We don’t sleep until April. The college basketball season has officially kicked off, and madness is already upon us. Over the last week, we’ve seen early-season upsets, freshman phenoms making their debuts, and title contenders making early statements. With the 2024-25 Men’s CBB season shaping up to be a memorable one, let’s take a look around the country.
The Diaper Dandy
Cooper Flagg, Ace Bailey, and VJ Edgecomb—the top three recruits in the class of 2023—are the names to remember if you’re looking for players to follow this season. But all eyes are on Durham, NC, where attention centers on “The Maine Event” and consensus 2026 number-one draft pick, Cooper Flagg, the most hyped American prospect since Zion Williamson. The 6-foot-9 phenom has been a viral sensation since his sophomore year, leading Montverde to back-to-back high school national championships in 2021 and 2022. Flagg garnered even more attention this summer, being selected as the only college player on the USA Select Team, training alongside LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant, adding fuel to the fire of expectations. Alongside fellow freshmen Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach, expect Flagg to be the number-one option on a Duke team with Final Four aspirations.
Honorable Diaper Dandies
Recently, incoming freshmen haven’t been performing like they used to; the days of John Wall, Anthony Davis, and Trae Young feel distant. We can’t even get a Brandon Knight on a college campus these days, but this class could change that. Rutgers features Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, son of former Chicago Bulls guard Ron Harper, both projected top-three picks in June’s NBA draft. Bailey (ESPN #2, Rivals #2) and Harper (ESPN #4, Rivals #3) will look to lead a Rutgers program that won its first NCAA tournament game in 2021, breaking a nearly 40-year drought, but missed the tournament in ‘23-‘24 after a late-season push. The poster children of NIL, Rutgers will definitely be a team to watch this season. VJ Edgecombe (ESPN #3, Rivals #4) stars on a Baylor team looking to advance past the first weekend since winning its first national title in 2021. Edgecombe went viral this past summer for his performance with the Bahamian national team in the 2024 Olympic Qualifiers, averaging 16.5 PPG, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game, showcasing his incredible athleticism with multiple thunderous dunks, despite being the youngest player on the court. North Carolina will feature McDonald’s All-Americans Ian Jackson (ESPN #7, Rivals #6) and Drake Powell (ESPN #14, Rivals #15), who may be the missing pieces for a UNC team aiming for its first national title under Hubert Davis.
Conference Realignment
California is in the ACC. Stanford now plays in the ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE. Geography and words apparently don’t mean much anymore. USC in the Big Ten is also going to take some getting used to, but the Big 12 looks to be the crown jewel of conference realignment. The Big 12 is loaded this year, with Kansas selected as the preseason favorite, followed by Houston, Iowa State, and Baylor. First-year Head Coach Kevin Young, who was an assistant coach in Phoenix working with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, now leads a BYU program that’s made it clear that NIL money is no issue. Meanwhile, former North Carolina standout Caleb Love returns for his fifth season to lead an Arizona program looking for its first Final Four appearance since Tom Brady was Drew Bledsoe’s backup. Colorado, which nearly made it to the Sweet 16 last season, was picked to finish 15th this year, so expect a large amount of movement in the standings once conference play begins.
Three in a Row?
UConn will look to accomplish something no team has done since John Wooden’s UCLA squads from 1967 to 1969: a three-peat. UConn head coach Dan Hurley doesn’t have the advantage of the practice of racial segregation like Wooden did, which prevented certain top players from joining Southern teams. (For example, Duke and Auburn are currently ranked in the top five—which would have been unthinkable back in 1968). Navigating the chaotic world of the transfer portal and NIL, Hurley has built a juggernaut rooted in toughness, passion, and grit. Alex Karaban is the only returning starter, with Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson—bench players in the last two seasons—expected to take on larger roles. Five-star recruit Liam McNeely hopes to make a name for himself as UConn relies on him and second-year players Jayden Ross, Solomon Ball, and Jaylin Stewart to develop over the season for another March run.
Up for Grabs
My prediction? The Alabama Crimson Tide will claim their first national championship in program history. After a Final Four appearance last year, the Tide will once again be led by fifth-year senior Mark Sears, who averaged 24.2 points on 53.2% shooting during the five NCAA tournament games, and returner Grant Nelson, who had a strong tournament run. With the addition of transfers like Chris Youngblood, co-AAC Player of the Year from South Florida, sharpshooter Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who made 44.7% of his three-pointers at Cal State Fullerton, and former McDonald’s All-American Aden Holloway, who spurned Auburn for Alabama, adding further fuel to the Iron Bowl fire, it’s hard to bet against Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats, who has established himself as one of college basketball’s top offensive minds.
This choice wasn’t easy, though. Gonzaga returns four starters from last season’s 27-8 team, and after their 38-point rout of #12 Baylor last Monday, they seem poised for another deep run. Meanwhile, over in Fayetteville, John Calipari will be donning red suits and sweaters, aiming for redemption after a tumultuous last year in Lexington. After years of underperforming in March despite NBA-caliber talent, Calipari and Kentucky’s once-strong relationship had grown stale. A messy divorce followed, with Calipari not even notifying AD Mitch Barnhart of his negotiations with Arkansas (as his contract required). Calipari brings with him former number-one recruit DJ Wagner, Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis, Kentucky transfers Adou Thiero and Zvonimir Ivisc, and incoming freshmen McDonald’s All-Americans Boogie Fland and Karter Knox. This move to Arkansas is expected to give Calipari and his team the energy boost they’ve been missing for years, and with this roster, it looks like Cal might have gotten his groove back.
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