22 years into their run, the Zags are still looking for their first title, and after missing out on their best chance yet when March Madness was cancelled, Mark Few’s squad will open the season as the favorite, per the people who set the college basketball odds. Gonzaga will be led by senior forward Corey Kispert and freshman stud Jalen Suggs.
The 1B to Gonzaga’s 1A, the Baylor Bears return the nation’s top backcourt in junior Jared Butler and senior MaCio Teague. Scott Drew’s squad was 26-4 last season.
The Wildcats top scorer from last season Saddiq Bey was picked in this past week’s NBA Draft, but there other four starters, each of whom averaged double figures are returning. Nov’as backcourt will be led by Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore, while their frontcourt features Jermaine Samuels and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
The nation’s top defensive team returns three starters plus transfer Sam Hauser who averaged 15 points per game at Marquette. For Virginia to contend for a title they will need point guard Kihei Clark to make a serious leap.
The Jayhawks lost their top two players in Devon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, so the next men up are guards Ochai Agbaji (10 ppg) and Marcus Garrett (9.2 ppg).
It’s very rare for a national POY contender to return to the college game but Luke Garza is back for his senior season after nearly averaging a 24 and 10. Iowa actually returns all five starters, including guards Joe Wieskamp and CJ Fredrick, who also averaged double figures.
Duke will be led by sweet shooting big man Matthews Hurt, but Coach K’s chances at a sixth ring will rest on the development of their fantastic freshman class, including forward Jalen Johnson.
Greg Gard’s Badgers return five seniors who all averaged at least 8.7 points per game last season, led by 6’11’’ forward Nate Reuvers who averaged 13.9 points and nearly two blocks per game.
Coach Brad Underwood still has a losing record at Illinois, but that’s about to change as all five of his starters return from a 21-10 team. Junior guard Ayo Dosunmu averaged 16.6 points per game and center Kofi Cockburn is the reigning Big 10 Freshman of the Year.
John Calipari’s team has the widest variance of any team in the top 25 as they return only one player who scored for them last season, in Keion Brooks Jr. The Wildcats chances are hinging on a massive freshman class, led by Brandon Boston and Terrence Clark.
Star Cassius Winston is gone to the NBA, but Coach Tom Izzo still has the roster stacked with talent, including forward Aaron Henry and guard Rocket Watts, but the X factor could be Joshua Langford who has not played in nearly two years, but was averaging 15 points per game before he got hurt.
Coach Bob Huggins has four of his five starters from last season including Oscar Tshiebwe, who nearly averaged a double-double as a freshman.
Roy Williams and the Tar Heels suffered through a miserable 14-19 record last season, but the people who make the college basketball odds don’t think they will repeat that losing record, as the team returns three starters from last year in Garrison Brooks, Armando Bacot, and Anthony Harris, plus three stud freshmen in Day’Ron Sharpe, Caleb Love and Walker Kessler.
The Bluejays figure to be the top offensive team in the Big East again as Greg McDermott’s crew returns five of their top six scorers, including budding star Marcus Zegarowski (16.1 ppg).
While many returning teams are guard-centric, the Vols stars are forwards John Fulkerson and Yves Pons. Coach Rick Barnes will also add a pair of high-profile recruits in Jaden Springer and Keon Johnson.
Tech will combine veteran guards in Kyler Edward and Terrence Shannon with four different transfers who averaged double digits elsewhere, at Wichita State, VCU, UNLV, and most notably Mac MCClung, who starred at Georgetown.
The Cougars were 23-8 last year and Kelvin Sampson’s squad will feature five of their top six scorers from last year including Caleb Mills who averaged a team high 13.2 points as a freshman, while coming off the bench.
Leonard Hamilton had the Seminoles at 26-5 last season, but FSU only brings back one player who averaged more than six points per game, senior guard M.J. Walker, so the pressure will be on star recruit Scottie Barnes to produce from day one.
Star guard Remy Martin will be a legitimate All-American contender after putting up 19 points and 4 assists as a junior, and he will get help from fellow senior guard Alonzo Verge Jr. and highly-regarded freshman Josh Christopher.
Shaka Smart’s Longhorns went 19-12 last season and return all five starters from last season. The best of the bunch might be senior guard Matt Coleman III, while the five are joined by super recruit Greg Brown III, a power forward who will balance a guard-centric team.
Chris Holtmann’s Buckeyes return a pair of senior starters, plus Duane Washington Jr. who scored 11.5 points off the bench. A key to Ohio State’s success could be the play of their transfers, Seth Towns who starred at Harvard but has missed two seasons, and Justice Sueing who led Cal in scoring in 2019.
The Bruins return all five starters from a 21-12 team for coach Mick Cronin. If the Bruins are a legitimate contender then senior forward Chris Smith (13.1 points, 5.4 rebs) will have to make the leap to All-American.
Even after losing Payton Pritchard to the NBA, the Ducks will feature one of the nation’s top backcourts, in duo Chris Duarte and Will Richardson.
Will Wade’s Tigers return three double-digit scorers from one of the nation’s top offensive teams. The star here is Trendon Watford, who averaged 16.6 points and grabbed 7.2 boards as a freshman.
For the first time in many years Rutgers will be favored, per the college basketball odds, in almost every game they play, as Steve Pikiell will have seven of his top eight scorers back as his remarkable transformation of the Scarlet Knights continues. Ron Harper Jr., son of the five time NBA champion, is the team’s star player, averaging 12.1 points and 5.8 rebounds last season.
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