top storylines for the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season:
Can UConn three-peat?
No program has won three straight national championships in men’s college basketball since UCLA did it from 1971-73. That is the history that Connecticut is chasing this season and the pressure that Dan Hurley is facing. Fortunately, he’s very calm and rational and nonplussed. In all seriousness, the Huskies are certainly among the teams expected to contend for a title this season, but they’re not an overwhelming favorite. It would not be a failure of a season if they do not win it all. In fact, it would be quite an accomplishment if UConn does win it all after losing four starters from last year’s title team. The Huskies return star forward Alex Karaban and Big East Sixth Man of the Year Hassan Diarra, who will be expected to lead a team that has brought in some high-profile transfers and a five-star recruit in Liam McNeeley.
The last team that won back-to-back national titles — Florida, 2006-07 — didn’t make the NCAA Tournament the year after it repeated. Winning is hard. Winning six consecutive games in the NCAA Tournament is even harder, even when recent UConn teams make it look easy. We’ll see who ends up cutting down the nets come April, but even with so much lost talent and many questions about how this year’s roster will work, it’s hard to bet against Hurley.
The Cooper Flagg era is finally upon us
Well, era might be a bit of a stretch. But the seven-month college career of Cooper Flagg is here, and it should be spectacular. Flagg came to Duke with an incredible level of hype and expectation — easily the most for a high school prospect entering college hoops since Zion Williamson got to Duke in 2018 or when Anthony Davis arrived at Kentucky in 2011. He’s a household name already, not just because he’s the projected top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft but also because of his performance against Team USA in a scrimmage in the lead-up to the Paris Olympics. Flagg was the first college player in more than a decade who was asked to be part of the select team that was invited to work out with the U.S. men’s national team — and he hadn’t even played a single college game yet. Then, he dazzled, with a 3-pointer over Davis, a putback dunk and more highlight-reel moments.
Flagg is undoubtedly a phenom and must-see TV. The 6-foot-9 forward is a special player and talented enough to lead the Blue Devils to a national championship in his lone season in Durham. Duke hasn’t won a title since 2015, but this particular team is loaded — a credit to Jon Scheyer’s recruiting prowess — and ready to take on these insanely high expectations.
The new head coach at Arkansas has our attention
John Calipari stunned the sports world by leaving Kentucky for Arkansas (!) after 15 seasons in Lexington, Ky. Admittedly, things were tense there over those final few seasons that ended in embarrassing and disappointing losses in the NCAA Tournament. But it’s still a sea change in the sport, and the image of Cal in red is going to take some getting used to. Calipari was basically forced to build an entirely new roster, but that’s nothing new for him, so fans shouldn’t be too concerned about the level of talent (because it’s quite high) or that it might take a few weeks for the roster to gel (because that’s what usually happens with teams that don’t have a lot of returners these days). Cal has four former five-star recruits on this team, and it’s easy to see the future NBA talent that will be on display. Now, we’ll see how refreshed he is with a change of scenery — and how far he can take this particular program in year 1.
Who are the top national title contenders? Who should make a Final Four run?
All the usual suspects have their sights set on San Antonio. UConn wants to make history. Alabama is loaded, led by the best returning player in the nation in Mark Spears. Kansas wants to bounce back from a disappointing finish last year. Houston, veteran and tested, is ready win it all after five straight NCAA tournaments with Sweet 16 appearances or better. Gonzaga looks like its high-powered self offensively with the luxury of experience and era of player transience. And, of course, Duke is trying to win its first title under Scheyer and its first since 2015, led by its superstar freshmen. Can Arizona break through to the Final Four? What about Creighton, which has never made it that far in the Big Dance? What is Purdue’s ceiling this season, its first without two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey?
There seem to be at least a handful of teams capable of a deep run, assuming all the stars align at the right time. But there are plenty others with questions in need of answers, and that’s what we’ll get in the weeks and months ahead. Buckle up.
