10 questions (and answers) about men’s college basketball season

Major men’s college basketball begins Monday after a rollicking offseason in which UConn head coach Dan Hurley flirted with the Los Angeles Lakers, big-name coaches changed positions and former Virginia head coach Tony Bennett retired in October.

No need to wait until March for madness. It’s already here. Here are 10 questions (and answers) about the season:

1. Can UConn three-peat?

Absolutely. The Huskies became the first team to repeat as national champions since the 2006-07 Florida Gators. Now they are aiming to become the first team to win three in a row since John Wooden’s UCLA teams won seven titles in a row from 1967-1973.

Hurley’s return was imperative for UConn to have a shot. Just as important was junior forward Alex Karaban’s spurning the NBA to return. He’s joined by stud freshman Liam McNeeley, who is expected to contribute heavily after the departure of four starters from last season’s team. 

2. What does Purdue look like without Zach Edey?

Much different. There’s not another player like Edey. Purdue cannot replace the 7-foot-4 center, who’s now playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. Instead, the Boilermakers will rely heavily on 6-foot point guard Braden Smith, who averaged 12 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals last season. He’s the favorite to be Big Ten Player of the Year. Purdue will take a step back this season, but it can still be a top-15 team — the focal point of the roster will just be much shorter.

3. Can John Calipari get his mojo back?

He already appears to have done just that. It seemed like Calipari would retire at Kentucky, but unrest among the fan base after three straight first-weekend exits from March Madness led to an unceremonious end. Coach Cal landed at Arkansas, where he had to build a roster from scratch. A trio of transfers — D.J. Wagner (Kentucky), Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic) and Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) — will lead the way. (Calipari apparently still has an excellent recruiting touch.) An 85-69 exhibition win over No. 1 Kansas last Friday has Razorback fans energized.

4. How good is Duke’s Cooper Flagg?

Really, really good. “The King” himself, LeBron James, told Brian O’Keefe in a story published in Esquire in September that Flagg will be a “big-time player” for Team USA someday. 

The top recruit in the nation has earned national attention for years thanks to his combination of size (6-foot-9 and 205 pounds) and athleticism. He already has signed big endorsement deals with New Balance and Gatorade.

Flagg turned heads in a scrimmage against the United States men’s national team over the summer. It’s finally time for him to take the court for the Blue Devils, who are ranked seventh in the Associated Press poll. 

5. Who can survive the Big 12?

The Big 12 was already the nation’s best conference, but with the additions of Arizona, Arizona State, Utah and Colorado, the league got even deeper. 

The conference has five teams in the AP preseason Top 10. Top-ranked Kansas is the favorite, but No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 8 Baylor and No. 10 Arizona will be formidable challengers.

Look for the Jayhawks to prevail. History says KU, which has won 20 of 24 Big 12 titles, almost always finds a way. Transfers Zeke Mayo (South Dakota State) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) will position Kansas to withstand the Big 12 grind.

6. Is this the end for Penny Hardaway at Memphis?

Drama abounds at Memphis under Hardaway’s watch. In September, he dismissed four assistant coaches, and his program has been under a cloud of recruiting violations. Memphis, which finished 22-10 in 2023-24, returns only one player from last season. Hardaway needs a win in the NCAA Tournament for job security, but even that might not save him. 

7. Can Mark Pope rejuvenate Kentucky?

Pope, who played at Kentucky from 1994-1996, succeeded Calipari. He was previously at BYU and Utah Valley and has won 20 or more games in six of the past seven seasons and made six postseason appearances. But the stakes are much higher at Kentucky. 

The Wildcats enter the season 23rd in the AP Top 25, behind six fellow SEC programs (No. 2 Alabama, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 16 Arkansas and No. 19 Texas).

Pope engineered a quick turnaround at Utah Valley and kept BYU competitive through a conference change to the Big 12. He’ll have an early opportunity to rejuvenate the fan base when UK takes on No. 7 Duke on Nov. 12. Expect him to energize the Wildcats, who finished 23-10 last season.

8. Which mid-majors are primed for a March Madness run?

If you still consider Gonzaga a mid-major, the Bulldogs are the obvious answer. Graham Ike and company will be a Final Four contender once again. Elsewhere, Grand Canyon (30-5 last season) and St. Louis are programs to keep an eye on. 

GCU returns the WAC Player of the Year in Tyon Grant-Foster. St. Louis hired former Indiana State head coach Josh Schertz, who brought national sensation Robbie Avila — a.k.a. “Cream Abdul-Jabbar” — with him. In a preseason poll, St. Louis was picked fourth in the Atlantic 10 and received a pair of first-place votes.

9. Which major program will have a coaching opening next?

In the past two years, the head-coaching jobs at Duke, Kentucky, Ohio State, Michigan, Villanova and Louisville have opened. Keep an eye on Mike Woodson at Indiana, which missed the NCAA Tournament last season. That shouldn’t be the case this season, but if it is, expect IU to fire Woodson.

10. Can the Big Ten end the drought?

Purdue came close last season, but the Big Ten hasn’t won a national championship since Michigan State’s 2000 title. It doesn’t seem likely this season, either, as the conference is expected to be down from previous seasons. Purdue (14th), Indiana (17th), UCLA (22nd) and Rutgers (25th) are ranked in the AP preseason Top 25.