- Arizona is the top team in the country, but there are plenty talented teams capable of winning the national championship.
- The freshman class has been shining with stars with Cameron Boozer, AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson leading the group.
- Every Power conference has its own storyline, from the dominance in the Big Ten and Big 12, the ACC’s revival and the mystery of the SEC.
A college football national champion has been crowned, which means it’s time to turn the spotlight on college basketball.
The men’s season is in full swing as conference play is underway, and there has been plenty to discuss — from sensational freshmen, national title favorites and disappointments. The season is more than halfway done, and Selection Sunday is just 54 days away before one of the most exciting months in sports tips off.
So what’s happened in the first two months, and what should be paid attention to as we approach the NCAA tournament? Here are the top storylines in college hoops:
Who is the best college basketball team so far?
Arizona sits atop the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll with a perfect 18-0 start.
The Wildcats have running through every opponents ever since the season opening win over defending champion Florida, with a blend of young (Koa Peat and Brayden Burries) and experience (Jaden Bradley and Motiejus Krivas) paving the way. They average 90 points a game, win by an average margin of 21 points and have done it against talented teams with a 7-0 Quad 1 record.
Arizona has been a regular-season power under Tommy Lloyd, but he may finally have the right recipe to break the long Final Four drought in Tucson.
Plenty of national championship contenders exist
While Arizona is at the top, other teams lurking in the water. It sounds odd, but there’s parity — it’s just at the top level, as you can easily make the case for several teams to win it all.
Michigan, Connecticut, Purdue, Duke have proven to be formidable teams that are on a straight path to March. You also can’t forget Houston, Gonzaga, Iowa State and Nebraska (more on the Cornhuskers soon). It’s making for a very compelling race for the top seeds in the bracket.
Last season was the second time and first since 2008 with all four No. 1 seeds making the Final Four. There’s a solid chance that could happen again in 2006.
Can Florida repeat?
What’s harder than winning a national championship? Doing it again, and Florida is learning how challenging it is to repeat.
The Gators lost so much from last season’s title team, but Todd Golden restocked it to give optimism they could contend. It was a rough beginning with a season opening loss to Arizona and a 5-4 start, falling to marquee opponents in close contests. However, Florida has found a rhythm since then, winning eight of its past nine with some notable ranked wins during the stretch. While it has five losses, they’ve all been by at least six points.
It feels like Florida has mostly been written off from defending its crown, but don’t count out the Gators just yet. They have found an identity and can be a top-four seed in a bracket.
Historic runs for Nebraska, BYU
Two programs are chasing unprecedented highs, one expected and one out of nowhere.
Let’s start with Brigham Young, which brought in talented freshman AJ Dybantsa to take the Cougars to the next level after reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2011. BYU is on track, eyeing those signature wins that will solidify what could lead to their first Final Four in program history.
Fantastic freshmen
This may be the best freshmen class in some time, with the new kids on the block taking over and having NBA teams drooling of them turning pro.
Dybantsa has not disappointed from BYU, showcasing No. 1 pick potential with 22.5 points per game. Duke’s Cameron Boozer is a certified bucket-getter for the Blue Devils, and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson has commanded the floor, even though injuries have limited him. An emerging star has been North Carolina big man Caleb Wilson.
You also can’t forget Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Houston guard Kingston Fleming, Peat and Burries at Arizona, as well as several other talented freshmen. They’ll all be fun to watch in the tournament and could make up most of the lottery picks in the 2026 NBA draft.
Braden Smith chases assist record
Preseason national player of the year favorite Braden Smith is still in great position to win the award, with the Purdue guard closing in on the all-time assists record while leading a Boilermakers team still chasing that first national title.
Smith leads the country with 9.4 assists per game, and with 927 career dimes, is 149 more away from Bobby Hurley’s record of 1,076. With that average, Smith can break the 36-year-old record by the time the NCAA tournament begins, cementing himself among the best point guards to play the game. The Boilermakers are hoping there are more opportunities for him to go up the leaderboard deep in March.
Big 12, Big Ten powers
The toughest conference is really a tie between the Big 12 and Big Ten, making it a gauntlet for any team to survive. Combined the conferences make up 10 of the top 13 spots in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, with five each.
Both leagues dominated the nonconference schedules, winning more than 80% of such contests and the only two to have a winning percentage over 50% against other Power conference teams. It’s going to be entertaining to watch these conference races and who ends up at the top, and there’s a great chance the national champion emerges from the Big 12 or Big Ten.
ACC is back
After sending just four teams to the NCAA tournament last season, the ACC has responded emphatically and looks like it can prove its worth against other Power conferences.
It’s no surprise Duke, North Carolina and Louisville have done well, but there’s been some surprises like Virginia, surging under Ryan Odom, and Clemson not skipping a beat. There’s also been NCAA tournament-worthy starts from Miami, NC State and SMU, with squads like Virginia Tech, Stanford and California lurking. It’s been a fun league to watch again. There’s a good chance the ACC can double its amount of bids in March, and not just have Duke be the only one advancing.
Who steps up in SEC?
The SEC was the class of college basketball last season with a record 14 teams in March Madness, two of whom made the Final Four. The conference isn’t as strong as it was, but it remains as open of a race to who can emerge.
There’s no real power team, with Vanderbilt leaking after its 16-0 start. Florida has been mentioned, and other squads in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas A&M have shown potential but aren’t just complete. Kentucky and Tennessee have mostly disappointed and are hard to trust. The SEC will likely send at least eight teams, but you can’t confidently say who those eight will be and if they will be able to replicate any success.
Transfer portal frustration
A major talking point has been the new players coming to college basketball, and whether they should be allowed to play. There’s been some controversy about allowing former professional basketball players to play college basketball, whether they were in the G League or actual NBA draft picks.
They’ve been ruled eligible to play, drawing the ire of the most prominent coaches in the country from Tom Izzo to John Calipari as the NCAA watches. Will the trend continue, or will there be changes made after so much disapproval?