The college basketball season tips off on Monday across the United States.Can the Florida men do a rare repeat? Who can fill Paige Bueckers’ star void? Our writers weigh inI’ll go with the St Thomas–Minnesota men’s team, eligible for the NCAA Tournament for the first time after making an unprecedented jump from Division III to Division I.They enter as Summit League favorites and now boast a $175m arena that’s given them a major recruiting pull.A March run could cement the Tommies as the Gonzaga of the midwest.Bryan Armen GrahamBeyond the excitement of opening night, I’m eager to see how Tennessee’s Kim Caldwell steers the ship in her second season – and where Notre Dame lands after Olivia Miles’ departure to TCU.

Honestly, Miles herself is one of the top storylines I’ll have my eye on this year,Stephanie KaloiCan the Duke men repeat success with freshmen leading the way? In the age of the transfer portal and with teams being older and more experienced than ever, can five-star freshman Cameron Boozer lead the Blue Devils to a Final Four the way Cooper Flagg did? Nicholas LevineKansas women,The Jayhawks return five starters led by S’Mya Nichols and add two five-star freshmen,A Sweet 16 run isn’t out of the question,BAGLiving in Nashville, I’m especially curious about Vanderbilt’s women’s team – they’ve quietly built something special.

Miami also deserves attention: the Hurricanes have been making steady noise and could easily turn that momentum into a breakout 2025–26 campaign,SKSan Diego State men,While they’re ranked outside of the preseason top 25, the Aztecs return a good chunk of last year’s team which made the NCAA Tournament,Miles Byrd and Magoon Gwath are potential future NBA players and Reese Waters (former Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year at USC) returns after a year off due to injury,A core returning group who understand what the Aztec culture is all about, mixed in with some talented newcomers, SDSU will be a tough out for anyone in March.

NLSt John’s men.Rick Pitino cycled through options at point guard before settling on Stanford transfer Oziyah Sellers, a career off-ball shooter with minimal playmaking experience.Without a true floor general, the Red Storm’s top-10 talent could sputter early against a whale of a non-conference schedule.BAGRegretfully, I’d lean toward either NC State or Maryland on the women’s side.Not because they’re sitting at No 9 and No 10, but because it’s hard to imagine any of the other top teams unraveling enough to miss the field.

SKBYU men.The Cougars are playing in the ultra-competitive Big 12 where they are picked to finish third.They have the most talented freshman in the country in future lottery pick in AJ Dybantsa.Can the 18-year-old lead them through a rugged schedule against (much) older players with consistency? Time will tell.NLI like Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg to seize the throne with his all-round dominance on a top-five team.

BAGIt’s hard to bet against Purdue’s Braden Smith.The Big Ten preseason player of the year is poised for another leap, and all eyes will be on how he commands the Boilermakers’ offense from start to finish.SKBraden Smith.The best player on the best team, Smith averaged over eight assists per game last year and has just as much, if not more, talent surrounding him this season.An extension of Matt Painter on the court, Smith has an elite feel for how to run a team.

NLUConn’s Sarah Strong is poised, powerful and now the focal point of Geno Auriemma’s latest juggernaut.Look for the super soph to make the leap from prodigy to Storrs legend.BAGIf she stays healthy, Sarah Strong is the clear favorite.Just a sophomore, she’s already playing in a league of her own and looks ready to dominate at every level.SKUCLA’s Lauren Betts was a walking double-double for the Bruins last season, averaging 20 points and 9.

5 rebounds per game.Coming off a program-first Final Four run last season, Betts will look to continue her dominant play and this lead the Bruins to the national title.NLDarryn Peterson, Kansas.The 6ft 6in freshman’s blend of NBA-ready size, fluid athleticism and advanced shot creation makes him one of the most complete guard prospects in years.He scores effortlessly at all three levels, defends with energy and processes the game like a pro already.

BAGThe name to know is Darryn Peterson.The Kansas freshman projects as one of the most complete guards in years: a true one-and-done talent who can score, create and lead.SKAJ Dybantsa, Brigham Young.The 6ft 9in freshman has a lot of pressure to live up to the hype that has surrounded him for years now.The athletic wing has the body and feel for the game that should allow him to make an immediate impact in the league.

One area he will have to improve will be shooting from range,NLLauren Betts, UCLA,The 6ft 7in frontcourt anchor, who dominates both ends with power, touch and consistency, pairs elite footwork and rim protection with emerging mid-range and passing skills,BAGSpanish teenager Awa Fam is likely next year’s No 1 pick, but among US college players, UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Texas’s Rori Harmon stand out,Both have grown tremendously since their freshman seasons and look fully pro-ready: proof that staying with one program can refine a player’s game as much as raw talent ever could.

SKI am going to stick with the 6ft 7in center Lauren Betts.Her size and touch around the rim makes her ready to contribute from day one in the W.NLA No 16 seed will upset a No 1 team in the men’s tournament.It took more than three decades for it to finally happen a first time, until Fairleigh Dickinson made it twice in five years back in 2023.It won’t be long before we see it again for a few reasons, mainly how the transfer portal is redistributing talent toward the fringes while the traditional superpowers continue to rely on one-and-done players.

BAGThe USC women could be the season’s biggest surprise.Even without JuJu Watkins and Kiki Iriafen, the Trojans have the grit and cohesion to overachieve.Think of an Indiana Fever–style campaign – a young team that just refuses to quit and keeps finding ways to win.SKEric Olen and New Mexico will win the Mountain West conference tournament.The long time UCSD coach has a proven system that wins, but with 14 new players on the team, it will take some time for the Lobos to gel.

UNM have good positional size which will allow them to switch 1-5 and be one of the more disruptive defenses in the league,Come tournament time that will be tough for even some of the more talented MWC teams to prepare for,NLConnecticut, Houston, Kentucky, Tennessee,BAGDuke, Houston, Michigan, Purdue,SKGonzaga, Michigan, Purdue, St John’s.

NLHouston,The Cougars look built to finish where they fell so cruelly short in April,Kelvin Sampson returns three starters and seven key contributors from the team that nearly won last year’s title game, including star guards Emanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan and defensive anchor Joseph Tugler,To that battle-tested core they’ve added a top-five recruiting class headlined by five-star phenoms Chris Cenac Jr and Isiah Harwell, plus elite point guard Kingston Flemings,The unpredictability of March Madness is right there in the name but Houston are the safest bet on the board.

BAGHouston.The Cougars came agonizingly close last year, and that unfinished business still burns.With their chemistry, defense and experience, they have every ingredient to finish the job this time.SKSt John’s.The Johnnies are led by arguably the greatest college basketball coach of all time in Rick Pitino.

When Pitino has talent, and a group of guys who match his personality, he wins.They return last year’s Big East POY in Zudy Ejiofor and they have the top transfer class in the country.Look for the Johnnies send Pitino off to retirement by cutting down the nets in Indianapolis.NLConnecticut, LSU, South Carolina, UCLA.BAGConnecticut, South Carolina, Texas, UCLA.

SKConnecticut, Notre Dame, South Carolina, UCLA.NLConnecticut.UConn have the right mix of size, shooting and experience to cut down the nets in Phoenix.Even without Paige Bueckers, these Huskies might be better: Sarah Strong is poised to become the nation’s best player, Azzi Fudd is healthy and Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams adds depth.Geno Auriemma’s 13th title feels awfully close to a fait accompli.

BAGConnecticut.This year’s roster is deeper and more balanced than last season’s.Adding Serah Williams was a perfect fit, and with size, shooting and championship experience, the Huskies are built to reclaim the throne.SKSouth Carolina.Dawn Staley reloads with another talented group led by Florida State transfer Ta’Niya Latson who led the country in scoring a year ago.

Last year’s runners-up, the Gamecocks will avenge their embarrassing loss to UConn and get Staley her fourth national championship trophy.NL