It’s 100 days to men’s hoops! Top stories, players, games, more

In approximately 100 days, the wait will be over and the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season will begin. But it’ll look like a different season than one we’ve seen before.

John Calipari and other notable coaches have new homes — or are no longer on the sidelines. A power conference is officially no more. Top players who could have declared for the NBA draft have decided to return for another year of college basketball and another chance at a national title run. The transfer portal took over this season — and trust us, the best available players were also the most expensive in the name, image, likeness (NIL) wars.

The northeastern part of the United States, however, has produced the most significant college basketball headlines. Cooper Flagg — the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024 out of Maine — is set to begin his college career at Duke. He could put together a historic season and secure the top spot in next summer’s NBA draft.

And, reigning national champion UConn’s Dan Hurley rejected an offer to coach the Los Angeles Lakers, and will remain in Storrs to chase a historic third consecutive NCAA title.

College basketball never really stopped creating news after April 8. So, Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello are here to help you get caught up with what happened as we begin the countdown to November 4.

Jump to:
Storylines | Nonconference matchups | Player of the year candidates | Coaches | Freshmen | First-time conference matchups | Transfers | Breakouts

The best storylines

UConn‘s historic quest for a three-peat: Dan Hurley and the Huskies are looking to become the first program since John Wooden’s UCLA teams — and only the second program ever — to win three national championships in a row. They saw four players selected in June’s NBA draft, but have reloaded with transfers Aidan Mahaney (Saint Mary’s) and Tarris Reed Jr. (Michigan) as well as top-10 recruit Liam McNeeley. Potential All-American Alex Karaban also opted to withdraw from the NBA draft and return for another year. UConn will be ranked in the preseason top five. — Borzello

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Calipari makes his pitch for athletes to stay in college longer

John Calipari joins Pat McAfee and weighs in on the changing landscape of college sports ahead of his first season with Arkansas.

John Calipari is starting fresh at Arkansas: The stunning news came down on the eve of the national championship game: John Calipari was leaving Kentucky after 15 years for… SEC rival Arkansas. Things had become untenable for Cal in Lexington after the Wildcats’ first-round upset loss to Oakland — their second first-round exit in three years — and an opportunity to start fresh in Fayetteville with plenty of NIL was too much to pass up. He’s brought several Kentucky players and incoming recruits with him, while also adding impact transfers Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee). Can Calipari adjust, though, is the biggest question. He’s appeared to acknowledge he can’t build title-contending teams with mostly freshmen anymore, but how quickly will he adapt to the new age of roster construction? — Borzello

Mark Pope and the new era of Kentucky: After whiffing on big-name candidates for its successor to John Calipari, the blueblood school ultimately landed on the former BYU coach and once-team captain on the 1995-96 Wildcats squad that won a national championship. It hasn’t mattered to Pope that he wasn’t the first choice, though, as he’s quickly turned early skepticism into optimism. Thousands of fans attended his introductory press conference at Rupp Arena. He has a top-25 team full of elite transfers. More importantly, he understands that, while he’s replacing John Calipari, the standard has not changed: he knows it’s always championship or bust in Lexington. — Medcalf

All eyes on Cooper Flagg: There might not be a player with more attention right now than Duke‘s incoming freshman star. He was the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 class, then reclassified to 2024 and immediately became the No. 1 prospect in that class. He’s the projected No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. He’s already receiving buzz as a potential Wooden Award winner — especially after his scrimmage performances against Team USA for the USA Select Team in Las Vegas earlier this month. How far can Flagg carry the Blue Devils? — Borzello

Rutgers — Rutgers! — has two top-five NBA prospects: Prior to the 2024 recruiting class, the Scarlet Knights had just six ESPN 100 prospects since the ESPN men’s basketball recruiting database began in 2007. Just one of those was ranked in the top 50: Mike Rosario in 2008. The Knights have produced two NBA draft picks since 1991. In Airious “Ace” Bailey and Dylan Harper, though, Steve Pikiell has two of the top four recruits in the incoming class, and two of the top three projected draft picks in ESPN’s 2025 mock draft. The expectations in Piscataway have been raised dramatically. — Borzello

$2 million NIL summers: When the name, image, likeness craze began in the summer of 2021, only the top stars in men’s and women’s basketball and college football secured gigantic deals. Three years later, the price for an elite transfer continues to rise, proven by some of the cash reportedly thrown around this offseason. Great Osobor, last season’s Mountain West player of the year, transferred from Utah State to Washington after securing, yes, a $2 million NIL deal. Former Illinois standout Coleman Hawkins also reportedly signed a seven-figure NIL deal to transfer to Kansas State. — Medcalf

The returners: Multiple college basketball players who tested the NBA draft waters decided to return to school, making more NIL cash and strengthening the sport’s top tier in the process. North Carolina‘s R.J. Davis is the only AP first-team All-American to return but four other players who cracked the second and third AP teams (Hunter Dickinson, Caleb Love, Johni Broome and Mark Sears) will be in college jerseys again. — Medcalf

Realignment may have shifted the balance of power — but the Big 12 still looks the best: There are plenty of new programs in new places this season. The Pac-12 is no more. USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington are in the Big Ten. Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are in the Big 12. Texas and Oklahoma are in the SEC. Stanford, California and SMU are in the ACC. Oregon State and Washington State are (sort of) in the WCC. Despite all the shuffling, though, the Big 12 still looks to be the best league in the country, with Kansas, Houston, Baylor, Iowa State and Arizona all likely top-10 teams. — Borzello

Indiana‘s hot seat is active again: Mike Woodson, two-time All-American at Indiana in the 1970s and 1980s, understands the assignment in Bloomington. He was hired in 2021 to turn the Hoosiers into national title contenders again. But that hasn’t happened, and his fan base is getting antsy. Indiana, which has five national titles in its school history, is 31-29 in the Big Ten under Woodson, who is now facing hot seat talk. He’ll now have to perform under pressure — albeit with his best roster to date, which includes Arizona transfer Oumar Ballo. –Medcalf

Doug Gottlieb, media personality-turned-head coach: College basketball’s top brass has never been afraid to think outside the box. Former NBA players with limited coaching experience have secured good jobs. Millennials have been hired by powerbrokers. But Gottlieb, the new Green Bay head coach, has spent the bulk of his professional career as a radio host and media personality. His contract with the Horizon League school, which finished 18-14 last season, will allow him to coach a Division I team and continue his show. This will be interesting, to say the least. — Medcalf

Best nonconference matchups

North Carolina at Kansas (Nov. 8): Two of the most storied programs in college basketball history go head-to-head, featuring two of the best returning players: UNC’s RJ Davis and Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson. The Jayhawks could open the season ranked No. 1, while the Tar Heels should be in the top 10.

Duke vs. Kentucky (Nov. 12 in Atlanta at the Champions Classic): Cooper Flagg’s marquee debut in college basketball. Mark Pope’s first big game as the new coach of Kentucky. The other game of the Champions Classic will see Kansas take on Michigan State.

Houston vs. Alabama (Nov. 26 in Las Vegas at the Players Era Festival): Both will likely enter the season ranked in the top five — with Alabama vying with Kansas for the No. 1 spot. The Crimson Tide have been one of the best offensive teams in the country under Nate Oats, while Houston’s defense under Kelvin Sampson is elite every season. (Also in Vegas on this date: Duke vs. Kansas at the Vegas Showdown.)

Baylor at UConn (Dec. 4): There were several Huskies games to choose from: They also face Gonzaga in New York in mid-December. Either will be a good test for Dan Hurley’s team, which is going for three national championships in a row; but this one might be more challenging, as Scott Drew has positioned the Bears as a legit Final Four threat with Jeremy Roach, Norchad Omier and V.J. Edgecombe on the roster.

Purdue vs. Auburn (Dec. 21 in Birmingham): How will Purdue fare in the post-Zach Edey era? Is Auburn’s Johni Broome worthy of preseason All-American status? The Tigers are knocking on the door of the preseason top-10, while Matt Painter’s team will take on a different look behind the veteran backcourt of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. — Borzello

Player of the year candidates

Cooper Flagg, Duke: Only three freshmen have won the men’s Wooden Award: Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson. Flagg could realistically become the fourth — and the second player from Duke. He registered double-figures in a matchup against Team USA in June, drawing praise from top NBA stars. While it’s rare for a freshman to dominate a college basketball season, all signs point to the 6-9 forward doing just that.

RJ Davis, North Carolina: The first-team AP All-American is arguably the top returning player in America after a stellar campaign in 2023-24: 21.2 PPG, 40% from beyond the arc, 87% from the charity stripe. He also might be Flagg’s top competition for this award. The reigning ACC player of the year, scored 30 points or more in four games last year.

Hunter Dickinson, Kansas: The return of Dickinson, an all-Big 12 first team member last year, might have solidified Kansas as the No. 1 team in every reputable preseason poll. The 7-2 center made 57% of his shots inside the arc and averaged 17.9 PPG, 10.9 RPG and 1.4 BPG last season. He was also ranked 22nd in EvanMiya.com’s BPG rankings that measure a player’s impact when he’s on the floor.

Mark Sears, Alabama: The fifth-year standout is back for Nate Oats after averaging 21.5 PPG, 44 percent from the 3-point line on the season, 24.2 PPG in the NCAA tournament and leading Alabama to its first Final Four appearance. He’s the leader of a program that is capable of another Final Four run. He’s also the top returning offensive player, according to EvanMiya.com’s offensive BPR ratings which measure a player’s offensive impact when he’s on the floor.

Caleb Love, Arizona: The reigning Pac-12 player of the year’s return ensures Tommy Lloyd’s program is a contender for the Big 12 championship in its first season in the league. The former North Carolina transfer shot 37% from 3 in Pac-12 action on the way to the final league championship. The 6-4 guard is one of the most explosive players in the country. — Medcalf

The new coaches to watch

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Kentucky fans give rousing ovation to new coach Mark Pope

New Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope receives a very warm welcome from Wildcats faithful.

Mark Pope, Kentucky Wildcats: Once we hit November, the offseason optimism and praise Pope has enjoyed will shift, as he faces the expectations every Kentucky head coach has endured. But, he’s more than a former player who replaced John Calipari. At BYU, he won 110 games in five years and led the Cougars to a fifth-place finish in the Big 12, despite being picked to finish 13th in their first season in the league.

John Calipari, Arkansas Razorbacks: Cal’s tenure soured in recent years, but in his new home he seems to be taking the same approach that helped him capture a national title in Lexington more than a decade ago. Johnell Davis leads a group of transfers, top freshman and former Kentucky players in Calipari’s first season in Fayetteville, a year that could include the pursuit of an SEC championship.

Eric Musselman, USC Trojans: Musselman returns to California, where he grew up (San Diego) and had multiple coaching gigs (Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles D-Fenders). The former Arkansas coach, who reached the NCAA tournament twice in the past four years, now replaces Andy Enfield, who finished 8-12 in league play last season. He’ll have to rebuild the Trojans program but he’s excelled in the transfer portal era.

Dusty May, Michigan Wolverines: After a historic Final Four run with Florida Atlantic in 2023, May was a top candidate for coaching vacancies in that offseason but stayed in Boca Raton — as did the bulk of that team — for another run. He now replaces Fab Five member Juwan Howard at Michigan, and will attempt to reboot a program that won just eight games in last season and now has more league competition with the addition of four former Pac-12 schools.

Danny Sprinkle, Washington Huskies: After winning the Mountain West in his first and only season at Utah State, Sprinkle heads west for his, and Washington’s, first season in the Big Ten. He has enjoyed a remarkable career to date, winning coach of the year in both the Mountain West and the Big Sky in the past three years. His rebuild process was anchored by star Great Osobor, whom he’s coached at both Utah State and Montana State. — Medcalf

Freshmen to watch

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Duke’s Cooper Flagg impresses at Team USA training camp

Tim Bontemps reports on Duke’s Cooper Flagg impressing at Team USA training camp.

Cooper Flagg, Duke: The hype surrounding Flagg is only getting more intense after his performances with the USA Select Team against the stars of Team USA. He’s been at the top of all the lists since he reclassified last summer, and is expected to hit the ground running in Durham.

Airious “Ace” Bailey and Dylan Harper, Rutgers: It’s a new era for Steve Pikiell and Rutgers basketball. Both Bailey and Harper are projected top-five picks in the 2025 NBA draft. Harper will have the ball in his hands from day one, while Bailey is one of Pikiell’s best offensive weapons on the wing.

V.J. Edgecombe, Baylor: On a team that welcomes big-name transfers Jeremy Roach and Norchad Omier and returns two double-figure scorers, Edgecombe has the most buzz for the Bears. He’s an explosive forward who can fill a variety of roles on the offensive end and will be one of the best transition players in the country.

Liam McNeeley, UConn: If the Huskies push for a third straight national title, McNeeley will have a part to play. He was one of the best shot-makers in the 2024 class, and is a high-level perimeter shooter who can also make shots off the bounce, move without the ball and finish going to the rim.

Jalil Bethea, Miami: Jim Larrañaga has historically given his guards freedom to put up big numbers in Coral Gables, and Bethea could be next in line. He’s a truly elite offensive player who can make shots from behind the arc, beat his defenders off the bounce and draw contact for easy points at the free-throw line. He should have some huge offensive games. — Borzello

First-time conference matchups

UCLA at Indiana: But the Bruins are the most intriguing of the new quartet joining the Big Ten this season, with six transfers entering the fold and Mick Cronin looking for a bounceback season after 2023-24’s struggles. Indiana, meanwhile, has the most talented roster in the league — with three key transfers (Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice, Kanaan Carlyle) all coming from the Pac-12.

Purdue at Oregon: The Ducks surged to the finish last season, winning the Pac-12 tournament and upsetting South Carolina in the first round of the NCAA tournament before falling in double overtime to Creighton. Their first Big Ten matchup against Purdue is particularly intriguing given the battle at the point guard spot. Jackson Shelstad (the Ducks) and Braden Smith (the Boilermakers) are two of the best at the position.

Houston at Arizona: Tommy Lloyd’s team is the best of the Pac-12 programs moving to the Big 12. This one is bound to set the stage in the best conference in the country, given the Wildcats’ offensive firepower and Houston’s staunch defense.

Arizona at Kansas: There’s star power across the board in this one, with All-American guard Caleb Love going against a loaded perimeter group from Lawrence. Lloyd will counter Hunter Dickinson with a combination of potential first-round pick Motiejus Krivas and Tennessee transfer Tobe Awaka down low.

Texas at Texas A&M: The Longhorns’ work in the transfer portal has them in the preseason top 25. And now they have a chance to reignite their rivalry with Texas A&M — another team that has positioned itself in the top 25 to enter the season — in their first season in the SEC. UT will be doing it with transfers, while A&M will be led by seven returners from a team that took 1-seed Houston to overtime in last season’s NCAA tournament. — Borzello

Transfers to watch

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The highlight reel Kadary Richmond is taking to St. John’s

Check out the top plays from Kadary Richmond at Seton Hall last season.

AJ Storr, Kansas Jayhawks: The 6-7 guard entered the offseason as one of the most coveted players in the portal. He averaged 16.8 PPG last season at Wisconsin, but this season will have to share the workload on a stacked Kansas roster that includes Hunter Dickinson and South Dakota State transfer Zeke Mayo. He could be one of the offensive catalysts that propels this squad to another Final Four run under Bill Self.

Kadary Richmond, St. John’s Red Storm: After leading Seton Hall to the NIT championship (21 points, 13 rebounds) in a thrilling 79-77 victory over Indiana State in April, the 6-6 guard entered the portal and immediately had an abundance of suitors before picking Rick Pitino. Richmond’s former head coach Shaheen Holloway said he can be the best player on the floor, regardless of the competition, when he wants to be. The all-Big East first team selection last season could blossom into a household name under Pitino.

Johnell Davis, Arkansas Razorbacks: The co-American Athletic Conference player of the year last season will always be a legend at Florida Atlantic after leading the Owls to a dazzling Final Four run in 2023, then returning and getting back to another NCAA tournament. He considered a move to the NBA but chose to be the veteran standout and leader in John Calipari’s first season at Fayetteville.

Oumar Ballo, Indiana Hoosiers: With Ballo on the court last season, Arizona registered an adjusted offensive efficiency of 120.2 points per 100 possessions and an adjusted defensive efficiency of 88.4 points per 100 possessions. The seven-footer made 66% of his field goal attempts. In Bloomington, he’ll have a chance to again dominate the paint, with a team that features multiple perimeter scorers.

Jeremy Roach, Baylor Bears: Impacted by injuries at key stretches last season, Roach was still a go-to player for the Blue Devils, despite receiving less buzz than NBA prospects Kyle Filipowski and Jared McCain: 14.0 PPG, 43% from the 3-point line. Now, he’ll reprise that role under Scott Drew, who won a national title in 2021 with veteran guards who’d transferred to his program. — Medcalf

Players with breakout potential

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From downtown, Jaland Lowe hits the deep 3

From downtown, Jaland Lowe hits the deep 3

KJ Lewis, Arizona: This is an easy pick. Lewis was a key contributor off the bench for the Wildcats last season, making plays at both ends of the floor. His physicality and frame make him a factor defensively and he scored in double figures five times in Pac-12 play, including 18 against UCLA on the road. Needs to be more of a threat from the perimeter — he made 42.9% of his 3s in Pac-12 play but attempted just 21 of them in 20 games.

Aaron Bradshaw, Ohio State: Don’t give up on your Bradshaw stocks just yet, despite him barely playing down the stretch of Kentucky’s season. A former McDonald’s All American and the No. 6 prospect in the 2023 class, Bradshaw was hampered by a foot injury last offseason and delayed his debut until December. He did show flashes of his enormous potential: 17 points and 11 boards against Penn, 12 points against North Carolina.

Jaylin Stewart, UConn: With four players from last season’s team gone to the NBA, Dan Hurley knew he had to reload. But he didn’t need to do a full roster overhaul because of his trust in last season’s role players — with Stewart (and Samson Johnson) high on that list. Stewart only turned 19 years old in February and is already generating NBA draft buzz for next spring.

Camden Heide and Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue: With Zach Edey gone, Matt Painter will need some of last year’s ancillary pieces to take major strides. Heide only averaged 3.3 points last season, but he shot 45% from beyond the arc and has a 41-inch vertical leap. There are worse physical profiles on which to take a chance. Kaufman-Renn meanwhile was highly productive when given extended minutes. He played more than 20 minutes six times last season, and hit double-figures in five of those — including 18 points and eight boards against Utah State in the NCAA tournament and 23 points against Illinois.

Jaland Lowe, Pittsburgh: Lowe already had something of a breakout during the second half of 2023-24: In 19 games as Pitt’s starter last season, he averaged 13.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting better than 40% from 3-point range. With Bub Carrington off to the NBA, Jeff Capel will need to replace his scoring and playmaking in the backcourt — and Lowe’s role should only increase, making him a legitimate all-conference performer. — Borzello