Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) handles the ball during an NCAA college basketball game against Lincoln in … [+]
This time of year, most college sports fans are focused on football and which programs will qualify for the 12-team College Football Playoff that begins in December. Still, the men’s college basketball season is quickly approaching and should feature several memorable moments over the next five months.
Below, we provide an overview of what to expect this season. Of course, there are always surprises, which makes the sport so appealing.
When Does The Men’s College Basketball Season Start?
The season begins on Nov. 4. Nineteen of the 25 teams in the Associated Press’s preseason poll will be playing that day, although only one matchup features two ranked teams: No. 8 Baylor vs. No. 6 Gonzaga at the Spokane Arena near Gonzaga’s campus. The Baylor-Gonzaga game tips off at 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time and will be televised on ESPN2 following the ManningCast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Kansas City Chiefs Monday Night Football game. It is a rematch of the 2021 NCAA tournament championship game, which Baylor won, 86-70, over undefeated Gonzaga.
Baylor’s top three scorers from last season are gone, but the Bears welcome back guard Langton Love (11 points per game) and forward Yves Missi (10.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game). They also have a star freshman in guard VJ Edgecombe, who is ESPN’s No. 4 prospect in the 2025 NBA draft. The Bears also added two veteran transfers in point guard Jeremy Roach, who averaged 14 points per game at Duke last season, and forward Norchad Omier, who averaged 17 points and 10 rebounds per game at Miami last season.
Gonzaga, meanwhile, returns five of its top six scorers from last season, including forward Graham Ike (16.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game) and guards Nolan Hickman (14 points per game) and Ryan Nembhard (12.6 points and 6.9 assists per game). The Bulldogs also have two talented transfers in guard Michael Ajayi, who averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game for Pepperdine last season, and guard Khalif Battle, who averaged 14.8 points per game for Arkansas last season.
How Long Does The Season Run?
The season runs for more than five months. Teams play in their conference tournaments in early- to mid-March, and 68 teams will get selected for the NCAA tournament, which begins on March 18 in Dayton, Ohio. The season concludes with the Final Four in San Antonio, Texas, with the national semifinals on April 5 and the national championship game on April 7. San Antonio has also hosted the Final Four in 1998, 2004, 2008 and 2018.
Top Games To Watch Early In The Season
Here are five non-conference games to watch (in chronological order). These games should get the teams prepared as they enter their conference play, which begins in earnest in late December or early January.
No. 9 North Carolina At No. 1 Kansas On Nov. 8
These teams are almost always among the nation’s best, and this season is no exception. The Jayhawks are the top ranked team in the preseason for the second consecutive season and are led by All-American center Hunter Dickinson, forward KJ Adams and guard Dajuan Harris, all of whom started last season. They have added some transfers, too, including guards AJ Storr from Wisconsin and Rylan Griffen from Alabama. KU is always difficult to beat at home, going 15-1 last season at Allen Fieldhouse but just 8-10 elsewhere. North Carolina should stay close, though, as the Tar Heels have some talented players such as point guard RJ Davis, a returning first team All-American who averaged 21.2 points per game last season. Cade Tyson, a transfer wing from Belmont University who averaged 16.2 points per game last season, should make an immediate impact, as should freshman wing Drake Powell and freshman guard Ian Jackson, who are the No. 7 and No. 27 prospects in next year’s NBA draft, according to ESPN.
No. 2 Alabama At No. 14 Purdue On Nov. 15
Zach Edey, a 7-foot-4 center and two-time reigning national player of the year, is no longer playing for Purdue. But even without Edey, the Boilermakers are among the best teams in the country. They return three starters in guards Braden Smith (12 points and 7.5 assists per game last season) and Fletcher Loyer (10.3 points per game) and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (6.4 points per game) from a team that made the national title game in April. The Boilermakers have been a top five seed in each of the past eight NCAA tournaments, including a No. 1 seed the last two years. Alabama, meanwhile, has a returning All-American in guard Mark Sears, who averaged 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4 assists per game last season. The Crimson Tide also have 6-foot-11 forward Grant Nelson, a starter on last year’s Final Four team, and add transfer center Clifford Omoruyi, who averaged 10.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for Rutgers last season.
No. 7 Duke At No. 10 Arizona On Nov. 22
This is a rematch from last season when the Wildcats won, 78-73, on Duke’s home floor in an early November matchup as all five Arizona starters scored in double figures. Point guard Caleb Love is the only one of those starters returning this season, but the fifth-year player is an All-American and veteran who has already scored more than 2,100 points in his career. Arizona has a few NBA prospects in freshman forward Carter Bryant (ESPN’s No. 13 prospect), 7-foot-3 sophomore center Motiejus Krivas (No. 17) and sophomore guard KJ Lewis (No. 34). Duke, meanwhile, also returns only one starter from last season’s game in point guard Tyrese Procter. But the Blue Devils have re-loaded with the nation’s best freshman class led by forward Cooper Flagg (ESPN’s No. 1 NBA draft prospect), wing Kon Knueppel (No. 6) and center Khaman Maluach (No. 8). They also have a few transfers, including guard Sion James from Tulane and forward Mason Gillis from Purdue.
No. 4 Houston Vs. No. 2 Alabama On Nov. 26
This is the marquee matchup of the inaugural Players Era Festival during Thanksgiving week in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. The event is offering $1 million to each of the eight colleges participating with the money going to their Name, Image and Likeness collectives. Houston is fourth in the AP poll, but it is first in several preseason rankings released from prominent analytics gurus such as Ken Pomeroy, Bart Torvik and Evan Miyakawa. The Cougars are among the most consistent programs in college basketball, having been a top-five seed in each of the past five NCAA tournaments, including a No. 1 seed in 2023 and 2024. They have an elite coach in Kelvin Sampson and returning starters in guard LJ Cryer (15.5 points per game last season), guard Emanuel Sharp (12.6 points per game) and forward J’Wan Roberts (9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game).
No. 3 UConn Vs. No. 6 Gonzaga On Dec. 14
The teams, both with the Huskies nickname, face each other in a primetime matchup at New York’s Madison Square Garden. It is a rematch of last year’s game, which saw UConn win, 76-63, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle. UConn also defeated Gonzaga, 82-54, during the 2023 NCAA tournament’s West Regional final. The Huskies ended up winning that year’s national title and repeated this past season. Still, Gonzaga should be motivated to avenge those losses and perform at its best under the bright lights in Manhattan. Gonzaga has some other interesting non-conference matchups, including against No. 8 Baylor on Nov. 4 and No. 23 Kentucky on Dec. 7. UConn, meanwhile, plays in the Maui Invitational during Thanksgiving week and faces Baylor at home on Dec. 4 and No. 19 Texas on the road before the Big East season begins.
Major Storylines To Watch For This Season
Can UConn Win Its Third Consecutive NCAA Tournament?
The Huskies have been dominant in the past two tournaments, winning each of their games by at least 12 points and becoming the first men’s team since Florida in 2006 and 2007 to win two consecutive national titles. They are now looking to become only the second team in history to win three in a row, joining UCLA, which won seven consecutive from 1967 to 1973. UConn entered last season having to replace three starters, but it was better than ever, finishing 37-3 and winning 27 of its final 28 games. Center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Castle were both top-10 picks in this year’s NBA draft, while guards Tristen Newton and Cam Spencer were second round selections. Alex Karaban, who averaged 13.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game last season, is the only starter returning. Still, UConn is No. 3 in the AP’s preseason poll thanks in large part to coach Dan Hurley, who has proven he can rebuild and motivate his team. Returners Hassan Diarra, Samson Johnson, Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart should all play more this season, and the Huskies also added some talent in freshman guard Liam McNeeley (ESPN’s No. 10 prospect for next year’s NBA draft) and transfers Aidan Mahaney (a guard from Saint Mary’s) and Tarris Reed Jr. (a center from Michigan).
Can Duke Freshman Cooper Flagg Live Up To The Hype?
This summer, Flagg was invited to play for the U.S. Select Team and scrimmage against the country’s Olympic squad. He was the first college player to earn that honor since 2013, and he didn’t disappoint. In fact, several players such as Phoenix Suns teammates Kevin Durant and Devin Booker praised Flagg, who doesn’t even turn 18 until Dec. 21. Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward, was originally in the high school Class of 2025 but he re-classified in August 2023 and committed to Duke shortly afterward. Flagg was named a first-team AP preseason All-American this month, and all eyes will be on him beginning with Duke’s season opener on Nov. 4 against Maine. He will play in his first nationally televised college game on Nov. 12 against Kentucky in the Champions Classic in Atlanta. He is expected to join Kyrie Irving (2011), Zion Williamson (2019) and Paolo Banchero (2023) as players who spent one year at Duke before being the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
Who Will Be The Top Big 12 Program?
The Big 12 has been the nation’s best conference the past three seasons, according to analyst Ken Pomeroy’s ratings. This year, Pomeroy has the Big 12 ranked behind the Southeastern Conference in the preseason, although that is not because of the top of the league. In fact, five Big 12 programs are in the top 10 of the AP’s preseason poll: No. 1 Kansas, No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 8 Baylor and No. 10 Arizona. No other conference has had five teams in the top 10 since the AP began releasing a preseason poll in 1961. Houston won the conference’s regular season title last season with a 15-3 record but lost to Iowa State in the league’s tournament championship game. The Big 12 had a record eight teams selected for the NCAA tournament, but Houston and Iowa State were the only programs that made it to the second weekend, and the both lost in the Sweet 16. This season, the Big 12’s top five teams should be in the mix for a Final Four berth and even a national title if things break right.
Can A Program Win Its First National Title?
This season’s preseason poll features some so-called “Blue Blood” programs that are consistent national title contenders, including No. 1 Kansas, No. 3 UConn, No. 7 Duke and No. 9 North Carolina. UConn has won the past two national titles and six since 1999, while North Carolina has also won six national titles (the last one in 2017), Duke has won five (the last one in 2015) and Kansas has won four (the last one in 2022). Still, there are other programs that have never won a national title and are in prime position this season, including No. 2 Alabama, No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State and No. 6 Gonzaga. Alabama made the Final Four in April for the first time, while Iowa State has only advanced to the Final Four once in 1944 when there were just eight teams in the field. Gonzaga made it to the championship game in 2017 and 2021 but fell short both times, while Houston lost in the national title game in 1983 and 1984.
How Will John Calipari Fare In His First Season At Arkansas?
On the same weekend of the Final Four in April, reports emerged that John Calipari would be leaving Kentucky and heading to Arkansas. Calipari was synonymous with Kentucky, winning the national title in 2012 and sending numerous players to the NBA. But the Wildcats struggled in recent years under Calipari, going 9-16 in 2021 and missing the NCAA tournament, losing in the first round of the 2022 tournament, losing in the second round of the 2023 tournament and losing in the first round of the 2024 tournament. After the 80-76 loss to Oakland in March, many Kentucky fans were livid with Calipari, but it seemed like he would come back until the Arkansas job opened when former coach Eric Musselman left for USC. Arkansas is No. 16 in the AP preseason poll even though Trevon Brazile is the only Arkansas player to return from last season. Still, Calipari has brought in transfers such as guard Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic), guard D.J. Wagner (Kentucky) and forward Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee) and freshmen such as Boogie Fland (No. 22 in the 247Sports high school Class of 2024 rankings), Karter Knox (No. 25) and Billy Richmond (No. 27). Arkansas faces a tough test on Nov. 9 against No. 8 Baylor in Dallas and faces neutral site games against Illinois on Nov. 28 in Kansas City and Michigan on Dec. 10 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The Razorbacks will also have a loaded SEC schedule, including traveling to Kentucky on Feb. 1, which will be one of the most highly anticipated games of the season as Calipari coaches against his former school.
